cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New fouling prevention method using a plasma gliding arc for produced water treatment

Abstract The objectives of the present study were to test a new plasma-based method for bicarbonate removal in water produced from hydraulic fracturing for shale gas and to verify bicarbonate removal as a mechanism for mineral fouling prevention. The study employed dual hypotheses: (1) gliding arc plasma can reduce bicarbonate concentration of produced water to negligible levels, and (2) water without bicarbonate content is unable to cause mineral fouling in the form of calcium carbonate scale even in the presence of extremely high concentrations of calcium ions as is often found in produced water. The plasma treatment of produced water reduced the concentration of bicarbonate ions from a range of 684–778 ppm to zero. Subsequently, heat transfer fouling tests were conducted with water samples, where the concentration of bicarbonate ions varied from 0 to 500 ppm with a fixed concentration of calcium ions of 5000 ppm. The weight of mineral scale that accumulated on a heating element over time was determined. The present test results showed that no fouling was formed over 30 h on the heating element in the water without bicarbonate ions. This proof-of-concept study demonstrated that plasma treatment is capable of reducing the concentration of bicarbonate ions in produced water to a level where CaCO3 fouling can be prevented on a heat transfer surface. The plasma gliding arc may represent a new non-chemical fouling prevention method for the treatment of produced water.
Fire regimes for pine-grassland communities in the southeastern United States

Abstract Four combinations of season and frequency of burning were applied in Coastal Plain loblolly pine stands over a 43-year period. Overstory species composition and growth were unaffected by treatment. Above-ground portions of small hardwoods (less than 12.5 cm d.b.h.) were killed and replaced by numerous sprouts under periodic summer, periodic winter, and annual winter burning regimes. With annual summer burning, small hardwoods and shrubs were killed and replaced by vegetation typical of grassland communities. Grasses and forbs also dominated the understory of annual winter burns but numerous hardwood sprouts survived. Study results emphasize that frequent burning over a long period is needed to create and maintain the pine-grassland community observed by the first European settlers of the southeast.
Two Equation Two-Fluid Model Analysis for Stratified Flow Under Kinematic and Dynamic Instabilities

The unstable one-dimensional incompressible two-fluid model including a hydrostatic force is reduced to a two equation model in terms of the liquid volume fraction and the liquid velocity. For small density ratios the model may be simplified to a formulation that is equivalent tothe Shallow Water Theory (SWT) equations [Whitham, 1975] with a source term corresponding to the two-fluid model constitutive relations for wall and interfacial shear and to a void gradient term that contains the Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism.Linear stability of the SWT equations shows that the model is made well-posed stable by the hydrostatic force. However, unlike the SWT equations, the two equation two-fluid model is only conditionally stable. As the gas velocity increases the model becomes unstable once the kinematic instability occurs, i.e., the Viscous Kelvin-Helmholtz (VKH) instability. When the gas velocity is increased further the model becomes dynamically unstable, i.e., it reaches the Inviscid Kelvin-Helmholtz (IKH) instability limit. Beyond the IKH limit the model becomes ill-posed and requires higher order modelling, e.g. surface tension. Simple analytic expressions for the two instabilities are obtained because of the simplified mathematics of the two equation model. Furthermore, the wave “sheltering” effect, which allows more accurate predictions of the flow regime transition, may be easily incorporated into the analysis. The theory is validated with the new HAWAC flow regime map [Vallee et al., 2010].The two equation two-fluid model is consistent with all previous results of two-fluid model linear stability for stratified flow and, since it is a special case of SWT, it is amenable to non-linear stability analysis and a very broad body of mathematics literature on non-linear kinematic waves, e.g., Whitham (1974) is now directly applicable when the model is not IKH unstable.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Transfer of Learning by Composing Solutions of Elemental Sequential Tasks

Although building sophisticated learning agents that operate in complex environments will require learning to perform multiple tasks, most applications of reinforcement learning have focused on single tasks. In this paper I consider a class of sequential decision tasks (SDTs), called composite sequential decision tasks, formed by temporally concatenating a number of elemental sequential decision tasks. Elemental SDTs cannot be decomposed into simpler SDTs. I consider a learning agent that has to learn to solve a set of elemental and composite SDTs. I assume that the structure of the composite tasks is unknown to the learning agent. The straightforward application of reinforcement learning to multiple tasks requires learning the tasks separately, which can waste computational resources, both memory and time. I present a new learning algorithm and a modular architecture that learns the decomposition of composite SDTs, and achieves transfer of learning by sharing the solutions of elemental SDTs across multiple composite SDTs. The solution of a composite SDT is constructed by computationally inexpensive modifications of the solutions of its constituent elemental SDTs. I provide a proof of one aspect of the learning algorithm.
Reviewing Aerospace Proposals with respect to Software Architecture

One of the most difficult aspects of evaluating competing software architectures is the lack of a basis of comparison. More often than not, software architecture document formats, modeling techniques, and descriptions are so different from one supplier to the next that a direct comparison is virtually impossible. Furthermore, these architecture descriptions may have varying degrees of completeness, making it even more difficult to select the best alternative. However, reviewers are given insight into the stage of development and maturity of the software architecture based on the specificity of the documentation as well as the level of abstraction of the design artifacts that comprise each supplier's architecture. By organizing the information contained within the architecture documentation into a standard form, reviewers are enabled to compare seemingly disparate architectures. This paper outlines a method for organizing and then evaluating the information contained within competing software architecture descriptions that helps alleviate some of these difficulties. The information organization technique and subsequent analysis are demonstrated on the 4D/RCS reference architecture for intelligent control systems.
Consultants' corner—ethics in the library automation process: a forum

Unethical behavior hurts everyone, including the offending person or organization. Unfortunately, the effects of unethical behavior are often long delayed, so the consequences are thus often attributed to the wrong cause. When librarians purchase automated systems, unethical practices—whether committed by consultants, vendors, or librarians—will cause significant harm to the libraries because they can not only acquire inadequate systems, but encounter many managerial and operational problems as well. In this symposium, five major consultants—Rob McGee, Howard Harris, Jose‐Marie Griffiths, Susan Baerg Epstein, and James Rush—share their experiences and thoughts on related issues.
NORMAL SEX-CHROMOSOME COMPLEMENT IN A CASE OF FAMILIAL OSTEOARTHROPATHY

Abstract A case of Touraine-Solente-Gole syndrome ( a primary, idiopathic, and familial form of hypertropic osteoarthropathy) is described in a 42–year-old man. The syndrome was partially expressed in the man's father, three brothers, and in the son of one of these brothers. Chromosome studies revealed normal comple-ments in the man, his two sons, and in an older brother. An earlier finding of the XYY trisomy in this syndrome is thought to be fortuitous.
Flow and Heat Transfer in a Jet-Impingement Configuration With No Cross Flows About Impinging Jets

Computations were performed to study the flow and heat transfer in a jet-impingement configuration in which there is no cross flow about the impinging cooling jets. The configuration consists of two sets of staggered arrays of holes with one array of holes for jets to impinge and cool a target wall with or without strategically positioned pin fins and a second array positioned midway relative to the first array of holes for the impinging jets to exit the configuration. For this configuration, the following parameter were investigated: distance between the jet-hole exit and the target surface to be cooled (H/d = 0.5, 1, 4), spacing between jets (S/d = 2, 4), and pin-fin height (Hp/d = 0, 1, 2) on the target surface, where d is the diameter of the holes in the arrays. Also, the jet-impingement velocity was varied to study a range Reynolds numbers based on the hole diameter d and the mean velocity of the jet in the hole (Red = 20,000, 40,000, and 60,000). For all cases studied, the temperature of the coolant air is 673 K; the wall to be cooled is maintained at 1,273 K; and the static pressure at the exit of the jet-impingement array is maintained at 25 bars. This computational study is based on steady RANS – compressible Navier-Stokes with the shear-stress transport model for turbulence where integration is to the wall (i.e., wall functions were not used) and temperature-dependent properties are accounted for.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Preferential sputtering of binary compounds: A model study

Abstract A model classical dynamics calculation has been performed to ascertain the effect of atomic mass and surface binding energy on preferential sputtering in binary systems. We find the mass effect not to have a simple dependence on the ratio of the masses of the two components. Rather, for two binary systems, both with a mass ratio of ~ 3, the ejection yield of the lighter component can vary from being the same as that of the heavier component to being 100% larger. Over a limited range of surface binding energies the ejection yield is inversely proportional to the binding energy. In addition, we suggest that the effective scattering sizes should be considered as a possible cause for preferential sputtering.
Unusual Chemical Behavior for Potassium under Pressure: Potassium−Silver Compounds

At high pressures, there are large changes in the size and electron concentration of the alkali metals. As a result, significant changes should occur in the solid-state chemistry of these elements, allowing the formation of alkali metal−transition metal compounds. The formation of two alkali metal−transition metal compounds, K3Ag and K2Ag, is reported. These compounds rapidly form at room temperature upon compression of stoichiometric mixtures of the elements. K3Ag has a BiF3-type structure related to the bcc structure of potassium, with silver replacing some of the bcc potassium sites. The anisotropic ω-phase structure of K2Ag consists of graphite-like layers of potassium atoms with silver atoms between the layers. At ambient pressure, lithium is the only alkali metal that forms compounds with silver. Thus, under pressure, potassium can exhibit chemical behavior exhibited by lithium at atmospheric pressure.
Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of monofunctional platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes containing the sterically hindered ligand 6-(methylpyridin-2-yl)acetate

Abstract Three complexes containing the novel, sterically hindered ligand 6-(methylpyridin-2-yl)acetate (PICAC) have been synthesized and characterized: [Pt(NH 3 ) 2 (PICAC- N , O )]NO 3 ( 1 ), [Pt(en)(PICAC- N , O )]NO 3 ( 2 ), and [Pd(en)(PICAC- N , O )]NO 3 ( 3 ) (en = ethane-1,2-diamine). The crystal structures of 2 and 3 have been determined. The two complexes are isostructural and exhibit a mixed [N 3 O] coordination. In both cases, PICAC forms a sterically crowded six-membered chelate. Signal multiplicities in 1 H NMR spectra of 1 – 3 indicate that the N,O chelates are conformationally rigid on the NMR timescale as a result of the steric bulk of the pyridine derivative. Complex 2 undergoes facile ring opening in 0.1 M NaCl solution at neutral pH, resulting in a zwitterionic species in which carboxylate oxygen has been replaced with chloride. The complex was identified by X-ray crystallography as [PtCl(en)(PICAC- N )] · H 2 O ( 4 ), which contains a “dangling” carboxylate group. In 4 , the pyridine moiety adopts an almost perpendicular orientation relative to the platinum coordination plane. Likewise, complex 2 reacts rapidly with 5′-guanosine monophosphate (5′-GMP) to form the monofunctional adduct [Pt(en)(PICAC)(5′-GMP)] ( 5 ) (NMR, 25 °C, t 1/2 ≈ 24 min). 2-D nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) and double quantum-filtered correlated spectroscopy (dqf-COSY) experiments (500 MHz) and variable temperature NMR spectroscopy confirm that adduct 5 exists as a 1:1 mixture of rotamers in solution as a result of the mutual repulsion between the cis -oriented pyridine and guanine bases. While 2 readily reacts with DNA nitrogen, its monofunctional adducts show no significant effect on the conformation of native DNA. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra recorded of platinum-modified calf-thymus DNA suggest that the structural damage produced by complex 2 does not mimic that produced by the clinical agent. Both the unusual reactivity and the inability to induce cisplatin-like DNA conformational changes are proposed to be responsible for the marginal biological activity of the new complexes.
Flood frequency and risk analysis

The International Symposium on Flood Frequency and Risk Analysis was held at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, May 14–17, 1986. The symposium was sponsored by Louisiana State University, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Army Research Office, the Louisiana district of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Baton Rouge office of Woodward-Clyde Consultants; it was cosponsored by about 20 professional organizations, including AGU. The symposium was attended by nearly 200 participants, 95 of whom came from the United States, 15 from Canada, and the remaining from 35 other countries. Of the participants from the United States, 24 were from universities, 35 were from state, federal, and local governmental agencies, and 35 were from consulting engineering firms.
Deexcitation of compound nuclei with high angular momenta

Effective excitation energies used to obtain level densities in statistical model deexcitation calculations of nuclei with high angular momenta have been evaluated specifically for neutron, proton, deuteron, and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emission. When particle emission is assumed to change the initial angular momentum distribution, the effect of these excitation energies is to strongly enhance $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emission relative to other modes of deexcitation. Calculations are illustrated with reference to the deexcitation of the $^{149}\mathrm{Tb}$ compound nucleus.
Using Kinesiology: A Comparison of Applied Veins in the Subdisciplines

The purpose of this discussion is to compare the following three domains in kinesiology with regard to essential competencies for professionals: (a) the biophysical sciences focused on exercise and sport, (b) the behavioral/ sociocultural sciences focused on sport, and (c) the pedagogical sciences focused on school physical education. The major goal is to compare the relative emphases placed on technical and critical/reflective competencies (which are both important for maximizing professional excellence) in each of the three domains. Although these domains vary considerably with regard to emphases on the two competencies, the major focus in each remains on the technical. If a blend of both competencies is crucial for professional excellence, then increased attention on critical/reflective knowledge and skills is needed in all three domains.
The histochemical demonstration of guanase: observations in the human central nervous system.

Summary 1. A method is described for the histochemical demonstration of the purine catabolizing enzyme guanase, employing glutamldehyde fixation and Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT). Parallel biochemical studies confirm that enzyme activity is not significantly inhibited by exposure to glutaraldehyde. 2. By this procedure guanase activity has been visualized in neurons and glial elements of the human central nervous system (CNS). 3. Controls consisted of direct incubation of cryostat sections with a specific inhibitor of guanase (5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide) and omission successively of the substrate guanine, of xanthine oxidase and of NBT. Enzyme activity was completely inhibited by the above procedures, and by boiling of tissues for 10 min prior to fixation. 4. Levels of enzyme activity in spinal cord and brain were assessed by a subjective scoring method, and showed close comparability with biochemical assay data in brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; whereas a low correlation for enzyme activity was observed in spinal cord and cerebellum. Differences between biochemical and histochemical assessments of CNS guanase activity are discussed.
Protein and other compositional differences of the extracellular material from slimy and non-slimy colonies of non-mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The composition of extracellular material produced by non-mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa differed when grown on surfaces that either did or did not induce the formation of slime under conditions where the medium was identical. The nature of the changes in protein composition indicated that protein expression differed in the course of growth on the two surfaces, and hence that there were physiological consequences associated with growth under conditions which do or do not lead to slime formation. The compositional differences also included elevated levels in extracellular material from the slimy colonies of two virulence factors, protease and rhamnolipids.
Gate current of modulation-doped field-effect transistors

We present a new room‐temperature model for modulation‐doped field‐effect transistors and heterojunction insulated gate field‐effect transistors that accounts for effects induced by the gate current at large gate voltages. For large gate currents the quasi‐Fermi levels in the GaAs channel and the AlGaAs barrier layers are different because of the limited electron exchange imposed by the heterojunction band offset. As a consequence, the channel electron concentration for large gate voltages exceeds the value expected for the n‐AlGaAs/GaAs material system in thermal equilibrium. The channel electron capacitance can have two peaks as a function of gate voltage leading to similar structure in the gate voltage dependence of the transconductance. We find good agreement between our calculated and measured gate currents as a function of the gate voltage.
Solvation of alkyllithium compounds. heats of interaction of lewis bases with n-butyllithium

Abstract Heats of interaction of tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydrothiophene, triethylamine, and triethylphosphine with solutions of n-butyllithium in hexane have been determined by high dilution solution calorimetry. The relative heats of interaction of these bases are in the order tetrahydrofuran > triethylphosphine ≈ triethylamine > tetrahydrothiophene. These results are interpreted in terms of an acid—base interaction which is dominated by electrostatic effects. The alkyllithium aggregate is characterized as a relatively hard Lewis acid species.
Imaging spectroscopy of Mars during 1990

Preliminary results are presented of observations of Mars using three telescopes and a CCD camera, grating-array spectrometers, and a near-IR array camera. Martian albedo features are shown to be similar in the visible and 1.3-3.5-micron range, and reflectances of nearly zero are noted in the image at 3.02 microns. The results demonstrate that these techniques provide effective maps of spatial variations in spectral absorption features caused by Martian atmospheric volatiles and by surface minerals.
The role of partial recording protocols in reporting prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis.

Objectives To evaluate the role of partial recording protocols (PRPs) in reporting prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis and assess whether prevalence/severity estimates derived from PRPs differ by race/ethnicity.
Convection in the Earth's inner core

Abstract Over the past two decades arguments have been made for and against the occurrence of thermal convection in the inner core. Here we use numerical simulations of thermochemical convection to develop parameterized models for the thermal and chemical evolution of the inner core. A broad search of parameter values shows that thermal convection is feasible, particularly in the early stages of the inner core. For a thermal conductivity of 36 Wm - 1 K - 1 , the minimum core–mantle boundary heat flux required for convection is ∼4.1 TW, corresponding to a maximum inner core age of 1.93 Gy. A heat flux greater than ∼6.3 TW (age Wm - 1 K - 1 imply that the inner core is convectively stable for heat flows below 4.3 TW or inner core ages older than 1.8 Gy. Convective velocities of several cm/yr are obtained for a nominal viscosity of 1018 Pa s, yielding strain rates of 10 - 15 s - 1 . Calculations over a range of Rayleigh numbers, Ra, confirm that the convective velocities are proportional to Ra 1 / 2 . Termination of convection at an early stage of evolution may provide an explanation for a distinct anisotropy in the innermost region of the inner core or a shallow isotropic layer.
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF A DEEP MUSCLE ABSCESS IN A HORSE

A deep muscle abscess was diagnosed in a horse with a clinical history of a painful swelling in the left gluteal region. The thick walled hypoechoic structure seen on presentation and the multiloculated hyperechoic mass seen on reevaluation are common Ultrasonographic appearances of abscesses. Ultrasonographic evaluation allowed characterization of a chronic mass with subsequent successful surgery and treatment.
Clinical differences between antisocial and primary alcoholics

Abstract Alcoholism can be present in combination with various organic and pychiatric illnesses. This study attempted to identify symptoms that indicated the presence of underlying antisocial personality in a group of alcoholics while comparing their alcoholism to alcoholics without pre-existing psychiatric conditions, and to determine whether antisocials were more likely to complain of symptoms of other common psychiatric syndromes.
Sexuality, Substance Use, and Susceptibility to Victimization Risk for Rape and Sexual Coercion in a Prospective Study of College Women

An 8-month prospective study examined behavioral, personality, and psychological variables thought to increase vulnerability for college women's experience of rape and verbal sexual coercion. Participants were 276 college women who completed self-report surveys. During 1 academic year, 9.5% of women were raped and 11.7% reported verbal sexual coercion. Elevated levels of sexual concerns, dysfunctional sexual behavior, and impaired self-reference were associated with both verbal sexual coercion and rape. Alcohol and marijuana use increased risk only for rape, whereas self-criticism and depression increased risk only for verbal coercion. Findings suggest that multiple aspects of sexuality, such as shame regarding sexuality and using sex to meet nonsexual needs, may increase risk for both types of sexual victimization. Results support conclusions that rape and verbal sexual coercion have both shared and unique risk factors. Implications for future research and intervention programs are discussed.
Scratch and Mar Performance of Coatings: Measurement and Structure Property Relationships

Abstract Scratch and mar of coatings is an important aspect of retaining initial performance levels. A number of test methods have been developed to measure coating resistance to damaging conditions. For the coatings industry, it is critical to have accelerated tests that indicate probable long term (i.e., service life) performance, and to have a means to correlate mar performance with chemical substructures of coatings. In this paper the synergism of measurement techniques for monitoring scratch and mar performance is explored. Laboratory mar tests, which have been validated by commercial experience, are used as the basis for comparison of a coating's performance. The combined elements of chemical, physical, mechanical, morphological and appearance properties of coatings have been explored. Chemical changes during cure and subsequent exposure have been followed by infrared techniques which show degree of cure, extent of photo-oxidation and hydrolysis, as well as changes in cross-linking with time and tem...
Association of chronic cystic mastopathy, xeromammographic patterns, and cancer

The Breast Cancer Demonstration and Detection Project in Louisville (BCDDP-L) screened 10,128 women for cancer. From this screening, another project evolved wherein those patients diagnosed as having chronic cystic mastopathy (CCM) were followed over a 10-year period to evaluate any association between CCM and breast cancer. In all, 1396 breast biopsies were performed, with 165 cancers being diagnosed either on initial screening or during subsequent years. Three of these are excluded, since histopathologic slides could not be obtained for central review. Of this group, cancer was associated with CCM in 116 specimens and without CCM in 46 specimens. One subset of 355 patients with biopsy-proven CCM but no breast cancer was followed for 6 to 12 years, for a total of 2443.5 woman-years of observation. Within this subset, a total of only four cancers occurred (4 cancers/2443.5 woman-years for 0.00164 cancers/woman-years). This incidence is not significantly different from the expected value. However, an estimate is provided as to the power of the test that could be obtained from a larger sample size derived from other BCDDPs. This group of 355 women was sorted into subsets by establishing a matrix matching ten histopathologic subdivisions of CCM against six subdivisions of Wolfe's xeromammographic (XM) patterns. The numbers of cancers in each cell of this matrix is reported. The results found no concentration of these four cancers in this matrix.
Time-resolved optical studies of oxide-encapsulated silicon during pulsed laser melting

Nanosecond time-resolved reflectivity and ellipsometry experiments have been performed on (100) Si wafers encapsulated by 5.5--76.2 nm thick thermal oxides, using pulsed KrF (248 nm) laser energy densities sufficient to melt the Si beneath the oxide. Post-irradiation nulling ellipsometry, optical microphotography, and surface profiling measurements were carried out. It was found that the threshold energy density required to melt the Si varies with oxide thickness; this is explained primarily by the reflective properties of the oxide overlayer. The time-resolved reflectivity and ellipsometry measurements show that rippling of the SiO/sub 2/ layer occurs on the 20--40 ns timescale and results in a decrease in specular reflectivity of the rippled silicon surface beneath. Optical model calculations suggest that pulsed laser annealing through a thick oxide layer results in a damaged near-surface silicon layer (approx.30 nm thick); this layer contains defects that are probably responsible for the degraded performance of devices.
Directed Forgetting and Directed Remembering in Visual Working Memory

A defining characteristic of visual working memory is its limited capacity. This means that it is crucial to maintain only the most relevant information in visual working memory. However, empirical research is mixed as to whether it is possible to selectively maintain a subset of the information previously encoded into visual working memory. Here we examined the ability of participants to use cues to either forget or remember a subset of the information already stored in visual working memory. In Experiment 1, participants were cued to either forget or remember 1 of 2 groups of colored squares during a change-detection task. We found that both types of cues aided performance in the visual working memory task but that observers benefited more from a cue to remember than a cue to forget a subset of the objects. In Experiment 2, we show that the previous findings, which indicated that directed-forgetting cues are ineffective, were likely due to the presence of invalid cues that appeared to cause observers to disregard such cues as unreliable. In Experiment 3, we recorded event-related potentials and show that an electrophysiological index of focused maintenance is elicited by cues that indicate which subset of information in visual working memory needs to be remembered, ruling out alternative explanations of the behavioral effects of retention-interval cues. The present findings demonstrate that observers can focus maintenance mechanisms on specific objects in visual working memory based on cues indicating future task relevance.
Studies on the photodynamic reaction of purines and purine analogues with methylene blue.

Abstract 1. 1. The susceptibility of purines and purine-like compounds to photodynamic action was studied using methylene blue as the photosensitizing dye. While guanosine, xanthine, theophylline and 2,6-diaminopurine are susceptible to photodynamic action, 8-azaderivatives of purines are resistant; this suggests that a prerequisite for photosusceptibility is a chemical structure that can be oxidized at the 8-position in the purine ring system. Tubercidin and 6-mercaptopurine are also found susceptible. 2. 2. Manometric studies reveal that, while the ratio of molecular oxygen consumed to substrate oxidized for deoxyguanosine and xanthine is approximately unity, it is approximately 1 2 for uric acid. 3. 3. Product analysis of irradiated [14C]uric acid suggests that urea may be a primary photoproduct from the C-2 portion of the molecule, while urea from the C-8 portion results from decomposition of a primary photoproduct. The photodegradative pathway of uric acid is probably similar to that of guanine and likely xanthine.
Orexin neurons of the hypothalamus express adenosine A1 receptors

Adenosine is a putative sleep factor with effects mainly mediated by the A1 receptor. Recent studies have implicated the hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin-containing neurons in the control of sleep-wakefulness. To help determine if adenosine might play a role in the control of orexin neurons, immunohistochemistry was used to characterize the distribution of adenosine A1 receptor protein on the orexinergic neurons. About 30% of orexin-containing neurons were labeled. The data supports the presence of adenosine A1 receptors on orexinergic neurons and suggests a possible substrate for a functional role of adenosine in the regulation of orexinergic activity.
The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1 enzyme has broad substrate specificity, cleaving multiple carotenoids at two different bond positions.

In many organisms, various enzymes mediate site-specific carotenoid cleavage to generate biologically active apocarotenoids. These carotenoid-derived products include provitamin A, hormones, and flavor and fragrance molecules. In plants, the CCD1 enzyme cleaves carotenoids at 9,10 (9′,10′) bonds to generate multiple apocarotenoid products. Here we systematically analyzed volatile apocarotenoids generated by maize CCD1 (ZmCCD1) from multiple carotenoid substrates. ZmCCD1 did not cleave geranylgeranyl diphosphate or phytoene but did cleave other linear and cyclic carotenoids, producing volatiles derived from 9,10 (9′,10′) bond cleavage. Additionally the Arabidopsis, maize, and tomato CCD1 enzymes all cleaved lycopene to generate 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one, an important flavor volatile in tomato, was produced by cleavage of the 5,6 or 5′,6′ bond positions of lycopene but not geranylgeranyl diphosphate, ζ-carotene, or phytoene. In vitro, ZmCCD1 cleaved linear and cyclic carotenoids with equal efficiency. Based on the pattern of apocarotenoid volatiles produced, we propose that CCD1 recognizes its cleavage site based on the saturation status between carbons 7 and 8 (7′ and 8′) and carbons 11 and 12 (11′ and 12′) as well as the methyl groups on carbons 5, 9, and 13 (5′, 9′, and 13′).
EFFECT OF MATERNAL NARCOTIC ADDICTION ON SUCKING BEHAVIOR OF NEONATES

Measures of newborn sucking behavior were used to study effects on the infant's state of CNS arousal induced by maternal addiction. The sucking performance of 38 infants diagnosed and treated for narcotic withdrawal by a new symptom scoring system (Neonatal Abstinence Score) was compared with that of 50 infants whose withdrawal was regulated by acceptable clinical methods. The findings indicate the value of the scoring system in prescribing the dosage of drug therapy which resulted in better levels of CNS arousal and improved sucking performance. Also, using sucking performance as a criterion, it was found that paregoric was superior to phenobarbital in treating neonatal withdrawal. In addition, the severity of withdrawal as measured by sucking was directly related to the mother's length of time in the methadone maintenance program and her average dose of methadone. This finding may reflect the fact that patients enrolled in a maintenance program are assured of a continued supply of a long-acting narcotic drug, as compared to street addicts, whose supply is highly variable in quality and availability, and, that addicts who enter the methadone program during pregnancy tend to be given smaller doses than those who are not pregnant.
Ecological Risk Assessment Paradigm for Salmon: Analyzing Immune Function to Evaluate Risk

Wild Pacific salmon populations are in serious decline, and as a result, a number of salmon stocks are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Our research identifies and supports the possibility that certain environmental contaminants can alter salmon survival, and as a result may contribute to these species being at risk. We have shown that juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as they migrate through a contaminated urban estuary in Puget Sound WA (the Duwamish Waterway estuary). Immune function was analyzed in these fish by examining the ability of their anterior kidney and splenic leukocytes to produce a primary and secondary in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to the hapten, trinitrophenyl (TNP), and by determining their susceptibility to a marine pathogen, Vibrio anguillarum. We found that fish outmigrating from the urban estuary produced a significantly lower...
Additional evidence of stability of the superheavy element 310126 according to the shell model

Abstract The binding energies of the last neutron and the last proton of the superheavy nucleus 310 126 are calculated using a shell model potential. Half-lives against spontaneous fission, α-decay and β-decay are estimated.
The effect of posture and dynamics on the perception of emotion

Motion capture remains a popular and widely-used method for animating virtual characters. However, all practical applications of motion capture rely on motion editing techniques to increase the reusability and flexibility of captured motions. Because humans are proficient in detecting and interpreting subtle details in human motion, understanding the perceptual consequences of motion editing is essential. Thus in this work, we perform three experiments to gain a better understanding of how motion editing might affect the emotional content of a captured performance, particularly changes in posture and dynamics, two factors shown to be important perceptual indicators of bodily emotions. In these studies, we analyse the properties (angles and velocities) and perception (recognition rates and perceived intensities) of a varied set of full-body motion clips representing the six emotions anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. We have found that emotions are mostly conveyed through the upper body, that the perceived intensity of an emotion can be reduced by blending with a neutral motion, and that posture changes can alter the perceived emotion but subtle changes in dynamics only alter the intensity.
Comparison of incremental temperature responses of deer mice and voles to behavioral alarm stimuli

Abstract 1. 1. Deer mice and voles both respond by incremental changes in core temperature to incremental levels of psychosocial stimulation. 2. 2. The lower resting core temperature of deer mice permits them a broader range of temperature response than is available to montane voles. 3. 3. The differentials of mouse and vole temperature response to behavioral stimulation are maintained with repeated exposures. 4. 4. Dominant animals' temperature levels show some degree of habituation with repeated exposures to submissive males. 5. 5. Submissive male temperature levels rise with successive exposures to aggressive males. 6. 6. Exposure to conspecific animals is a much more potent stimulus to hyperthermic response by mice or voles than is noise or brief handling.
Managing Conflict on Local Interagency Coordinating Councils

Conflict resolution is an important communication skill for members of local interagency coordinating councils attempting to coordinate services to young children with special needs and their families. Harbin and McNulty (1990) proposed a conceptual model of local interagency councils and described six dimensions of the collaborative process among agencies providing early intervention services. Each dimension (climate, people, resources, agency, process, policies) has the potential of becoming a barrier to collaboration. This article reviews the literature on conflict resolution skills within the context of these six potential barriers, identifying strategies that may reduce these threats to collaboration.
Improved procedure for physiological characterization of microorganisms from diverse environments

Abstract A simplified minibreaker procedure useful for evaluating the physiological characteristics of bacterial isolates from soils and other environmental samples was compared with conventional tubed biochemical media in terms of ease of use and comparability of results. This procedure, where disposable automatic analyzer beakers were used in an array of 28 tests, involved addition of individual media of automatic analyzer beakers, drying and gas sterilization in a styrofoam support tray prior to inoculation with test organism suspensions. This procedure gave good agreement with results from tubed biochemical media with minimum time, materials and equipment. This simple minibeaker procedure would appear to be useful in a wide range of environmental studies of bacterial physiological diversity.
Changes in Arterial Expression of Fibrinolytic System Proteins in Atherogenesis

Abstract Plasminogen activators (PAs) and their inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), have been implicated in modulation of luminal fibrinolysis and mural proteolysis contributing to atherogenesis. Expression of PAs/PAI-1 (normalized to extracted tissue protein) was delineated by assays of conditioned media and of extracts from walls of human arterial segments in culture. Arterial specimens (n=39 from 26 subjects) were divided into four groups: normal (n=14), fatty streak (n=6), moderate atherosclerosis (mural thickening with 70% lumen obstruction, n=14). Paired samples from the same individual comprising a normal arterial segment and an atherosclerotic segment were evaluated also. A fourfold molar excess in PAI-1:t-PA was seen in conditioned media from samples with any evidence of atherosclerosis compared with normal specimens (normal 21±4, diseased 82±21, P ≤.05). Compared with normal pairs, the tissue content of PAI-1 (ng) was increased in fatty streak lesions (n=3, normal 35±12, fatty streak 50±8, P ≤.05); stable to decreased in moderate atherosclerosis (n=3, normal 34±3, moderate 22±7, P =.16); and increased in severe atherosclerosis (n=6, normal 48±9, severe 85±19, P ≤.05). The tissue content of PAs (ng), though not increased in fatty streak lesions, was elevated in moderately and severely atherosclerotic segments (normal 0.7±0.2, moderate 1.6±0.1; normal 0.8±0.3, severe 2.1±0.3, P ≤.05 for each comparison). Atherogenesis is associated with decreased luminal fibrinolytic capacity that may exacerbate thrombosis. Decreased mural proteolysis in early atherogenesis may exacerbate matrix accumulation. Increased mural proteolysis later is associated with, and may potentiate, smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation.
Linkages between socio-economic variables and the efficient marketing of poultry feeds in Delta State, Nigeria: implication for extension services

This study investigated the linkages between socio-economic variables and the efficient marketing of poultry feeds in Delta State. Primary data collected from 100 randomly selected respondent poult...
Optical orthogonal code-division multiple-access system .I. APD noise and thermal noise

In an optical multiple-access system, overall system throughput efficiency add significant implementation cost-reduction would be achieved if many users could access a common optical channel at any time without control among users. Recently one such scheme, an optical orthogonal code division multiple-access system (OOCDMA), was introduced by Salehi et al. (1982) for the case of no noise. In this paper, some extensions of that work are presented, including the effects of avalanche photodiode (APD) noise and thermal noise as well as interference for the OOCDMA direct-detection receiver. Since it has been shown that an optical hard-limiter before the receiver correlator can reduce the interference effect for the OOCDMA system in the absence of noise, the hard-limiter role in the presence of thermal and APD noise is also examined. >
Cognition and behavioural development in early childhood: the role of birth weight and postnatal growth

Background We evaluate the relative importance of birth weight and postnatal growth for cognition and behavioural development in 8389 Chinese children, 4–7 years of age. Method Weight was the only size measure available at birth. Weight, height, head circumference and intelligence quotient (IQ) were measured between 4 and 7 years of age. Z-scores of birth weight and postnatal conditional weight gain to 4–7 years, as well as height and head circumference at 4–7 years of age, were the exposure variables. Z-scores of weight at 4–7 years were regressed on birth weight Z-scores, and the residual was used as the measure of postnatal conditional weight gain. The outcomes were child’s IQ, measured by the Chinese Wechsler Young Children Scale of Intelligence, as well as internalizing behavioural problems, externalizing behavioural problems and other behavioural problems, evaluated by the Child Behavior Checklist 4–18. Multivariate regressions were conducted to investigate the relationship of birth weight and postnatal growth variables with the outcomes, separately for preterm children and term children. Results Both birth weight and postnatal weight gain were associated with IQ among term children; 1 unit increment in Z-score of birth weight (~450 g) was associated with an increase of 1.60 [Confidence interval (CI): 1.18–2.02; P < 0.001] points in IQ, and 1 unit increment in conditional postnatal weight was associated with an increase of 0.46 (CI: 0.06–0.86; P = 0.02) points in IQ, after adjustment for confounders; similar patterns were observed when Z-scores of postnatal height and head circumference at age 4–7 years were used as alternative measurements of postnatal growth. Effect sizes of relationships with IQ were smaller than 0.1 of a standard deviation in all cases. Neither birth weight nor postnatal growth indicators were associated with behavioural outcomes among term children. In preterm children, neither birth weight nor postnatal growth measures were associated with IQ or behavioural outcomes. Conclusions Both birth weight and postnatal growth were associated with IQ but not behavioural outcomes for Chinese term children aged 4–7 years, but the effect sizes were small. No relation between either birth weight or postnatal growth and cognition or behavioural outcomes was observed among preterm children aged 4–7 years.
Hypothyroidism as a Cause of Hyponatremia: Fact or Fiction?

Objective: To illustrate that severe primary hypothyroidism alone may not be enough to cause hyponatremia in the otherwise healthy ambulatory patient.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted using an academic health center enterprise-wide electronic health record to identify 10 patients with primary hypothyroidism and same-day serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), sodium, creatinine, and calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Same-day free triiodothyronine or free thyroxine was also recorded if tested. Patients were included in our case series if they met the following inclusion criteria: TSH level >100 μU/mL and same-day sodium and creatinine levels. All laboratory tests were collected on an outpatient basis.Results: The 10 subjects (2 men and 8 women) were ages 19 to 97 years (median, 51.5 years). Median TSH was 193 μU/mL (range, 104.2 to 515.6 μU/mL; normal, 0.40 to 5.50 μU/mL) with median sodium of 138 mmol/L (range, 136 to 142 mmol/L; normal, 135 to 146 mmol/L). The lowest sodium ...
Charged residues at the intracellular boundary of transmembrane helices 2 and 3 independently affect constitutive activity of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus G protein-coupled receptor.

Because charged residues at the intracellular ends of transmembrane helix (TMH) 2 and TMH3 of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) affect signaling, we performed mutational analysis of these residues in the constitutively signaling Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus GPCR (KSHV-GPCR). KSHV-GPCR contains the amino acid sequence Val-Arg-Tyr rather than the Asp/Glu-Arg-Tyr ((D/E)RY) motif at the intracellular end of TMH3. Mutation of Arg-143 to Ala (R143A) or Gln (R143Q) abolished constitutive signaling whereas R143K exhibited 50% of the basal activity of KSHV-GPCR. R143A was not stimulated by agonist, whereas R143Q was stimulated by growth-related oncogene-α, and R143K, similar to KSHV-GPCR, was stimulated further. These findings show that Arg-143 is critical for signal generation in KSHV-GPCR. In other GPCRs, Arg in this position may act as a signaling switch by movement of its sidechain from a hydrophilic pocket in the TMH bundle to a position outside the bundle. In rhodopsin, the Arg of Glu-Arg-Tyr interacts with the adjacent Asp to constrain Arg outside the TMH bundle. V142D was 70% more active than KSHV-GPCR, suggesting that an Arg residue, which is constrained outside the bundle by interacting with Asp-142, leads to a receptor that signals more actively. Because the usually conserved Asp in the middle of TMH2 is not present in KSHV-GPCR, we tested whether Asp-83 at the intracellular end of TMH2 was involved in signaling. D83N and D83A were 110 and 190% more active than KSHV-GPCR, respectively. The double mutant D83A/V142D was 510% more active than KSHV-GPCR. That is, cosubstitutions of Asp-83 by Ala and Val-142 by Asp act synergistically to increase basal signaling. A model of KSHV-GPCR predicts that Arg-143 interacts with residues in the TMH bundle and that the sidechain of Asp-83 does not interact with Arg-143. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that Arg-143 and Asp-83 independently affect the signaling activity of KSHV-GPCR.