cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
My Winding Road: From Microbiology to Toxicology and Environmental Health*

I would certainly never have predicted that I would become the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) when I was a Jewish girl growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey. My family stressed the importance of education. Yet for a girl there were many not-so-subtle suggestions that the appropriate careers were in teaching or nursing, and the most important thing was to be a wife and mother. Well, I can't disagree with the latter, although I would have to add grandmother to that list of achievements. My parents were both college graduates, but my mom only taught high school English for one year before leaving the field to start our family. My dad returned from World War II and joined his brother in accounting. After my first sister was born, my father joined my mother's family jewelry business and helped to open a second retail store. My mother helped my dad out during the busy times—Christmas and wedding season—but otherwise focused on ou...
Dynamic analysis of center-driven web winder controls

A comprehensive dynamic analysis of center-driven web winder controls is presented in this paper. First, the modeling and dynamic behavior of the winder systems are described. Then, different control strategies are analyzed and discussed. Simulation results are also presented to illustrate the dynamic behavior of different control strategies. Finally, considerations for selecting proper control strategies are suggested.
Anomalous Diffusion in Short-Pulse Laser Interactions With Random Media

This work applies fractal percolation theory to examine the impact of anomalous diffusion in short time-scale applications of random media. It is shown that there exist three regimes of heat transport corresponding to transport over the basic percolation unit (particle), the fractal cluster, and the homogeneous medium. Scaling is performed to determine the characteristic time scales of anomalous diffusion. The dependence of these time scales on both material properties and structure is examined to assess the impact of the anomalous diffusion regime on short time-scale energy transport. Additional criteria that determine the importance of anomalous diffusion relative to other transport phenomena and properties, such as radiation and thermal boundary resistance, are established.
Fibre surface modification XI. The covalent attachment of fungicides to lignocellulosic fibres

Pentachlorophenol was covalently bonded to a softwood kraft pulp by an s-triazine bridge formed from cyanuric chloride in a mild aqueous reaction system. The tensile properties of paper made from the polypentachlorophenoxy-s-triazinylated fibres containing 3.9% of combined fungicide were completely maintained for 49 days during fungal attack by Lenzites trabea. Protection is probably a result of the release of pentachlorophenol from the fibre triggered by the attacking fungus.
Two isoenzymes each of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in spinach leaves.

Abstract Isoenzymes of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6- P -gluconate dehydrogenase from a 70% ammonium sulfate precipitate of spinach leaf homogenate were separated by differential solubilization in a gradient of 70-0% ammonium sulfate and analyzed by disc gel electrophoresis. Isolated whole chloroplasts contained isoenzyme 1 of both glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase 1, whereas isoenzyme 2 of each was found in the soluble cytosol fraction. Both isoenzymes of each dehydrogenase were present in about equal amounts. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes 1 and 2 had pH optima of 9.2 and 9.0 and K m values of 400 and 330 μ m , respectively. Molecular weights for both isoenzyme of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were very similar at about 105,000 ± 10% as estimated by sedimentation velocity measurements. For 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase isoenzymes 1 and 2 the pH optima were 9.0 and 9.3, respectively, the K m values were 100 and 80 μ m , and the apparent molecular weights were also nearly identical at about 110,000 ± 10%. The data support the hypothesis that leaf cells have two oxidative pentose phosphate pathways, one in the chloroplast and the other in the cytosol.
On the (non-) relationship between SLR(1) and NQLALR(1) grammars

A popular but “not-quite” correct technique for computing LALR(1) look-ahead sets has been formalized by DeRemer and Pennello and dubbed NQLALR(l). They also claim that the class of SLR(l) grammars is a subset of the class of NQLALR(1) grammars. We prove here that no such relationship exists between those two classes. We do so with a counterexample that, ironically, appeared in DeRemer and Pennello's own paper.
The unitary group over the integers of a quaternion algebra

Abstract Let L be a lattice over the integers of a quaternion algebra with center K which is a B -adic field. Then the unitary group U ( L ) equals its own commutator subgroup Ω(L) and is generated by the unitary transvections and quasitransvections contained in it. Let g be a tableau, U ( g ), U + ( g ), Ω(g) , T ( g ) be the corresponding congruence subgroups of order g . Then U(g) U + (g) ≅ X i = 1 τ Z 2 , and Ω(g) = T(g) (the subgroup generated by the unitary transvections and quasitransvections with order ≤ g ). Let G be a subgroup of U ( L ) with o ( G ) = g , then G is normal in U ( L ) if and only if U ( g ) ⊇ G ⊇ T ( g ).
Laser eye injuries among U.S. military personnel

In this study reports of laser injuries in all three military services (Air Force, Army and Navy/Marine) are compared. In collecting data for this study laser injury reports provided by Rockwell Laser Industries (RLI), the United States Army Medical Research Detachment of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research which maintains the Laser Accident and Incident Registry (LAIR), the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), and the three service Safety Centers. We found a total of 29 laser injury reports that met our case definition. Since 1965, when the first injury occurred, there have been 6 Air Force, 15 Army, and 8 Navy/Marine injuries reported. Statistical analysis of data analyzed thus far shows no difference between the services in 8-year risk groupings between 1965-2002.
Washington's Response to the AIDS Epidemic: The Ryan White CARE Act

Passage of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990 followed a form familiar to students of policymaking in the American intergovernmental system: the provision of significant federal financing for policy initiatives located primarily at the state and local levels. The successes and failures of the Act, including its 1996 reauthorization, suggest both the strengths and the limitations of that design. This paper examines the structure of the Act as a vehicle for the federal government to fund AIDS service delivery at the state and local levels and the intergovernmental consequences of allocation policies associated with the Act. It concludes that perennial problems of equity and access cannot be resolved by the delegation of responsibility for significant policy or funding decisions to localities; rather, questions about the role of the federal government in overcoming intralocal and interlocal disparities remain to be addressed.
A Psychometric Evaluation of an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Clinical Competency Framework

Objective. To assess the psychometric properties of the clinical competency framework known as the System of Universal Clinical Competency Evaluation in the Sunshine State (SUCCESS), including its internal consistency and content, construct, and criterion validity.Methods. Sub-competency items within each hypothesized competency pair were subjected to principal components factor analysis to demonstrate convergent and discriminant validity. Varimax rotation was conducted for each competency pair (eg, competency 1 vs competency 2, competency 1 vs competency 3, competency 2 vs competency 3). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach alpha.Results. Of the initial 78 pairings, 44 (56%) demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Five pairs of competencies were unidimensional. Of the 34 pairs where at least 1 competency was multidimensional, most (91%) were from competencies 7, 11, and 12, indicating modifications were warranted in those competencies. After reconfiguring the competencies, 76 (94%...
Major trauma enhances store-operated calcium influx in human neutrophils.

Purpose: Chemotaxins from inflammatory sites prime or activate neutrophils (PMN) by using cytosolic calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) fluxes as second messengers. [Ca 2+ ] i can be mobilized rapidly by receptor-mediated entry or store-release, or more slowly by store-operated calcium influx (SOCI). We studied [Ca 2+ ] i mobilization by chemotaxins and how trauma impacts the calcium entry mechanisms used by chemotaxins. Methods: [Ca 2+ ] i flux was studied by spectrofluorometry. The contributions of early and late [Ca 2+ ] i currents to net calcium flux were compared after stimulation by more potent (fMLP, C5a, PAF) or less potent (IL-8, GRO-a, and LTB4) agonists. Store operated [Ca 2+ ] i mobilization was reflected by the ratio of area under the [Ca 2+ ] i efflux curve to peak [Ca 2+ ] i (efflux curve). PMN from trauma patients (ISS > 25) and pair-matched volunteer (n = 7 pairs) were then primed and stimulated with thapsigargin to compare cell calcium stores and SOCI. Results: Late [Ca 2+ ] i mobilization made more important contributions to fMLP, PAF, and C5a signals than to IL-8, GRO-a, or LTB4 (p < 0.01 all comparisons). Calcium stores and store release were only marginally lower after injury (p = not significant), but trauma PMN showed far higher [Ca 2+ ] i influx after thapsigargin (p = 0.007), and greater net SOCI (p = 0.034). Conclusions: SOCI may play an important role in PMN activation, and trauma increases PMN SOCI. Prolonged elevations of [Ca 2+ ] i due to enhanced SOCI may alter stimulus-response coupling to chemotaxins and contribute to PMN dysfunction after injury.
Resonant interaction of hydromagnetic waves with charged particles

The effect of the resonant interaction of a distribution of hydromagnetic waves on a distribution of particles is described by a diffusion equation in momentum space. The diffusion coefficients and other coefficients describing systematic acceleration and diffusion in energy space are derived in general and for a number of particular cases. It is shown that the resonant acceleration of slow ions by hydromagnetic waves is ineffective. The time evolution of the energy spectrum for ultrarelativistic particles due to interaction with hydromagnetic waves is found and applied to the case of the Crab Nebula in an accompanying article.
The Angle-Geometry of Spacetime and Classical Charged Particle Motion

The five-dimensional angle metric of spacetime is defined, and its connection with the conformal (angle-preserving) group C of transformations of spacetime explained. This is an application to physics of the "sphere geometry" developed in the last century by Liouville, F. Klein, Mobius et al. The extra degree of freedom λ plays several observable roles in solutions of the field equations of the theory (which are uniquely fixed by C-invariance and gauge-invariance under the assumed internal symmetries). In the solution for a gauge boson with arbitrarily moving point source, λ appears as a microscopic "parameter" which enforces a nonzero minimum time lag in causal signal propagation. We show how this enables a nonsingular self-interaction to be defined in classical particle motion having the correct properties. There is the correct radiation-reaction term, but unphysical features of the four-dimensional theory: third order motion equations, runaway solutions, infinite "electromagnetic" mass, etc. are avoided. In free field wave function solutions λ is seen to be conjugate to mass (just as r is to p and t is to E) and provides a mass operator.
Vascular Smooth Muscle αvβ3 Integrin Mediates Arteriolar Vasodilation in Response to RGD Peptides

Arteriolar vasodilation and the resultant increase in blood flow are characteristic vascular responses to tissue injury. The dilatory mediators signaling these responses are incompletely understood. We show that integrin-binding peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) tripeptide sequence cause immediate and, in some instances, sustained vasodilation when applied to isolated rat cremaster arterioles. The vasodilation is dependent on interaction of the soluble RGD sequence with the α v β 3 integrin expressed by smooth muscle cells in the arteriolar wall. Possible in vivo sources of soluble RGD sequences are fragments of extracellular matrix proteins that are generated after tissue injury. Indeed, protease-generated fragments of denatured collagen type I (a major source of RGD sequences) also cause cremaster arteriolar vasodilation through the α v β 3 integrin. Thus, extracellular matrix protein fragments containing the RGD sequence may act as vascular wound recognition signals to regulate blood flow to injured tissue.
“The mosque and the satellite”: Media and adolescence in a Moroccan town

The exposure of young people in a semirural Moroccan town to a variety of Western, Middle Eastern, and locally produced media increased rapidly during the 1980s, a period of rapid social change. Media images included economic affluence, relatively free sexual behavior, and nontraditional social roles for females. Data collected mainly in 1982 reveal relationships between media exposure and adolescents' use of media images in their social behavior, choice of mate, and career aspirations. Male adolescents were exposed to more Western media and were able to develop a more individual taste, but both sexes appeared eager to reconcile traditional Islamic and contemporary media-relayed values.
Auditors' Judgment Errors When Working on Multiple Tasks and in Multiple Client Environments: A Research Summary and Practice Implications

SUMMARY : The pervasive reality for auditors is that they often are simultaneously working on multiple tasks and even multiple clients in the same work sessions. Research reveals that an important consequence of these task conditions is that auditors may make certain types of information processing and memory-related errors. We provide a summary of the results and practice implications associated with three research studies that have examined auditors' judgment errors when working on multiple tasks and in multiple client environments.
Improved Alternating-Direction Implicit Method for Solving Transient Three-Dimensional Heat Diffusion Problems

The conventional three-dimensional alternating-direction implicit (ADI) method is modified by introducing an f factor (0 < f < 1). This modification allows the time step limit to be increased by a factor of 1/f with the solutions remaining stable and high accuracy being retained. This new method is tested for two different boundary conditions: a constant heat flux and a sudden heating of the surface to a constant temperature. In addition, it is compared with the popular Brian and Douglas methods, the results showing that the new ADI method has higher accuracy and requires less computer storage than those methods.
Demonstration of multi-channel hitless defragmentation with fast auto-tracking coherent RX LOs

This paper demonstrates simultaneous defragmentation of two channels without causing errors (BER <; 10-11) on other connections lying in the middle. The technique exploits fast tunable lasers and burst-mode coherent receivers with fast wavelength auto-tracking.
Water Relations of Differentially Irrigated Cotton Exposed to Ozone

This field study was conducted to test the hypothesis that plants chronically exposed to O may be more susceptible to drought kcause OM typically inhibits root growth and increases shoot-root ratios in plants. Cotton (cv. Acala SJ-2) was grown in open-top chambers on Hanford coarse sandy loam (coarseloamy, mixed, non-acid, thermic, Typic Xerorthents) in Riverside, CA. Plants were grown under three irrigation regimes: optimum water for lint production (OW), suboptimum or moderate drought stress (SO), and severely drought stressed (SS) and were exposed to seasonal 12 h (0800–2000) O concentrations of 0.015, 0.074, 0.094, or 0.111 μL L. Leaf xylem pressure potentials (Ψ) and soil water content (Ψ) were measured weekly from June to October. Mean seasonal Ψ increased from −1.89 MPa to −1.72 MPa in low to high O treatments, averaged across soil water regimes. Ozone had no effect on seasonal water use of cotton, but water use efficiency was significantly reduced by O in OW and SO, but noit in SS treatments. Drought-stressed plants extracted proportionally greater amounts of water from deeper in the soil profile than OW cotton, and O had no apparent effect on this redistribution of roots in the soil. Since O had no apparent effect on the ability of droughtstressed cotton to maintain Ψ and to increase root growth relative to shoot growth, this suggests that O may have little or no effect: on the potential of cotton to adapt to or tolerate drought.
Validity and reliability of a one‐minute half sit‐up test of abdominal strength and endurance

Abdominal muscle strength and endurance are widely assessed by means of a timed 1‐minute full sit‐up test, despite the more accepted use of half sit‐ups as a muscular strength and endurance exercise. In the present study, the validity and reliability of a 1‐minute half sit‐up protocol was investigated. A total of 142 different subjects participated in one of four studies designed to assess test‐retest reliability, interapparatus reliability, intertester reliability, and validity. Findings included very high test‐retest reliability (r = 0.98), moderately high interapparatus reliability (r = 0.71), and high intertester reliability (r = 0.76). The correlation of the half sit‐up test with the full sit‐up test of the National YMCA was 0.67 and the correlation with isometric abdominal strength was 0.38. The proposed half sit‐up test was found to be reliable and is proposed as an alternative method of evaluating abdominal strength and endurance.
An in vivo model of epithelial to mesenchymal transition reveals a mitogenic switch

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which differentiated epithelial cells transition to a mesenchymal phenotype. EMT enables the escape of epithelial cells from the rigid structural constraints of the tissue architecture to a phenotype more amenable to cell migration and, therefore, invasion and metastasis. We characterized an in vivo model of EMT and discovered that marked changes in mitogenic signaling occurred during this process. DNA microarray analysis revealed that the expression of a number of genes varied significantly between post-EMT and pre-EMT breast cancer cells. Post-EMT cancer cells upregulated mRNA encoding c-Met and the PDGF and LPA receptors, and acquired increased responsiveness to HGF, PDGF, and LPA. This rendered the post-EMT cells responsive to the growth inhibitory effects of HGF, PDGF, and LPA receptor inhibitors/antagonists. Furthermore, post-EMT cells exhibited decreased basal Raf and Erk phosphorylation, and in comparison to pre-EMT cells, their proliferation was poorly inhibited by a MEK inhibitor. These studies suggest that therapies need to be designed to target both pre-EMT and post-EMT cancer cells and that signaling changes in post-EMT cells may allow them to take advantage of paracrine signaling from the stroma in vivo.
Transesophageal echocardiographic diagnosis of right to left shunting across the foramen ovale in adults without prior stroke

Abstract Objectives . The purpose of the study was to estimate the prevalence of potential right to left interatrial shunting and to quantify the morphologic characteristics of the fossa ovalis in adults without a prior history of stroke or systemic embolism. Background . Paradoxic embolization through a patent foramen ovale is an important cardiac mechanism for embolic stroke. Although anatomic and physiologic data obtained by transesophageal echocardiography increase the frequency of demonstration of potential cardiac sources of systemic embolism and occasionally can conclusively demonstrate the mechanism for embolic stroke, the prevalence and prognostic implications of these findings in neurotogically healthy persons are still being actively investigated. Methods . Intraoperative transesophageal saline contrast echocardiography was performed on 50 adult patients without prior history of stroke or systemic embolism who were undergoing elective cardiovascular surgery. Results . No patient had a manifest atrial septal defect by right heart oximetric measurements or transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic examination. Eleven of the 50 patients demonstrated right to left atrial passage of saline contrast medium during apnea or alter release of 20-cm H 2 O positive airway pressure, signifying patency of the foramen ovale. These 11 patients with a patent foramen ovate had increased total excursion of the flap valve (septum primum) of the fossa ovalis (1.3 ±0.7 cm) compared with findings in the 39 patients without a patent foramen ovate (0.3± 0.5 cm, p Conclusions . Hypermobility of the septum primum and enlargement of the fossa ovalis are morphologic findings that occur in the presence of a patent foramen ovale.
Dopamine D2 and D3 receptors in the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens: Use of 7-OH-DPAT and [125I]-iodosulpride

A novel dopamine receptor mRNA transcript has been identified and classified as the D3 receptor subtype. We have examined the binding of the D2/D3-selective compound [125I]-Iodosulpride using unlabeled D3-selective 7-OH-DPAT to determine the distribution of D2 and D3 dopamine receptor subtypes in the rat basal forebrain. Use of [125I]-labeled ligands has significant advantages over [3H]-labeled compounds for autoradiographic studies, especially for evaluating small brain areas containing low receptor densities. [125I]-Iodosulpride identified two sites with high affinity (< 1 nM) in the presence of (-)sulpiride (1 microM; D2+3) or 7-OH-DPAT (10 nM; D3), with a greater density of D2 receptors (twofold) compared to D3 receptors in the striatum. The density of D2 and D3 receptor subtypes displayed a 1:1 ratio in the nucleus accumbens. [125I]-Iodosulpride with 7-OH-DPAT displayed D2 sites, predominately in the striatum. Digital subtraction autoradiography showed the highest levels of D3 binding in the islands of Calleja as well as in the core and shell regions of the nucleus accumbens. In sum, the advantages in using [125I]-Iodosulpride to label the dopamine receptor subtypes are high specific activity, affinity, and lack of quenching in autoradiographic analyses. Moreover, masking D3 receptors with 7-OH-DPAT permitted indirect determination of D3 receptor density and localization using the [125I]-labeled ligand, without the potential confound of 7-OH-DPAT binding to sigma receptors. The colocalization of the D2 dopamine receptors with D3 receptors suggests that unique interactions may exist between the receptor subtypes in the rat basal forebrain region.
Combined antegrade-retrograde intervention to improve chronic total occlusion recanalization in high-risk critical limb ischemia

Background When conventional antegrade attempts (antegrade approach) to cross chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions in critical limb ischemia (CLI) fail, and if surgical revascularization is not possible, limb outcomes may be expected to be poor. In this high-risk cohort, we sought to examine whether combined antegrade–retrograde intervention with the simultaneous use of a distal retrograde access (combined approach) improves recanalization success. Methods From September 2011 to 2012, infrainguinal endovascular interventions were first attempted using antegrade approach in 27 consecutive patients (28 limbs) with CLI and infrainguinal CTO. All patients were poor surgical candidates. In the 11 limbs where antegrade approach failed, the combined approach was attempted. The primary end point was successful CTO lesion crossing. The secondary end points were technical success with ≤30% diameter residual stenosis of the target lesion, major amputation (transtibial or above), wound healing, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and access site complications that include hematoma requiring exploration or transfusion, arteriovenous fistula, or pseudoaneurysm. Results Of the 11 limbs that underwent combined approach, the primary end point was achieved in 9 limbs (82%). More notably, among the 28 limbs overall, CTO lesion crossing improved from 61% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41–0.78) using antegrade approach alone to 93% (95% CI: 0.75–0.99) when supplemented by the combined approach. Similarly, the secondary end point of technical success improved from 50% (95% CI: 0.31–0.69) to 79% (95% CI: 0.59–0.91), respectively. Major amputation, wound healing (inclusive of postamputation status), and TLR rates were 9%, 100%, and 18%, respectively, during a median follow-up of approximately 4 months. No major procedural complications occurred with the combined approach. Conclusion Among CLI patients who are poor surgical candidates, the combined approach is a viable, safe, and effective strategy to improve overall success with endovascular therapies.
Malondialdehyde‐containing proteins and their relationship to vitamin E

A high molecular weight (Sephadex G-15 void volume), water-soluble, fluorescent material that was found to increase significantly in the mouse liver in response to vitamin E deficiency was separated into six proteins by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a TSK G2000 SW column. One of these proteins increased significantly in concentration due to vitamin E deficiency and had a molecular weight of 20,000 daltons. This protein was found to contain malondialdehyde, an end product of lipid peroxidation, attached to it presumably in a Schiff-base type structure with amino groups. This appears to be the first report in the literature of direct evidence that malondialdehyde is attached to protein in vivo.
Actin polymerization enhances Pasteurella haemolytica leukotoxicity.

Abstract Pasteurella haemolytica leukotoxin is cytotoxic to bovine leukocytes, causing increased cell membrane permeability, osmotic swelling, release of cytosolic proteins and cell lysis. These studies were designed to test if leukotoxin causes release of the cytoskeletal protein, actin, from bovine leukemia cells and if purified actin-influenced bacterial growth or leukotoxin production. Culture supernatants caused a 7-fold decrease in viability of bovine leukemia cells and increased cell permeability that was accompanied by release of β-actin into the cell culture supernatant. Exposing P. haemolytica to purified actin solutions induced the conversion of monomeric G-actin to polymerized F-actin. This conversion was partially inhibited by bovine P. haemolytica immune, but not pre-immune, serum. Loss of streptomycin resistance following treatment of the organism with acridine orange ablated the polymerizing activity. Incubation of P. haemolytica in the presence of purified F-actin did not affect growth but resulted in culture supernatant that had 3.0–3.9-fold greater leukotoxicity compared to medium alone or medium containing G-actin, heat-denatured actin or albumin. The effect of actin on leukotoxicity was concentration-dependent and directly associated with increases in secreted leukotoxin. The interaction between P. haemolytica and actin is potentially detrimental to the host by inducing polymerization of actin into insoluble filaments and by enhancing leukotoxicity.
Reproductive capacity of dairy bulls. IX. Changes in reproductive organ weights and semen characteristics of Holstein bulls during the first thirty weeks after puberty.

Abstract Data were from 25 Holstein bulls killed either at 34 weeks of age, at puberty or at 10, 20 or 30 weeks after puberty. Puberty (50×10 6 sperm/ejaculate, 10% motile sperm) was attained at 41±4 weeks of age; postpuberal increases in ejaculate volume, total sperm per ejaculate, testis and epididymis weights, and the number of spermatids per gram of testicular parenchyma were rapid for the next 20 weeks. Except for ejaculate volume, sperm content of the ejaculate and sum of spermatids per testis, the rates of change for all characteristics diminished between 20 and 30 weeks after puberty. Nevertheless, the development toward adult reproductive capacity was adequately described by linear regression equations. Correlations between organ weights and postpuberal age were not significantly greater than those with postnatal age.
On the Application of the Lu-Gre Model to Simulate Joint Friction in Multi-Body Systems

Advances in the application of multi-body simulation technology to real world problems have led to an ever increasing demand for higher fidelity modeling techniques. Of these, accurate modeling of friction is of strategic interest in applications such as control system design, automotive suspension analysis, robotics etc. Joints (sometimes referred to as constraints) play an important role in defining the dynamics of a multi-body system. Hence, it is imperative to accurately account for friction forces arising at these joints due to the underlying interface dynamics. In this paper, we discuss the application of LuGre, a dynamic friction model to simulate joint friction. We choose the LuGre model due to its ability to capture important effects such as the Stribeck effect and the Dahl effect. The native 1-d LuGre model is extended to formulate friction computations for non-trivial joint geometries and dynamics in 2 and 3 dimensions. It is also extended to work in the quasi-static regime. Specific applications to revolute, cylindrical and spherical joints in multi-body systems are discussed. Finally, an engineering case study on the effects of joint friction in automotive suspension analysis is presented.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Contribution of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery to cochlear blood flow in guinea pig: a model-based analysis.

This study was performed to determine the contribution of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) to cochlear blood flow (CBF) in guinea pig. The AICA and the basilar-vertebral arterial complex in twelve animals was exposed through the basal portion of the skull. The cochlea was ventrally approached and the CBF of the apical area monitored with laser Doppler flowmetry. A specially designed microclamp was held in a micromanipulator and used to obstruct the AICA. When the AICA was clamped, CBF decreased to approximately 60% of baseline (BL) (not to ‘biological zero’), followed by a gradual increase. When the clamp was released, CBF quickly increased to more than 160% BL and then slowly declined to baseline. To quantify the contribution of AICA to CBF, we formulated an electrical analog model of the cochlear vessel system. With this model, AICA contribution to CBF and the relationship among blood pressure, blood flow, and vascular resistance or vascular conductance in the cochlea can be explored. Results in the present study indicate that the AICA contributes only about 45% of CBF to the cochlea; 55% of CBF must come from other supplying vessels. Contrary to previous reports, CBF response to AICA clamping did not exhibit a stable or constant decrease but showed time-dependent dynamic changes. In addition, the cochlear vascular system showed a marked autoregulatory response, instead of a passive response, to the perfusion pressure change. AICA clamping is, therefore, not a suitable model for investigation of ischemia effects in the guinea pig cochlea, but it is a useful approach to study autoregulation and the myogenic mechanism of the cochlear vascular system.
Metabolites of three structural isomers of butylbenzene in the bile of rainbow trout.

In an ongoing study of the fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in fish, the authors have examined the petroleum derived metabolites which concentrate in the gall bladder bile of cunners, and rainbow trout. The metabolites obtained from the bile of rainbow trout exposed to a petroleum oil have been analyzed by GLC-MS, and several two- and three-ring aromatic alcohols were identified after hydrolysis with {beta}-glucuronidase. Another approach toward the elucidation of the structure of metabolites derived from No. 2 fuel oil relied on chemical synthesis. In another series of experiments, they investigated the type of metabolites obtained in the bile of trout exposed to three n-alkylbenzenes. Exposure of fish to a mixture containing equal amounts of these three n-alkylbenzenes showed their presence in the bile, in a ratio of 1:3:4, for n-butylbenzene, n-hexylbenzene and n-octylbenzene metabolites, respectively. The present exposure was undertaken to determine if, given aromatic hydrocarbons of same molecular weight and ring structure, a relationship could be found between the type of alkyl side chain and metabolites formed; and the influence of the amount of hydrocarbon administered during an exposure on the type of glucuronides formed. Three structural isomers of butylbenzene were chosen for the present experiment: n-butylbenzene, sec-butylbenzenemore » and tert-butylbenzene.« less
Lithography and Chemical Modeling of Acid Amplifiers for Use in EUV Photoresists

We postulate that the best way to simultaneously improve resolution, line edge roughness (LER), and sensitivity all in EUV resists is to increase the number of acid molecules generated per absorbed photon. In previous work, we showed that acid amplifiers (AAs) decompose auto-catalytically to effectively increase the amount of acid generated from each EUV photon.In this paper, we show that AAs can simultaneously give better sensitivity and lower LER to improve Z-Parameter up to 3X compared to resists without AA. Acid amplifiers must be thermally stable to prevent the creation of acid in unexposed regions of the resist film. We use thermally-programmed spectroscopic ellipsometry to measure the decomposition of AAs in resist films and to identify structural features that influence the stability of AAs.We also present the construction and utilization of a mathematical model that describes acid diffusion and acid amplifier decomposition in resist films. Using this model, we explored how the acid gradient between exposed and unexposed regions of a resist film is altered as a function of several variables; resist quantum yield, acid and base diffusion, AA and base loading, and AA decomposition kinetics. Out of the variables that were investigated, the model results are in general agreement with experimental results and demonstrate the potential for AAs to simultaneously improve resolution, LER and sensitivity.
Noninvasive diagnosis of persistent fetal circulation versus congenital cardiovascular defects

Congenital cardiovascular anomalies associated with right-left atrial or ductal shunts must be excluded before a diagnosis of persistent fetal circulation (PFC) can be made. Despite the advent of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo), this differentiation can be difficult and may require cardiac catheterization with selective angiography. Fifteen consecutive cases were analyzed in which difficulty was encountered with this differential diagnosis, and experience with the use of cardiac auscultation, the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), arterial blood gas determinations and 2-D echo, both alone and with injection of venous contrast material, is reviewed. Electrocardiographic abnormalities of ventricular axis, hypertrophy or dominance (p = 0.002) and suspicion of cardiovascular disease on 2-D echo (p = 0.011) were the most useful findings in differentiating patients with PFC from those with congenital cardiovascular abnormalities. The ECG was the most sensitive test (100% sensitivity, 90% specificity), while 2-D echo was the most specific (100% specificity, 75% sensitivity). Evidence of right-left shunting at atrial or ductal levels or both did not differentiate between the groups; both groups had evidence of such shunts. A decision tree was developed to facilitate this differential diagnosis, which uses the ECG and 2-D echo. If the ECG reveals no abnormalities of ventricular axis, dominance or hypertrophy, the 2-D echo shows no structural abnormalities, and total anomalous pulmonary venous return and coarctation/interruption of the aorta are specifically excluded, a congenital cardiovascular anomaly is effectively eliminated. We suggest that this approach can optimize the management of the cyanotic newborn with suspected PFC by eliminating the risks of cardiac catheterization and angiography without missing the diagnosis of a major structural cardiovascular anomaly.
Locally Greater Vulnerability to Background Risk

Willingness to take on risk is influenced by the presence of fair and unfair background risks for decision makers who are risk vulnerable as defined by Gollier and Pratt [1996], for these decision makers are more risk averse when they possess such an uninsurable background risk. We present an alternative derivation of the index of local vulnerability based on Diamond and Stiglitz [1974] compensated increases in risk, such that risk aversion increases with the introduction of any small fair background risk if and only if the index of local vulnerability is positive. We establish that the increase in risk aversion is greater for those who are more vulnerable as measured by the index of local vulnerability.
Dependence on electron transport chain function and intracellular signaling of genomic responses in SH-SY5Y cells to the mitochondrial neurotoxin MPP+

Abstract SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells exposed to the complex I inhibitor/parkinsonian neurotoxin methylpyridinium ion (MPP+) activate both survival and death-promoting signaling pathways and undergo MEK/ERK-dependent, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-dependent, and c-Jun kinase-dependent cell death. Because genomic responses to MPP+ are not extensively characterized, we used nylon cDNA arrays to measure gene expression following exposure to an apoptosis-producing [MPP+]. Many changes occurred within 5 min, and all gene expression changes appeared before biochemical and morphological markers of apoptosis. The majority of gene expression changes in SY5Y were not found in ρ0 cells, indicating dependence of these changes on intact electron transport activity. ρ0 cells exposed to MPP+ produced different expression profiles, indicating the potential for responses independent of complex I inhibition. MPP+-induced gene expression patterns in normal SY5Y cells were sensitive to inhibitors of MEK/ERK (UO 126) or phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (LY 294002), demonstrating regulation of gene expression by these survival-promoting signaling pathways. The primary signaling molecules mediating these MPP+-induced gene expression changes are unknown but ultimately utilize MEK/ERK and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase signaling. Genes suppressed by UO 126 or LY 294002 during MPP+ exposure may mediate cell survival; those expressed in the presence of UO 126 or LY 294002 may mediate cell death in this in vitro model of Parkinson’s disease.
Abstract 5407: The novel roles of BRCA1/ATM-associated BRAT1 in glucose/mitochondrial metabolism and tumor cell growth.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC BRAT1 (BRCA1-associated ATM activator) was identified as a novel DNA-damage response protein. It physically interacts with both BRCA1 and ATM, and is required for ATM-activation under conditions of cell stress. We have recently discovered that it also binds to DNA-PKs, implicating the broad role of BRAT1 in DNA repair as well as in DNA damage response. By taking advantage of BRAT1 knockdown HeLa and U2OS cells, we found that loss of BRAT1 expression significantly decreased cell proliferation and tumorigenecity both in vitro and in vivo. Cell motility is remarkably lowered when BRAT1 is depleted. These results demonstrate novel function of BRAT1 in cell proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis of cancer cells. Interestingly, glucose uptake and production of mitochondrial ROS (reactive oxygen species) are highly increased in BRAT1 knockdown. These findings suggest novel functions of BRAT1 in regulating glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function. Functional interaction of BRCA1/ATM pathway and glucose/mitochondria metabolism are discussed. Citation Format: Eui Young So, Toru Ouchi. The novel roles of BRCA1/ATM-associated BRAT1 in glucose/mitochondrial metabolism and tumor cell growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5407. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5407
EFFECT OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIN ON ADRENAL PROTEIN SYNTHESIS.

Administration of ACTH results in an increased capacity for incorporation of C14-glycine into protein in cell-free preparations of rat adrenals containing microsomes, soluble cell fraction, and an exogenous ATP source. This stimulatory action of ACTH has been found to be due primarily to effects occurring in the soluble cell fraction. The effect of ACTH on adrenal protein synthesis in the rat has been further localized within the soluble cell fraction. Following ACTH administration, changes occur in the soluble cell fraction whereby the transfer of amino acid from amino acyl -S-RNA to protein is enhanced. This enhancement does not appear to be due to increased availability of ATP or GTP.
Neurotoxicity of bortezomib therapy in multiple myeloma: a single-center experience and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND. Bortezomib is active in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients; the dose-limiting toxicity is peripheral neuropathy (PN). METHODS. The authors retrospectively reviewed the incidence, severity, and risk factors for PN in 78 patients who received bortezomib. The median age was 57 years (range, 33–80 years), 62% of patients were men, and 37% of patients were African Americans. Seventeen patients (22%) had diabetes mellitus (DM), and 66 patients (85%) had received thalidomide. Before bortezomib treatment, 37% of the patients reported subjective, grade 1 or 2 PN. Patients received bortezomib alone (n = 10 patients) plus dexamethasone (n = 36 patients) and thalidomide (n = 20 patients) or chemotherapy (n = 12 patients). PN affected 52% of patients, including grade 3 and 4 PN in 15% and 7%, respectively. RESULTS. Twelve patients stopped bortezomib because of side effects that included PN (n = 9 patients), diarrhea (n = 2 patients) and cytomegalovirus pneumonia (n = 1 patient); 11 patients had dose reductions because of PN. Grade 4 PN affected 6 patients (sensory, n = 4 patients; motor/sensory, n = 2 patients). The onset of grade 4 PN was sudden rather than cumulative. Factors that were predictive of PN grade were baseline PN (P = .002), prior thalidomide use (P = .03), and the presence of DM (P = .03). Multiple myeloma responses included complete, near complete, and partial responses in 5% of patients, 10% of patients, and 27% of patients, respectively. Responses were independent of PN and of whether bortezomib was combined with chemotherapy or thalidomide. Patients remained on therapy longer for a median of 5 cycles (range, 2–36 cycles) when they received bortezomib plus thalidomide versus 3 cycles (range, 1–19 cycles) for the other combinations. PN therapy was mostly supportive. It was noteworthy that 6 of 9 patients with PN who received lenalidomide as salvage therapy after bortezomib had significant improvement in their symptoms. CONCLUSIONS. The risk of bortezomib-related PN was greater in patients who had PN and DM at baseline. The authors concluded that an unexpected, symptomatic improvement of PN on lenalidomide is worth further investigation. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Phased mirror tracing outcomes correlate with several hemisphericity measures

Abstract Recently, subjects, separated into two large groups by the Dichotic Deafness Test (DDT), a new brain laterality measure. These were significantly correlated with groups separated by two preference-based hemisphericity-type questionnaires, the Preference Questionnaire (PrefQ) and Polarity Questionnaire (PolQ). Here, Mirror-Tracing, another potential biophysical measure of hemisphericity earlier reported to be weakly correlated with laterality, was tested using 171 subjects, the DDT, and both questionnaires. No correlations between the DDT, PrefQ, and PolQ separation methods and Mirror Tracing outcomes were found until individuals identified as having left brain affect were removed from the population. Then, robust correlations appeared for the remaining right-affect subjects alone (n=82). These correlations became even higher when the left brain affect subjects that had been removed (n=89) were “phase corrected” from a contralateral to an ipsilateral connectivity for motor dominance and then returned to the sample (n=171). These Phased Mirror-Tracing (PMT) outcomes were also significantly correlated with 10 of the 11 statements of the PolQ. Thus, PMT joins the DDT as a second performance-based measure of laterality whose outcomes significantly correlated with those of preference-based hemisphericity questionnaires.
High time-resolved measurements of organic air toxics in different source regimes

Abstract High time-resolved (HTR) measurements can provide significant insight into sources and exposures of air pollution. In this study, an automated instrument was developed and deployed to measure hourly concentrations of 18 gas-phase organic air toxics and 6 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at three sites in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The sites represent different source regimes: a site with substantial mobile-source emissions; a residential site adjacent to a heavily industrialized zone; and an urban background site. Despite the close proximity of the sites (less than 13 km apart), the temporal characteristic of outdoor concentrations varied widely. Most of the compounds measured were characterized by short periods of elevated concentrations or plume events, but the duration, magnitude and composition of these events varied from site to site. The HTR data underscored the strong role of emissions from local sources on exposure to most air toxics. Plume events contributed more than 50% of the study average concentrations for all pollutants except chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, and carbon tetrachloride. Wind directional dependence of air toxic concentrations revealed that emissions from large industrial facilities affected concentrations at all of the sites. Diurnal patterns and weekend/weekday variations indicated the effects of the mixing layer, point source emissions patterns, and mobile source air toxics (MSATs) on concentrations. Concentrations of many air toxics were temporally correlated, especially MSATs, indicating that they are likely co-emitted. It was also shown that correlations of the HTR data were greater than lower time resolution data (24-h measurements). This difference was most pronounced for the chlorinated pollutants. The stronger correlations in HTR measurements underscore their value for source apportionment studies.
Orthographic constraints on phonological awareness in biliteracy development

Abstract This study examined how orthography-specific demands affect decoding development in 10–14-year-old multilingual students learning to read Kannada and English in India. Given that there is dual-level representation of the size of phonological information (syllable and phoneme) in alphasyllabic Kannada and single-level (phoneme) representation in alphabetic English, our study posed three questions: (1) Are there distinct phonological awareness (PA) levels corresponding to decoding development in Kannada as a first language of literacy vs. English as a second language of literacy?; (2) What is the relationship between phonological awareness in Kannada and that in English?; and (3) How does phonological awareness in Kannada contribute to decoding development in English? The results provided evidence for differences in the level at which phonological information is graphically encoded in each language. The findings further suggested that there are orthography-specific constraints on transfer of phonol...