cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ON THE HYDROACOUSTICS OF A TRAILING EDGE WITH A DETACHED FLAP

Abstract An analysis is made of production of sound by low Mach number turbulent flow over the trailing edge of a hydrofoil with a single detached flap. Following the approach advocated by Professor Doak in 1960 (Proceedings of the Royal Society A 254 , 129–145), an aeroacoustic Green function is derived for a hydrofoil of large chord with a detached flap at relative angle of attack α ( α 2 ⪡1) when the chord of the flap is acoustically compact. The Green function can be used with data derived from direct numerical simulations of the unsteady hydrodynamic flow, and provides an effective means of calculating the radiation from a knowledge of the incompressible component of the flow in the edge region. The results permit a comparison to be made of the separate contributions to the production of sound by turbulence interacting with the trailing edge of the hydrofoil, the trailing edge of the flap, and with the leading edge of the flap. The side-edge noise of part-span flaps is not discussed. Formulae are given for calculating the “self-noise” produced at trailing edges by boundary layer instability; the efficiency of sound generation at the edge of the hydrofoil is shown to be typically at least 7 dB larger than that produced at the trailing edge of the flap. The impingement noise generated by small-scale turbulence interacting with the flap leading edge is expressed in terms of an equivalent dipole source equal to the fluctuating flap-lift force, acting at a distance l F to the rear of the main hydrofoil; l F is determined as a function of the flap dimensions, and does not normally exceed about twice the width h of the slot separating the hydrofoil and flap. The proximity of the dipole to the edge of the hydrofoil increases the efficiency of sound production by a factor proportional to h /( l F M ) where M ⪡1 is the characteristic edge flow Mach number, and modifies the directivity of the sound.
Effects of extended-release niacin on lipoprotein subclass distribution.

The efficacy of extended-release niacin (niacin ER) on lipoprotein subclasses was evaluated in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia using a proton nuclear magnetic resonance method. Paired plasma samples collected at baseline and after 12 weeks’ treatment with niacin ER 1,000 (n = 21) or 2,000 (n = 20) mg/day or placebo (n = 19) were available for 60 eligible patients from a previous multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Niacin ER increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein triglycerides in a dose-dependent manner relative to placebo. Niacin ER increased large HDL particles (H5 and H4, corresponding to the HDL2ab fraction) without having a net effect on small HDL particles (H3, H2, and H1, corresponding to the HDL3abc fraction). It also decreased smaller, denser LDL particles (L1 and L2) and increased the larger, more buoyant L3 subclass. The inhibitory effect of niacin ER on very low-density lipoprotein was evident on the larger particles (V6, V5, V4, and V3 subclasses) rather than the smaller ones (V2 and V1). The results show that niacin ER produces a beneficial effect on lipoprotein subclasses, specifically decreasing the more atherogenic small, dense LDL particles and enhancing the cardioprotective large HDL particles.
Fluorophobic Effect Induces the Self-Assembly of Semifluorinated Tapered Monodendrons Containing Crown Ethers into Supramolecular Columnar Dendrimers Which Exhibit a Homeotropic Hexagonal Columnar Liquid Crystalline Phase

The rational design, synthesis, and characterization of the building blocks obtained by the esterification of the first generation of tapered monodendrons 3,4,5-tris(p-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzoic acid (12-AG) and 3,4,5-tris[p-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoic acid (12-ABG) containing semifluorinated dodecyl groups [i.e., 12Fn-AG-15C5 (n = 0, 4, 6, 8), 12Fn-AG-B15C5, 12Fn-ABG-15C5, and 12Fn-ABG-B15C5 (n = 0 and 8) where n following the letter F represents the number of outer perfluorinated methylenic units of the dodecyl group] with 4‘-hydroxymethyl(benzo-15-crown-5) (B15C5) and 1-hydroxymethyl(15-crown-5) (15C5) are described. All building blocks self-assemble into supramolecular cylindrical or rod-like dendrimers via ion-mediated complexation processes. These rod-like supermolecules form a thermotropic hexagonal columnar (Φh) liquid crystalline (LC) phase. The fluorination of the dodecyl groups of these tapered building blocks enhances dramatically their self-assembly ability. The building blocks based on...
Myosin IC generates power over a range of loads via a new tension-sensing mechanism

Myosin IC (myo1c), a widely expressed motor protein that links the actin cytoskeleton to cell membranes, has been associated with numerous cellular processes, including insulin-stimulated transport of GLUT4, mechanosensation in sensory hair cells, endocytosis, transcription of DNA in the nucleus, exocytosis, and membrane trafficking. The molecular role of myo1c in these processes has not been defined, so to better understand myo1c function, we utilized ensemble kinetic and single-molecule techniques to probe myo1c’s biochemical and mechanical properties. Utilizing a myo1c construct containing the motor and regulatory domains, we found the force dependence of the actin-attachment lifetime to have two distinct regimes: a force-independent regime at forces < 1 pN, and a highly force-dependent regime at higher loads. In this force-dependent regime, forces that resist the working stroke increase the actin-attachment lifetime. Unexpectedly, the primary force-sensitive transition is the isomerization that follows ATP binding, not ADP release as in other slow myosins. This force-sensing behavior is unique amongst characterized myosins and clearly demonstrates mechanochemical diversity within the myosin family. Based on these results, we propose that myo1c functions as a slow transporter rather than a tension-sensitive anchor.
Intermediate filaments of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle distribution, isolation and polypeptide composition.

Abstract 1. 1. The distribution of intermediate filaments in bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle was studied. 2. 2. These filaments contained at least two polypeptides of 43,000 and 55,000 dallons. 3. 3. The 55,000 dalton polypeptide was purified by ion-exchange chromatography. 4. 4. The amino acid compositions of the polypeptides were determined. 5. 5. The 55,000 dalton polypeptide and a mixture of the 43,000 and 55,000 dalton polypeptide reassembled into structures similar to native intermediate filaments.
Viewing condition dependence of the gaze-evoked nystagmus in Arnold Chiari type 1 malformation

Saccadic eye movements rapidly shift gaze to the target of interest. Once the eyes reach a given target, the brainstem ocular motor integrator utilizes feedback from various sources to assure steady gaze. One of such sources is cerebellum whose lesion can impair neural integration leading to gaze-evoked nystagmus. The gaze evoked nystagmus is characterized by drifts moving the eyes away from the target and a null position where the drifts are absent. The extent of impairment in the neural integration for two opposite eccentricities might determine the location of the null position. Eye in the orbit position might also determine the location of the null. We report this phenomenon in a patient with Arnold Chiari type 1 malformation who had intermittent esotropia and horizontal gaze-evoked nystagmus with a shift in the null position. During binocular viewing, the null was shifted to the right. During monocular viewing, when the eye under cover drifted nasally (secondary to the esotropia), the null of the gaze-evoked nystagmus reorganized toward the center. We speculate that the output of the neural integrator is altered from the bilateral conflicting eye in the orbit position secondary to the strabismus. This could possibly explain the reorganization of the location of the null position.
Platyamoeba nucleolilateralis n. sp. from the Chesapeake Bay Region

Members of the genus Platyamoeba are among the most common of the free-living brackish and marine amoebae; yet, to date only twelve species have been documented in the literature and only a limited number of habitats have been sampled globally. During the course of a systematic survey of salt-marsh amoebae along the east coast of the United States, a new species of Platyamoeba was discovered in sediment samples obtained from a salt marsh at Assateague Island, VA. The species can be distinguished from all other described species within the genus by the presence of a nucleus with a single parietal nucleolus and a floating form with long tapering pseudopods. Its shape varies from flabellate to spatulate as described for species of Platyamoeba and Vannella. The fine structure of the glycocalyx, however, is characteristic of Platyamoeba.
Cloning and sequencing the Lactobacillus brevis gene encoding xylose isomerase.

Abstract The gene ( xylA ) coding for the Lactobacillus brevis xylose isomerase (Xi) has been isolated and its complete nucleotide sequence determined. L. brevis Xi was purified and the N-terminal sequence determined. All attempts to directly clone the intact xylA using a degenerative primer deduced from amino acids (aa) 10–14 were not successful. A fragment coding for the first 462 bp from the 5′ end of xylA was isolated by PCR with two primers, one coding for aa M 36 to W 43 and the second coding for an aa sequence (WGGREG) conserved in a number of Xi's isolated from other bacteria. From the sequence of this fragment, two additional PCR primers were synthesized, which were used in an ‘outward’ reaction to clone a 546-bp fragment including a region upstream from the N terminus. Finally, the complete xylA gene was cloned in a 0.43-kb Nla III- Sal I fragment and a 1.9-kb Sal I- Eco RI fragment. The 449-aa sequence for the L. brevis Xi shows homology with Xis isolated from other bacteria, especially within the primary catalytic domains of the enzyme.
Nonlinear interface optical switch structure for dual mode switching revisited

There is a need for devices which will allow integration of photonic/optical computing subsystems into electronic computing architectures. This presentation reviews the nonlinear interface optical switch (NIOS) concept and then describes a new effect, the erasable optical memory (EOM) effect. We evaluate an extension of the NIOS device to allow simultaneous optical/electronic, i.e. dual mode, switching of light utilizing the EOM effect. Specific devices involve the fabrication of thin film tungsten (VI) oxide (WO 3 ) and tungsten (V) oxide (W 2 O 5 ) on the hypotenuse of glass (BK-7), fused silica (SiO 2 ) and zinc selenide (ZnSe) right angle prisms. Chemical reactions and temporal response tests were performed and are discussed.
An International Perspective on the Privatisation of Corrections

Abstract: The recent debate about corrections' privatisation neglects the extensive overlap of business, political and private interests which shapes public corrections policy. Based on current developments in England/Wales, Canada and the US, it is possible to identify an international corrections—commercial complex. As George Orwell reflected in 1934: Of course we keep the peace in our own interest, but what does all this law and order business boil down to? More banks and more prisons - that's all it means. we should chuck it quickly enough if it didn't pay. (Orwell 1934)
Selective Inhibition of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase by an Antiviral Inhibitor, (R)-9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine

(R)-9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA) is an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of AIDS although it has a shorter separation between the adenine and phosphorus than dideoxy-AMP and dAMP. By using pre-steady state kinetic methods, we examined the incorporation of the diphosphate of PMPA, 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine 5′-triphosphate (ddATP), and dATP catalyzed by wild-type human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase, an exonuclease-deficient T7 DNA polymerase (T7 exo−), and wild-type rat DNA polymerase β in order to evaluate the selectivity of PMPA as an antiviral inhibitor. With a DNA/DNA or DNA/RNA 22/43-mer duplex, the diphosphate of PMPA (PMPApp) is as effective as ddATP in reactions catalyzed by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in that both analogs have similar substrate specificity constants (k p /K d) which are only 5-fold lower than dATP. In contrast, PMPApp is a much weaker inhibitor of the reaction catalyzed by T7 exo−(with the DNA/DNA 22/43-mer duplex) in that PMPApp has a 5 × 10−4-fold lowerk p /K d than ddATP and dATP. The lower k p /K d of PMPApp is due to a 1000–2000-fold lower incorporation rate (k p) and a 35–45-fold lower binding constant (K d). Similarly, PMPApp is 800-fold less inhibitory toward polymerase β with the DNA/DNA 22/43-mer duplex, whereas in studies with a single nucleotide gapped DNA (22–20/43-mer) PMPApp is 13-fold less inhibitory than ddATP. Although parallel studies will need to be performed using appropriate human polymerases, these results begin to define the mechanistic basis for the reported lower toxicity of PMPA in the treatment of AIDS.
Voluntary conversion of convertible securities and the optimal call strategy

Abstract We provide an explanation of why convertibles are called long after the conversion value exceeds the call price. Delaying the call benefits the firm if enough investors are expected to delay their voluntary conversions. Consistent with this theory, we document that a substantial number of investors do not voluntarily convert when the common dividend exceeds the convertible's dividend plus its premium over conversion value. We find that firms would not have increased common stock returns by switching to the strategy of calling to force conversion as soon as possible. Surprisingly, we find that convertible preferreds frequently sell below conversion value.
Tumors of the perionychium

Most tumors of the perionychium are benign. Local tumor cell lines of origin include bone, cartilage, periocyte, nerve, fibrous connective tissue, and skin. The nailbed itself is made up of epithelium and a rich supply of blood vessels and nerves. The nail plate is intimately adherent to the underlying nailbed. Any deformity of the nailbed therefore translates to an irregularity of the nail plate. In the absence of trauma, changes in the nail plate such as grooving, splitting, decreased sheen, or nonadherence may be indicative of underlying tumor growth. In this article, perionychial tumors are divided into benign or malignant and primary or metastatic, and described in terms of their cell line of origin.
Ions at the Liquid/Vapor Interface of Methanol

We studied ions at the liquid/vapor interface of methanol using classical molecular dynamics techniques. Polarizable potential models were used to describe interactions among species. We characterized the transport mechanism of an iodide anion across the methanol interface. The computed potential of mean force showed a relatively small minimum well depth (i.e., −0.60 kcal/mol) located inside the Gibbs dividing surface. During the constrained mean force simulations, we found the iodide anion carrying some methanol molecules with it as it crossed the dividing interface. The computed density profiles of the salt NaI methanol interface indicated that the iodide anions were found nearer to the interface than the sodium cations, and no well-defined maxima were found for neither ion near the interface. By comparing this result with the corresponding result obtained from a simulation of the NaI saltwater interface, we can conclude that the probability of finding iodide anions at the liquid/vapor of water interfac...
The Cost of Doing Nothing

As the U.S. congress grapples for solutions to the economic crisis, it is critical to recognize that rebuilding and modernizing infrastructure will be a key driver of economic growth. Recent reports issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),* the Urban Land Institute,† and Building America's Future‡ have described the deterioration of the nation's energy, water, and transportation infrastructure. This week, ASCE convenes its annual meeting, gathering international scientists, engineers, policy-makers, and educators to share sustainable solutions across a broad spectrum of concerns in the natural and built environment. Key among the discussions will be the role of scientists and engineers in developing effective public policy, helping to produce an infrastructure that incorporates new materials, technologies, and strategies to improve environmental and social well-being.
Backscattered UV radiation - Effects of multiple scattering and the lower boundary of the atmosphere

A method is proposed for the calculation of a multiple-scattering correction to the single-scattering calculation of the radiance of the terrestrial atmosphere resulting from backscattered ultraviolet solar radiation in the spectral region used in the ozone profile inversion. This method uses jointly the usual analytical and Monte Carlo methods. Effects of the lower boundary of the atmosphere, cloud tops, and ground surface are investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The ratio of multiple to single scattering is determined, and its importance in ozone profile inversion of backscattered UV solar radiation from the terrestrial atmosphere is evaluated. The polarization of the atmospheric radiance is treated briefly.
Oral contraceptives and breast cancer

Among women in general the risk of breast cancer through 59 years of age does not appear to be affected appreciably by the use of oral contraceptives. Nonetheless, concern continues to be expressed about the effects of early age at first use, long-term duration of use, formulation, and a variety of other factors thought to influence breast cancer risk in the presence of oral contraception. A number of recent studies restricted to young women suggest that long-term use may increase the risk of disease occurring very early,but the present lack of consistent findings in well-conducted epidemiologic studies prevents any certain conclusion with regard to cause-and-effect. However, if an increased risk were indeed present, the most plausible interpretation is that long-term oral contraception promotes earlier clinical manifestation of breast cancer in some women while having no net impact on their lifetime risk of the disease.
Micelle-to-vesicle transition of an iron-chelating microbial surfactant, marinobactin E

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques have been applied to study the self-assembly processes of a microbially produced siderophore, marinobactin E (ME). ME is one of a series of marinobactins A-E that facilitate Fe(III) acquisition by the source bacterium through coordination of Fe(III) by the marinobactin headgroup. ME is a six-amino-acid peptide amphiphile appended by palmitic acid (C16), and differs only in the nature of the fatty acid moiety from the other marinobactins. Apo-ME (uncoordinated ME) assembles to form micelles with an average diameter of 4.0 nm. Upon coordination of one equivalent of Fe(III), the mean micellar diameter of Fe(III)-ME shrinks to approximately 2.8 nm. However, in the presence of excess Fe(III), Fe(III)-ME undergoes a micelle-to-vesicle transition (MVT). At a small excess of Fe(III) over Fe(III)-ME (i.e., <1.2 Fe(III)/ME), a fraction of the Fe(III)-ME micelles rearrange into approximately 200 nm diameter unilamellar vesicles. At even greater Fe(III)/ME ratios (e.g., 2-3) multilamellar aggregates begin to emerge, consistent with either multilamellar vesicles or lamellar stacks. The MVT exhibited by ME may represent a unique mechanism by which marine bacteria may detect and sequester iron required for growth.
The role of APL and J in high-performance computation

Although multicomputers are becoming feasible for solving large problems, they are difficult to program: Extraction of parallelism from scalar languages is possible, but limited. Parallelism in algorithm design is difficult for those who think in von Neumann terms. Portability of programs and programming skills can only be achieved by hiding the underlying machine architecture from the user, yet this may impact performance on a specific host.APL, J, and other applicative array languages with adequately rich semantics can do much to solve these problems. The paper discusses the value of abstraction and semantic richness, performance issues, portability, potential degree of parallelism, data distribution, process creation, communication and synchronization, frequency of program faults, and clarity of expression. The BLAS are used as a basis for comparison with traditional supercomputing languages.
Shunt-related intracranial abscess caused by Staphylococcus lugdunensis in a hydranencephalic patient.

Background Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus with aggressive and rapidly progressive infectious behavior. This organism has emerged as an important pathogen implicated in both community-acquired and nosocomial infections, including meningitis, brain abscess, catheter-related bacteremia, and ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. Case Description We report the first known case of Staphylococcus lugdunensis intracranial abscess in a pediatric hydranencephalic patient, caused by a ventriculoperitoneal shunt–related infection. Further magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed a large abscess within the cranium that demonstrated multiple loculations. The patient received externalization of the right occipital ventricular catheter with evacuation of the brain abscess. Medical management included one week of intrathecal antibiotic treatment, and she was discharged on long-term intravenous rifampin and vancomycin, leading to cure of the infection. Conclusion This case suggests that if Staphylococcus lugdunensis is identified, a virulent and prolonged clinical course with the production of destructive lesions, similar to those with S. aureus , should be expected. A course of antibiotic therapy and aggressive management that may include surgical treatment will be needed.
Effects of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) on trypanosomatid flagellates: inhibition of growth and nucleoside incorporation in Trypanosoma brucei.

SYNOPSIS. Methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) at 0.5 mm had little effect in vitro on Blastocrithidia culicis, Crithidia oncopelti, and Leishmania spp., but completely inhibited growth of Trypanosoma brucei. Inhibition became irreversible after a 3-h exposure of T. brucei culture procyclics. Treated organisms remained motile, but failed to divide. Polyamines, spermidine, and spermine, did not reverse the anti-trypanosome action of MGBG (preloading of cells or concurrent administration). Two intraperitoneal injections of the drug at a concentration of 50 mg kg body weight at a 1-day interval greatly reduced the parasitemia of T. brucei and T. congolense in rats. Trypanosome infections, however, relapsed and killed the animals in 6 days after treatment. It was evident from the results of tracer experiments with T. brucei that MGBG significantly lowered incorporation of [3H]thymidine by culture procyclics and of [3H]uridine by bloodstream forms; in both stages [3H]leucine incorporation was only slightly inhibited. It is suggested that MGBG interferes with nucleoside incorporation by Trypanosoma and that its mode of action is different in bloodstream and culture procyclics.
Temporal and spectral imaging with micro-CT.

Purpose: Micro-CT is widely used for small animal imaging in preclinical studies of cardiopulmonary disease, but further development is needed to improve spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and material contrast. We present a technique for visualizing the changing distribution of iodine in the cardiac cycle with dual source micro-CT. Methods: The approach entails a retrospectively gated dual energy scan with optimized filters and voltages, and a series of computational operations to reconstruct the data. Projection interpolation and five-dimensional bilateral filtration (three spatial dimensions + time + energy) are used to reduce noise and artifacts associated with retrospective gating. We reconstruct separate volumes corresponding to different cardiac phases and apply a linear transformation to decompose these volumes into components representing concentrations of water and iodine. Since the resulting material images are still compromised by noise, we improve their quality in an iterative process that minimizes the discrepancy between the original acquired projections and the projections predicted by the reconstructed volumes. The values in the voxels of each of the reconstructed volumes represent the coefficients of linear combinations of basis functions over time and energy. We have implemented the reconstruction algorithm on a graphics processing unit (GPU) with CUDA. We tested the utilitymore » of the technique in simulations and applied the technique in an in vivo scan of a C57BL/6 mouse injected with blood pool contrast agent at a dose of 0.01 ml/g body weight. Postreconstruction, at each cardiac phase in the iodine images, we segmented the left ventricle and computed its volume. Using the maximum and minimum volumes in the left ventricle, we calculated the stroke volume, the ejection fraction, and the cardiac output. Results: Our proposed method produces five-dimensional volumetric images that distinguish different materials at different points in time, and can be used to segment regions containing iodinated blood and compute measures of cardiac function. Conclusions: We believe this combined spectral and temporal imaging technique will be useful for future studies of cardiopulmonary disease in small animals.« less
Dietary Omega-3 Lipids Delay the Onset and Progression of Autoimmune Lupus Nephritis by Inhibiting Transforming Growth Factor β mRNA and Protein Expression

The present study was carried out to test whether transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) plays a pathological role in the induction or progression of glomerulonephritis in a murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and whether dietary supplementation with fish oil (FO) can modulate the expression of TGF beta. Weanling female (NZB x NZW) F1 (B/W) mice were divided into three groups. One group was fed an unmanipulated diet (lab. chow; LC) and the other two groups were fed a nutritionally adequate semipurified diet supplemented with 10% CO or FO. Both water and food were provided ad libitum. Proteinuria and serum anti-dsDNA antibody levels were measured to assess disease progression. Mice were killed at 3.5 and 6.5 months of age and renal mRNA levels for TGF beta isoforms, fibronectin-1 (FN-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were studied by Northern blot analysis. TGF beta 1 protein levels were also examined in kidneys by Western blot analysis. Our results indicate that at 3.5 months of age, when urinary protein levels were undetectable and very low levels of anti-dsDNA were detected, no mRNA signal could be detected for TGF beta isoforms, ICAM-1 and FN-1 in either dietary group. However, at 6.5 months, the FO-fed mice, compared to LC and CO, had [1] greatly reduced proteinuria (LC: 2-3+, CO: 2-3+; FO: trace -1+) and serum anti-dsDNA antibodies; [2] improved survival (CO: 100% death (15/15) occurred by 8 months; FO: 50% were alive at 12 months (8/15) and [3] reduced renal TGF beta 1 mRNA and protein levels. TGF beta 2 and beta 3 were not significantly affected by FO diet. Similarly, lower levels of renal FN-1 and ICAM-1 mRNA were observed in FO fed mice. These data indicate that in B/W mice on a FO diet, prolonged survival and amelioration of renal disease may be attributed at least in part to lower levels of TGF beta 1 mRNA and protein in the kidneys.
Determination of Minimum State Preview Time to Prevent Vehicle Rollover

This research focuses on determining the minimum preview time needed to predict and prevent vehicle rollover. Statistics show that although rollover only occurs in 2.2% of total highway crashes, it accounts for 10.7% of total fatalities. There are several dynamic rollover metrics in use that measure a vehicle’s rollover propensity under specified conditions. However, in order to prevent a rollover event from occurring, it is necessary to predict a vehicle’s future rollover propensity. This research uses a novel vehicle rollover metric, called the zero-moment point (ZMP), to predict a vehicle’s rollover propensity. Comparing different amounts of preview, the results show that short-range predictions — as little as 0.75 seconds ahead of the vehicle — are sufficient to prevent nearly all dynamics-induced rollovers in typical shoulders and medians.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Drosophila has several genes for gap junction proteins

Abstract The Innexin gene family forms gap junctions in invertebrates. Many genes in this family have been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, but only two in Drosophila. We have used PCR techniques to identify three new members of this family from Drosophila. These are designated pas-related proteins (prp) 6, 7, and 33. The putative proteins coded by these new genes show 25–35% identity and 39–66% similarity to other Drosophila innexins and share a similar hydrophobicity profile. The genes form two small clusters on the X-chromosome, with three of the genes sitting within 10 kb of each other. The closeness in sequence and location suggests an evolutionary origin of these genes via local duplication. In situ hybridization shows expression in the CNS, gut and epidermis. Each gene has a distinct pattern of expression in different tissues at different developmental times. However, parts of the expression patterns overlap, especially for prp33 and ogre which may be expressed from the same transcriptional enhancers. This suggest that the Prp33 and Ogre proteins may join in forming heteromeric gap junction channels.
Sea-ice algae: Major contributors to primary production and algal biomass in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during May/June 2002

Abstract Sea-ice and water samples were collected at 14 stations on the shelves and slope regions of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during the spring 2002 expedition as part of the Shelf–Basin Interaction Studies. Algal pigment content, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, and primary productivity were estimated for both habitats based on ice cores, brine collection and water samples from 5-m depth. The pigment content (0.2–304.3 mg pigments m −2 ) and primary productivity (0.1–23.0 mg C m −3 h −1 ) of the sea-ice algae significantly exceeded water-column parameters (0.2 and 1.0 mg pigments m −3 ; −3 h −1 ), making sea ice the habitat with the highest food availability for herbivores in early spring in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Stable isotope signatures for ice and water samples did not differ significantly for δ 15 N, but for δ 13 C (ice: −25.1‰ to −14.2‰; water: −26.1‰ to −22.4‰). The analysis of nutrient concentrations and the pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorescence signal of ice algae and phytoplankton indicate that nutrients were the prime limiting factor for sea-ice algal productivity. The estimated spring primary production of about 1–2 g C m −2 of sea-ice algae on the shelves requires the use of substantial nutrient reservoirs from the water column.
Clinical correlates of anxious depression among elderly patients with depression.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical correlates of comorbid anxiety and depression in a sample of older patients with major depression. Methods 352 patients aged 59 and older with major depression were enrolled in the Study of Depression in Later Life at Duke University, of whom 148 met criteria for lifetime generalized anxiety disorder. Participants completed self-report assessments of performance in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, social support, suicidal ideation, life satisfaction, and stressful life events. Cognitive assessment was done with the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results The prevalence of lifetime anxiety in our depressed sample was 42%. Patients with anxious depression were significantly younger, and had greater suicidal ideation, more impairment of subjective social support, and more severe depressive symptoms. Conclusion In elderly patients with anxious depression, psychosocial support and suicidal ideation should be assessed. Whether improvement of subjective social support leads to reduction in anxious depression should be investigated.
Self‐Efficacy, Decision‐Making, and Stages of Change: An Integrative Model of Physical Exercise

Exercise has important health benefits but a large proportion of the population is physically inactive. We examined the stages of readiness to exercise and their relationship to self-efficacy, the costs and benefits of exercising, and self-report of physical activity in a sample of Rhode Island worksites. Using a three-step model-building approach, exploratory principal components analyses were followed by an examination of the stages of change model with confirmatory structural equation modeling procedures. The model was then examined with longitudinal data. Confirmatory and longitudinal analyses showed an excellent tit between the model and the data. Results indicated that the costs and benefits of exercise and self-efficacy for exercise were related to physical activity only indirectly, through the mediation of stage of readiness to exercise. Structural modeling fit indices revealed that much of the variation and covariation in physical activity was explained by the model. There is the potential to enhance the impact of exercise interventions, by targeting them so as to address factors related to these different stages of readiness.
The creation of ionized tail rays in comets

Abstract Energetic electrons at a bow shock surface profusely ionize easily ionizable cometary molecules. They then accelerate them along interplanetary magnetic field lines to the highly anisotropic velocity distributions the cometary ions are observed to have. The density of ionizable molecules (CO, N 2 in particular) is critical. The electrons escape along the field lines unless enough heavy ions are produced to electrostatically trap the electrons and enable them to complete their ionization up to 300 ions cm −3 . The ambipolar diffusion of the electrons along the field lines accelerates the ions along the field lines up to energies of hundreds of electron volts. The energy of the ions perpendicular to the field lines remains only a few eV, at most, as is evident from the observed extreme narrowness of the rays.
Multimedia traffic analysis and control in a high-speed medical communications environment

Transmission rates in today's networks, and in their high-speed counterparts such as IEEE 802.6 and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), will be inadequate to meet the projected high-bandwidth demand of real-time multimedia applications. Among the potential high-bandwidth services, medical applications such as teleradiology, teleconsulting, dynamic radiation treatment planning, electronic image storage and retrieval, electronic library, and electronic claim processing are of great importance towards realizing an efficient and cost-effective health care system. Recent developments in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) based broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) created new opportunities for supporting bandwidth-hungry multimedia real-time traffic, a fundamental requirement for medical communications. In a medical communications environment several traffic classes associated with different applications have to be supported. Transmission of these varied media sources over a wide area under strict intermedia synchronization and bounded-delay requirements creates a new set of problems for the underlying network. Thus, new communication protocols, congestion control and synchronization schemes need to be provided with a spectrum of reliability levels and real-time characteristics to support a wide range of quality of service requirements indicated by each media type with respect to individual applications. However, a basic necessity in developing these traffic control and management schemes is a thorough understanding of the basic traffic characteristics, and how they can be supported in an integrated environment.
Residual stress in carbon fiber embedded in epoxy, studied by simultaneous measurement of applied stress and electrical resistance

Due to the thermal contraction of the epoxy embedding a carbon fiber after curing, the fiber exhibited a compressive residual stress which caused the electrical resistivity of the fiber to increase by 10%. Subsequent application of tension to the exposed ends of the embedded fiber reduced the residual stress, thereby causing the resistivity to decrease reversibly back to its value prior to embedding. The tensile stress (1320 MPa) required for this to happen was the residual stress in the fiber direction. Excessive tensile stress caused the resistivity to increase, due to fiber damage.
Efficient use of overlap information in speaker diarization

Speaker overlap in meetings is thought to be a significant contributor to error in speaker diarization, but it is not clear if overlaps are problematic for speaker clustering and/or if errors could be addressed by assigning multiple labels in overlap regions. In this paper, we look at these issues experimentally, assuming perfect detection of overlaps, to assess the relative importance of these problems and the potential impact of overlap detection. With our best features, we find that detecting overlaps could potentially improve diarization accuracy by 15% relative, using a simple strategy of assigning speaker labels in overlap regions according to the labels of the neighboring segments. In addition, the use of cross-correlation features with MFCC's reduces the performance gap due to overlaps, so that there is little gain from removing overlapped regions before clustering.
Reduced neointima formation after arterial injury in CD4-/- mice is mediated by CD8+CD28hi T cells.

Background CD8+ T-cell activation, characterized by increased CD28 expression, reduces neointima formation after arterial injury in mice. The CD8+CD28hi phenotype is associated with increased effector function. In this study, we used a mouse model that has CD8+ but no CD4+ T cells (CD4−/−) to assess the role of CD8+ T cells and test the function of CD8+CD28hi T cells in modulating neointima formation after arterial injury. Methods and Results Neointima formation after pericarotid arterial cuff injury was significantly less in CD4−/− mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Negligible baseline lytic activity by splenic CD8+ T cells from uninjured WT mice against target syngeneic smooth muscle cells was significantly increased 7 days after injury. Interestingly, CD8+ T cells from uninjured CD4−/− mice had significant lytic activity at baseline that remained elevated 7 days after injury. CD8+ T-cell lytic activity was significantly reduced by depletion of CD28hi cells. CD8+CD28hi T cells adoptively transferred into recipient Rag-1−/− mice significantly reduced neointima formation compared with CD8+CD28+ T-cell recipient mice. Conclusions CD8+ T cells reduced neointima formation after arterial injury, attributed in part to increased function of the CD8+CD28hi phenotype.
Two robot arms in assembly by using impulsive information

When two robot arms execute coordinated motions in assembly, collision between the two end-effectors cannot be avoided. The collision effects on the two coordinating robots include two aspects: abrupt velocity changes of the robot joints and impulsive forces exerting on the contact point as well as on robot joints. Since the direction of the impulsive force exerting on the contact point is related to the relative position and orientation of the two mating parts, the impulsive force can be used to detect the alignment errors of the two end-effectors. Thus a new assembly method is proposed in this article. The new method uses impulsive information to adjust the position and orientation errors of the two robot arms in assembly, rather than employing a compliance mechanism. The advantage of the new method is that the jamming problem, which is usually associated with compliance methods, never takes place. To make the method practically useful, wrist force sensors are suggested to installed at the wrist of each robot. Dynamic relations between the sensed information and the impulsive force at the contact point are then established. The sensed information thus becomes useful in analyzing the alignment situation. Finally, practical cases are studied to illustrate the use of the new assembly method.
Fossil eggs from the lower Miocene Legetet formation of Koru, Kenya: Snail or lizard?

In 1968 a partially eroded fossil achatinid gastropod, Limicolaria (?=Achatina), was found in a red paleosol horizon of the Lower Miocene Legetet Formation, near Koru, Kenya. This snail contains at...
A review of statistical data association for motion correspondence

Motion correspondence is a fundamental problem in computer vision and many other disciplines. This article describes statistical data association techniques originally developed in the context of target tracking and surveillance and now beginning to be used in dynamic motion analysis by the computer vision community. The Mahalanobis distance measure is first introduced before discussing the limitations of nearest neighbor algorithms. Then, the track-splitting, joint likelihood, multiple hypothesis algorithms are described, each method solving an increasingly more complicated optimization. Real-time constraints may prohibit the application of these optimal methods. The suboptimal joint probabilistic data association algorithm is therefore described. The advantages, limitations, and relationships between the approaches are discussed.
Changes in prescription habits with the introduction of generic fluoxetine.

ABSTRACT When the patent on fluoxetine expired in 2001, prices for it fell sharply and marketing decreased. We investigated how market share for fluoxetine changed with the introduction of the generic. Prescribing information was tracked at a military hospital where providers knew the cost of medication, but were not compelled to use the cheaper form. Market share for fluoxetine among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was observed for the 64 months surrounding the introduction, and changes were examined by linear regression analysis. Results showed that in the 32 months before the introduction of the generic, fluoxetine maintained a relatively steady share of prescriptions. After the introduction of the generic, fluoxetine steadily lost market share over time. No significant relationship could be seen between drug company visits and gains for their individual products. Examination of all Department of Defense prescriptions for the 16 months surrounding the introduction of generic fluoxetine showed a...
Biaryl Amides and Hydrazones as Therapeutics for Prion Disease in Transgenic Mice

The only small-molecule compound demonstrated to substantially extend survival in prion-infected mice is a biaryl hydrazone termed “Compd B” (4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde,2-[4-(5-oxazolyl)phenyl]hydrazone). However, the hydrazone moiety of Compd B results in toxic metabolites, making it a poor candidate for further drug development. We developed a pharmacophore model based on diverse antiprion compounds identified by high-throughput screening; based on this model, we generated biaryl amide analogs of Compd B. Medicinal chemistry optimization led to multiple compounds with increased potency, increased brain concentrations, and greater metabolic stability, indicating that they could be promising candidates for antiprion therapy. Replacing the pyridyl ring of Compd B with a phenyl group containing an electron-donating substituent increased potency, while adding an aryl group to the oxazole moiety increased metabolic stability. To test the efficacy of Compd B, we applied bioluminescence imaging (BLI), which was previously shown to detect prion disease onset in live mice earlier than clinical signs. In our studies, Compd B showed good efficacy in two lines of transgenic mice infected with the mouse-adapted Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) strain of prions, but not in transgenic mice infected with human prions. The BLI system successfully predicted the efficacies in all cases long before extension in survival could be observed. Our studies suggest that this BLI system has good potential to be applied in future antiprion drug efficacy studies.
The Effectiveness of Various Sanitizing Agents in the Reduction of Green Rot Spoilage in Washed Eggs

Abstract FARM washed eggs create a serious marketing problem for many egg handlers and distributors. Spoilage, especially in washed eggs becomes particularly acute in areas or times of surplus production as eggs must then be shipped to distant markets or held in storage until market conditions improve. In either case the period between washing and consumption is long enough for bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas to cause sour eggs or green rot spoilage which may become a serious problem in a period of 3 to 4 weeks. Besides representing an appreciable loss to the distributor, green rot eggs are even more serious from the standpoint of marketing a quality pack to consumers. Because of its progressive nature there is no way to keep this type of spoilage out of the cartons once the eggs have become contaminated with spoilage bacteria. Losses due to spoilage of washed eggs are ultimately borne by …
Xplus: a SQL-tuning-aware query optimizer

The need to improve a suboptimal execution plan picked by the query optimizer for a repeatedly run SQL query arises routinely. Complex expressions, skewed or correlated data, and changing conditions can cause the optimizer to make mistakes. For example, the optimizer may pick a poor join order, overlook an important index, use a nested-loop join when a hash join would have done better, or cause an expensive, but avoidable, sort to happen. SQL tuning is also needed while tuning multi-tier services to meet service-level objectives. The difficulty of SQL tuning can be lessened considerably if users and higher-level tuning tools can tell the optimizer: "I am not satisfied with the performance of the plan p being used for the query Q that runs repeatedly. Can you generate a (δ%) better plan?" This paper designs, implements, and evaluates Xplus which, to our knowledge, is the first query optimizer to provide this feature. Xplus goes beyond the traditional plan-first-execute-next approach: Xplus runs some (sub)plans proactively, collects monitoring data from the runs, and iterates. A nontrivial challenge is in choosing a small set of plans to run. Xplus guides this process efficiently using an extensible architecture comprising SQL-tuning experts with different goals, and a policy to arbitrate among the experts. We show the effectiveness of Xplus on real-life tuning scenarios created using TPC-H queries on a PostgreSQL database.