cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Wideband Sampling Wattmeter1

The design and operation of a wideband sampling wattmeter capable of measuring distorted power signals with fundamental frequencies from 1 Hz to 10 kHz and harmonics up to 100 kHz is described. The microprocessor control led wattmeter uses asynchronous sampling of the voltage and current signals. The errors associated with this type of operation are described as are various methods of correcting some of these errors. The wattmeter uses both a hardware multiplier-accumulator and a direct-memory-access unit to capture the data. Programmable time delay circuits are used to compensate for differential time delays between the input channels. Performance checks show that measurement uncertainties of less than ±0. 1 percent of full-scale range (FSR) are obtainable.
Gamma dose and dose rate effects on scintillator light output

The effects of gamma radiation dose and dose rate on the light output of three polymer scintillators were investigated. Samples were gamm irradiated with 60Co to 2–10 Mrad at 1.5-0.014 Mrad/h. Light outputs were measured just after irradiation and regularly thereafter until stable (within 7 days). Losses in light output were dependent on both the irradiator dose and log (dose rate), with more losses occuring at high doses and low dose rates. No recovery in light output occurred below a certain dose role irrespective of the dose. Derived equations relating the post-recovery light output to the log (dose rate) can be used to estimate the light output after irradiation at much lower and more realistic dose rates.
General tangentially continuous vector elements

This paper presents a general way of constructing tangentially continuous vector elements with arbitrary approximating functions. This construction is based on two sets of scalar functions and may be viewed in the framework of the generalized finite-element method. The proposed vector elements are suitable for scattering, waveguides, cavity resonances and other electromagnetic applications. Novel rectangular and brick elements are introduced as an example.
Quantum noise, quantum measurement, and quantum squeezing

Keynote AddressFluctuations and Noise in Photonics and Quantum Optics, Derek Abbott,Jeffrey H. Shapiro, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Editors, Proceedings of SPIEVol. 5111 (2003) © 2003 SPIE · 0277-786X/03/$15.00283Downloaded From: http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/spiep/8603/ on 03/13/2017 Terms of Use: http://spiedigitallibrary.org/ss/termsofuse.aspx
Doenças priônicas: avaliação dos riscos envolvidos na utilização de produtos de origem bovina

Os prions sao proteinas que se mostram capazes de auto-replicacao apesar de, para isso, alterar o metabolismo celular. Sao responsaveis por inumeras doencas em animais e no ser humano (doencas prionicas), todas elas fatais. Essas molestias apresentam enorme variabilidade quanto ao periodo de incubacao, de alguns meses a 40 anos. Os prions acumulam-se e destroem os neuronios, provocando quadros conhecidos como encefalopatias espongiosiformes. Discute-se a apresentacao clinica, epidemiologica e historica das doencas prionicas. O foco maior de discussao recai, no entanto, na possibilidade teorica da transmissao iatrogenica dos prions por meio das formulacoes topicas que utilizam ceramidas (cerebrosideos) ou placenta de origem bovina, assim como pelo risco representado por alguns procedimentos dermatologicos, como transplantes da pele e implantes de colageno.
Thermodynamic Analysis on Lunar Soil Reduced by Hydrogen

Although many experiments have been performed to reduce the lunar soil by hydrogen, no systematic thermodynamic analysis has been developed to design and optimize these experiments. Applying a thermodynamic model to the system of simulant lunar soil and hydrogen, this study analyzes and discusses the thermodynamic behavior of the system in detail. The calculations demonstrate that iron is the only metal that can be extracted significantly from the lunar soil. The amount of hydrogen in the system drastically affects the processes of iron extraction and water production. However, the effect of system pressure can be neglected in the process. The yields of metallic iron and water from the lunar soil as functions of temperature and hydrogen content are investigated in this study. Additionally, the calculations explain the metallic iron on the surface of the moon from the thermodynamic point of view.
Cuantificación volumétrica mediante ecografía intravascular: el actual «patrón oro» para la caracterización de la enfermedad coronaria

La evaluacion de la enfermedad coronaria mediante ultrasonidos fue posible a partir del desarrollo de transductores miniaturizados. Tras dos decadas de evolucion1, la ecografia intravascular (EIV) se ha convertido en una tecnologia madura. A pesar de que fracasaran diversos intentos para demostrar su utilidad para mejorar la evolucion clinica de los pacientes tras el intervencionismo percutaneo, la EIV sigue constituyendo una parte integral de la cardiologia intervencionista, debido a su capacidad para ofrecer informacion sobre la luz vascular, la morfologia de la pared del vaso y de las caracteristicas de la placa aterosclerotica. Mas alla de los avances tecnologicos, como el desarrollo de cateteres de bajo perfil y frecuencias mas altas, la introduccion y mejoria de las tecnicas de cuantificacion ha desempenado un papel importante en la integracion de la EIV en la practica clinica habitual y en los protocolos de investigacion. El creciente interes por la caracterizacion de la placa de ateroma como una forma de predecir la trombosis arterial pudiera ser poco realista. Sin embargo, ha estimulado el desarrollo de nuevas modalidades de imagen, entre las que se incluyen metodos no invasivos como la tomografia computarizada multicorte (TCMC) y tambien ha permitido revisar los conceptos basicos de la tecnologia de EIV. Las imagenes de EIV se obtienen durante la retirada continua y uniforme del transductor de ultrasonidos situado en el cateter de EIV (tipicamente inferior a 3 F de diametro) a traves del segmento vascular examinado. Asi, se obtiene una serie de imagenes transversales adquiridas de manera continua a una frecuencia de 20-30 imagenes por segundo, es decir, casi en tiempo real. La EIV permite Cuantificacion volumetrica mediante ecografia intravascular: el actual «patron oro» para la caracterizacion de la enfermedad coronaria
AMINE-TERMINATED POLY(ARYL ETHER KETONE)-EPOXY/AMINE RESIN SYSTEMS AS TOUGH HIGH PERFORMANCE MATERIALS

Abstract A series of tough thermosetting resins based on the incorporation of amine-terminated poly(aryl ether ketone) oligomeric derivatives into commercial epoxy/amine resins, through a solventless process, have been evaluated. It is shown that when the amine-terminated oligomer is loaded at a level sufficient to form a material consisting of a lightly crosslinked thermoplastic continuous phase with epoxy/amine-rich inclusions, the fracture energy of the system increases by 350–750%, with either no loss or a slight increase in modulus, with respect to the unmodified commercial epoxy/amine resin, while possessing glass transition temperatures greater than the neat thermoplastic material. These tough resins are processable by conventional thermoset technology, as the system is initially a miscible low viscosity ternary melt consisting of a commercial epoxy, an amine-terminated oligomeric modifier, and an amine curing agent. Room temperature B-stage tack and drape is also maintained to allow for conventional prepreg lay-up procedures. The toughest systems combine the toughness characteristics of thermoplastic systems with the processing characteristics of thermosetting systems into a unique hybrid material. Phase separation occurs with curing and results in a lightly-crosslinked thermoplastic-rich phase and a highly-crosslinked epoxy/amine-rich phase. The thermal and mechanical properties are shown to be dependent on the morphology of the system which is determined by the loading level of oligomer for a given curing cycle. Three morphologically distinct systems are discussed. The synthesis, processing, solvent, thermal and mechanical properties of resins formulated with amine-terminated tertiary-butylhydroquinone, methylhydroquinone and bisphenol A based poly(aryl ether ketone) oligomers with various commercial epoxy resins are reported, and the properties are related to the observed phase separated morphology. The materials represent conventionally processable high performance thermosetting resins with significantly increased fracture energies and equivalent moduli, with respect to the unmodified materials.
A precision water-level and sediment-load monitoring system — An update

This paper presents an update of the basic design and performance of a precision pneumatic water-level gage that is suitable for application in most severe environments. The key to the success of this pneumatic bubbler gage is the incorporation of an analog “traveling-wave” low-pass filter which pre-filters out the noises generated by wind waves, swells and other short-period disturbances. It eliminates the high cost and error problems associated with a stilling well. The system satisfies the basic design requirement of ± 1mm resolution of water head. With multiple gages setup, the system can also be used to monitor the sediment load in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters.
Open fetal surgery for life-threatening fetal malformations

After more than two decades of experimental and clinical work, fetal surgery has become an accepted treatment modality for selected fetuses with life-threatening anomalies. Color Doppler ultrasound and ultrafast fetal magnetic resonance imaging have enhanced the accuracy of prenatal evaluation traditionally made by ultrasound alone. Fetal lung masses associated with hydrops are nearly 100% fatal. These lesions can be resected in utero if they are predominantly solid or multicystic. Thoracoamniotic shunting may be effective in the setting of a single large predominant cyst. Fetuses diagnosed with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia before 26 weeks' gestation with liver herniation and a sonographic right lung to head circumference ratio (LHR) of less than one may benefit from fetal tracheal occlusion. Fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma complicated with placentomegaly, hydrops, or progressive high output heart failure may benefit from in utero resection of the tumor. Although preterm labor still remains the Achilles heel of open fetal surgery, effective tocolysis may, in the future, expand the scope of fetal surgery.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium influx kinetic parameters of three rice cultivars

Abstract Information about the nutrient absorption properties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots can be used to predict nutrient uptake and to determine levels needed in the soil to supply nutrients rapidly enough to the root surface to minimize deficiencies. A study was conducted to measure the maximum influx (Imax), the respective Michaelis constants (Km), and the minimum solution concentrations necessary for uptake (Cmin) of nitrogen (NH4+), phosphorus (PO43‐), and potassium (K+) by three rice cultivars (Katy, Lemont, and Mars). Single plants of a given cultivar were transplanted into a nutrient solution containing a low concentration of a given element. The solution was sampled continuously for 10 to 15 h, following which roots were harvested and root surface areas determined. The three influx parameters for each cultivar and element were calculated from the individual nutrient depletion curves. The only effect of cultivar was found for the Imax of K+. Potassium Imax for Katy was 42% lower than for Lemon...
Stimulation of calmodulin by cadmium ion

Cd2+, a serious environmental pollutant in certain industrial regions, accumulates in mammalian tissues with a very slow turnover. Using various criteria, we studied the ability of Cd2+ to substitute for Ca2+ in calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitious Ca2+-binding protein that mediates many of the Ca2+ effects. CaM bound Cd2+ with a Kd of 4.5 μM, presumably to the Ca2+-binding sites. Binding of Cd2+ allowed CaM to bind 2 moles chlorpromazine, or to form a complex with skeletal muscle troponin-I, troponin-T, or phosphodiesterase. Complex formation with phosphodiesterase led to its activation, which was observed even in the presence of glutathione or cysteine, agents known to chelate Cd2+. This raises the possibility that one manifestation of Cd2+ toxicity may be through its activation of CaM, thus upsetting its normal regulation by a cellular flux of Ca2+.
Methodology for allocating resources for data quality enhancement

The issue of effective use of resources committed to data integrity maintenance is addressed via a heuristic which uses parameter estimates that are iteratively refined to partition available resources among multiple data sets.
Stratigraphic models for microtidal tidal deltas; examples from the Florida Gulf coast

Extensive vibracoring of both flood- and ebb-tidal deltas along the central Gulf Coast of the Florida peninsula reveals a strong overall similarity with subtle distinctions between flood and ebb varieties. Although the coast in question is microtidal, the inlets range from tide-dominated to distinctly wave-dominated. Both types of tidal deltas overlie a muddy sand interpreted to have been deposited in a back-barrier environment. The sharp contact at the base of the tidal delta sequence is typically overlain by a thin shell gravel layer. The ebb-tidal delta sequence is characterized by fine quartz sand with shell gravel in various concentrations; coarse and massive at the margins of the main ebb channel, and finer and imbricated at the marginal flood channels. The flood-tidal deltas are characterized by the same facies but with a small amount of mud. Shelly facies on the channels on flood deltas are not as well developed as on the ebb deltas. The combination of the stratigraphic sequence and the lithofacies make tidal deltas readily identifiable in the ancient record. The differences between flood and ebb varieties are subtle but consistent.
Asperity-Based Models of Micro-Scale Friction

As surfaces become smoother and loading forces decrease in applications such as MEMS, NEMS, and magnetic recording devices, the size and number of the asperity contacts which comprise the real contact area continues to decrease. The tangential force which is measured between two sliding bodies is the combined result of friction forces which are present in a very large number of nano and micro scale asperity contacts. Recent experiments as well as modeling have shown considerable scale-dependence and nonlinear load-dependence of the friction force. These models will be reviewed and discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Free-stream density perturbations in a reflected-shock tunnel

Focused laser differential interferometry is used to quantify the free-stream density perturbations in the T5 reflected-shock tunnel. The investigation of reflected-shock tunnel disturbances is motivated by the study of hypervelocity boundary-layer instability and transition. Past work on hypersonic wind-tunnel noise is briefly reviewed. New results are reported for hypervelocity air flows at reservoir enthalpies between 5 and 18 MJ/kg at Mach ≈ 5.5. Statistical analysis finds no correlation of RMS density perturbations with tunnel run parameters (reservoir pressure, reservoir mass-specific enthalpy, free-stream unit Reynolds number, free-stream Mach number, and shot number). Spectrograms show that the free-stream disturbance level is constant throughout the test time. Power spectral density estimates of each of the experiments are found to collapse upon each other when the streamwise disturbance convection velocity is used to eliminate the time scale. Furthermore, the disturbance level depends strongly on wavelength. If the disturbance wavelength range of interest is between 700 μm and 10 mm, the tunnel noise is measured to be less than 0.5 % with the focused laser differential interferometer.
Expectations of hospitality juniors and seniors: wave II.

This paper presents findings from the second wave in a longitudinal study of juniors/seniors in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at Michigan State University. Findings indicate: (1) a shift in the hierarchical ranking of the factors considered and the influences on the students' choice of a company for which to work aftergraduation, (2) apprehensions about working in the hospitality industry which center on perceived personal inadequacies and quality-of-life issues, (3) a "push-pull" theory about reasons why students believe they might leave their first company, and (4) differences in attitudes between hotel students and food service students.
Novel fatty acid esters of p-coumaryl alcohol in epicuticular wax of apple fruit.

Hexane extracts of epicuticular wax from cv. Gala apples were noted to have an unusual, broad absorbance maximum at 258 nm, which led us to isolate and identify the primary UV-absorbing compounds. Column and thin-layer chromatography yielded a fraction that gave a series of paired, 260-nm-absorbing peaks on C18 HPLC. These were shown to be a family of phenolic fatty acid esters, for which retention times increased with increasing fatty acid chain length, and paired peaks were esters of two related phenolics with the same fatty acid moiety. Alkaline hydrolysis of the esters released two water-soluble phenolics separable by C18 HPLC. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry gave a molecular mass of 150 for both, and 1 H NMR plus UV absorbance spectra identified them as E and Z isomers of p-coumaryl alcohol. Alkaline cleavage of the fatty acid esters in the presence of methanol or ethanol resulted in partial derivatization of E-p-coumaryl alcohol to the corresponding A-O-methyl or O-ethyl ether. Gradient HMQC NMR of the HPLC-purified stearate ester of E-p-coumaryl alcohol indicated that fatty acid esterification occurs at the A-OH rather than at the 4-OH on the phenyl ring. This is the first report of fatty acid esters of monolignols as a natural plant product.
Identification of a small molecule SIRT2 inhibitor with selective tumor cytotoxicity.

Abstract As a member of the class III histone deacetylases, Sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) is critical in cell cycle regulation which makes it a potential target for cancer therapeutics. In this study, we identified a novel SIRT2 inhibitor, AC-93253, with IC50 of 6 μM in vitro. The compound is selective, inhibiting SIRT2 7.5- and 4-fold more potently than the closely related SIRT1 and SIRT3, respectively. AC-93253 significantly enhanced acetylation of tubulin, p53, and histone H4, confirming SIRT2 and SIRT1 as its cellular targets. AC-93253 as a single agent exhibited submicromolar selective cytotoxicity towards all four tumor cell lines tested with a therapeutic window up to 200-fold, comparing to any of the three normal cell types tested. Results from high content analysis suggested that AC-93253 significantly triggered apoptosis. Taken together, SIRT2 selective inhibitor AC-93253 may serve as a novel chemical scaffold for structure–activity relationship study and future lead development.
Shared and unique features of morphological differentiation between predator regimes in Gambusia caymanensis

When multiple groups of organisms experience similar environmental gradients, their patterns of differentiation might exhibit both shared and unique features. Here, we investigated the relative importance of three factors in generating body shape variation in a livebearing fish, Gambusia caymanensis, inhabiting the Cayman Islands: (i) shared patterns of divergent selection between predator regimes (presence ⁄absence of piscivorous fish) driving replicated morphological differentiation, (ii) historical island effects yielding different morphologies across the three islands and (iii) unique effects of predation on morphological differentiation within each island. Shared effects of predation proved much more important than historical or unique effects. Populations coexisting with piscivorous fish exhibited larger caudal regions and smaller heads than conspecifics found in the absence of predatory fish. These results match a priori predictions, and mirror recent findings in a number of fish species, suggesting predation might often drive predictable morphological trends in disparate fishes. However, interestingly, the sexes achieved this morphological pattern through different means: head depth, caudal peduncle length and depth in males; head length, caudal peduncle depth in females. In G. caymanensis, we quantitatively confirmed that predation intensity represents a primary driver of body shape differentiation.
Follicular-Unit Hair Grafting: State-of-the-Art Surgical Technique

The goal in hair restoration is natural-appearing results. Improvements in the field of hair transplantation have developed with this goal in mind. The most recent development is the follicular-uni...
Evaluation of Educational Materials from a Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Folic Acid Use Among Hispanic Women: Insight from Cuban and Puerto Rican Ethnic Subgroups

Current data indicate significant disparities in awareness and use of folic acid between Hispanic and non-Hispanic women. Hispanic women are less likely to have heard about folic acid, to know that folic acid can prevent birth defects, to take folic acid daily, and to take folic acid before pregnancy. “Three Sisters/Las Tres Hermanos” is a folic acid social marketing campaign designed for Mexican-American women. To determine the effectiveness of the materials on other Hispanic sub groups, women of childbearing age from Cuba and Puerto Rico were recruited to evaluate the materials. Participants were asked five pre-test questions about folic acid knowledge and were then provided with the folic acid educational materials that included either a photo-novella and a low literacy brochure, or a video-novella in English or Spanish. Once the participants reviewed the materials, they were asked 10 post-test questions about the materials. The results of the evaluation are discussed.
Molecular dynamics simulations of molten CaAl2Si2O8: Dependence of structure and properties on pressure

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out on molten CaAl2Si2O8 at nine pressures from 0.2 to 76 GPa at 4000 K, well above the computed glass transition tem- perature. A simple effective pair-potential with both Coulombic interaction and Born-May- er-Huggins short-range repulsion was used. Simulations of duration 30 ps long were per- formed in the microcanonical ensemble (NEV) utilizing 1300 particles (O1Ca1Si1Al). As pressure increases, profound changes occur in the relative abundance of (4) T, T decreases and (6) T increases). At 5 GPa, the average coordination number (CN) of oxygen about Ca is 8. At 20 GPa, (6) T constitutes more than 50% of the TOn subunit population and the CN of oxygen around Ca is 10. At medium range (3 to 10 A ˚), the most significant change in melt structure as pressure increases is replacement of corner-sharing ring-former TOn polyhedra with edge-sharing polyhedra pairs such as TO5-TO6 and TO6- TO6. The destruction of the ring structure correlates with the maximization of Ar solubility as pressure increases. Ring structure collapse is geometrically captured by variation in the distribution of T-O-T angles with increasing pressure. The low-pressure maximum at 1408 with large variance agrees with X-ray data and follows from the distribution of N-member rings with N ranging from 4 to 8 (or larger). At higher pressure, the T-O-T distribution narrows and shifts toward smaller angles around 1058 consistent with the dominating pres- ence of edge sharing between TO6-TO6 and TO5-TO6 pairs. Tracer diffusivities for O, Ca, Al, and Si increase at low pressure as pressure increases. The diffusivity of oxygen cor- relates with ring collapse and attains a maximum at 5 GPa (Dox 5 6.6 3 10 29 m 2 /s); the ratio of diffusivities for Ca, Al, and Si relative to oxygen are 0.67, 0.62, and 0.51, re- spectively. These data suggest that pentahedrally coordinated T acts as an ''activated com- plex'' for oxygen diffusion. Below 5 GPa, activation volumes ( V*) for all species are large in absolute value and lie in the range 225 to 235 cm
Reliability-based robust control for uncertain dynamical systems using feedback of incomplete noisy response measurements

A reliability-based output feedback control methodology is presented for controlling the dynamic response of systems that are represented by linear state-space models. The design criterion is based on a robust failure probability for the system. This criterion provides robustness for the controlled system by considering a probability distribution over a set of possible system models with a stochastic model of the excitation so that robust performance is expected. The control command signal can be calculated using incomplete response measurements at previous time steps without requiring state estimation. Examples of robust structural control using an active mass driver on a shear building model and on a benchmark structure are presented to illustrate the proposed method.
Poster: a tunable, software-based DRAM error detection and correction library for HPC

Proposed exascale systems will present a number of considerable resiliency challenges. In particular, DRAM soft-errors, or bit-flips, are expected to greatly increase due to the increased memory density of these systems. Current hardware-based fault-tolerance methods will be unsuitable for addressing the expected soft error frequency rate. As a result, additional software will be needed to address this challenge. In this paper we introduce LIBSDC, a tunable, transparent silent data corruption detection and correction library for HPC applications. LIBSDC provides comprehensive SDC protection for program memory by implementing on-demand page integrity verification by utilizing the MMU. Experimental benchmarks with Mantevo HPCCG show that once tuned, LIBSDC is able to achieve SDC protection with less than 100% overhead of resources.
Instrumented pressure testing chamber for characterizing sediment cores recovered at in situ hydrostatic pressure

Marine sediments retrieved with pressure coring systems such as those used by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program maintain samples at in situ hydrostatic pressure throughout recovery. Such pressure cores are particularly important for the study of gas hydrate-bearing sediments, which must be maintained within the gas hydrate stability field during shipboard core characterization. Until now, there has been no device capable of directly measuring a suite of physical properties on sediments contained in pressure cores without first depressurizing them. This study describes the design, construction, and deployment of the Instrumented Pressure Testing Chamber (IPTC), which was first used to measure the physical properties of pressure cores recovered ∼1530 m below the sea surface during 2005 drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The IPTC permits drilling through the plastic liner while the core is under pressure and the sequential measurement of P- and S-wave velocities, undrained strength, and electrical conductivity. Preliminary results indicate that the seismic velocities measured on a pressure core with the IPTC are more representative of in situ seismic velocities at comparable depths than are velocities measured on conventional cores from these same depths. The flexibility of the IPTC design allows future modifications to account for restoration of effective, not just hydrostatic, stress; the addition of new types of measurements; sampling of pore fluids and sediments under pressure; and use of the device as a laboratory reactor for gas hydrates studies.
Certifying the correctness of software

Software is either correct or incorrect in design to a specification in contrast to hardware which is reliable to a certain level to a correct design. Software of any size or complexity can only be tested partially, and typically a very small fraction of possible inputs are actually tested. Certifying the correctness of such software requires two conditions, namely (1) statistical testing with inputs characteristic of actual usage, and (2) no failures in the testing. If any failures arise in testing or subsequent usage, the software is incorrect, and the certification invalid. If such failures are corrected, the certification process can be restarted, with no use of previous testing. >
What goes up must come down: The burden of bipolar depression in youth

NOTICE: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Affective Disorders. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol 150, Issue 3, 2013 DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2013.05.039
Overlapping batch statistics

The authors discuss the extension of batching algorithms from sample means to more general estimators. They provide assumptions sufficient for unbiasedness and convergence and provide computationally efficient algorithms for variances and quantiles. Although the definitions, discussion, and examples generalize to general batching estimators, the authors consider only the completely overlapping version. >
Synchronization of Ruminal Degradation of Supplemental Carbohydrate with Pasture Nitrogen in Lactating Dairy Cows

Twelve Holstein cows in early to midlactation (8 fitted with ruminal cannulas) were used to test the hypothesis that the synchronization of the rate of ruminal degradation of supplemental carbohydrate and N from fresh pasture would increase the amount of N retained for growth and milk production. A concentrate based on ground shelled corn was fed either at the time that pasture was fed at 0900 and 1700 h (synchronous) or 4 h after pasture was fed at 1300 and 2100 h (asynchronous). The crossover design included a 6-d adjustment period and a 10-d milk sampling period. Nitrogen balance was determined during the last 5 d of each period. Cows fed the synchronous diet had a lower mean ruminal pH. Peak ammonia concentration at 3 and 5 h after pasture feeding in the morning was reduced by approximately 33% of values obtained from cows fed the asynchronous diet. The diurnal pattern of blood urea N concentration was similar to that of ruminal ammonia, but mean daily concentrations of blood urea N did not differ between diets. Nitrogen retained for milk production and growth was not influenced by diet, and no differences in milk production, composition, or efficiency were observed. Based on changes in ruminal concentrations of ammonia, synchronous ruminal release of supplemental carbohydrate with pasture N appeared to improve the capture of ruminal N; however, these changes were transient and did not change the N status or performance of dairy cows.
Synergistic Effect of Acidosis and Succinylcholine‐Induced Hyperkalemia in Spinal Cord Transected Rats

The effects of spinal cord transection and acidosis on succinylcholine (SCC)-induced hyperkalemia were studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. The effectiveness of pretreatment with subparalyzing doses (“self-taming”) of SCC or with the cholinesterase inhibitor hexafluorenium bromide in preventing hyperkalemia was also studied. The increase in plasma potassium after administration of SCC (1 mg/kg) was found to be significantly increased 10 days after spinal cord transection. This potassium increase could not be prevented by pretreatment with either hexafluorenium (0.3 mg/kg) or subparalyzing doses (0.15 mg/kg) of SCC. Respiratory acidosis caused an increase in plasma K+ in both normal and in spinal cord transected rats. Acidosis had a synergistic effect on succinylcholine-induced hyperkalemia. These findings support the clinical practice of not using succinylcholine in patients at risk of having a pathological sensitivity to SCC. Furthermore, SCC may be especially dangerous when administered to patients who are acidotic.
Improvement of Surface Flux Calculations in the Atmospheric Surface Layer

Abstract Simple and efficient formulas for calculating surface fluxes are presented for the nondimensional profile functional forms of wind and temperature in the atmospheric surface layer. Four formulations representing nondimensional profile functional forms are examined. New approximate solutions for the relationship between z/L and the bulk Richardson number are proposed. These new solutions are an improvement over the existing approximate solutions and give much better agreement with the numerical solutions obtained by iteration. The approach can be extended to other similar nondimensional profile functional forms.
Effects of prolonged infusion of β-adrenergic agonists on uterine and umbilical blood flow in pregnant sheep

Abstract We have extended our evaluation of the effects of three β-adrenergic agents in near-term pregnant sheep to include a period of infusion three times longer than previously studied. This extension has provided the following information: (1) Initial depression of uterine blood flow and mean arterial pressure associated with administration of ritodrine or salbutamol abate with time despite continued drug infusion; (2) the uterine hyperemia associated with salbutamol and fenoterol are drug-related rather than postinfusion-related phenomena; (3) increased uterine vascular resistance is found with ritodrine, and decreased uterine vascular resistance occurs with salbutamol and fenoterol.
High-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy using multibunch synchrotron radiation:

Abstract We report rotational-resolved single-photon threshold photoelectron and pulsed field ionization zero kinetic energy (PFI–ZEKE) photoelectron (PE) spectra of O2 in the energy range of 18.1–20.2 eV measured using high-resolution monochromatized multibunch undulator synchrotron radiation. The PFI–ZEKE PE bands for O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=0–9) have been simulated using the Buckingham–Orr–Sichel model derived for rotationally resolved single-photon ionization cross-sections. Only the ΔN=−2, 0 and +2 (or O, Q and S) rotational branches are observed for these PFI–ZEKE PE bands, indicating that the outgoing electron continuum channels with angular momenta l=1 and 3 dominate in the threshold ionization transitions O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=0–9, N+)←O2(X 3Σg−, v″=0, N″). The relative rotational branch intensities for O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=4 and 5) are found to be drastically different from those for O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=0–3, 6 and 7). Considering that the energies of O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=4 and 5) are close to the dissociation limit of O+(4S)+O(3P) and that the crossing location of the O2+(b 4Σg−) and d 4Σg+ potential curves is shown to be in the vicinity of O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=4 and 5), we suggest that the latter observation is the result of predissociative perturbations by the d 4Σg+ state. Within the uncertainties of this experiment, the ionization energies for the formation of O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=0–9, N+=1) can be satisfactorily characterized using a Morse potential. The effective lifetimes for high-n Rydberg states converging to O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=0, 2–5) prepared in the present experiment are nearly constant with values in the range of 1.8–2.0 μs. The observation that the effective lifetimes for high-n Rydberg states converging to O2+(b 4Σg−, v+=4 and 5) are significantly longer than the known dissociative lifetimes of the corresponding ionic states is in accordance with the expectation that the couplings between the O2+ ion core and the high-n Rydberg electron involved are negligibly small.
Deterministic control of uncertain systems : a Lyapunov theory approach

This chapter considers the problem of obtaining memoryless stabilising feedback controllers for uncertain dynamical systems described by ordinary differential equations. Various classes of controllers are presented. The design of all these controllers is based on Lyapunov theory. The results to obtain tracking controllers for a general class of uncertain mechanical systems was utilised. These controllers are illustrated by application to a model of the Manutec r 3 robot which has an uncertain payload. Before proceeding with the problem, some basic notions and results for ordinary differential equations is introduced.
Policies for Minorities: A Question of Identity and Citizenship

How are public policies concerning minorities, such as ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities, categorically different from general public policies? Schneider and Ingram (1993) assert that the social construction of target population should be considered for these images are political and has profound implication for the recognition, the passage, and the success/failure of policies. My contention is that considerations about group identity and concerns about citizenship status also need to be incorporated into the analyses when policies relating to minorities are in question. Aside from the cultural characterizations or popular images of the persons/groups whose behavior and status are affected by the policy itself, how groups view themselves and whether these groups are deemed as worthy members of the polity should also inform our understanding about minority-specific policies. In other words, in order to truly understand policies such as the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act, not only do scholars need to assess the social construction of target populations, but also incorporate the understanding of who are considered â€œAmericans.â€? This paper strives to present a theoretical framework that both incorporates and bridges the considerations of policy target group image as proposed by Schneider and Ingram (1993) as well as the important construction of identity (who they are) and citizenship (whether they are worthy members of the polity) for these groups.
HIV Infection and Diabetes

Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) more than a decade ago, there has been a dramatic improvement in the morbidity and mortality associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and AIDS. As survival has improved, a constellation of metabolic and morphologic abnormalities, often referred to as the HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome, has become increasingly evident. Features of this syndrome include abnormal glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia, and alterations in body fat distribution including peripheral lipoatrophy and central adiposity. In this chapter, we will focus primarily on the abnormalities of glucose metabolism in patients with HIV/AIDS, including insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and frank diabetes mellitus. After first considering the effects of HIV infection per se, we will examine the mechanisms by which antiretroviral (ARV) medications are purported to disrupt glucose metabolism.
Bayesian module identification from multiple noisy networks

Module identification has been studied extensively in order to gain deeper understanding of complex systems, such as social networks as well as biological networks. Modules are often defined as groups of vertices in these networks that are topologically cohesive with similar interaction patterns with the rest of the vertices. Most of the existing module identification algorithms assume that the given networks are faithfully measured without errors. However, in many real-world applications, for example, when analyzing protein-protein interaction networks from high-throughput profiling techniques, there is significant noise with both false positive and missing links between vertices. In this paper, we propose a new model for more robust module identification by taking advantage of multiple observed networks with significant noise so that signals in multiple networks can be strengthened and help improve the solution quality by combining information from various sources. We adopt a hierarchical Bayesian model to integrate multiple noisy snapshots that capture the underlying modular structure of the networks under study. By introducing a latent root assignment matrix and its relations to instantaneous module assignments in all the observed networks to capture the underlying modular structure and combine information across multiple networks, an efficient variational Bayes algorithm can be derived to accurately and robustly identify the underlying modules from multiple noisy networks. Experiments on synthetic and protein-protein interaction data sets show that our proposed model enhances both the accuracy and resolution in detecting cohesive modules, and it is less vulnerable to noise in the observed data. In addition, it shows higher power in predicting missing edges compared to individual-network methods.
The Role of Science and Technology in Creating Korea's Electronics Industry

n this article we will analyze the process of industrial transformation from the system-institutional perspective, using a case study of South Korea's (hereafter called Korea) electronics industry to illustrate how government and industry can interact to overcome the common problems faced by many developing countries in industrial transformation. "Industrial transformation" is the process through which an industry changes its production technology, market distribution, product scope, and location due to changes in external and internal factors, such as market demand, factor supply, technological requirements, and government policies. Many studies have been done from the strategic perspective of business to analyze how and why an industry transforms. For example, Lawrence and Dyer (1983, 6-7) suggest an information-resource framework to analyze the adaptive processes of industries in response to environmental changes. The "product-cycle theory" suggests that an industry transforms in a life cycle (Daniels and Radebaugh 1992, 142-146). Porter (1990, 6-7) analyzes the mechanism of transformation and suggests that the pressure of new entrants, product substitution, suppliers' power, buyers' power, and the rivalry between competitors are the driving forces for industrial transformation. In this paper we take a different focus. Rather than analyze the process of industrial transformation from the strategic perspective of business, we examine how active interaction between the private and the public sector can help overcome the problems of externalities, risk biases against infant industries, and capability constraints in developing countries.
Approaches to Limiting Emergence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria in Human Populations

Infectious diseases continue to be major threats to human health around the world. Within the past few years, several divergent groups of organisms have emerged as significant causes of morbidity and mortality. Included among these are bacteria that are refractory to therapy because of the development of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. Multidrug resistance in strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, and Enterococcus faecium has been reported. Surveillance of resistant microorganisms in the United States and abroad is fragmentary and targets relatively few organisms. Surveillance is further hampered by the fact that detection of some novel resistance mechanisms is difficult by means of current laboratory methods. Both clinicians and public health officials are likely to continue to face a variety of challenges regarding surveillance, treatment, prevention, and control of drug-resistant infections.
Comparison of Individual, Sire Family, and Index Selection for Short Term Rate of Egg Production in Chickens

Abstract Efficiencies of index, individual, and sire family systems of selection were compared in the 9 to 11th selected generations. The criterion of selection was short term rate of production. Results agreed with those reported for the first eight generations in that standardized gains of the individual system exceeded those of the other systems. This disparity with expectations was attributed to the failure of experimental procedures to meet the assumptions of theory, inherent differences in inbreeding produced by the different systems, and random genetic drift.
In-Situ Failure Identification in Woven Composites Throughout Impact

In this study, measurements form low-impact velocity experiments including embedded and surface mounted optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors were used to obtain detailed information pertaining to damage progression in two-dimensional laminate woven composites. The woven composites were subjected to multiple strikes at 2m/s until perforation occurred, and the impactor position and acceleration were monitored throughout each event. From these measurements, we obtained dissipated energies and contact forces. The FBG sensors were embedded and surface mounted at different critical locations near penetration-induced damaged regions. These FBG sensors were used to obtain initial residual strains and axial and transverse strains that correspond to matrix cracking and delamination. The transmission and reflection spectra were continuously monitored throughout the loading cycles. They were used, in combination with the peak contact forces, to delineate repeatable sensor responses corresponding to material failure. From the FBG spectra, fiber and matrix damage were separated by an analysis based on signal intensity and the behavior of individual Bragg peaks as a function of evolving and repeated impact loads. This provided independent feedback on the integrity of the Bragg gratings which can serve to eliminate errors in the strain data such as due to sensor debonding or fracture. The critical indicators present in the sensor spectra for the mapping of these sensor failure modes are derived.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Reflections on a meta-analysis: Crystallizing thinking about SCCT

ABSTRACTThis article provides my reflections and comments on the meta-analysis of situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) presented in this issue. The meta-analysis helps to crystallize strengths and weaknesses of SCCT and the research generated by the theory. No theory is perfect and every theory has limitations/boundaries. The meta-analysis helps to identify the boundaries for SCCT helping to understand when the theory works and when there are better options for informing crisis communication. By reflecting on the extant research, we can plot the direction for future research utilizing SCCT.
Breeding and Utilization of CMS Line Gufeng A with Blast Resistance in Rice

Gufeng A,derived from the cross and backcross of Digu A /(Longtepu B /Zhouyi B) F3,is a WA-type indica CMS line with the characteristics of stable male sterility,high combining ability,good resistance to rice blast,favourable outcrossing habits.Gufeng A was technically certified in Fujian Province in 2001.27 hybrid rice varieties derived from Gufeng A were certified for release to commercial production in China.