cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of numerical methods for solving the advection equation—III

Abstract As a sequel to the previous studies (Atmospheric Environment17, 11–24, 1983; Atmospheric Environment19, 571–586, 1985), four algorithms and their variations for solving the advection equation were compared in terms of their accuracy, speed and storage requirements. The algorithms are the Smolarkiewicz methods, the higher-degree-weighting Petrov-Galerkin method, the Taylor-Galerkin method and the accurate-space-derivative method. The test problem was the rotation of a cosine-shaped hill of concetration in a two-dimensional circular velocity field at three or four different time increments. The Smolarkiewicz methods were found to be highly diffusive. The higher-degree-weighting Petrov-Galerkin method is comparable to, in accuracy and storage, but more time consuming than the chapeau-function method coupled with the Crank-Nicolson scheme. The forward-Euler Taylor-Galerkin method is even superior to the forward Euler chapeau-function method with balancing diffusion—a metho recommended previously, because it has a greater range of applicable Courant number. The accurate-space-derivative method is extremely accurate but time consuming. A simple approach to remove the requirement of periodic boundary conditions was proposed which should enhance the attractiveness of the method for air quality modeling.
Measurement of Insertion Loss of an Acoustic Treatment in the Presence of Additional Uncorrelated Sound Sources

A method to intended for measurement of the insertion loss of an acoustic treatment applied to an aircraft fuselage in-situ is documented in this paper. Using this method, the performance of a treatment applied to a limited portion of an aircraft fuselage can be assessed even though the untreated fuselage also radiates into the cabin, corrupting the intensity measurement. This corrupting noise in the intensity measurement incoherent with the panel vibration of interest is removed by correlating the intensity to reference transducers such as accelerometers. Insertion loss of the acoustic treatments is estimated from the ratio of correlated intensity measurements with and without a treatment applied. In the case of turbulent boundary layer excitation of the fuselage, this technique can be used to assess the performance of noise control methods without requiring treatment of the entire fuselage. Several experimental studies and numerical simulations have been conducted, and results from three case studies are documented in this paper. Conclusions are drawn about the use of this method to study aircraft sidewall treatments.
Effects of leptin treatment and Western diet on wheel running in selectively bred high runner mice

Abstract The role of leptin in regulating physical activity is varied. The behavioral effects of leptin signaling depend on the type of activity and the animal's physiological state. We used mice from lines selectively bred for high voluntary wheel running to further study how leptin regulates volitional exercise. Mice from four replicate high runner (HR) lines typically run ~ 3-fold more revolutions per day than those from four non-selected control (C) lines. HR mice have altered dopamine function and differences from C in brain regions known to be important in leptin-mediated behavior. Furthermore, male HR mice have been found to dramatically increase running when administered Western diet, an effect possibly mediated through leptin signaling. Male mice from generation 61 (representing three HR lines and one C line) were allowed wheel access at 24 days of age and given either Western diet (high in fat and with added sucrose) or standard chow. After four weeks, Western diet significantly increased circulating leptin, insulin, C-peptide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, and inflammatory hormone resistin concentrations in HR mice (C mice not measured). Western diet increased running in HR mice, but did not significantly affect running in C mice. During the fifth week, all mice received two days of intra-peritoneal sham injections (physiological saline) followed by three days of murine recombinant leptin injections, and then another six days of sham injections. Leptin treatment significantly decreased caloric intake (adjusted for body mass) and body mass in all groups. Wheel running significantly increased with leptin injections in HR mice (fed Western or standard diet), but was unaffected in C mice. Whether Western diet and leptin treatment stimulate wheel running in HR mice through the same physiological pathways awaits future study. These results have implications for understanding the neural and endocrine systems that control locomotor activity, food consumption, and body weight, and how they may vary with genetic background.
Skills and knowledge needed by television production specialists in distance education

The purpose of this study was to examine what distance education-related skills and knowledge television production specialists had to learn in order to perform their jobs. The purposive sample for this study consisted of 12 full-time television production specialists who develop live, interactive, video-based educational programs at American universities. However, prior to employment at their respective universities, these television production specialists had no experience or educational background in the field of distance education. Qualitative methods were used to collect data. The analysis gave rise to the finding that television production specialists had to learn skills in two major areas—technical skills and personal/interpersonal skills—and knowledge of instructional design methods.
Littoral and limnetic zooplankton communities in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA

Zooplankton were collected from adjacent littoral and limnetic sites in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA. Limnetic species dominated both littoral and limnetic zooplankton communities; littoral species rarely exceeded 2% of monthly total zooplankton densities. Low species richness of littoral taxa and high similarity in species composition between littoral and limnetic habitats appeared to result from uniform horizontal physical and chemical environments, due to horizontal mixing, and from the absence aquatic macrophytes.
Maintenance of anaesthesia with sevoflurane and oxygen in mechanically‐ventilated horses subjected to exploratory laparotomy treated with intra‐ and post operative anaesthetic adjuncts

Summary Eight healthy horses premedicated with xylazine and induced with ketamine were used to evaluate sevoflurane in oxygen for maintenance of anaesthesia during elective exploratory laparotomy. After orotracheal intubation, horses were hoisted, placed in dorsal recumbency on a padded surgery table, and received sevoflurane in oxygen for maintenance of anaesthesia. The horses were allowed to breathe spontaneously until instrumented; then, they were mechanically ventilated to maintain the PaCO2 between 35 and 45 mmHg. Systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP), and mean (MAP) arterial blood pressures, heart rate (HR), ECG, respiratory rate, an estimation of the saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen in peripheral arterial blood (SpO2), nasal temperature, end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2), end-tidal sevoflurane (ETSEVO), and vaporiser concentration were recorded every 5 min post induction; arterial blood samples were obtained soon after induction, at 30 min after induction, and every hour thereafter until surgery was completed. Recovery data including times from the sevoflurane vaporiser being turned off to first movement, to sternal recumbency, and to standing, number of attempts to stand, and recovery score (between 1 = safe, smooth and 6 = stormy, major injury to horse) were collected. Analysis of variance was performed using physiological data collected over 195 min of anaesthesia, the longest time period during which all 8 horses were instrumented. Time effects (P<0.05) for HR, SAP, DAP, MAP, and nasal temperature were identified. Heart rate peaked at 45 min and declined over the course of the procedure. Arterial blood pressure generally decreased over time. Body temperature decreased over time. From 15 to 195 min mean ETSEVO concentration ranged from 2.0 to 3.3%, while mean vaporiser settings ranged from 3.7 to 5.5%. Three horses received intra-operative ketamine; all horses received dobutamine infusions; and 2 horses received intra-operative calcium-dextrose. Total anaesthesia time was 222–316 min (mean ± s.d. 269 ± 31 min). Time from turning the sevoflurane vaporiser off to first movement was mean ± s.d. 18 ± 15 min; to sternal recumbency was 54 ± 22 min; to standing was 65 ± 27 min; and to returning the horse to the stall in the ward was 78 ± 24 min. Six horses stood on the first attempt; 2 horses stood on the second attempt. The median recovery score was one (1–3). In conclusion, sevoflurane provided a stable, easily controllable anaesthetic plane during prolonged exploratory laparotomies; horses experienced smooth, safe recoveries after maintenance of anaesthesia with sevoflurane following routine anaesthetic induction and post operative xyalzine administration.
VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR SIGNALING IS REQUIRED FOR CARDIAC VALVE FORMATION IN ZEBRAFISH

Vascular endothelial growth factor-receptors (VEGF-Rs) are pivotal regulators of vascular development, but a specific role for these receptors in the formation of heart valves has not been identified. We took advantage of small molecule inhibitors of VEGF-R signaling and showed that blocking VEGF-R signaling with receptor selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors, PTK 787 and AAC 787, from 17-21 hr post-fertilization (hpf) in zebrafish embryos resulted in a functional and structural defect in cardiac valve development. Regurgitation of blood between the two chambers of the heart, as well as a loss of cell-restricted expression of the valve differentiation markers notch 1b and bone morphogenetic protein-4 (bmp-4), was readily apparent in treated embryos. In addition, microangiography revealed a loss of a definitive atrioventricular constriction in treated embryos. Taken together, these data demonstrate a novel function for VEGF-Rs in the endocardial endothelium of the developing cardiac valve.
Fine control in the human temperature regulation system.

Abstract A model is developed for the regulation of temperature in man. The thermal properties of the body are presented in circuit form and simplified to eliminate all features not essential to an understanding of control. In this modeling, perspiration is treated as a source which can pump heat against a temperature gradient while lung heat loss appears as a high-frequency alteration in effective heat production. To this simplified thermal circuit are appended the principal mechanisms which are available to the nervous system for controlling body heat balance-increased metabolism as in shivering, increased heat loss by perspiration, and alteration of thermal conductance through changes in blood flow-and a block diagram of the resulting control system is given. The description of these mechanisms follows that of Benzinger and co-workers Benzinger & Benzinger, Pratt & Kitzinger, 1961. To formulate the problem on a feedback control basis, an error signal representing deviations of hypothalamic temperature from a reference value or set point of 37°C is defined. The reference temperature may have no precise natural coorelate and its choice seems arbitrary. Since man normally spends most of his time neither shivering or perspiring, particular emphasis is palced upon an analysis of the vascular mechanism by which fine control is achieved. A non-linear differential equation governing the system under this mode of control is presented and solved for transient disturbances in mtabolic heat production and environmental temperature. The analysis indicates a quantity-dependent on level of metabolism and degree of control over peripheral blood flow-which is a measure of the strength or effectiveness of vascular control. Both response time and steady-state error are reduced by this factor, which is estimated to have a numerical value of about 10. From this analysis it is clear that regardless of how additional assumptions might complicated a description of the system, the data on vascular control reported by Benzinger 1959 lead to a model of human temperature regulation exhibiting powerful multiplicative control over heat flow out of the body.
Rational Clinical Immunotherapy for Multiple Sclerosis

In this article, we assess the roles and the efficacy of immunopharmacologic agents in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating disease syndromes. The initial clinical manifestations of demyelinating disease, immunotherapeutic goals, efficacy of individual agents, and specific immunopharmacologic recommendations are discussed. MS and other idiopathic demyelinating disease syndromes can be effectively managed with immunotherapy. Exacerbations are treatable, and the frequency and severity of exacerbations can be reduced. Although some agents have a minor effect on progression of disability, current approaches have not proved to have a major influence on treatment of progressive MS. Immunotherapy for inflammatory demyelinating disease necessitates a high degree of clinical certainty about the diagnosis. Because all available therapeutic agents have limitations and significant toxic effects, careful consideration is necessary before use. Treatment should be individualized on the basis of the clinical course of the disease and the degree of patient disability.
The relative accuracy and reliability of histological aging methods

Histological aging methods of Kerley and of Ahlqvist and Damsten were applied to bone samples from thirteen individuals of known age at death. Relative accuracy and reliability were determined for six of Kerley's predicting formulas for the femur, fibula and tibia, and his profile method, Ahlqvist and Damsten's femoral predicting formulas, and age determined by averaging ages predicted by Kerley's six formulas. Averaging age estimates by Kerley's six formulas (mean regression) was found to produce the overall greatest accuracy and reliability. Dividing the sample into two age groups (13 - 51 and 60 - 102 years) altered the results only slightly. Kerley's femoral intact osteon formula produced the greatest accuracy for individuals in the younger age category, while his fibular osteon fragment formula was most accurate for older ages. Mean regression produced the greatest reliability for all age classes. Based upon both accuracy and reliability, averaging age predictions by Kerley's regression formulas appears to be the method of choice for broad application of histological aging.
Development and evaluation of a PCR assay for the detection of Cytauxzoon felis DNA in feline blood samples

Cytauxzoonosis is an emerging tick borne infectious disease of domestic cats in the United States, caused by the organism Cytauxzoon felis (C. felis). In naturally infected domestic cats the disease is almost always fatal. Currently there are no commercially available molecular or serologic tests to facilitate the antemortem diagnosis of C. felis infection. Clinical and pathological diagnosis of cytauxzoonosis is based on microscopic identification of parasites in tissues or on blood smears. We have developed and evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assay for the diagnosis of C. felis infections in feline blood samples. The assay is sensitive enough to detect one copy of a cloned fragment of the C. felis 18S rRNA gene. This PCR assay can be used for the rapid clinical diagnosis of cytauxzoonosis and for epidemiological studies that will better define the geographic distribution of C. felis infection in cats.
The lunar radio array (LRA)

The Lunar Radio Array (LRA) is a concept for a telescope sited on the farside of the Moon with a prime mission of making precision cosmological measurements via observations of neutral hydrogen.
Optimal trajectories for a liquid piston compressor/expander in a Compressed Air Energy Storage system with consideration of heat transfer and friction

For a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) approach to be viable, the air compressor/expander must be sufficiently powerful and efficient. Since efficiency is governed by heat transfer, there is a generally a tradeoff between efficiency and compression/expansion time (or power). In this paper, we determine Pareto optimal compression/expansion profiles for a liquid piston air compressor/expander that maximizes efficiency (power) for a given power (efficiency). Compared to previous works, a numerical optimization approach is proposed that allows for more general heat transfer model, the consideration of the viscous friction, and system limitations in the optimization. The resulting optimal profiles are compared to other trajectories. At compression ratio of 10, the optimal profile results in 10%–40% increase in power density relative to other methods. Optimal geometries that trades off friction and heat transfer improvement can also be determined using this method.
Pulmonary Sarcoidosis Induced by Interferon-α Therapy

Recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is being increasingly used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. It has been recently recognized that IFN-alpha can induce the development of sarcoidosis, presumably through its ability to stimulate the TH1 immune response. IFN-associated sarcoidosis is histologically similar to de novo sarcoidosis and is characterized by tightly compact epithelioid non-necrotizing granulomas. IFN-induced sarcoidosis may be unsuspected clinically, as the most common side effects of IFN-alpha simulate the symptoms of sarcoidosis. It is therefore important for pathologists to be aware of this association and encourage clinicians to carefully review the medication history in cases of pulmonary non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation where there is a history of hepatitis C, as discontinuation of IFN-alpha can ameliorate the symptoms of sarcoidosis.
Chromosomal localization links the SIN3–RPD3 complex to the regulation of chromatin condensation, histone acetylation and gene expression

Acetylation of core histone N-terminal tails influences chromatin condensation and transcription. To examine how the SIN3–RPD3 deacetylase complex contributes to these events in vivo, we examined binding of SIN3 and RPD3 to Drosophila salivary gland polytene chromosomes. The binding patterns of SIN3 and RPD3 were highly coincident, suggesting that the SIN3–RPD3 complex is the most abundant chromatin-bound RPD3 complex in salivary gland cells. SIN3– RPD3 binding was restricted to less condensed, hypoacetylated euchromatic interbands and was absent from moderately condensed, hyperacetylated euchromatic bands and highly condensed, differentially acetylated centric heterochromatin. Consistent with its demonstrated role in transcriptional repression, SIN3–RPD3 did not co-localize with RNA polymer ase II. Chromatin binding of the complex, mediated by SMRTER, decreased upon ecdysone-induced transcriptional activation but was restored when transcription was reduced. These results implicate SIN3–RPD3 in maintaining histone acetylation levels or patterns within less condensed chromatin domains and suggest that SIN3–RPD3 activity is required, in the absence of an activation signal, to repress transcription of particular genes within transcriptionally active chromatin domains.
Relative contributions of different sources of urban aerosols: Application of a new estimation method to multiple sites in Chicago

A new method for estimating the percentage contributions (source coefficients) of various sources to the total atmospheric aerosol content requires detailed data on the chemical composition of the urban aerosol and emissions from the various sources considered. Enough data are now available for Chicago to permit a tentative estimation of source coefficients for the following aerosol sources: automobiles, fuel oil buring, cement manufacturing, iron and steel manufacturing, coal burning, and wind-raised soil dust. Comparison of estimated source coefficients for Chicago and published results for the Los Angeles area indicates that the method gives reasonable results. This paper also examines the possibility of applying the method to multiple stations within a single city or region.
Exotic purple loosestrife invasion of native cattail freshwater wetlands: Effects on organic matter distribution and soil nitrogen cycling

Abstract The ecological consequences of exotic plant invasion have focused largely on interactions with native plants or animals, whereas ecosystem level consequences, such as organic matter accumulation, soil nitrogen (N) transformations, hydrological fluctuation and changes in surface water chemistry remain largely unknown. We studied the invasion of exotic emergent plant purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in a freshwater wetland dominated by cattail (Typha latifolia). Transects were set in Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, NY that originated in a pure Typha area, crossed over mixed zone, and extended into a pure Lythrum area. Comparing monotypic plots, there was significantly more standing-dead biomass of Lythrum than Typha (1.88 kg m−2 versus 0.59 kg m−2); while collapsed dead Typha shoots formed a layer of litter which was absent in the Lythrum area. Soil organic matter content was significantly higher in Lythrum sediment than in Typha sediment (35.2 kg m−2 versus 27.5 kg m−2, down to 20 cm deep). Average monthly N mineralization rates were significantly higher in the Lythrum plots than in Typha plots (911 mg N m−2 versus 638 mg N m−2). N transformations were also controlled by local hydrology. Net N mineralization rates were more than doubled when water table dropped to expose the sediment to the atmosphere, and ammonium production was changed to nitrate production. Surface water NH4+ and NO3− concentrations remained low in all sites, suggesting strong plant uptake by both species. In a concurrent greenhouse study, we found Lythrum plants transpired about twice the amount of water as Typha, and had above- and below-ground biomass that more than doubled that of Typha. The combined field and greenhouse studies suggest that Lythrum invasion may cause changes in organic matter distribution, N cycling and water chemistry in freshwater wetlands.
Effect of Surface Treatment in the Preservation of Frozen Poultry

Abstract Although many adverse conditions in the storage of dressed poultry have been corrected or eliminated, conditions for complete arrest of surface drying (freezerburn) has not been attained. The extent to which freezerburn develops during frozen storage will depend upon rate of dehydration; temperature, humidity, and rate of movement of the atmosphere surrounding the product. Edmunds (1939) reports that regardless of the method used to freeze, eviscerated poultry, the principal factor involved in preserving quality is that of extremely low temperatures (—15° to — 50 degrees F.). Cook (1939) relates that information gained from the drying of other materials, (meats, fish, etc.) shows that the rate of drying decreases with the temperature at constant relative humidity, and decreases as the humidity increases at constant temperature. His work confirms these facts for the storage of frozen poultry. Apart from the control of such conditions as temperature and humidity, Cook reports that freezerburn . . .
A dimensional retrieval model for integrating semantics and statistical evidence in context for genomics literature search

We present a dimensional information retrieval model for combining concept-based semantics and term statistics within multiple levels of document context to identify concise, variable length passages of text that answer a user query. Our results demonstrate improved search results in the presence of varying levels of semantic evidence, and higher performance using retrieval functions that combine document, as well as sentence and passage level information. Experimental results are promising. When ranking documents based on the most relevant extracted passages, the results exceed the state-of-the-art by 15.28% as assessed by the TREC 2005 Genomics track collection of 4.5 million MEDLINE citations.
Support of human CD34+ cell engraftment in nod/scid mice: Dependence on mode of delivery of human mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are currently evaluated for their capacity to enhance hematopoietic stem cell engraftment after bone marrow transplantation. Human MSCs support hematopoiesis through the secretion of soluble growth factors and/or cellular interactions with CD34+ cells in the bone marrow (BM). In a previous report, we showed that the engraftment of CD34+ cells in NOD/SCID mice was enhanced by intravenous (IV) co-infusion of allogeneic hMSC. We wanted to evaluate if hMSC-dependent enhanced engraftment of CD34 + cells were dependent on the route of hMSC delivery. To address this issue, we compared the ability of intramuscular (IM) and IV delivered hMSCs to support the engraftment of G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood human CD34 + cells in NOD/SCID mice. In two separate experiments (n=10), we either IV co-infused 2×10 6 hMSCs with 0.5×10 6 CD34 + cells or we injected the hMSCs IM (into the quadriceps of the hind legs) followed by CD34 + cells IV infusion. By flow cytometry, we observed a 2-fold lower number of human CD45 + cells and by progenitor cell colony-forming assay, we observed decreased human CFC-GM colony formation in animals receiving IM implanted compared to IV infused hMSCs. Within the bone marrow of the animals, 33% ± 4.5 of the cells were positive for human CD45 after IV infusion, compared to 18% ± 2.5 after IM injection. Colony formation per 2×10 4 cells was only slightly decreased: 26 ± 2 CFC-GM were obtained after IV infusion compared to 20 ± 3 after IM implantation. We conclude that IV delivery of hMSCs was more efficient than IM delivery in supporting CD34 + cell engraftment in NOD/SCID mice. Thus, these data further support the clinical use of hMSCs as an intravenous infused product in autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
Part-Structured Inkball Models for One-Shot Handwritten Word Spotting

Many document collections of historical interest are handwritten and lack transcripts. Scholars need tools for high-quality information retrieval in such environments, preferably without the burden of extensive system training. This paper presents a novel approach to word spotting designed for manuscripts or degraded print that requires minimal initial training. It can infer a generative word appearance model from a single instance, and then use the model to retrieve similar words from arbitrary documents. An approximation to the retrieval statistic runs efficiently on graphics processing hardware. Tested on two standard data sets, the method compares favorably with prior results.
Review: Glycation of human serum albumin

Glycation involves the non-enzymatic addition of reducing sugars and/or their reactive degradation products to amine groups on proteins. This process is promoted by the presence of elevated blood glucose concentrations in diabetes and occurs with various proteins that include human serum albumin (HSA). This review examines work that has been conducted in the study and analysis of glycated HSA. The general structure and properties of HSA are discussed, along with the reactions that can lead to modification of this protein during glycation. The use of glycated HSA as a short-to-intermediate term marker for glycemic control in diabetes is examined, and approaches that have been utilized for measuring glycated HSA are summarized. Structural studies of glycated HSA are reviewed, as acquired for both in vivo and in vitro glycated HSA, along with data that have been obtained on the rate and thermodynamics of HSA glycation. In addition, this review considers various studies that have investigated the effects of glycation on the binding of HSA with drugs, fatty acids and other solutes and the potential clinical significance of these effects.
The effect of dilute vasopressin solution on blood loss during operative hysteroscopy : A randomized controlled trial

Objective To assess the effect of intracervical injection of dilute (0.05 U/mL) vasopressin solution on blood loss during operative hysteroscopy. Methods In a randomized, double-blind study, dilute vasopressin solution or placebo (normal saline) was injected into the cervical stroma of 106 women before dilation of the cervix in preparation for operative hysteroscopy. Intraoperative bleeding was calculated by dividing the number of red blood cells per milliliter of outflow distention fluid by the number of red blood cells per milliliter of the woman's blood immediately before the procedure and multiplying this quotient by the total amount of outflow fluid collected. Pressures were kept constant with a hysteroscopic infusion pump. Results The mean (± standard error of the mean) intraoperative blood loss of the treated (vasopressin) and control (placebo) groups was 20.3 ± 4.1 mL (range 0–135) and 33.4 ± 5.4 mL (range 0–290), respectively. The volume of distention fluid intravasation in the treated and control groups was 448.5 ± 47.0 mL (range 30–1410) and 819.1 ± 79.7 mL (range 20–1977), respectively. The operating time in the treated and control groups was 31.1 ± 1.2 minutes (range 18–52) and 34.1 ± 1.3 minutes (range 19–65), respectively. For all three outcome measures, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant, but for visual clarity of the uterine cavity during surgery, the difference was not significant. Conclusion Administration of dilute vasopressin solution (0.05 U/mL) to the cervical stroma significantly reduces blood loss, distention fluid intravasation, and operative time during hysteroscopy. Further evaluation is required to determine the optimum dosage.
Gendered Social Exchange Theory Variations across the Life Span in Casino Settings

(2007). Gendered Social Exchange Theory Variations across the Life Span in Casino Settings. Anatolia: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 145-152.
Angular effect in AVHRR's split-window sea surface temperature and atmospheric moisture over the Atlantic ocean

Abstract The AVHRR on board NOAA satellites observes the underlying surface at different zenith angles within Θ ≈±68° around nadir. The algorithms for retrieval of sea surface temperature (SST) t s and the column water vapor content W from the angle-dependent brightness temperatures (BT) t i (Θ) (i=4 and 5 for AVHRR Channels 4 and 5 with central wavelengths λ =10.8 and 12 μ m, respectively) should overtly account for Θ to provide a result invariant of the variable observation geometry. Recently, a statistical method based on empirical angular functions (EAF) was proposed to assess the angular effect in both the original AVHRR BT's and retrieved SST and to test angular methods of SST retrieval /1/. The EAF's were employed to analyze the BT's in AVHRR Channels 3 and 4 and dual-window SST over tropical Atlantic in Jun 1987 and Dec 1988 from NOAA-10 and -11, respectively /1/. Here, we extend it to check the split-window SST and W , and the angular method of SST retrieval /2,3/, over the same target in tropical and an additional target in North Atlantic from NOAA-9 in Jul 1986.
Trandolapril did not reduce cardiovascular death or other events in stable coronary artery disease.

Source Citation Braunwald E, Domanski MJ, Fowler SE, et al. Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibition in stable coronary artery disease. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:2058-68. 15531767
Tree size but not forest basal area influences ant colony response to disturbance in a neotropical ant–plant association

Ant–acacia mutualisms are conspicuous biotic associations in Savannah and neotropical ecosystems; however, the effects of tree size and forest structure on ant behaviour and tree traits are rarely examined. We tested two hypotheses related to these effects: (1) ant responses to disturbance are influenced by tree size and forest basal area; and (2) tree traits important to ants are predictable by tree size and forest basal area. We investigated these hypotheses in a dry tropical forest (Ometepe Island, Nicaragua) with the myrmecophytic Collins acacia ( Vachellia collinsii Saff.) and the ant Pseudomyrmex spinicola (Emery 1890). We measured trees from three size classes and three basal area classes and quantified resources that are important for ants, including food resources (nectaries and Beltian bodies) and domiciles (thorns), as well as a measure of potential tree reproductive fitness (seedpods). We also evaluated ant responses to experimental disturbances. Three important findings emerged: (1) on average, 1140–1173% more ants responded to experimental disturbances of large trees than small- or intermediate-sized trees, respectively; (2) forest basal area did not affect ant responses to disturbance; and (3) neither tree size nor forest basal area was correlated with branch-level mean numbers of nectaries, food bodies or thorns. Our studies support the hypothesis that tree size is an important factor regarding ant behavioural responses to disturbance, but not forest basal area. Our work suggests that future studies of ant behaviour on myrmecophytes should consider tree size.
[3H]5-hydroxytryptamine binding to brain astroglial cells: differences between intact and homogenized preparations and mature and immature cultures.

: [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]serotonin) binds with high affinity (KD 2–12 nM) to a finite number of sites on brain astroglial cells. The number of binding sites in the C6 glioma line is decreased significantly (Bmax= 315 versus 30 fmol/mg) by homogenization. In intact primary cultures, derived from newborn rat brain, the number of binding sites is far greater in cultures of immature astrocytes than in cultures treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bmax= 1,520 versus 580 fmol/mg). A role for these receptors in development is suggested.
Parotitis in previus recipients of mumps vaccine

Between 1967 and 1970, twenty children with parotitis who had previously received mumps vaccine were studied. These children were immunized in four different Pediatric offices over a four year period so that no single lot of vaccine or immunizing procedure could be implicated as the cause of these apparent “vaccine failures.” Mumps soluble complement fixing (MSCF) antibody determinations revealed that only eight of the seventeen children for whom appropriate serum specimens were available had evidence of mumps infection. Children without a detectable antibody response could not be differentiated clinically from those who developed MSCF antibody. Parotitis occurred in two siblings without a MSCF antibody response suggesting that these illnesses might have an infectious etiology. Neither mumps nor any other virus could be recovered from five children without an antibody response or from three children who could not be classified serologically. These findings confirm the multiple etiology of parotitis and indicate that serologic studies are required to indentify true mumps vaccine failures.
Recovery of microcrack parameters in mortar using quantitative acoustic emission

A three-dimensional quantitative acoustic emission (AE) analysis of microcracking in unreinforced mortar beams was conducted. In order to facilitate the analysis of the large amounts of data generated by an AE test, a simplified method for the inversion of AE signals was developed. By applying the theoretical Green's function for an infinite space, the multichannel deconvolution normally required of AE data inversion reduces to a nonlinear curve-fitting problem. Using this procedure, microcracking in a mortar specimen was evaluated using a seismic moment tensor representation. Source-time functions for the microcracks were also recovered. The locations of the AE events were calculated, and damage localization was observed. The moment tensor analysis showed the dominant mode of microfracture to be mode II, with a limited number classified as mixed mode. A microstructural mechanism for this behavior is presented.
Thrombomodulin levels in preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension.

Objective To measure the circulating levels of thrombomodulin in women with preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension. Methods Serum levels of thrombomodulin were measured in 34 women with preeclampsia, 15 with gestational hypertension, 11 with chronic hypertension, and 34 normotensive pregnant women in the third trimester. Preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension were defined by ACOG criteria. Soluble thrombomodulin antigen was measured by a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Mean (± standard error) serum thrombomodulin levels were significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia (69.7 ± 6.3 ng/mL) than in those with gestational hypertension (46.0 ± 3.2 ng/mL) or chronic hypertension (46.2 ±3.3 ng/mL), and normotensive controls (50.1 ± 3.1 ng/mL). There were no significant differences among the gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, and normotensive control groups. Conclusion Thrombomodulin may serve as a clinically meaningful marker to differentiate preeclampsia from other forms of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Sensitivity-Analysis-Based Sliding Mode Control for Voltage Regulation in Microgrids

This paper presents a sliding mode controller to address the problem of voltage regulation in microgrids involving doubly fed induction wind generators (DFIGs). The control objective is to achieve terminal voltage regulation while ensuring maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The control development is based on voltage sensitivity analysis to eliminate the possibility of interference with the other voltage regulation devices in the microgrid. The proposed method: 1) does not require synchronous coordinate transformation, 2) eliminates the need for decoupled proportional-integral (PI) loops, and 3) is local and can be implemented in the absence of widespread communication systems or remote measurements. Additionally, its control performance is not degraded by errors in system parameters. The performance of the method is illustrated on the IEEE 13-bus distribution network. Dynamic models are considered for the DFIG, converters, and internal controllers along with their operational limits. Stochastic fluctuations in wind speed are modeled with NREL Turbsim while accounting for the tower shadow and wind shear. Dynamic simulations (in PSCAD/EMTDC) are presented to assess the control performance with voltage fluctuation compensation and control system robustness.
Thymine-Thymine Dimer Bypass by Yeast DNA Polymerase ζ

The REV3 and REV7 genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are required for DNA damage-induced mutagenesis. The Rev3 and Rev7 proteins were shown to form a complex with DNA polymerase activity. This polymerase replicated past a thymine-thymine cis-syn cyclobutane dimer, a lesion that normally severely inhibits replication, with an efficiency of ∼10 percent. In contrast, bypass replication efficiency with yeast DNA polymerase α was no more than 1 percent. The Rev3-Rev7 complex is the sixth eukaryotic DNA polymerase to be described, and is therefore called DNA polymerase ζ.
Parallel optical interconnects utilizing VLSI/FLC spatial light modulators

Interconnection architectures are a cornerstone of parallel computing systems. However, interconnections can be a bottleneck in conventional computer architectures because of queuing structures that are necessary to handle the traffic through a switch at very high data rates and bandwidths. These issues must find new solutions to advance the state of the art in computing beyond the fundamental limit of silicon logic technology. Today's optoelectronic (OE) technology in particular VLSI/FLC spatial light modulators (SLMs) can provide a unique and innovative solution to these issues. This paper reports on the motivations for the system, describes the major areas of architectural requirements, discusses interconnection topologies and processor element alternatives, and documents an optical arbitration (i.e., control) scheme using `smart' SLMs and optical logic gates. The network topology is given in section 2.1 `Architectural Requirements -- Networks,' but it should be noted that the emphasis is on the optical control scheme (section 2.4) and the system.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Asthma as a variable in a study of immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis.

Abstract Fifty patients recruited with ragweed allergic rhinitis were studied. Twenty-three of these patients had asthma. On the basis of cutaneous end point titration to ragweed, patients were randomly assigned to polymerized ragweed (PRW), placebo, or untreated groups. PRW patients received the equivalent of 1200 μg AgE in 15 weekly injections. All patients were followed through the ragweed season with daily rhinitis symptom-medication diaries. All patients had determinations of IgE against AgE and total (blocking) antibody to AgE before and after the injection series. In these patients selected for allergic rhinitis, the presence or absence of asthma did not significantly influence rhinitis symptom-medication scores or the values of immunologic parameters. Moreover, whether or not patients had asthma, those who received PRW had an increase in total AgE binding with no increase in IgE-a-AgE and significantly lower rhinitis scores than those who did not.
New drugs to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: the case for bedaquiline.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis develops spontaneous resistance mutants to virtually every drug in use. Courses of therapy select for these mutants and drug-resistant organisms emerge. The development of drug-resistant organisms has reached the point that drug resistance now threatens to undermine global success against tuberculosis (TB). New drugs are needed. The last new class of drugs specifically developed for treatment of TB was the rifamycins over 40 years ago. New funding sources and the development of product development partnerships have energized the TB drug development effort. There are now more TB drugs in development than at any time in the past. The first of these drugs to be developed and marketed was bedaquiline. Bedaquiline has an entirely novel mechanism of action and so should be active against otherwise highly resistant organisms. It acts on the transmembrane component of adenosine triphosphate synthase and acts by preventing electron transport. This raises the exciting possibility that bedaquiline may be active against less metabolically active organisms. Drug–drug interactions between rifamycins and the cytochrome P450-3A system will limit bedaquiline’s utility and create complexity in treatment regimens. In clinical trials, treatment with bedaquiline added to a background multidrug-resistant TB regimen was associated with earlier culture conversion and higher cure rates, but there were unexplained excess deaths in the bedaquiline arms of these trials. Food and Drug Administration approved bedaquiline for the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB when an effective treatment regimen cannot otherwise be provided. They required a black box warning about excess deaths and require that a phase III trial be completed. A planned Phase III trial is being reorganized. While bedaquiline is an exciting drug and marks a dramatic moment in the history of TB treatment, its ultimate place in the anti-TB drug armamentarium is unclear pending the Phase III trial and the development of other new drugs that are in the pipeline.
How to use the left internal thoracic artery which has been damaged during harvesting

The established superiority of the internal thoracic artery as a coronary arterial conduit has led to its mandatory use in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Therefore, the damage of the internal thoracic artery during harvesting is an abysmal complication, after which the conduit is usually discarded. An alternative approach is presented here, which has allowed us to use the distal two thirds of the proximally damaged left internal thoracic artery as an in situ (with retrograde blood supply from superior epigastric and musculophrenic arteries), reversed arterial conduit to revascularize the left anterior descending coronary artery.
Serum transferrins in the genus Macaca: species distribution of nineteen phenotypes.

IN the genus Macaca, rhesus monkeys show a remarkable polymorphism of transferrin, the iron-binding protein, whereas cynomolgus monkeys (the Philippines variety) show only one molecular form of the protein1,2. Two-dimensional starch-gel immunoelectrophoresis3 was used in previous work1,2 to determine (with the aid of a uni-specific chicken anti-human transferrin serum) the number of transferrin components in the macaque sera. Then comparative one-dimensional starch-gel electrophoresis in the tris discontinuous buffer system was used to establish the subtle differences in the mobilities of transferrin, and fifteen phenotypes2 due to various combinations of eight molecular forms of the protein were detected among rhesus monkeys. These results have now been confirmed by determinations based on the iron-binding property of transferrin. We have also adopted a provisional letter system of nomenclature which has simplified identification of the macaque transferrin phenotypes, thereby making it easier to discover new phenotypes. In this connexion a re-examination of the rhesus sera and an examination of sera from additional macaque species have now revealed nineteen transferrin phenotypes, sixteen being present in the rhesus group alone.
Multipoint constraint methods for moving body and non-contiguous mesh simulations†

A sliding mesh method is demonstrated for moving body simulations involving thermal and fluid problems. Static problems with non-contiguous mesh constructions are also solved using the same methodology. The proposed algorithm employs a parallel implementation of multipoint constraints with an efficient node-in-mesh search procedure. A simple method for treating the problem of partially covered/exposed element surfaces is also summarized. Several examples of static and dynamic thermal conduction and viscous flow problems illustrate the algorithms. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NFAT proteins: key regulators of T-cell development and function

Since the discovery of the first nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) protein more than a decade ago, the NFAT family of transcription factors has grown to include five members. It has also become clear that NFAT proteins have crucial roles in the development and function of the immune system. In T cells, NFAT proteins not only regulate activation but also are involved in the control of thymocyte development, T-cell differentiation and self-tolerance. The functional versatility of NFAT proteins can be explained by their complex mechanism of regulation and their ability to integrate calcium signalling with other signalling pathways. This Review focuses on the recent advances in our understanding of the regulation, mechanism of action and functions of NFAT proteins in T cells.
Absolute measurement of femtosecond pump-probe signal strength.

The absolute femtosecond pump–probe signal strength of deprotonated fluorescein in basic methanol is measured. Calculations of the absolute pump–probe signal based on the steady-state absorption and emission spectrum that use only independently measured experimental parameters are carried out. The calculation of the pump–probe signal strength assumes the pump and probe fields are both weak and includes the following factors: the transverse spatial profile of the laser beams; the pulse spectra; attenuation of the propagating pulses with depth in the sample; the anisotropic transition probability for polarized light; and time-dependent electronic population relaxation. After vibrational and solvent relaxation are complete, the calculation matches the measurement to within 10% error without any adjustable parameters. This demonstrates quantitative measurement of absolute excited state population.