cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cellular location and partial characterization of the alanine aminotransferase in ribbed mussel gill tissue

Differential centrifugation of ribbed mussel gill tissue homogenates and extraction of the mitochondrial fraction demonstrated that most (72%) alanine aminotransferase (AlAT) activity was mitochondrial. Subsequent characterization of the cytosolic activity demonstrated properties identical to those demonstrated by the mitochondrial enzyme. Both enzyme fractions showed little variation in Vmax with pH, had low Km's for ketoacid substrates, and were inhibited by aminooxyacetate (AOA), L-cycloserine, and β-chloro-L-alanine. It appears that the AlAT in ribbed mussel gill tissue is strictly mitochondrial and that alanine production during hypoxia or hyperosmotic stress must be mitochondrial.
Effect of shock pressure on superconductivity in explosively fabricated Y—Ba—Cu—O/metal matrix composites

Explosively fabricated (consolidated) powder of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 and sintered (98% dense) and shock-loaded YBa2Cu3O7 exhibit identical systematic changes in residual superconductivity with peak shock pressure. X-ray diffraction studies for explosively fabricated Y—Ba—Cu—O at pressures ranging from 4 to 19 GPa show characteristic split peaks at 2θ ≈ 32° and 58° to change in a systematic way: a reduction in specific reflection peaks and peak broadening with increasing shock pressure. The susceptibility ratio (χ/χ0) (as an indication of the diamagnetic shielding signal) also decreases with increasing pressure, and the superconducting transition mid-point values (Tc(1/2)) of the resistance—temperature (R—T) curves decrease with increasing pressure, indicating a broadening of the superconducting transition since the Tc start temperatures remain essentially constant (Tc ≈ 90 K). Precipitate-like defect clusters with associated large strain fields are observed in the shock processed YBa2Cu3O7 by transmition electron microscopy to increase in density with increasing shock pressure. These defects can phenomenologically account for the shock-induced degradation observed in Y—Ba—Cu—O without any significant orthorhombic-to-tetragonal structure transformation. Explosionsgefertigtes (verdichtetes) Pulver von supraleitendem YBa2Cu3O7 und gesintertes (98% Dichte) und Schock-behandeltes YBa2Cu3O7 zeigen identische systematische anderungen der Restsupraleitung mit dem maximalen Stosdruck. Rontgenbeugungsuntersuchungen an explosionsgefertigtem Y—Ba—Cu—O bei Drucken von 4 bis 19 GPa zeigen charakteristisch aufgespaltene Maxima bei 2θ ≈ 32° und 58°, die sich in einer systematischen Weise andern: eine Erniedringung der spezifischen Reflexionsmaxima und Verbreiterung der Maxima mit wachsendem Stosdruck. Das Suszeptibilitatsverhaltnis (χ/χ0) (als ein Nachweis des diamagnetischen Abschirmsignals) nimmt mit wachsendem Druck ebenfalls ab, und die Supraleitungsubergangsmittelpunktswerte (Tc(1/2)) der Widerstands—Temperatur (R—T)-Kurven nehmen mit zunehmendem Druck ab und weisen auf eine Verbreiterung des Supraleitungsubergangs hin, da die Tc-Starttemperaturen im wesentlichen konstant bleiben (Tc ≈ 90 K). Prazipitatahnliche Defektcluster mit grosen verknuften Spannungsfeldern werden in Schock-behandeltem YBa2Cu3O7 mittelts Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie beobachtet, die in der Dichte mit wachsendem Schockdruck zunehmen. Diese Effekte konnen phanomenologisch die Schock-induzierte Degradation erklaren, die in Y—Ba—Cu—O ohne signifikante Strukturanderung rhombisch—tetragonal beobachtet wird.
Noise parameters and light sensitivity of low-noise high-electron-mobility transistors at 300 and 12.5 K

The four noise parameters of cryogenically cooled HEMT's have been investigated. Two different HEMT structures, with and without spacer layer were tested. The noise parameters of both structures were similar at the room temperature, while they were dramatically different at cryogenic temperatures. The minimum noise temperatures measured at 8.4 GHz were 75 ± 5 K at the room temperature and 8.5 ± 1.5 K at the temperature of 12.5 K. The cryogenic performance is the best ever observed for field-effect transistors.
Automated determination of antibody oxidation using flow injection analysis

The oxidation of antibody carbohydrate residues is a common approach used for site-specific antibody immobilization or modification. In this study a flow injection analysis system (FIA) was developed for monitoring antibody oxidation. Antibodies were oxidized with periodate and the resulting aldehyde groups were labeled with Lucifer yellow CH (LyCH). The labeled antibodies were then injected onto an FIA system where the amount of LyCH label was determined by absorbance measurements at 428 nm and the amount of antibody was determined using an on-line bicinchoninic acid protein assay. The analysis time was 2 min per 20 microliters sample injection. The limits of detection for rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) and LyCH were 1 x 10(-8) and 4 x 10(-7) M, respectively. The dynamic ranges for IgG and LyCH extended to 2 x 10(-5) and 7 x 10(-3) M. The within-run precision was +/- 5% or less for both analytes. Studies with known LyCH/antibody mixtures indicated that the FIA system had greater accuracy than manual methods at high LyCH levels. One specific application studied for this system was its use in monitoring the time course of periodate-antibody oxidation.
Poly(glycoamidoamine) vehicles promote pDNA uptake through multiple routes and efficient gene expression via caveolae-mediated endocytosis.

The use of synthetic polymers for the delivery of nucleic acids holds considerable promise for understanding and treating disease at the molecular level. This work aims to decipher the cellular internalization mechanisms for a series of synthetic glycopolymer DNA delivery vehicles we have termed poly(glycoamidoamine)s (PGAAs). To this end, we have performed cellular delivery experiments in the presence of pharmacological endocytosis inhibitors. Confocal microscopy analysis showed colocalization of labeled pDNA in polyplexes with immunolabeled endocytic molecules to identify the cellular internalization pathways in HeLa cells. Direct membrane penetration was also investigated through various methods, including cellular energy depletion and leakage of a cytosolic enzyme from the cell. The data suggests that the cellular internalization of PGAA polyplexes occurs through a multifaceted internalization mechanism primarily involving caveolae, yet clathrin-coated vesicles and macropinosomes were also involved to...
Differences in Day and Night Shift Clinical Performance in Anesthesiology

Objective This study examined whether anesthesia residents (physicians in training) performed clinical duties in the operating room differently during the day versus at night. Background Fatigue from sleep deprivation and working through the night is common for physicians, particularly during residency training. Methods Using a repeated-measures design, we studied 13 pairs of day-night matched anesthesia cases. Dependent measures included task times, workload ratings, response to an alarm light latency task, and mood. Results Residents spent significantly less time on manual tasks and more time on monitoring tasks during the maintenance phase at night than during the day. Residents reported more negative mood at night than during the day, both pre- and postoperation. However, time of day had no effect on the mood change between pre- and postoperation. Workload ratings and the response time to an alarm light latency task were not significantly different between night and day cases. Conclusions Because night shift residents had been awake and working for more than 16 hr, the observed differences in task performance and mood may be attributed to fatigue. The changes in task distribution during night shift work may represent compensatory strategies to maintain patient care quality while keeping perceived workload at a manageable level. Applications Fatigue effects during night shifts should be considered when designing work-rest schedules for clinicians. This matched-case control scheme can also be applied to study other phenomena associated with patient safety in the actual clinical environment.
Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α-mediated Pathways Are Altered in Hepatocyte-specific Retinoid X Receptor α-deficient Mice

Retinoid x receptor α (RXRα) serves as an active partner of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARα). In order to dissect the functional role of RXRα and PPARα in PPARα-mediated pathways, the hepatocyte RXRα-deficient mice have been challenged with physiological and pharmacological stresses, fasting and Wy14,643, respectively. The data demonstrate that RXRα and PPARα deficiency are different in several aspects. At the basal untreated level, RXRα deficiency resulted in marked induction of apolipoprotein A-I and C-III (apoA-I and apoC-III) mRNA levels and serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which was not found in PPARα-null mice. Fasting-induced PPARα activation was drastically prevented in the absence of hepatocyte RXRα. Wy14,643-mediated pleiotropic effects were also altered due to the absence of hepatocyte RXRα. Hepatocyte RXRα deficiency did not change the basal acyl-CoA oxidase, medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and malic enzyme mRNA levels. However, the inducibility of those genes by Wy14,643 was markedly reduced in the mutant mouse livers. In contrast, the basal cytochrome P450 4A1, liver fatty acid-binding protein, and apoA-I and apoC-III mRNA levels were significantly altered in the mutant mouse livers, but the regulatory effect of Wy14,643 on expression of those genes remained the same. Wy14,643-induced hepatomegaly was partially inhibited in hepatocyte RXRα-deficient mice. Wy14,643-induced hepatocyte peroxisome proliferation was preserved in the absence of hepatocyte RXRα. These data suggested that in comparison to PPARα, hepatocyte RXRα has its unique role in lipid homeostasis and that the effect of RXRα, -β, and -γ is redundant in certain aspects.
Sublethal responses to ammonia exposure in the endangered delta smelt; Hypomesus transpacificus (Fam. Osmeridae)

Abstract The delta smelt ( Hypomesus transpacificus ) is an endangered pelagic fish species endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary in Northern California, which acts as an indicator of ecosystem health in its habitat range. Interrogative tools are required to successfully monitor effects of contaminants upon the delta smelt, and to research potential causes of population decline in this species. We used microarray technology to investigate genome-wide effects in fish exposed to ammonia; one of multiple contaminants arising from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff. A 4-day exposure of 57-day old juveniles resulted in a total ammonium (NH 4 + –N) median lethal concentration (LC50) of 13 mg/L, and a corresponding un-ionized ammonia (NH 3 ) LC50 of 147 μg/L. Using the previously designed delta smelt microarray we assessed altered gene transcription in juveniles exposed to 10 mg/L NH 4 + –N from this 4-day exposure. Over half of the responding genes were associated with membrane integrity and function, however, neurological and muscular function was also affected. Amongst the notable pathways affected by ammonium exposure, directly associated with cellular membranes, are energy metabolism through oxidative phosphorylation, cellular responses to environmental stimuli, highlighted through signal transduction and molecular interactions, cellular processes encompassing transport and catabolism, along with cell motility, development, communication and cell death. To assess these impacts further, key genes were selected as potential biomarkers and investigated using quantitative PCR analysis on fish exposed to 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/L NH 4 + –N. Quantitative PCR results indicate biphasic responses, pivoting around the estimated no-observed effect concentration (NOEC; 5.0 mg/L NH 4 + –N) and below. Genes significantly affected by ammonia exposure include claudin-10 , Keratin-15 , Septin-3 , Transmembrane protein 4 , superfamily 4 (membrane), Tropomyosin , Myosin light chain , Calmodulin (muscular), Tubulin cofactor beta (neurological), Sirtuin-6 (development), and Rhesus associated type C glycoprotein 1 (gill- and skin-specific ammonium transporter). The quantitation of the ammonium transporter may highlight the capacity of delta smelt to contend with elevated levels of ammonia, the peak response of which may be indicative of short-term thresholds of tolerance. Our study supports the notion that exposure to ammonia results in cell membrane destabilization, potentially affecting membrane permeability, enhancing uptake and thus synergistic effects of multiple-contaminant exposure.
Mental health risk factors associated with childhood language brokering

Serving as a language translator (broker) for family members during childhood can affect cognitive and emotional functions in both beneficial and detrimental ways. Child language brokers translate in a variety of contexts including conversations between their parents and financial, legal and medical professionals. Pressure to be involved in these activities may negatively affect mental health by placing undue stress on child language brokers, while also distracting them from other responsibilities such as school. In this study, the relationship between language brokering during childhood and adolescence and the mental health of bilingual young adults was examined. Overall, language brokers had higher levels of depression. Young adults who previously served as language brokers, particularly during their preadolescent years, had higher levels of anxiety than their bilingual non-brokering counterparts. It is important for parents, educators and mental health professionals to become more aware of the mental h...
Polymer Encapsulated Microelectronics: Mechanisms of Protection and Failure

This research relates electrochemical failure of encapsulated microelectronics to surface moisture and to surface impurities. It draws heavily on “osmotic blistering”, a phenomenon known to produce corrosive failure of coated/painted metals [1]. Leakage currents were measured on aluminum comb specimens as a function of relative humidity (RH) and temperature. We studied both bare combs and combs encapsulated with polysiloxane. 9.05 Vdc bias was used. We performed “contamination-by-design” experiments by deliberately introducing known amounts of NaCl, CaCl2 and sucrose onto the comb surface. Results were compared with corresponding data taken on well-cleaned specimens.
Mechanisms Contributing to the Warming Hole and the Consequent U.S. East–West Differential of Heat Extremes

AbstractA linear trend calculated for observed annual mean surface air temperatures over the United States for the second-half of the twentieth century shows a slight cooling over the southeastern part of the country, the so-called warming hole, while temperatures over the rest of the country rose significantly. This east–west gradient of average temperature change has contributed to the observed pattern of changes of record temperatures as given by the ratio of daily record high temperatures to record low temperatures with a comparable east–west gradient. Ensemble averages of twentieth-century climate simulations in the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3), show a slight west–east warming gradient but no warming hole. A warming hole appears in only several ensemble members in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) multimodel dataset and in one ensemble member of simulated twentieth-century climate in CCSM3. In this model the warming hole is produced mostly from internal de...
Resolution of multiphasic reactions by the combination of fluorescence total-intensity and anisotropy stopped-flow kinetic experiments

Multiphasic kinetics are often observed in stopped-flow investigations. To characterize further these kinetic phases, we have developed a methodology whereby fluorescence total intensity and anisotropy stopped-flow data can be combined in a single analysis. Fluorescence total intensity and anisotropy are highly interrelated and contain two very complementary forms of information. Total-intensity changes are useful in determining changes in populations with differing quantum yields, whereas anisotropy changes contain additional contributions caused by the rotational dynamics of the species. For cases in which the fluorescence quantum yield increases, the observed rate of anisotropy change will be more rapid than the total-intensity change, whereas in cases in which the total intensity decreases, the observed change in anisotropy will lag behind. In all cases, with quantum yield changes the stopped-flow anisotropy signals cannot be fit with models consisting of exponentials. Case studies examining these effects are described for the protein folding/refolding transitions of Staphylococcal nuclease and phosphoglycerate kinase. A multiphasic DNA exonuclease reaction using bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase is also examined. In all of these cases, combined analysis of both data types revealed insights into reaction mechanism, which could not be obtained by either data type in isolation. Quantum yields and steady-state anisotropies associated with transiently populated intermediate species can be resolved. The data analysis methodologies described allow characterization of multiphasic reactions in terms of internally consistent kinetic rates, quantum yields, and steady-state anisotropies.
Implementation of Hills' growth curve analysis for unequal-time intervals using GAUSS.

Longitudinal data are widely regarded as the most efficient and informative type of data with which to investigate growth. Paradoxically, appropriate statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data have been unavailable; with the exception of a computer program for executing Rao's (Biometrika 46:49-58, 1959) one-sample polynomial growth curve analysis (Schneiderman and Kowalski, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 67:323-333, 1985) and another applying the Preece-Baines function (Brown and Townsend, Ann. Hum. Biol. 9:495-505, 1982), no programs for analyzing longitudinal data are generally available to the scientific community. Whereas much of the pediatrically oriented work has involved fitting growth curves for individual children, the concern here is the estimation of growth trends for populations. An Adequate understanding of average tendencies is a prerequisite to understanding the growth of individuals. The present paper implements Hills' (Biometrics 24:189-196, 1968) analysis, which is formally equivalent to Rao's but uses finite differences instead of orthogonal polynomials. This method is suitable for data collected at unequal time points and generates explicit measures of velocity and acceleration. The polynomial specification of the curve that best fits the data is also determined with this method. An additional advantage of this approach is that it is conceptually simpler than the classic model of Rao. An application of this method is given using the same craniofacial growth data as in our earlier (1985) paper for comparability. We provide an easy to use program written in GAU's (Edlefson and Jones, Kent, WA; Applied Technical Systems, 1985), a matrix programming language that runs on PC-compatible microcomputers. This implementation for PCs extends the accessibility to investigators who may not have access to mainframe computers.
Primary afferent projections to the central octavus nuclei in the elasmobranch, Rhinobatos sp., as demonstrated by nerve degeneration.

Nerve degeneration studies were performed to determine the central projections of the octavus nerve in the guitarfish, Rhinobatos sp. Most first-order octavus nerve afferents are confined to the ventral longitudinal column of the medulla, which consists of four octavus nuclei: the nucleus octavus anterior (NOA), nucleus octavus magnocellularis (NOM), nucleus octavus descendens (NOD); and nucleus octavus posterior (NOP). Central projections of the octavus nerve outside of the ventral octavus nuclear column are to the vestibulolateral lobe of the cerebellum, the large multipolar cells that lie deep to the cerebellar crest of nucleus intermedius, the reticular formation, and the nucleus octavolateralis efferens. In addition, the cytoarchitectural features of the four octavus nuclei have been analyzed: the NOA consists of large spindle-shaped neurons and medium-sized multipolar neurons; the NOM is a small nucleus consisting of very large multipolar neurons; the NOD contains several types of neurons including large spindle-shaped neurons, large multipolar neurons, and polymorphic small and medium-sized neurons; and the NOP contains small spherical and small multipolar neurons evenly distributed throughout the nucleus. On the basis of the morphology of the neurons, the NOA and NOD appear to have subdivisions suggesting a more complex organization of the octavus nuclear column than previously recognized.
Stem cells at the dawn of the 21st century.

It is rare that a field of scientific research can both have an enormous potential impact on human health and quality of life and be a fount of new basic research discovery. Stem cell biology is surely one such field, offering hope for curing scourges like diabetes, Parkinson's disease, neurological degeneration, and congenital heart disease, as well as bringing together many disciplines of cell and molecular biology. Five years ago, stem cell biology was an exciting but rather restricted area of science with growing basic science and clinical implications. Currently, the existence of stem cells is a matter of public discussion, with religious, ethical, political, and economic implications. A week does not go by without some new revelation, about either the politics or biology of stem cells in the general press. What has changed? Clearly we know more about the biology of these cells, but the public interest has been driven by their potential in the treatment of disease on the one hand and concerns for the ethical implications of their use on the other. Some of the arguments are semantic and can be resolved by making sure that everyone is using the same terms to discuss the topic. Other concerns are theoretical and religious, such as defining when human life begins, and reflect beliefs and philosophies rather than the facts and data that scientists are restricted to when formulating coherent models. Science relies on facts, and many of the extraordinary claims made about stem cells in the scientific and public domain need to pass the important test of independent verification. Stem cells are loosely defined as self-renewing progenitor cells that can generate one or more specialized cell type. In vertebrates, stem cells have been traditionally subdivided into …
Ab initio reaction path energetics for the CX dissociations of C6H5X+ with X = H, F, Cl, and Br

The energetics of the CX dissociations of C{sub 6}H{sub 6}{sup +}, C{sub 6}H{sub 5}F{sup +}, C{sub 6}H{sub 5}Cl{sup +}, C{sub 6}H{sub 5}Br{sup +}, and C{sub 10}H{sub 8}{sup +} are investigated with various ab initio quantum chemical simulators. The primary focus is the determination of the energetics as a function of the CX bond length at the MP2 level for the C{sub 6}H{sub 5}X{sup +}dissociation paths leading to the lowest energy products [C{sub 6}H{sub 5}({sup 1}A{sub 1}) + X]. The bending force constants along this path are determined at either the HF or MP2 level. The absolute energetics of the various reactants and products are also studied at the MP2 and B3LYP levels including the dissociation of C{sub 10}H{sub 8}{sup +}. A combination of CCSD(T)/6-31G* and MP2/6-311G(2df,2p) calculations are employed in the determination of higher level estimates for the key reactants and products in the dissociation of the benzene cation. The key dissociation paths for this dissociation are also studied at a higher level (CASPT2). For the halogen-producing dissociations the energetics are investigated for each of the three separate orientations of the radical p-orbital in the halogen atom. The various results obtained illustrate the increasing strength of the long-range interactions formore » the progression from H to F to Cl to Br. Correspondingly, one expects the transition state to be more and more phase space theory like for this same progression. For the C---Br dissociation it seems very unlikely that short-range interactions will play any role in determining the reactive flux. In contrast, short-range repulsions are again expected to play an important role for the C---H dissociations in both C{sub 6}H{sub 6}{sup +}and C{sub 10}H{sub 8}{sup +}. The present results also indicate the dominant importance of the singlet phenyl cation channel to the dissociation dynamics.« less
Iminobiotin binding induces large fluorescent enhancements in avidin and streptavidin fluorescent conjugates and exhibits diverging pH-dependent binding affinities.

The pH-dependent binding affinity of either avidin or streptavidin for iminobiotin has been utilized in studies ranging from affinity binding chromatography to dynamic force spectroscopy. Regardless of which protein is used, the logarithmic dependence of the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) on pH is assumed conserved. However a discrepancy has emerged from a number of studies which have shown the binding affinity of streptavidin for iminobiotin in solution to be unexpectedly low, with the Kd at values usually associated with non-specific binding even at strongly basic pH levels. In this work we have utilized a Bodipy fluorescent conjugate of avidin and an Oregon Green fluorescent conjugate of streptavidin to determine the Kd of the complexes in solution in the pH range of 7.0 to 10.7. The study was made possible by the remarkable fluorescent enhancement of the two fluorescent conjugates (greater than 10 fold) upon saturation with iminobiotin. The streptavidin-iminobiotin interaction exhibited almost no pH dependence over the range studied, with Kd consistently on the order of 10−5 M. In contrast, under identical experimental conditions the avidin-iminobiotin interaction exhibited the expected logarithmic dependence on pH. We discuss the possible origins for why these two closely related proteins would diverge in their binding affinities for iminobiotin as a function of pH.
Feasibility of using a stabilizer in constraining the motion of epicardial tissues during MIDCAB surgery: analysis using image processing techniques

This paper deals with the motion analysis and measurement of Epicardial tissues of the heart during MIDCAB (Minimal Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass) and subsequently determines the effectiveness of a stabilizer used during this process. It involves measurement of the movement of muscles within and outside the stabilizer-using Image processing techniques based on which the surgeons' can determine the effectiveness of the stabilizer. We used a localization approach to measure the displacement of muscles. Comparisons were made with previous approaches that utilized global invariants such as the weighted PSNR method. It is found that the Standard deviation is lower with the localization approach, which means the accuracy of measurement obtained is better.
Comparison of modern and ancient Vertisols developed on limestone in terms of their geochemistry and parent material

Identification of paleosol parent material can be difficult; a common simplistic assumption is that nonpedogenic strata directly beneath paleosols are representative of the parent material. Field relationships, petrography, and geochemical massbalance were used to test the simple hypothesis that the parent material of both an Early Carboniferous (Late Mississippian) vertic (Vertisol-like) paleosol and a modern analog soil (Vertisol) was immediately subjacent marine carbonate rock. An alternative hypothesis also tested was that the paleosol formed primarily from siliciclastic sediment deposited on top of the carbonate. The modern-ancient analog comparison is valid because both the paleosol and the modern soil have high clay contents, extensive shrink–swell features, and rest directly on top of marine carbonate substrates. Field and thin-section observations indicate minor assimilation of marine carbonate into both the paleosol and soil matrices. Mass-balance of both the paleosol and soil, calculated assuming that the subjacent carbonate was the parent material and that Ti was immobile during weathering, indicated 25–75% net volume loss during weathering and 25–99% net losses of many alkali, alkaline earth, and redox-sensitive elements. However, calculations based on an alternative hypothesis of clayshale parent material for the paleosol indicated only 10–25% volume loss and lower translocation losses for weathering of this material. The insoluble residue content of the dolostone would require that a fourfold volume reduction during weathering occurred, if the dolostone were the only parent material. If the paleosol formed from clayshale, then significantly less volume loss characterised weathering. These results collectively illustrate that the simplest interpretation of paleosol parent material may not always be correct, and that paleosols can be derived from weathering of more than one parent material. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Synthetic turbulence, fractal interpolation, and large-eddy simulation

Fractal interpolation has been proposed in the literature as an efficient way to construct closure models for the numerical solution of coarse-grained Navier-Stokes equations. It is based on synthetically generating a scale-invariant subgrid-scale field and analytically evaluating its effects on large resolved scales. In this paper, we propose an extension of previous work by developing a multiaffine fractal interpolation scheme and demonstrate that it preserves not only the fractal dimension but also the higher-order structure functions and the non-Gaussian probability density function of the velocity increments. Extensive a priori analyses of atmospheric boundary layer measurements further reveal that this multiaffine closure model has the potential for satisfactory performance in large-eddy simulations. The pertinence of this newly proposed methodology in the case of passive scalars is also discussed.
Enhancement of natural killer cell activity in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects by in vitro treatment with biologic response modifier OK-432.

A decrease in natural killer (NK) cell function has been related to the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In the present study, we assessed the ability of a streptococcus-derived biologic response modifier, OK-432, to augment NK lysis of uninfected K562 and U937 cells and HIV-infected U937 cells by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV-seropositive homosexual men. Optimal two- to fourfold increases in lysis of the three targets were observed after pretreatment of PBMC from HIV-negative subjects for 4 h with 2 micrograms of OK-432 per ml. This effect was related primarily to gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production induced by OK-432 and was not linked to production of tumor necrosis factors alpha and beta or to monocytes in the cultures. The enhancing effect of OK-432 on NK cell function was diminished but still evident in PBMC from subjects with relatively early-phase ( 3 years), in association with reduced production of IFN-gamma. Augmentation of NK cell activity in HIV-infected men by OK-432 was comparable to that induced by treatment of cells with 1,000 U of IFN-alpha or interleukin 2 per ml. The data suggest that the NK cell-enhancing effects of OK-432 are at least in part mediated by IFN-gamma and that OK-432 may be effective in treatment of patients with early-phase HIV infection.
Escape conditioning and low-frequency whole-body vibration: The effects of frequency, amplitude, and controls for noise and activation

Seven experiments are reported on low-frequency whole-body vibration and rats' escape conditioning in a modified Skinner box. In the first three studies, conditioning was observed but was independent of frequency. In experiment four, the number of escape responses was directly related to vibration amplitude. Experiment five was a control for vibration noise and noise termination; experiments six and seven studied vibration-induced activation. Noise termination did not produce conditioning. In experiment six, subjects made more responses when responding led to termination than when it did not. In experiment seven, subjects preferred a bar which terminated vibration to one which did not.
Solid polymer electrolytes based on nanocomposites of ethylene oxide–epichlorohydrin copolymers and cellulose whiskers

With the aim of developing ion-conducting solid polymer electrolytes that combine high ionic conductivity with good mechanical properties, we prepared and investigated nanocomposites of LiClO4-doped ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin (EO-EPI) copolymers and nanoscale cellulose whiskers derived from tunicates. We show that homogeneous nanocomposite films based on EO-EPI copolymers, LiClO4, and tunicate whiskers can be produced by solution-casting THF/water mixtures comprising these components and subsequent compression-molding. The Young's moduli of the nanocomposites thus produced are increased by a factor of up to >50, when compared to the copolymers, whereas the electrical conductivities experience only comparably small reductions upon introduction of the whiskers. The nanocomposite with the best combination of conductivity (1.6 × 10−4 S/cm at room temperature and a relative humidity of 75%) and Young's modulus (7 MPa) was obtained with a copolymer having an EO-EPI ratio of 84 : 16, a whisker content of 10% w/w, and a LiClO4 concentration of 5.8% w/w. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2883–2888, 2004
Tracking with local spatio-temporal motion patterns in extremely crowded scenes

Tracking individuals in extremely crowded scenes is a challenging task, primarily due to the motion and appearance variability produced by the large number of people within the scene. The individual pedestrians, however, collectively form a crowd that exhibits a spatially and temporally structured pattern within the scene. In this paper, we extract this steady-state but dynamically evolving motion of the crowd and leverage it to track individuals in videos of the same scene. We capture the spatial and temporal variations in the crowd's motion by training a collection of hidden Markov models on the motion patterns within the scene. Using these models, we predict the local spatio-temporal motion patterns that describe the pedestrian movement at each space-time location in the video. Based on these predictions, we hypothesize the target's movement between frames as it travels through the local space-time volume. In addition, we robustly model the individual's unique motion and appearance to discern them from surrounding pedestrians. The results show that we may track individuals in scenes that present extreme difficulty to previous techniques.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Serum Transaminase Levels in Coronary Occlusive Disease

Clinical and experimental studies of acute myocardial infarction suggest that serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGO-T) levels may have both diagnostic and prognostic significance. The authors report their experience in 255 patients hospitalized because of chest pain strongly suggestive of acute myocardial infarction. The results of serial determinations are compared with the clinical data and the electrocardiographic findings. The data indicate that abnormally high levels have both diagnostic and prognostic significance.
Macroevolution in Microchiroptera: Recoupling morphology and ecology with phylogeny

No family of mammals has undergone a greater adaptive radiation than phyllostomid bats. Phylogeny combined with eco-morphological considerations of trophic structures can help understand this adaptive radiation and the evolution of Microchiroptera. Microchiropteran bats are overwhelmingly insectivorous, and constraints within the morphospace of insectivory have produced a dynamic equilibrium in bat morphologies that has persisted for 60 million years. The ability to eat fruit may be the key synapomorphy that allowed phyllostomids to escape insectivore morphospace and diversify. Although many phyllostomids have changed greatly, others that have maintained insectivory have changed little, which is equally remarkable.
The C. elegans gene lin-9,which acts in an Rb-related pathway, is required for gonadal sheath cell development and encodes a novel protein.

The Caenorhabditis elegans gene lin-9 functions in an Rb-related pathway that acts antagonistically to a receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras signal transduction pathway controlling vulval induction. We show that lin-9 is also required for the development of the sheath cells in the hermaphrodite gonad and for the development of the male spicule, rays and gonad. lin-9 is transcribed as two alternatively spliced 2.4 kb messages, which use two distinct polyadenylation sites and are SL1 trans-spliced. The conceptual translation of lin-9 cDNA sequences predicts proteins of 642 and 644 amino acids with a significant similarity to predicted Drosophila and vertebrate proteins. We suggest that lin-9 is the founding member of a new protein family that functions in Rb-related pathways in many species. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A practical quality factor tuning scheme for IF and high-Q continuous-time filters

An important aspect of reducing power and area of RF/IF systems is putting high-frequency filters on-chip instead of using off-chip crystal, ceramic, or SAW filters now used. The largest challenge facing designers is the vulnerability of high-frequency and high-Q continuous-time filters to parasitics and process variations, requiring automatic tuning of both center frequency and quality factor. Automatic center frequency tuning is well documented, with accuracies of <1% error. Q-tuning is not as well defined, with the best reported results at about 20-30% error. The Q-tuning method proposed here improves the accuracy of Q-tuning, with experimental Q-tuning error about 1%. The basis for the proposed method is the magnitude-locked-loop (MLL) Q-tuning technique. The scheme removes the peak detectors and utilizes the continuous-time adaptive LMS algorithm to update the biquad quality factor. As a test verification of the proposed Q-tuning scheme, a fourth order OTA-C 10.7 MHz bandpass filter is designed and fabricated in a 1.2 /spl mu/m n-well CMOS process. The filter consists of two cascaded biquads, each with a desired quality factor of 20 and the same center frequency. Center frequency tuning is provided by the conventional phase-locked loop using a voltage controlled oscillator scheme, and Q-tuning is by the proposed scheme. The reference signal for the Q-tuning circuit is simply the frequency control oscillator's output.
When and what to compile/optimize in a virtual machine?

To speed up the computation of some of the object languages, virtual machines use dynamic compilation. But due to compilation taking place during user application runtime, one has to choose which methods to compile, so that the compile time has little impact on the total runtime of the actual application. In order to achieve this, we have to use an estimate to determine the process of compilation. Current virtual machines use run time information such as number of calls made to this method, size of the method and as well as number of times the back edges taken to determine the hotness of a method. They use this information against some threshold which does not have any relationship with the method that is being considered for compilation.Detecting the hot routines is very important from the perspective of performance since optimized methods run 10 times faster than the interpreted version. In this paper we propose a new technique called relative estimation for determining the hotness of the functions. For each method in the application, we estimate the cost/benefits for compilation or optimization by doing method analysis. We select the methods for compilation or optimization initially based on the above metrics using the proposed relative estimation technique. Later on we use the online profile information such as backedge counters and invocation counts to adjust the relative estimation process itself. We have performed experiments to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method on SPECjvm98 benchmark suite and found that up to 4% performance improvement in the application execution time occurs.
On the importance of fuzzy attribute implications

Our paper deals with the expressive power of fuzzy attribute implications which are if-then rules describing dependencies among graded attributes. In our previous work, we have shown that fuzzy attribute implications are important in data mining because they can be used as a concise description of all if-then dependencies which are hidden in object-attribute fuzzy relational data. Fuzzy attribute implications can be seen as formulas (in the narrow sense) of the form A rArr B where both A and B are conjunctions of subformulas containing constants for truth degrees acting as (constants for) threshold truth degrees. This paper investigates possibility to replace sets of fuzzy attribute implications with fuzzy sets of ordinary if-then formulas in the sense of Pavelkapsilas abstract logic. We reveal the impossibility to replace fuzzy attribute implications by the ordinary formulas without losing their expressive power. From the technical point of view, we present counterexamples demonstrating that fuzzy sets of the ordinary attribute implications cannot be used to describe sets of fixed points of arbitrary fuzzy closure operators.
Autofocus Correction of Phase Distortion Effects on SHARAD Echoes

SHARAD is a frequency-modulated (15-25 MHz) radar sounder that probes the upper few kilometers of the Martian crust and polar layered deposits. At solar zenith angles less than about 100°, the ionosphere of Mars can induce phase distortion in surface and subsurface radar echoes that substantially degrades the signal-to-noise ratio and vertical resolution of the range-compressed data. We present a range-compression autofocus approach that estimates the phase distortion of SHARAD data along ground-track segments of about 100 km, using a power-law image-sharpness metric and an empirically derived scaling between the phase correction and radar frequency. This method is rapid, yields a greatly improved subsurface image, and provides a means to track regional and temporal changes in the Martian ionosphere.
Assessment of Microirrigation for Sugarbeet Production

ABSTRACT Sugarbeet (SB) is a major value-crop in many furrow (Fu) irrigated areas of Wyoming where nitrate (NO3) contamination prevails. Microirrigation (M) may be an option for managing such pollution while sustaining SB production. With the goal of evaluating efficacy of M for SB production, in comparison to Fu practice, studies were conducted through field experiments, computer simulations, and economic assessments. The field study with SB consisted of a Fu and three M treatments (M1, M2, and M3 representing a management allowable depletion factor of 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50, respectively) and three fertilizer doses. Water use, post-harvest soil NO3 concentrations, SB yields, and water percolation were measured. Computer simulations were performed using a transport and irrigation model to predict soil NO3 concentrations and the results were compared with the experimental data. The economic feasibility of adopting M for 10 to 40 ha area was evaluated using a capital budgeting analysis. Results of field stud...
The use of observability and external don't cares for the simplification of multi-level networks

An algorithm is given for computing subsets of the observability don't cares at the nodes of a multilevel Boolean network. These subsets are based on an extension of the methods introduced by S. Muroga et al. (IEEE Trans. on Computers, Oct. 1989) for computing compatible sets of permissible functions (CSPFs) at the nodes of networks composed of NOR gates. The extensions presented are in four directions: an arbitrary logic function is allowed at any node, the don't cares are expressed in terms of both primary inputs and intermediate variables, a new ordering scheme is used. and maximal CSPFs are computed. These ideas are incorporated in an algorithm designed to take full advantage of the power of two-level minimization in multilevel logic synthesis systems. This has been implemented in MIS-II, and results are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques. >
Cryogenic Etching of Silicon: An Alternative Method for Fabrication of Vertical Microcantilever Master Molds

This paper examines the use of deep reactive ion etching of silicon with fluorine high-density plasmas at cryogenic temperatures to produce silicon master molds for vertical microcantilever arrays used for controlling substrate stiffness for culturing living cells. The resultant profiles achieved depend on the rate of deposition and etching of an SiOxFy polymer, which serves as a passivation layer on the sidewalls of the etched structures in relation to areas that have not been passivated with the polymer. We look at how optimal tuning of two parameters, the O2 flow rate and the capacitively coupled plasma power, determine the etch profile. All other pertinent parameters are kept constant. We examine the etch profiles produced using electron-beam resist as the main etch mask, with holes having diameters of 750 nm, 1 ?m , and 2 ?m.
Enhancement of second-harmonic generation in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers

We described the enhancement of second-harmonic generation in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers by supersymmetric quantum mechanics with band nonparabolicity incorporated. Simulation results demonstrate a much higher gain and linear-to-nonlinear conversion efficiency in the optimized structure.
RunMC—an object-oriented analysis framework for Monte Carlo simulation of high-energy particle collisions ☆

Abstract RunMC is an object-oriented framework aimed to generate and to analyse high-energy collisions of elementary particles using Monte Carlo simulations. This package, being based on C++ adopted by CERN as the main programming language for the LHC experiments, provides a common interface to different Monte Carlo models using modern physics libraries. Physics calculations (projects) can easily be loaded and saved as external modules. This simplifies the development of complicated calculations for high-energy physics in large collaborations. This desktop program is open-source licensed and is available on the LINUX and Windows/Cygwin platforms. Program summary Title of program: RunMC version 3.3 Catalogue identifier: ADWH Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADWH Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Computer: x86, SGI, Sun Microsystems Operating system: Linux, Windows/Cygwin Memory required: 32 Mbytes No. of bits in a word: 32 No. of processors used: 1 Parallelized?: No No of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: ≈ 1 000 000 No of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 22 464 383 Distribution format: tar.gz Typical running time: 0.004–0.01 s per event Programming language used: C/C++, Fortran, Java, bash Program requirements: g77, g++, make, X11, Java JRE1.4 and higher Nature of the physical problem: Simulation of high-energy collisions of elementary particles Method of solution: Monte Carlo method External libraries: CLHEP, ROOT, CERNLIB with PDFLIB References: http://hepforge.cedar.ac.uk/runmc/ , http://www.hep.anl.gov/chakanau/runmc/