cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annual snowpack patterns across the Rockies: Long-term trends and associated 500-mb synoptic patterns

Abstract Winter snowpack was investigated to determine spatial and temporal climate variability in a five-state region (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming) in the northern Rocky Mountains, covering the period 1951–85. Annual 1 April snowpack (SN) measurements were selected for analyses. Three basic and persistent patterns of annual SN values surfaced: years with a consistent anomaly over the entire region (wet or dry); years with a distinct north-to-south gradient; and average years. Nearly 90% of the nonaverage annual SN patterns were explained by the frequency of seven 500-mb winter synoptic patterns. The wet-north-dry-south gradient SN patterns occurred only before 1974, and the dry-north-wet-south gradient SN patterns did not occur before 1973. The long-term wet and dry periods experienced in the northern and southern areas of the five-state region are due to periods when one of the two north-to-south gradient SN patterns occurred and are explained by the changes in the frequency of synoptic ...
Microcalorimetric Study of CO2 and NH3 Adsorption on Rb- and Sr-Modified Catalyst Supports

Acid−base characteristics of a series of rubidium- and strontium-modified materials were studied using adsorption microcalorimetry of ammonia and carbon dioxide. The samples were prepared by impregnation and decomposition of acetate precursors at 773 K on γ-alumina, titania, carbon, and silica. Microcalorimetric measurements showed that the incorporation of rubidium and strontium neutralized acid sites and created new base sites on the supports. However, the extent of these modifications depended on the compositions of both the basic additive and the support. Rubidium was more effective than strontium at altering the acid/base character of all the supports studied. The fewest base sites were found on modified silica, presumably due to the formation of surface silicate phases.
Completion and verification of ambiguous sentences

Alternative models have been offered to explain the mechanisms underlying the processing of ambiguous sentences. One model contends that the meanings of an ambiguity are processed one at a time, without interaction between them. A rival model contends that to some extent both meanings of an ambiguity can be processed simultaneously, competing with one another until one is perceived. The present study tested these theories by systematically varying the probability that a given meaning of an ambiguous sentence will be perceived, and measuring the time to complete or verify the sentences. The results call into question the adequacy of the noninteraction model, and suggest that parallel processing and reciprocal interactions at the semantic feature level are important psychological processes underlying the comprehension of ambiguous sentences.
Infrared spectra of carbon monoxide bound to mitochondria from diverse species and tissues reveal structurally similar cytochrome c oxidase dioxygen reaction sites

Abstract Infrared bands for CO bound to mitochondria from bovine and porcine hearts, bovine brain, rat kidney, and blowfly flight muscle and to intact blowfly flight muscle have been measured in the carbon-oxygen stretch region. Each spectrum contains a narrow band near 1963 cm−1 similar to the major band found earlier for the carbonyl cytochrome c oxidase purified from bovine heart. A second band near 1959 cm−1 ascribed to a less stable conformer of the purified oxidase carbonyl is also detected in mitochondria. These spectra support very similar CO (and O2) binding sites among all the oxidases examined whether the enzyme is purified or is still within mitochondria or intact tissue and therefore suggest that the reduced heme A ligand binding site has been highly conserved during evolution.
Effective Data Validation Methodology for Pyrotechnic Shock Testing

Valid test data from explosively or ordnance-initiated pyrotechnic shock tests are difficult to acquire. Measurement of these frequency-rich acceleration time histories, a prerequisite to calculation of a valid shock response spectrum, drives the measurement system to its performance limits. Successful acquisition of demonstrably valid acceleration time histories requires a series of performance compromises that must be made with a depth of measurements expertise. Such expertise may not be available from vendors of the various data acquisition systems sold for these tests. All measurement system performance characteristics (transducer mount dynamics, gain, frequency response, phase response, linearity, lead wire effects, sampling rate, etc.) require compromise. It takes professional-level knowledge and experience to make the proper compromises to assure data validity for the measured wave shape. These measurements should never be taken for granted, as often and unfortunately happens.Data validation method...
Visual cues for data mining

This paper describes a set of visual techniques, based on principles of human perception and cognition, which can help users analyze and develop intuitions about tabular data. Collections of tabular data are widely available, including, for example, multivariate time series data, customer satisfaction data, stock market performance data, multivariate profiles of companies and individuals, and scientific measurements. In our approach, we show how visual cues can help users perform a number of data mining tasks, including identifying correlations and interaction effects, finding clusters and understanding the semantics of cluster membership, identifying anomalies and outliers, and discovering multivariate relationships among variables. These cues are derived from psychological studies on perceptual organization, visual search, perceptual scaling, and color perception. These visual techniques are presented as a complement to the statistical and algorithmic methods more commonly associated with these tasks, and provide an interactive interface for the human analyst.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Action potentials in gland cells of rat pituitary pars intermedia: inhibition by dopamine, an inhibitor of MSH secretion

1. Cells were dissociated from rat pituitary pars intermedia, maintained in culture, and subjected to electrophysiological study. 2. Recorded membrane potentials varied widely (range — 18 to about — 80 mV). They were relatively insensitive to changes in external Na but were rapidly and reversibly lowered by excess K. 3. Action potentials were elicited by passing current through intracellular recording electrodes. They were reversibly blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 2 × 10-6 M) or by removal of Na from the recording solution and thus appeared to be Na spikes. Cells yielding action potentials in response to depolarization had relatively high membrane potentials (about — 65 mV) which may be representative of the true resting membrane potential of pars intermedia cells. 4. Spontaneous action potentials were recorded extracellularly from nearly all the many isolated pars intermedia cells studied with a microsuction electrode. Their amplitude was reduced by TTX (0·1-2 × 10-6 M). Electron microscopic examination of cells producing action potentials showed them to be hormone-containing parenchymal (gland) cells. 5. Dopamine (10-6 M), a presumed physiological inhibitor of secretion of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) from pars intermedia cells, decreased the frequency of spontaneous action potentials but not their amplitude. Similar effects were seen with noradrenaline (10-6 M), another inhibitor of MSH secretion, whereas isoprenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), which do not inhibit MSH secretion, had no effect. 6. Action potentials may be involved in stimulus-secretion coupling in pars intermedia cells.
Interactions in developmental toxicology: A literature review and terminology proposal

Developmental toxicologists have investigated the interactive effects from concurrent exposures to a variety of chemical and physical agents, including therapeutic drugs, industrial agents, and some biological organisms or their toxins. Of approximately 160 reports of concurrent exposures reviewed in this paper, about one third report no interactive effects (including additive effects--usually referring to response--as opposed to dose-additivity); another one third report antagonistic effects, and the final third report potentiative or synergistic effects. The quality of the studies is highly variable. Frequently, only small numbers of animals were included, and very few dose levels were evaluated. Maternal toxicity was rarely discussed. Time-effect relationships were examined infrequently. In addition, these studies are also inconsistent in the use of terms to describe interactive effects, and more than 90% of the terms were not in harmony with currently accepted definitions in toxicology. Because interaction studies will continue to be important in the future, this paper proposes uniform usage of terms for additivity and interactions in developmental toxicology: additivity (the combined effect of two or more developmental toxicants approximates the sum of the effects of the agents administered separately); antagonism (the combined effect of two or more agents, one or more of which are present at doses that would be developmentally toxic if given individually, is significantly less than the sum of the effects of the agents administered separately); potentiation (the increased effect of a developmental toxicant by concurrent action of another agent at a dose that is not developmentally toxic); synergism (the combined effect of two or more developmental toxicants is significantly greater than the sum of the effects of each agent administered alone); and, interaction if more precise terminology does not apply. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1
The timing of conflict violence: Hydraulic behavior in the Ugandan civil war:

Researchers generally examine how variables directly affect events in war. Some variables, however, may not simply increase or decrease conflict events but may instead displace them. In wartime, this dynamic may result from the conditional decision-making made by militaries constrained, at least partially, by time. When there is a necessary regularity to military operations, decision-making may be complicated by factors such as inclement weather, and this regularized pressure to act may produce a hydraulic relationship between inclement weather and events. In this dynamic, today’s inclement weather, such as rain, may displace today’s events. Conversely, yesterday’s rain may increase today’s, with planned events postponed. Similarly, tomorrow’s rain may also increase today’s events, with planned activities moved forward. We test this hydraulic argument with geo-referenced data from the recent Ugandan civil war and find significant evidence that conflict events are fluid in time. Inclement weather constrain...
Segmentation of dense range information in complex urban scenes

In this paper, an algorithm to segment 3D points in dense range maps generated from the fusion of a single optical camera and a multiple emitter/detector laser range finder is presented. The camera image and laser range data are fused using a Markov Random Field to estimate a 3D point corresponding to each image pixel. The textured 3D dense point cloud is segmented based on evidence of a boundary between regions of the textured point cloud. Clusters are discriminated based on Euclidean distance, pixel intensity and estimated surface normal using a fast, deterministic and near linear time segmentation algorithm. The algorithm is demonstrated on data collected with the Cornell University DARPA Urban Challenge vehicle. Performance of the proposed dense segmentation routine is evaluated in a complex urban environment and compared to segmentation of the sparse point cloud. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the dense segmentation algorithm to avoid over-segmentation better than incorporating color and surface normal data in the sparse point cloud.
Infections and osteomyelitis: the role of amputation

Extensive chronic osteomyelitis is often the final result of treatment of mutilating limb trauma. Often, the decision of continued attempts at limb salvage versus amputation must be addressed. This work attempts to provide a decision-making process for the responsible physician faced with this difficult diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma.
Persistent immunotoxic effects of tributyltin in human natural killer cells can be reversed by interleukin 2.

Abstract Tributyltin (TBT) is a widespread environmental contaminant due to its use in marine antifouling paints and as an anti-microbial agent in other applications. There are measurable levels of TBT in some samples of human blood. Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes capable of killing tumor and virally infected cells. Previously, we have shown that a 1 h exposure to 300 nM TBT caused a permanent decrease in the ability of human NK cells to bind to and destroy tumor target cells and in their expression of certain functionally relevant cell surface markers. The present study investigates the effect of the NK-stimulatory cytokine, interleukin (IL) 2 on TBT-induced decreases in NK cytotoxicity, binding function, and expression of CD16 and CD56. A 1 h exposure to 300 nM TBT followed by 24 h in TBT-free media decreased cytotoxic function by 80%, and expression of CD16 by 16%. When 10 ng/mL IL-2 was present during the 24 h incubation there was no statistically significant decrease in cytotoxicity or expression of CD16. A 96 h incubation in TBT-free media produced decreases in cytotoxicity (99%), binding function (65%), and expression of CD16 (48%) and CD56 (51%). IL-2 was able to reverse the TBT-induced decreases in each of these parameters seen after 96 h. These results suggest that IL-2 restoration of NK ability to bind target cells correlates with its ability to restore CD16 and CD56 expression. Additionally, neither the loss of cytotoxic function (seen in the 24 or 48 h periods following TBT exposure) nor its restoration by IL-2 can be substantially explained by the effects of TBT exposure on CD16 and CD56 expression or target binding.
Automatic gate-level synthesis of speed-independent circuits

In this paper, we present a CAD tool for the synthesis of asynchronous control circuits using basic gates such as AND gates and OR gates. The synthesized circuits are speed-independent; that is, they work correctly regardless of individual gate delays. We present synthesis results for a variety of specifications taken from industry and previously published examples. We compare our speed-independent circuits with those non-speedindependent circuits synthesized using the algorithms described in [I], in which delay elements are added to remove circuit hazardr. These synthesis results show that our circuits are on average approximately 25% faster with an area penalty of only IS%. This work demonstrates that direct synthesis of gate-level speed-independent circuits is not only feasible, but also produces robust and relatively efJrcient circuits compared to those synthesized with timing constraints.
Electric contact materials and their erosion in automotive DC relays

Proper contact material selection is critical for reliable performance of automotive relays. Three types of contact material were compared in a 20-A relay, which were switching lamp, motor, and resistor loads. The three contact materials chosen have different material strengthening mechanisms so that their effects on the arc erosion process could be evaluated. They include: (a) a silver alloy (98Ag-2Cu), (b) a metal-oxide composite (Ag-SnO/sub 2/ with WO/sub 3/ additive), and (c) a metal-metal composite (Ag-20Ni). Contact resistance, welding, and DC transfer characteristics were compared in make-only, break-only, and normal make-and-break switching operations. The observed results were explained in terms of the arc erosion process and inherent material structures. All three types of contact material have their own pros and cons in automotive applications. >
A comparison of intensive care in the U.S.A. and France

Abstract 1260 emergency admissions to the intensive-care units (ICUs) of five U.S.A. and seven French tertiary-care hospitals were surveyed by means of a standard severity-of-illness classification system. The 586 patients admitted to French ICUs were significantly younger than the 674 U.S.A. patients, more had been transferred from another hospital, and they remained in the ICU twice as long. Although actual death rates, severity of illness, and the amount of treatment were extremely similar, fewer French than U.S.A. patients were admitted for observation and monitoring. Invasive monitoring was used less in French patients than in U.S.A. patients. The mortality predicted for French patients if they had been treated in the U.S.A. was similar to the observed mortality in the three most frequent indications for ICU admission (cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological organ-system failure) but was lower than the observed death rate for French gastrointestinal patients. These results suggest that future international studies within separate diagnostic groups would provide insights into the value of many services now commonly used in the treatment of acutely ill patients.
Onycholysis of the fingernails: Evaluation and management

Onycholysis (ONY) of the fingernails is a common disorder that is diagnosed with ease but often managed with great difficulty. The full spectrum of causes is broad and not always readily apparent. In this review, an approach to the evaluation and management of ONY is offered.
Epidemiology of Reflux Disease and Reflux Esophagitis

Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux is a common medical problem. But only few data exist on the epidemiology of reflux disease (without inflammation) and reflux esophagitis. The literature is criti...
Tellurium‐Free Thermoelectric: The Anisotropic n‐Type Semiconductor Bi2S3

Well-oriented crystals of n-type bulk Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} and Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3-x}Se{sub x} doped with BiCl{sub 3} show excellent anisotropic thermoelectric properties. BiCl{sub 3} doping in Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} leads to significant increase in the electrical conductivity, which results to a promising thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, of {approx}0.6 at 760 K. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
High temperature current–voltage characteristics of InP-based tunnel junctions

In this paper, we present temperature-dependent current–voltage measurements of tunnel junctions lattice matched to InP at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 220 °C. Temperature-dependent tunneling properties were extracted by fitting the current–voltage characteristics using a simple analytical formula. Three different designs of tunnel junction were characterized, including a bulk InAlGaAs tunnel junction, an InAlGaAs tunnel junction with InAlAs cladding layers and an InGaAs/InAlGaAs quantum-well tunnel junction. Each device exhibited different temperature dependence in peak tunnel current and excess current, with the quantum-well tunnel junction exhibiting the greatest temperature sensitivity. We use a non-local tunneling model, in conjunction with a numerical drift-diffusion solver, to explain the performance improvement available by using double heterostructure cladding layers around the junction region, and use the same model to explain the observed temperature dependence of the devices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distributed virtual environments

Putting the reality into virtual environments requires much more than outstanding 3D computer graphics and effective human computer interaction. To be "real", elements of the virtual environment must not only look realistic and provide natural interaction, they must move correctly, behave believably, and approximate the complexity of the real world. Individual computer systems cannot provide the necessary degree of complexity, scale, and fidelity, and probably never will. Achieving a representation of an environment that looks accurate and is accurate in its details requires multiple computer systems and distributed virtual environment (DVE) technology. The article provides an introduction to the major components of DVEs and the issues related to assembling large scale DVEs. DVE technology permits real time human interaction with complex environments based on 3D graphical descriptions that interact and move using models of real world physical constraints.
B7x/B7-H4 modulates the adaptive immune response and ameliorates renal injury in antibody-mediated nephritis.

Summary Kidney disease is one of the leading causes of death in patients with lupus and other autoimmune diseases affecting the kidney, and is associated with deposition of antibodies as well as infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages, which are responsible for initiation and/or exacerbation of inflammation and tissue injury. Current treatment options have relatively limited efficacy; therefore, novel targets need to be explored. The co-inhibitory molecule, B7x, a new member of the B7 family expressed pre- dominantly by non-lymphoid tissues, has been shown to inhibit the prolif- eration, activation and functional responses of CD4 and CD8 T cells. In this study, we found that B7x was expressed by intrinsic renal cells, and was up-regulated upon stimulation with inflammatory triggers. After passive administration of antibodies against glomerular antigens, B7x −/− mice devel- oped severe renal injury accompanied by a robust adaptive immune response and kidney up-regulation of inflammatory mediators, as well as local infil- tration of T cells and macrophages. Furthermore, macrophages in the spleen of B7x −/− mice were polarized to an inflammatory phenotype. Finally, treat- ment with B7x-immunoglobulin (Ig) in this nephritis model decreased kidney damage and reduced local inflammation. We propose that B7x can modulate kidney damage in autoimmune diseases including lupus nephritis and anti-glomerular basement membrane disease. Thus, B7x mimetics may be a novel therapeutic option for treatment of immune-mediated kidney disease.
‘Nobody wants to sound like a provinciano’: The recession of unstressed vowel devoicing in the Spanish of Cusco, Perú1

This study documents changes in the prevalence and evaluation of unstressed vowel devoicing, a salient characteristic of Andean Spanish, in the city of Cusco, Peru following an earthquake in 1950. This event brought city residents into contact with other dialects of Spanish that lack vowel devoicing and also intensified their exposure to the Quechua-accented Spanish of rural migrants, or provincianos, which is characterized by this pronunciation. Results of an attitude-perception study indicate that younger Cusquenans are aware of devoicing and identify it primarily with the speech of provincianos rather than the Spanish of their city. However, acoustic analysis of interviews conducted with Cusquenans and provincianos shows that, while the pronunciation is receding from Cusco Spanish, many city natives actually exhibit rates of devoicing similar to those of rural migrants. Cusquenans’ nearly exclusive association of devoicing with provincianos is attributed to local ideology, including negative attitudes toward rural Andean identity. La presente investigacion describe cambios en Ia incidencia y evaluacion del ensordecimiento de las vocales atonas, una peculiaridad notable del espanol andino en Cusco, Peru, durante las decadas posteriores al terremoto que devasto Ia ciudad en 1950. Debido a este acontecimiento, los cusquenos aumentaron su contacto con otros dialectos del espanol que no exhiben el ensordecimiento vocalico asi como con el espanol de los inmigrantes de zonas rurales, o provincianos, que se caracteriza por este fenomeno fonetico. Los resultados de un estudio de actitudes indican que los cusquenos jovenes son conscientes del ensordecimiento vocalico y lo identifican con el acento de los provincianos pero no lo relacionan con el habla de su propia ciudad. Sin embargo, segun el analisis acustico de las entrevistas realizadas a cusquenos y a provincianos, muchos residentes de Ia ciudad siguen empleando esta pronunciacion con basicamente Ia misma frecuencia que los provincianos. La asociacion del ensordecimiento vocalico con los provincianos, casi exclusiva por parte de los cusquenos jovenes, es atribuida a actitudes negativas hacia Ia identidad rural andina. [Spanish]
The ethnoecology of dengue fever.

Ethnoecology is the study of indigenous perceptions and linguistic categories which frame a bioculturally described environment. The ethnoecology model is extended to include the political history and community participation in dengue fever control activities among Dominicans living in the Villa Francisca neighborhood of Santo Domingo. The author uses an ethnoecological analysis to link indigenous ethnomedical and Western biomedical ideas of infectious disease causation and prevention. Findings are based upon data collected through a neighborhood household survey key respondent interviews and participant observation. Mala union an explanatory concept central to the failure of previous community-based interventions emerged from the local views of national political history. For Villa Franciscans lack of action to prevent dengue fever comes not from a lack of knowledge on disease transmission but from a sense of powerlessness. Gender roles community cooperation and perception of ones social and physical environment are significant determinants of water handling in this community.
Sensitivity and robust stability of some control systems containing a nonlinear plant

Sufficient conditions for insensitivity and robust stability of some frequently used control systems which contain a nonlinear plant and are not of a feedback type are presented. These conditions are derived from some results of the author (1991) on general input-output systems. They are stated in terms of the transmission operators that describe the blocks constituting the system. >
Throughput Optimization for Wireless LANs in the Presence of Packet Error Rate Constraints

In [1], we optimized single-user throughput by selecting the transmitted bit rate and payload size as a function of channel conditions. However, the approach did not consider a packet error rate (PER) constraint, and the payload size obtained could yield excessively high packet error rates. We propose and solve the optimization problem of maximizing throughput by varying the PHY layer data rate and the payload size subject to a packet error rate constraint. The resulting SNR thresholds for adapting the PHY data rate and the corresponding payload sizes are drastically different than those obtained without the PER constraint.
Ethics in managed care.

The high cost of medical care has created a crisis in access and quality of services for many in the United States and has led to rapid changes in the structure and financing of health services. Managed care and managed competition are terms and techniques that have been invented in an effort to get a handle on the escalating cost of care. As a percentage of the gross national product and in actual dollars, health care expenditures have risen significantly. In 1980, the national health expenditure represented 9.1% of the gross national product. By 1985, this had risen to 10.5% and by 1992, to 12.1%, or just over $800 billion. The rising costs of health care and other benefits have left little room for real growth in wages and salaries. According to data in a 1990 report, the average total compensation for full-time workers including wages, health care, pension benefits, and other contributions rose to $29,712 in 1989 from an inflation adjusted $28,117 in 1973. Only $273 of the $1595 gain went to wages and salaries, whereas $878 of the increase went to health insurance and $440 went to other forms of benefits. In 1973, group health benefits accounted for 2.3% of workers' total compensation; by 1989, that had risen to 5.1% of total compensation. 31 These pressures on corporation and household budgets of health bills have forced many of the changes that we are experiencing in the new market for health and mental health care. A broad consensus now exists among all payors, including the government and the private sector, that health care costs must be constrained and reined in.
Characterization of the mutS‐proximal region of the Salmonella typhimurium SPI‐1 identifies a group of pathogenicity island‐associated genes

The virulence properties of Salmonella enterica are largely encoded within a set of horizontally acquired gene blocks termed pathogenicity islands. One such pathogenicity island, SPI-1, located at centisome 63 of the Salmonella chromosome between the mutS and fhlA genes, encodes a type III protein secretion system and an iron uptake system. We have characterized the mutS-proximal border of this pathogenicity island and have identified two sets of genes, pigAB and pigCD. All four genes have homologs of unknown function in several bacteria that share the ability to establish an intimate association with higher eukaryotic hosts. The expression of at least two of these genes, pigA and pigB, is controlled by SprA, a transcription factor encoded within SPI-1 that controls the expression of genes associated with the type III secretion system of this island. In addition, we found that homologs of the pig genes are also found at different locations of the S. enterica chromosome in association with segments of DNA that exhibit features of pathogenicity islands. The presence of several apparently functional copies of these genes argues for an important role in the biology of this bacterial pathogen. Furthermore, they constitute a valuable tool to identify potential pathogenicity islands.
Interaction of major intrinsic protein (aquaporin-0) with fiber connexins in lens development

We observed that chick lens-fiber gap-junction-forming proteins, connexin (Cx) 45.6 and Cx56, were associated with an unknown protein, which was then identified as major intrinsic protein (MIP), also known as aquaporin-0 (AQP0), the most abundant membrane protein in lens fibers. A 1063 bp cDNA of chick MIP(AQP0) was identified that encodes a 262 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 28.1 kDa. Dual immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy of sagittal and coronal sections of the lens tissues showed that MIP(AQP0) consistently localized with gap junction plaques formed by Cx45.6 and Cx56 during the early stages of embryonic chick lens development. Immunoprecipitation combined with immunoblotting analyses revealed that MIP(AQP0) was associated with Cx45.6 and Cx56 at these developmental stages. The specificity of this interaction was further confirmed with the silver staining of the protein components of immunoprecipitates. The pull-down analysis of lens lysates revealed that C-terminus of MIP(AQP0) probably interacted with these two fiber connexins. In late embryonic and adult lenses, however, uniform co-distribution of MIP(AQP0) and fiber connexins was largely disrupted, except for the area surrounding the actively differentiating bow regions, as was revealed by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation experiments. The interaction of MIP(AQP0) with lens fiber connexins in differentiating lens cells but not in mature lens fibers suggests a potential role for MIP(AQP0) in the facilitation of fiber connexins for the formation of gap junctions during lens development.
Growth and endocrine responses of lambs fed rumen-protected ornithine and arginine

Twenty Hampshire × Western wether lambs (initial body weight (BW) 29.9 ± 1.5 kg) were used in a 42-day study to evaluate growth and endocrine responses to rumen-protected ornithine or arginine. Treatments consisted of no supplemental amino acid (CON), or supplements that provided 0.42 g day−1 ornithine HCl per kg BW (ORN), 0.5 g day−1 arginine HCl per kg BW (L-ARG) or 0.75 g day−1 arginine HCl per kg BW (H-ARG). Amino acids were incorporated into a protective matrix containing ground corn, coconut oil and zein. Serum ornithine and urea N concentrations were increased (P 0.05) by treatment. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations were higher (P 0.05) by the consumption of rumen-protected ornithine or arginine compared with CON lambs despite increased STH and IGF-I concentrations. Average daily gain of L-ARG lambs was increased (P < 0.05) compared with H-ARG lambs, resulting in heavier (P < 0.05) BW on Day 42 and improved (P < 0.05) feed efficiency. These data provide further evidence that increasing post-ruminal supplies of arginine and ornithine may increase circulating STH and IGF-I concentrations in growing lambs. However, performance may not be improved by these amino acid-induced responses.
Digital pulse shape analysis for the capture-gated liquid scintillator BC-523A

The BC-523A detector is a boron-10-loaded liquid scintillation detector that is sensitive to not only fast neutrons and gamma rays, but also to thermal neutrons. This detector has recently attracted the attention of several researchers and has shown promise for neutron spectroscopy. Several efforts have been made to accurately characterize this detector for several neutron and gamma-ray energies. In this paper, we show, for the first time, that neutron capture pulses can be visually distinguished from neutron scattering pulses by using an offline digital pulse shape discrimination method based on charge integration. In addition, new Monte Carlo simulation and measurement results for time to capture are compared and reasonable agreement is achieved. This work has applications in fields such as nuclear safeguards, nuclear nonproliferation, and national security.
Broadband millimeter wave receiver with dual polarization

Receivers with broad frequency bandwidth and low noise provide improved sensitivity for millimeter wave remote sensing and astrophysical observations, because the signal is wideband gaussian noise. For the study of the water cycle and rapidly evolving phenomena, such as hurricanes, the soundings of temperature and humidity profiles of atmosphere are achieved around the resonant frequencies of 118 GHz (oxygen) and 183 GHz (water) correspondingly. We developed a single horn receiver front end that achieved these goals. This broadband single horn receiver is especially beneficial for large interferometric sounding instruments that can now be integrated with only a single array of receivers for both temperature and humidity sounding.
Amino acid sequence dependence of nanoscale deformation mechanisms in alpha-helical protein filaments

Alpha-helical protein filaments are the key constituent of biological materials such as cells, hair, hoof, and wool, where they assemble to form hierarchical filamentous structures. Here the focus is on the multiscale mechanical properties of this class of protein materials, where a systematic analysis is reported on the competition between protein rupture and interprotein sliding for different molecular geometries and variations in the amino acid sequence. Through this analysis, facilitated by simulations with a coarse-grained mesoscale model of alpha-helical protein domains, key molecular deformation mechanisms are identified in alpha-helical protein filaments. This study specifically focuses on elucidating the nanoscale mechanisms of strain accommodation under variation of structural and chemical parameters. The main finding is that interprotein sliding is a dominating mechanism that persists for a variety of geometries and realistic biologically occurring amino acid sequences.
Programming on Android: Best Practices for Security and Reliability

Summary form only given. This tutorial will cover both basic and advanced Android Dalvik programming concepts and how they can be implemented efficiently and securely within the Android permission model. In addition, we will present examples of Android code that is not well designed both in terms of security and power consumption and the potential implications of such code in the reliability of an Android device. We will conclude by presenting what are currently considered the best coding practices. Our goal is to assist both experience and novice mobile developers steer away from security and reliability pitfalls in their code while delivering efficient and robust applications.
4-Aminoquinolines active against Chloroquine-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum: Basis of Antiparasite Activity and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Analyses

Chloroquine (CQ) is a safe and economical 4-aminoquinoline (AQ) antimalarial. However, its value has been severely compromised by the increasing prevalence of CQ resistance. This study examined 108 AQs, including 68 newly synthesized compounds. Of these 108 AQs, 32 (30%) were active only against CQ-susceptible Plasmodium falciparum strains and 59 (55%) were active against both CQ-susceptible and CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains (50% inhibitory concentrations [IC50s], ≤25 nM). All AQs active against both CQ-susceptible and CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains shared four structural features: (i) an AQ ring without alkyl substitution, (ii) a halogen at position 7 (Cl, Br, or I but not F), (iii) a protonatable nitrogen at position 1, and (iv) a second protonatable nitrogen at the end of the side chain distal from the point of attachment to the AQ ring via the nitrogen at position 4. For activity against CQ-resistant parasites, side chain lengths of ≤3 or ≥10 carbons were necessary but not sufficient; they were identified as essential factors by visual comparison of 2-dimensional (2-D) structures in relation to the antiparasite activities of the AQs and were confirmed by computer-based 3-D comparisons and differential contour plots of activity against P. falciparum. The advantage of the method reported here (refinement of quantitative structure-activity relationship [QSAR] descriptors by random assignment of compounds to multiple training and test sets) is that it retains QSAR descriptors according to their abilities to predict the activities of unknown test compounds rather than according to how well they fit the activities of the compounds in the training sets.
Prizma switch technology

Advances in packet-switching technology have enabled the rapid growth of the Internet and will be crucial for its continued expansion in the future. For almost ten years, the Prizma switch architecture has been a main component of IBM network technology, and today it is a cornerstone of the IBM Microelectronics Division's engagement with leading network product providers. In this paper we review the evolution of the Prizma architecture over the last decade and discuss the PowerPRSTM range of switch-chip products that are based on the Prizma architecture.
Evaluation Endpoints and Climate Policy: Atmospheric Stabilization, Benefit-Cost Analysis, and Near-Term Greenhouse-Gas Emissions

The Framework Convention on Climate Change calls for stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In contrast, many economists espouse the goal of minimizing the present value of abatement costs and damages. The choice between evaluation endpoints – least-cost stabilization and maximization of benefits less costs – involves a tradeoff between accuracy and relevance. Atmospheric concentrations associated with candidate abatement policies can be more accurately predicted, for any level of confidence, than can the monetary values of climate damages associated with those policies. The monetary value of damages is more relevant to the question of what resources should be devoted to abatement, however, because atmospheric concentrations are of little interest except as they influence climate and its impacts on economic activities, ecosystems, and other elements of human concern. As demonstrated using both analytic and numerical models, the choice between endpoints is not solely a matter of analytic convenience but has substantive implications when comparing near-term abatement policies. For the next few decades, maximization of benefits less costs is likely to require greater abatement than will cost-effective stabilization of atmospheric concentrations.
A Likelihood-Based Background Model for Real Time Processing of Color Filter Array Videos

One of the first tasks executed by a vision system made of fixed cameras is the background (BG) subtraction and a particularly challenging context for real time applications is the athletic one because of illumination changes, moving objects and cluttered scenes. The aim of this work is to extract a BG model based on statistical likelihood able to process color filter array (CFA) images taking into account the intrinsic variance of each gray level of the sensor, named Likelihood Bayer Background (LBB). The BG model should be not so computationally complex while highly responsive to extract a robust foreground. Moreover, the mathematical operations used in the formulation should be parallelizable, working on image patches, and computationally efficient, exploiting the dynamics of a pixel within its integer range. Both simulations and experiments on real video sequences demonstrate that this BG model approach shows great performances and robustness during the real time processing of scenes extracted from a soccer match.
Experimental and computational study of alkane dehydrogenation catalyzed by a carbazolide-based rhodium PNP pincer complex

A rhodium complex based on the bis-phosphine carbazolide pincer ligand was investigated in the context of alkane dehydrogenation and in comparison with its iridium analogue. (carb-PNP)RhH2 was found to catalyze cyclooctane/t-butylethylene (COA/TBE) transfer dehydrogenation with a turnover frequency up to 10 min−1 and turnover numbers up to 340, in marked contrast with the inactive Ir analogue. TONs were limited by catalyst decomposition. Through a combination of mechanistic, experimental and computational (DFT) studies the difference between the Rh and Ir analogues was found to be attributable to the much greater accessibility of the 14-electron (carb-PNP)M(I) fragment in the case of Rh. In contrast, Ir is more strongly biased toward the M(III) oxidation state. Thus (carb-PNP)RhH2 but not (carb-PNP)IrH2 can be dehydrogenated by sacrificial hydrogen acceptors, particularly TBE. The rate-limiting segment of the (carb-PNP)Rh-catalyzed COA/TBE transfer dehydrogenation cycle is found to be the dehydrogenation of COA. Within this segment, the rate-determining step is calculated to be (carb-PNP)Rh(cyclooctyl)(H) undergoing formation of a β-H agostic intermediate, while the reverse step (loss of a β-H agostic interaction) is rate-limiting for hydrogenation of the acceptors TBE and ethylene. Such a step has not previously been proposed as rate-limiting in the context of alkane dehydrogenation, nor, to our knowledge, has the reverse step been proposed as rate-limiting for olefin hydrogenation.
Propeller-induced flow effects on wings of varying aspect ratio at low reynolds numbers

Wind tunnel measurements of rectangular flat-plate wings of varying aspect ratios (A = 2, 3, and 4) under different propeller-induced flow conditions were taken at Reynolds numbers from 60,000 to 90,000. The GWS 5×4.3 and GWS 3×3 propellers were used in both the tractor and pusher configurations at various advance ratios. In the tractor configuration, all wings tested showed a reduction in the wing lift curve slope for propellers rotating close to or in the windmill-brake state. As propeller rotation rate increased (decreasing advance ratio), the wing lift curve slope was observed to increase. Negligible variation in lift curve slope was found, however, for the propeller in the pusher configuration. In addition, all wings tested exhibited significant stall delay and increased maximum lift characteristics due to propeller-induced flow effects. The degree of stall delay and maximum lift increase was found to be related to the propeller advance ratio and the propeller diameter-to-wingspan ratio. Most notably, flat-plate wings with an aspect ratio of 2 (high propeller diameter-towingspan ratio) with the propeller in both tractor and pusher configurations showed the largest stall delay and maximum lift increase (>40%) at the lowest advance ratios tested. As aspect ratio increased (larger propeller diameter-to-wingspan ratio), the degree of stall delay and maximum lift increase reduced. Also, propellers in the pusher configuration were found to have larger stall delay and maximum lift effects for wings of higher aspect ratio. The results found from these tests underscore the importance of accounting for propeller-wing interaction effects in the design of small-scale UAVs.
Age and fatal work-related falls

In the work environment, an increased risk of fatal injury from falls is seen at ages not normally considered to be old. This study examined fatality data from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health death certificate database and from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigations to analyze the relationship of age to fatal work-related falls. For 1980 to 1986, death certificates reported 43,505 fatal work injuries in men, 4,179 of which were from falls. Fatality rates from falls showed an increase for older workers beginning with the age group of 45-54, whereas fatal injury rates for other work-related causes did not increase until the age group of 55-64. OSHA investigations of 996 fatal work-related falls in 1984-1986 reported that falls from ladders accounted for 20% of fatal falls in workers aged 55 and over, significantly more than the average of 9% of all falls for workers of all ages. OSHA data also showed that fatal falls among older workers were associated with lower energy of impact, which means that the height of fatal falls tends to decrease with increasing age.
Determination of 27 Kinds of Pesticide Residues in Food by LC/MS

[Objective]To establish the method for simultaneous determination of 27 kinds of pesticide residues by solid-phase extraction-LC/MS.[Methods]This method adopted acidic acetonitrile homogenate extraction.After salting-out centrifugation,the sample was degreased and purified through C18 pillar,then detected through LC-ESI-MS/MS,MRM.Acidic acetonitrile(pH=5) was used as mobile phase and gradient elution,the multicomponent pesticide residues can be detected by LC/MS based on different detection request.[Results]The 27 kinds of pesticides all outflowed in 40 minutes.The linear rang of pesticide standard was 0.05~10.0 μg/ml and the correlation coefficient r was all above 0.99.The recoveries at high and low concentrations was between 80.2%~96.2%.The relative standard deviation was within 10% and the method of the lowest detection was 0.001~0.040 mg/kg(S/N=3). [Conclusion]This method is simple,rapid,sensitive and suitable for pesticide residue detection for organophosphoms,organochlorine,pyrethroid,carbamate,herbicide in food.And the method has better accuracy,high precision,can be used for simultaneous determination of 27 pesticides in food.
Toxicity of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate to thyroid of female rats

Objective To explore the toxicity of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP) to female rats.Methods A total of 24 Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into four groups,six rats in each group.The animals were exposed to DEHP at the doses of 50.0,158.2 and 500.0 mg/kg body weight per day respectively by gavage for four consecutive weeks.The general conditions and body weight of the rats were observed.At the end of the exposure,pathological change of the thyroid tissue was examined and T3,T4,TSH,GSH-Px,and MDA in blood or thyroid tissue were measured.Results In the thyroid,a reduction in the size of follicles and decrease in colloid density were seen in 500.0 mg/kg group.Compared with the control,T3 level significantly decreased in 500.0 mg/kg group,GSH-Px activity in the blood decreased dramatically in both 158.2 and 500.0 mg/kg groups,while in thyroid tissue,it decreased only in the highest dosage group.MDA level increased in both thyroid tissue and blood in the highest dosage group.Conclusion DEHP has toxic effects on thyroid in rats,the oxidative stress injuries may be one of the possible mechanism.