cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A time-averaged model for gas–solids flow in a one-dimensional vertical channel

Abstract In this study, we are interested in deriving time-smoothed governing and constitutive equations for gas–solids flow in moderately dense systems where particle–particle collision is the main energy dissipation mechanism. Results obtained from dynamic simulations of a gas–solids flow in a 1D channel are used to show that it is possible to obtain expressions for the time-averaged constitutive relations based on Taylor series expansion. We demonstrate, by comparing with time-averaged transient results, that the 1st term (or laminar) in the series expressions of most non-linear constitutive relations can yield inaccurate quantitative and qualitative results. This means that steady-state models derived by simply removing the partial time derivative from the governing equations are not suitable for gas–solids flows. This study shows that it was necessary to include many terms of the Taylor series expression of non-linear constitutive relations (such as the granular energy dissipation term) due to large-scale oscillations that were computed for all flow variables at all locations in the 1D domain. In some cases, the Taylor series expansion diverged and the Euler transformation was used to improve the convergence of these series. In this moderately dense flow system, turbulence in the gas-phase was found to be just a reaction to turbulence in the solids phase that resulted from the large-scale motion of solids clusters. This resulted in a negative turbulent gas viscosity computed due to the fact that gas (in the horizontal direction) flows only to occupy regions vacated by clusters of solids. The steady-state results obtained using the time-smoothed gas–solids flow model compared well with the time-averaged results obtained using the transient model for all flow variables.
Geology of the United States Seafloor: The View From GLORIA

When then-President Ronald Reagan signed into existence the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was assigned the task of mapping this 13 million km2 area of seafloor, which exceeds the terrestrial area of the United States. Fortunately for scientists interested in the geology of continental margins, the USGS rose quickly to the challenge and took advantage of the unique opportunity offered by this political initiative. Mapping began in 1984, only a year after the proclamation.
Dynamically reconfigurable DCT architectures based on bitrate, power, and image quality considerations

We propose a dynamically reconfigurable DCT architecture system that can be used to optimize performance objectives while meeting real-time constraints on power, image quality, and bitrate. The proposed system can be dynamically reconfigured between 4 different modes: (i) minimum power mode, (ii) minimum bitrate mode, (iii) maximum image quality mode, and (iv) typical mode. The proposed system relies on the use of efficient DCT implementations that are parameterized by the word-length of the DCT transform coefficients and the use of different quantization quality factors. Optimal DCT architectures and quality factors are pre-computed on a training dataset. The proposed system is validated on the LIVE database using leave-one-out. From the results, it is clear that real-time constraints can be successfully met for the majority of the test images while optimizing for the 4 modes of operation.
Corn Growth and Yield as Affected by Surface and Subsoil Compaction

(...) A replicated field study was conducted on a Webster clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Haplaquoll) in southern Minnesota and on two Ves clay loams (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Udic Haplustoll) in southwestern Minnesota to assess the effect of surface and subsoil compaction on the growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). Surface compaction treatments consisted of no interrow traffic on either side of the row at any time during the experiment and annually applied interrow wheel traffic on both sides of the row from an axle load < 4.5 Mg (...)
Amastatin potentiates the behavioral effects of vasopressin and oxytocin in mice

Vasopressin and oxytocin cause behavioral excitation after intracerebroventricular injection in mice. This effect is short-lasting, suggesting that the peptides are rapidly inactivated in the brain. Co-injection of microgram amounts of amastatin, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, prolonged the effect of both vasopressin and oxytocin. Amastatin did not induce large vasopressin-like behavioral effects by itself, nor did it significantly potentiate the action of 1-deamino[1,6-dicarba, 8-arginine] vasopressin (Asu-AVP), an analog that lacks the N-terminal amino group. The effect of Asu-AVP, but not that of vasopressin, was potentiated by phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of neutral metalloendopeptidase ("enkephalinase A"). These results support previous suggestions that vasopressin and oxytocin are inactivated mainly by aminopeptidase action following intracerebroventricular injection.
A novel WFS technique for high-contrast imaging: Phase Sorting Interferometry (PSI)

High-contrast adaptive optics (AO) observations near stars have to contend with the telescope's diffraction halo, a rapidly-changing cloud of residual atmospheric speckles, and a host of faint but persistent quasi-static speckles caused by various imperfections and aberrations. It is these quasi-static speckles that typically limit the detection sensitivity near stars as they are easily confused with faint stellar companions. Since they are coherent with the starlight, it is possible to suppress the quasi-static speckles and other residual diffraction halo over a search region by applying small offsets to the AO system's deformable mirror (DM). Computing the required offsets requires knowledge of the location, brightness, and phase of the speckle relative to the star's PSF core. We present a new wavefront sensing technique for measuring the static halo that uses the randomly-changing residual AO speckles as interferometric probes. Doing this requires simultaneous short-exposure frames from a mid-IR science camera and measurements of the residual closed-loop wavefront using the AO system's wavefront sensor (WFS). These data streams are combined to construct a map of the quasi-static halo's complex amplitude near the bright core of a star's PSF, permitting adaptive halo suppression. Implementing this new WFS and halo-suppression servo requires no new hardware, just new processing applied to the existing AO system. By suppressing the quasi-static speckles, we are left with only the fast speckle noise, which should average to a smooth background.
Visualization of Individual Scr mRNAs during Drosophila Embryogenesis Yields Evidence for Transcriptional Bursting

The detection and counting of transcripts within single cells via fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has allowed researchers to ask quantitative questions about gene expression at the level of individual cells. This method is often preferable to quantitative RT-PCR, because it does not necessitate destruction of the cells being probed and maintains spatial information that may be of interest. Until now, studies using FISH at single-molecule resolution have only been rigorously carried out in isolated cells (e.g., yeast cells or mammalian cell culture). Here, we describe the detection and counting of transcripts within single cells of fixed, whole-mount Drosophila embryos via a combination of FISH, immunohistochemistry, and image segmentation. Our method takes advantage of inexpensive, long RNA probes detected with antibodies, and we present novel evidence to show that we can robustly detect single mRNA molecules. We use this method to characterize transcription at the endogenous locus of the Hox gene Sex combs reduced (Scr), by comparing a stably expressing group of cells to a group that only transiently expresses the gene. Our data provide evidence for transcriptional bursting, as well for divergent "accumulation" and "maintenance" phases of gene activity at the Scr locus.
Tricritical exponents for trails on a square lattice obtained by the scanning simulation method.

A trail is a lattice chain model which is allowed to self-intersect while an overlap of two bonds is forbidden. With each intersection is associated an attractive interaction energy, which gives rise to a transition from swollen to collapsed structures at a certain tricritical temperature. We study the tricritical behavior of trails on a square lattice using the scanning simulation method, which is especially efficient for this problem. The interesting question is whether trails and self-avoiding walks (SAW's) belong to the same universality class. In the present calculation, the shape exponent ${v}_{t}$ and the free-energy exponent ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{t}$ for trails at the tricritical point are found to be equal (within the statistical error) to the corresponding values derived analytically (and conjectured to be exact) for self-attracting SAW's. However, our value for the crossover exponent ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{t}$ is significantly larger than the exact value of self-attracting SAW's.
SUPREME COURT SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED STATES: THE EFFECT OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS

In a 1990 article, Jeffrey Segal attempted to document the effects of Supreme Court appointments on judicial decisions made in cases in which the U.S. Solicitor General had filed an amicus brief. Although his hypotheses were well justified by theory, the expected relationships did not emerge. In this paper, I argue that the effects that Segal sought to discover should be more apparent in cases in which the United States is a litigant than in cases in which the U.S. appears only as amicus. Based on this discussion, I then replicate Segal's analysis using a new set of data. The findings provide some support for Segal's original hypothesis: presidential appointments do matter. However, the relationship is more subtle than originally suggested by Segal, and to a certain extent is time-bound.
Regulation of biosynthesis of aspartate family amino acids in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

The four amino acids of the “aspartate family” (l-lysine, l-methionine, l-threonine, and l-isoleucine) are produced in bacteria by a branched biosynthetic pathway. Regulation of synthesis of early common intermediates and of carbon flow through distal branches of the pathway requires operation of a number of subtle feedback controls, which are integrated so as to ensure “balanced” synthesis of the several end products. Earlier studies with nonsulfur purple photosynthetic bacteria were instrumental in revealing the existence of alternative regulatory schemes, and in this communication we report on the control pattern of a representative of this physiological group not previously investigated, Rhodopseudomonas palustris. The results obtained from study of the properties of four “key” regulatory enzymes of the aspartate family pathway (β-aspartokinase, homoserine dehydrogenase, homoserine kinase, and threonine deaminase) and of the effects of exogenous amino acids (i. e., the end products) on growth of the bacterium indicate that the control schema in Rps. palustris differs substantially from the schemes described for other Rhodopseudomonas species, but resembles the regulatory pattern observed in Rhodospirillum rubrum.
Hipertensión arterial pulmonar en adultos con cardiopatía congénita

La hipertension arterial pulmonar es un cuadro de elevacion persistente y cronica de la presion en la arteria pulmonar sin evidencia de insuficiencia cardiaca izquierda. La hipertension pulmonar es frecuente en los pacientes adultos con cardiopatia congenita y suele ser el resultado del aumento del flujo sanguineo pulmonar debido a la existencia de un cortocircuito izquierda-derecha de gran tamano. Este trastorno es progresivo y los pacientes sintomaticos suelen fallecer entre el tercero y el quinto decenios de la vida. Hasta el momento, no se ha establecido un tratamiento estandarizado para este cuadro y se recomienda en terminos generales un manejo conservador para evitar la desestabilizacion de una situacion fisiologica equilibrada. Se ha demostrado que las prostaglandinas administradas por via intravenosa pueden ser utiles, pero este es un tratamiento limitado por su caracter invasivo y la asociacion de efectos adversos importantes. El trasplante pulmonar y el trasplante combinado de corazon-pulmon podrian constituir una opcion terapeutica en pacientes seleccionados, pero esta limitado por la escasez de donantes. Recientemente, se ha demostrado que diversos tratamientos orales avanzados mejoran la hemodinamica y la supervivencia en pacientes con hipertension pulmonar idiopatica o con hipertension pulmonar secundaria a esclerodermia, de manera que tambien podrian ser utiles en los pacientes con hipertension pulmonar secundaria a una cardiopatia congenita.
Use of u.v./visible photoacoustic spectroscopy to study the photoinduced crosslinking of oligomers containing chalcone units

Abstract The photoinduced crosslinking of a polymer containing chalcone units was followed using u.v./visible photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). The physical properties of films of the material determined the conditions under which saturated spectra were obtained and were useful in showing how the phenomenon could be avoided. PAS was shown, with the instrument used, to be of limited value in following the crosslinking reaction by depth profiling.
Quantile-preserving spread

Abstract Quantile-preserving spread is a partial ordering of distribution functions which is appropriate for dealing with ordinal data. This partial ordering is a natural extension of stochastic ordering to cases where the dispersion of the random variables under study is of interest. This paper provides five equivalent characterizations of quantile-preserving spread, studies its consequences and compares it to different notions of increasing variability.
A priori estimates for $N=2$ Wess-Zumino models on a cylinder

We establish bounds uniform in the ultraviolet cutoff (i.e., in the number of degrees of freedom) for a family of two-dimensional Wess-Zumino models. These estimates are useful in proving existence of the models, as well as in investigating their properties. For example, we require these estimates for the analysis of the supercharge and of the Hamiltonian. These are the fundamental a priori estimates for elliptic regularity in infinite dimensions.
Prospects for Agricultural Trade after the Uruguay Round: Discussion

Question: Is it better to ride the bus, take a taxicab, or walk? There is, of course, no correct answer other than the unsatisfying "it all depends." Debates over the worthiness of the several types of trade-rule vehicles are reminiscent of the above question: an equally plausible argument can be made for any answer by changing a few key assumptions. When viewing the merits of these vehicles, it may be useful to think of the GAIT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) as a bus, limited regional arrangements as a taxicab, and single-country changes as a person on foot. If many individuals are going the same direction at the same time, a bus is clearly the more efficient mode of transportation. If smaller groups are going different directions or at different times, cabs may be preferred. But an individual desiring to enter the wilderness may take a bus to the region, a cab to the trailhead, and proceed on foot from there. Two striking features of Josling's review of agricultural trade liberalization and protection under unilateral, bilateral, regional and other limited multilateral, and quasi-global regimes are the sheer number of treaties capable of altering agricultural trade conditions, and their mixed performance in terms of actual liberalization. After exploring the attractions and limitations of limited geographic arrangements, Josling says that the prevalence of such arrangements suggests there are some important functions which can best be served by a quasi-global agreement such as the GATT.
Picturing the Jos Crisis Online in Three Leading Newspapers in Nigeria: A Visual Framing Perspective

This study examines the online visual framing of the Jos crisis, a set of religious and ethnic clashes in the Plateau state of Nigeria in the early twenty-first century. The online version of three leading Nigerian newspapers in Lagos—the Punch, the Guardian, and Thisday—were analyzed for four months, from December 2010 through March 2011. Findings suggest that the three newspapers were not heavy users of news photographs. In the limited number of photographs that were selected to accompany the news text narratives, the majority were photographs of politicians, such as the president and the governor. The majority of the photographs were close-ups of officials, onlookers, and guards. These images were used in a way that, based on previous scholarship, would suggest they failed to emotionally connect the readers with the ongoing crisis. Instead, the photographs served as a means of reinforcing the established narrative themes within the official discourse.
Recent trends in stratospheric total ozone: Implications of dynamical and El Chichon perturbations

The recently reprocessed Nimbus-7 TOMS total ozone data from 1979 to 1989 are analyzed to assess the global impact of the El Chichon volcanic eruption on stratospheric total ozone. An apparent decrease in total ozone of 5 to 6 percent is present during the winter of 1982-1983 following the eruption of El Chichon. A regression analysis of total ozone with the equatorial zonal wind at 30 mb indicates that response to the quasi-biennial oscillation can explain much of the observed ozone anomaly, and that the total ozone decrease which can be attributed to El Chichon is at most 2 to 4 percent. This study also suggests that the interannual variability caused by the quasi-biennial oscillation and planetary wave activity may introduce apparent seasonal trends in total ozone and temperature in the lower stratosphere, particularly if the length of the data record is not very long. Such trends may affect the assessment of total ozone changes caused by chemical perturbations.
Topological considerations on gray-level skeletonization

Analyzing the topological properties of algebraic opening and closing, we characterized the skeletonization of gray level signals as a homotopic transformation; i.e., a continuous deformation of the signal into a simple representation that preserves the connectivity of the signal features. To perform such a transformation, we interpret the morphological opening and closing as algorithmic approximation, in which the structural element imposes the connectivity criteria of the results. Our implementation is a variation of Serra's residual of openings, and is valid for any topology on the working space. We show a particular application and discuss the design of the appropriate structural elements.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Charge and spin transport at the quantum Hall edge of graphene

Abstract Landau level bending near the edge of graphene, described using a 2d Dirac equation, provides a microscopic framework for understanding the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in this material. We review properties of the QHE edge states in graphene, with emphasis on the novel phenomena that arise due to the Dirac character of electronic states. A method of mapping out the dispersion of edge states using scanning tunneling probes is proposed. The Zeeman splitting of Landau levels is shown to create a particularly interesting situation around the Dirac point, where it gives rise to counter-circulating modes with opposite spin. These chiral spin modes lead to a rich variety of spin transport phenomena, including the spin Hall effect, spin filtering and injection, and electric detection of spin current. The estimated Zeeman spin gap, enhanced by exchange, of a few hundred Kelvin, makes graphene an attractive system for spintronics. Comparison to recent transport measurements near ν = 0 is presented.
No Evidence of an Association between Transient HIV Viremia (“Blips”) and Lower Adherence to the Antiretroviral Medication Regimen

Background. Transient human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viremia, a common phenomenon among patients taking antiretroviral therapy, is often attributed to lapses in adherence to the medication regimen. We investigated this relationship in a prospective observational cohort of 128 patients initiating a new regimen.Methods. A case of transient viremia was defined as an HIV RNA level of 40–1000 copies/mL (“blip”) sandwiched between 2 months of HIV RNA levels <40 copies/mL (“pre” and “post”). Adherence was most often measured with a composite adherence score (CAS), which is primarily based on electronically measured adherence. Case subjects' adherence and dose-timing was compared with (1) that of other patients (control subjects), who had undetectable virus loads for 3 consecutive months, and (2) that during periods of sustained undetectable virus loads among the case subjects themselves, if available.Results. Among the 28 case subjects, mean CAS-measured adherence did not decrease before transient viremia; adherence during the pre, blip, and post periods were 86%, 84%, and 80%, respectively. Control subjects had lower adherence levels during the corresponding 3 months (77%, 79%, and 75%, respectively; P = .046). Among the 19 patients able to serve as their own controls, CAS-measured adherence was higher during the period of transient viremia than during control periods (P = .01). Similar relationships were found when comparing only electronically measured adherence on a week-wise basis. There were no significant differences in dose-timing error between case subjects and control subjects.Conclusions. We found no evidence that transient HIV viremia is associated with decreases in adherence or differences in dose-timing. Other etiologies for transient viremia should be evaluated.
Education and Certification of Fellows: The Tyranny of Time

* Abbreviation: EPA — : entrustable professional activity Within this compendium of perspectives and expert consensus about the education of subspecialty fellows, we are told that “ Recent advances in medical education allow the question of required duration of training to be examined using the metric of the pediatrics milestones.…” The consensus also reinforces that “Training should remain at three years for now, but over time the Board could allow a shorter or longer period to demonstrate expertise in a particular subspecialty. ” 1 Here we have the setting for 2 fundamental, but potentially conflicting, metrics, time versus maturation, that can collide and put substantial strain on resources intended to educate and certify fellows. If time is used as the gating mechanism for the advancement of fellows, it stands to reason that there will be heterogeneity of skills, knowledge, and maturity upon completion of the requisite time. Alternatively, if maturation is used as the gating mechanism, then there will likely be heterogeneity in the time to completion. It is worth exploring some of the consequences of these options. To the extent that the milestones (such as the Denver Developmental Screening Test) and entrustable professional activities (EPAs; such as the driver’s road test) will provide a blueprint for assessing the maturation of a fellow, the potential benefit is a rigorous, reproducible, and logical method to recognize what competencies have been achieved throughout the course of education and clinical practice. In addition, this method should provide a means to track a fellow’s progress in real time, which would permit formative feedback and potential for midcourse adjustments and, even more importantly, for self-directed learning and development. This approach requires validation of the evaluation, establishment of confidence intervals, measurement of interrater agreement, certainty that the maturational schema is properly ordered, and assessment of ease of application. It is essential to recognize that … Address correspondence to George Lister, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208064, New Haven, CT 06520-8064. E-mail: george.lister{at}yale.edu
The business of universities and the role of department chair

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to analyze traditional duties of academic administrators in light of fundamental changes in the ways universities operate, increasing demands in teaching, research and costs management, and a looming shortage of qualified faculty, to determine need and opportunity for a better administrative design. Design/methodology/approach – Survey, interview and budget data are collected across a major public university. Findings – Across seven categories of chair duties, 71.3 percent of time demands, more than 3.5 of 5 days in a typical week, involve general managerial tasks that require no discipline‐specific academic credentials. Costs of performing these tasks, both in the way of lost productivity and extra pay, are compiled. Research limitations/implications – While the personal and institutional costs of placing senior faculty in managerial roles has been well‐discussed, prior research has not been directed toward quantifying those costs to suggest remedy. Practical implications – Delegating appropriate duties to committee and non‐academic staff could free senior faculty in leadership roles to remain fully active in teaching and research, the productive work of colleges they're highly trained and most needed to do. Originality/value – This paper builds foundations for restructuring academic leadership more in tune with current realities within higher education so senior faculty are not consumed with duties more efficiently done other ways.
Upregulation of small GTPase RhoA in the basilar artery from diabetic (mellitus) rats.

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine whether RhoA, a small GTPase, might be involved in the development of cerebral pathogenesis in diabetes. Male SD rats (n = 120) were divided into six groups: diabetic for 2, 4, 8 weeks, and an age-matched control group. Diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). RhoA mRNA expression in basilar artery was measured by competitive RT-PCR. RhoA mRNA level was significantly increased in 4 weeks (184.1 ± 28.5%, n = 7) and 8 weeks (218.7 ± 24.5%, n = 7) after STZ injection compared to the age matched control basilar arteries (P
ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE THE SYMPTOMS OF EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES BY IRRADIATION OF THE HYPOPHYSIS

According to the prevailing theory of diabetes mellitus, the disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism is due to an insufficiency of the endocrine secretion of the pancreas. That other factors may be involved has been suggested by: (1) the failure to find typical and constant lesions exclusively characteristic of the disease in many, if not most, fatal cases of diabetes (Anderson, Boyd, Joslin); (2) the observation that ninety per cent of the pancreas of experimental animals must be removed or destroyed before severe symptoms of diabetes are produced (Macleod); (3) that extracts of the pancreas in fatal cases have shown the presence of insulin in amounts that would (theoretically) assure life for several weeks (Epstein). These and other facts have suggested that other factors may play a role in the production of the disease. Hyper-function of the adrenal medulla has been considered by some workers as a causative factor, and Gordon cites numerous references indicating that irradiation of the adrenals has led ...
An N-player sequential stochastic game with identical payoffs

A sequential stochastic game among an arbitrary number of players in which all players' payoffs are identical is analyzed. The players are unaware that they are in a game and hence they have no knowledge of other players' strategies or the payoff structure. At each instant the players use a simple learning algorithm to update their mixed strategy choices based entirely on the response of a random environment. It is shown that the expected change in each player's payoff is nonnegative at every instant, so that the group improves its performance monotonically. This result appears to have important implications in decentralized decision-making in large complex systems.
Avoiding Toxicity From Water-Borne Contaminants in Hemodialysis: New Challenges in an Era of Increased Demand for Water

Water is necessary for all hemodialysis treatments. However, drinking water contains a range of substances that are toxic to patients on hemodialysis. Thus, all dialysis facilities are equipped with a water treatment system that removes those substances from the water before it is used to prepare dialysate. Increased demand for water and ever-evolving drinking water regulations are leading to changes in drinking water quality that may compromise the ability of typical dialysis water treatment systems to adequately remove substances that are known to be toxic or to deal with unexpected increases in other substances of unknown toxicity. In addition to these external challenges to dialysis water quality, the growing recognition that microbial contaminants in dialysate contribute to long-term morbidity has led to more stringent microbiological quality standards for dialysate and a consequent need to control biofilm formation in the fluid pathways involved in dialysate preparation. Avoiding toxicity from water contaminants in this dynamic environment requires a comprehensive approach to water treatment, including flexibility regarding the choice of water treatment processes, close communication with the suppliers of drinking water, and an emphasis on training technicians responsible for monitoring and maintaining all aspects of the fluid handling systems.
Accumulation and trace measurements of phenothiazine drugs at DNA-modified electrodes

Abstract The DNA-phenothiazine intercalative association is utilized for designing a highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for phenothiazine drugs. The DNA-modified carbon paste electrode permits convenient measurements of nanomolar concentrations of various phenothiazines following short accumulation times. The extent and rate of the accumulation depend upon the structure of the drug. The chronopotentiometric response is evaluated with respect to the preconcentration potential and time, concentration dependence, detection limits, reproducibility and other variables. Detection limits of 5 nM promethazine, 7 nM chlorpromazine and 12 nM phenothiazine are obtained after 10 min accumulation. Similar results are reported for DNA-coated microfabricated thick-film electrodes. The profound structural effect upon the response holds a great promise for using DNA-modified electrodes for studying drug-DNA interactions.
Hypoxia and CO alter O2 extraction but not peripheral diffusing capacity during maximal aerobic exercise.

To determine if and how hypoxia combined with elevated carboxyhaemoglobin fraction (F HbCO) affects peripheral diffusing capacity and O2 extraction in animals exercising at their maximal aerobic capacity ( $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2\hbox{max} } $$ ). Six goats ran on a treadmill at speeds eliciting $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2\hbox{max} } $$ while breathing inspired O2 fractions (F IO2) of 0.21 or 0.12 with F HbCO 0.02 or 0.30. We measured O2 consumption and arterial and mixed-venous blood variables to assess how hypoxia and elevated F HbCO individually, and in combination, alter O2 transport and utilisation. Peripheral diffusing capacity did not differ among the four gas combinations (P = 0.867), whereas O2 extraction fraction increased with hypoxia [0.920 ± 0.018 (SD)] and decreased with elevated F HbCO (0.792 ± 0.038) compared to control (0.897 ± 0.032). Oxygen extraction increases with hypoxia due to the sigmoid relationship between O2 saturation (SO2) and O2 partial pressures (PO2) affecting low (hypoxia) and high (normoxia) PO2 differently. Oxygen extraction decreases with elevated F HbCO because elevated F HbCO increases haemoglobin (Hb) affinity for O2 and raises SO2, especially at very low (mixed-venous) PO2. Pulmonary gas exchange was impaired only with combined hypoxia and elevated F HbCO due to hypoxia decreasing alveolar PO2 and O2 flux coupled with elevated F HbCO increasing Hb affinity for O2 and decreasing the rate of PO2 increase for a given rise in SO2. This study quantifies the mechanisms by which O2 delivery and peripheral diffusion interact to limit $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2\hbox{max} } $$ when O2 delivery is reduced due to breathing hypoxic gas with elevated F HbCO.
Some aspects of the dependence of solid-state structure on electron count

Abstract The method of moments is used to show how the structures of molecules and solids is sensitive to the number of valence electrons.
Meteorological modulation of the North Atlantic spring bloom

Abstract Using ocean time-series observations and remote chlorophyll estimates derived from SeaWiFS ocean-color observations, we examine and illustrate the relationships between changes in the intensity of the spring bloom and changes in weather patterns, mediated by upper-ocean mixing. A simplifed two-layer model provides the conceptual framework, predicting regional-regimes of differing biological response to vertical mixing anomalies in the ocean-surface boundary layer. The meteorological anomalies may be derived from re-analyzed meteorological data. We examine two regimes of regional and interannual sensitivity to meteorological forcing, defined by the ratio of the spring critical layer depth and the winter mixed layer depth, h c / h m . Regions of large h c / h m (subtropics) are characterized by an enhanced bloom in response to enhanced mixing, both across the region and from year to year. The subtropics exhibit consistent, interannual changes that are coordinated over large regions, and local interannual changes are comparable in magnitude to the regional variations in each bloom. In the low h c / h m regime (subpolar), regional variations reflect retardation of the bloom by enhanced mixing. Local interannual changes in the subpolar region, however, are small relative to the regional variations and do not show a clear and consistent response to interannual variability in the local meteorological forcing. We infer that other factors, including changes in insolation, local mesoscale variability, and grazing exert a stronger infuence on local interannual variability of the subpolar bloom. We discuss the implications of these relationships for the implications of decadal climate changes on biological productivity.
Scopoletin: Kinetic Nature of Isoperoxidase A3 Catalyzed Oxidation and Its Possible Relation to the Physiological Action of This Naturally-occurring Growth Effector

Isoperoxidase A3 from tobacco tissue culture, Nicotiana tabacam W-38, apparently does not have a subunit structure. Its molecular weight is approximately 54,000. The oxidation of scopoletin appears to occur in more than a single step since a blue intermediate is first formed. This is followed by the production of the final yellow product. A plausible explanation for this observation is the coupling of free radicals generated by the primary enzyme catalyzed reaction.
Designing the optimal convolution kernel for modeling the motion blur

Motion blur acts on an image like a two dimensional low pass filter, whose spatial frequency characteristic depends both on the trajectory of the relative motion between the scene and the camera and on the velocity vector variation along it. When motion during exposure is permitted, the conventional, static notions of both the image exposure and the scene-toimage mapping become unsuitable and must be revised to accommodate the image formation dynamics. This paper develops an exact image formation model for arbitrary object-camera relative motion with arbitrary velocity profiles. Moreover, for any motion the camera may operate in either continuous or flutter shutter exposure mode. Its result is a convolution kernel, which is optimally designed for both the given motion and sensor array geometry, and hence permits the most accurate computational undoing of the blurring effects for the given camera required in forensic and high security applications. The theory has been implemented and a few examples are shown in the paper.
Influence of oxytocin on diffusion of sulfonamides from plasma into bovine milk.

Abstract An attempt was made to characterize the lag period seen between the appearance of sulfonamides in plasma and milk after systemic administration. Experiments were devised to test the hypothesis that the major part of the lag period may be due to improper milk sampling techniques. One hundred milligrams per kilogram of sulfamethazine or sulfacetamide were given to four cows, as a single intravenous dose. Milk and plasma samples were taken simultaneously for a 36-hr period. Cows receiving sulfamethazine also received oxytocin before each milk sampling. One week later this experiment was repeated; however, oxytocin was used to withdraw milk in the sulfacetamide treated cows. A comparison of the oxytocin treated cows with the untreated cows showed that oxytocin treatment reduced the lag period seen between the appearance of peak concentrations in the plasma and milk. Milk-to-plasma ultrafiltrate ratios for both sulfamethazine and sulfacetamide were found to agree much closer with theoretically calculated ratios for passive diffusion when oxytocin was used to completely evacuate the gland at each sampling. However, a lag still remained between theoretical and actual milk-to-plasma ratios after oxytocin treatment. It was concluded that one intravenous dose with oxytocin could not be used as effectively as constant intravenous infusion techniques to study the mechanism of transport of organic acids into bovine milk.
Substitution of SO2 for CO in triruthenium carbonyl anions

Abstract The cluster [PPN]2[Ru3(CO)11](I) reacts with SO2 to give [PNN]2[Ru3(CO)9SO2] (II) and [PPN]2[Ru3(CO)7(SO2)3] (III). Both II and III were characterized by IR spectroscopy and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and [Et4N]2[Ru3(CO)9SO2] was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In both II and III, SO2 exhibits the μ3,η2 bonding mode, and III has two additional SO2 ligands bridging two metals through sulfur. The latter SO2 disposition is also indicated by spectroscopic studies for [Et4N][HRu3(CO)9(SO2)2], which was formed by the reaction of [Et4N][HRu3(CO)11] with SO2. Spectroscopic data indicate that the SO2 ligand in II is acetylated by CH3C(O)Cl. Crystallographic data for [Et4N]2[Ru3(CO)9SO2]: space group P2 1 /c, a = 19.937(4) A , b = 10.074(3) A , c = 20.010(3) A , β = 113.63(1)° .
Implicit calculations of transonic flows using monotone methods

Implicit approximate-factorization algorithms have been developed that use monotone methods for the calculation of steady and unsteady transonic flows governed by the small-disturbance-potential equation. These algorithms use the new Engquist-Osher switch in the type-dependent differencing in place of the standard Murman-Cole switch. The resulting algorithms are more stable; hence, calculations can be done more efficiently. For steady flows, the convergence rate is about 35% faster, and for unsteady flows the allowable time step is about 10 times larger. These improvements are achieved with no increase in computer storage and with only minor modifications in codes that use the Murman-Cole switch. Also an implicit algorithm has been developed for the steady full-potential equation in one-dimension, which uses monotone methods.
Molecular imaging of plaque vulnerability

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the development of novel imaging strategies focusing on the biology of the vessel wall for identification of vulnerable plaques. While the majority of these studies are still in the pre-clinical stage, few techniques (e.g., 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF PET imaging) have already been evaluated in clinical studies with promising results. Here, we will briefly review the pathobiology of atherosclerosis and discuss molecular imaging strategies that have been developed to target these events, with an emphasis on mechanisms that are associated with atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability.
Discophilie or Discomanie? The Cultural Politics of Living-Room Listening

This article examines the early debate over the impact of people listening to phonograph records on musical culture and French cultural health. The new private experience of listening to mechanised music made possible by phonograph technology, and the different ways in which this recorded music was used, radically challenged the traditional conceptions of public musical cultural praxis. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, French critics were forced to come to terms with the many changes in how music was being produced, promoted and consumed. As a result, they developed new procedures for evaluating popular music and new theories about the function, importance and paradoxical nature of modern popular culture.
Medical Necessity in Emergency Medical Services Transports

The purpose of this study was to generate national estimates of the prevalence of medically unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transports to emergency departments (EDs) over time and to identify characteristics that may be associated with medically unnecessary transports. A previously published algorithm was applied to operationalize medical necessity based on ED diagnosis to 10 years of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The trend over time was reported using descriptive statistics weighted to produce national estimates. Nationally, the proportion of EMS transports that were medically unnecessary increased from 13% to 17% over the 10-year study period. Individual demographic characteristics, including insurance status, were not predictive of inappropriate utilization. EMS transports for medically unnecessary complaints increased from 1997 to 2007. Our findings from a nationally representative sample highlight the opportunity for alternative patient delivery strategies for select patients seeking EMS services.
Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography in Melanoma

Fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been invaluable in the assessment of melanoma throughout the course of the disease. As with any modality, the studies are incomplete and more information will be gleaned as our experience progresses. Additionally, it is hoped that a newer PET agent in the pipeline will give us even greater success in the identification and subsequent treatment of melanoma. This article aims to examine the utilization of PET/CT in the staging, prognostication, and follow-up of melanoma while providing the physicians who order and interpret these studies practical guidelines and interpretive pitfalls.
Estimating progress of execution for SQL queries

Today's database systems provide little feedback to the user/DBA on how much of a SQL query's execution has been completed. For long running queries, such feedback can be very useful, for example, to help decide whether the query should be terminated or allowed to run to completion. Although the above requirement is easy to express, developing a robust indicator of progress for query execution is challenging. In this paper, we study the above problem and present techniques that can form the basis for effective progress estimation. The results of experimentally validating our techniques in Microsoft SQL Server are promising.
Alignment of sarcoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial junctions with mitochondrial contact points

Propagation of ryanodine receptor (RyR2)-derived Ca2+ signals to the mitochondrial matrix supports oxidative ATP production or facilitates mitochondrial apoptosis in cardiac muscle. Ca2+ transfer l...
Noise Radiation from Two Circular Cylinders in Tandem Arrangement Using High-Order Multidomain Spectral Difference Method

In order to develop a good understanding of noise sources generated by a landing gear, Large Eddy Simulations without a sub-grid scale model or coarse Direct Numerical Simulations of a turbulent flow over two circular cylinders in tandem arrangements have been carried out using a high-order multidomain unstructured spectral difference method. Two distinct nondimensional separation distances; L/D=3.7 and 1.435; are used in the simulations. The Mach number and Reynolds number used are M=0.1 and Re=2.0x10 3 based on the free stream condition and cylinder diameter for both cases. Some key features of the mean and fluctuating flow fields are obtained. The dominant shedding frequency in the wake of the tandem cylinders is in good agreement with experimental results.
Male genital mutilation: an adaptation to sexual conflict

Abstract Male genital mutilation (MGM) takes several forms and occurs in about 25% of societies. This behavior has puzzled anthropologists, doctors and theologians for centuries, and presents an evolutionary challenge since it involves dangerous and costly surgery. I suggest that MGM is likely to reduce insemination efficiency, reducing a man's capacity for extra-pair fertilizations by impairing sperm competition. MGM may therefore represent a hard-to-fake signal of a man's reduced ability to challenge the paternity of older men who are already married. Men who display this signal of sexual obedience may gain social benefits if married men are selected to offer social trust and investment preferentially to peers who are less threatening to their paternity. Clitoridectomy and vaginal infibulation serve a parallel signaling function in women, increasing a husband's paternity certainty and garnering his increased investment. Especially in societies where paternity uncertainty and reproductive conflict are high, the social benefits of MGM as a signal may outweigh its costs. This ‘sexual conflict' hypothesis predicts that MGM should be associated with polygyny, particularly when co-wives reside far apart, and that MGM should reduce the frequency of extramarital sex. MGM rituals should facilitate access to social benefits; they should be highly public, watched mainly by men, and performed by a nonrelative. I found support for these six predictions in two cross-cultural samples. I also examined an alternative hypothesis suggesting that MGM signals group commitment for collective action, particularly inter-societal warfare. Although other forms of male scarification fit this model, the distribution of MGM is not predicted by frequency of inter-societal warfare.
Boundary effects on electrophoretic motion of colloidal spheres

An analysis is presented for electrophoretic motion of a charged non-conducting sphere in the proximity of rigid boundaries. An important assumption is that κa → ∞, where a is the particle radius and κ is the Debye screening parameter. Three boundary configurations are considered: single flat wall, two parallel walls (slit), and a long circular tube. The boundary is assumed a perfect electrical insulator except when the applied field is directed perpendicular to a single wall, in which case the wall is assumed to have a uniform potential (perfect conductor). There are three basic effects causing the particle velocity to deviate from the value given by Smoluchowski's classic equation: first, a charge on the boundary causes electro-osmotic flow of the suspending fluid; secondly, the boundary alters the interaction between the particle and applied electric field; and, thirdly, the boundary enhances viscous retardation of the particle as it tries to move in response to the applied field. Using a method of reflections, we determine the particle velocity for a constant applied field in increasing powers of λ up to O(λ6), where λ is the ratio of particle radius to distance from the boundary. Ignoring the O(λ0) electro-osmotic effect, the first effect attributable to proximity of the boundary is O(λ3) for all boundary configurations, and in cases when the applied field is parallel to the boundaries the electrophoretic velocity is proportional to ζp − ζw, the difference in zeta potential between the particle and boundary.