cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volatile halocarbon compounds in process water and processed foods

Volatile halocarbon compounds (VHCs) of low molecular weight are among the most abundant man-made industrial chemicals in the United States. Because of the physical properties of these compounds, in particular their high volatility, they are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has detected numerous VHCs in ground water and finished drinking water. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Division of Contaminants Chemistry, as well as other laboratories, have detected VHCs in foods. These findings of VHCs in foods, coupled with their frequent detection in ground waters, suggested that food contamination by VHCs could be occurring via polluted process waters. The objectives of this investigation were to determine if VHC contamination of food through contact with contaminated process water was widespread, and to ascertain the levels of contamination. The problem was addressed by collecting and analyzing process water and foods from processing plants situated in areas where contamination of the process water was most probable. Recent data from EPA were used to select food processing plants most likely to use VHC-contaminated process water. Processing plants were chosen for study only if they produced a high-fat content food that came in contact with water during processing, or produced a productmore » that contained a high percentage of added water. Findings are reported here in process water and food product analysis from 15 food processing plants located in 9 different states (CA, FL, IL, MA, MI, NY, OH, PA, WI), representing a total of 39 food products.« less
Highly Regulated DC Power Supplies

The design and application of highly regulated dc power supplies present many subtle, diverse, and interesting problems. This paper discusses some of these problems (especially in connection with medium power units) but emphasis has been placed more on circuit economics rather than on ultimate performance. Sophisticated methods and problems encountered in connection with precision reference supplies are therefore excluded. The problems discussed include the subjects of temperature coefficient, short-term drift, thermal drift, transient response degeneration caused by remote sensing, and switching preregualtor-type units and some of their performance characteristics.
The Financial Rewards of New Product Introductions in the Personal Computer Industry

Based on data from firms in the personal computer industry, we study the effect of new product introductions on three key drivers of firm value: profit rate, profit-rate persistence, and firm size as reflected in asset growth. Consistent with our theoretical development, we find that new product introductions influence profit rate and size; however, we find no effect on profit-rate persistence. Interestingly, we also find that the effect of new product introductions on profit rate stems from a reduction in selling and general administrative expenditure intensity rather than through an increase in gross operating return. Notably, firms decrease their advertising intensity in the wake of a new product introduction. Firm profitability in this industry apparently benefits from new product introductions because new products need less marketing support than older products.
An analysis of potential cloud artifacts in MODIS over ocean aerosol optical thickness products

[1] Using spatially and temporally collocated MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products and data from seven AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) sun-photometer sites, we explored the relationship between MODIS aerosol optical depth and cloud fraction over remote oceans that have been recently reported in the literature. We show that artifacts such as cloud contamination or adjacency effect contribute to the majority of the relationship in clean marine conditions. This cloud fraction effect could result in a 10–20% overestimation in monthly mean aerosol optical depth or aerosol direct forcing values that are derived using MODIS aerosol products over cloud free oceans. It may also explain some of the high optical depth values derived in the mid-latitude southern oceans. We also suggest that covariances of meteorological phenomenon such as wind or humidity in cloudy regions while logical might only account for a minor portion of the ensemble relationship.
Enhanced single-photon emission from a diamond–silver aperture

Directly embedding single nitrogen–vacancy centres into ordered arrays of plasmonic nanostructures can enhance their radiative emission rate and thus give greater scalability over previous bottom-up approaches for the realization of on-chip quantum networks.
Liver transplantation before 1 year of age

Since 1981, 20 infants younger than 1 year of age received 26 orthotopic liver transplants. Immunosuppression was with cyclosporine and corticosteroids. Thirteen (65%) of the reciplents were discharged from the hospital. To date, 12 (60%) of the 20 reciplents are surviving, with follow-up of 1 to 56 months (average 14 months). The 5-year acluarial survival is 53.8%. The allograft liver function in the majority of surviving infants is excellent. The predominant causes of mortality were primary nonfunction of the allograft (three patients) and sepsis (three). Major morbidity was caused by hepatic artery thrombosis (five patients), gastrointestinal complications (six), biliary tract complications (five), and bacterial and viral infections (13). Six patients underwent retransplantation; three of these six survived. Results could be improved by prevention of hepatic artery thrombosis, by decreasing the incidence of sepsis, and by procurement of more and better suited pediatric donors.
A boundary value problem associated with the second painlevé transcendent and the Korteweg-de Vries equation

The differential equation considered is \(y'' - xy = y|y|^\alpha \). For general positive α this equation arises in plasma physics, in work of De Boer & Ludford. For α=2, it yields similarity solutions to the well-known Korteweg-de Vries equation. Solutions are sought which satisfy the boundary conditions (1) y(∞)=0 (2) $$y{\text{(}}\infty {\text{)}} = {\text{0}}$$ (1) $$y{\text{(}}x{\text{) \~( - }}\tfrac{{\text{1}}}{{\text{2}}}x{\text{)}}^{{{\text{1}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\text{1}} \alpha }} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} \alpha }} {\text{ as }}x \to - \infty $$ (2) It is shown that there is a unique such solution, and that it is, in a certain sense, the boundary between solutions which exist on the whole real line and solutions which, while tending to zero at plus infinity, blow up at a finite x. More precisely, any solution satisfying (1) is asymptotic at plus infinity to some multiple kA i(x) of Airy's function. We show that there is a unique k*(α) such that when k=k*(α) the condition (2) is also satisfied. If 0 k* then the solution blows up at a finite x. For the special case α=2 the differential equation is classical, having been studied by Painleve around the turn of the century. In this case, using an integral equation derived by inverse scattering techniques by Ablowitz & Segur, we are able to show that k*=1, confirming previous numerical estimates.
Optomechanics with Subwavelength Gratings

We demonstrate radiation pressure cooling of silicon nitride membranes, patterned as subwavelength gratings, from room temperature to sub-kelvin temperatures. We discuss the current limitations and future prospects of grating membranes in optomechanics.
A Management Guideline for Obesity-Hypoventilation Syndromes.

A survey of our pulmonary service revealed little consensus as to the definition, work-up, and management of hypoventilation, more often encountered in the presence of obesity. If hypoventilation is defined by an arterial carbon dioxide level above 45mmHg, 22% of artrial blood gas samples over a 5-month period met this criterium, suggesting a high “any-cause” prevalence. This article presents the rationale and explanation for a management protocol for obesity-hypoventilation that is currently being assessed in the VA Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University training program in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
Public Sex, Gay Space

Public Sex, Gay Space. William L. Leap. ed. New York: Columbia University Press. 1999. vii+ 287 pp. photographs, index,
Endomitosis in the nurse cells of the ovary of drosophila melanogaster

1. Nurse cells in the ovary ofD. melanogaster show a range in nuclear diameters of from 5μ to 40μ. This indicates that the volume of the smallest nuclei must have been doubled 8 times to produce the largest nuclei which are therefore at least 512-ploid. 2. In nuclei with the same diameters we find evidence of a series of nuclear changes paralleling ordinary mitosis from a diffuse resting stage to a late prophase condition of the chromosomes. No equitorial plate is formed, nor is there an anaphase movement of the chromosomes, and throughout the cycle the nuclear wall remains in-tact.Geitlers term “endomitosis” is used to describe this inner division cycle of the chromosomes. 3. A striking feature of the endomitotic cycles, inDrosophila ovaries, is the tendency for the chromatids to collect around separate centers in what correspond to early and late prophase stages. In the latter the association is most intimate. 4. In the earlier endomitotic cycles, the association between chromatids is extremely close, and in the late prophase dense chromosome-like aggregates of eight threads are found. In later cycles the association, is less intimate. 5. Five division cycles are figured but from volume considerations, it is concluded that eight must occur to form the largest nuclei, if, as seems very probable, with each division cycle there is a doubling of the nuclear volume.
Cooperativity of ganglioside-dependent with protein-dependent substratum adhesion and neurite extension of human neuroblastoma cells.

Abstract The potential involvement of gangliosides in the adherence and neurite extension of human neuroblastoma cells (Platt and La-N1) was investigated on tissue culture substrata coated with the ganglioside GM1-binding protein, cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit, for comparison with similar processes on plasma fibronectin (pFN)-coated substrata. Cells attached with reduced efficiency on CTB substrata as compared with pFN substrata and required a much longer time to form neurite processes for a small percentage of cells on CTB. The specificity of these processes for GM1 binding was tested in a variety of ways. Supplementation of the cells with exogenous GM1, but not GD1a, identified a larger population of cells adherent on CTB (comparable to pFN-adherent cells) and dramatically increased the proportion of cells capable of forming neurites without reducing the time requirement. In ultrastructural studies using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and immunofluorescence (IF) analyses to discriminate microtubule distributions, neurites of GM1-supplemented cells on CTB were virtually identical with pFN-adherent neurites, whereas unsupplemented cells on CTB generated processes with fine-structural differences. Treatment of cells during the GM1 supplementation period with cycloheximide completely abolished the ability of cells to generate neurites on CTB and decreased the adhesive capacity of cells as well; a similar treatment of cells had no adverse effect on adherence or neurite extension on pFN. The importance of one or more proteins in GM1-dependent processes was further confirmed by demonstrating the trypsin sensitivity of a cell surface component(s) required to achieve maximal attachment on CTB; in contrast, adherence and neurite extension on pFN were much more resistant to this treatment process. Therefore, these experiments demonstrate (a) that certain cell surface gangliosides are capable of mediating adherence and neurite outgrowth of human neuroblastoma cells on a suitable ganglioside-binding substratum; (b) this ganglioside dependence is cooperative with one or more cell surface proteins which can now be analysed. These results are discussed in light of the identification in ref. [16] (Exp cell res 169 (1987) 311) of a second ‘cell-binding’ domain on the pFN molecule competent for adherence and neurite extension of these neuroblastoma cells, as well as the potential role of pFN binding to a complex ganglioside on the surface of these neural tumor cells in these processes.
Distoriton of area and conditioned Brownian motion

In a simply connected planar domainD the expected lifetime of conditioned Brownian motion may be viewed as a function on the set of hyperbolic geodesics for the domain. We show that each hyperbolic geodesic γ induces a decomposition ofD into disjoint subregions\(\Omega _j \mathop \cup \limits_j \Omega _j = D\) and that the subregions are obtained in a natural way using Euclidean geometric quantities relating γ toD. The lifetime associated with γ on each Ωj is then shown to be bounded by the product of the diameter of the smallest ball containing γ⋂Ωj and the diameter of the largest ball in Ωj. Because this quantity is never larger than, and in general is much smaller than, the area of the largest ball in Ωj it leads to finite lifetime estimates in a variety of domains of infinite area.
Separation of isozymic forms of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase using cation-exchange chromatography.

Three distinct isozymes of a type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase II) from rat forebrain cytosol were separated using S-Sepharose cation-exchange resin. About 90% of the applied kinase activity was recovered in three protein peaks. Each isozymic form of the kinase was purified 200–300 fold by chromatography on S-Sepharose, calmodulin-affinity and gel filtration resins. All 3 forms of CaM kinase II had apparent molecular masses of 650–700 kDa, but contained variable proportions of 50 kDa and 58–60 kDa subunits. The molar ratios of the 50 kDa/58–60 kDa kinase subunits in each holoenzyme were determined by protein staining and [125I]calmodulin-binding studies and were approximately: 6/1, 3/1 and 1/1. The isozyme containing a 3/1 ratio of subunits corresponds to the predominant form of CaM kinase II in forebrain representing 70–80% of the total activity in cytosol, whereas the other forms each represent 5–10% of the total cytosolic activity. The substrate specificities and time courses of substrate phosphorylation for the isozymes were comparable. These studies provide a basis to examine regional, subcellular, and developmental differences in the isozymic forms of CaM kinase II which may subserve different neuronal functions.
NBTI alleviation on FinFET-made GPUs by utilizing device heterogeneity

Recent experimental studies reveal that FinFET devices commercialized in recent years tend to suffer from more severe NBTI degradation compared to planar transistors, necessitating effective techniques on processors built with FinFET for endurable operations. We propose to address this problem by exploiting the device heterogeneity and leveraging the slower NBTI aging rate manifested on the planar devices. We focus on modern graphics processing units in this study due to their wide usage in the current community. We validate the effectiveness of the technique by applying it to the warp scheduler and L2 cache, and demonstrate that NBTI degradation is considerably alleviated with slight performance overhead.
Mechanisms of colon cancer binding to substratum and cells.

Binding of colon cancer to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and mesenchymal cells that comprise the basement membrane is important in migration and metastasis. This study defines the conditions and surface structures necessary for adhesion of HT-29 cells to ECM proteins and cell monolayers. Binding began within minutes and peaked by 1 hr, with 80–95% of HT-29 cells binding to the ECM proteins, collagen IV, laminin, fibronectin, and vitronectin and 40–75% binding to monolayers of fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and HT-29 cells. Treating mesenchymal cells with the fibrogenic cytokines, IL-1, IL-4, or TNF-α, which increase production of ECM proteins, did not alter binding of HT-29 cells to these monolayers. Attachment of HT-29 cells to cell monolayers was inhibited by cytochalasin D and sodium azide, but not cycloheximide or neuraminidase. Attachment to ECM proteins, in contrast, was unaffected by any of these metabolic inhibitors but required certain divalent cations (Mg2+ and Mn2+ but not Ca2+). Antibody to the integrinβ 1 chain (CD29) eliminated binding to collagen and laminin but not to fibronectin, fibroblasts, and HT-29 monolayers. Antibody to the vitronectin receptor inhibited binding to fibronectin. Antibodies to integrinα 1–α 6 chains had no effect on any adhesion event. Three colon cancer cell lines were tested for expression of VLA antigens:α 2 andα 3 were detected on all three,α 1 andα 6 were variably expressed, whileα 4 andα 5 were absent. This study demonstrates that several mechanisms account for tumor cell attachment to substratum and cells.
Differences in Suicidal Experiences of Male and Female Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Differences in the suicidal experiences of males and females and of undergraduate and graduate students have not been thoroughly explored. Furthermore, given the changing dynamics of college student suicidality and the challenges of suicide prevention, it is important to continue updating the research in this area. This article presents findings from a 2006 national survey with responses from over 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students at 70 colleges and universities. Gender and undergraduate versus graduate student differences were found in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, related experiences such as professional and informal help-seeking during a suicidal crisis, events that precipitated and contributed to the suicidal crisis, and factors that protected against attempting suicide. Among the many findings, some are consistent with previous research, some are unexpected, and some have not previously been studied. The results of this survey have implications for targeting specific interventions to bett...
International trade agreements between countries of asymmetric size

Abstract This paper analyzes how changes in the structure and environment of trade agreements between a small and a large country affect the efficient frontier of those self-enforcing agreements and hence, negotiation outcomes. Using the autarky punishment instead of the interior Nash punishment may provide the small country with greater bargaining power. Negotiating direct transfers under free trade instead of reciprocal tariff reductions improves the worst possible negotiation outcome for the small country. The existence of irreversible investment may strengthen (weaken) the small country’s bargaining power under the interior Nash (autarky) punishment scheme.
Performance of air-to-water copper finned-tube heat exchangers at moderately low air-side Reynolds numbers, including effects of baffles

Abstract The effects of ‘T baffles’ upon the performance of a copper finned-tube air-to-water heat exchanger are considered. Basic techniques for quantifying heat exchanger performance are reviewed. Convective heat transfer coefficients are presented as plots of Colburn j -factor vs Reynolds number based on hydraulic diameter. Test data are extended to include lower air flow rates than were previously reported in the literature. Friction effects induced by the use of baffles are also examined and presented as plots of friction factor vs Reynolds number.
Characterization of Resistance to Corky Ringspot Disease in Potato: A Case for Resistance to Infection by Tobacco Rattle Virus

Corky ringspot disease (spraing) is incited by the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) transmitted by stubby root nematode (Paratrichodorus spp.). The resulting damage consists of internal and skin surface necrotic blemishes which render the tubers unmarketable. Resistance to the disease has been extensively documented in breeding programs. High levels of resistance are known for a number of varieties and breeding lines. Because tubers that are symptomless but virus infected have been documented, the nature of resistance is a point of debate. In two field locations where a total of 1,259 tubers of resistant breeding lines were RT-PCR tested, 5.6 and 2.0% of symptomless tubers gave positive PCR tests in the different fields. Nearly all of these were from three clones that would have been classified as susceptible by symptoms in later testing. Taken as a whole 58% of the symptomatic tubers gave positive PCR tests. Standard commercial susceptible cultivars showed 34% symptomless tubers with positive PCR results. We have shown here that tubers of most resistant lines are not positive for the virus when asymptomatic tubers are tested by RT-PCR, while symptomatic tubers are mostly positive. Within selected resistant materials, clones with the highest level of asymptomatic positives also showed susceptible responses as assessed by visual ranking in later tests. Although RT-PCR fails to amplify from symptomatic tubers in some cases, the results of this study suggest that most resistant breeding lines do not test positive as latent carriers of the virus. Therefore, lack of symptoms appears to be an expression of resistance to infection by TRV.
FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF A PLASMA‐SPRAYED 8%Y2O3‐ZrO2 THERMAL BARRIER COATING

Thick thermal barrier coatings with thicknesses on the order of a few millimeters are being developed for use in diesel engines with operating temperatures of about 800°C. In this environment, a coating will experience thermomechanical cycling due to differences in elastic and thermal expansion properties between the coating and the substrate. The inelastic constitutive behavior of the coating material results in both compressive and tensile stresses. To observe the effects of such stresses, specimens of plasma-sprayed 8%Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 were fabricated to allow testing of the coating material independent of the substrate. Cyclic compression fatigue tests were conducted at room and high temperature (800°C) to simulate the loading environment to which the coating materials will be exposed during service. At high temperature, the compressive fatigue strength of the coating material increased by nearly 100%. Fatigue tests in tension and combined tension/compression were conducted at room temperature to evaluate the effect of mean stress. It was observed that a varying mean stress had no significant impact on the fatigue lives of the coating material and the fatigue life was controlled by the maximum tensile stress of the cycle. Results from fatigue tests and SEM observations indicated that the damage accumulated during the tensile and the compressive portions of the fatigue cycle were independent of each other.
Variations in the anatomy of the rabbit cervical carotid artery.

A model for cerebral ischemia that requires injection of emboli into the internal carotid artery of the rabbit is commonly used. However, in our experience we have found the anatomy of the cervical carotid to be highly variable. If not appreciated, this may result in unexpectedly high variability in the severity of ischemic injury. We undertook this experimental protocol to determine whether it was possible to characterize the anatomy of the rabbit cervical carotid artery.We examined and recorded the architecture of the cervical carotid arteries of 105 consecutive rabbits involved in experimental protocols to evaluate the role of tissue-type plasminogen activator during embolic stroke.Two basic patterns of origin of the internal carotid artery were identified: lateral origin, classified as type I, and dorsomedial origin, classified as type II. In addition, there were three subsequent variations in the origin and morphology of the occipital artery in relation to the internal carotid artery: origin from the...
Two-dimensional lattice gas of anisotropic molecules: Activity series.

High- and low-density activity series are given for a two-dimensional lattice-gas model in which each anisotropic molecule can take up one of two orientations. The model is ``icelike'' in that low-energy particle configurations have an open structure, while the close-packed structure has a higher energy. At high temperature there is a second-order transition to a zigzag type of structure at high density, while at low temperatures there is also a phase of intermediate density reflecting an open structure of parallel linear stacks of molecules. At low temperature the open structure must be broken to obtain the close-packed system. For comparison, an analogous one-dimensional model is solved exactly.
Origin of Mountains on Io by Thrust Faulting and Large-Scale Mass Movements

Voyager stereoimages of Euboea Montes, Io, indicate that this mountain formed when a large crustal block was uplifted 10.5 kilometers and tilted by approximately 6 degrees. Uplift triggered a massive slope failure on the northwest flank, forming one of the largest debris aprons in the solar system. This slope failure probably involved relatively unconsolidated layers totaling approximately 2 kilometers in thickness, overlying a rigid crust (or lithosphere) at least 11 kilometers thick. Mountain formation on Io may involve localized deep-rooted thrust faulting and block rotation, due to compression at depth induced during vertical recycling of Io's crust.
EFFECT OF ROUGHNESS ON ROLLUP OF TIP VORTICES ON A RECTANGULAR HYDROFOIL

Experiments focusing on the development of a tip vortex on a rectangular NACA-66 have been performed in a towing tank. The study consists of flow visualisation by illumination with a laser sheet and by distributing fluorescing dye in the water. It also includes surface pressure measurements, particularly around the tip. The experiments have been performed with a smooth surface, and by painting a layer of roughness elements with characteristic sizes of 250 and 500 microns. The observations demonstrate that the physical dimensions of the tip vortex are not affected significantly by surface roughness, whereas the surface pressure, particularly just under the tip vortex, changes substantially. This observation leads to the conclusion that an increase in the surface roughness reduces the strength of the tip vortex. The flow visualisation experiments also demonstrate that for all the roughness sizes, the tip vortex dimensions increase with the incidence angle and decrease as the velocity is increased. In addition, the study demonstrates that the flow is unsteady and that the tip region is dominated by multiple secondary vortex structures. A series of sample photographs demonstrating these phenomena is provided.
SUMMA: Scalable Universal Matrix Multiplication Algorithm

In this paper, we give a straight forward, highly efficient, scalable implementation of common matrix multiplication operations. The algorithms are much simpler than previously published methods, yield better performance, and require less work space. MPI implementations are given, as are performance results on the Intel Paragon system.
Eye movement disorders in men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

The eye movement abnormalities in two men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism were studied clinically and electro-oculographically. Both demonstrated striking saccadic dysmetria. Subsequent neuroradiologic investigation confirmed atrophy of the cerebellar vermis in one of the patients. This is in concert with other midline structural abnormalities described in patients with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and suggests that this syndrome may arise from a genetically linked developmental abnormality of midline central nervous system structures
Dose-response study of topical minoxidil in male pattern baldness

Eighty-nine healthy men with male pattern baldness completed a 6-month double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 0.01 %, 0.1 %, 1 %, and 2% topical minoxidil. Subjects on 2% topical minoxidil had a statistically significant increase in mean total target area hair count over baseline compared to the placebo, 0.01%, and 0.1 % topical minoxidil groups (p = 0.04). Changes from baseline were more impressive with the 2% topical minoxidil group but not significantly different from the 1% topical minoxidil group in all parameters of objective response to treatment. The investigator, however, rated more subjects as having at least a moderate cosmetic response to treatment in the 2% versus 1% topical minoxidil treatment group. These results indicate that 1% topical minoxidil is the lowest effective concentration of topical minoxidil for male pattern baldness of those tested. Because of the more impressive changes in hair counts and the cosmetic preference for the 2% versus 1% topical minoxidil, 2% topical minoxidil may be the standard preferred treatment for male pattern baldness. (J Am Acad Dermatol 15:3037, 1986.)
DIRECT VERSUS INDIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT INSTRUCTION AND EARLY READING ABILITY IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

By the time most young children come to kindergarten they have been exposed to a barrage of print in their environment such as logos, billboards, signs, labels, clothing, and fast‐food paraphernalia. A study was conducted to ascertain if there were any significant differences in the early reading ability of kindergarten children who received direct instruction with environmental print; those who received indirect (center‐based) instruction with environmental print; and those who received no instruction with environmental print. One hundred and six kindergarten children from six classrooms in a large inner‐city school system in the Southeastern United States composed the convenience sample. A quasi‐experimental pre‐ and post‐test design was used with two classes designated as the control group; two classes receiving direct instruction with environmental print activities; and two classes receiving indirect instruction with environmental print activities. The research was conducted in three phases which incl...
Moving towards better health: A survey of transport authorities and primary care trusts in South West England

Summary Objective Transport, the way we travel and our ability to access amenities, is an important determinant of health. A survey was conducted to: (1) identify past and present joint working arrangements between transport authorities and health authorities; (2) understand the role and impact of transport themes in health improvement programmes (HIMPs) and health themes in local transport plans (LTPs); and (3) raise awareness of transport and health issues. Study design A questionnaire survey of directors of public health of primary care trusts (PCTs) and local authority transport managers was undertaken in the South West of England, a region of 5 million people with 32 PCTs and 15 transport authorities. Results All the transport authorities and 66% of PCTs responded. Consultation with the health authority on the LTP had been full in 67% of transport authority areas and more limited in the remainder. Common targets in the LTP and HIMP had been agreed in 33% of transport authority areas, shared programmes or themes in 40%, and a single shared theme in 13%. LTP and HIMP shared themes included walking and cycling initiatives, road safety, school travel and rural access. LTP themes identified as best practice to deliver health gain included walking initiatives, rural access, school travel and road safety. Ongoing links with PCTs were in place in 73% of the transport areas. Of the PCTs that responded, 33% reported that they were working on a travel plan. Conclusions The responses in this survey identified strengths and concerns in the way that health and transport issues are handled locally and are reflected in the LTPs and HIMPs. Recommendations were produced by public health and transport managers in government office South West to improve partnership working.
Effect of visual field presentation on action planning (estimating reach) in children

In this article, the authors examined the effects of target information presented in different visual fields (lower, upper, central) on estimates of reach via use of motor imagery in children (5-11 years old) and young adults. Results indicated an advantage for estimating reach movements for targets placed in lower visual field (LoVF), with all groups having greater difficulty in the upper visual field (UpVF) condition, especially 5- and 7-year-olds. Complementing these results was an overall age-related increase in accuracy. Based in part on the equivalence hypothesis suggesting that motor imagery and motor planning and execution are similar, the findings support previous work of executed behaviors showing that there is a LoVF bias for motor skill actions of the hand. Given that previous research hints that the UpVF may be bias for visuospatial (perceptual) qualities, research in that area and its association with visuomotor processing (LoVF) should be considered.
The specific role of isoflavones in reducing prostate cancer risk.

AIMS To evaluate the effectiveness of supplementing a group of early stage prostate cancer patients, with 60 mg of soy isoflavones in producing a change in hormonal and proliferative risk parameters that are implicated in prostate cancer promotion. METHODS Seventy six eligible prostate cancer patients with a Gleason score of 6 or below, between ages 50 and 80 were admitted and supplemented with soy isoflavones or placebo for a 12 week period and changes in PSA and steroid hormones were analyzed at baseline and post intervention. RESULTS Fifty-nine patients completed the 12-week intervention. Serum free testosterone was reduced or showed no change in 61% of subjects in the isoflavone group compared to 33% in the placebo group. Serum total PSA decreased or was unchanged in 69% of the subjects in the isoflavone treated group compared to 55% in the placebo group. However, we did not see an increase in SHBG levels. Nineteen percent of subjects receiving soy isoflavones reduced total PSA by two points or more during the intervention period. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that supplementing early stage prostate cancer patients with soy isoflavones, even in a study of short duration, altered surrogate markers of proliferation such as serum PSA and free testosterone in a larger number of subjects in the isoflavone supplemented group than the group receiving placebo. The study establishes the need to explore further the effects of prolonged and consistent soy consumption, which could potentially delay onset of histologic disease in this patient population. © 2004 Wileey-Liss, Inc.
Green engineering: continuous production of biodiesel using an alkaline catalyst in an intensified narrow channel reactor

This paper describes an energy efficient continuous process for the production of biodiesel using canola oil as feedstock. A narrow channel reactor was used, employing both slug and stratified flow behaviors, which are associated with flow through channels of small hydraulic diameter. In this intensified system, high conversions were achieved and good separation efficiencies were observed. Experiments were carried out using canola oil and methanol as reactants with sodium hydroxide as the catalyst to study the influence of catalyst loading, residence time and temperature on the reaction rate. Using a catalyst loading of 1% and a reaction temperature of 60 °C and pressure of 80 psig greater than 98% conversion was achieved in a residence time of 3 min.
Effects of caramel color (ammonia process) on mammalian vitamin B6 metabolism

Abstract The ability of caramel color (ammonia process) (AC) to inhibit rabbit brain pyridoxal kinase (EC 2.7.1.35) and pyridoxine uptake and release by rabbit brain slices was investigated. AC contains a heatstable, competitive inhibitor of pyridoxal kinase that can be removed by dialysis or activated charcoal. A concentration of 0.6% AC in the pyridoxal kinase assay reduced activity by 50%. By Sephadex column chromatography, the apparent molecular weight of the inhibitor was ⋍360. AC at concentrations of 2 μl/ml medium also inhibited the accumulation of pyridoxine by brain slices and accelerated the release of vitamin B 6 from brain slices. AC is not a specific inhibitor of ATP-dependent kinases since AC had no effect on thymidine kinase activity. The inhibition of pyridoxine uptake and acceleration of vitamin B 6 release from brain slices by AC are probably related to the inhibition of pyridoxal kinase since accumulation and retention of vitamin B 6 in brain slices depend on pyridoxal kinase activity.
Stereoselective binding of propranolol in the elderly

The influence of age on the stereoselective serum protein binding of propranolol was investigated. Serum was obtained from 10 young (mean age 23 +/- 2 years) and ten elderly (mean age 68 +/- 2 years) healthy male volunteers. The free fraction of propranolol (fu) was measured by equilibrium dialysis, using tritium labeled (+/-)- and (-)-propranolol. The fu values were 0.159 +/- 0.049 and 0.148 +/- 0.028 (+/-), 0.135 +/- 0.041 and 0.136 +/- 0.04 (-), 0.174 +/- 0.056 and 0.161 +/- 0.028 (+) in the young and elderly subjects, respectively. Serum alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) concentrations were 81.4 +/- 33.0 and 81.0 +/- 21.6 mg 100 ml-1 in young and elderly respectively (P greater than 0.05). Variability in AAG concentration accounted for most of the observed intersubject variability in the binding of both propranolol isomers. The stereoselective binding of propranolol does not appear to be affected by age.
Estriol metabolism in the baboon: Analysis of urinary and biliary metabolites

Abstract The metabolism of i.v. estriol was investigated in two intact baboons and four with biliary fistulas. Urine and bile samples were collected periodically and the radioactivity extracted by Amberlite-XAD resin. Metabolites were separated and purified by a combination of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, celite partition, specific enzyme hydrolysis of the conjugates and identification of the aglycones. The excretion and metabolism of estriol in the animals closely resembled those of the human. Intact animals excreted an average of 50% of the radioactivity in the urine during 12 hours and two animals with biliary drainage excreted an average of 40% in the urine and 49% in the bile. When the steroid was injected into the portal vein an average of 11.5% and 84% were excreted in the urine and bile, respectively. In the urine of intact animals, approximately 65.8% of the radioactivity was in the form of E 3 -16G; 14.2% as E 3 -3G; 13.4% as E 3 -3S and 5.1% as E 3 -3S-16G. Over 73% of biliary radioactivity from the peripheral injections was made up of E 3 -3S-16G and 3.6% as E 3 -16G and 8.3% as 3-sulfate. In the urine,however, 57% of the label was made up of E 3 -16G. No radioactive E 3 -3G was detected in the bile of any of the animals. Following simultaneous injection of 3 H-E 3 peripherally and 14 C-E 3 intraportally, the 3-glucosiduronate excreted in the urine was derived exclusively from the 3 H-label. Based on the results obtained, the baboon has been shown to metabolize estriol in the same fashion as the human, with E 3 -3S-16G as the predominant biliary metabolite and E 3 -16G as the major urinary metabolite. As in the human, evidence was also found for an enterohepatic circulation of e 3 in the baboon, 16-glucuronidation in the kidney, and extrahepatic (enteric?) formation of E 3 -3G. In vitro incubation of the baboon liver yielded 94% of the total conjugate as E 3 -16G without any trace of E 3 -3G.
Pulmonary stenosis with patent foramen ovale.

Abstract 1. 1. A case of pulmonary valvular stenosis with patency of the foramen ovale is reported. 2. 2. Prolonged retention of the contrast medium in the right ventricle on angiocardiography and marked disparity between the right ventricular and systemic arterial systolic pressures were observed. These signs in a subject with a right-to-left shunt and pulmonic stenosis are presumably pathognomonic of an intact ventricular septum and patent atrial septum. 3. 3. A fall in blood oxygen content, detected when the catheter was passed into the pulmonary artery, is believed to represent an increase in the right-to-left shunt consequent to obturation of the stenosed pulmonary valve by the catheter. From the magnitude of the change in blood oxygen content, the probable flow of blood through the atrial defect, through the pulmonary valve, and through extracardiac precapillary collaterals to the lungs has been calculated.
Mineralogy of residual soils overlying a talc deposit

The residual soil overlying a talc deposit, which occurs as a lens between gneiss and serpentinite in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, contains talc in all size fractions studied (10 μm to less than 2 μm) and in unfractionated samples. A study of soil samples, obtained by auger drilling, indicates that small amounts of talc can be detected by X-ray diffraction in samples obtained over a large area when the X-ray samples are prepared so that the clays are well oriented. Randomly oriented X-ray samples, in which the level of detection of talc is much poorer, also were successfully used to determine the presence of the talc body by means of quantitative measurements. In addition, the latter procedure was found to be superior in determining the actual size and location of the ore body. It is proposed that such procedures might be used in exploration for similar talc deposits.
Chemical effects of smoke processing on frankfurter quality and palatability characteristics.

Frankfurters were made by standard commercial practices except for the smoke treatment which involved four different methods: solid smoke-aerosol, liquid smoke-aerosol, liquid smoke-external dip and liquid smoke-internal mix. For control purposes, frankfurters were prepared without any smoke treatment. All frankfurters were packaged and stored at 5°C with samples removed for analyses weekly for three weeks. All smoke-processing treatments resulted in products assessed as overall acceptable with the experienced sensory panel unable to detect differences among the various methods of manufacture except for the franks made by mixing liquid smoke in the emulsion. However, the flavour scores of those products subjected to external smoke-processing treatments were higher and more acceptable than the other two treatments. Frankfurters manufactured using aerosol smoke treatments were rated by sensory panellists as the most tender. However, shear force measurements indicated that those franks processed with external liquid smoke treatments were somewhat less tender. Liquid smoke-processing techniques favoured the development of a more desirable cured colour. The most stable colour was attributed to the liquid smoke-processing system in which the smoke materials were mixed in the emulsion. All palatability properties (sensory and colour) were highly correlated with the smokiness of the product. Generally, storage time had little effect on frankfurter palatability characteristics.
The determination of thermodynamics of oxygen complexes of anions of sulfur dioxide and fluoronitrobenzenes using atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry

The thermodynamic properties of oxygen complexes of the negative ions of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB), 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DFDNB), and sulfur dioxide have been determined by measuring the temperature dependence of the pertinent ion ratios by using a mass spectrometer equipped with a63Ni atmospheric pressure ionization source. The values of -ΔH° and -ΔS°are SO2−(O2), 101 ± 2.1 kJ mole1 and 121 ± 3.8 J/K-mole; FDNB−(O2), 51.5 ±3.4 kJ mole−1 ± 9.2 J/K-mole; and DFDNB−(O2), 65.7 ± 0.4 kJ mole−2 and 110 ± 5.0 J/K-mole.
Sensitivity of Cloud-Resolving Simulations of Warm-Season Convection to Cloud Microphysics Parameterizations

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of cloud microphysics parameterizations on simulations of warm-season precipitation at convection-permitting grid spacing. The objective is to assess the sensitivity of summertime convection predictions to the bulk microphysics parameterizations (BMPs) at fine-grid spacings applicable to the next generation of operational numerical weather prediction models. Four microphysical parameterization schemes are compared: simple ice (Dudhia), four-class mixed phase (Reisner et al.), Goddard five-class mixed phase (Tao and Simpson), and five-class mixed phase with graupel (Reisner et al.). The experimentation involves a 7-day episode (3–9 July 2003) of U.S. midsummer convection under moderate large-scale forcing. Overall, the precipitation coherency manifested as eastward-moving organized convection in the lee of the Rockies is insensitive to the choice of the microphysics schemes, and the latent heating profiles are also largely comparable among the BMPs. The upper-le...
Analysis of a two DOF anthropomorphic arm driven by artificial muscles

This paper investigates the use of artificial muscles as actuators for robot manipulators. Using some basic equations from the field of kinesiology, a procedure was developed in order to determine the optimal position of a muscle in various musculoskeletal configurations found in the human body. This procedure takes into account the artificial muscle characteristics and finds the origin and insertion point of the muscle by optimizing the maximum range of motion and the output torque produced at the joint. Currently available artificial muscles such as McKibben air muscles, Shape Memory Alloys and electroactive polymers are reviewed. Functional models of the SMA and McKibben muscles were presented and used in the optimization procedure.
Behavioral Modulation of Gustatory Cortical Activity

Our perception of the sensory world is constantly modulated by the environment surrounding us and by our psychological state; each encounter with the same stimulus can in fact evoke very different perceptions. This phenomenological richness correlates well with the plasticity and the state-dependency observed in neural responses to sensory stimuli. This article reviews recent results on how the processing of sensory inputs varies depending on the internal state of the animal. Specifically it focuses on the gustatory system and on data showing that levels of attention and expectation modulate taste processing and gustatory cortical activity in meaningful ways. Mounting experimental evidence suggesting that expectation-dependent changes in gustatory cortical activity result from changes in the coupling between the amygdala and the cortex will also be discussed. The results presented here begin to paint a complex picture of taste, which goes beyond the framework of classical coding theories.
Suppression of E1A-mediated transformation by the p50E4F transcription factor.

The adenovirus E1A gene can act as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor, with the latter effect generally arising from the induction of apoptosis or the repression of genes that provide oncogenic growth stimuli (e.g., HER-2/c-erbB2/neu) or increased metastatic invasiveness (e.g., metalloproteases). In this study, coexpression of E1A and p50E4F, a cellular transcription factor whose DNA binding activity is stimulated by E1A, suppressed colony formation by NIH 3T3 cells and transformation of primary rat embryo fibroblasts but had no observed effect in the absence of E1A. Domains in p50E4F required for stimulation of the adenovirus E4 promoter were required for the suppressive effect, indicating a transcriptional mechanism. In serum-containing media, retroviral expression of p50E4F in E1A13S/ras-transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts had little effect on subconfluent cultures but accelerated a decline in viability after the cultures reached confluence. Cell death occurred by both apoptosis and necrosis, with the predominance of each process determined by culture conditions. In serum-free media, p50E4F accelerated E1A-induced apoptosis. The results suggest that p50E4F sensitizes cells to signals or conditions that cause cell death.