cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation into the use of satellite data in aiding characterization of particulate air quality in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area.

Poor air quality episodes occur often in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The primary focus of this research is to assess the capability of satellites as a tool in characterizing air quality in Atlanta. Results indicate that intra-city PM2.5 concentrations show similar patterns as other U.S. urban areas, with the highest concentrations occurring within the city. Both PM2.5 and MODIS AOD show more increases in the summer than spring, yet MODIS AOD doubles in the summer unlike PM2.5. A majority of OMI AI is below 0.5. Using this value as an ambient measure of carbonaceous aerosols in the urban area, aerosol transport events can be identified. Our results indicate that MODIS AOD is well correlated with PM2.5 on a yearly and seasonal basis with correlation coefficients as high as 0.8 for Terra and 0.7 for Aqua. A possible alternative view of the PM2.5 and AOD relationship is seen through the use of AOD thresholds. These probabilistic thresholds provide a means to describe the AQI through the use of past AOD for a specific area. We use the NAAQS to classify the AOD into different AQI codes, and probabilistically determine thresholds of AOD that represent the majority of a specific AQI category. For example, the majority 80% of moderate AQI days have AOD values between 0.5 - 0.6. The development of thresholds could be a tool used to evaluate air quality from the use of satellites in regions where there are sparse ground-based measurements of PM2.5.
Azelastine Inhibits Agonist-induced Electromechanical Activity in Canine Tracheal Muscle

We examined the effects of a new antiasthmatic drug, azelastine, on the electromechanical responses of airway smooth muscle to histamine, acetylcholine (ACh), and tetraethylammonium (TEA). Membrane potential and isometric force were simultaneously measured in isolated canine tracheal muscle using intracellular microelectrodes and a microforce transducer. Azelastine, at 1 μM, depressed the histamine-induced contractile force by more than 60 percent. The histamine-induced membrane depolarization was also inhibited, but to a much less extent, compared to the inhibition of contractile force. Similarly, contraction induced by ACh was inhibited by azelastine. In contrast to histamine, ACh elicited electrical oscillations concomitant with the membrane depolarization. Azelastine abolished these oscillations without affecting the depolarization. Azelastine inhibited the Ca 2+ -dependent slow action potentials (induced by 20 mM TEA) in a concentration-dependent manner; complete inhibition occurred at 30 μM. Such direct inhibitory effects of azelastine on agonist-induced airway muscle contraction may explain its ability to exert bronchodilatation in asthmatic patients. One of its mechanisms of action may involve inhibition of voltage-sensitive Ca 2+ influx across the muscle cell membrane; however, additional actions intracellularly are possible.
Heidegger and Consciousness

The topic of this paper concerns the nature of existential awareness, a topic which Heidegger has not developed with explicit thoroughness in his own philosophy. In this light, I should note at the beginning that at its best Heidegger’s thought is not designed to encourage its own repetition. He has not attempted to create a school of philosophers who canonize his ‘teachings’ or make a ‘system’ out of what he has said, and by his own accounting he has not been concerned to discover a body of stated truths which disciples carefully repeat. My interest in this discussion is not to articulate what might be considered Heidegger’s ‘doctrine’ of consciousness.
Alliance diversity, environmental context and the value of manufacturing capabilities among new high technology ventures

Abstract Manufacturing capabilities have often been shown to predict various indicators of firm performance. However, the association between manufacturing capabilities and firm performance has seldom been studied in the context of high technology new ventures. Using a sample of 167 UK-based, high technology manufacturing ventures, the current study examines the relationship between manufacturing capabilities (in particular, those contributing to low operating costs and product quality) and venture performance. Additionally, the moderating effects of the ventures’ alliance portfolios and environmental contexts on the capability–performance relationships are explored. Results indicate that venture performance (as reflected in sales growth, return on sales (ROS), and return on assets (ROA)) is significantly predicted by manufacturing capabilities that promote low operating costs and product quality. Further, the data generally support the hypothesized moderating effects of two alliance diversity variables (alliance partner diversity and alliance geographic diversity) and two environmental context variables (environmental dynamism and environmental munificence) on the capability–performance relationships. Overall, the study supports the premise that the value of manufacturing capabilities (i.e., the strength of the capability–performance relationship) among high technology ventures is contingent upon the alliance and environmental contexts within which those ventures operate. Specifically, alliance partner diversity, alliance geographic diversity, and environmental munificence enhance the value of manufacturing capabilities that promote low operating costs. Alliance partner diversity, environmental munificence, and environmental stability enhance the value of manufacturing capabilities that promote product quality. The study's theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
A Scaffold Makes the Switch

Protein kinase cascades are a reoccurring feature of signal transduction pathways. Recent investigations have focused on how kinase-scaffolding proteins help to convert a graded stimulus into a switch-like or binary response. New findings reveal that the graded-to-binary conversion can be turned on or off, depending on the location of the scaffold within the cell.
Evolving plans for the USA National Phenology Network

Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events, how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, and how they modulate the abundance, diversity, and interactions of organisms. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is currently being organized to engage federal agencies, environmental networks and field stations, educational institutions, and citizen scientists. The first USA-NPN planning workshop was held August 2005, in Tucson, Ariz. (Betancourt et al. [2005]; http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/; by 1 June 2007, also see http://www.usanpn.org). With sponsorship from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NASA, the second USA-NPN planning workshop was held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on 10–12 October 2006 to (1) develop lists of target species and observation protocols; (2) identify existing networks that could comprise the backbone of nationwide observations by 2008; (3) develop opportunities for education, citizen science, and outreach beginning in spring 2007; (4) design strategies for implementing the remote sensing component of USA-NPN; and (5) draft a data management and cyberinfrastructure plan.
Building A New Boston: Politics and Urban Renewal, 1950-1970

"Here is one of the great stories in American urban history told by a great historian. In 1949, Boston was 'a hopeless backwater' . . . by 1970, a 'New Boston' had been created . . . Thomas O'Connor, the dean of Boston historians, brings to this tale of transformation rich learning, intimate familiarity with his subject, and a lucid sometimes witty pen." -- Jack Beatty, Senior Editor, Atlantic Monthly
Kinetic factors governing sensitized photooxidation of excitable cell membranes.

— The kinetic factors which determine the rate at which Na+ channels in nerve membranes become photochemically modified were studied on giant axons from lobsters using the double sucrose gap voltage clamp technique. Axons were bathed in artificial sea water containing sensitizing dyes and illuminated from a Xe are source with light in the visible region while being repetitively step depolarized. Successive values of peak Na+ current and time-to-peak were monitored and rate constants for their change served as the assay for magnitude of modification. Action spectra for four sensitizers in the fluorescein series exhibited red shifts of roughly 17nm demonstrating that sensitizing species are not simply free in solution. Eosin Y diffuses to its sensitization sites with a half time of 70s indicating the existence of a major diffusion barrier which may mean that dye must penetrate to the interior of the membrane to be effective. Eosin Y is removed from sensitization sites by rinse with the same half time but shows two fractions: a faster fraction comprising 80% of sensitizing effectiveness and a slower fraction comprising 20%. The concentration dependence for Eosin Y is linear below 10 μM and shows a progressive saturation at higher values, where the relationship is difficult to determine because of shielding. Different sensitizers vary in their ability to sensitize block of channels vs disruption of inactivation, demonstrating separate processes for the two modifications. It is suggested that both modifications proceed from single photon absorption events by individual sensitizer molecules bound or located close to the modification sites on the channels.
Optimal parameters and power characteristics of piezoelectric energy harvesters with an RC circuit

ABSTRACT A piezoelectric based energy harvesting scheme is proposed here which places a capacitor before the load in the conditioning circuit. It is well known that the impedance between the load and source contributes heavily to the performance of the energy harvesting system. The additional capacitor provides flexibility in meeting the optimal impedance value and can be used to expand the bandwidth of the system. A theoretical model of the system is derived and the response of the system as a function of both resist ance and capacitance is studied. The analysis shows that the energy harvesting performance is dominated by a bifurcation occurring as the electromechanical coupling increases above a certain value, below this point the addition of an additional capacitor does not increase the performance of the systems and above the maximum power can be achieved at all point between these two bifurcation frequencies. Additionally, it has been found that the optimal capacitance is independent of the optimal resistance. Therefore, the necessary capacitance can be chosen and then the resistance determined to provide optimal energy harvesting at the desired frequencies. For systems with low coupling the opti mal added capacitance is negative (additional power to the circuit) indicating that a second capacitor should not be used for. For systems with high coupling the optimal capacitance becomes positive for a range of values inside the bifurcation frequencies and can be used to extend the bandwidth of the harvesting system. The analysis also demonstrates that the sa me maximum energy can be harvested at any frequency; however, outside the two bifurcatio n frequencies the capacitor must be negative. Keywords: Energy harvesting, piezoelectric, vibration, power harvesting
Efficiency, Quality, and Social Externalities in the Provision of Day Care: Comparisons of Nonprofit and For-Profit Firms

Efficiency comparisons of nonprofit and for-profit day care centers reveal that, in 1977, production functions of nonprofit and for-profit day care centers were similar. Cost levels were also similar for centers providing identical services. However, on average, nonprofit centers offered costlier services than for-profit centers. In the segment of the industry not subject to federal regulations, nonprofit centers offered services with higher social externalities than for-profit centers. In the federally regulated segment, nonprofit centers offered higher quality services than for-profit centers. Therefore the important difference in economic outcomes of nonprofit and for-profit day care centers involved product selection rather than efficiency levels.
Assessing pathological detoxification fear among methadone maintenance patients: the DFSS.

This study assessed the reliability, validity, discriminative accuracy, and factor structure of the Detoxification Fear Survey Schedule (DFSS). Prevalence of detoxification fear and its correlates also were assessed. Random samples from three geographically, culturally, and racially disparate populations (N = 271) of treated opioid addicts were used. The DFSS had a test-retest r = .935 and demonstrated several indicants of validity. A briefer version (DFSS-14) showed superior psychometric properties and could identify correctly 81% of the detox fear subjects while it excluded 55% of nonfear subjects. The DFSS-14 had a replicated three-factor structure that accounted for 62.1% of total item variance in the validation sample. Factor two, probably best named dose reduction fear, was replicated in all populations. A cut-off score set at the nonfear mean is recommended for clinical use. A brief clinical interview of positive scorers quickly should eliminate false positives and, thus, efficiently identify most of those with detoxification fear.
Basic problems in stability and design of switched systems

By a switched system, we mean a hybrid dynamical system consisting of a family of continuous-time subsystems and a rule that orchestrates the switching between them. The article surveys developments in three basic problems regarding stability and design of switched systems. These problems are: stability for arbitrary switching sequences, stability for certain useful classes of switching sequences, and construction of stabilizing switching sequences. We also provide motivation for studying these problems by discussing how they arise in connection with various questions of interest in control theory and applications.
Uncovering the Nature of Nova Jets: A Radio Image of Highly Collimated Outflows from RS Ophiuchi

Novae occur when hydrogen-rich fuel provided by a companion star ignites on the surface of a white dwarf (WD). Although the surface of the WD is nearly spherical, observations indicate that at least some nova explosions can produce bipolar outflows, or jets. The origin and nature of these jets are controversial. Proposed mechanisms for generating the jets include (1) intrinsically asymmetric explosions, (2) ejecta that move into an inhomogeneous environment, and (3) driving by highly collimated outflows such as those from black holes and protostars. Here we present radio images of the symbiotic recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi that strongly support the third option. The images show that the jets associated with the eruption in 2006 consisted of underlying narrow outflows with half-opening angles of just a few degrees that fed extended lobes of relativistic, synchrotron-emitting particles. Assuming a uniform jet velocity, the highly collimated flows persisted for more than a month after the start of the explosion. By revealing highly collimated outflows that begin within days after the eruption, our observations demonstrate that either the explosion did not destroy the accretion disk or an accretion disk is not needed to collimate jets from novae.
Bearing the Burden of Desegregation: Black Principals and Brown

Brown had a tragic consequence: the displacement, dismissal, and demotion of thousands of African American educators, in particular principals, in the South. Although the lack of diversity in today...
Observing and Diagnosing Student Performance Problems in Games Teaching

(2009). Observing and Diagnosing Student Performance Problems in Games Teaching. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 46-50.
Interactive acquisition of residential floor plans

We present a hand-held system for real-time, interactive acquisition of residential floor plans. The system integrates a commodity range camera, a micro-projector, and a button interface for user input and allows the user to freely move through a building to capture its important architectural elements. The system uses the Manhattan world assumption, which posits that wall layouts are rectilinear. This assumption allows generating floor plans in real time, enabling the operator to interactively guide the reconstruction process and to resolve structural ambiguities and errors during the acquisition. The interactive component aids users with no architectural training in acquiring wall layouts for their residences. We show a number of residential floor plans reconstructed with the system.
A discontinuous time change for natural additive functionals which preserves duality

Continuous time changes of Markov processes preserve duality, but a discontinuous time change recently proposed by Weidenfeld does not. We modify his procedure to obtain a time change which preserves duality when the time changing functional is natural.
Polymorphism in AB13 nanoparticle superlattices : An example of semiconductor-metal metamaterials

Colloidal crystallization of nanoparticles with different functionalities into multicomponent assemblies provides a route to new classes of ordered nanocomposites with novel properties tunable by the choice of the constituent building blocks. While theories based on hard sphere approximation predict crystallization of only a few stable binary phases (NaCl-, AlB2- and NaZn13-type), we find that additional polymorphs of lower packing density are possible. We demonstrate that PbSe and Pd nanoparticles can be reproducibly crystallized into two polymorphs with AB13 stoichiometry. One polymorph is isostructural with the intermetallic compound NaZn13 and is consistent with dense packing of hard spheres driven by entropy. The second unanticipated polymorph is of lower packing density. This observation underscores the shortcomings of applying simple space-filling principles to the crystallization of organically passivated nanocrystals and further motivates the development of models that incorporate combinations of...
Local tolerance to penicillin

Summary Five types of penicillin, for intramuscularinjection were evaluated for intensity of local reaction: (1) benzathine penicillin G suspension, 600,000 units in 1 c.c.; (2) benzathine penicillin G suspension, 600,000 units, with 5 mg. of cortisone in 1 c.c.; (3) benzathine penicillin G suspension, 600,000 units, with 2 mg. of 9-alphafluoro-hydrocortisone alcohol in 1 c.c.; (4) benzathine penicillin G, 300,000, units plus aqueous procaine penicillin, 300,000 units in 1 c.c.; and (5) aqueous procaine penicillin, 600,000 units in 1 c.c. A total of 244 children were evaluated at twenty-four hours after injection and the following percentages of local reaction were recorded for the five penicillin suspensions listed: (1) 44 per cent, (2) 77 per cent, (3) 50 per cent, (4) 12 per cent and (5) 5 per cent. The addition of steroids to benzathine penicillin G did not alter the high rate of local muscle soreness in this group of children. A mixture of 300,000 units of benzathine penicillin G and 300,000 units of aqueous procaine penicillin gave the lowest local reaction rate for both intensity and duration when compared with other repository preparations containing benzathine penicillin G. Although many of the children complained of pain for twelve hours following the injection of such a mixture, when evaluated at twenty-four hours most of the symptoms had subsided.
Effects of neurotropic drugs on Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Drosophila melanogaster is sensitive to a variety of psychotropic and neurotropic drugs that alter neurotransmitter metabolism in humans. For many drugs the activity is a function of the stage of development of the organism. An example is the convulsant allylglycine (2-amino 4-pentenoic acid). Larvae were unaffected by a dose of allylglycine that was lethal for adults. Larvae that had been exposed to the drug continuously through three instars were able to pupate. In the pupae, which were no longer exposed to the drug, the pharate adults appeared to mature normally but subsequently died, usually before emerging from the puparium case. Allylglycine is known to inhibit mammalian glutamate decarboxylase. This enzyme is present in homogenates of Drosophila. Larvae possess a much smaller amount of glutamate decarboxylase than do adults. Allylglycine has a minimal effect on glutamate decarboxylase in vivo or in vitro. Several drug-resistant strains have been isolated.
Critical policy analysis: Researching the roles of cultural models, power, and expertise in reading policy

Book reviewed in this article: America Reads: A Critical Policy Analysis. Jacqueline Edmondson. 2000. Misreading Reading: The Bad Science That Hurts Children. Gerald Coles. 2000.
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma simulating glumus jugulare tumor

A 59-year-old man presented with jugular foramen syndrome caused by a mass with roentgenographic and histologic features highly suggestive of a glomus jugulare tumor. However, electron microscopic examination of the surgical specimen revealed features diagnostic of a previously unsuspected renal cell carcinoma. Because primary tumors of the glomus jugulare and metastatic renal cell carcinoma may present with the same clinical and roentgenographic findings and look similar histologically, careful electron microscopic examination of the tumor and urologic screening should be performed in suspected cases of glomus jugulare tumors.
The Reception of Hayden White

Evaluation of the influence of Hayden White on the theory of history ismade difficult by his preference for the essay form, valued for its experimental character, and by the need to find comparable data. A quantitative study of citations of his work in English and foreign-language journals, 1973–1993, reveals that although historians were prominent among early readers of Metahistory, few historical journals reviewed White'stwo subsequent collections of essays and few historians—except inGermany—cited them. Those historians who did tended still to cite Metahistory and often the parts of it devoted specifically to nineteenth-century historians. Literary critics, on the other hand, were relatively late to discover White, but during the “narrative turn” of the 1970s and 1980s his work was important for students of the novel and the theater. Recognition of it was especially marked in Spanish-speaking countries and in Germany. As a result, salient themes of White's later work—the ideological andpolitical import of narrativization, the “historical sublime,” and writing in the “middle voice”—have largely gone unremarked by historians and philosophers. Both these groups have tended to be irritated by White's bracketing of questions of historical epistemology; some have accused him of effacing the line between fiction and history, while White's numerous literary readers have generally applauded his tendencies in thisdirection. White however has consistently maintained that there is a difference, although not the one conventionally postulated. His exploration of writing in the “middle voice” brings his work full circle, in that it promises a “modernist” realism appropriate for representing the “sublime” events of our century.
Separate- versus same-day preoperative consultation in dermatologic surgery: a patient-centered investigation in an academic practice.

Background Little is known about patient preferences for preoperative consultation in dermatologic surgery. Objective To determine patient preferences for separate- versus same-day preoperative consultation and factors that may be associated with these preferences. Methods and Materials Patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) or excision at our institution within 24 months were retrospectively surveyed regarding their preferences for a separate- or same-day preoperative consultation. Procedure, tumor attributes, complications, and medications were recorded. Results Sixty-seven percent of patients preferred same-day preoperative consultation and surgery. Patients preferring same-day surgery were more likely to have a larger preoperative tumor size, whereas those preferring separate-day surgery were more likely to have had a history of complications. Limitations This was a retrospective study performed at a single academic center. Conclusion A majority of patients preferred same-day preoperative consultation and surgery. Tumor size and prior complications should be considered in preoperative planning for dermatologic surgery.
A Parametric Simulation of the Evaporation in Liquid-Fueled Porous Burners

This paper presents a computational parametric study of evaporation processes in liquid-fueled, simulated porous media burners using a two-energy equation model. The effects of porous medium heat source, porous medium structure, fuel flow rate, and air inlet temperature on evaporation characteristics were determined. Predicted steady-state axial temperature profiles within the porous media and radial vapor concentration profiles at 5 cm downstream of the porous medium are presented. Vapor concentration results showed a strong dependence on porous medium temperature, which, in turn, depended on the strength of the heat source and the effectiveness of heat transfer between porous medium and coflow air. Simulations with different porosities demonstrated that the peak vapor concentration decreased as porosity increased. The peak vapor concentration dropped by 42 % when porosity was increased from 0.5 to 0.87. Under higher fuel flowrate conditions, the extent of completeness of evaporation decreased, showing that much stronger heat source was needed to maintain the complete evaporation. When the coflow air temperature was increased, the peak vapor concentration was found to increase and the vapor concentration spread more radially.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Ubiquitination and Proteasome Mediated Degradation of Polo-like Kinase

Polo-like kinase (Plk) is a cell cycle-regulated, cyclin-independent serine/threonine protein kinase. Plk protein levels are low or undetectable in terminally differentiated cells and tissues and its expression is strongly correlated with cell growth. Plk protein and enzymatic activity are regulated by multiple mechanisms during cell cycle progression. During G1 Plk levels are low but increasing amounts of protein are detected during S phase and the highest amounts during G2M. Transcription of Plk message is specifically repressed during G1 but that cannot entirely account for the rapid disappearance of Plk protein at the end of mitosis. In this report we show that Plk protein can be degraded in vitro by partially purified proteasomes and that specific proteasome inhibitors can block Plk protein degradation both in vitro and in vivo. We also detected high molecular weight polyubiquitinated forms of Plk by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting and confirmed that Plk, like other mitotic regulators, is targeted for destruction at the end of mitosis through the ubiquitin-proteasome mediated degradation pathway.
Enhancement of optical correlation system performance utilizing a neural-network-based preprocessor filter

Map annotations (such as lettering) normally degrade automatic map-to-image optical correlation system performance which when removed, improves both the SNR and accuracy of such systems when generating conjugate data point pairs between the two optical formats. This paper describes improvements to the map-to-image correlation that results when an annotation removal preprocessor filter is applied first to map data. Specifically, the paper describes the impact of implementing a neural network annotation filter on the performance of map-to-image optical correlation systems. This new filter is capable of automatically identifying and then removing annotations before performing the optical correlation. As shown, this removal process impacts the correlation SNR and phase-only filtering systems. Greatest improvement in system performance is achieved when the annotation filter is applied first to map data before implementing a binary, phase-only filtering process.
Bistable mathematical and mechanical models related to the urethra

Normal micturition is controlled primarily by a neural system. Certain physical effects become evident when neural control is destroyed, and the automatic or autonomous bladder phenomena occur. It is shown in this paper that a physical system simulating the alternating periods of continence and voiding of the automatic bladder may comprise only passive elastic components, and that periodic voiding does not per se imply neural control.
Effects of breaks in the interval cycle on temporal tracking in pigeons.

Abstract Two experiments examined the effects of inserting a break in a cyclic interval schedule on the temporal control of keypecking responses in pigeons. In Experiment 1, pigeons were exposed to intervals that changed from 45 to 15 s and returned to 45 s. A break was inserted between the last 15-s and following 45-s interval and was in effect for either 0, 60, or 120 s. Either a blackout of lights in the test chamber or turning off the response key alone signaled breaks. In Experiment 2, we examined the effects of a wider range of breaks—0, 120, and 360 s. Post-reinforcement pause (PRP) tracked changes in the interval requirement across all conditions. However, breaks in the schedule, even one lasting 360 s, did not disrupt the overall time course of responding. The only effect that a break had on temporal performance was an elevation in the rate of responding and a shorter PRP in the interval following a break. The results suggest that breaks did not affect the birds’ memory for short intervals, and that the momentary increase in responding may be related to the reinforcement omission effect.
Antidepressant Prescribing Patterns

Objective: This paper reports results stemming from a retrospective inquiry designed to determine the prescribing pattern of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) relative to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and the subsequent effect on regimen adherence among African American (Black) and White beneficiaries enrolled in the state of South Carolina Medicaid programme.
Variations in the amount of glucose phosphate isomerase in lymphocytes and erythrocytes from A/J and C57BL/6J mice.

In a comparative study of A/J (Gpi-1a) and C57BL/6J (Gpi-1b) mice, we observed that erythrocytes of A/J mice exhibited significantly higher glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) activity compared to erythrocytes of C57BL/6J mice on a per cell, per gram of protein, or per gram of hemoglobin basis. Higher GPI activity per cell was detected for peripheral blood lymphocytes of A/J compared to C57BL/6J mice. (A/J × C57BL/6J)F1 mice expressed erythrocyte and peripheral blood lymphocyte GPI activities intermediate to those of the parental mouse strains. The GPI activities of spleen lymphocytes from A/J, C57BL/6J, or (A/J × C57BL/6J)F1 mice were not significantly different from each other. The higher activity in the A/J mice could be due to GPI of a higher catalytic rate or to the presence of more GPI molecules. In order to distinguish these two possibilities, GPI was purified to homogeneity from both strains of mice. The specific activities (activity per milligram of protein) of the purified enzymes from the two strains were found to be similar, indicating that GPI from the A/J strain was not a more active enzyme. Antibody to the purified enzymes was prepared and used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to compare the relative amounts of enzyme molecules in cells of A/J and C57BL/6J mice. Results of the ELISA tests on peripheral blood lymphocytes indicated that A/J mice contain more molecules of GPI per cell and, therefore, have a higher GPI activity than C57BL/6J mice.
PHASE CINEMICROGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS ON CULTURED CELLS. II. MASS MOVEMENT OF CYTOPLASM IN EUPHORBIA MARGINATA.

that of the mass; some can be observed to change directions during their movement. A mass may represent a dilation of one or more microstreams within the cytoplasm. Folding of the microstreams within a mass may explain the changes in the direction of movement observed for some organelles. Several levels of movement are associated with streaming, including those of the ground plasm, of the organelles, of the transvacuolar strands and of the cytoplasm masses. These, and possibly more subtle aspects of the streaming phenomenon, must be incorporated into anv theory of streaming.
Blink reflex latency after exposure to trichloroethylene in well water

The electrophysiological measurement of the blink reflex (BR) can quantify the conduction latency in the reflex arc involving the Vth (trigeminal) and VIIth (facial) cranial nerves. We measured the electrophysiological BR in a population (N = 21), which had alleged chronic exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) through the public drinking water at levels 30-80 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Contamination Level (MCL). A highly significant difference was observed in the conduction latency means of the BR components (p less than .0001), when the study population was compared with laboratory controls (N = 27). This difference suggests a subclinical alteration of the Vth cranial nerve function due to chronic, environmental exposure to TCE.
High-Throughput Characterization of Porous Materials Using Graphics Processing Units

We have developed a high-throughput graphics processing unit (GPU) code that can characterize a large database of crystalline porous materials. In our algorithm, the GPU is utilized to accelerate energy grid calculations, where the grid values represent interactions (i.e., Lennard-Jones + Coulomb potentials) between gas molecules (i.e., CH4 and CO2) and materials' framework atoms. Using a parallel flood fill central processing unit (CPU) algorithm, inaccessible regions inside the framework structures are identified and blocked, based on their energy profiles. Finally, we compute the Henry coefficients and heats of adsorption through statistical Widom insertion Monte Carlo moves in the domain restricted to the accessible space. The code offers significant speedup over a single core CPU code and allows us to characterize a set of porous materials at least an order of magnitude larger than those considered in earlier studies. For structures selected from such a prescreening algorithm, full adsorption isotherms can be calculated by conducting multiple Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations concurrently within the GPU.
Resource Allocation with Stochastic Demands

Resources in modern computer systems include not only CPU, but also memory, hard disk, bandwidth, etc. To serve multiple users simultaneously, we need to satisfy their requirements in all resource dimensions. Meanwhile, their demands follow a certain distribution and may change over time. Our goal is then to admit as many users as possible to the system without violating the resource capacity more often than a predefined overflow probability. In this paper, we study the problem of allocating multiple resources among a group of users/tasks with stochastic demands. We model it as a stochastic multi-dimensional knapsack problem. We extend and apply the concept of effective bandwidth in order to solve this problem efficiently. Via numerical experiments, we show that our algorithms achieve near-optimal performance with specified overflow probability.
Determination of Transport and Electrochemical Kinetic Parameters of M-H Electrodes

Electrochemical and transport properties of La0.65Ce0.35Ni3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 electrode were investigated in alkaline solution. The exchange current density, polarization resistance and the symmetry factor were determined from polarization curves obtained at low overpotentials. The symmetry factor was estimated to be 0.55 ± 0.01 and is independent of the state of charge. The equilibrium potential of the electrode was found to depend upon the hydrogen content in the alloy. The constant current discharge technique was used to determine the hydrogen diffusion coefficient in the alloy. The estimated value of $$\bar D$$ /a 2 at 0.1 C discharge rate was 1.39 × 10−4s−1.
The purification and properties of oxidized derivatives of L-histidine ammonia-lyase.

1. 1. l-Histidine ammonia-lyase (l-histidine ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.3) purified from Pseudomonas fluorescens is unstable in air. Treatment of the enzyme with 5,5′-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) produces a stable derivative which retains a fraction of the original activity and which may be restored to full activity by treatment with dithiothreitol. The oxidation of histidine ammonia-lyase by O2 and by H2O2 has also been investigated. 2. 2. The kinetic behavior of 5,5′-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)-oxidized histidine ammonia-lyase (TNB-histidine ammonia lyase) and its response to photosensitized oxidation and to thermal inactivation were all consistent with the existence of two classes of active sites. 3. 3. EDTA was a competitive inhibitor of reduced histidine ammonia-lyase but had no effect on TNB-histidine ammonia-lyase. The maximum inhibition which could be achieved with EDTA was close to 90%. The interaction of EDTA and the reduced enzyme was rapid in the absence of l-histidine but was perceptably slow in its presence. 4. 4. The time-course of the inhibition of histidine ammonia-lyase by borohydride was investigated under conditions which achieved a steady-state level of borohydride in the reaction mixture. The effects of pH and of a variety of small molecules on the borohydride-induced inactivation of the enzyme were explored. These data appear to be consistent with the proposal of an azomethine function at the active site.
Combined serum and ultrasound screening for detection of fetal aneuploidy

Experience gathered over the last decade from high-risk centers provide strong evidence that mid-trimester sonographic markers are sensitive for Down syndrome prediction. More recent data indicate that combining mid trimester sonography with traditional serum markers significantly improves diagnostic accuracy over either group of markers by themselves.
Recommendations for Developing Customer Focus in Statewide Transportation Planning Process

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ushered in a new era in transportation planning, transforming the missions of transportation departments into more diverse agendas that include information management and long-range planning. Today's transportation officials face a complex task. Success in transportation planning is measured not just in terms of connectivity and operational efficiency, but in the ability to respond to a host of complicated concerns; the ability to achieve a variety of operational, managerial, and financial objectives; and in proficiency in involving the public in the entire transportation planning process. The Colorado Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver, conducted a three-phase investigation on the development of customer focus in the statewide transportation planning process. From this systematic methodology, the research team established a series of recommenda...
Deterministic Non-linear Dynamics in Phycomyces Sporangiophores

Abstract The growth rate of the Phycomyces sporangiophore fluctuates under constant environmental conditions. To test for deterministic non-linearity in these growth-rate fluctuations, we applied variants of several recently developed techniques. We found that wild-type sporangiophores have a significant non-linear component, whereas non-linear contributions to the growth fluctuations of a stiff ( mad E) mutant are less significant. This difference may be caused by the dominance of a linear 10·4 min rhythm in the mutant's growth rate. Previous system analysis studies, which involved stimulation by dynamically changing light intensity, identified a non-linearity near the input of the Phycomyces sensory system. Our results, which involve analysis of growth-rate fluctuations under constant environmental conditions, demonstrate the presence of deterministic non-linearity even in the absence of sensory stimulation.
Growth of Ultra-Long ZnO Microtubes Using a Modified Vapor-Solid Setup

In this work, we have modified the experimental setup for a vapor-solid (VS) process to synthesize Zinc oxide (ZnO) microtubes (MTs) with lengths up to 3 mm during a 90-min growth period. The critical idea behind this modification is to control the distribution of Zn vapor along the Si substrates. The morphology evolution of ZnO structures with the increasing reaction time was particularly explored. We found that, within the 90-min growth period, four different types of ZnO microstructures appeared in this synthesis process: microrods (MRs), short MTs, two-tier structures, and long MTs. Growth mechanisms were proposed to interpret the formation of these structures.
High-stability tungsten lamp power supply for spectrophotometers.

Abstract A very stable, easily constructed, and inexpensive power supply is described for use with spectrophotometers or other instruments depending on a tungsten-filament incandescent bulb as a light source. The supply provides constant voltage to the lamp with protective circuitry to limit the inrush current when the lamp is turned on. A stability of the light output with this supply equivalent to less than a 0.002 apparent absorbance change was observed over a period of 2–150 min when the supply was connected to a prewarmed lamp and housing.
P01.42. Dose-dependent effects of massage-like loading in an animal model following eccentric exercise

Methods Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were surgically instrumented and underwent a bout of damaging eccentric exercise to the tibialis anterior muscle. Rabbits were randomly assigned to a protocol with massage frequency of 0.25 or 0.50Hz at a compressive force of 5 or 10N for 15 or 30 minutes. The contralateral limb served as the exercised, non-massaged control. A torque-angle relationship was obtained for 21 tibiotarsal joint angles, preand post-exercise, and post four consecutive days of massage (applied by customized device). Peak isometric torque was the primary outcome variable. Muscle wet weight and histological analysis were also performed at the end of the protocol.
Pulmonary Gene Expression Profiles of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

cular remodeling. To study the mechanism of up-regulation of VEGF-D by hypoxia, two VEGF-D promoter fragments, a 3,448-base pair (bp) fragment and a 523-bp fragment, were isolated from a mouse genomic library by genome walking. The fragments were sequenced (GenBank AF345635) and cloned into a pGL3 luciferase reporter vector. The reporter constructs were transfected into rat pulmonary microvascular smooth-muscle cells. Transfection efficiency was normalized by cotransfected pRL-TK renilla luciferase activity. Dual luciferase assays were performed after transfected rat pulmonary microvascular smooth-muscle cells were exposed to either 1% oxygen or 21% oxygen for 24 h. The luciferase activity was expressed as fold of the pGL3 basic activity. Hypoxia significantly increased the VEGF-D promoter activity. The activity of the 3,448-bp fragment was increased from 3.3 0.08-fold to 7.5 0.59-fold. The activity of the two colonies of the 523-bp fragment was increased from 2.9 0.12-fold to 6.3 0.36-fold and from 3.3 0.08fold to 7.5 1.0-fold, respectively. Sequencing confirmed that the 523-bp fragment was located at 3 end of the 3,448-bp fragment. The results suggest that hypoxiainduced VEGF-D expression is regulated in a region within the 523-bp fragment.
Computing approximations for the generalized Q function and its complement (Corresp.)

The Chernoff bound is used to derive useful approximations for the generalized Q function and its complement.
Influence of the aerosol vertical distribution on the retrievals of aerosol optical depth from satellite radiance measurements.

We investigate the importance of the layered vertical distribution of absorbing and non-absorbing tropospheric aerosols for the retrieval of the aerosol optical depth from satellite radiances measured at visible wavelengths at a single viewing angle. We employ lidar and in-situ measurements of aerosol extinction coefficients and optical depths to model radiances which would have been observed by a satellite. Then, we determine the aerosol optical depth that would produce the observed radiance under various sets of assumptions which are often used in current retrieval algorithms. We demonstrate that, in the presence of dust or other absorbing aerosols, the retrieved aerosol optical depth can underestimate or overestimate the observed optical depth by a factor of two or more depending on the choice of an aerosol optical model and the relative position of different aerosol layers. The presence of undetected clouds provides a further complication.
Conditions for compaction and shear bands in a transversely isotropic material

This paper derives conditions for localized deformation for a transversely isotropic constitutive relation intended to model the response of geological materials in the axisymmetric compression test. The analysis considers the possibility of shear bands, with dilation or compaction, and pure compaction bands. The latter are planar zones of localized pure compressive deformation (without shear) that form perpendicular to the direction of the maximum principal compressive stress. Compaction bands have been observed in porous rock in the field and in the laboratory. They are predicted to occur when the incremental tangent modulus for uniaxial deformation vanishes. The critical value of the tangent modulus E for constant lateral stress is -9Kvr/2, where v is the negative of the ratio of increments of lateral to axial deformation (at constant lateral stress), r is the ratio of axial to lateral stress increments causing zero axial deformation, and K is the modulus relating increments of lateral stress and deformation. The expression for the critical tangent modulus for shear band formation is more complex and depends, in addition to r, v, and K, on the shear moduli G 1 and G t , governing increments of shear in planes parallel and perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, respectively. Uncertainty about material parameters prevents a detailed comparison with observations but the results are consistent with observations of low angle shear bands (with normals less than 45° from the symmetry axis) for compressive volumetric strain (v < 1/2). In addition, the critical tangent modulus for such bands may be positive if G 1 and G t are small relative to K and r is around unity.
Hamilton surfaces for the complete even symmetric bipartite graph

Abstract The authors discuss a hamilton surface of a graph, which is a two-dimensional analog of a hamilton cycle. Hamilton surface decompositions are given for K 2n , 2n . In addition a few hamilton surface decompositions are given for K 2n .
Efficient computation of time-resolved transfer functions for imaging in turbid media

The transfer function of a turbid medium such as biological tissue provides a method of analyzing the spatial resolution of a time-resolved tissue imaging system. A method is presented of calculating the transfer function with the use of a Monte Carlo simulation. The model allows the computation of the time-resolved line-spread function of a sample of thickness d from a simulation of thickness d/2 by use of reciprocity under certain conditions, and the transfer function can then be computed from the line-spread function. Results with this method agree with previously published theoretical and experimental results.