cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UAV based accurate displacement monitoring through automatic filtering out its camera's translations and rotations

Abstract In this paper, three translations and three rotations of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were derived through the suggested Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) based template matching computer vision method and their effect on the monitored structural displacement is analyzed. The NCC-based template matching is used to obtain the vibration of UAVs by tracing far-field background points at the recorded images. The images captured at any general orientations are rotated back to their original positions which could detect errors in the monitored displacement induced by the rotation angles. A fast NCC-based template matching method was also proposed in this paper, which could accelerate the original NCC-based template matching method significantly and reaches the same level accuracy as that of the original NCC-based template matching method. In order to verify the concept, a series of experiments were performed on a Multipurpose Testing System (MTS) machine with amplitudes of 10 mm, 5 mm, and 2.5 mm and frequencies of 2 Hz, 1 Hz and 0.5 Hz, respectively, at the same time a UAV and a fixed camera were used to record the motions of the MTS piston. The derived displacements through the UAV and the fixed camera are compared with the true motions of the MTS machine. Excellent precision and consistence were obtained for the UAV monitored displacement, the MTS piston motion, and the fixed camera derived displacement. Comparing to the case of the fixed camera, scales and rotation angles of the UAV are critical and largely affect the accuracy of monitored displacements. A field experiment was conducted to test the proposed method in a windy environment. Excellent agreement was found between the monitored displacement obtained by the UAV and that derived from the fixed camera.
Associations of Urine Specific Gravity With Body Mass Index and Lean Body Mass at the Population Level: Implications for Hydration Monitoring.

Urine specific gravity (USG) thresholds are used in practice and research to determine hypohydration. However, some limited research has found that body size and body composition may impact USG, suggesting that fixed cutoffs may be insensitive. Cross-sectional data from 3,634 participants of the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Along with USG, body mass index (BMI), estimated lean body mass (LBM), and dietary intake were quantified. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate whether higher quintiles of BMI and LBM were associated with elevated USG (USG ≥ 1.020 and ≥1.025) after accounting for dietary moisture and sodium. The USG (1.018 ± 0.0003 vs. 1.015 ± 0.0004); BMI (28.4 ± 0.2 vs. 28.0 ± 0.2 kg/m2); LBM (60.9 ± 0.3 vs. 42.2 ± 0.2 kg); dietary moisture (3,401 ± 92 vs. 2,759 ± 49 g/day); and dietary sodium (4,171 ± 85 vs. 2,959 ± 50) were greater in men than in women (p < .05). Men and women in the fifth quintiles of BMI or LBM (vs. Quintile 1) had greater odds (2.00-3.68, p < .05) of elevated USG. (The only exception was for the association between BMI and USG ≥ 1.025 in men.) Being in Quintile 4 of LBM or BMI (vs. Quintile 1) also tended to be associated with higher odds of elevated of USG, though this pattern was more consistent when using USG ≥ 1.020 than USG ≥ 1.025. In summary, BMI and LBM are associated with USG at the population level. These results affirm that USG depends on body size and composition and raise questions about using fixed USG thresholds for determining hypohydration, particularly for people in the upper quintiles of BMI and LBM.
Disclosures for Equity

While one might expect that the nonprofit sector is an equitable space where generosity and social justice are the norms, the sector suffers from funding inequalities. Despite corporations’ and private foundations’ pledges to fund nonprofit organizations that are led by members of, or that serve, communities of color, there are racial disparities in nonprofit funding. Research reveals that in comparison to White-led nonprofit organizations, organizations led by or serving communities of color are chronically underfunded. These disparities in funding mean that organizations that serve communities of color are more likely to go defunct or lack resources. Increased funding for minority-led or serving organizations can have a profound positive impact on the criminal justice system, healthcare, environmental justice, housing, labor, and employment. Indeed, it would be difficult to fight mass incarceration without the work of nonprofit charities like Bryan Stevenson’s preeminent organization, Equal Justice Initiative. This Article proposes two novel remedies to address this issue. The first is for charities to publicly disclose their institutional donors in Schedule B of Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 990. The second is for IRS Form 990 to include information on the race and ethnicity of top managers, directors, and the communities an organization serves. Mandating these disclosures would allow the public to assess whether pledges to support racial justice come with funding rather than empty promises. While the Supreme Court’s recent case, Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (“AFPF”) struck down California’s donor disclosure requirements, this Article makes an important distinction between individual and institutional donors that the AFPF case ignores. As the disclosures would only apply to institutional donors and would include an opt out provision for controversial organizations, they would protect the right to freedom of association while promoting transparency in nonprofit funding and racial justice. By using mandatory disclosures to address racial inequities in not-for-profit law, the nonprofit sector might finally contend with persistent racial disparities in funding that leave communities of color underserved.
Blood in Urine

A 68-year-old Caucasian man presents to the emergency department complaining of blood in his urine as well as small blood clots for 3 days. He denies dysuria, nocturia, urinary frequency or hesitancy, or a decreased urinary stream. He denies any fevers, chills, or weight loss. He has had similar episodes of visible blood in his urine in the last several months and has been treated twice with antibiotics for a possible urinary tract infection without improvement. He has a history of hypertension for which he takes a beta-blocker; otherwise he has had no surgeries and takes no other medications. He denies any family history of malignancy or renal disease. He denies any history of trauma and does not vigorously exercise. He has a 40-pack-year history of smoking and worked as a painter. On physical exam, he is afebrile with normal vital signs. His abdomen is soft, without any palpable masses. His genitourinary exam reveals a normal circumcised phallus without lesions and normal bilateral descended testicles. On digital rectal exam, his prostate is small without any nodularity, induration, or tenderness. On laboratory exam, his hematocrit is 42 %, creatinine is 1.0 mg/dL, INR and PTT are normal, and PSA is 2 ng/dL. His urinalysis shows a large number of red cells, no white cells, no casts, and no bacteria.
Turbulent Boundary-Layer Heat Transfer from Rapidly Accelerating Flow of Rocket Combustion Gases and of Heated Air

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the turbulent boundary-layer heat transfer from rapidly accelerating flow of rocket combustion cases and of heated air. The chapter illustrates that the problem of heat transfer from hot gases to the cooled walls of nozzles is not yet “solved” in the sense of producing a theory or an empirical correlation universally accurate for all the flows of interest. The analyses and experiments that have been discussed have accomplished two things: (1) they have suggested the specific basic physical processes that must be understood quantitatively before the problem can be solved, (2) they have shown how far existing methods of analysis may be in error under the limited conditions thus far investigated thereby establishing some basis for corrections to these analyses that will permit an acceptable prediction of the heat transfer for most requirements. The delineation of the processes that must be understood to “solve” the problem and the specification of procedures recommended for nozzle heat-transfer predictions at this time conclude this chapter.
Fault tolerant computing in computer design

This paper is presented as an attempt to cover the basic practices and methodologies involved in the area of contemporary fault tolerant computing in a computer design course. Most computer design courses cover design of various components of a computer system and integration of these components to build a system. Unfortunately, fault tolerance is not typically covered in a computer design course.We have identified four steps for our method. First, we are identifying the relative effectiveness of the different approaches in fault tolerant. Second, we are discussing various architectures used in the implementation of fault tolerance. Third, we are providing the performance overview of various architectures used. Fourth, we are covering the trade offs involved with the selection of fault tolerance versus system performance.
BEING IN THE WORLD

Actions for which we are responsible constitute our engagement with the world as rational agents. What is the relationship between such actions and our capacities for rational agency? I take this to be a question about responsibility in a particular use of that term, which I shall call 'responsibility 2 '. We are not responsible 2 for all our intentional actions (actions under hypnosis, for example), but we can nevertheless be responsible 2 for actions we do not adequately control, for negligent actions, and for non-intentional omissions. Appreciating this helps show that familiar principles of responsibility are false: those which delimit responsibility to intentional actions or to actions and outcomes under our control. In the attempt to fashion an alternative principle, cases of negligence prove pivotal. We hold ourselves and others responsible 2 for conduct within our respective 'domains of secure competence', (i.e. that within which we are confident of doing what we set ourselves to do, barring events which defeat our competence), even when actions within that domain fail. The significance of this practice of holding ourselves and others responsible 2 lies in the way it maintains our sense of who we are and of how we are related to the world in which we act. 1 .
Distributed microwave effects in high speed semiconductor lasers

In this paper we analyze and experimentally show that high speed semiconductor lasers approximately 300 /spl mu/m long and operating at frequencies above 25 GHz should be treated as distributed electrical elements. The analysis and experiments indicate that the microwave propagation is lossy, slow wave and dispersive, and that these distributed effects have important implications for the use of directly modulated lasers in high speed optical links. >
The avian cardiac alpha-actin promoter is regulated through a pair of complex elements composed of E boxes and serum response elements that bind both positive- and negative-acting factors.

The chicken alpha-cardiac actin is one of the earliest contractile protein genes selectively expressed during embryonic skeletal and cardiac muscle differentiation. Cardiac actin promoter elements were examined in these two sarcomeric cell types. A portion of the alpha-cardiac actin promoter responsible for striated muscle specificity has been delineated (1, 2) and shown to contain four serum response elements (SRE). Previously, SRE3 was shown to be part of a complex element in conjunction with a functional E box (2), and we now show that SRE4 is also part of an upstream SRE.E box cis-element complex. The SREs function similarly, but the E boxes have dissimilar properties within and between striated muscle types. The SRE3.E1 box binds myogenic basic helix-loop-helix factors and is required for cardiac actin trans-activation in primary muscle cell cultures but functions as a negative regulatory element in cardiac muscle cells. The SRE4.E2 box, on the other hand, fails to bind basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors, is negative acting in skeletal muscle cells, and is positive acting in cardiac myocytes. A DNA binding factor similar to HF1a (3) was identified that interacts specifically with the SRE4.E2 box. This study shows that the avian cardiac actin promoter elements are differentially used between skeletal and cardiac striated muscle cell lineages.
A Dynamic Growth Model for Focused Broadcasting over the Internet

As a significant segment of the Information Industries, classified advertising can be a prime example of how conventional businesses, rather than being simply transplanted to the New (digital) Media, may indeed be transformed for future growth. To be successful, such transformations must be able to take full advantage of the defining features of the emerging information infrastructure for innovative creation of economic value. Focused Broadcasting, a class of service for matching classified and want ads using the World Wide Web, is an approach that balances the push-pull dynamics of information over the Internet. Applying the concept of product introduction with complementary network externalities, a dynamic model is formulated to simulate the potential growth of such business in cyberspace. Robustness of the model is demonstrated.
'Retire and Teach' Six Years On

This is a follow up to a 2007 essay I wrote about what it might take for a well-seasoned practitioner to join a law school faculty as a tenure track professor. Having now wended my way up (or down) that track for six years plus, my intended audience this time includes the original one, those seasoned veterans of the law practice trenches who may think but should never utter out loud the words “I would like to retire and teach,” but now also my colleagues in academia who are facing what looks to be the greatest reshuffling of the system in our generation. Much of what I said in the earlier essay still holds. This essay, however, includes (a) a more nuanced look at the strange hybrid creature that is the scholarly output of academic lawyers; (b) a more respectful appreciation of what it takes to become a good teacher, with some notes about what worked for me, and (c) an attempt to reconcile the interests in scholarship and the interest in teaching after the “Great Retrenchment” of the legal profession and legal education, with some brief thoughts about the opportunities that may bring for the aging but not ossifying academic aspirant.
From HPC Performance to Climate Modeling: Transforming Methods for HPC Predictions into Models of Extreme Climate Conditions

In the past forty years, the high-performance computing (HPC) community has been developing powerful and rigorous tools for predicting the performance of supercomputers from log traces. In this paper, we transform one of these approaches previously used for predicting idle resources in high-end clusters into a method for capturing extreme climate events in geographical locations of interest. Our method uses an analysis based on empirical cumulative distribution functions (ECDFs) to benchmark and model occurrences of climate events including extreme temperature and precipitation. The method comprises two phases: a learning phase and a prediction phase. The learning phase applies the ECDF-based empirical analysis to historical climate data in order to identify suitable modeling and forecasting windows, both given in years. The prediction phase applies the modeling window to the most recent climate data in order to estimate the likelihood that given portions of the region of interest can experience extreme climate events in the forecasting window. The research is the first of its kind to extend HPC performance modeling techniques to study extreme climate events.
Maternal depression and its relationship to life stress, perceptions of child behavior problems, parenting behaviors, and child conduct problems.

This study examined the relationship of reported maternal depression to prior and current life stressors, and to mother perceptions of child adjustment, parenting behaviors, and child conduct problems. Forty-six depressed mothers and 49 nondepressed mothers and their clinic-referred children (aged 3–8 years) participated. Depressed mothers were more critical than nondrepessed mothers, but the behavior of children of depressed and nondepressed mothers showed no significant differences. Depressed mothers were more likely to have experienced child abuse, spouse abuse, or more negative life events than nondepressed mothers. Maternal reports of stress related to mother characteristics and to negative life events were the most potent variables discriminating depressed from nondepressed mother families.
Management level as defined and applied within a construction organization by some US contractors and engineers

Abstract The concepts, definition, types and applications of management level are addressed. A construction company and a construction organization are defined, as are the broad functions of a construction organization. A typical organization structure identified in a study is used to illustrate the concepts and types of management levels identified in this study. Data for this paper was collected from a literature survey to identify documented efforts by various government agencies, consulting firms, practitioners in construction and other industries, and the universities; questionnaires received from 26 construction personnel; and person-to-person in-depth interviews with 114 construction personnel.
Children's Assignment of Gender to Animal Characters in Pictures

Abstract In previous research (DeLoache, Cassidy, & Carpenter, 1987), mothers' descriptions of gender-neutral animal characters were influenced by subtle gender stereotypes. The present research was an investigation of children's assignment of gender to the same neutral characters. The youngest children, 4 to 5 years old, usually assigned their own gender to the characters (bears). The 7- to 8-year-old and 10- to 11-year-old children were influenced by gender stereotypes. Solitary or noninteracting bears were less likely to receive female gender labels than were bears involved in adult–child interactions. Boys in the oldest age group were most influenced by the stereotypes.
Stability theorem and truncation error analysis for the Glimm scheme and for a front tracking method for flows with strong discontinuities

Typical nonlinear wave interaction problems involve strong waves moving through a background of weak disturbance. Previous existence theorems and error analysis for computations are usually restricted to more idealized situations such as small data or single equations. We consider here the problem of a single strong discontinuity interacting with a weak background for general hyperbolic systems of conservation laws. We obtain the stability, consistency theorems and upper bounds of the truncation errors for the Glimm scheme and for a front tracking method. The major error in the Glimm scheme is the error generated by the strong discontinuity. This error is reduced when a front tracking method is applied to follow the location of the strong discontinuity. This demonstrates an advantage of front tracking methods in one-space dimension.
Spectral inputs to crop identification and condition assessment

This review discusses, from an agronomic perspective, contemporary remote sensing research on crop identification and condition assessment. The paper begins with a review of the basic relationships of reflectance and biophysical properties of crop canopies. Leaf area index is shown to be a key parameter linking multispectral reflectance and crop physiology. Major advancements in capability, particularly the development of spectral-temporal profile models, for crop identification have been made in the past decade. The same model form has been used for estimating crop development stage, leaf area index, and canopy light interception as inputs to crop growth and yield models. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential advancements in capability with respect to new sensors.
APPLICATION OF WEIGHT-HEIGHT RATIOS AND BODY INDICES TO JUVENILE POPULATIONS-- THE NATIONAL HEALTH EXAMINATION SURVEY DATA

Properties of four weight-height ratios were studed in data from the U.S. Health Examination Survey (Cycles 11 and III) of a national probability sample of youths aged 6-I 7 yr (N = 13.867). These ratios (weight/height, weight/height'. weight/height3, weight/body surface area) were examined for their correlation with adiposity (infrascapular skinfold thickness) and muscle mass (estimated muscle circumference) and for their relationship to selected physiologic and biochemical measurements. Weight/height' (Quetelet's index) correlates best with skinfold thickness for all age-race-sex groups. However, weight-height ratios may be a better indicator of muscle mass than of adiposity because the ratios generally show higher correlations with muscle circumference than with skinfold thickness. Weight/body surface area (BSA index) is the ratio which shows the highest overall correlation with muscle circumference. The relation- ships of the ratios are different for various biochemical and physiologic parameters, and these data can be used for selection of an index appropriate to the investigative aims of the study. Epidemiologic studies generally use height and weight as measurements of body size, but few studies measure body components, such as adipose tissue, muscle, or skeletal size, because of technical difficulties. To make estimates of these components, ratios of "body mass" are often constructed from height and weight and these ratios are related to various physiologic parameters and to disease states (l-S). Most of these relationships have been assessed in adult populations. Weight-height ratios have not been studied extensively in representative young populations where growth and changing body composition may cause different relationships than those in adults. The United States Health Examination Surveys (Cycles II and III) provide extensive data on the growth and development of a national probability sample of youths aged 6-17 yr. These data afford a unique opportunity to examine the properties of weight-height ratios in a juvenile population. Weight-height ratios may reflect several components of body mass. Adiposity is most commonly inferred when these ratios are employed, but muscle mass and skeletal size may also be estimated by these ratios and may be related to physiologic measurements. The process of growth and maturation is associated with rapid changes in body composi- tion and, therefore, the relationships of these ratios may differ from adult relationships and change with age. In this analysis, data from the Health Examination Surveys are examined from several perspectives. Firstly, the weight-height ratios are evaluated for their similarity to skinfold thickness, to estimated muscle circumference, and to height. These measurements are taken as estimates of adipose tissue, muscle, and skeletal size. This analysis permits
An empirical examination of racial and gender differences in wage distributions

Abstract This research presents an examination of racial and gender differences in earnings distributions among a sample of young workers. Using data from the 1987 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we utilize an ordered-response logit model to estimate the probability of a white male being in a given position in the earnings distribution, based on his human capital and other personal characteristics. We then generate “predicted” probabilities of given earnings positions for individual black males, black females, and white females. Non-parametric tests indicate that significant differences exist between the actual and predicted earnings distributions for all of the racial and gender groups studied. We interpret this as evidence of the impact of differential treatment in the labor market.
Postural electrocardiographic changes in healed myocardial infarction.

An electrocardiographic study of 110 patients with old myocardial infarction was made. Change of posture, by causing rotation of the heart on its axes, frequently altered the evidence of infarction. These changes were most evident in posterior infarction. The "labeled" area did the following with respect to the exploring electrode: (1) disappeared, (2) if absent in the supine posture, the evidence appeared in one or more of the other postures, and (3) shifted from one exploring electrode position to another.
Plasma glucose, insulin and cardiovascular responses after intravenous intracerebroventricular injections of insulin, 2-deoxyglucose and glucose in rats

To determine the possibility that insulin and/or glucose may directly or indirectly modulate cardiovascular tone, we measured plasma glucose, arterial pressure and heart rate after the injection of insulin, 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) and glucose into the femoral vein or into the lateral ventricles of Wistar rats. The systemic administration of insulin significantly decreased plasma glucose, while its intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion had little effect on plasma glucose, although it resulted in a significant increase in plasma insulin. Both the peripheral and the ICV administration of insulin significantly decreased mean arterial pressure (MAP) and ICV insulin decreased heart rate. Injections of 2-deoxyglucose were used to help differentiate the effects of insulin from those of insulin-induced glucopenia. When infused systemically, 2-DG increased plasma glucose while ICV 2-DG had no significant effect on plasma glucose levels. When 2-DG was administered systemically, MAP and heart rate were increased slightly; however, they were significantly decreased when 2-DG was administered centrally. Both ICV and systemic administration of glucose increased plasma insulin even though ICV glucose did not significantly change the plasma glucose level. Both systemic and ICV administration of glucose significantly decreased MAP and heart rate. These results suggest that increasing the insulin and/or glucose concentration of the CNS environment may have a direct influence on autonomic outflow resulting in decreased MAP and heart rate. Central glucopenia induced by 2-DG suppressed sympathetic or increased parasympathetic outflow, while systemic glucopenia stimulated cardiovascular tone. Both systemic and central glucose administration suppressed the cardiovascular tone to a lesser extent than did administration of insulin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
D-algebra for composing access control policy decisions

This paper proposes a D-algebra to compose decisions from multiple access control policies. Compared to other algebra-based approaches aimed at policy composition, D-algebra is the only one that satisfies both functional completeness (any possible decision matrix can be expressed by a D-algebra formula) and computational effectiveness (a formula can be computed efficiently given any decision matrix). The D-algebra has several relevant applications in the context of access control policies, namely the analysis of policy languages decision mechanisms, and the development of tools for policy authoring and enforcement.
Women, work and “development” in Belize

La relation des femmes au travail et les relations de production au Belize dependent de l'economie politique du pays touche par le flux de capitaux internationaux. La femme est exploitee : elevant des vaches, des cochons ou travaillant loin de chez elle pour une paie minime, elle devient membre d'un nouveau proletariat.
Influence of Ca2+ on the thylakoid lumen violaxanthin de-epoxidase activity through Ca2+ gating of H+ flux at the CFo H+ channel

Part of the chloroplast photoprotection response to excess light absorption involves formation of zeaxanthin (and antheraxanthin) via the violaxanthin deepoxidase enzyme, the activity of which requires lumen acidity near or below pH 6.0. Clearly, the violaxanthin de-epoxidase activity is strongly regulated because at equivalent energization levels (including the parameters of H+ accumulation and ATP formation rates), there can be either low or high violaxanthin de-epoxidase enzyme activity. This work shows that the factor or factors responsible for regulating the violaxanthin deepoxidase correlate directly with those which regulate the expression of membrane-localized or delocalized proton gradient (Δ~μH+) energy coupling. The most clearly identified factor regulating switching between localized and delocalized energy coupling modes is Ca2+ binding to the lumen side of the thylakoid membrane; in particular, Ca2+ binding to the 8 kDA subunit III of the CFo H+ channel. The activity of violaxanthin deepoxidase in pea (Pisum sativa) and spinach (Spinacea oleracea) thylakoids is shown here to be strongly correlated with conditions known from previous work to displace Ca2+ from the CFo H+ channel and thus to modulate the extent of lumenal acidification while maintaining a fairly constant rate of ATP formation.
Effects of furosemide on body water compartments in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

ABSTRACT: We studied the effects of a single dose of intravenous furosemide on the body water compartments of nine infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We measured total body water, extracellular water, and plasma volume using deuterium oxide, sodium bromide, and Evans blue dye, respectively. From the results of these measurements, we calculated cell water, interstitial water, red cell volume, and total blood volume. We performed these measurements on the first day of the study and again 28 h later, 4 h after an intravenous dose of furosemide (1 mg/kg). All infants had a brisk diuresis in the first hour after the dose, but urine output was no greater during the 24-h period after the dose than during the preceding 24-h period. Total body water, extracellular water, and interstitial water were significantly decreased 4 h after furosemide. There was no change in plasma volume, red cell volume, or total blood volume
Fresh-market tomato response to N and K fertilization and water management practices

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to evaluate N and K fertilization rates, fertilizer placement, and water management practices for fresh‐market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production in the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Plant nutrient status, fruit yield, and fruit firmness after 12. to 15 days of storage at 20C were evaluated. Nitrogen rates of 130 or 200 kg/ha significantly increased yield of extra‐large and large fruit compared to the 67 kg/ha N rate. There was no significant difference in yield response among K rates of 46, 140, or 280 kg/ha. Marketable fruit yields for banded or broadcast placement of fertilizers beneath the black polyethylene mulch were not significantly different. Trickle irrigation did not cause extensive nutrient leaching or induce a “soft‐fruit”; storage syndrome. The ‘Tempo’ cultivar yielded significantly more extra‐large fruit with or without irrigation. However, after 12 to 15 days at 20C, internal firmness of physiologically similar fruit was lower...
Characterization of La0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ–Ce0.8Gd0.2O2 composite cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract La0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ–Ce0.8Gd0.2O2 (LSCF–GDC) composite cathodes with various weight ratios 90%, 70% and 50% of LSCF were prepared. Mechanical properties, thermal expansion properties and electrical properties were measured for potential applications in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with graded cathodes. LSCF and GDC as pure cathode and electrolyte materials were characterized as reference. The absence of new phases as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated the excellent compatibility between the cathode and electrolyte materials. Mechanical properties such as hardness and fracture toughness were measured by the micro-indentation technique, while hardness and elastic modulus were measured by the nano-indentation technique. Thermal expansion behavior was recorded by a dilatometer. Electrical conductivity was measured by the four probe DC method. The 50% LSCF–GDC composite has the lowest relative density among all the samples. Thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) and electrical conductivity increased with addition of LSCF contents in the composite, while mechanical properties depended more on the density than the LSCF content.
Internal protein sequence analysis: Enzymatic digestion for less than 10 μg of protein bound to polyvinylidene difluoride or nitrocellulose membranes☆

A procedure for the generation and isolation of internal peptide fragments for less than 10 micrograms of protein bound to either polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) or nitrocellulose membranes after electrophoretic transfer from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels (SDS-PAGE) is presented. This technique has produced internal sequence data for 120 peptides, with an average initial yield of 20 pmol. Membrane-bound proteins were enzymatically digested with either trypsin or endoproteinase Lys-C in the presence of 1% hydrogenated Triton X-100/10% acetonitrile/100 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, for 24 h at 37 degrees C. The eluted peptides were then directly isolated by microbore HPLC for subsequent sequence analysis. One percent hydrogenated Triton X-100 did not inhibit enzymatic activity, distort HPLC resolution of peptides, or contain uv-absorbing contaminants that could interfere with peptide identification. Reproducible peptide maps and consistent recoveries are presented for standard proteins (3.5-8.0 micrograms) bound to either membrane, with higher recoveries for PVDF-bound proteins. Ninety percent of the proteins analyzed by this technique have produced results; representative peptide maps and sequence data are presented. This technique has a wide range of applications, particularly for proteins with blocked amino termini or those that can only be purified by SDS-PAGE or 2D isoelectric focusing SDS-PAGE.
Neural network prediction of three-dimensional unsteady separated flowfields

Unsteady surface pressures were measured on a wing pitching beyond static stall. Surface pressure measurements confirmed that the pitching wing generated a rapidly evolving, three-dimensional unsteady surface pressure field. Using these data, both linear and nonlinear neural networks were developed. A novel quasilinear activation function enabled extraction of a linear equation system from the weight matrices of the linear network. This equation set was used to predict unsteady surface pressures and unsteady aerodynamic loads. Neural network predictions were compared directly to measured surface pressures and aerodynamic loads. The neural network accurately predicted both temporal and spatial variations for the unsteady separated flowfield as well as for the aerodynamic loads. Consistent results were obtained using either the linear or nonlinear neural network. In addition, fluid mechanics modeled by the linear equation set were consistent with established vorticity dynamics principles.
Regulation of bat echolocation pulse acoustics by striatal dopamine

The ability to control the bandwidth, amplitude and duration of echolocation pulses is a crucial aspect of echolocation performance but few details are known about the neural mechanisms underlying the control of these voice parameters in any mammal. The basal ganglia (BG) are a suite of forebrain nuclei centrally involved in sensory-motor control and are characterized by their dependence on dopamine. We hypothesized that pharmacological manipulation of brain dopamine levels could reveal how BG circuits might influence the acoustic structure of bat echolocation pulses. A single intraperitoneal injection of a low dose (5 mg kg–1) of the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPTP), which selectively targets dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra, produced a rapid degradation in pulse acoustic structure and eliminated the bat's ability to make compensatory changes in pulse amplitude in response to background noise, i.e. the Lombard response. However, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements of striatal dopamine concentrations revealed that the main effect of MPTP was a fourfold increase rather than the predicted decrease in striatal dopamine levels. After first using autoradiographic methods to confirm the presence and location of D1- and D2-type dopamine receptors in the bat striatum, systemic injections of receptor subtype-specific agonists showed that MPTP's effects on pulse acoustics were mimicked by a D2-type dopamine receptor agonist (Quinpirole) but not by a D1-type dopamine receptor agonist (SKF82958). The results suggest that BG circuits have the capacity to influence echolocation pulse acoustics, particularly via D2-type dopamine receptor-mediated pathways, and may therefore represent an important mechanism for vocal control in bats.
Microfluidic-based DNA purification in a two-stage, dual-phase microchip containing a reversed-phase and a photopolymerized monolith.

In this report, we show that a novel capillary-based photopolymerized monolith offering unprecedented efficiency (∼80%) for DNA extraction from submicroliter volumes of whole blood (Wen, J.; Guillo, C.; Ferrance, J. P.; Landers, J. P. Anal. Chem. 2006, 78, 1673−1681) can be translated to microfluidic devices. However, owing to the large mass of protein present in blood, both DNA binding capacity and extraction efficiency were significantly decreased when extraction of DNA was carried out directly from whole blood (38 ± 1%). To circumvent this, a novel two-stage microdevice was developed, consisting in a C18 reversed-phase column for protein capture (stage 1) in series with a monolithic column for DNA extraction (stage 2). The two-stage, dual-phase design improves the capability of the monolith for whole blood DNA extraction by ∼100-fold. From a 10-μL load of whole blood containing 350 ng of DNA, 99% (340 ± 10 ng) traverses the C18 phase while ∼70% (1020 ± 45 ug) of protein is retained. A total of 240 ± 2 ...
Anomalous thresholds in dispersion theory - I

The form factor of a particle in the so-called anomalous case (loosely bound system) is studied from the viewpoint of: 1) description in terms of a Schrodinger-type wave function; 2) perturbation theory; and 3) dispersion theory. A prescription is given on how to calculate the absorptive part of a dispersion relation in the correct Riemann sheet.
Cooperativity and regulation of scallop myosin and myosin fragments.

Scallop heavy meromyosin (HMM) preparation obtained by a new improved method showed a Mg-ATPase activity that was activated 15-fold by calcium. The ATPase activity depended on ionic strength and reached maximum at 0.1 M without altering calcium sensitivity. The highly regulated HMM and myosin preparations showed cooperative properties not seen with unregulated subfragment 1 (S1). ATPase activity of myosin and HMM increased steeply with calcium concentration, yielding Hill coefficients about 3 and 4, respectively. Calcium binding by HMM and myosin became cooperative in the presence of ADP, AMP-PNP, or ADP·Vi yielding Hill coefficients of 1.8 and 2.8, respectively. Binding of calcium by HMM in the presence of ATP was also cooperative at physiological ionic strength, whereas at low ionic strength the data fit best to a simple binding curve. In contrast, calcium binding by unregulated S1 followed a normal binding curve and was not affected by the presence of nucleotide analogues. Calcium decreased the affinit...
Endogenous neurotensin antagonizes methamphetamine-enhanced dopaminergic activity

Neurotensin (NT) has been proposed to be an endogenous neuroleptic based on observations that i.c.v. administration of this peptide antagonizes dopamine-mediated behavior. Because NT influences dopamine activity, this peptide may contribute to the pathogenesis of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia; however, the precise physiological effects of NT remain speculative. In order to elucidate the function of endogenous NT, a selective NT antiserum (NTAS) was administered i.c.v. through a push-pull cannula in unanesthetized, freely moving rats in combination with dopamine activation caused by methamphetamine (METH). Locomotor and rearing activities induced by a low dose of METH (0.5 mg/kg) were substantially enhanced (4-5-fold) in rats receiving NTAS compared to control animals receiving METH alone. Similarly raised antiserum to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) did not alter METH-induced effects. To determine a possible mechanism for these observations, perfusate delivered into the cerebral ventricular space was collected by push-pull cannulae and assayed for dopamine release. METH-induced dopamine release was enhanced 4-5-fold by co-administration of NTAS but not VIP antiserum. To verify these observations, and to identify the site of dopamine release, this experiment was repeated utilizing microdialysis and the recently described NT antagonist, SR-48692. Results from this experiment were similar to those found using NTAS. Like NTAS, co-administration of the NT antagonist enhanced the behavioral responses to a low dose of METH. These studies with SR-48692 also revealed that blockade of NT receptors increased METH-induced release of dopamine from the nucleus accumbens. These findings are the first to demonstrate directly that endogenous NT antagonizes stimulated dopamine pathways and its inactivation substantially enhances METH-induced DA release and related behaviors.
On the measurement of small photo-currents on a dropping mercury electrode

Summary An instrument is described with which small photo-currents on a dropping mercury electrode can be measured automatically. A mercury arc lamp in conjunction with interference filters is used as a source of essentially monochromatic light. Chopping of the light beam and synchronous rectification of the resulting alternating current makes it possible to measure photo-currents, even if these are several orders of magnitude smaller than the simultaneously flowing double-layer charging current. Results obtained with the instrument are given, and are discussed in the light of recent theories of electron photo-emission.
Hardness and indentation : induced damage of SiC-coated graphite

The hardness and indentation damage of chemical vapour-deposited SiC coating/graphite substrate composites have been studied. Experimental results indicate that hardness is a non-linear function of coating thickness, and is not significantly affected by the changes in the magnitude of the residual stresses in SiC coating. The size of indentation lateral crack, observed using optical microscopy, varies with coating thickness. Acoustic emission spectra show that thinner coatings suffer more extensive fracture as compared with thicker coatings.
Prevalence and disease spectrum in a new focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Kenya.

Abstract A cross-sectional community study was conducted in the village of Kivaa in Machakos District, Kenya, to determine the prevalence and disease spectrum of visceral leishmaniasis. The disease was first diagnosed in 1978. Demographic data was collected from 50 households comprising 374 individuals. Clinical examination, laboratory investigations and leishmanin skin tests were performed. The results showed that in spite of the presence of a susceptible population, visceral leishmaniasis occurred with a low prevalence in Kivaa as evidenced by the small number of individuals with active disease (0·30%), a low leishmanin positivity rate (7·2%) and the presence of leishmanial antibodies in only 3·7% of the population. The infection affected individuals in homesteads with or without nearby termite hills. Leishmanial antibodies and leishmanin positivity were found among asymptomatic household contacts of patients as well as in isolated individuals in non-infected homesteads. These findings suggest the existence of a spectrum of disease ranging from asymptomatic to self-healing to severe clinical illness. Furthermore, there was significant clustering of leishmanin reactors in the households of patients. The aetiology of this striking focality of visceral leishmaniasis remains obscure. Possible explanations are discussed.
Polystyrene/graphite nanocomposites: effect on thermal stability

Abstract Nanocomposites consisting of polymer and clay have been shown to exhibit a significant reduction in flammability and an increase in mechanical properties. This work examines the effect of thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanocomposites prepared from potassium graphite and styrene. Synthesis of nanocomposites was accomplished by using potassium graphite (KC 8 ) as the initiator in the polymerization of styrene. A slight increase in thermal stability is observed but mechanical properties are decreased.
Subject variation in caprine anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

We studied the subject and treatment contributions to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction biomechanics by re-examing the results of two bilateral reconstruction studies. Bilateral reconstruction allows a comparison between treatments exposed to the same subject related healing factors. The studies examined the effects of gamma irradiation and the effects of initial graft size and initial graft laxity. In both studies different treatments were applied to contralateral limbs. We found that the subject was the best predictor of outcome, while the surgical treatments had little influence on outcome. There was a large variation between subjects despite similar treatments, and little difference between contralateral limbs despite different surgical treatments. At 26 weeks, the graft cross sectional area and modulus were most strongly influenced (p<0.002) by the subject. We interpret this as a subject related factor is regulating the quantity and quality of the healing tissue. Potential sources of subject related factors include the subject's pre-operative condition, the activity during the post-operative period, and an intrinsic biologic response. By better understanding the source of subject variation, more successful and consistent ACL reconstructions might be achieved.