cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
441: Differential mitochondrial DNA methylation in growth restricted placentas

lipase, or MAGL) remodel tissues. Leptin activates a key ECB-degrading enzyme called fatty acid amide-hydrolase (FAAH) in immunologic and neuronal cells. Relationships between placental ECBs, placental structure, and maternal/fetal leptin have not been reported. This study aimed : 1) to evaluate expression of placental ECBs and their relationships to placental composition and to fetal and maternal leptin status in a baboon model; 2) to sequence baboon CB1 and CB2 receptors for the first phylogenetic comparison to humans. STUDY DESIGN: Placentas from eight baboons were collected and processed as described previously (Farley et al., 2009). Placental composition was estimated using computerized stereology on electron micrographs. Immunohistochemistry employed commercial antibodies. Slides were scanned and processed as previously described (Brocato et al., 2012). RT PCR was done with a kit according to manufacturer’s instructions. Twotailed correlation was applied for statistical analysis, P value of 0.05 was used to determine significance. RESULTS: The ratio of fetal endothelium to placental tissue correlated positively with MAGL and FAAH expressions (r 0.79, p 0.05 and r 0.70, p 0.05, respectively). Protein expression of FAAH in syncytiotrophoblast correlated positively with fetal leptin concentration (r 0.98, p 0.0001, Fig. 1A). CB1 receptors were expressed in fetal endothelial cells, cytotrophoblast, and fibroblasts of villous core (Fig.1B), displaying 100% homology on the protein level with human receptor. CONCLUSION: This is the first report regarding possible regulation of placental ECBs by fetal leptin and ECBs association with fetal endothelial remodeling. Placental FAAH may be a promising target for treatment of poor fetal growth.
Gonadal Hormone Modulation of Mu, Kappa, and Delta Opioid Antinociception in Male and Female Rats

Abstract Previous studies suggest that sex differences in morphine antinociception in rodents might be attributed to the activational effects of gonadal hormones. The present study determined whether hormonal modulation of opioid antinociception in adult rats extends to opioids other than the prototypic mu agonist morphine. Male and female rats were sham-gonadectomized (sham-GDX) or gonadectomized (GDX) and replaced with no hormone, estradiol (E2, females), progesterone (P4, females), E2+P4 (females), or testosterone (males). Approximately 28 days later, nociception was evaluated on the 50°C hot plate and warm water tail withdrawal tests before and after subcutaneous administration of hydromorphone, buprenorphine, U50,488, or SNC 80. In sham-GDX (gonadally intact) rats, the mu agonists and U50,488 were less effective in females than in males in at least one nociceptive test, and the delta agonist SNC 80 was less effective in males than in females. In males, gonadectomy tended to decrease, and testosterone tended to increase antinociception produced by 3 of the 4 agonists. In females, gonadectomy and hormone treatment had more variable effects, although E2 tended to decrease mu opioid antinociception. The present results suggest that activational effects of gonadal hormones are relatively modest and somewhat inconsistent on antinociception produced by various opioid agonists in the adult rat. Perspective This study demonstrates that reproductive hormones such as testosterone in males and estradiol in females do not consistently modulate sensitivity to the analgesic effects of opioids in the adult organism.
Genetic mapping of two DNA markers, D16Ros1 and D16Ros2, flanking the mutation site in the chakragati mouse, a transgenic insertional mutant.

We present here the genetic mapping of two novel loci, D16Ros1 and D16Ros2, to mouse Chromosome (Chr) 16. The probes for these loci were genomic framents isolated from the chakragati mouse, a behavioural mutant resulting from insertional mutagenesis during the course of making transgenic mice. D16Ros1 and D16Ros2 were first mapped by recombinant inbred (RI) strain analysis and subsequently by the analysis of 145 progeny of two interspecific backcrosses between Mus domesticus and Mus spretus. These progeny had been typed for the centromere and this allowed mapping of D16Ros1 and D16Ros2 relative to the centromere. The other markers included in this study were Prm-1, Gap43 and Sod-1. The genetic map generated spanned 47.5 cM from the centromere to Sod-1, the most distal marker mapped here. The linkage data presented here should prove useful in mapping other loci relative to the centromere of Chr 16.
Differential Giemsa staining of kinetochores in meiotic chromosomes of two higher plants

Differential Giemsa staining techniques have been used to stain kinetochores in meiotic chromosomes of two higher plants. Using these techniques it has been possible to follow changes in kinetochore behavior and appearance through meiosis.
In the stocks: Perilous press releases

Abstract In this age of litigation, public relations practitioners are going to be obliged to be far more careful of the legal implications of their work, especially the preparation of press releases. In this article, two experienced academics review some of the legal responsibilities of practitioners, as well as legal criteria for judging the fraudulence of press releases and the time frame for fraudulent action, and they conclude with lessons that practitioners need to understand.
LQG control design for a hovering micro air vehicle using an optical tracking system

The need to conduct warfare in urban environments presents a new frontier for navigation and control of UAV's in locations where GPS may be degraded or denied. This paper addresses the first step in the development of a robust, non-GPS guidance, navigation, and targeting system for small indoor air vehicles: to design and validate a flight control system for micro aerial vehicles using an externally-mounted optical tracking system. The controller is designed using a modified Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) technique which leverages the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for state estimation. The controller is evaluated using a combination of simulation and flight test approaches conducted in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) Indoor Flight Facility. The results of the flight testing will be used to optimize the control design, which will pave the way for future research efforts, including incorporation of automated image processing techniques for vehicle stabilization.
Production-Inventory Decisions under Order-Occurrence Risk: The Deterministic Order Quantity Case

This paper examines the problem of production-inventory decisions under order-occurrence risk. To characterize this problem briefly, let the number of periods which elapse between the receipt of orders n and n + 1 for an item be described by a probability mass function fns. If fn∞ > 0, then order-occurrence risk is said to exist. That is, upon receiving order n for an item, there exists a positive probability that no future orders will occur. Assuming deterministic order quantities, the order-occurrence risk problem is formulated as a dynamic program. Optimal production-inventory disposal policies are characterized for the case of piecewise-linear production-disposal costs and concave increasing holding costs. The production cost is assumed to include a setup cost, and demand backlogging is not permitted. The production and disposal lead times are assumed to be zero.
Note on asymptotically flat empty spaces

The algebraic programming system FORMAC is used to extend asymptotic solutions of the Newman-Penrose equations. The expansions are then applied to metrics with geodesic rays and to the Newman-Penrose conserved terms. It is shown how the expansion may prove useful in finding new solutions to the field equations.
A 100Mbps coherent optical link demonstration using frequency stabilized solid state lasers

The design, implementation, and performance evaluation of a 100Mbps binary phase shift keying (BPSK) coherent optical link using frequency stabilized solid state lasers is described. In this demonstration, the transmitted data is binary phase modulated at 100Mbps using an external resonant cavity phase modulator. At the receiving end, the signal is detected using a balanced heterodyne detector. An auxiliary frequency tracking loop (FTL) is used to help the initial frequency acquisition before handing over to the carrier phase tracking loop. The FTL is implemented using a delay line discriminator, and the detected frequency error is fed back to the local oscillator laser to close the tracking loop. Phase coherent reception is achieved by synchronizing the carrier phase using a Costas tracking loop. The demonstration showed that a high data rate phase coherent optical link can be implemented using frequency stabilized solid state lasers.
Thrombin stimulates inositol phosphate formation, intracellular calcium fluxes and DNA synthesis in cultured fetal human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells.

Abstract Thrombin at concentrations as low as 20 p m (0·002 U ml−1) was found to stimulate inositol phosphate levels in cultured human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells. Several other proteases, including trypsin and plasmin, had little or no effect, of several protease inhibitors tested, only those with specificity for thrombin blocked the effect. Studies with active site-blocked thrombin suggested that the esterolytic active site of thrombin is required for inositol phosphate stimulation, while γ-thrombin, which has reduced binding affinity to fibrinogen also showed reduced effectiveness in stimulating inositol phosphates. In the presence of 10 m m LiCl, thrombin stimulated inositol monophosphate, inositol bisphosphate and inositol trisphosphate formation, with a prolonged rise of the first and transient early rises in the latter two species. Thrombin also elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels as measured with the fluorescent calcium probe, indo-1-AM. This elevation could be blocked by prior addition to cells of the thrombin inhibitor, hirudin, and was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ for the maintenance of an elevated level in the presence of thrombin. Incorporation of thymidine into DNA in confluent cultures was also stimulated by thrombin, with a four-fold increase in incorporation at 35 hr in thrombin-treated cells compared to controls. The half-maximal concentration for this process was 0·25 U ml−1. Pretreatment with 100 ng ml−1 pertussis toxin greatly reduced the thrombin effect, which is consistent with a role for a G-protein in stimulation of DNA synthesis by thrombin.
The anisotropic nature of the superconducting properties of single crystal Y1Ba2Cu3O7 − x

Abstract A series of noncontact magnetic measurements on high-quality single crystals of Y1Ba2Cu3O7 − x have enabled us to demonstrate that the superconducting-state properties of Y1Ba2Cu3O7 − x are those of a conventional, anisotropic superconductor with the anisotropy being associated with the highly conducting Cu O sheets in the Y1Ba2Cu3O7 − x crystal structure. The anisotropy in the superconducting state is reflected most strongly in the critical current anisotropy, which is as large as 20 to 1 at low temperatures and low fields and gets arbitrarily large at higher temperatures and higher fields. The upper critical field HC2 shows an anisotropy that varies from 6:1 to 10:1 in different crystals of high quality. Along the copper-oxygen sheets the upper critical field is enormous, extrapolating to ∼60 Tesla by 77 K and implying a low-temperature Ginzburg-Landau coherence length normal to the layers of 2A− 4A. Strong upward curvature is evident in the HC2 data in both orientations of applied field. This curvature can be interpreted in terms of thermodynamic fluctuations, and, if this explanation is correct, the critical region is enormous, extending more than 25 K below TC.
Sequence of food presentation influences intake of foods containing tannins and terpenes

Abstract Interactions among nutrients and secondary compounds in plants can influence the kinds and amounts of different forages herbivores ingest, but little is known about how the sequence of plant ingestion may influence these interactions. The physiological pathways and rates of nutrient and secondary compound metabolism in the body influence food intake by herbivores. On this basis, we predicted the sequence in which foods that vary in nutrients and secondary compounds are ingested would influence food intake and preference. In a 2 × 2 factorial experiment, we evaluated the relationship between the sequence of presenting two foods, one with terpenes and the other with tannins, and the time when lambs ate a nutritious food (alfalfa–barley), either before or after eating foods with tannins and terpenes. When alfalfa–barley was fed prior to the terpenes, intake of the terpene-containing food was lower than when alfalfa–barley was fed after terpenes ( P P > 0.10). Lambs ate more total foods with terpenes + tannins when fed tannins → terpenes → alfalfa/barley than when fed alfalfa/barley → tannins → terpenes ( P terpenes > tannins ( P tannins > terpenes ( P terpenes ( P
Fluorescence postlabeling assay of cis-thymidine glycol monophosphate in X-irradiated calf-thymus DNA

Abstract DNA damage was induced by irradiating calf-thymus DNA with a GE Maxitron-250 as an X-ray source. The use of nitrous oxide as a scavenger of solvated electrons in the irradiation process, resulted in essentially a monoreactant system of the biologically important hydroxyl radical. A novel approach combining the enzymatic digestion of the irradiated DNA to nucleoside 5′ monophosphates and fluorescence postlabeling was applied to detect a specific modified nucleotide induced by ionizing radiation, namely the 5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymine lesion. This modification, often referred to as the glycol lesion, is polar and is generated mainly as the cis stereoisomers. In order to demonstrate the detection of this lesion in DNA by fluorescence labeling, the lesion was first produced chemically in a DNA model compound d(CGTA). The modified oligomers were isolated intact by HPLC and characterized by NMR as cis stereoisomers of glycol derivatives of d(CGTA). The major isomer of the modified d(CGTA) was enzymatically digested to yield 5′ monophosphates. The digest was chromatographed by HPLC to enrich the modified nucleotide. The fraction containing the modified nucleotide was labeled with dansyl chloride. The fluorescent labeled nucleotide was chromatographed by HPLC. The same overall procedure was applied to DNA X-irradiated in aqueous solution. With a conventional fluorescence detector, HPLC analysis of the fluorescent labeled nucleotides detected 1 modified nucleotide/10 6 normal nucleotides from 100 μg DNA. The two cis glycol lesions were detected in the irradiated DNA by co-chromatography with fluorescent labeled markers. The initial assay of the modified oligomer demonstrated that the same stereoisomer of cis glycol was induced as a major modified nucleotide by both chemical oxidation and ionizing radiation.
SU-FF-J-146: Sequential Volume Change Estimation of Breast Tumor From Whole Breast Automated Ultrasound by Reader Study

Purpose: To evaluate use of image based registration in volume change estimation of breast tumor by expert reader study of three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound(US) whole breast image volumes. Methods: 3D US volumes of tumors in nearly whole breast sweeps using mammography‐style compression were acquired using the Logiq‐9 10L transducer(GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI). Nearly whole breast scanning was performed before, during and after 115±14 days of chemotherapy on 7 patients. Three breast radiologists marked a 3D ellipsoid around the tumor on pairs of pre‐ chemotherapy with mid‐ or post‐chemotherapy USimage volumes, spatially unregistered or registered in a pseudo‐random order. Additional information including pre‐chemotherapy US hand scan(s), mammograms and a clinical findings report without tumor dimensions was provided. Results: Preliminary results on the first 3 of 7 cases showed that registration provided a nearly significant reduction in the statistical uncertainty in reader estimates of normalized fractional tumor volume change due to chemotherapy (p‐value<0.08). The time taken to mark the tumor boundary decreased significantly from 10 min (9.8–10.3) without registration to 5.5 min (3.6–6.6) with registration (p‐value<0.02). Mean intersection‐to‐union volume ratio also improved with registration, by 33% from 0.15±0.1 (p‐value<0.05). A negligible improvement in confidence in identifying tumor margin in the automated USimage volumes was seen with registration. The normalized, between‐reader, mean separation of the centers of identified tumors decreased insignificantly with registration by 47% (p‐value<0.3). Conclusion: Successful spatial registration appears to aid ultrasound measurement of tumor changes in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Visual segmentation speed and volume overlap between readers were increased with the help of registration. Larger studies would be appropriate with focus on treatment response, breast cancer screening and diagnostic applications.
Effectiveness of Different Artificial Neural Network Training Algorithms in Predicting Protozoa Risks in Surface Waters

A neural network approach was employed to relate risky Cryptosporidium and Giardia concentrations with other biological, chemical and physical parameters in surface water. A set of drinking water samples was classified as “risky” and “nonrisky” based on the concentrations of full and empty oocysts, and cycsts of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, respectively. Given the constraints associated with collecting large sets of microbial data, the study was aimed at identifying an effective training algorithm that would maximize the performance of a neural network model working with a relatively small dataset. A number of algorithms for training neural networks, including gradient search with first- and second-order partial derivatives, and genetic search were used and compared. Results showed that genetic algorithm based neural network training consistently provided better results compared to other training methods.
The fungicide procymidone alters sexual differentiation in the male rat by acting as an androgen-receptor antagonist in vivo and in vitro.

Procymidone is a dicarboximide fungicide structurally related to the well-characterized fungicide vinclozolin. Vinclozolin metabolites bind to mammalian androgen receptors (AR) and act as AR antagonists, inhibiting androgen-dependent gene expression in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting AR-binding to DNA. The current study was designed to determine if procymidone acted as an AR antagonist in vitro and to describe the dosage levels of procymidone that alter sexual differentiation in vivo. In vitro, procymidone inhibited androgen from binding the human AR (hAR) in COS (monkey kidney) cells transfected with hAR at 3.16 μM. In vitro, procymidone acted as an androgen antagonist, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced transcriptional activation at 0.2 μM in CV-1 cells (cotransfected with the hAR and a MMTV-luciferase reporter gene). In vivo, maternal procymidone exposure at 0, 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg kg−1 day−1 during gestation and early lactation (gestational day 14 to postnatal day 3) altered reproductive d...
P02.04. Internet survey confirms strong interest in Yoga among fibromyalgia patients

Purpose Studies in circumscribed clinical settings have reported that yoga has been adopted by fibromyalgia (FM) patients of many cultural backgrounds. However, yoga styles vary in the methods they emphasize, and it is unclear from existing studies which types of practices FM patients are typically engaging in, and the extent to which they experience yoga as helpful or not. The purpose of this study was to survey FM patients in many different regions to inquire about their engagement in various yoga practices, perceived benefits, and obstacles to further practice.
Sulphide mining by the superextensile foot of symbiotic thyasirid bivalves.

In a symbiotic association between an invertebrate host and chemoautotrophic bacteria, each partner has different metabolic requirements, and the host typically supplies the bacteria with necessary reduced chemicals (sulphide or methane). Some combination of anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations in the host often facilitates uptake and transport of reduced chemicals to the symbionts1,2,3,4. We have studied five species of bivalve molluscs of the family Thyasiridae (that is, thyasirids) three of which harbour chemoautotrophic bacteria. Here we show that the symbiotic bivalves extend their feet to form elongated and ramifying burrows in the sediment, most probably to gain access to reduced sulphur. Closely related bivalves (including some thyasirid species) without bacterial symbionts show no comparable foot extension behaviour. The length and number of burrows formed by chemosymbiotic thyasirids are related to the concentration of hydrogen sulphide in the sediment. The burrows are formed by the foot of each bivalve, which can extend up to 30 times the length of the shell, and may be the most extreme case of animal structure elongation documented to date.
Maternal Over Fetal Health Chosen: A Case of Severe Lupus Nephritis Remote From Viability

Childbearing Poster Presentation Background Cardiac disease occurs in approximately 1% of all pregnancies. Tin Man syndrome, though rare, is a disorder encompassing physical and/or electrophysiological cardiac mutations that may present at any time in life. Historically, women with cardiac anomalies were discouraged from pregnancy. While medical advancements have increased the possibility of pregnancy in this population, they may also be minimizing the perception of risk and severity of complications for the mother and infant. This presentation will cover the challenges of dealing with the multidisciplinary care of a pregnant woman with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator ICD pacemaker and neonate with Tetrology of Fallot.
Observations on Bacterial Feeding by the Rumen Ciliate Isotricha prostoma

SYNOPSIS. Starvation of Isotricha prostoma for 72–96 hours decreased the cellular amylopectin granules and facilitated the microscopic search for bacterial feeding. I. prostoma selected and ingested only certain rods from among many types of rumen bacteria. In order to isolate the bacteria important as a food source for Isotricha, the starved protozoa were allowed to feed on mixed rumen bacteria, washed, and the crushed protozoan contents quickly cultured for bacteria. Several strains of bacteria were isolated in pure culture. Three of the rod strains isolated were rapidly ingested by I. prostoma when fed to the ciliate. In a monobacterial culture I. prostoma divided once before succumbing.
The Architecture of Deconstruction: Derrida's Haunt

Nowhere, Mark Wigley asserts, are the stakes higher for deconstruction than in architecture -- architecture is the Achilles' heel of deconstructive discourse, the point of vulnerability upon which all of its arguments depend. In this book Wigley redefines the question of deconstruction and architecture. By locating the architecture already hidden within deconstructive discourse, he opens up more radical possibilities for both architecture and deconstruction, offering a way of rethinking the institution of architecture while using architecture to rethink deconstructive discourse. Wigley relentlessly tracks the tacit argument about architecture embedded within Jacques Derrida's discourse, a curious line of argument that passes through each of the philosopher's texts. He argues that this seemingly tenuous thread actually binds those texts, acting as their source of strength but also their point of greatest weakness. Derrida's work is seen to render architecture at once more complex, uncanny, pervasive, unstable, brutal, enigmatic, and devious, if not insidious, while needing itself to be subjected to an architectural interrogation. Wigley provocatively turns Derrida's reading strategy back on his texts to expose the architectural dimension of their central notions like law, economy, writing, place, domestication, translation, vomit, spacing, laughter, and dance. Along the way he highlights new aspects of the relationship between Heidegger and Derrida, explores the structural role of ornament and the elusive architecture of haunting, while presenting a fascinating account of the institutional politics of architecture.
Augmented microscopy with near-infrared fluorescence detection

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence has become a frequently used intraoperative technique for image-guided surgical interventions. In procedures such as cerebral angiography, surgeons use the optical surgical microscope for the color view of the surgical field, and then switch to an electronic display for the NIR fluorescence images. However, the lack of stereoscopic, real-time, and on-site coregistration adds time and uncertainty to image-guided surgical procedures. To address these limitations, we developed the augmented microscope, whereby the electronically processed NIR fluorescence image is overlaid with the anatomical optical image in real-time within the optical path of the microscope. In vitro , the augmented microscope can detect and display indocyanine green (ICG) concentrations down to 94.5 nM, overlaid with the anatomical color image. We prepared polyacrylamide tissue phantoms with embedded polystyrene beads, yielding scattering properties similar to brain matter. In this model, 194 μM solution of ICG was detectable up to depths of 5 mm. ICG angiography was then performed in anesthetized rats. A dynamic process of ICG distribution in the vascular system overlaid with anatomical color images was observed and recorded. In summary, the augmented microscope demonstrates NIR fluorescence detection with superior real-time coregistration displayed within the ocular of the stereomicroscope. In comparison to other techniques, the augmented microscope retains full stereoscopic vision and optical controls including magnification and focus, camera capture, and multiuser access. Augmented microscopy may find application in surgeries where the use of traditional microscopes can be enhanced by contrast agents and image guided delivery of therapeutics, including oncology, neurosurgery, and ophthalmology.
N-Linked Sugar Chain Structure of Recombinant Human Lymphotoxin Produced by CHO Cells: The Functional Role of Carbohydrate as to Its Lectin-like Character and Clearance Velocity

Abstract Recombinant human lymphotoxin (rhLT) produced by CHO cells transfected with human LT genomic DNA was purified to homogeneity, but approximately 5% of the molecules were devoid of the last two amino terminal residues. A peptide N-glycosylated at Asn62 (Tr-45) and one partially O-glycosylated at Thr7 (Tr-14) on cleavage with trypsin were separated by reverse phase HPLC. The N-linked sugar chains of Tr-45 were released quantitatively as oligosaccharides on hydrazinolysis (100°C, 8 h), followed by N-acetylation. After being reduced with either NaB3H4, or NaB2H4, their structures were determined by a combination of serial lectin affinity chromatography, exoglycosidase digestion, and methylation analysis: 82.7% of the sugar chains occur as biantennary complex-type sugar chains, the remainder being C-2 and C-2,4/C-2,6 branched triantennary, and C-2,4 and C-2,6 branched tetraantennary complex-type sugar chains with a fucosylated mannose core. Their sialic acid residues occur only as the Neu5Acα2 → 3Gal group. The clearance velocity from the bloodstream dramatically increased with desialylation, and rhLT tends to have accumulated in the kidney, indicating that there may exist other mechanisms for clearance from the circulation besides the galactose-binding protein in hepatocytes and the filtration system of the kidney. Desialylated rhLT showed a lectin-like binding character to uromodulin similar to that of tumor necrosis factor, although intact rhLT did not. The interaction between desialylated rhLT and uromodulin was inhibited by N,N′-diacetylchitobiose and {Manα1 → 6(Manα1 → 3)Manα1 → 6}(Manα1 → 2Manα1 → 3)Manβ1 → 4GlcNAcβ1 → 4GlcNAc → Asn. These results indicate that the lectin-like domain of rhLT is exposed on its desialylation.
Emerging from the cocoon of Romani pride: The first graduates of the Gandhi Secondary School in Hungary

Despite recent educational reforms in Hungary, only 33% of Roma who enter primary school subsequently enroll in secondary school, and a mere 0.2% progress to higher education. To address this situation, in 1994 the Gandhi Secondary School opened its doors as the first college preparatory school for Roma in Europe. In 2000, the school graduated 18 of its original 56 students. Based on interviews conducted in 2004 with 10 of these students, two of the school's founders and two teachers, this paper documents the graduates' reflections on their experiences during high school and beyond. Data revealed that students found a second family at the school—indeed a protective cocoon—but did not always feel equipped to handle the racism they encountered later in both the workplace and university.
Direct hydrogen fuel cell systems for hybrid vehicles

Hybridizing a fuel cell system with an energy storage system offers an opportunity to improve the fuel economy of the vehicle through regenerative braking and possibly to increase the specific power and decrease the cost of the combined energy conversion and storage systems. Even in a hybrid configuration it is advantageous to operate the fuel cell system in a load-following mode and use the power from the energy storage system when the fuel cell alone cannot meet the power demand. This paper discusses an approach for designing load-following fuel cell systems for hybrid vehicles and illustrates it by applying it to pressurized, direct hydrogen, polymer-electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) systems for a mid-size family sedan. The vehicle level requirements relative to traction power, response time, start-up time and energy conversion efficiency are used to select the important parameters for the PEFC stack, air management system, heat rejection system and the water management system.
Growth of Carrot Cell Suspension Cultures in Medium Containing Amino Acid Conjugates of Indoleacetic Acid

Summary Suspension cultures of carrot cells (Daucus carota L. cv. Danvers) are routinely maintained in medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). When transferred to medium containing indoleacetic acid (IAA), the cells require twenty-fold higher concentrations of IAA for comparable growth. We tested eleven IAA-amino acid conjugates as auxin substitutes, and none was as effective as IAA. The cells took up more than 50 % of the IAA and IAA-leucine in less than 1 h, and more than 90 % in 8 h. After 8 h of growth in IAA, only 10 % of the radioactivity within the cells was in IAA, 45 % was in IAA-aspartate, and the rest was in breakdown products of IAA. IAA-leucine was immediately hydrolyzed to release IAA. The IAA was metabolized and IAA-aspartate was the primary end product. IAA-aspartate was taken up at much slower rates, and after 8 h, less than 10 % was in the cell. These results show that cell suspension cultures of carrot, unlike other culture systems, contain high esterase activity towards a wide range of IAA conjugates. The conjugates are hydrolyzed so quickly that they are unable to function as slow release forms of IAA and, hence, are not suitable replacements for 2,4-D in the medium.
Antiglucocorticoid treatments in psychiatry

A confluence of evidence indicates that alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal regulation can have profound effects on the symptom picture of psychiatric illnesses and that therapeutic interventions directly targeted at corticosteroid metabolism may have clinical benefit. This paper reviews the varying lines of inference that support such a hypothesis and reviews work by our group and others utilizing the cortisol synthesis inhibitor, ketoconazole and, more recently, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), as potential novel mood-altering agents. The data thus far suggest that antiglucocorticoid drug treatment may be useful in certain subgroups of depressed patients and may offer a theoretical rationale for alternative drug design.
Laser Communications in Space

Past, present, and future architecture and applications system design methodology optical design the communication receiver the acquisition receiver the tracking receiver key technologies configuring the system trading RF and laser communications for your system size, weight, and power trends in laser crosslinks laser communications applications.
The Vlasov equation and Poisson maps induced by non-symplectic particle maps

Abstract It is shown that almost symplectic particle maps induce Poisson maps of the truncated moment coordinatizations of solutions of the Vlasov equation, allowing one to use various tools to study the realistic evolution of distribution functions.
Seins denses et dépistage organisé : place de l’échographie

Assessment of the dense breast within the French screening program: The role of ultrasonography Mammographic density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. It also reduces the reliability of screening mammography. Among the population targeted by the French screening program, about 28% have dense breasts and 3% have very dense breasts. Breast density varies with age, HRT and mammographic technique. Ultrasonography for dense but otherwise clinically and mammographically normal breasts allows detection of cancers not visible on mammograms. The French program protocol allows the evaluation of results from breast US in this context with regards to the number of detected cancers and false positive rate.
Spontaneous interstitial emphysema of the lung simulating organic heart disease.

Abstract 1. 1. A case of spontaneous interstitial emphysema of the lung is presented and the probable mechanism is discussed. 2. 2. Constitutional symptoms are minimal as a rule, but they vary with the amount of escaped air, as does the duration of the objective findings. 3. 3. Serial roentgenograms are a definite aid in establishing the diagnosis. 4. 4. Organic heart disease is simulated frequently and serial electrocardiograms are in order. 5. 5. Pneumothorax, especially on the left, is a frequent complication. 6. 6. Prognosis is excellent in the majority of cases, except in infancy.
The use of MulTCP for the delivery of equitable quality video

Instead of constant bit rate encoding and delivery with the known problems of variable quality, not fully using the network at all times, and session rejection, we describe a system in which independent video servers, by using a set of fixed quality encodings and analyzing the statistics of the encoded video they are about to deliver, vary the aggressiveness of TCP rate control so as to obtain unequal shares of the contended network, in such a way that more complex video sequences get a bigger share. Compared to an equal share of bit rate, there is much less variation in quality between video streams delivered at the same time. This paper reports on the use of MulTCP, a server side modification to TCP, to apportion bandwidth more appropriate to the demands of the content being streamed. We present results of NS-2 simulations of our autonomous rate adaptive streaming server using MulTCP as the transport and show how similar qualities across content types are maintained when streaming over a contended network.
Spontaneous oxidation of organic donors to their cation radicals using Brønsted acids. Identification of the elusive oxidant

Various electron-rich aromatic and olefinic donors (D) are readily converted to their cation radicals (D+˙) in the presence of strong protic acids, even in nonpolar solvents such as dichloromethane. By using the three prototypical organic donors octamethylbiphenylene (OMB), adamantylideneadamantane (AA) and the isomeric fused homoadamantene (FHA), we identify the protonated donor (D-H+) as the effective oxidant for electron transfer from the organic donor (i.e., D-H+ + D → D-H˙ + D+˙). The subsequent reduction of (D-H˙) to the dihydro product D-H2 is demonstrated by the isolation of 2,2′-biadamantane, the structure of which is established by X-ray crystallography.
Experiments with SIP over TLS in an NG-9-1-1 testbed

Security is an important concern in Voice over IP (VoIP) applications. An approach to securing the signaling, such as the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages, is by using Transport Layer Security (TLS). Several studies have been done to measure the impact of using TLS on SIP. However, there have not been any tests on the use of TLS in the scenario of emergency IP-based calls, such as Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG-9-1-1) calls. We propose to demonstrate NG-9-1-1 calls over TLS, and present preliminary statistics of different call scenarios.
Emissivity-correcting mid-infrared pyrometry for group-III nitride MOCVD temperature measurement and control

Abstract We report a pyrometer that operates at a mid-infrared wavelength range (7–8 μm), where sapphire substrates are opaque and the reactant gases are transparent. The pyrometer also employs a novel “self-reflectance” method of emissivity correction, whereby thermal emission from the sample serves as a radiation source to measure its emissivity. The instrument was installed on a multiwafer Veeco D-125 MOCVD system and used to measure the emissivity-corrected temperature at a variety of GaN and InGaN deposition conditions. For a series of InGaN multiquantum well growth, the pyrometer was used to control the surface temperature at the critical InGaN deposition step, resulting in improved control of the photoluminescence wavelength.
Comparison between intensity normalization techniques for dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-MRI estimates of cerebral blood volume (CBV) in human gliomas.

Purpose: To compare standardization, Gaussian normalization, and Z-score normalization intensity transformation techniques in dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) estimates of cerebral blood volume (CBV) in human gliomas. DSC-MRI is a well-established biomarker for CBV in brain tumors; however, DSC-MRI estimates of CBV are semiquantitative. The use of image intensity transformation algorithms provides a mechanism for obtaining quantitatively similar CBV maps with the same intensity scaling. Materials and Methods: The coefficient of variance (CV) in normal-appearing white matter and relative contrast between tumor regions and normal tissue was compared between the three CBV transformations across five different MR scanners in 96 patients with gliomas. Results: The results suggest all normalization techniques improved variability and relative tumor contrast of CBV measurements compared with nonnormalized CBV maps. The results suggest Gaussian normalization of CBV maps provided slightly lower CV in normal white matter and provided slightly higher tumor contrast for glioblastomas (WHO grade IV) compared with other techniques. Conclusion: The results suggest Gaussian normalization of leakage-corrected CBV maps may be the best choice for image intensity correction for use in large-scale, multicenter clinical trials where MR scanners and protocols vary widely due to ease of implementation, lowest variability, and highest tumor to normal tissue contrast. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Recursive Algorithm for Computing Exact Reliability Measures

An algorithm is presented to find source-to-K-terminal reliability in a directed graph with independent arc failures. The algorithm is based on a discrete-time Markov chain with two absorbing states. The Markov chain has an upper triangular transition probability matrix, thus the probability of absorption in a state can be found by back-substitution. We show: 1) The source-to-K-terminal reliability is the probability of absorption in a particular absorbing state; 2) The time until absorption can be used as an alternative reliability measure; and 3) The algorithm can be used to find a third reliability measure called the degree of connectedness.
Crystal Structure of the Dual Specificity Protein Phosphatase VHR

Dual specificity protein phosphatases (DSPs) regulate mitogenic signal transduction and control the cell cycle. Here, the crystal structure of a human DSP, vaccinia H1-related phosphatase (or VHR), was determined at 2.1 angstrom resolution. A shallow active site pocket in VHR allows for the hydrolysis of phosphorylated serine, threonine, or tyrosine protein residues, whereas the deeper active site of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) restricts substrate specificity to only phosphotyrosine. Positively charged crevices near the active site may explain the enzyme9s preference for substrates with two phosphorylated residues. The VHR structure defines a conserved structural scaffold for both DSPs and PTPs. A “recognition region,” connecting helix α1 to strand β1, may determine differences in substrate specificity between VHR, the PTPs, and other DSPs.
Acute effects of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on self-injurious behavior

The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effects of conventional mode transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) on the rate of selfinjurious behaviors (SIB) in two young multiply handicapped persons with mental retardation. The first individual exhibited high rates of severe selfbiting. In an alternating treatments design the TENS unit was randomly switched on or off in two daily sessions. In initial open trials SIB appeared to be clearly suppressed by TENS. During blind trials, in which the observers were kept uninformed as to the TENS status, frequency of biting was still slightly lower during active TENS conditions as compared to TENS-off conditions. The rate of a second maladaptive behavior (finger gouging) was not affected by TENS. The second individual exhibited high frequency of head banging. Two sessions, consisting of two conditions each, were scheduled daily throughout the study. During baseline periods the TENS unit was switched off. During the alternating treatments phases the unit was alternatively switched on or off in a random and predetermined fashion. The data indicate that head hitting rates were reduced by TENS, and that four concurrently recorded behaviors were unaffected by the TENS. It was concluded that TENS had selective effects on SIB in both individuals without achieving clinically significant results. TENS effects were found to continue for some time after the unit was switched off. The data are discussed as to their scientific and clinical implications.
I. ESSAY: Enhancing Information For State Health Policy

Key health policy objectives, such as health system reform, cost containment, health promotion, and health personnel development, require states to be increasingly involved in forming and implementing policy.’ Yet states vary considerably in their capacity to do this. Even states with the most sophisticated policy planning apparatus have critical weaknesses in the infrastructure to support effective policy formulation and implementation. One important weakness lies in state data systems-especially in their ability to generate policy-relevant information. Under virtually any likely policy scenario, states probably will want both to develop better policy information and to make better use of it. Further, the scope of states’ concerns is likely to continue to expand. As a result, effective policy making will require information on issues crossing the public and private sectors and issues applied to diverse programs and services, as well as the capacity to generate populationand area-based analyses. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF’s) Information for State Health Policy (InfoSHP) Program was established in 1992 to help states strengthen their health data systems to support policy making and assist in program development and management. In this essay we present what was learned from the experience of the ten states funded for eighteen-month planning grants in Phase 1 of InfoSHP. We highlight key factors that may improve the ability of states to develop and use information on health policy questions. Our analysis draws largely on site visits to each state in the winter of 1993, during which we interviewed project staff and key persons in the public and private sectors. We also base our analysis on document review and other conversations with participating states.
GAZING THE HOOD: HIP- HOP AS TOURISM ATTRACTION

Abstract Hip-Hop is a new cultural phenomenon originating in the US. Its influence can be seen in music, fashion, language and the club scenes in the global context. Tourism is a special form of “gaze” constructing the other. This paper attempts to contextualize Hip-Hop tourism by problematizing the interrelations between culture, tourists, and attractions, situating a discussion of these relationships within the wider discourses of gaze and authenticity. It suggests that Hip-Hop tourism is an important, if neglected, component of cultural tourism, and proposes that Hip-Hop tourism can be viewed through three technologies of gazes: (1) initial gaze : voyeurism, mimesis and appropriation of black culture. Hip-Hop tourism begins with the initial gaze by tourists attracted through the curiosity about the other; (2) mass gaze : commodification and globalization. Hip-Hop has evolved from “folk culture” to “popular culture”, and eventually to “mass culture” consumed in many ways; (3) authentic gaze : authenticity is sought by Hip-Hop tourists as special interest tourism. The study concludes that Hip-Hop can be an important asset for tourism marketing and planning worldwide.
Characteristics of critical isthmus sites during reentrant ventricular tachycardia.

Summary of the current study Approximately 4 weeks postinfarction, CMRI was used to imagetheswineleftventricle invivo ,andHZregionswerepinpointedbyusing a contrast threshold method. Attempts were then made toinduce RVT with programmed electrical stimulation, with someswine being inducible while others were not. In those with induc-ible RVT, the reentry isthmus was pinpointed by using standardelectrophysiologic criteria. The presumed reentry isthmus areawas point-ablated, with the procedure being done blinded to theCMRI results. After the procedure, CMRI images were againobtainedsothatablationlesionlocationcouldbenoted.Oneweekpostprocedure,inductionofRVTwasagainattemptedandCMRIimages were obtained. The coincidence of ablation lesion loca- Address for reprints and correspondence : Edward J. Ciaccio, PhD,Harkness Pavilion 804, Columbia University, 180 Fort Washington Ave-nue, New York, NY 10032. E-mail address: ciaccio@columbia.edu.1547-5271/$ -see front matter © 2011 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2011.08.012
Social Capital Investment and Immigrant Economic Trajectories: A Case Study of Punjabi American Taxi Drivers in New York City

Although the scholarship on social capital and immigrant economic incorporation has sufficiently documented how immigrants mobilize social capital in their search for employment which often leads to the formation of immigrant niches, how social capital is processed after immigrants acquire employment and its significance for the preservation of immigrant employment niches is less well explored. This paper addresses this gap in the literature with a case study of immigrant Punjabi taxi drivers in the New York metropolitan area. In particular, this study shows how a group of immigrant Punjabi taxi drivers mobilized social capital via embeddedness in co-ethnic social networks and improved their working conditions – a process that must be considered in explanations of the Punjabi niche in the taxi industry for more than two decades. The study has implications for the relationship between social capital and the structure of the workplace or industry where immigrants are incorporated and its subsequent impact on immigrant economic trajectories. Further, this study contributes to the debate on the usefulness of ethnic communities for the adaptation of immigrant groups. Additionally, this research is relevant to the scholarship on the economic adaptation of South Asian (a subset of Asian Americans) immigrants, an understudied immigrant group in the United States.