cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel DNA binding proteins participate in the regulation of human neurofilament H gene expression.

Abstract By a combination of DNase I footprinting, methylation interference, and gel shift analyses we have identified multiple binding sites for nuclear proteins within the promoter region of the human neurofilament H gene. Two sites likely bind the transcription factor Sp1 while two others may be targets for previously unrecognized DNA binding proteins. One site, PAL, occurs within the 10 bp sequence GGGGAGGAGG. Two copies of the PAL sequence form an interrupted palindrome around one of the Sp1 sites. A second site, PROX, is found within the sequence GGTTGGACC. Nuclear extracts prepared from both neural and non-neural cell lines, mouse brain, and mouse liver contain proteins that recognize and bind to the PROX and PAL sequences indicating that proteins which bind to these target sequences are widespread. The appearance of these target sequences in the 5′ upstream region of several neuron specific genes suggests that they play key roles in the transcription of neuron specific genes. The functional activity of these target DNA sequences was demonstrated by transfection assays using a reporter gene fused to nested deletions of the NF(H) promoter region. Interestingly, these assays revealed that maximal transient expression was obtained with DNA fusion genes containing the PAL, PROX and TATA sequences. Inclusion of the Sp1 sites into the fusion genes failed to enhance the expression of the reporter gene. To determine if the NF(H) promoter can be activated in a tissue specific manner during development transgenic mice containing the promoter region linked to a β-galactosidase reporter gene were generated. In one line sporadic expression of the transgene occurred in the CNS and testis while in four other lines no expression occurred. Collectively these results suggest that the NF(H) gene promoter is active in a tissue specific manner only by interactions with regulatory elements that lie further upstream or downstream of the start site of initiation.
A test matrix sequencer for research test facility automation

The hardware and software configuration of a Test Matrix Sequencer, a general purpose test matrix profiler that was developed for research test facility automation at the NASA Lewis Research Center, is described. The system provides set points to controllers and contact closures to data systems during the course of a test. The Test Matrix Sequencer consists of a microprocessor controlled system which is operated from a personal computer. The software program, which is the main element of the overall system is interactive and menu driven with pop-up windows and help screens. Analog and digital input/output channels can be controlled from a personal computer using the software program. The Test Matrix Sequencer provides more efficient use of aeronautics test facilities by automating repetitive tasks that were once done manually.
Optimization of direct-write polarization gratings

We recently reported on a mathematical formalism for analyzing the result of a direct-write scanning system applied to photoaligned liquid crystal films. We use that formalism to study the direct-write recording of polarization gratings (PGs). First, we evaluate three scan paths in simulation and experiment, describe their tradeoffs and practical constraints, and identify the most favorable. Second, we explore the parameter space of direct-write PGs in simulation, which includes four dimensions in general: grating period, line spacing, beam size, and spatially averaged fluence. Using this analysis, we predict that a certain portion of the parameter space should be optimal, leading to high diffraction efficiency and well-aligned PGs. Finally, we experimentally fabricate and characterize nine PGs with scan parameters within and around this optimal parameter space and conclude that the prediction is validated. This work is the first in-depth study of direct-write PGs; it identifies many challenges and solutions, and shows, for the first time, direct-write recorded PGs with quality equivalent to those recorded via holography. In particular, we demonstrate a PG (20 μm period) with first-order diffraction efficiency 99.5%, 0.2% haze, and polarization contrast of 2000.
IN VITRO QUANTITATION OF BENZODIAZEPINE LIPOPHILICITY: RELATION TO IN VIVO DISTRIBUTION

In vitro lipophilicity of a series of benzodiazepines was evaluated by octanol: buffer partition ratio at physiological pH, and by retention time on a reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system with a neutral-pH mobile phase. Both approaches ranked diazepam as highly lipophilic, but overall the two indices were poorly correlated (r = 0.23). For seven of the benzodiazepines, the in vivo volume of distribution (Vd) was determined in pharmacokinetic studies. After correlation for individual values of protein binding, Vd for unbound drug was significantly correlated with octanol: buffer partition ratio (r = 0.74), and to a greater extent with HPLC retention (r = 0.81). Thus, lipid solubility at least partly determines the extent of benzodiazepine distribution in vivo, which in turn is a major determinant of the duration of clinical action after single doses.
Modeling and visualizing uncertainty in a global water balance model

Public policy makers and others wishing to understand the potential impact of our actions on the environment need a tool to simulate and visualize relevant processes. Present models and the data on which they operate have considerable variability which translates into uncertainty in model results. Decision makers must understand and consider not only raw model results, but also the uncertainties associated with them. As an example, we describe a tool that evaluates a global water balance model and presents visualizations of both the results and the associated uncertainties.
Discrete-ordinates method in radiative heat transfer

Abstract About 50 years ago, Chandrasekhar developed the discrete-ordinates method for analyzing radiation heat transfer within a plane-parallel medium. The effects of absorption, multiple scattering, and collimated incidence were considered. Since then, the numerical method has been utilized to study radiative heat transfer in one- and multi-dimensional rectangular, spherical and cylindrical geometries. In this article, the formulation of the discrete-ordinates method is described for computing radiative transfer in a one-dimensional (1D) slab and two-dimensional (2D) rectangular geometries, including the effects of absorbing, emitting and scattering constituents. Both the strengths and the weaknesses of this numerical approach are addressed. The accuracy of available results obtained by utilizing the discrete-ordinates method is compared with other methods of solution for several representative cases. It is evident that major advances have been made related to the development and application of the discrete-ordinates method in multi-dimensional systems. However, much more work remains to be done with the development of this classical technique, including, among others, a more effective treatment of nongray radiative properties of molecular gases and turbulence, as well as a removal of false scattering.
The reliability of estimated rates of production in simple turnover experiments.

Abstract A procedure is presented for determining the reliability of estimates of production rate or “total clearance” based upon the exponential decline of tracer concentration following intravenous injection. Using least-squares estimates of the logarithmic slope, logarithmic intercept, and standard errors of these two quantities, confidence limits are obtained for the production rate or total clearance, both of which are proportional to the quotient of the slope by the intercept. In contradistinction to usual methods this procedure takes into account the high negative correlation generally found between estimates of the slope and the intercept. Consequently this procedure yields more appropriate limits for production rate or total clearance; these limits should also span a shorter interval than those given by the usual methods.
Higher order strong-coupling effects in superfluid 3He

Abstract Higher order strong-coupling corrections combined with the weak-coupling-plus model and a realistic quasiparticle scattering amplitude can account for the magnitudes of the specific heat jumps of superfluid 3 He at high pressure. These higher order effects do not destroy the agreement between the weak-coupling-plus model and the B phase specific heat measurements of Alvesalo, et al.
Ablation centration in myopic laser in situ keratomileusis. comparing the Visx S3 ActiveTrak and the Visx S2.

Abstract Purpose To compare ablation centration and outcome measurements in myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using the eye-tracking Visx S3 ActiveTrak and the nontracking Visx S2 excimer lasers. Setting University-based refractive surgery practice. Methods In a retrospective study, 71 consecutively treated myopic eyes that had LASIK with the Visx Star S3 ActiveTrak were compared to 71 control-matched eyes treated with the Visx Star S2 without pupil tracking. Primary outcome variables including ablation centration, uncorrected visual acuity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction, complications, and induced cylinder analyzed by vector analysis were evaluated 3 months postoperatively. Results The myopia ranged from –1.50 to –11.25 diopters (D) and the cylinder, from +0.25 to +2.75 D. Ninety-four of 142 eyes (66%) were available for analysis at 3 months; 50 eyes could be used to analyze ablation centration. At 3 months, the mean decentration of the ablation zone from the entrance pupil was 0.22 mm ± 0.20 (SD) in tracked eyes (n = 25) and 0.21 ± 0.26 mm in nontracked eyes (n = 25) (P = .88). Three eyes (12%) in the tracked group were decentered 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and 1 eye (4%) in the nontracked group was decentered more than 1.0 mm. All other eyes were decentered less than 0.5 mm. There was an association in the tracked group between greater decentrations and higher levels of myopia (r = 0.67), but this association did not exist in the nontracked group (r = −0.03). Conclusion Comparable ablation centration as well as visual and refractive outcomes can be achieved with and without active eye tracking during myopic and astigmatic myopic LASIK.
Electrophysiological Evidence for Visual Suppression prior to the Onset of a Voluntary Saccadic Eye Movement

INABILITY to perceive one's own eye movement in a mirror is a common observation. To explain this, Holt1 was the first to propose a central inhibitory mechanism. On the other hand, Dodge2,3 and Woodworth4 claimed that retinal blurring could account for the apparent suppression and pointed out that a blurred image could be seen if the illumination was increased in intensity. Volkman5, using tests for visual acuity and threshold, stated that although vision was not “blanked out” during eye movements, visual recognition and resolution were markedly diminished, as opposed to steady fixation. LaTour6 found that the chance of perceiving a flash three log units above threshold was markedly decreased during the 50 ms before the onset of the voluntary eye movement. He also noted that the chance of flash perception did not return to normal until one or two hundred ms after the onset of eye movement. Zuber, Stark and Forbes7, also using psychophysical methods, confirmed LaTour's observation. They also noted that pupillary response to light decreased about 60–70 ms before the onset of eye movement. Gross, Vaughan and Valenstein8 found that the peak to peak amplitude of the visual evoked response (derived on a signal averaging computer) showed a marked decrease just after the onset of an eye movement and did not return to normal for 100–200 ms. They did not examine the visual evoked responses which occurred before the onset of the voluntary saccade.
Hypothermia, Asphyxia, and Cardiac Glycogen in Guinea Pigs

Cardiac glycogen was not affected by cooling guinea pigs for short periods. In normothermic animals it was reduced 75 percent or more at the time of death from asphyxia. Quickly cooled animals asphyxiated until the time of death of warm controls showed no significant losses of cardiac glycogen; animals cooled while breathing 10 percent oxygen plus 5 percent carbon dioxide showed slight reductions. Therefore, hypothermia spares cardiac glycogen during asphyxia, but there are factors other than cardiac glycogen which influence survival of asphyxiated animals.
Different functions of QTL for estrogen-dependent tumor growth of the rat pituitary.

Estrogen treatment to rats of the Fischer 344 (F344) strain induces growth of pituitary tumors that exhibit accelerated cell proliferation, breakdown of basement membrane, and formation of hemorrhagic lakes. Estrogen-dependent pituitary growth is due to variation in a group of quantitative trait loci (QTL), called Edpm for estrogen-dependent pituitary mass, that we previously identified in an F2 intercross of F344 and the tumor-resistant Brown Norway strain. We previously identified 5 QTL, and microsatellite markers developed since our earlier work have allowed us to scan new chromosomal regions, resulting in two new QTL for estrogen-dependent pituitary mass: Edpm9-2 and a possible QTL on the X Chromosome (Chr). Here we report evidence that these QTL differ from each other in how they affect growth. To examine the effect of the Edpm QTL on biochemical components of tumor growth, we tested their effects in 138 progeny of a backcross to the F344 strain which were given a 10-week chronic estrogen treatment. Hemoglobin/DNA ratio (a measure of blood volume relative to cell number) and total pituitary DNA (a measure of cell number) correlated only weakly, and very large pituitaries were observed which had a low hemoglobin/DNA ratio resembling a normal gland. Through QTL mapping, we found that Edpm2-1, Edpm3, Edpm5, and Edpm9-2 all had significant effects on pituitary mass, but Edpm2-1 and Edpm9-2 primarily affected DNA content, Edpm5 primarily affected hemoglobin/DNA ratio, and Edpm3 affected all traits equally.
Acetylcholinesterase activity in the chick embryo spinal cords

Summary 1. The cholinesterase in the spinal cord of the developing chick embryo was found to be almost entirely the specific acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The enzyme was located primarily in the anterior horns of the gray matter. 2. AChE activity was highest in the lumbosacral region of the spinal cord and lower in the brachial and cervical regions. 3. AChE activity was measured from day 5 of development until hatching on day 21. Enzyme activity was low prior to day 7 of development, at which time it increased, reached a maximum level on day 10, after which the enzyme activity decreased and remained on a plateau for the remainder of development. 4. Chick embryo spinal cord was maintained in organ culture for 24 and 48 hours. The AChE activity was relatively high after 24 hours' incubation (79% of noncultured control value), but was only 45% of the control value by 48 hours. 5. The addition of acetylcholine (ACh) 0.02M to the medium reduced the loss of AChE activity after 24 and 48 hours' incubation. 6. The injection of ACh into the yolk sac of fertile eggs had no effect on AChE activity of the whole embryo after 72 or 96 hours' development. 7. The correlation between appearance of AChE in the central nervous system and the onset of neuromuscular function, as well as the implications of enzyme induction in ontogeny, are discussed.
Extreme Ultraviolet Polarimetry Using Laser High Harmonics

Laser high-order harmonics are used to measure the optical constants of materials in the EUV. The optical constants for uranium, copper, and other metals are characterized from the measured ratio of s- vs. p-polarized reflectance.
Gut feeding and hepatic hemodynamics during PEEP ventilation for acute lung injury.

Abstract Mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) limits hepatic blood flow (HBF) and oxygen delivery (HO2D). Early gut feeding may augment hepatic hemodynamics and avoid relative ischemia in this flow-limited environment. To examine these effects, canines were instrumented with arterial, pulmonary artery, portal, and hepatic vein catheters. Splenectomy and gastrostomy were performed and the hepatic artery and portal vein were encircled with flow probes. All animals underwent lung injury with oleic acid (0.08 ml/kg) followed by the addition of 10 cm H2O PEEP to correct shunt. One group (fed) was then given a bolus elemental feeding (1 kcal/ml, 10 ml/kg) and the Control group, sterile water. Cardiac index (CI), HBF, hepatic oxygen delivery (HO2D), and hepatic oxygen consumption (HO2C) were measured at baseline (TO), after PEEP (T1), and 1 (T2) and 2 hr (T3) after feeding. Data were tested for significant changes between time points in the same group by ANOVA and significant differences were subjected to t testing. PEEP significantly decreased CI, HBF, and HO2D compared to baseline. Subsequently, gut feeding increased HBF to baseline levels and improved HO2D. HO2C also increased but hepatic O2 extraction was unchanged. There was little change noted in the control group over this same period. We conclude that gut feeding augments HBF and HO2D in this flow-limited state and may preserve splanchnic integrity in critical illness.
Measurements of three-dimensional turbulent flow behind a propeller in a shear flow

This paper presents detailed measurements close behind a 0.49 m (1.615 ft), three-bladed propeller tested in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2x2 m (6x6 ft) wind tunnel. Tests were run with a uniform approach flow as a baseline, and then the main test series was run with a variable mesh wire grid upstream to produce an approach flow with an essentially linear velocity gradient. The results are compared to elucidate the effects of the nonuniform approach flow. Several types of measurements are reported. First are gross quantities such as overall thrust and torque. The second type of measurements are mean (in the turbulence sense) quantities obtained with a five-port yawhead tube. All three components of the mean velocity and static pressure were obtained. The third type of measurements were made with an x-wire anemometer and an rms meter. These measurements yield all components of the turbulence intensities and stresses at a point averaged over many passes of the propeller blades. The last type of measurements were performed with the x-wire and a microcomputer. The computer is triggered to record many (approximately 160) traces from individual bladepassing events. These measurements are then processed to yield profiles of the mean velocities and turbulence intensities and stresses behind an individual blade.
Seismographic network provides blueprint for scientific cooperation

In the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica, ground motion created by a small, distant earthquake is recorded on South Georgia Island. Within hours of the earthquake, the data are automatically collected and made available to all government scientists and university researchers via the Internet. While near-real time access to seismic data from a remote oceanic island is a great technological accomplishment, the earthquake recorded on South Georgia Island signals a far greater achievement: operation of the 100th station of the Global Seismographic Network (Figure 1). The Global Seismographic Network is a blueprint for scientific programs that not only advance our understanding of the physical world, but also address the needs of society. Funded by both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Global Seismographic Network is now yielding a multi-use scientific tool that will make it possible for us to explore the Earth's interior, mitigate earthquake hazards, and monitor compliance with the recently signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Thermodynamic properties of nickel-sulfur melts☆

Abstract A correlation is presented for the thermodynamic properties of nickel-sulfur melts with sulfur contents less than 45 atom percent in good agreement with available experimental data. The correlation is mathematically equivalent to assuming the presence of distinct chemical species in the liquid, with physical interactions between the species being described by the three-suffix Margules equations with zero ternary interactions along with the regular solution assumption. The model furnishes directly information on the saturation with solid nickel, and is apparently able to describe the properties of unstable phases over a surprisingly large range of temperature (908–1726 K). This best correlation was found with species that are present in the solid phase (Ni3S2,NiS), along with monoatomic nickel.
Addressing Pricing: Value Bidding for Engineers and Consultants

This paper presents a unique treatment of competitive bidding theory as applied to pricing engineering services. Unlike low-bid procurement, the selection of engineers and design consultants is often based on several factors such as quality, availability, reputation, resume, and references, and these criteria may or may not include price. From preliminary interviews, the authors conclude that there is a need for a systematic method of evaluating potential job opportunities and determining fair market prices. This hybrid model, Value-Bidding, refocuses the competitive bidding model from a fee-based selection criteria to a value-based selection criteria. Value-Bidding utilizes an established marketing research methodology, conjoint analysis, to establish the probability of winning based on multiple factors. The resulting analytical model enables engineers to analyze market conditions, evaluate client priorities, systematically track competitors, and optimize proposals, while maximizing the probability of winning, maximizing profit, and optimizing price.
Protein Modification by Arginylation

The modification of protein by arginine catalyzed by arginyltransferases (ATE1) described by the Kashina group in this issue shows that arginylation of protein occurs widely in biology and is being recognized as a key regulatory reaction such as phosphorylation of proteins (Wang et al., 2011).
Alterations in Viscosity and Filterability of Whole Blood and Blood Cell Subpopulations in Diabetic Cats

Capillary closure and venous dilatation occur early in diabetic retinopathy, and altered blood rheology may play a role. For example previous studies have shown leukocytes are less deformable, are more activated, and occlude retinal capillaries more often in diabetic subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine if rheologic changes developed in diabetic cats, a model in which we have documented retinal capillary basement membrane thickening, microaneurysms, and intraretinal hemorrhage characteristics of early diabetic retinopathy. Viscosity of blood, plasma and purified erythrocyte suspensions was measured by rotational viscometry and plasma fibrinogen content was determined by heat precipitation. Filterability of blood and purified erythrocyte, mononuclear leukocyte, and granulocyte suspensions was determined at constant flow, measuring the increase in pressure over 2 min relative to the pressure generated by buffer alone. Viscosity of whole blood and plasma, but not erythrocytes, was significantly elevated (P < 0.005) in the diabetic cats over normals at all shear rates studied (450, 225 and 90 sec-1). Furthermore, fibrinogen levels were significantly elevated in diabetic cats compared to normals (P < 0.004), and were positively correlated with the viscosity of whole blood and plasma. The filterability of mononuclear leukocytes and whole blood in diabetic cats was decreased 56% and 74% when compared to normals, P < 0.0006 and P < 0.025, respectively. In contrast, the filterability of granulocytes and erythrocytes was not significantly different between the two groups. These results suggest that the rheologic alterations in diabetes are numerous, and involve both cellular and plasma protein changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cadmium in vivo causes disruption of tight junction-associated microfilaments in rat Sertoli cells.

Ten-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected i.p. with cadmium chloride solution in a single dose of 0 or 1.0 mg/kg BW. At 4, 24, 48, and 72 h after injection, testes of the animals were collected, detunicated, and fixed in 10% formalin. Individual seminiferous tubules were isolated and the stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium were determined through use of transillumination under a stereomicroscope. The tubules were stained with rhodamine-phalloidin, mounted on glass slides, and examined via a confocal microscope. This cadmium dose did not cause visible vascular lesion in the testes. The cadmium treatment resulted in changes in the pattern produced by microfilaments in the basal region of Sertoli cells. The observed change in basal Sertoli cell microfilaments consisted of fragmentation of the microfilament bundles as compared to those in seminiferous tubules from control animals. This apparent lesion was first observed in stages VIII through XI at 24 h after the cadmium exposure. As the time after exposure increased, the lesion within a stage occurred with increasing severity, and later stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium were also affected. At 48 h after exposure, disorganization of microfilament bundles was seen in stages VIII through XIII/XIV. At 72 h after exposure, severe fragmentation of microfilament bundles was observed from stage VIII through stages II/III. The microfilament bundles in several stages prior to stage VIII remained unaffected. No change was observed in the microfilaments of peritubular cells. At 4 h after exposure, testes showed no change in the organization of microfilament bundles at the basal region of Sertoli cells or microfilaments in the peritubular cells. We conclude that a single cadmium chloride dose of 1 mg/kg results in the disruption of basal Sertoli cell microfilament bundles in the rat seminiferous epithelium, and that the action of cadmium is cell-specific and stage-specific.
Non-Uniform Dependence for the Periodic CH Equation

We show that the solution map of the periodic CH equation is not uniformly continuous in Sobolev spaces with exponent greater than 3/2. This extends earlier results to the whole range of Sobolev exponents for which local well-posedness of CH is known. The crucial technical tools used in the proof of this result are a sharp commutator estimate and a multiplier estimate in Sobolev spaces of negative index.
Topical Vaginal Drug Delivery I: Effect of the Estrous Cycle on Vaginal Membrane Permeability and Diffusivity of Vidarabine in Mice

Preliminary studies showed that the vaginal membrane permeability coefficients for vidarabine (9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine) varied widely within a group of mice of the same species and age. This finding prompted an investigation of the influence of the female mouse sexual cycle on the vidarabine permeability. By means of a vaginal smear technique, the sexual cycle, which was approximately 5 days in duration, was divided into five phases. The vaginal membrane permeability of vidarabine was determined during each phase. The results revealed that the permeability coefficients for vidarabine during the diestrus phase (3 X 10(-6)-4 X 10(-5) cm/sec) were 10-100 times higher than those obtained at the early estrus or estrus phases (1-3 X 10(-7) cm/sec). Further permeation studies on membranes at early estrus and estrus were performed by separating the cornified layer from the noncornified portion of the membrane. The low permeability coefficient of vidarabine across the cornified layer (4 X 10(-7) cm/sec) suggests that this layer may be the major diffusion barrier for vidarabine when the drug is topically applied. Collectively, the data also suggest that during estrus a three-layer diffusion model is appropriate, that during early diestrus a single-layer diffusion model may apply, and that during proestrus and postestrus the situations are intermediate and more complicated.
Plant systems biology: lessons from a fruitful collaboration.

Systems biology is the biology of many interacting elements—genes, binding sites, pathways, and so on. Capturing the interactions correctly requires measurements under a variety of conditions and results in a model that explains the outputs in terms of those interactions. Computer scientists can
Subjective experience and causes of affect in high-functioning children and adolescents with autism

The ability to use language to identify causes for emotion and to describe the subjective experience of various emotions was examined in 28 male and female children and adolescents with autism compared to 28 normally developing and mentally handicapped subjects of equivalent chronological age and mean length of utterance. Mentally handicapped and lower functioning autistic subjects were also similar in verbal IQ. Individuals with autism did not grossly differ from other participants in their descriptions of emotion but were less likely to relate emotions to either reaching a goal or social interaction and more likely to attribute positive emotions to concrete events (e.g., going on a trip). Results are discussed in terms of current cognitive and affective theories of autism.
Buckling of cylindrical shells under the action of nonuniform external pressure

Abstract Over the last few decades, storage tanks have become bigger and thinner. Because of this, the buckling capacity of these cylindrical shells may well be the determining factor of shell thickness. In this paper, the critical buckling load of isotropic and orthotropic cylinders subjected to different types of wind load distributions is investigated. The prebuckling displacements are obtained by using the membrane theory of shell analysis. The principle of minimum potential energy in conjunction with Ritz's approach is used to obtain the stability matrix. The size of the stability matrix in this analysis is (81 × 81). By solving the stability matrix as an eigenvalue problem, the critical pressures are obtained as eigenvalues and the deflection shapes as eigenvectors. In the present study cylindrical shells of various dimensions, which are fixed at the base and free at the top, are investigated. The buckling load curves for isotropic and orthotropic cylinders of various dimensions are given for practical use.
Using perceptual organization to extract 3D structures

The authors describe an approach to perceptual grouping for detecting and describing 3-D objects in complex images and apply it to the task of detecting and describing complex buildings in aerial images. They argue that representations of structural relationships in the arrangements of primitive image features, as detected by the perceptual organization process, are essential for analyzing complex imagery. They term these representations collated features. The choice of collated features is determined by the generic shape of the desired objects in the scene. The detection process for collated features is more robust than the local operations for region segmentation and contour tracing. The important structural information encoded in collated features aids various visual tasks such as object segmentation, correspondence processes, and shape description. The proposed method initially detects all reasonable feature groupings. A constraint satisfaction network is then used to model the complex interactions between the collations and select the promising ones. Stereo matching is performed on the collations to obtain height information. This aids in further reasoning on the collated features and results in the 3-D description of the desired objects. >
On `Just Not Getting It' A Reply to McNamee and to Raskin and Neimeyer

McNamee (2003) and Raskin and Neimeyer (2003) largely bypass my analysis (Mackay, 2003) of the uses and misuses of `meaning' in psychotherapy, and of why the philosophy of the meaning-makers has no implications for therapy, tolerant or otherwise. They focus on my critique of constructionism and constructivism. Their responses repeat rather than address errors of which I criticized constructionism/ivism. Justifications of discourse pluralism end either in self-contradiction or in infinite regress. They ignore this and multiply their difficulties by treating rationality and logic as discourse-specific and optional. They neither `bridge incommensurate discourses' nor offer a `coherent constructivism'. Further, they identify me with a `familiar realism' of their own construction, misattributing to me such doctrines as foundationalism, essentialism, absolutism and belief in transcendent reality. Raskin and Neimeyer, in particular, compound these misconstructions by misrepresenting and distorting my terms and p...
Reflections on the Sociology of Religion Today

Let me say, first of all, that I am very honored to be asked to give this lecture. When Jose Casanova invited me, he said that I was free to choose my topic, and he also added that I should feel free to reminisce. This is tempting. I could relive past moments of glory, settle old scores, reveal outrageous secrets. Upon some reflection, though, I decided to reject the temptation. I don't think that a useful purpose would be served by my subjecting you to this sort of geriatric muttering. Instead, I decided to speak about what I see as the most interesting problems of the sociology of religion today, and I will leave any exercise in (probably selective) reminiscence to such private conversations as may follow this lecture. Since its inception, presumably dated in the classical period of Durkheim and Weber, the sociology of religion has been fascinated by the phenomenon of secularization. This term, of course, has been endlessly debated, modified and occasionally repudiated. But for most purposes it could be defined quite simply as a process in which religion diminishes in importance both in society and in the consciousness of individuals. And most sociologists looking at this phenomenon have shared the view that secularization is the direct result of modernization. Put simply, the idea has been that the relation between religion and modernity is inverse the more of the former, the less of the latter. Different reasons have been put forward for this relation. Most often it was ascribed to the ascendancy of modern scientific thinking, making the world more rationally comprehensible and manageable, and thus, supposedly, leaving less and less space for the supernatural. This interpretation was eloquently expressed in Weber's phrase of "the disenchantment of the world." Other reasons have been cited the progressive differentiation of modern institutions (this was Parson's favorite paradigm), the severance of the linkage of state and church in modern democratic regimes making religious affiliation a voluntary matter, and last but not least the massive modern process of migration, urbanization and mass
Decentralized supply chain coordination through auction markets: dynamic lot-sizing in distribution networks

As supply chains become bigger and dynamically structured involving multiple organizations with different interests, it is impossible for a single organization to control a whole supply chain. So, decentralization of decision rights is an inevitable facet of managing modern supply chains. However, controlling in a decentralized mode can fail without appropriate coordination mechanisms. When the agents of a supply chain are not willing to cooperate in terms of information sharing, the whole supply chain can exhibit expensive inefficiencies such as the bullwhip effect. In this paper, we design a trustworthy decentralized coordination mechanism for dynamic lot-sizing in distribution networks, as an effort to motivate information sharing. We design multiple auctions and each auction coordinates the plans of a supplier and its customers by trading the right of managing the supplier's inventory plan. The coordination mechanism makes a reasonable profit and the profit is divided in an agreeable way. Also, the pr...
Stereotyped Views of Older Adults in Children from the People's Republic of China and from the United States

ABSTRACT Children from the People's Republic of China and from the United States were asked to judge younger and older adults. Children's impression and memory for these adults was examined, along with their ability to use information presented about the adults to judge them. How stable children thought traits were about an adult as that adult ages, and how well children recalled information that was consistent or inconsistent with age stereotypes, was also examined. Additionally, the relationship between children's experiences with older adults, and their views of older adults, was assessed. Although 10-year-old American children were more negative about older adults than other children, 6-and 10-year-old children in both the People's Republic of China and the United States expressed negative views of older adults. However, these negative views, or age stereotypes, were more readily found when the task required a comparison between younger and older adults, even when that comparison was for the same pers...
The temporal behaviour of reflection-high-energy-electron-diffraction intensity and implications for growth kinetics during molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs(100) modulated structures☆

Abstract We present some results of a systematic examination of the reflection-high-energy-electron-diffraction (RHEED) intensity behaviour of static GaAs(100) surfaces, and during molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth of GaAs and AlAs on such surfaces. The growth condition dependent role of surface kinetic processes in controlling the nature of the surfaces and interfaces is emphasized which, amongst other things, shows the need for two different optimum arsenic pressures for the growth of good normal and inverted interfaces in modulated structures, under most growth conditions. For the customary practise of forming interfaces during continuous growth of alternate layers, an example of special growth condition requiring only one optimum arsenic pressure is presented. The significance of the individual layer thicknesses and the total thickness of the modulated structure in controlling the quality of normal and inverted interfaces formed at the chosen growth conditions is revealed through a comparison of the RHEED dynamics during growth of (GaAs) 2 /(AlAs) 2 and (GaAs) 6 /(AlAs) 6 superlattices.
Fluoxetine-induced attenuation of amphetamine self-administration in rats.

Abstract Daily injections of fluoxetine (5.0 mg/kg i.p.) to rats trained to self-administer intravenous d-amphetamine produced marked decreases in drug intake on three successive days of treatment. After fluoxetine injections were stopped, the number of daily amphetamine self-injections was still significantly self-administration animals were placed in an apparatus which delivered i.v. saline with each lever press, increased self-injection is observed. Acute fluoxetine injection did not alter this response. However, if fluoxetine is given prior to amphetamine exposure for 1 day and animals are then tested for the saline response, lever pressing activity is significantly reduced. These data might suggest that 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons mediate some aversive or negative reinforcing property of amphetamine. If true, this finding could be exploited clinically in cases of human psychomotor stimulant addiction.
Bit-Error-Rate Performance of Companding Transforms for OFDM

This paper provides a comprehensive analytical framework to assess the relative bit-error-rate (BER) performance of companding transforms (CTs) employed to reduce the peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. This paper provides a quantitative basis for several claims, which are reported in the literature, based solely on simulation results. In particular, we consider three main classes of CTs and provide a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the superiority of one CT relative to the others. The conditions are given in terms of the companding parameters, which are usually selected to achieve a target PAPR. Our analytical derivations are supported by simulation results.
Nonlinear Birefringence of Liquid Crystals

Abstract Liquid crystals are promising materials for nonlinear optical devices. In addition to the linear birefringence, liquid crystals possess third order nonlinear susceptibilities associated with a variety of mechanisms. Due to the bulk anisotropy of these materials, the nonlinear refractive index n 2 sensitively depends on the direction of light polarization with respect to the nematic director. We have used the Z-scan method, recently developed by the CREOL group,1 to determine the nonlinear refractive indices of the pure liquid crystals 5CB and 8CB, and of the mixture E7 in the isotropic and nematic phases, and, in the case of 8CB, in the smectic phase. We have measured the nonlinear refractive indices n 2 and n 2 for light polarized parallel and perpendicular to the director, respectively, using millisecond pulses from a CW Ar+ laser and nanosecond pulses from a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. We have also measured the nonlinear absorption. The nonlinear response of our samples on the millisecond timesc...
EFFECT OF VITAMIN A (VA) SUPPLEMENTATION ON RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY (ROP) IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS

Top of pageAbstract A randomized, blind study to determine the effect of VA on ROP was performed in 86 neonates with BW≤1500g and GA<31 weeks. Fourty neonates were assigned to the treatment (T) and 16 to the control (C) group. Each infant in the T group received 5,000 IU VA (retinyl palmitate) intramuscularly within 12 hours after birth, followed by 3,750 IU every other day for the next 2 weeks and 5,000 IU weekly thereafter for the following 4 weeks. Results: The VA plasma levels, on postnatal day 1, before VA administration, were comparable in the neonates in the two groups. In all subsequent determinations on days 2, 3 and 8 and weekly thereafter, for a total of 6 weeks, the mean VA plasma levels were significantly higher (p<.001) in infants in the T group compared to those in the C group. ROP occured in 21(53%) of the 40 infants in the T group and in 29 (63%) of the 46 in the C group (p=NS). However, ROP progressed to stage III Plus in only 5(13%) of the 40 infants treated with VA as compared to 14(30%) of the 46 treated with placebo (p<.05). Cryotherapy was performed in only 6 of the 80 eyes in the T group compared to 18 of the 92 eyes in the C group (p<.025). Conclusion: Early supplementation of VA in VLBW infants may protect the developing retina and therefore limit the progression of ROP.
Investigation on the impacts of different genders and ages on satisfaction with thermal environments in office buildings

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of occupant gender and age on thermal satisfaction in office environments. The data used for the analyses was collected from 40-sampled occupants and their workstations on 38 floors in 20 office buildings in the U.S. with support from the U.S. General Services Administration. The field measurements include data collection for air temperature, radiant temperature, temperature stratification, relative humidity and air velocity of the sampled workstations. Occupant satisfaction surveys were distributed to each occupant in the workstations measured, and the thermal attributes of building systems were recorded. The objective and subjective data sets support statistical correlation analysis between environmental qualities and user satisfactions. The statistical analysis of air temperatures, occupant thermal satisfaction, age and gender revealed that females are more dissatisfied with their thermal environments than males especially in the summer season with high significance, and occupants over 40 years old are more satisfied than under 40 in the cooling season with marginal significance.
IFN‐γ production by innate immune cells is sufficient for development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exposure to inhaled particulate antigens. The disease is characterized by lymphocytic alveolitis, granuloma formation and fibrosis. IFN-gamma is required for the formation of granulomas in HP, and we therefore focused on identifying the cellular sources of IFN-gamma during the disease. Using the Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (SR) animal model of HP, we demonstrated that the majority of IFN-gamma(+) cells in the lung following SR exposure are neutrophils. Ab-mediated depletion of neutrophils in mice prior to exposure to SR resulted in a decrease in the level of IFN-gamma mRNA and protein compared to isotype Ab-treated mice, suggesting that neutrophils are an important source of IFN-gamma during HP. To determine the contribution of T and non-T cell sources of IFN-gamma to granuloma formation, we performed adoptive transfer studies. RAG-1(-/-) mice reconstituted with spleen cells from IFN-gamma(-/-) mice developed granulomas similarly to RAG-1(-/-) mice reconstituted with normal spleen cells. Therefore innate immune cell IFN-gamma production in the absence of T cell IFN-gamma production is sufficient for granuloma formation. These results provide new insight into the pathogenesis of HP and demonstrate the important contribution of innate immune cells to the disease process.
Presweetened and Nonpresweetened Ready-to-Eat Cereals at Breakfast Are Associated With Improved Nutrient Intake but Not With Increased Body Weight of Children and Adolescents: NHANES 1999-2002

This study compared nutrient intake and body weight measures in children 4 to 8 (n = 1480) and 9 to 13 (n = 1790), and adolescents 14 to 18 years of age (n = 1826) participating in 1999-2002 NHANES and consuming a presweetened ready-to-eat cereal (PSRTEC), a non-PSRTEC (NPSRTEC), or other breakfast (OB). Sample weights were applied, and logistic regression identified differences among breakfast consumption groups controlling for appropriate covariates. Breakfast type varied by the above-mentioned age groups: 34% (n = 507), 33% (n = 593), and 23% (n = 416) consumed PSRTEC, respectively; 12% (n = 178), 9% (n = 165), and 8% (n = 144), respectively, consumed NPSRTEC; and 54% (n = 795), 58% (n = 1032), and 69% (n = 1266), respectively, consumed OBs. RTEC consumers had significantly higher intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than OB consumers. In children 4 to 8 years old and 9 to 13 years old, added sugars (103.3 ± 2.6 and 111.3 ± 3.0 g) were h...
Sonolytic desorption of mercury from aluminum oxide.

As discrete particles and/or as coatings on other mineral surfaces in natural systems, aluminum (hydr)oxides are efficient sinks for Hg(II). Ultrasound at 20 kHz was applied to enhance the desorpti...
Temperature Dependence of Electron Energy Levels in Solids

In many crystalline insulators there is a temperature proportional displacement of the long wave-length absorption limit towards longer wave-lengths. These are crystals which have a broad, nearly structureless absorption which is caused by the transition of an electron from a full to an empty electron band. Previous attempts to explain this phenomenon have shown that the effects of thermal expansion are far too small to account for the observed shift. In this paper it is shown that there is a broadening of electron energy levels due to collisions with the thermally vibrating lattice which results in reducing the effective width of the "forbidden" energy region between occupied and conducting bands. Calculations indicate that, in polar crystals for which the observations have been made, this effect is of the proper magnitude to explain the experimental data. In non-polar crystals the effect would be very small. However, no absorption shift in non-polar crystals has been observed.