cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Note on a baroclinic analogue of vorticity defects in shear

An approach developed recently to study the dynamics of vorticity defects in homogeneous shear flow extends naturally to the case of baroclinic, quasi-geostrophic flow. It is shown that an inviscid geostrophic flow with uniform vertical shear may be destabilized by introducing a ‘potential vorticity defect’, an arbitrarily small but sufficiently sharp and horizontally uniform change in stratification or vertical shear. The linear baroclinic problem is nearly identical to the linear homogeneous problem, with differences arising only from the boundary conditions. The nonlinear baroclinic problem differs substantially from the nonlinear homogeneous problem, as the leading-order baroclinic nonlinearity is the Jacobian of the ‘inner’ streamfunction and potential vorticity in the horizontal plane aligned with the defect. An example of the linear instability is described.
Repeat uterine artery embolization following technical failure.

This retrospective chart review was performed to evaluate the success of uterine artery embolization performed in two sessions due to initial technical failure. Patients undergoing embolization for symptomatic uterine myomata between 1997 and 2007 were included in the study. Patients who initially suffered unilateral technical failure were offered repeat embolization. This group was contrasted with patients who underwent bilateral embolization during the initial procedure. Success was defined as relief of symptoms based on pre- and post-procedure questionnaires, and/or > 30% shrinkage of the largest myoma. During the study period, 1078 uterine artery embolization procedures were performed. 1024 (94.9%) were initial bilateral procedures; 34 (3.2%) were unilateral procedures due to technical failure and 20 (1.9%) were unilateral procedures due to anatomical reasons. Twenty-two of the patients who experienced technical failure elected to undergo a repeat procedure. Sixteen patients who underwent repeat embol...
The influence of operating variables on the residence time distribution for material transport in a continuous rotary drum

Abstract Experimental results for the influence of operating variables on the mean and variance of the residence time distribution for material transport in a continuous rotary drum are described. The variables considered are drum rotational speed, drum inclination, feed rate of material and particle size of material. A stimulus-response technique based on an impulse of a colored tracer, otherwise identical to the bulk material, was used. The validity of the axial dispersion model for the description of the behavior of this non-segregating transport system is demonstrated. This is accomplished with an approximate form of the exact solution to the axial dispersion model for an impulse input; it is valid for the relatively large values of the Peclet number characteristic of the experimental system.
Fast FFT-based distortion-invariant kernel filters for general object recognition

General object recognition involves recognizing an object in a scene in the presence of several distortions and when its location is not known. Since the location of the test object in the scene is unknown, a classifier needs to be applied for different locations of the object over the test input. In this scenario, distortion-invariant filters (DIFs) are attractive, since they can be applied (efficiently and fast) for different shifts using the fast Fourier transform (FFT). A single DIF handles different object distortions (e.g. all aspect views and some range of scale and depression angle). In this paper, we show a new approach that combines DIFs and the kernel technique (to form "kernel DIFs"), addresses the need for fast on-line filter shifts, and improves performance. We consider polynomial and Gaussian kernels (polynomial results are emphasized here). We consider kernel versions of the synthetic discriminant function (SDF) filter and DIFs that minimize an energy function such as the minimum average correlation energy (MACE) filter. We provide insight into and compare several different formulations of kernel DIFs. We emphasize proper formulations of kernel DIFs and provide data in many cases to show that they perform better. We recall that kernel SDF filters are the most computationally efficient ones and thus emphasize them. We use the performance of the minimum noise and correlation energy (MINACE) filter as the baseline to which we compare kernel SDF filter results. We consider the classification of two true-class objects and the rejection of unseen clutter and unseen confuser-class objects with full 360° aspect view distortions and with a range of scale distortions present (shifts of all test images are addressed for the first time, for kernel DIFs); we use CAD (computer-aided design) infrared (IR) data to synthesize objects with the necessary distortions and we use only problematic (blob) real IR clutter data.
Can Assessment Reactivity Predict Treatment Outcome Among Adolescents with Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders

Abstract The objectives of this paper are two-fold: to examine first, if the change from positive to negative alcohol and any other substance use status from baseline assessment to the onset of the first session (i.e., pre-treatment phase) occurs in adolescents, that is, Assessment Reactivity (AR); second, whether AR predicts treatment outcome. Participants were 177 adolescents with alcohol and other substance use disorders (AOSUD) in a 9-weekly group sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy. Drug urinalysis results at baseline assessment, first and last session and self-report for alcohol use were used as outcome measures. Participants showed a highly significant shift to non-use of both alcohol and of other substances from intake assessment to first session and from first to last session. Alcohol and substance use at first session predicted use at last session. This is the first study in youth asserting Assessment Reactivity as a valid construct during the pretreat-ment phase. AR should be considered in...
Successful desensitization and therapeutic use of infliximab in adult and pediatric Crohn's disease patients with prior anaphylactic reaction.

Infusion of the antitumor necrosis factor-α chimeric monoclonal antibody infliximab is highly effective in the treatment of refractory and fistulizing Crohn's disease (CD), but can be associated with the development of severe allergic reactions during retreatment, precluding further use of the medication. We present two CD patients (one adult and one child) with a history of anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions to retreatment with infliximab who subsequently underwent successful desensitization and therapeutic infusion using parenteral dose escalation in an intensive care unit setting.
Comparative metabolism of the aza polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon dibenz[a,h]acridine by recombinant human and rat cytochrome P450s.

To assess the role of human and rat cytochrome P450s in the metabolism of aza-polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (aza-PAHs) and to examine the influence of heterocyclic nitrogen on the metabolism of these chemicals, we have investigated the biotransformation of dibenz[a,h]acridine (DB[a,h]ACR), an aza-PAH with two nonidentical bay regions, by recombinant human cytochromes P450 1A1, 1B1, and 3A4 and rat P450 1A1. Among the three P450s, 1A1 was the most effective in metabolizing DB[a,h]ACR followed by 1B1 and 3A4. The major DB[a,h]ACR metabolites produced by human P450 1A1 and 1B1 were the dihydrodiols with a bay region double bond, namely, DB[a,h]ACR-3,4-diol and DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol (putative proximate carcinogen). P450 1A1 produced a higher proportion of DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol (derived from the benzo ring adjacent to the nitrogen) (44.7%) than of DB[a,h]ACR-3,4-diol (derived from benzo ring away from the nitrogen) (23.8%). In contrast, 1B1 produced a much greater proportion of 3,4-diol (54.7%) than of 10,...
Laminar, Turbulent, and Transitional Simulations in Benchmark Cases with Cardiovascular Device Features

Verification and validation of laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent flow simulations using URANS and hybrid RANS/LES (HRL) are performed for a capillary tube at Re = 500–5100 and for nozzle flow at Re = 500, 3500, and 6500. For the capillary tube case, good predictions for Re ≤ 1000 and ≥4000 were obtained using laminar and fully turbulent URANS models, respectively. A transition-sensitive URANS model performed well for the entire Re range, suggesting the ability to provide a universal model for laminar and turbulent URANS solutions, provided that the inlet turbulence intensity can be accurately prescribed. For the nozzle flow simulations, good predictions for Re = 500 and 6500 were obtained using laminar and fully turbulent URANS and HRL simulations, respectively. For the transitional case, Re = 3500, turbulent simulations performed well in the separated flow regions but were under-predictive in the throat region. The hybrid RANS/LES simulations performed better than URANS in the separated flow region. The most commonly used hybrid RANS/LES models failed either to trigger turbulence or transition to LES mode for low background turbulence. A new dynamic hybrid RANS/LES model [Bhushan and Walters, Physics of Fluids, 24, 015103, 2012] did not show such a deficiency and provided the best comparison with experimental data for the two higher Re cases.
System identification and filtering using pseudo random binary inputs

Abstract The problem of identifying the impulse response of an unknown system is investigated when the input is restricted to a pseudo random binary sequence (PRBS). The well-known methods, such as the Least Mean Square (LMS) and the Recursive Least Square (RLS) algorithms, are studied for system modeling with a PRBS input and the results are compared. It is shown that post-processing the impulse response with a suitable filter may lead to even better identification. A new post-processing filter, namely, the Med-Mean (MM) filter, is proposed which smoothes the baseline noise of the identified impulse response while preserving the edges.
Multivariate Analysis in Hydrochemistry: An Example of the Use of Factor and Correspondence Analyses

Statistical-based, semiquantitative techniques [Factor Analysis (FA) and Correspondence Analysis (CA)] were applied to chemical data from two aquifers to assess the usefulness of such techniques at the initial stages of hydrochemical studies. For the first case, both FA and CA defined three factors to account for the major ion variations observed in the Milk River aquifer (Alberta, Canada), namely, sulfate reduction occurring in the recharge area and mixing of waters of different ages in the deeper portions of the aquifer, ion-filtration processes, and ion exchange on clays. For the FA, the comparison between varimax and oblique rotations led to similar interpretations. For the second study area, the San Pedro River basin (Arizona, U.S.A.), FA (Q-mode) extracted two factors, which helped segregate waters from the two aquifers in the area. The CA, applied only to samples from the confined aquifer, drew two factors which were related to dissolution of gypsum coupled with ion exchange (softening) as the main mechanisms operating in the aquifer, along with a hypothetical presence of fluorite in the aquifer sediments to justify the rather high [F-] observed in local ground waters. Comparisons made between the results presented and the findings of earlier studies highlight the descriptive capabilities of FA and CA as exploratory tools in hydrochemical investigations.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: current concepts and future questions.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis) caused by inhaled allergens can progress to disabling or even fatal end-stage lung disease. The only truly effective treatment is early recognition and control of exposure. Although patients produce antibody exuberantly, the immunopathogenesis involves cellular immunity—notably, CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes, multinucleate giant cell granulomas, and ultimately interstitial fibrosis. Many causative agents have been recognized in occupational dusts or mists, but most current new cases arise from residential exposure to pet birds (pigeons and parakeets), contaminated humidifiers, and indoor molds. The symptoms and physical findings are nonspecific. Serum IgG containing high titers of specific antibody to the offending antigen is elevated. Pulmonary function tests show restrictive and diffusion defects with hypoxemia, especially after exercise. Occasionally, small airways disease causes obstruction. Radiographic changes vary according to the stage of the disease and are best evaluated by means of high-resolution computed tomography. In typical cases, the history of a known exposure and the presence of a characteristic interstitial lung disease with serologic confirmation of IgG antibody to the offending antigen suffice for diagnosis. In more obscure cases, observation of changes after a natural environmental exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage, and lung biopsy might be indicated. Among the many questions that remain are the following: What is the prevalence of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and how often is it the cause of chronic interstitial fibrosis? What is the long-term prognosis? Why do most individuals exposed to these antigens develop a vigorous antibody response whereas only a few develop the disease? How does exposure to endotoxin and cigarette smoking affect the disease? To answer these questions, standardized and validated clinical laboratory immunochemical tests are needed, in addition to a systematic approach to diagnosis, classification of disease severity, risk assessment, and management. This review is limited to the disease caused by airborne allergens and focuses on its immunopathogenesis, eliciting agents, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management, and prognosis. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;108:661-70.)
Biodegradable mesostructured polymer membranes.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) has a quasi-ordered reticular mesostructure with feature sizes on the order of tenths of to a few hundred nanometers. Approaches to preparing biodegradable synthetic scaffolds for engineered tissues that have the critical mesostructure to mimic ECM are few. Here we present a simple and general solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) approach to preparing concentrically reticular mesostructured polyol–polyester membranes. The mesostructures were formed by a novel self-assembly process without covalent or electrostatic interactions, which yielded feature sizes matching those of ECM. The mesostructured materials were nonionic, hydrophilic, and water-permeable and could be shaped into arbitrary geometries such as conformally molded tubular sacs and micropatterned meshes. Importantly, the mesostructured polymers were biodegradable and were used as ultrathin temporary substrates for engineering vascular tissue constructs.
POTENT ANTITUMOR EFFECTS OF CD154 TRANSDUCED TUMOR CELLS IN EXPERIMENTAL BLADDER CANCER

Purpose: Current intravesical immunotherapy for bladder cancer with bacillus Calmette-Guerin instillations is standard treatment for patients with high risk superficial tumors but relapses are common. We evaluated the tumor vaccine concept in murine bladder cancer by comparing tumor cell transduction with genes coding for the immunostimulatory molecules CD154, interleukin (IL)-12 and CD80 to design a novel vaccination strategy.Materials and Methods: Adenoviral vectors were used to transduce murine bladder cancer MB-49 cells with genes coding for CD154, IL-12 and CD80. Parental or transduced MB-49 cells were injected subcutaneously into syngeneic mice. The effects of transgene expression on tumorigenicity and the generation of protective immunological memory against challenge with parental tumor were studied.Results: All 76 animals injected with parental MB-49 cells had tumors within 8 to 12 days. Tumor cell expression of CD154 combined with IL-12 completely inhibited tumor outgrowth with all 21 mice tumor...
Impact of the Metabolic Syndrome on Mortality From Coronary Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, and All Causes in United States Adults

Background— Mortality resulting from coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all causes in persons with diabetes and pre-existing CVD is high; however, these risks compared with those with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are unclear. We examined the impact of MetS on CHD, CVD, and overall mortality among US adults. Methods and Results— In a prospective cohort study, 6255 subjects 30 to 75 years of age (54% female) (representative of 64 million adults in the United States) from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were followed for a mean±SD of 13.3±3.8 years. MetS was defined by modified National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. From sample-weighted multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression, compared with those with neither MetS nor prior CVD, age-, gender-, and risk factor–adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD mortality were 2.02 (95% CI, 1.42 to 2.89) for those with MetS and 4.19 (95% CI, 3.04 to 5.79) for those with pre-existing CVD. For CVD mortal...
Surface quality assessment using computer vision methods

Abstract An assessment of surface quality in turned and milled specimens is made utilizing a PC-based digital imaging system. Two different methods of surface finish measurement are examined and compared. The first approach, as pioneered by Luk and Huynh, utilizes the intensity histogram of the surface image to characterize surface roughness and quality. Changes in the statistical descriptors of the histogram serve to quantify the surface finish. A second method utilizes the two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform of the digitized surface image. The magnitude and frequency information obtained from the FFT are used as measurement parameters of the surface finish. Advantages and disadvantages of these two methods are discussed and compared.
A phosphorolytic dibenzobarrelene iodosocarboxylate

The dibenzobarrelene iodosocarboxylate 6 is a powerful catalyst for the cleavage of p-nitrophenyl diphenyl phosphate in cetyltrimethylammonium chloride micellar solution at pH 8.
The role of antibody synergy and membrane fluidity in the vascular targeting of immunoliposomes.

Abstract Targeted drug delivery to inflamed or injured vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) may provide a precise and effective therapeutic treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Upregulation of cytokine-regulated cell surface receptors, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM) and endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM), on ECs and SMCs are used to target drug delivery vehicles. Recent studies demonstrate clustering of these molecules in lipid rafts may affect binding due to a nonhomogenous presentation of antibodies. We hypothesized that altering the antibody ratio for ICAM and ELAM (aICAM:aELAM) and mobility would influence cellular targeting. To alter antibody mobility, liposomes were prepared from either 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC, C18:1, Tm = −20 °C) or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC, C16:0, Tm = 42 °C) which are in the liquid crystalline (Lα) and gel phase (Lβ) at 37 °C, respectively. We report that cellular binding of DOPC immunoliposomes by ECs is maximal at an equimolar ratio of aICAM:aELAM whereas DPPC immunoliposomes showed no ratio dependence and binding was reduced by more than 2-fold. SMCs, which do not express ELAM, show a dependence on aICAM surface density. These results suggest that antibody mobility and molar ratio play a key role in increasing receptor-mediated cell targeting.
Commensal Host-Bacterial Relationships in the Gut

One potential outcome of the adaptive coevolution of humans and bacteria is the development of commensal relationships, where neither partner is harmed, or symbiotic relationships, where unique metabolic traits or other benefits are provided. Our gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a vast community of symbionts and commensals that have important effects on immune function, nutrient processing, and a broad range of other host activities. The current genomic revolution offers an unprecedented opportunity to identify the molecular foundations of these relationships so that we can understand how they contribute to our normal physiology and how they can be exploited to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Reaction of phenylglyoxal with arginine. The effect of buffers and pH.

Abstract Phenylglyoxal reacts much more rapidly with N2-acetylarginine than with either N2-acetyllysine or N-acetylcysteine. The rate of the reaction of phenylglyoxal with either N-acetylarginine or arginine increases with increasing pH from 7.5 to 11.5. The model reaction with arginine is much faster in bicarbonate, diethylamine, or triethylamine buffer than in N-ethylmorpholine, borate, phosphate, or Tris buffer. This activation by various buffers should be taken into consideration when glyoxal derivatives are used to modify arginyl residues.
Ultrastructural visualization of galactosyl residues in various alimentary epithelial cells with the peanut lectin-horseradish peroxidase procedure

A conjugate of peanut lectin with horseradish peroxidase (PL-HRP) has been employed for ultrastructural localization of glycoprotein with presumed terminal galactose residues in mouse alimentary epithelial cells. The PL-HRP conjugate imparted electron opacity in sites that stain at the light microscopic level, as for example, Golgi cisternae in surface epithelial cells of the stomach and in superficial and deep crypt cells and goblet cells of the large intestine. Ultrastructural staining revealed that Golgi cisternae intermediate between the trans and cis faces stained selectively in these sites. Secretion stored in secretory granules or Golgi vesicles in the cells lacked affinity for PL-HRP conjugate, however. Selective staining of intermediate Golgi cisternae in cells with unreactive secretory product is interpreted as indicating the site of galactosyl transferase activity and a location where galactose occurs transitorily as the terminal sugar in the glycoprotein side chains. The luminal aspect of the surface epithelial cells in the stomach and columnar cells in the colon also stained, but with some variability. Staining of these surfaces was considered possibly attributable to PL affinity of some of the secretory glycoprotein which, after absorbing to the cell surface, lost terminal sialic acid through action of luminal enzyme. PL-HRP conjugate stained granules in pancreatic zymogen cells near the block surface but not in other cells, presumably because of limited penetration of reagent. Secretion on the surface of pancreatic acinar cells or in the lumen also exhibited affinity for PL-HRP complex as did the luminal surface of gastric chief cells. Staining of secretion in the pancreatic zymogen cells and gastric chief cells for galactose appeared inconsistent with lack of evidence for presence of glycoprotein in these sites which failed to stain with the periodic acid-Schiff or periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate methods for demonstrating glycoprotein at the light and electron microscopic levels. This discrepancy points to possible selective binding of PL-HRP conjugate to a moiety other than terminal galactose of glycoprotein in a few histologic sites. These results demonstrate the applicability of the PL-HRP technique at the ultrastructural level and provide information concerning the chemical structure of epithelial cell glycoproteins and their biosynthesis.
Livermore time-sharing system for the CDC 7600

A time-sharing software system for the CDC 7600 is described. The user is provided with a file-based system and the means to communicate with the system via Teletype. All software was conceived and implemented by the computations staff at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Livermore; most of the programming is done in an extended FORTRAN.
Comparing ethical attitudes across cultures

Purpose – The current study aims to continue the investigation of cross‐cultural differences in attitudes towards business ethics.Design/methodology/approach – The current study compares the results of the attitudes towards business ethics questionnaire (ATBEQ) reported in the literature for samples from Israel, South Africa, Turkey, the USA, and Western Australia with a new sample from Jamaica and West Indies (n=139).Findings – The result indicate that, while there are some shared views towards business ethics across countries, significant differences do exist between Jamaica and three of the other countries in the study.Research limitations/implications – This study is limited by the use of respondents who are employees as well as students and the use of secondary data that limit the selection of statistical testing.Practical implications – As researchers continue to collect information concerning the ethical opinions of business people from varying countries, one's understanding of these cultural diffe...
Serum fetuin-A/alpha2-HS-glycoprotein in human pregnancies with normal and restricted fetal growth.

Objective. To investigate circulating concentrations of human fetuin-A (important fetal glycoprotein, involved in vascular pathology and bone metabolism) in mothers, fetuses and neonates from intrauterine-growth-restricted (IUGR, associated with low bone mass at birth and metabolic syndrome in adult life) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) pregnancies.Methods. Serum fetuin-A concentrations were prospectively measured in 40 mothers, the doubly-clamped umbilical cords (representing fetal state) and their 20 IUGR and 20 AGA full-term neonates on postnatal day 1 (N1) and 4 (N4).Results. No significant differences in fetuin-A concentrations were observed between groups, or between maternal, fetal and neonatal samples in both groups. In the AGA group, maternal fetuin-A concentrations positively correlated with fetal and N1 ones (r = 0.599, p = 0.005 and r = 0.469, p = 0.037, respectively). In the IUGR group, maternal fetuin-A concentrations positively correlated with N4 ones (r = 0.541, p = 0.014).Conclu...
First study of on-treatment volumetric imaging during respiratory gated VMAT

Purpose: To obtain on-treatment volumetric patient anatomy during respiratory gated volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: On-board imaging device integrated with Linacs offers a viable tool for obtaining patient anatomy during radiation treatment delivery. In this study, the authors acquired beam-level kV images during gated VMAT treatments using a Varian TrueBeam™STx Linac. These kV projection images are triggered by a respiratory gating signal and can be acquired immediately before treatment MV beam on at every breathing cycle during delivery. Because the kV images are acquired with an on-board imaging device during a rotational arc therapy, they provide the patient anatomical information from many different angles or projection views (typically 20–40). To reconstruct the volumetric image representing patient anatomy during the VMAT treatment, the authors used a compressed sensing method with a fast first-order optimization algorithm. The conventional FDK reconstruction was also used for comparison purposes. The method was tested on a dynamic anthropomorphic physical phantom as well as a lung patient. Results: The reconstructed volumetric images for a dynamic anthropomorphic physical phantom and a lung patient showed clearly visible soft-tissue target as well as other anatomical structures, with the proposed compressed sensing-based image reconstruction method. Compared with FDK, the compressed sensing method leads to a ∼two and threefold increase in contrast-to-noise ratio around the target area in the phantom and patient case, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed technique provides on-treatment volumetric patient anatomy, with only a fraction (<10%) of the imaging dose used in conventional CBCT procedures. This anatomical information may be valuable for geometric verification and treatment guidance, and useful for verification of treatment dose delivery, accumulation, and adaptation in the future.
A cause of painful clicking wrist: A case report

In a patient with symptomatic unilateral clicking of the wrist, a partial tear of the scapholunate ligament with subsequent scarring of the proximal third of the dorsal portion of the ligament had occurred. At operation the dorsomedial edge of the proximal pole of the scaphoid had snapped over the dorsal edge of the lunate as the palmar flexed wrist was being returned to a neutral position. Release of the scarred portion of the scapholunate ligament was associated with widening of the scapholunate joint space to normal dimensions and cessation of the clicking phenomenon. Fourteen months after operation there was complete relief of symptoms, a full range of wrist motion and no radiographic evidence of widening of the scapholunate space, ligamentous instability, or rotatory subluxation of the scaphoid.
Dimensional Characterization of Grinding Wheel Surface through Acoustic Emission

Abstract An approach is proposed for measuring the grinding wheel geometric characteristics by using the dressing tool as a touch probe and the acoustic emission level generated in the contact as a trigger for the dimensional measurement. The interaction between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel is experimentally studied. Three interaction levels are observed: turbulence, elastic and brittle. In the elastic contact the grinding wheel surface is not damaged by the dressing tool. This condition is investigated based in the topographic characteristics of the interacting surfaces. The analysis shows that it is possible to measure grinding wheel characteristics using this system.
SEARCH FOR HEAVY TRIPLETS IN COSMIC RAYS.

A search for heavy stable particles in cosmic rays has been concluded. While the experiment was particularly designed to detect heavy triplets which might form the bases of the ${\mathrm{SU}}_{3}$ symmetries observed in elementary particles, the results also concern particles of other possible origins. Particle detection was accomplished by means of a mass spectrograph which incorporated fast time-of-flight techniques and momentum analysis for the measurement of particle mass. The spectrograph had an aperture of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ sr, a time-of-flight resolution of 2.5 nsec, and a maximum detectable momentum greater than 300 $\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$. Measurements were made at an angle of 75\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} with respect to the zenith. Four possible heavy particles were found in 700 h of running, where estimates indicate that five background events were to be expected for the run. The results set an upper limit of 2.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ ${({\mathrm{cm}}^{2}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{r}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ to the flux of particles with a velocity between $0.5c$ and $0.75c$. Calculations based on plausible assumptions for triplet production in nucleon-nucleon interactions and based on the results of this experiment give an upper limit of about 2 \ensuremath{\mu}b for the production cross section of triplets of mass less than 15 $\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{{c}^{2}}$.
New perspectives in ecotoxicology

The task of regulating potentially harmful chemicals in the environment is presently hindered by the lack of appropriate concepts and methods for evaluating the effects of anthropogenic chemicals on ecosystems. Toxicity tests at the molecular and physiological levels have been used successfully as indicators of adverse effects on test organisms and have been extrapolated to humans to establish a basis for risk assessment. However, laboratory measurements of effects upon individuals do not translate readily into potential effects upon natural populations, in part because natural populations interact with other populations and with the physical environment. Even more difficult to assess are the deleterious impacts of anthropogenic chemicals on ecosystems, because of effects on species interactions, diversity, nutrient cycling, productivity, climatic changes, and other processes. Effects on ecosystems resulting from chemical stresses are outside the realm of classical toxicology, and an ecosystem-level perspective is essential for the consideration of such effects; but the science that deals with ecosystem-level effects,ecotoxicology, is still developing. This article synthesizes the topics discussed at a workshop on ecotoxicology held by the Ecosystems Research Center at Cornell University. Topics covered include: the regulatory framework in which ecotoxicological research must be applied; ecosystem modification of toxicant fate and transport; how ecosystem composition, structure, and function are influenced by chemicals; methods currently available for predicting the effects of chemicals at the ecosystem level; and recommendations on research needs to enhance the state of the science of ecotoxicology.
What do we really know about the magnetosheath

Abstract A comprehensive review is given of our current knowledge about the physical processes in the magnetosheath. Major breakthroughs on both theoretical and observational fronts occurred in the last few years in understanding the steady-state magnetosheath. These new results are changing our view of the magnetosheath. Significant progress was made in understanding the waves in the magnetosheath. There are new techniques that can predict the consequence of the solar wind variations in the magnetosheath. The nature of the solar wind-magnetopause interaction is becoming clear with these techniques. We are moving toward being able to forecast conditions extending from the solar wind monitor ahead of the bow shock to the magnetopause. Compared with other regions in space, the magnetosheath remains to be one of the most poorly understood regions and more work needs to be done.
Amplification of a Piscirickettsia salmonis-like 16S rDNA Product from Bacterioplankton DNA Collected from the Coastal Waters of Oregon, USA

Abstract Piscirickettsiosis is a disease observed in salmonids reared in net-pens in the North and South Pacific and in the North Atlantic oceans. Piscirickettsia salmonis, the etiologic agent of piscirickettsiosis, is a gram-negative, obligate, intracellular pathogen that replicates within cytoplasmic vacuoles. We describe here the detection, by dot-blot hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and sequence analysis, of a 16S rDNA sequence that is 99.5–98.2% similar to the 16S rDNA sequences of known isolates of P. salmonis.
Picosecond flash photolysis: Transient absorption in Sn(IV), Pd(II), and Cu(II) porphyrins

Abstract From picosecond flash photolysis and spectroscopy, the absorption spectra of the first excited singlet S 1 and of the first excited triplet T 1 of (OEP)SnCl 2 are determined; we also determine triplet quantum yield, φ t ≈ 0.80. Similar S 1 and T 1 phototransient absorption spectra occur in (OEP)Pd. However, two Cu porphyrins show only one phototransient absorption spectrum. Our T 1 absorption results are generally consistent with the available earlier spectroscopic studies made with other techniques. Our value for φ t lies intermediate between values given by two earlier studies, which were based on two different methods.
Comparison of two Meinhard nebulizers operating at the same argon flow but different pressures

Two Meinhard nebulizers were designed to operate at 0.8 lmin, one with a pressure of 31 psig and the other 46 psig. Both nebulizers had identical liquid uptake rates of 2 mlmin, uptake tube cross-sectional areas (A1), and uptake tube wall thicknesses. Values for Wtot and Stot were virtually identical for each nebulizer. The 31 psig nebulizer produced a larger volume of particles in the 1.1–2.5 μm range than the 46 psig model even though the mean tertiary D3,2 were 2.46 and 2.14 μm respectively. The 46 psig nebulizer produced a larger volume of particles < 1.1 μm. Inductively coupled plasma emission intensities for high excitation potential lines were enhanced at all observation heights and liquid flow rates with the 46 psig nebulizer. The effects of changing gas orifice area and other physical parameters of concentric nebulizers are discussed.
Strontium as an efficient promoter for supported palladium hydrogenation catalysts

Abstract The effect of strontium promotion is studied for a series of supported palladium catalysts such as Pd/zeolite-β, Pd/Al2O3, Pd/SiO2, Pd/hydrotalcite and Pd/MgO. Strontium is found to be an effective promoter for enhancing the metal area, percentage dispersion of the metal and therefore the hydrogenation activity of the different supported palladium catalysts with varying acid/base properties. The effect of addition of Sr and Pd onto the support by simultaneous and sequential impregnation methods is studied besides the effect of Sr/Pd ratio. It is revealed that when sequential addition of Sr and Pd by impregnation is advantageous for alumina, silica, magnesia and hydrotalcite supported palladium catalysts, simultaneous impregnation of Sr and Pd is found to be more effective for zeolite-β supported catalyst. This may be attributed to the microporous nature of the zeolite support that could cause the migration of Sr to its micropores thereby making them non-available for the promotional effect if added first. Addition of strontium is also found to enhance the basicity of the supported palladium catalysts. TPR studies suggest a change in the metal environment upon Sr-promotion indicating an electronic effect responsible for the improvement in the hydrogen adsorption capacity and hydrogenation activity. The promotional effect of Sr on the supported palladium catalysts is explained to be both electronic and physical in nature.
Reduction mechanisms of additives on Si anodes of Li-ion batteries.

Solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers are films deposited on the surface of Li-ion battery electrodes during battery charge and discharge processes. They are due to electrochemical instability of the electrolyte which causes electron transfer from (to) the anode (cathode) surfaces. The films could have a protective passivating role and therefore understanding the detailed reduction (oxidation) processes is essential. Here density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the reduction mechanisms of vinylene carbonate (VC) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) on lithiated silicon surfaces. These species are frequently used as “additives” to improve the SEI properties. It is found that on lithiated Si anodes (with low to intermediate degrees of lithiation) VC may be reduced via a 2e− mechanism yielding an opened VC2− anion. At higher degrees of lithiation, such a species receives two extra electrons from the surface resulting in an adsorbed CO2−(ads) anion and a radical anion ˙OC2H2O2−. Additionally, in agreement with experimental observations, it is shown that CO2 can be generated from reaction of VC with the CO32−anion, a product of the reduction of the main solvent, ethylene carbonate (EC). On the other hand, FEC reduction on LixSiy surfaces is found to be independent of the degree of lithiation, and occurs through three mechanisms. One of them leads to an adsorbed VC2− anion upon release from the FEC molecule and adsorption on the surface of F− and one H atom. Thus in some cases, the reduction of FEC may lead to the exact same reduction products as that of VC, which explains similarities in SEI layers formed in the presence of these additives. However, FEC may be reduced via two other multi-electron transfer mechanisms that result in formation of either CO22−, F−, and ˙CH2CHO− or CO2−, F−, and ˙OCH2CHO−. These alternative reduction products may oligomerize and form SEI layers with different components than those formed in the presence of VC. In all cases, FEC reduction also leads to formation of LiF moieties on the anode surface, in agreement with reported experimental data. The crucial role of the surface in each of these mechanisms is thoroughly explained.
Melatonin reduces interleukin secretion in amyloid-β stressed mouse brain slices

Abstract Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with many features of the immune system. For example, cytokines such as IL-6, synthesized by microglia and astrocytes, are associated with senile plaques. To further study the role of cytokines in early stage AD neurodegeneration, an organotypic mouse brain slice culture system with microglia and astrocytes was developed. Amyloid-β(Aβ1–40) induced the secretion of both IL-1β and IL-6. Melatonin, an antioxidant and pineal hormone, reduced interleukin secretion in a concentration dependent manner. We also observed that melatonin, alone, had no effect on IL-1β secretion but at a concentration of 500 μM induced the secretion of IL-6. This organotypic slice system can be used to study the early role of immune system molecules on neurodegeneration.
Resistive voltage in the mixed state of superconducting niobium in the presence of small oscillatory magnetic fields

The resistive voltage near the critical current in the mixed state of superconducting niobium foils has been measured in the presence of small oscillatory magnetic fields oriented parallel to the static magnetic field and perpendicular to the foil. The oscillatory field was found to cause an enhancement in the resistive voltage which depends on frequency and amplitude of the oscillatory field. The voltage increments show a maximum at a frequency ω* which varies with the static magnetic field and the specimen thickness and which depends very little on the lateral sample dimensions and the amplitude of the oscillatory field. The results are discussed in terms of eddy-current damping within the superconductor of an external magnetic field variation.
Necking Instability during Polydomain−Monodomain Transition in a Smectic Main-Chain Elastomer

The mechanical response and the evolution of director orientation are characterized in a smectic, main-chain liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) as it undergoes the familiar polydomain−monodomain (P−M) transition. Under uniaxial tension, the LCE behaves like an ordinary rubber-like network at low strains, and local director rotations are shown to slightly favor the perpendicular (“anomalous”) orientation of chain axes with respect to the draw direction. As strain increases, a well-defined yield stress is observed due to the onset of a necking instability. Macroscopic elongation proceeds by growth of the necked monodomain region, which appears to consume the non-necked polydomain region(s) at its boundaries. Within the necked region, the parallel (“normal”) orientation of chain axes with respect to the draw direction is strongly favored. The P−M transition is attributed to a change in the conformation of the elastic polymer backbones from hairpinned coils to extended chains. Under the conditions of temperat...
Choline Requirement and Synthesis in Laying Hens

Abstract INTRODUCTION SINCE its discovery in hog bile by Strecker (1862), the nutritional importance of choline has been increasingly recognized. It is considered by many nutritionists as a member of the B-complex group of vitamins and is a component of the widely distributed lecithin phospholipids found in egg yolk, liver, yeast, heart, brain and kidney (Best et al., 1932a, b, 1939; and Ewing, 1963). Choline also functions in methylation and demethylation reactions which are important in biological systems (Gillis and Norris, 1949; and Leach et al., 1966). It plays a vital role in growth promotion and as an antiperotic factor in chicks (Jukes, 1940a, b), and is involved in lipid mobilization in liver tissue of various animals (Atrom, 1958, 1960; Olson et al., 1958; Yoshida and Harper, 1960; Daghir and Balloun, 1961; Eric et al., 1965; and Rikans et al., 1965). To date, no quantitative requirement for dietary choline has been…
Satellite Global and Hemispheric Lower Tropospheric Temperature Annual Temperature Cycle

Previous analyses of the Earth’s annual cycle and its trends have utilized surface temperature data sets. Here we introduce a new analysis of the global and hemispheric annual cycle using a satellite remote sensing derived data set during the period 1979–2009, as determined from the lower tropospheric (LT) channel of the MSU satellite. While the surface annual cycle is tied directly to the heating and cooling of the land areas, the tropospheric annual cycle involves additionally the gain or loss of heat between the surface and atmosphere. The peak in the global tropospheric temperature in the 30 year period occurs on 10 July and the minimum on 9 February in response to the larger land mass in the Northern Hemisphere. The actual dates of the hemispheric maxima and minima are a complex function of many variables which can change from year to year thereby altering these dates.Here we examine the time of occurrence of the global and hemispheric maxima and minima lower tropospheric temperatures, the values of the annual maxima and minima, and the slopes and significance of the changes in these metrics. The statistically significant trends are all relatively small. The values of the global annual maximum and minimum showed a small, but significant trend. Northern and Southern Hemisphere maxima and minima show a slight trend toward occurring later in the year. Most recent analyses of trends in the global annual cycle using observed surface data have indicated a trend toward earlier maxima and minima.
Marine oil pollution index

A Marine Oil Pollution Index (MOPI) is presented to characterize the hydrocarbon burdens of marine tissues or sediments. The index incorporates the ratios of unresolved to resolved components, even n -alkanes to odd n -alkanes, and branched hydrocarbons to n -alkanes, plus the total recoverable aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations from gas chromatographic analysis, to yield a single value that can be used to compare the relative magnitude of oil contamination in a series of tissue or sediment samples. Several examples of tissue samples from the intertidal mussel Mytilus californianus are presented, along with results from the 1975-78 BLM Southern California Baseline Study and MMS-sponsored Georges Bank Monitoring Program, to demonstrate the usefulness of generating single index values for time-series or spatial trend analyses. MOPI values calculated for analyzed tissue samples reflect varying degrees of exposure, ranging from pristine to heavily petrogenic conditions. A MOPI value calculated for a drilling fluid sample containing diesel oil residues also reflects the heavily petrogenic contamination.
ARL 17477, a Potent and Selective Neuronal NOS Inhibitor Decreases Infarct Volume after Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats:

We tested the effects of administration of a selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor, ARL 17477, on ischemic cell damage and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), in rats subjected to transient (2 h) middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and 166 h of reperfusion (n = 48) and in rats without MCA occlusion (n = 25), respectively. Animals were administered ARL 17477 (i.v.): 10 mg/kg; 1 mg/kg; 3mg/kg; N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) 10 mg/kg L-NA 1 mg/kg; and Vehicle. Administration of ARL 17477 1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg reduced ischemic infarct volume by 53 (p 0.05). Administration of ARL 17477 (10 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased rCBF by 27 +/- 5.3 and 24 +/- 14.08% and cortical NOS activity by 86 +/- 14.9 and 91 +/- 8.9% at 10 min or 3 h, respectively, and did not alter mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). L-NA (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced rCBF by 23 +/- 9.8% and NOS activity by 81 +/- 7% and significantly (p < 0.05) increased MABP. Treatment with 3 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg ARL 17477 reduced rCBF by only 2.4 +/- 4.5 and 0%, respectively, even when NOS activity was reduced by 63 +/- 13.4 and 45 +/- 15.7% at 3 h, respectively, (p < 0.05). The data demonstrate that ARL 17477 inhibits nNOS in the rat brain and causes a dose-dependent reduction in infarct volume after transient MCA occlusion.