cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of turbulent mixing in a confined planar‐jet reactor

The velocity and concentration fields in a liquid-phase confined planar-jet reactor were measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). Measurements were taken at downstream distances from the jet splitter plates of 0, 1, 4.5, 7.5, 12, and 15 jet widths for a Reynolds number of 50,000 based on the hydraulic diameter of the test section. The velocity and concentration field data were analyzed for such flow statistics as mean velocity, Reynolds stresses, turbulent kinetic energy, and scalar mean and variance. The turbulence dissipation rate was also estimated based on a large-eddy PIV approach using the strain-rate tensors computed from velocity fields and the subgrid scale (SGS) stress obtained from the Smagorinsky model. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, including a two-layer k–ϵ turbulence model, gradient-diffusion models, and a scalar dissipation rate model, were validated against experimental data collected from this facility. The experimental and computational results were found to be in good agreement. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
Evaluation and ecosystem management : new directions needed ?

Abstract Increased attention to ecosystem management, and the need to evaluate policies expected to affect the structure and function of ecological systems, demands more holistic methods of environmental evaluation. Standard economic methodologies, which measure all values as units of human welfare, are too atomistic for this purpose, and current conceptualizations in ecology do not permit evaluative judgments. This paper relaxes the welfare assumption, which assumes all values will be measured as units of individual welfare, and proposes a multi-scalar system of analysis. For decisions with relatively short-term impacts, standard cost–benefit criteria are retained, but for decisions with predictably long-term impacts, a second criterion, an Opportunities/Constraints Index is suggested. This criterion, the values of which are not reduced to units of welfare, is applied in conjunction with cost benefit analyses to policies that may have multi-generational impacts, and measures the options and opportunities stored in ecophysical systems. Such a system must be based on a community-based effort to specify important values, and resource-use options associated with them, that are constitutive of the communities own sense of well-being. Two problems remain: the problem of operationalizing the criterion and the problem of reconciling conflicts between the two criteria. It is argued that, while the criteria must be formulated in local situations it is possible to identify measurable physical characteristics that can be associated with development paths that maintain ecophysically supported options and opportunities for the future. A two-tiered system of analysis, which classifies risks according to their temporal and physical scale, can be used to determine which criterion should be emphasized in various situations.
AN UNUSUAL ISOZYME OF LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE IN MATURE TESTES: LOCALIZATION, ONTOGENY, AND KINETIC PROPERTIES.

Summary One or more electrophoretically unusual isozymes of LDH have been demonstrated in homogenates of mature testes from some species. Analyses of the isozymic composition of many other tissues, developing testes, and seminal fluid revealed that these unusual forms, or “band X” isozymes, are present only in postpubertal testes and are localized in the differentiating germ cells of the seminiferous tubules. Rates of reactivity with certain alpha-hydroxy acids and analogs of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide differentiated some of the “band X” isozymes from the usual LDH isozymes. Results of dissociation and recombination studies on homogenates of human and rabbit testes indicated a similarity in structure between “band X” and the other isozymes. The ontogeny and characteristic distribution of the “band X” isozymes suggested that each fulfills a specific metabolic function. As yet the nature of this metabolic assignment has not been determined.
Novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat cultivar Chokwang

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases in wheat. This study was to identify new quantitative trait loci (QTL) for FHB resistance and the molecular markers closely linked to the QTL in wheat cultivar Chokwang. The primers of 612 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 12 target-region-amplified polymorphism (TRAP) marker were analyzed between resistant (Chokwang) and susceptible (Clark) parents. One hundred and seventy-two polymorphic markers were used to screen a population of 79 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross of Chokwang and Clark. One major QTL, Qfhb.ksu-5DL1, was identified on chromosome 5DL. The SSR marker Xbarc 239 was mapped in the QTL region, and also physically located to the bin of 5DL1-0.60-0.74 by using Chinese Spring deletion lines. Another QTL Qfhb.ksu-4BL1was linked to SSR Xbarc 1096 and tentatively mapped on 4BL. A QTL on 3BS, Qfhb.ksu-3BS1, was also detected with marginal significance in this population. Different marker alleles for these QTL were detected between Chokwang and Sumai 3 and its derivatives. These results suggested that Chokwang contains new QTL for FHB resistance that are different from those in Sumai 3. Pyramiding resistance QTL from various sources may enhance FHB resistance in wheat cultivars.
XPS study of polycrystalline and epitaxial FeTaN films deposited by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering

Thin films of FeTaN have been investigated as potential head materials for several years. However, little information related to its chemical characteristics can be found in the literature, therefore polycrystalline and epitaxial FeTaN films were synthesized by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering. Follow-up annealing was performed on some of the thin films under vacuum conditions. The chemical compositions and elemental chemical states of both kinds of thin films were investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that the nitrogen content in the films can be changed and easily controlled by varying the nitrogen gas flow rates during the deposition process. There are no large chemical shifts in the binding energies of Ta 4f, Fe 2p and N Is between polycrystalline and epitaxial films. No chemical compounds among Fe, Ta and N were formed in as-deposited or even in vacuum-annealed thin films. However, a chemical shift of Ta 4f from its atomic state was found. In addition, relatively large contents of carbon and oxygen inside the films were noticed. The existing chemical states, sources and possible effects of nitrogen, carbon and oxygen on the magnetic properties were studied and discussed.
Single-Photon Detection using a Quantum-Dot-Gated Resonant RLC Circuit

We report on a novel detection scheme that uses semiconductor quantum dots and electrical resonance to detect single photons of light. Here, a quantum-dot, optically gated field-effect transistor (QDOGFET) is used as the resistive element of a resonant RLC (resistor-inductor-capacitor) circuit. A photon is detected when it photocharges a quantum dot, thus modifying the resistance of the QDOGFET and altering the resonance condition of the surrounding circuit. Because the circuit functions as a bandpass filter, rejecting much of the electrical noise that can obscure weak photo-induced signals, the RLC detection scheme is sensitive enough to detect individual photons of light.
Aldosterone-Stimulated Down-Regulation of Both Type I and Type II Adrenocorticosteroid Receptors in Mouse Brain Is Mediated via Type I Receptors*

Abstract The concentrations of type I and type II adrenocorticosteroid receptors in brain cytosol obtained from adrenalectomized-ovariectomized female mice were measured with five different assay conditions. Among the five brain regions studied, hippocampus had the highest concentration of type I receptors, whereas cerebral cortex had the highest concentration of type II receptors. The value of properly correcting for dexamethasone cross-binding to type I receptors when type II receptors are being assayed was demonstrated using the type II receptor-selective ligand RU28362. A time-course study revealed a transient up-regulation of both receptor classes in most brain regions after adrenalectomy-ovariectomy, with maximal values achieved 3–5 days postsurgery and a reduction to near-intact levels by 16 days postsurgery. A single sc injection of aldosterone given to adrenalectomized-ovariectomized mice produced a profound down-regulation of type I receptors in hippocampal, cerebral cortex, hypothalamic, brain ...
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering molecular sentinel nanoprobes for viral infection diagnostics

In this paper, we describe a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection approach, referred to as “molecular sentinel” (MS) plasmonic nanoprobes, to detect an RNA target related to viral infection. The MS method is essentially a label-free technique incorporating the SERS effect modulation scheme associated with silver nanoparticles and Raman dye-labeled DNA hairpin probes. Hybridization with target sequences opens the hairpin and spatially separates the Raman label from the silver surface thus reducing the SERS signal of the label. Herein, we have developed a MS nanoprobe to detect the human radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2 (RSAD2) RNA target as a model system for method demonstration. The human RSAD2 gene has recently emerged as a novel host-response biomarker for diagnosis of respiratory infections. Our results showed that the RSAD2 MS nanoprobes exhibits high specificity and can detect as low as 1 nM target sequences. With the use of a portable Raman spectrometer and total RNA samples, we have also demonstrated for the first time the potential of the MS nanoprobe technology for detection of host-response RNA biomarkers for infectious disease diagnostics.
A General Framework for Mining Massive Data Streams

In many domains, data now arrive faster than we are able to mine it. To avoid wasting these data, we must switch from the traditional “one-shot” data mining approach to systems that are able to mine continuous, high-volume, open-ended data streams as they arrive. In this article we identify some desiderata for such systems, and outline our framework for realizing them. A key property of our approach is that it minimizes the time required to build a model on a stream while guaranteeing (as long as the data are iid) that the model learned is effectively indistinguishable from the one that would be obtained using infinite data. Using this framework, we have successfully adapted several learning algorithms to massive data streams, including decision tree induction, Bayesian network learning, k-means clustering, and the EM algorithm for mixtures of Gaussians. These algorithms are able to process on the order of billions of examples per day using off-the-shelf hardware. Building on this, we are currently develo...
Seismic Evaluation of Low-Rise Reinforced Masonry Buildings with Flexible Diaphragms: III. Synthesis and Application

Abstract This paper outlines the last two phases of a joint research study performed by the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center (CERL). The study coordinates and synthesizes experimental testing, analytical modeling, practical implementation, and real-world application to enhance FEMA-310, the predominant seismic evaluation methodology for low-rise reinforced masonry buildings with flexible diaphragms. In earlier phases of study, conclusions from shaking-table testing, quasi-static testing, and analytical modeling were used to develop a simple tool for the seismic analysis of these types of buildings. In this paper, the tool is developed in the context of performance-based earthquake engineering into a supplementary evaluation methodology intended to fill a gap in FEMA-310. The tool is applied to four existing buildings and ultimately shown to be simple, useful, and necessary.
Dividend Signalling And Sustainability

We examine the ‘disappearing dividends’ era documented by Fama and French (2001) with respect to the traditional theory of signalling, wherein the positive signal is one of high future cash flows and continued payments. We report several new findings. First, during the disappearing dividends era, dividends vanished not only because they were less frequently initiated – the oft-cited reason – but also because, once initiated, they were less likely to be sustained. Second, we find that although future performance does increase with dividend sustainability, performance is merely average for permanent payers and poor for temporary payers. Third, we find that the market responded favourably to initiations but did not distinguish ex-ante between short-run and long-run payers. Fourth, we find that despite the market's similar treatment of shorter- and longer-term payers, dividend sustainability was in fact predictable out of sample, using information strictly available to investors at the time of the announcemen...
Isaac Sprague, "Delineator and naturalist."

In naming the genus Spraguea, John Torrey, America's major botanist of the first half of the nineteenth century, wrote in 1853: "I have dedicated this genus to Mr. Isaac Sprague, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, so well known as a draughtsman and especially for the admirable illustrations of the Genera of Plants of the United States...." l Sprague (Fig. 1), the major botanical illustrator in this country at that time, had few competitors. He considered himself a "naturalist" and "delineator,"2 rather than a botanical artist. By providing accurate and artistically pleasing drawings for some of their books and papers, mostly between 1845 and 1865, he helped both John Torrey and Asa Gray to become accepted as worldclass botanists, on a par with those botanists of Britain and the Continent who were then publishing finely illustrated works. Thus, Sprague's work was most important to American botany at a critical point in its development. In the early nineteenth century in the United States, there was little original illustration of scientific works. To understand the rise of the new American tradition of original scientific illustration, it is particularly important to consider its leading early exemplar, Isaac Sprague, and to relate his story to that of the development of botany as a profession, as exemplified in the life of Sprague's major employer, Asa Gray. In our own time, Sprague has been largely forgotten. In Wilfrid
Generation of giant protoplasts of Escherichia coli and an inner-membrane anion selective conductance

Established methods were modified and combined to generate unilamellar giant protoplasts in order to study the electric events on the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli with patch-clamp technique. The activities of many types of conductances were encountered, one of them is characterized here. This channel conductance is 109 pS in 150 mM KCl; it prefers anions, it is highly voltage dependent and is blocked by micromolar concentrations of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid.
The Influence of Brightness Highlighting on Eye Movements within a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information

Several experiments were conducted to examine the effect of brightness highlighting on search of a target aircraft among distractor aircraft within a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI). The present experiment partially replicated the design of one of these experiments, adding an examination of eye movements. The display presented homogenous all bright, all dim, or mixed bright and dim aircraft. Within the mixed display, target aircraft were non-predictive and either bright or dim. Results showed that with the mixed display, participants yielded slower detection times, exhibited more eye fixations, and searched with longer paths, compared to the homogenous all bright or dim displays. The duration of the fixation and the speed of eye movements did not show any difference between the homogeneous and mixed displays. The present detection time analysis did not replicate previous experimental results and this is likely due to the fewer trials given in the current experiment. The present results demon...
Measurements of materials at ultrahigh frequencies

THE best ways to measure the dielectric properties of materials with high dielectric constant are described throughout the frequency range from 100 to 1,000 mc. The principles of measurement of dielectric properties at ultrahigh frequencies are well established. They are based on measurement of voltage standing wave ratio and location of standing wave pattern, which results from reflection of electromagnetic energy from the dielectric sample.
Finite‐element modelling of folding and faulting

The paper is concerned with the finite-element modelling of geologic phenomena. More specifically, the paper presents numerical models of folding and sait doming. A (penalty-) finite-element model based on the equations governing a viscous incompressible fluid is used to simulate the folding is used to simulate the folding of a viscous layer in a less viscous matrix and the salt dome formation, and to predict the location of active faulting and deformation in prograding delta systems on continentalmargins. The initiation and development of drape folding and associated faulting are also modelled. The United States continental margin of the Gulf of Mexico is used as an example of prograding delta system. The finite-element predictions seem to agreewith the published results.
Conductivity and glass transition studies of the mixed-alkali effect in poly (propylene oxide) - thiocyanate salt systems

Abstract Conductivity and glass transition temperature data were collected for poly (propylene oxide)-K/NaSCN mixed alkali systems. Polymer complexes containing various mole fractions of potassium and sodium were prepared. Polymer systems with mixed mole fraction but varying total cation concentration were also made. The mixed-alkali effect was observed as a minimum in the conductivity data at a potassium mole fraction of 0.25 for all polymer salt complexes. The conductivity versus concentration data were fitted to an equation derived from the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation where the glass transition temperature is assumed to be a linear function of salt concentration. Differential scanning calorimetry data may indicate that ion groupings in the polymer may be mixed K+/Na+ in nature.
Rod F. Ziemer

This paper investigates the effect of disequilibrium prices on consumer and producer surplus in the U.S. fed beef market. An econometric model which allows for the possibility of prices that do not clear the market was used in the analysis. Results indicated that (I) the effect of disequilibrium prices in the U.S. fed beef market in the 1960s was relatively small compared to the 1970s and (2) recent price controls on beef caused price distortions that yielded surplus gains to consumers while producers suffered surplus losses. Cet article a pour but de determiner ľeffet du desequilibre des prix sur le surplus du consommateur et du producteur dans le marche des bovins ďalimentation, aux Etats- Unis. Dans cette analyse, nous avons utilise un modele econometrique qui peut s'appliquer aux cas ou les prix ne sonl pas a la situation ďequilibre. Les resullats indiquent que: (1) ľeffet do desequilibre des prix dans les annees 60 aux Etats- Unit etait relativement modeste compareeaľeffet enregistre dans les annees 70; (2) les recents controlles de prix imposes sur les bovins ont cause des distortions de prix. lesquelles distortions ont entraine un accroissement du surplus du consommateur au detriment du surplus du producteur.
SU-E-J-45: Validation of a Commercially Available Deformable Registration System

Purpose: To evaluate a deformable registration system for modalities applied in radiotherapy. A phantom study and clinical images were used to assess the software's tendencies and limitations. Methods: An in‐house phantom was constructed with various shapes and known size inserts. Commercially available software was used for image registration (Velocity Medical Solutions, Atlanta, GA). The capabilities of the algorithm were evaluated by various combinations of inserts' translation, rotation and replacement. Patient images were also applied to assess the deformable registration. Two cases are chosen: pelvic MR study with CTimages and head‐and‐neck CBCT scan with planning CTimages. The quality of registration was examined by visual inspection and using the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) values for each objects. Results: Images correlated well among CT, MR and CBCTimages after registration. The deformable algorithm is able to move displaced object, up to 2‐cm translation, back to its original location. However, the deformable results were highly dependent on field of view (FOV) which defines the region for deformable registration. In general, the DSC can be improved to above 0.8 in various combinations of object translation, rotation, size changed and shaped changed with adequate FOV selection. Sample pelvic MR images were registered with CTimages. The deformable results would be different with variation in bladder filling and rectal prep. The volume of deformed prostate is 10% larger than the volume based on the rigid registration. Visual inspection of the deformed CBCTimages correlated well with re‐planning CT with high DSC for all the structures. Conclusions: It is important to understand the extent of deformable registration algorithm's capabilities and limitations in various clinical applications before using it clinically. A simple phantom study is developed for deformable registration validation. The optimal results of deformable registration can be achieved by careful FOV selection.
Genetic loci that affect aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity in the mouse

Aristolochic acids (AA) are plant-derived nephrotoxins and carcinogens found in traditional medicines and herbal remedies. AA causes aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and is a suspected environmental agent in Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and its associated upper urothelial cancer. Approximately 5-10% of individuals exposed to AA develop renal insufficiency and/or cancer; thus a genetic predisposition to AA sensitivity has been proposed. The mouse is an established animal model of AAN, and inbred murine strains vary in AA sensitivity, confirming the genetic predisposition. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) correlated with proximal tubule dysfunction after exposure to AA in an F2 population of mice, derived from breeding an AA-resistant strain (C57BL/6J) and an AA-sensitive strain (DBA/2J). A single main QTL was identified on chromosome 4 (Aanq1); three other interacting QTLs, (Aanq2-4) also were detected. The Aanq1 region was also detected in untreated mice, raising the possibility that preexisting differences in proximal tubule function may affect the severity of AA-elicited toxicity. This study lays the groundwork for identifying the genetic pathways contributing to AA sensitivity in the mouse and will further our understanding of human susceptibility to AA found widely in traditional medicines.
Effects of a Single Intraseptal Injection of NGF on Spatial Learning in the Water Maze

Abstract Janis, L. S., M. M. Glasier, and D. G. Stein. Effects of a single intraseptal injection of NGF on spatial learning in the water maze. Physiol Behav 62(1) 69–76, 1997.—Male Sprague-Dawley rats given electrolytic lesions of the septum followed by a single intraseptal injection of 5 μg of NGF were trained on a water maze task that assessed their ability to learn the location of a visible platform and the location of platform when it was submerged. Rats with damage to the septum acquired the visible platform version of the task but were significantly impaired in locating the submerged platform. Administration of NGF, however, produced an intermediate ameliorative effect on the measure of latency to find the hidden platform during these trials. In order to determine the relative strength of the place and cue responses learned during the visible and hidden platform training trials, a probe trial was given on the final test day in which the visible platform was moved to a new location. Control rats swam either to the new platform location or the old platform location indicating the use of both a place and cue response. However, both rats with septal damage alone and rats with septal lesions treated with NGF swam directly to the new platform location indicating the relative strength of the cue response. These results support previous findings indicating that a single injection of NGF can produce improvements on a cognitive task, but it may not be doing so by restoring lost spatial functions following septohippocampal damage.
Heart transplant medicine: beyond the guidelines.

Various studies and International Society for Heart and Lung Transplant (ISHLT) guidelines have addressed the science of risk assessment for both the donor and recipient in heart transplantation. There is a consistent pattern that identifies higher risk donors and recipients by age, race, comorbid conditions, prior surgical procedures, ischemic time and other factors. Only center volume has been identified previously as an “institutional” factor. The study by Van Bakel et al addresses this deficiency and begins to define the art of creating best practices that might be conducive to better outcomes within a transplant program. The major observations of their study will be addressed individually.
Action of Dinitrophenol on Rate of Oxidation of Ethyl Alcohol in Vitro.

ConclusionAt a pH of 7.4, concentrations of dinitrophenol from 1:5,000,000 to 1:20,000,000 slightly increased the rate of oxidation of alcohol by rat liver in vitro, while higher concentrations slightly diminished it. This indicated that under some conditions an increase in tissue metabolism produced by dinitrophenol is accompanied by an increased rate of oxidation of alcohol. From this it may be deduced that the increased rate of fall of blood alcohol concentration caused by dinitrophenol in animals may be accounted for, in part at least, by an increased rate of its oxidation in the tissues. Further work, both in vitro and in vivo, is in progress to investigate this problem more fully.
Splenectomy abrogates the induction of oral tolerance in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis.

Oral administration of uveitogenic antigens inhibits the development of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) and the cellular immune response initiated by these antigens. The mechanism of oral tolerance is not completely clear, but accumulating data indicate that suppressor cells are actively involved in this process. The spleen is known to harbor suppressor cells and their precursors and the present study was aimed at testing the role of this organ in the induction of oral tolerance by S-antigen (SAG). We report here that: (a) splenectomy abrogated the induction of oral tolerance; unlike in sham operated controls, feeding with S-Ag did not inhibit the development of EAU in splenectomized rats; (b) spenectomized rats responded with higher cellular immune responses than did sham operated controls, but feeding with S-Ag inhibited these responses in both groups of animals; (c) splenectomy also abrogated the adoptive transfer of tolerance: EAU induction was inhibited in sham operated recipients of sple...
Acetylation curtails nucleosome binding, not stable nucleosome remodeling, by FoxO1

Transcriptional activity of FoxO factors is controlled through the actions of multiple growth factors signaling through protein kinase B, whereby phosphorylation of FoxO factors inhibits FoxO-mediated transactivation by promoting nuclear export. Phosphorylation of FoxO factors is enhanced by p300-mediated acetylation, which decreases their affinity for DNA. The negative effect of acetylation on FoxO DNA binding, together with nuclear FoxO mobility, is eliminated by over-expression of the de-acetylase Sirt1, suggesting that acetylation mobilizes FoxO factors in chromatin for inducible gene expression. Here, we show that acetylation significantly curtails the affinity of FoxO1 for its binding sites in nucleosomal DNA but has no effect on either stable nucleosome binding or remodeling by this factor. We suggest that, while acetylation provides a first, essential step toward mobilizing FoxO factors for inducible gene repression, additional mechanisms exist for overcoming their inherent capacity to stably bind and remodel nuclear chromatin.
Scaled and unscaled crude-adiabatic born-oppenheimer wavefunctions☆

Abstract It is shown that the Herzberg-Teller expansion can be reformulated in terms of scaled crude-adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer product functions. This scaling greatly improves the crude-adiabatic potentials without destroying the simple picture of intensity borrowing characteristic of Herzberg-Teller theory.
Tensile fatigue of 4-META cement bonding three base metal alloys to enamel and comparison to other resin cements

The tensile median fatigue limits and fracture mode of 4-META cement wereevaluated after bonding Ni−Cr, Ni−Cr−Be, and Co−Cr alloys to enamel. Alloy surfaces, 6 mm in diameter, were grit blasted with 50 μm Al 2 O 3 and cemented to etched bovine enamel under a 2 kg load. Samples were cycled in tension to failure or 10 6 cycles at 5 Hz in Ringer's solution at 37°C. Two-point strategy was used to determine median fatigue limits (Ŝ 50 ). Fracture modes were evaluated by SEM on samples failing before 10 6 cycles. Results indicated differences between all sample groups where Ŝ 50 (Ni−Cr−Be)>Ŝ 50 (Co−Cr)>Ŝ 50 (Ni−Cr). Failure analysis revealed mixed cohesive fractures near both interfaces with small areas of delamination within the cement. Comparison to reported median fatigue limits of two commercially available cements were discussed.
Stochastic diffusion model of non-ideal mixing in a horizontal drum mixer

Abstract Since a non-ideal solid particle system contains particles of different sizes and/or densities, mixing of non-ideal particle systems in a horizontal drum mixer is complex and stochastic in nature. In the present work such non-ideal mixing process has been modeled by the Kolmogorov diffusion equation. Two parameters appearing in the Kolmogorov diffusion equation, the diffusion coefficient and drift velocity, have been determined in this work from one-step tracer experiments, and their physical significances have been discussed. The convective or drift velocity, which varies with respect to the axial position of the mixer, appears to be important in illucidating the non-ideal mixing characteristics. A good agreement between the model and the experimental data has been observed.
Risk factors for reduced skin thickness and bone density: Possible clues regarding pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment

Abstract The decline in skin thickness that occurs with aging interests many different groups. Among these are pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and cosmetic companies promoting antiaging or antiwrinkling products, geriatricians and rheumatologists treating elderly and steroid-dependent patients who are "outliving" their skin, cosmetic surgeons, and dermatologists. Dermatologists are frequently asked how to prevent or slow aging of the skin. The answer regarding "photoaging" of sun-exposed skin is obvious; the answer regarding aging of photoprotected skin is not. Although the bulk of epidemiologic literature about aging and thinning of photoprotected skin is from the 1970s, literature regarding risk factors for and treatment of aging and thinning of the bony skeleton is more recent. Because both skin and bone are composed of more than 70% type I collagen, it may be hypothesized that the pathophysiologic processes involved in chronological atrophy of both tissues may overlap, thereby providing a foundation for further investigation of the skin. A better understanding of skin and bone loss may motivate the "appearance-conscious" public to modify risk factors (e.g., begin exercising) or select hormonal therapies (e.g., postmenopausal hormone replacement) to reduce aging of the skin. These measures may provide additional benefits, such as decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:248-55.)
Path decomposition and the traversal-time distribution in quantum tunneling.

We define, using a path-integral method, an amplitude distribution for the traversal time of a particle tunneling through a barrier. We calculate this without approximation for the case of a square barrier potential. The form of the integrated distribution is shown to be determined by the uncertainty principle: if the particle is known to spend a time ≤τ inside the barrier, then an effective uncertainty ΔV is introduced in the barrier height, such that ΔV τ ≃h. The distribution has a number of interesting properties: it is noisy at very short times, oscillates periodically at intermediate times, and saturates to a constant at long times
Symbolic and algebraic computer programming systems

To illustrate the difference between numeric and symbolic processing, consider a computer program (in FORTRAN, say) which given the quantities a,b, and c, can apply the quadratic formula to approximate the roots of the quadratic about 40 equation ax2+bx+c=0. The names a, b, and c must of course correspond to numerical values at run-time because the program has been written to provide numerical processing. If a had as its run-time value the expression q, b had value -pq - 1 and c had value p, the FORTRAN program would not be applicable. Nevertheless, by applying the quadratic formula symbolically, the two roots[EQUATION]can be represented. By further efforts, this expression can be reduced to the set of values p, 1/q. This substitution (in this case, into the quadratic formula) and subsequent simplification are but two of the necessary operations in an algebra system. Some of the more elaborate facilities that can be built up (and have been, in some systems), bring us to the edge of research areas in several fields of mathematics, and present us with problems in representation and communication of "knowledge" which border on the hardest problems in computer "artificial intelligence" -- natural language processing, representation of complex data, heuristic programming.
From biodefence to biosecurity: the Obama administration's strategy for countering biological threats

The Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the first international treaty to outlaw an entire class of weapons, was held in Geneva in December 2011. On 7 December, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the highest-ranking US government official to address a BWC meeting. Secretary Clinton told the assembled delegation that ‘we view the risk of bioweapons attack as both a serious national security challenge and a foreign policy priority’. At the same time, she warned that a large-scale disease outbreak ‘could cripple an already fragile global economy’. Secretary Clinton's speech reflected a new understanding that the range of biological threats to international security has expanded from state-sponsored biological warfare programmes to include biological terrorism, dual-use research and naturally occurring infectious diseases such as pandemics. Recognizing these changes, President Barack Obama released a new national strategy for countering biological threats in 2009. This strategy represents a shift in thinking away from the George W. Bush administration's focus on biodefence, which emphasized preparing for and responding to biological weapon attacks, to the concept of biosecurity, which includes measures to prevent, prepare for and respond to naturally occurring and man-made biological threats. The Obama administration's biosecurity strategy seeks to reduce the global risk of naturally occurring and deliberate disease outbreaks through prevention, international cooperation, and maximizing synergies between health and security. The biosecurity strategy is closely aligned with the Obama administration's broader approach to foreign policy, which emphasizes the pragmatic use of smart power, multilateralism and engagement to further the national interest. This article describes the Obama administration's biosecurity strategy; highlights elements of continuity and change from the policies of the Bush administration; discusses how it fits into Obama's broader foreign policy agenda; and analyses critical issues that will have to be addressed in order to implement the strategy successfully.
Identification of a cholinomimetic compound in the digestive gland of Aplysia californica.

Abstract 1. 1. Reineckate precipitation and tetraphenylboron separation were performed on acetone/ water extracts of the digestive gland of the marine mollusc Aplysia californica . The isolated choline esters were futher purified and characterized with a variety of chemical methods. The properties of the extracted compounds were compared to those of authentic urocanylcholine and related choline esters of the murexine family. 2. 2. Bioassays were done on identified cholinoceptive neurons of the abdominal ganglion of A. californica using intracellular electrophysiological techniques. 3. 3. The results show that the digestive gland of this animal contains both acetylcholine and urocanylcholine (murexine), the latter accounting for the cholinesterase-resistant cholinomimetic activity of extracts of this organ.
HITS-CLIP: panoramic views of protein–RNA regulation in living cells

The study of gene regulation in cells has recently begun to shift from a period dominated by the study of transcription factor-DNA interactions to a new focus on RNA regulation. This was sparked by the still-emerging recognition of the central role for RNA in cellular complexity emanating from the RNA World hypothesis, and has been facilitated by technologic advances, in particular high throughput RNA sequencing and crosslinking methods (RNA-Seq, CLIP, and HITS-CLIP). This study will place these advances in context, and, focusing on CLIP, will explain the method, what it can be used for, and how to approach using it. Examples of the successes, limitations, and future of the technique will be discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website
Dimerization of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor: The Ig Plus CRH Construct of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor Forms a 2:2 Complex with a Ligand.

We have previously shown that the extracellular domain of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor receptor (soluble G-CSFR), prepared from CHO cell conditioned media, dimerizes upon binding its ligand, G-CSF. The most stable ligand-receptor complex occurs at a 2:2 stoichiometry, unlike the growth hormone and erythropoietin systems. In the latter cases, each ligand uses two sites to bring two receptors together. In this study, we have generated a truncated G-CSF receptor, known to be sufficient for high affinity ligand binding, which consists of an Ig-like domain and a cytokine receptor homology module. With an affinity purified receptor, sedimentation equilibrium experiments clearly demonstrated that this truncated form of the receptor behaves very similarly to the entire extracellular domain. The sedimentation equilibrium data are consistent with the model that the truncated receptor has a weak tendency to self-associate into a dimer in the absence of a ligand, this receptor-receptor interaction is enhanced by ligand binding, and the most stable complex occurs at a 2:2 stoichiometry. These results are very different from those described by others for various murine G-CSF receptor constructs from either Escherichia coli or insect expression systems.
Reason, Emotion and Cooperation

The realist, liberal institutionalist, social capital, ‘tit-for-tat’and ‘thin’ constructivist explanations for cooperation rely on the same explanatory mechanisms imported from micro-economics. They further assume that international cooperation should be studied from the perspective of egoistic, individual actors responding primarily to external stimuli. These several explanations assume much of the cooperation they purport to explain. They also rest on questionable ontological assumptions, as their unit of analysis, the autonomous, egoistic individual is a fiction of the Enlightenment. Most actors, states included, have social commitments that lead them to frame their identities and interests at least in part in collective terms. Collective identities lead to a general propensity to cooperate with another group of actors. They explain why actors may cooperate in instances that may not appear to be in their interest if cooperation is studied on a case-by-case basis — as it is by the approaches I critique —. To understand how a propensity to cooperate develops, we must look at the ways in which reason and emotions interact to create and sustain common identities.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Influence of Surface Temperature on the Trapping of Methane on Iridium Single-Crystalline Surfaces†

Classical molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to model the temperature dependence on trapping of methane on the (111) and the reconstructed (110) surfaces of iridium. Methane is modeled as a monatomic particle of mass 16 amu. The simulations suggest that on the (110)−(1 × 2) surface that the trapping probability scales nearly with total energy and that close to normal energy scaling is prevalent on the (111) surface, consistent with what is known from experimental measurements. Further, the simulations are in reasonable quantitative agreement with the measured trapping probabilities at a surface temperature of 65 K. For the highest surface temperature that we employed in the simulations, Ts = 1465 K, methane molecules that trapped appeared to be thermalized with the surface as determined by the translational energies and the angular distribution of the desorbing molecules. Additionally, the trapped molecules had calculated surface lifetimes that corresponded well with the physical adsorptio...
Argyria presenting as cyanotic heart disease.

Abstract A case of argyria secondary to chronic use of nose drops containing silver iodide is presented. The patient was initially referred to a cardiovascular surgeon for surgical correction of possible cyanotic heart disease. A brief review of the history and literature of argyria is presented. Since the pigmentary changes of argyria cannot be reversed once they have occurred, a plea is made to eliminate the exogenous use of silver-containing medications and to reduce exposure to the sun in those patients already affected in order to reduce the degree of pigmentation. It behooves physicians to become cognizant of the existence of argyria in the differential diagnosis of cyanosis of unknown origin.
Critical human factors in emerging library technology centers

In the past decade, librarians have developed a series of new services to users. Technology centers, geographic information systems laboratories, electronic text centers, and social science data centers, among others, provide users with the means to manipulate and transfer digital data. Though hardware and software considerations should not be discounted, human factors such as management, organizational climate, and the development of a user community will determine the success or failure of the project. From the perspective of the users, staff, and administration, this article outlines human issues important to the integration of the new service.
Diminished Acyl-CoA Synthetase Isoform 4 Activity in INS 832/13 Cells Reduces Cellular Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid Levels and Results in Impaired Glucose-stimulated Insulin Secretion

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic beta-cells is potentiated by fatty acids (FA). The initial step in the metabolism of intracellular FA is the conversion to acyl-CoA by long chain acyl-CoA synthetases (Acsls). Because the predominantly expressed Acsl isoforms in INS 832/13 cells are Acsl4 and -5, we characterized the role of these Acsls in beta-cell function by using siRNA to knock down Acsl4 or Acsl5. Compared with control cells, an 80% suppression of Acsl4 decreased GSIS and FA-potentiated GSIS by 32 and 54%, respectively. Knockdown of Acsl5 did not alter GSIS. Acsl4 knockdown did not alter FA oxidation or long chain acyl-CoA levels. With Acsl4 knockdown, incubation with 17 mm glucose increased media epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and reduced cell membrane levels of EETs. Further, exogenous EETs reduced GSIS in INS 832/13 cells, and in Acsl4 knockdown cells, an EET receptor antagonist partially rescued GSIS. These results strongly suggest that Acsl4 activates EETs to form EET-CoAs that are incorporated into glycerophospholipids, thereby sequestering EETs. Exposing INS 832/13 cells to arachidonate or linoleate reduced Acsl4 mRNA and protein expression and reduced GSIS. These data indicate that Acsl4 modulates GSIS by regulating the levels of unesterified EETs and that arachidonate controls the expression of its activator Acsl4.
A characterization problem in graph theory

Abstract Bose and Laskar introduced the tetrahedral graph G, whose points may be identified with the (3n) unordered triplets on n symbols, such that two points are adjacent if and only if their corresponding triplets have two symbols in common. They succeeded in characterizing these graphs (no loops or parallel edges permitted) for n>16. In the present paper the same characterization is shown to hold for n≤8.
Lead's Legacy? Early and Late Mortality of 454 Lead-Poisoned Children

A series of 454 pediatric hospital patients who were diagnosed with lead poisoning between 1923 and 1966 were traced through 1991 to examine possible mortality effects. Numbers of observed deaths were compared with those expected, based on the rates of the U.S. population. Eighty-six deaths were observed (O/E = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.4-2.2), of which 17 were attributed to lead poisoning. Mortality from all cardiovascular disease was elevated (O/E = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.3-3.2), and cerebrovascular deaths were particularly common among women (O/E = 5.5, 95% CI = 1.1-15.9). Among men, 2 deaths resulted from pancreatic cancer (O/E = 10.2, 95% CI = 1.1-36.2), and 2 deaths resulted from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (O/E = 13.0, 95% CI = 1.5-46.9). Chronic nephritis was not a significant cause of death. Despite limitations in the data, the pattern of mortality suggests that effects of lead poisoning in childhood may persist throughout life and may be experienced differently by men and women.
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera): History and economic uses

Osage orange, a tree native to Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, was planted widely in the United States as a living fence from 1850–1875. It has naturalized over much of its planted range and is an early successional species. Economically the tree has had a wide number of uses including for bows, yellow dye, and building materials. It is used for fence posts and is a potential source for a proteolytic enzyme. Its taxonomy, anatomy, morphology, chemical constitutents, medicinal uses, and toxicity are discussed in this paper and related to its economic importance.
Almost-sure stability of linear gyroscopic systems

This paper studies the stability behaviour of a linear gyroscopic system parametrically perturbed by a (multiplicative) real noise of small intensity. To this end, its maximal Lyapunov exponent is calculated using the method of Sri Namachchivaya et al.[1]. The results derived are suitable for cases where the response frequenciesω1 , ω2are non-commensurable and the infinitesimal generator associated with the noise process, ξ (t) has a simple zero eigenvalue. These results are then employed to determine the almost-sure stability boundaries of a rotating shaft subjected to random axial loading.