cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) to Herbicides in Accessions Collected from the North Carolina Coastal Plain

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) populations resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides and glyphosate are fairly common throughout the state of North Carolina (NC). This has led farm managers to rely more heavily on herbicides with other sites of action (SOA) for A. palmeri control, especially protoporphyrinogen oxidase and glutamine synthetase inhibitors. In the fall of 2016, seeds from A. palmeri populations were collected from the NC Coastal Plain, the state’s most prominent agricultural region. In separate experiments, plants with 2 to 4 leaves from the 110 populations were treated with field use rates of glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, fomesafen, mesotrione, or thifensulfuron-methyl. Percent visible control and survival were evaluated 3 wk after treatment. Survival frequencies were highest following glyphosate (99%) or thifensulfuron-methyl (96%) treatment. Known mutations conferring resistance to ALS inhibitors were found in populations surviving thifensulfuron-methyl application (Ala-122-Ser, Pro-197-Ser, Trp-574-Leu, and/or Ser-653-Asn), in addition to a new mutation (Ala-282-Asp) that requires further investigation. Forty-two populations had survivors after mesotrione application, with one population having 17% survival. Four populations survived fomesafen treatment, while none survived glufosinate. Dose–response studies showed an increase in fomesafen needed to kill 50% of two populations (LD50); however, these rates were far below the field use rate (less than 5 g ha−1). In two populations following mesotrione dose–response studies, a 2.4- to 3.3-fold increase was noted, with LD90 values approaching the field use rate (72.8 and 89.8 g ha−1). Screening of the progeny of individuals surviving mesotrione confirmed the presence of resistance alleles, as there were a higher number of survivors at the 1X rate compared with the parent population, confirming resistance to mesotrione. These data suggest A. palmeri resistant to chemistries other than glyphosate and thifensulfuron-methyl are present in NC, which highlights the need for weed management approaches to mitigate the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant populations.
An Adaptive and Dynamic Biosensor Epidemic Model for COVID-19

The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has required governments across the world to develop effective public health policies using epidemiological models. Unfortunately, as a result of limited testing ability, these models often rely on lagged rather than real-time data, and cannot be adapted to small geographies to provide localized forecasts. This study proposes ADBio, a multi-level adaptive and dynamic biosensor-based model that can be used to predict the risk of infection with COVID-19 from the individual level to the county level, providing more timely and accurate estimates of virus exposure at all levels. The model is evaluated using diagnosis simulation based on current COVID-19 cases as well as GPS movement data for Massachusetts and New York, where COVID-19 hotspots had previously been observed. Results demonstrate that lagged testing data is indeed a major detriment to current modeling efforts, and that unlike the standard SEIR model, ADBio is able to adapt to arbitrarily small geographic regions and provide reasonable forecasts of COVID-19 cases. The features of this model enable greater national pandemic preparedness and provide local town and county governments a valuable tool for decision-making during a pandemic.
Mechanics of biofilms formed of bacteria with fimbriae appendages

Gram-negative bacteria, as well as some Gram-positive bacteria, possess hair-like appendages known as fimbriae, which play an important role in adhesion of the bacteria to surfaces or to other bacteria. Unlike the sex pili or flagellum, the fimbriae are quite numerous, with of order 1000 fimbriae appendages per bacterial cell. In this paper, a recently developed hybrid model for bacterial biofilms is used to examine the role of fimbriae tension force on the mechanics of bacterial biofilms. Each bacterial cell is represented in this model by a spherocylindrical particle, which interact with each other through collision, adhesion, lubrication force, and fimbrial force. The bacterial cells absorb water and nutrients and produce extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The flow of water and EPS, and nutrient diffusion within these substances, is computed using a continuum model that accounts for important effects such as osmotic pressure gradient, drag force on the bacterial cells, and viscous shear. The fimbrial force is modeled using an outer spherocylinder capsule around each cell, which can transmit tensile forces to neighboring cells with which the fimbriae capsule collides. We find that the biofilm structure during the growth process is dominated by a balance between outward drag force on the cells due to the EPS flow away from the bacterial colony and the inward tensile fimbrial force acting on chains of cells connected by adhesive fimbriae appendages. The fimbrial force also introduces a large rotational motion of the cells and disrupts cell alignment caused by viscous torque imposed by the EPS flow. The current paper characterizes the competing effects of EPS drag and fimbrial force using a series of computations with different values of the ratio of EPS to bacterial cell production rate and different numbers of fimbriae per cell.
Increasing Out-of-Pocket Costs for Neurologic Care for Privately Insured Patients.

Objective: To measure the out-of-pocket costs of evaluation and management (E/M) services and common diagnostic testing for neurology patients. Methods: Utilizing a large, privately-insured healthcare claims database, we identified patients with a neurologic visit or diagnostic test from 2001-2016 and assessed inflation-adjusted out-of-pocket costs for E/M visits, neuroimaging, and neurophysiologic testing. For each diagnostic service each year, we estimated the proportion of patients with out-of-pocket costs, the mean out-of-pocket cost, and the proportion of the total service cost paid out-of-pocket. We modeled out-of-pocket cost as a function of patient and insurance factors. Results: We identified 3,724,342 patients. The most frequent neurologic services were E/M visits (78.5%), electromyogram/nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) (7.7%), MRIs (5.3%), and electroencephalograms (EEGs) (4.5%). Annually, 86.5-95.2% of patients paid out-of-pocket costs for E/M visits and 23.1-69.5% for diagnostic tests. For patients paying any out-of-pocket cost, the mean out-of-pocket cost increased over time, most substantially for EEG, MRI, and E/M. Out-of-pocket costs varied considerably; for an MRI in 2016, the 50th percentile paid $103.1 and the 95th percentile paid $875.4. The proportion of total service cost paid out-of-pocket increased. High deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment was associated with higher out-of-pocket costs for MRI, EMG/NCS, and EEG. Conclusions: An increasing number of patients pay out-of-pocket for neurologic diagnostic services. These costs are rising and vary greatly across patients and tests. The cost sharing burden is particularly high for the growing population with HDHPs. In this setting, neurologic evaluation might result in financial hardship for patients.
Jacobi Fields and Tidal Effects in Kerr Spacetime

General relativistic tidal equations are formulated with respect to the rest frame of a central gravitational source described by the Kerr gravitational field. Specifically, observers that are spatially at rest in the exterior Kerr spacetime are considered in detail; in effect, these fiducial observers define the rest frame of the Kerr source. The generalized Jacobi equation for the free motion of a test particle is worked out within the Fermi coordinate system established along the world line of a fiducial observer at rest on the symmetry axis of the exterior Kerr background. The nature of the solutions of these equations are investigated in connection with the phenomena associated with astrophysical jets.
NLRP3 inflammasome and bruton tyrosine kinase inhibition interferes with upregulated platelet aggregation and in vitro thrombus formation in sickle cell mice.

Abstract The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a critical inflammatory mechanism identified in platelets, which controls platelet activation and aggregation. We have recently shown that the platelet NLRP3 inflammasome is upregulated in sickle cell disease (SCD), which is mediated by Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK). Here, we investigated the effect of pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 and BTK on platelet aggregation and the formation of in vitro thrombi in Townes SCD mice. Mice were injected for 4 weeks with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib or vehicle control. NLRP3 activity, as monitored by caspase-1 activation, was upregulated in platelets from SCD mice, which was dependent on BTK. Large areas of platelet aggregates detected in the liver of SCD mice were decreased when mice were treated with MCC950 or ibrutinib. Moreover, platelet aggregation and in vitro thrombus formation were upregulated in SCD mice and were inhibited when mice were subjected to pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 and BTK. Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome might be a novel approach for antiplatelet therapy in SCD.
Pain Action Unit Detection in Critically Ill Patients

Existing pain assessment methods in the intensive care unit rely on patient self-report or visual observation by nurses. Patient self-report is subjective and can suffer from poor recall. In the case of non-verbal patients, behavioral pain assessment methods provide limited granularity, are subjective, and put additional burden on already overworked staff. Previous studies have shown the feasibility of autonomous pain expression assessment by detecting Facial Action Units (AUs). However, previous approaches for detecting facial pain AUs are historically limited to controlled environments. In this study, for the first time, we collected and annotated a pain-related AU dataset, Pain-ICU, containing 55,085 images from critically ill adult patients. We evaluated the performance of OpenFace, an open-source facial behavior analysis tool, and the trained AU R-CNN model on our Pain-ICU dataset. Variables such as assisted breathing devices, environmental lighting, and patient orientation with respect to the camera make AU detection harder than with controlled settings. Although OpenFace has shown state-of-the-art results in general purpose AU detection tasks, it could not accurately detect AUs in our Pain-ICU dataset (F1-score 0.42). To address this problem, we trained the AU R-CNN model on our Pain-ICU dataset, resulting in a satisfactory average F1-score 0.77. In this study, we show the feasibility of detecting facial pain AUs in uncontrolled ICU settings.
The Role of Endophytic Insect-Pathogenic Fungi in Biotic Stress Management

A diverse beneficial microbial community inhabits soil, with fungi comprising a major component. Fungi can establish in plants as endophytes and as a result, these plant–fungal interactions are associated with different trade-offs. Endophytic insect-pathogenic fungi (EIPF) establish a unique association with plants that can promote growth of host plants and can have detrimental effects on pest insects. The mechanisms of plant growth promotion are diverse and include nutrient exchange, plant defense modulation, and protection from pests and diseases. There is increasing interest in understanding the potential for exploiting EIPF to enhance plant productivity and tolerance to arthropod pests in agricultural systems, especially under changing climate conditions. EIPF mediate plant defense signaling through crosstalk in phytohormone-based defense systems and fine-tuning signaling pathways in the presence of stress. Secondary metabolites and other compounds in root exudates can affect the fate of EIPF–plant–stress interactions. Through these mechanisms, plants can fine-tune growth and defense in a balanced manner. Developing a better understanding of the ecology and biology of EIPF and their interactions with plants and arthropods will contribute to the achievement of agricultural sustainability.
Determinants of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Use in Juvenile Spondyloarthropathy and Impact on Clinical Disease Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to characterize the reasons for tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) initiation in patients with juvenile spondyloarthropathy (JSpA) and identify clinical correlates and to assess the effect of TNFi therapy on JSpA disease activity. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 86 patients with JSpA with first-time use of a TNFi over a 7-year period at Stanford Children's Health. We assessed the physician's reason for TNFi initiation, disease activity at 6 months, and clinical disease status at 12 months following TNFi start. Changes in active joint count, enthesitis count, and pain were measured. Demographics, physician reasons for TNFi initiation, and clinical characteristics were summarized. RESULTS The mean age at JSpA diagnosis was 12.4 years (SD 4.0 years), and the mean time from diagnosis to TNFi initiation was 1.6 years (SD 2.3 years). The most common reason for initiating a TNFi was active disease on physical examination (61%). At 6 months post TNFi initiation, patients on average had three fewer active joints and one fewer active enthesitis point. Patient-reported pain improved from moderate/severe to mild. After 12 months, 54% of patients had active disease. CONCLUSION The physician's decision to initiate a TNFi relied mostly on physical examination findings. Despite improvement in arthritis, enthesitis, and patient-reported pain at 6 months post TNFi initiation, the majority of the patients still had active disease after 1 year of therapy.
Social Virtual Reality (VR) Involvement Affects Depression When Social Connectedness and Self-Esteem Are Low: A Moderated Mediation on Well-Being

While social interaction and play in a VR environment are becoming ever more popular, little is known how social VR games affect users. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the role of several contingent factors in social VR games by modeling the relationships between involvement, wellbeing, depression, self-esteem, and social connectedness. A conditional process-moderated mediation model of the measured variables was analyzed with 220 pieces of collected data. The result showed that (1) the direct effect of involvement on well-being was significant and (2) the index of moderated mediation involving depression, self-esteem, and social connectedness was significant. We conclude that high involvement in social VR games by socially isolated users with low self-esteem can negatively affect their well-being. The findings contribute in several ways to our understanding as well as provide important practical implications.
Experimental Investigation of Net Heat Flux Reduction at Combustion Temperatures

The present work examines film cooling on a flat plate surface with a freestream temperature between 1430K and 1600K and a coolant to freestream density ratio of approximately two. Since the objective of film cooling is to reduce heat flux to a surface, Net Heat Flux Reduction (NHFR) is used to quantify film cooling performance. It is first demonstrated that non-dimensional matching can be used to scale NHFR between freestream temperature conditions of 1490K and 1600K. Next, the NHFR of a single row of cylindrical holes, fan-shaped holes, holes embedded in a trench, and a slot are compared at a blowing ratio of unity. Finally, the NHFR of five rows of cylindrical holes, holes embedded in trenches, and slots are compared to show the effect of a build-up of coolant near the wall.
Photodarkening in amorphous Ge1-xSnxSe2 films.

Photodarkening experiments have been performed on evaporated films of ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Sn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ in the composition range 0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.60 at 78 K. Thermal cycling between room temperature and 78 K was observed to reduce the optical absorption of the films. The photodarkening response is slightly enhanced at x=0.1 but is suppressed for higher Sn concentrations.
Static magnetic properties and relaxation of the insulating spin glass Co 1-x Mn x Cl 2 .H 2 O

The magnetic properties of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}{\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\cdot}}\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ are examined by dc magnetization and susceptibility measurements, for $x=0.05,$ 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, 0.60, 0.70, 0.80, 0.90, and 0.95 between 1.8 and 300 K. The pure components are a quasi-one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet (Mn) and an antiferromagnetic reentrant spin glass (Co) with some low-dimensional character. The Curie and Weiss constants, in ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{M}=C/(T\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\theta}),$ show regular composition dependence, with $\ensuremath{\theta}(x)$ varying nonlinearly from positive to negative values as x increases. Antiferromagnetic maxima often occur, and transition temperatures are estimated for most mixtures. The $T\ensuremath{-}x$ diagram shows two descending boundaries from either composition extreme; any transition temperatures for $x=0.5\char21{}0.8$ are lower than we can measure. Magnetization isotherms evolve with composition, and associated hysteretic effects weaken with increasing x. The nonlinear susceptibility for $x=0.30$ shows structure, but does not diverge. The thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) is examined in detail for $x=0.30,$ 0.40, and 0.50. Its temperature dependence shows characteristic features, but does not follow any simple form. Systematic variation in the TRM with cooling field and composition is apparent. The time dependence of the TRM is fit using a stretched exponential decay form. Systematic variations in the fit parameters with temperature, cooling field, and composition emerge. For low to moderate temperatures, the TRM is found to scale according to $T{\mathrm{log}}_{10}(t/{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{0}),$ with ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{0}\ensuremath{\approx}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\char21{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\mathrm{s}.$ For $x=0.30$ and 0.50, strong and weak irreversibility lines are determined. The former conform better to a recent prediction for the short-range three-dimensional Ising spin glass, ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{g}\ensuremath{\propto}{h}^{0.53},$ than to the DeAlmeida-Thouless mean-field form ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{g}\ensuremath{\propto}{h}^{2/3};$ best-fit exponents are slightly less than 0.53. For the weak irreversibility lines, the dependence of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{g}$ on field is much weaker than the Gabay-Toulouse form ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{g}\ensuremath{\propto}{h}^{2}.$ The presence of strong random anisotropy is a possible explanation. A monotonic decrease of ${T}_{s}$ with increasing x is found. A reentrant spin glass state still occurs for $x=0.30;$ for $x=0.40$ and 0.50, the spin glass transition is not reentrant. Irreversible effects are maximized in the $x=0.3\char21{}0.4$ region; they are absent for mixtures richer in manganese than cobalt.
Residual structure in a staphylococcal nuclease fragment. Is it a molten globule and is its unfolding a first-order phase transition?

Abstract Temperature-induced unfolding of staphylococcal nuclease and its large fragment, which lacks 13 C-terminal amino acid residues, was studied calorimetrically, and by CD and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was shown that, in contrast to the full length protein which includes two domains and unfolds in two distinct stages under some conditions, the fragment unfolds in one stage. Unfolding of the fragment proceeds in the same temperature range in which the N-terminal β-barrel domain unfolds in the full length staphylococcal nuclease. Therefore, the fragment is initially partly unfolded. It retains a stable N-terminal domain which unfolds co-operatively with significant heat absorption. Unfolding of the fragment can be regarded as a first-order phase transition, but its initial state certainly does not represent a molten globule, as it was believed.
Species and Organ Specificity in Very Lysine-rich Histones

Very lysine-rich histones were extracted by aqueous trichloracetic acid from calf thymus, from the thymus, mammary gland, and liver of rabbits, and from chicken livers. The elution profiles of these histones, obtained by chromatography on Amberlite IRC-50 with a shallow guanidinium chloride gradient, revealed that the very lysine-rich histone complement varied from one animal species to another when a single kind of organ was considered, and even varied among different organs of a single species. The chromatographic resolution of the subfractions of very lysine-rich histones, their amino acid compositions, and their relative mobilities on polyacrylamide gels suggest that the whole very lysine-rich complement of any species consists of a moderately large number of molecular types.
Inflation Confronts an Open Universe

COSMOLOGYAlthough many cosmologists have assumed that the expansion of the universe will eventually come to a halt, recent astronomical evidence suggests that it will expand forever. A pair of well-known cosmologists has now come up with a mathematical explanation for how a subatomic-sized universe can spring into existence, then transmute into an ever-expanding one--results which were reported in several British daily newspapers. But other cosmologists are not convinced.
Minimum-energy approach to stable inversion of nonminimum phase systems

This paper presents a new approach to solve the stable inversion problem of nonlinear nonminimum phase systems. Based on the recent results of Chen-Paden (1992), the minimum-energy property is first established for the solutions of the stable inversion problem. Then, an iterative algorithm via linearization, discretization and Moore-Penrose generalized inverse is constructed. This is followed by simulation results to illustrate that the exact output tracking without any transients has been achieved.
Automation and situation awareness.

Automation represents one of the major trends of the 20th century. In many cases automation has provided the desired benefits and has extended system functionality well beyond existing human capabilities. Situation awareness, a person's mental model of the world around him or her is central to effective decision making and control in dynamic systems. This construct can be severely impacted by the implementation of automation. Complacency—overreliance on automation—is one major factor associated with a lack of vigilance in monitoring automation. Monitoring problems have also been found with systems that have a high incidence of false alarms, leading to a lack of trust in the automation. In addition to vigilance problems, the fact that operators are passive observers of automation instead of active processors of information may add to their problems in detecting the need for manual intervention and in reorienting themselves to the state of the system in order to do so.
Measurement of noncanonical variables

Abstract We consider the problems of measurements of noncanonical variables such as velocity, kinetic energy, and the electric field in the quantum domain. We show that there is an essential difference between such measurements and the measurements of canonical variables, i.e., noncanonical observables must be changed, in an uncontrollable way, while being measured. We then construct a formal theory for the measurement of noncanonical variables. We apply this theory to measurements of velocity, kinetic energy, and the electric field and show how it clarifies and simplifies previous discussions of these measurements.
Patient-Controlled Analgesia in Patients with Advanced Cancer. Should Patients Be in Control?

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been incorporated into the management of chronic pain in cancer patients despite limited evidence of safety and efficacy. Potential benefits of PCA include decreased delay in the administration of opioids from the time requested, rapidity and ease of dose titration, and adaptability to the variable analgesic dosing needs, as well as diurnal changes in patients. PCA may be beneficial for the initial titration of opioids but has the potential to either induce or exacerbate delirium in cancer patients. Clinicians need to closely monitor for symptoms of delirium in advanced cancer patients. The following case presentation highlights the complication of delirium in a cancer patient who was prescribed PCA. Patients with advanced cancer are at increased risk for delirium, which is often difficult to predict.
Multi-chamber theory of air infiltration

Abstract Estimates of air infiltration in houses based on tracer gas measurements have usually assumed the house to be a single perfect mixing chamber in which incoming air is instantaneously and uniformly diffused to all parts of the interior. In fact, some parts of the house—the basement or rooms with doors closed—exchange air only very slowly with other parts so that actual mixing is far from instantaneous. This paper presents the theory and mathematics necessary to apply the tracer gas method to buildings of many chambers.
THE ACCURACY OF LINEAR PISTON THEORY WHEN APPLIED TO CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

P theory was introduced into aeroelasticity in the linearized form by Ashley and Zartarian as a handy tool in 1956. This theory furnishes an approximation for the aerodynamic pressure acting on a slightly deformed flat plate in a supersonic airstream. The linearized piston theory is used widely in the investigation of the flutter of flat panels. Because of the lack of appropriate approximations for the aerodynamic pressure acting on a vibrating cylindrical shell, linear piston theory is used also in investigations of the flutter of cylindrical shells.' 4 There are doubts about the accuracy of using the linear piston theory for cylindrical shells. This opinion was strengthened by recent studies at California Institute of Technology.'In the following, a short survey of an investigation of the accuracy of the linear piston theory when applied to cylindrical shells is given. For further details, the reader is referred to Ref. 6. An infinitely long circular cylindrical shell of radius R, which is exposed externally to a uniform airstream parallel to the cylinder axis, is considered. The Mach number, the density, and the velocity of sound of the undisturbed airstream are denoted by M, p0, and a0, respectively. Let a cylinder coordinate system x, r, 6 be chosen, where the positive direction of the x axis coincides with the positive direction of the airstream (i.e., a negative Mach number means that the airstream is moving in the negative x direction). The shell is assumed to be slightly deformed by a harmonically oscillating standing wave of the form w = w0 cos(nO)s(x)e co £ 0 (la) with s(x) = sm(vx) or s(x) = cos(vx) v ^ 0 (Ib)
Geometric Approach in Solving Inverse Kinematics of PUMA Robots

A geometric approach for deriving a consistent joint solution of a six-point PUMA1 robot is presented. The approach calls for the definition of various possible arm configurations based on the link coordinate systems and human arm geometry. These arm configurations are then expressed in an exact mathematical way to allow the construction of arm configuration indicators and their corresponding decision equations. The arm configuration indicators are prespecified by a user for finding the joint solution. These indicators enable one to find a solution from the possible four solutions for the first three joints, a solution from the possible two solutions for the last three joints. The solution is calculated in two stages. First a position vector pointing from the shoulder to the wrist is derived. This is used to derive the solution of the first three joints by looking at the projection of the position vector onto the xi-1-yi-1(i = 1,2,3) plane. The last three joints are solved using the calculated joint solution from the first three joints, the orientation matrices, and the projection of the link coordinate frames onto the xi-1-yi-1 (i = 4,5,6) plane. From the geometry, one can easily find the arm solution consistently. A computer simulation study conducted on a VAX-11/780 computer demonstrated the validity of the arm solution.
Orally administered nitrite attenuates cardiac allograft rejection in rats

Background Recent studies have shown that nitrite serves as an endogenous reservoir of nitric oxide (NO), particularly in the presence of hypoxia and ischemia. We hypothesized that exogenous nitrite supplementation would protect cardiac allografts. Methods Fully allogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation was performed in LEW to BN combination under tacrolimus. Animals were given either regular or nitrite/nitrate (NOx)-low chow combined with regular water or water containing nitrite (50 mg/L) for 120 days continuously beginning 7 days before transplant. Results Serum nitrite/nitrate levels were significantly higher in animals given nitrite water for 30 days, and lower in the animals fed with NOx-low diet than those in animals who received standard diet. Supplementation of drinking water with nitrite enhanced heart graft survival to a median of >120 days from 49.5 days in animals fed a standard diet. In contrast, dietary NOx insufficiency resulted in significantly earlier rejection of allografts (30.5 days). In correlation with graft survival, mRNA levels for interferon-γ in the spleen or tumor necrosis factor-α in the grafts were significantly less when animals were fed nitrite water compared with those without nitrite supplementation. Conclusion These data demonstrate that dietary nitrite supplementation was significantly effective in preventing development of allograft rejection.
A computer simulation of human perception of color

Abstract Mathematical models are presented which allow one to determine the amount of color perceived by the eye. Known as color vision receotivity index (CVRI), variations in contrast intensity, receptive frequency factor, and the densities of the transmission media are used as the predictive variables. Using the CVRI model, it is shown that under constant receptive frequency factor, CVRI only depends on the n-power differences of contrast intensities.
The Effects of Transport Density on Cortisol Levels in Juvenile Winter Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus

One of the biggest concerns surrounding stock enhancement is promoting a successful juvenile transition from the laboratory to the natural environment. One way to achieve a successful transition is to reduce certain stressors, such as handling and transport densities. For instance, the adverse stimuli produced by initial capture, loading into transport containers, the transport to the release site, unloading, and finally stocking have been shown to induce the hypersecretion of both catecholamines and corticosteroids in adult teleosts (Barton and Iwama 1991; Barnett and Pankhurst 1998). The associated distress of this primary stress response can induce a cascade of secondary affects, including osmoregulatory, metabolic, and immune disturbances, resulting in detrimental effects to fish health, growth, and survival (Carmichael 1984; Barton and Iwama 1991). Examining the aforementioned disturbances and their related physiological changes has proven useful in modifying aquaculture techniques to reduce stress in reared fish (Pickering 1993). Much of the published literature on teleost stress physiology has focused on adults (e.g., Barton and Iwama 1991; Waring et al. 1992; Wedemeyer 1996), while information describing the specific effects of transport and/or handling stress of juveniles is limited to fewer species (e.g., Barton 2000; Shrimpton et al. 2001; De Carvalho et al. 2002; Barton et al. 2003; Gomes et al. 2003; Urbinati et al. 2004) and is nonexistent for young-of-the-year flounder. The few juvenile species that have been studied suggest that handling and confinement associated with fish transport are likely to impact the performance and scope of juvenile survival (Serafy et al. 1999; Shrimpton et al. 2001; De Carvalho et al. 2002). The current information presents results from research conducted as part of an ongoing juvenile winter flounder,Pseudopleuronectes americanus, stock enhancement project at the University of New Hampshire. The intentions of this study were to determine which transport density produced the least amount of stress when juvenile winter flounder were relocated to the release site.
The Effects of Sprawl on Private-Vehicle Commuting Distances and Times

Sprawl is a well-known consequence of the suburbanization of the United States population. However, only recently have scholars shown interest in the effects of sprawl on transportation outcomes. For example, little research on how sprawl affects private-vehicle commuting distances and times is evident in the literature. To explore further the relationship between sprawl and private-vehicle commuting distances and times, a multilevel approach is adopted. Using microdata for households and macrodata for Metropolitan Statistical Areas, multilevel models of the effects of four dimensions of sprawl on commuting distances and times are estimated for private-vehicle commuters. Results show that shorter-distance, private-vehicle commutes are associated with lower density, more centeredness, and better accessibility, while shorter-time, private-vehicle commutes are associated with more centeredness. Overall, results point toward centralizing employment as the urban planning policy most likely to reduce private-ve...
A new fracture-resistant binder phase for use with AlMgB14 and other ultra-hard ceramics

Abstract A new ductile binder phase alloy, Co–17 at.% Mn, has been developed for producing cermet composite cutting tools using ultra-hard AlMgB 14 grit. Metallography, X-ray diffraction, tensile test, and recrystallization studies indicate that the Co–17 at.% Mn alloy has a two-phase (FCC/HCP) structure with an ultimate tensile strength of 670 MPa and 40% elongation. The recrystallization temperature is approximately 620 °C. The plane strain fracture toughness ( K IC ) for AlMgB 14 was estimated using the Palmquist method, both with and without the Co–Mn binder phase alloy. Results show that the fracture toughness of the monolithic boride without binder ranges from 3 to 4 MPa √m, which is increased to 7–9 MPa √m upon addition of the binder. The high ductility and tensile strength of the Co–Mn solid solution alloy, combined with its excellent wettability on boron-based compounds is expected to make this binder composition compatible with other boride ceramics.
A wireless power station for laptop computers

A wireless power system via magnetic induction that can deliver 32 W to a laptop is designed and fabricated. A 60% peak end-to-end regulated efficiency is achieved. A load detection scheme is also implemented, which detects when a device is placed on the transmitter and can shut down the system if faults are detected. The system eliminates the need to plug the laptop into AC power when running or charging.
The Ascending Tree Condition: Constructive Algebra Without Countable Choice

Abstract A strengthening of the ascending chain condition allows a choice-free constructive development of the theory of Noetherian modules. Related topics in the theory of PID's and elementary divisor rings are also explored.
Density effects on the spectral emission of a high temperature argon plasma

Abstract In order to explain the detailed features of radiation spectra obtained from dense argon plasmas, an ionization-radiation model for argon has been constructed which calculates time-integrated spectra as a function of plasma temperature, density and size. The model describes a plasma in collisional-radiative equilibrium (CRE) by solving the time-dependent atomic rate equations for ground state and selected excited state populations of argon coupled with a probability-of-escape radiation transport scheme for both bound-bound and bound-free photons. Results are presented which illustrate basic changes in the X-ray spectra of an argon plasma as density is increased, in particular, relative intensities of resonance, satellite and intercombination lines as well as the free-bound continuum. In addition, temperature and density profiles from 1-D MHD calculations characterizing the peak emission from argon puffed-gas plasmas (≈1019ions/cm3) and argon-seeded laser-imploded microballons (−1022ions/cm3) are post-processed using the model and the resulting spectra are discussed.
Changes in the fatty acid composition of steelhead trout, Salmo gairdnerii Richardson, associated with parr-smolt transformation.

Abstract 1. 1. Fatty acids from the several lipid classes of selected steelhead trout ( Salmo gairdnerii ) parr and smolt tissues, previously separated by thin-layer chromatography, were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. 2. 2. The fatty acid composition of the parr was markedly different from that of the smolt; the former being characterized by relatively low amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and relatively high amounts of linoleic acid, much like the typical freshwater lipid pattern. 3. 3. The fatty acid composition of the smolt was characterized by large proportions of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Generally, the fatty acid composition of the smolt resembled the typical seawater lipid pattern. 4. 4. The change in fatty acid composition of the smolt is anticipatory to seawater entry and is independent of diet and water temperature. 5. 5. These alterations suggest that the assumption of a polyunsaturated lipid pattern during parr-smolt transformation (smoltification) is preadaptive to seawater entry.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Gd 3+ in Yttrium-Group VA Intermetallic Compounds

Electron paramagnetic resonance of Gd 3+ diluted in intermetallic compounds YX (where X is one of the group-VA elements, P, As and Sb) has been studied from 4.2 K to 300 K. The data can be interpreted by employing Hasegawa's theory. It has been shown that the systems approach the isothermal limit when the Gd 3+ concentration in YAs and YSb is less than 1 atomic per cent. The temperature-dependent linewidth increases drastically with increasing lattice constants of the hosts.
Spatial patterns of Japanese investment in the US automobile industry

Here the author examines the locational strategy of Japanese car manufacturers and their component part suppliers in the US at both the regional and local scale. This is compared briefly with the strategy pursued by Japanese investors in the UK auto industry
Motivation and Perceived Rewards for Research by Music Faculty.

A questionnaire was sent to 90 publishing researchers who were members of college music faculties in the fields of music theory, music history, music education, and music therapy asking them why they engaged in research activity and what specific rewards they believe they obtained because of their own research. Among the 55 respondents, intellectual curiosity, enjoyment, self-improvement, and perceived duty were the main reasons for conducting research. Intrinsic motivators linked to the nature of the research process were the most important reward for these people, while salary increase was considered the most important external reward.
Effects of haloperidol and prolactin secreting tumors on cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of prolactin in the female rat.

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of acute and chronic elevations in prolactin (PRL) secretion on serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PRL concentrations in the female rat. Young female rats showed a dose-dependent increase in serum and CSF PRL in response to haloperidol. A time-course evaluation of serum and CSF PRL levels after haloperidol indicated that serum PRL concentrations increased markedly by 30 min and declined thereafter; while CSF PRL increased more slowly, peaking at 2 to 8 h. In young rats with basal serum PRL levels, CSF PRL was maintained at 0.8 to 2.1% of serum PRL levels. During acute hyperprolactinemia, the CSF to serum PRL ratio increased to about 4%. During chronic severe hyperprolactinemia, induced by the growth of a MtT.W15 tumor, CSF PRL concentrations increased to 75 ng/ml, but this represented only 1.5% of serum PRL concentrations. Collectively, these data indicate that the blood-brain barrier effectively limits access to the brain of circulating PRL.
Robust simultaneous localization and mapping via information matrix estimation

One of the major challenges for current SLAM systems is the impact of outliers and incorrectly modeled measurement noise on the final mapping solution. Outliers, such as incorrect loop closure detections, can cause standard least-squares based SLAM algorithms to fail catastrophically. This paper presents and evaluates a robust SLAM algorithm that addresses this issue by directly estimating the measurement information matrices along with the poses during the optimization. By inferring the information matrices, the algorithm can compensate for situations where the measurement covariances have been set incorrectly. Additionally, the information matrix estimates provide useful metrics for detecting incorrect loop closures and excising them from the SLAM solution. Because the algorithm consists of a closed-form update for the information matrices followed by a standard nonlinear least-squares update for the poses, the runtime is comparable to state-of-the-art non-robust SLAM algorithms while providing significantly more accurate results. Monte Carlo simulations also demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can match the runtime and error performance of alternative state-of-the-art robust SLAM algorithms. Finally, a sensitivity study shows that the proposed algorithm has a wide basin of convergence with respect to its tuning parameter.
Genetic variations in bone density, histomorphometry, and strength in mice

The purpose of this study was to assess breed-related differences in bone histomorphometry, bone biomechanics, and serum biochemistry in three mouse breeds shown to differ in bone mineral density (BMD) (as measured by DXA) and bone mineral content (BMC). Femurs, tibiae, and sera were collected from 16-week-old C3H/HeJ {C3H}, C57BL/6J {BL6}, and DBA/2J {DBA}mice (n = 12/breed). Data collected included BMC and BMD (femora), histomorphometry of cancellous (distal femur) and cortical bone (diaphyseal tibiae and femora), bone strength (femora), and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Consistent with previous reports, BMC and BMD were higher in C3H than in BL6 or DBA mice. The higher BMD in the C3H breed was associated with greater cancellous bone volume, cortical bone area, periosteal bone formation rate, biomechanical strength, and serum ALP. However, mid-diaphyseal total femoral and tibial cross-sectional area and moment of inertia were greatest in BL6, intermediate in C3H, and lowest in DBA mice. The specific distribution of cortical bone in C3H, BL6, DBA mice represents a difference in adaptive response to similar mechanical loads in these breeds. This difference in adaptive response may be intrinsic to the adaptive mechanism, or may be intrinsic to the bone tissue material properties. In either case, the bone-adaptive response to ordinary mechanical loads in the BL6 mice yields bones of lower mechanical efficiency (less stiffness per unit mass of bone tissue) and does not adapt as well as that of the C3H mice where the final product is a bone with greater resistance to bending under load. We suggest that the size, shape, and BMD of the bone are a result of breed-specific genetically regulated cellular mechanisms. Compared with the C3H mice, the lower BMD in BL6 mice is associated with long bones that are weaker because the larger cross-sectional area fails to compensate completely for their lower BMD and BMC.
SASD: the Synthetic Alternative Splicing Database for identifying novel isoform from proteomics

Background Alternative splicing is an important and widespread mechanism for generating protein diversity and regulating protein expression. High-throughput identification and analysis of alternative splicing in the protein level has more advantages than in the mRNA level. The combination of alternative splicing database and tandem mass spectrometry provides a powerful technique for identification, analysis and characterization of potential novel alternative splicing protein isoforms from proteomics. Therefore, based on the peptidomic database of human protein isoforms for proteomics experiments, our objective is to design a new alternative splicing database to 1) provide more coverage of genes, transcripts and alternative splicing, 2) exclusively focus on the alternative splicing, and 3) perform context-specific alternative splicing analysis.
Dead mothers and injured wives: the social context of maternal morbidity and mortality among the Hausa of northern Nigeria

Northern Nigeria has a maternal mortality ratio greater than 1,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Serious maternal morbidity (for example, vesico-vaginal fistula) is also common. Among the most important factors contributing to this tragic situation are: an Islamic culture that undervalues women; a perceived social need for women's reproductive capacities to be under strict male control; the practice of purdah (wife seclusion), which restricts women's access to medical care; almost universal female illiteracy; marriage at an early age and pregnancy often occurring before maternal pelvic growth is complete; a high rate of obstructed labor; directly harmful traditional medical beliefs and practices; inadequate facilities to deal with obstetric emergencies; a deteriorating economy; and a political culture marked by rampant corruption and inefficiency. The convergence of all of these factors has resulted in one of the worst records of female reproductive health existing anywhere in the world.
Propagation of Waves in Cylindrical Hard-Walled Ducts with Generally Weak Undulations

The method of multiple scales is utilized to analyze the wave propagation in cylindrical hard-walled ducts having weak undulations which need not be periodic. Results are presented for two and three interacting modes. In the case of modes traveling in the same direction in a uniform duct, two interacting, spinning or nonspinning modes propagate unattenuated in an undulated duct. Moreover, neither of them can exist without strongly exciting the other. On the other hand, in the case of modes propagating in opposite directions, they may be cut off as a result of the interaction. OR two-dimension al ducts, straightforward expansions of the form (f>0 + e 7 were obtained by Isakovitch ] for the case of a waveguide with only one sinusoidally undulating wall, by Samuels 2 for the case of a waveguide with inphase wall undulations, and by Salant 3 for the general problem. Nayfeh4 showed that the above expansions are not uniform near the resonant frequencies because the correction term e 7 dominates the first term 0. He determined a uniform expansion for waves propagating in a two-dimensional hardwalled duct with sinusoidally perturbed walls by using the method multiple scales.5 In this paper, we extend the latter analysis to the case of linear waves propagating in a cylinderical hard-walled duct whose wall has weak undulations which need not be periodic. The gas is assumed to be inviscid, irrotational, and nonheat conducting. Dimensionless quantities are introduced by using the mean radius of the duct r0, the undisturbed speed of sound c, and the time r0/c as reference quantities. The dimensionless radius of the duct is assumed to have the form