cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay Revisited

The progressive understanding and improvement of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), realized over the years through the considerable efforts of Dr. Marvin Vestal, have made possible numerous comparable efforts involving its application in the biological sciences. Here we revisit the concepts behind one such analytical approach, Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay, which is designed to selectively detect and quantify proteins present in biological milieu.
Pedigree diversity within the Lancaster surecrop heterotic group of maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) breeders commonly classify inbred lines into heterotic groups based on pedigree information and/or combining ability. These heterotic groups influence how germplasm is used, and have increased the efficiency of breeding programs. The most widely recognized and exploited heterotic pattern in the U.S. Corn Belt is that of Reid Yellow Dent by Lancaster Surecrop. Pedigree information was used to examine the diversity present in 37 publicly developed inbreds of the Lancaster Surecrop heterotic group, and to investigate the evolution to its present state. All of the Lancaster Surecrop germplasm in the publicly developed inbreds included in the modern Lancaster Surecrop heterotic group was derived from two inbreds, Oh40B and C103. Furthermore, the amount of true Lancaster Surecrop germplasm is 50% or less in 36 of these inbreds, with >20 non-Lancaster Surecrop sources contributing germplasm to this heterotic group. The Lancaster Surecrop heterotic group has been modified considerably, with a reduction in Lancaster Surecrop germplasm and an increase in non-Lancaster Surecrop germplasm including Reid Yellow Dent. Contribution from the Wisconsin Agric. Exp. Stn. Research supported by the College of Agric. and Life Sciences, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison.
IMAGE SMOOTHING WITH EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Noise reduction in images, also known as image smoothing, is an essential and first step before further processings of the image. The key to image smoothing is to preserve important features while removing noise from the image. Gaussian function is widely used in image smoothing. Recently it has been reported that exponential functions (value of the exponent is not equal to 2) perform substantially better than Gaussian functions in modeling and preserving image features. In this paper we propose a family of exponential functions, that include Gaussian when the value of the exponent is 2, for image smoothing. We experiment with a variety of images, artificial and real, and demonstrate that optimal results are obtained when the value of the exponent is within a certain range.
Microenvironmental Measurements for the Dioryctria amatella-zimmermani Complex in Shortleaf Pine. 1. Insect Introduction, Temperature, Humidity, and Vapor Pressure Deficit

The microenvironment of 2nd-year cones of shortleaf pine, Pinus echinata Mill., damaged by Dioryctria spp. (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) was investigated. The influences of temperature, humidity, and vapor pressure deficit as mediated by the insect habitat were considered. The microenvironment of the cone habitat changes progressively from the onset of attack by the insect. The most extreme environmental conditions for developing Dioryctria larvae were in brown cones where the highest temperature and evaporation stress was observed. Environmental conditions in the tree crown gave little indication of the microenvironment in which the insect was actually living. Each Dioryctria larva was found to be capable of destroying more than 1 shortleaf pine 2nd-year cone. The spider predator Mimetus puritans and several insect parasites substantially reduce the number of Dioryctria larvae within shortleaf pine.
Processing of YSZ thin films on dense and porous substrates

Abstract Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films with a Zr/Y molar ratio of 0.84:0.16 were synthesized on both dense Si substrates and porous Ni–YSZ anodes using the spin coating technique. Two polymeric precursors were used to process the YSZ films on the Si substrates. The first one utilized a commercial precursor, with butanol added as the diluting solvent. By controlling the content of butanol in the solution, dense and crack-free YSZ films with thickness of 500 nm were obtained after 8 coating runs with a final anneal of 700 °C for 4 h. X-ray diffraction was used to monitor the crystallization process in the films during annealing, which indicated that the YSZ films started to crystallize at 300–400 °C and became fully crystalline with a cubic structure at temperature ≥ 600 °C. In the second case, a new YSZ polymeric precursor was prepared and used for coating. It was found that the viscosity of the precursor solution is critical in controlling the film quality. Relatively thick, dense YSZ films were also synthesized on porous Ni–YSZ anode substrates using a combined colloidal–polymer method.
Homocyst(e)ine: an important risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Homocysteine is an intermediate compound formed during metabolism of methionine. The results of many recent studies have indicated that elevated plasma levels of homocyst(e)ine are associated with increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and thrombosis. The plasma level of homocyst(e)ine is dependent on genetically regulated levels of essential enzymes and the intake of folic acid, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Impaired renal function, increased age, and pharmacologic agents (e.g. nitrous oxide, methotrexate) can contribute to increased levels of homocyst(e)ine. Plausible mechanisms by which homocyst(e)ine might contribute to atherogenesis include promotion of platelet activation and enhanced coagulability, increased smooth muscle cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, induction of endothelial dysfunction, and stimulation of LDL oxidation. Levels of homocysteine can be reduced with pharmacologic doses of folic acid, pyridoxine, vitamin B12, or betaine, but further research is required to determine the efficacy of this intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Rod photoreceptors detect rapid flicker

It is widely believed that human rods cannot detect rapid flicker. With rod-isolation techniques, however, light-adapted rods detect flicker frequencies as high as 28 hertz, and the function relating rod critical flicker frequency to stimulus intensity contains two distinct branches. Human rod vision may, therefore, depend on two independent mechanisms.
Is prophylaxis required for delivery in women with factor VII deficiency

Factor VII (fVII) deficiency is a rare congenital bleeding disorder in which fVII activity level and bleeding tendency do not completely correlate. Pregnancy and delivery present a significant haemostatic challenge to women with fVII deficiency. Treatment with recombinant factor VIIa (rfVIIa) carries a thrombotic risk and the literature is not clear whether prophylaxis is necessary prior to delivery. The aim of this study was to define management, haemorrhagic and thrombotic complications of pregnant women with fVII deficiency through a systematic review. Medical databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched using "factor VII deficiency" and "pregnancy" or "surgery." Overall 34 articles, four abstracts, and three institutional cases were reviewed. Literature from 1953 to 2011 reported 94 live births from 62 women with fVII deficiency. The median fVII activity was 5.5%. Haemostatic prophylaxis was used in 32% of deliveries. Without prophylaxis, 40 vaginal deliveries and 16 caesarean sections were completed. The odds of receiving prophylaxis were 2.9 times higher in women undergoing caesarean section compared to vaginal delivery. Post-partum haemorrhage occurred in 10% of deliveries with prophylaxis and 13% of deliveries without prophylaxis. The fVII level did not significantly differ between women who did and did not receive prophylaxis. We present the only systematic review of the management of pregnancy in fVII deficient women. No difference in post-partum haemorrhage was seen in deliveries with and without prophylaxis. Therefore, we recommend that rfVIIa be available in the case of haemorrhage or surgical intervention, but not as mandatory prophylaxis.
Reduction en masse in a 7-year-old boy: an interesting case

Reduction en masse is a complication of inguinal hernia reduction in which a hernia is reduced back into the peritoneal cavity, but a loop of bowel remains trapped inside the hernia sac after reduction. Reduction en masse can be difficult to diagnose because of generalized and nonspecific symptoms. We describe a 7-year-old boy with an atypical presentation of reduction en masse after hernia reduction. The patient was a previously healthy child who presented with a mildly painful right inguinal mass of 1 day duration. An incarcerated hernia was noted, and after reduction, the pain dissipated for a short period, only to return with pain in the right lower quadrant and generalized peritoneal irritation. At surgical exploration, a reduction en masse was definitively diagnosed, and the incarcerated bowel was released from the hernia sac.
Estimation of fault-scarp ages from a scarp-height slope-angle relationship

The age of fault scarps in unconsolidated deposits is commonly estimated by several criteria such as the extent of dissection, amount of rounding of the crest of the scarp, and the slope of the face of the scarp. To provide a more quantitative basis for evaluating the ages of fault scarps in western Utah, we have measured numerous profiles across late Quaternary fault scarps and studied the relationship between scarp height, slope angle, and age. Well-defined curves delineated by the data suggest that for a given age, (1) the slope angle of the scarp is proportional to the logarithm of the scarp height and (2) the slope angle decreases with estimated age for scarps of a given height. Owing to the lack of well-determined ages for the scarps studied, age assignments are only approximate; the available information provides a means of ranking scarps according to relative geomorphic age within a general age framework for scarps between several thousand and several hundred thousand years old.
Improved Parallel and Sequential Walking Tree Methods for Biological String Alignments

Approximate string matching is commonly used to align genetic sequences (DNA or RNA) to determine their shared characteristics. Most genetic string matching methods are based on the edit-distance model, which does not provide alignments for inversions and translocations. Recently, a heuristic called the Walking Tree Method [2, 3] has been developed to solve this problem. Unlike other heuristics, it can handle more than one level of inversion, i.e., inversions within inversions. Furthermore, it tends to capture the matched strings' genes while other heuristics fail. There are two versions of the original walking tree heuristics: the score version gives only the alignment score, the alignment version gives both the score and the alignment mapping between the strings. The score version runs in quadratic time and uses linear space while the alignment version uses an extra log factor for time and space. In this paper, we will briefly describe the walking tree method and the original sequential and parallel algorithms. We will explain why different parallel algorithms are needed for a network of workstations rather than the original algorithm which worked well on a symmetric multi-processor. Our improved parallel method also led to a quadratic time sequential algorithm that uses less space. We give an example of our parallel method. We describe several experiments that show speedup linear in the number of processors, but eventual drop off in speedup as the communication network saturates. For big enough strings, we found linear speedup for all processors we had available. These results suggest that our improved parallel method will scale up as both the size of the problem and the number of processors increase. We include two figures that use real biological data and show that the walking tree methods can find translocations and inversions in DNA sequences and also discover unknown genes.
New GPS technology improves fix success for large mammal collars in dense tropical forests

There have been few telemetry studies on large and medium-sized mammals from Neotropical lowland forests. This can partly be explained by the difficulty of tracking animals with radio-telemetry in these forests, often in remote areas with poor access due to limited transportation infrastructure. Researchers have been forced to follow their collared animals by aeroplane (Crawshaw 1995, Fragoso 1998, Rabinowitz & Nottingham 1986), but aerial telemetry is dangerous and involves difficult logistics and high costs. GPS (Global Positioning System) collars that allow the collection of data automatically at long intervals would be a good alternative. The effect of canopy cover on GPS fix success and location accuracy was of concern from the beginning and has been widely investigated in temperate forests (D'Eon 2003, Di Orio et al . 2003, Dussault et al . 1999, Moen et al . 1996, Rempel et al . 1995). All studies found a significant decrease in fix success and a large increase in location errors under forest canopy. Tropical lowland rain forests have a much denser canopy than temperate forests, and up to now the performance of GPS collars in tropical forest has been very poor. Rumiz & Venegas (2006) showed that while GPS collars worked in the dry forest of the Bolivian Chaco, they only obtained a successful fix in 1–3% of all attempts in the lowland forest of the Madidi National Park, Bolivia.
Fractional Order Universal Adaptive Stabilizer for Fractional Order Systems

In this paper, the fractional order universal adaptive stabilization of fractional order SISO system is discussed. The fractional universal adaptive stabilizer is u(t) = −k(t)sgn {CB}y(t), where 0Dtβk(t) = ‖y(t)‖p , which guarantees the asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point of fractional order state space system with finite control effort. Moreover, the fractional order system with order α ∊ (0 , 1 /(1 +p)) can be stabilized by the fractional controller but not for the integer order controller. Simulation results are provided as the proof of concepts.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
An Offline Evaluation of the Autoregressive Spectrum for Electrocorticography

Electrical signals acquired from the cortical surface, or electrocorticography (ECoG), exhibit high spatial and temporal resolution and are valuable for mapping brain activity, detecting irregularities, and controlling a brain-computer interface. As with scalp-recorded EEG, much of the identified information content in ECoG is manifested as amplitude modulations of specific frequency bands. Autoregressive (AR) spectral estimation has proven successful for modeling the well-defined and comparatively limited EEG spectrum. However, because the ECoG spectrum is significantly more extensive with yet undefined dynamics, it cannot be assumed that the ECoG spectrum can be accurately estimated using the same AR model parameters that are valid for analogous EEG studies. This study provides an offline evaluation of AR modeling of ECoG signals for detecting tongue movements. The resulting model parameters can serve as a reference for related AR spectral analysis of ECoG signals.
Life on the Rebound: Resilience Science, Extreme Events, and Coastal Resilience

Life on the Rebound: Resilience Science, Extreme Events, and Coastal Resilience There is a fundamental tension between resilient ecosystems, shaped by extreme events, and humans need for sustainable resources in a changing world. This tension is best understood through ecological science, but best resolved through multi‐disciplinary efforts.
Cytokine involvement in immunomodulatory activity affected by Candida albicans mannan.

Candida albicans mannoprotein (MAN) administered intravenously to mice stimulates the production of splenic CD8+ effector cells which downregulate delayed hypersensitivity (DH) in immunized mice. Cytokine involvement in the induction and/or elicitation of downregulation was studied by (i) examining murine splenocytes qualitatively for mRNA for interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p40, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), (ii) quantitating splenocyte mRNA for IL-12p40 by quantitative-competitive reverse transcriptase-mediated PCR, and (iii) measuring serum levels of IL-12p40 and IL-12p70 by capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, each performed at selected intervals over 96 h after giving MAN. Further, the effect of in vivo administration of anti-IL-4 on the induction and elicitation of MAN-specific DH in MAN-treated mice was measured. Expression of IL-12p40 mRNA in the spleen was reduced to near 0 during the first 24 h but rebounded thereafter. Transcripts for IL-10 were present throughout the 96-h period, whereas those for IL-4 and IFN-γ were either weak or undetectable prior to 24 to 48 h. In vivo administration of anti-IL-4 partially abrogated the downregulatory effect of MAN only when given at the time of MAN administration. Serum levels of IL-12p40, but not IL-12p70, were increased by 24 h and maximal at 48 h. The antagonistic effect of IL-12p40 could contribute to the mechanism(s) for downregulation of DH. Moreover, IL-10, IL-4, and/or IFN-γ, interacting with MAN-activated cells in the absence of biologically active IL-12, may induce the production of CD8+ downregulatory effector cells. Partial abrogation of downregulatory activity in animals treated with anti-IL-4 at the time of induction of such activity lends support to this hypothesis.
Feeder Space for Brooding Bobwhite Quail

Abstract Four experiments were conducted to determine the effects of various floor space allocations for quail brooded in litter-floor pens from hatch to five weeks of age. Pens contained 7.432 m2 floor space had a concrete floor with peanut hull litter and a 2-bulb infra-red brooder. Floor space allocations were 929, 464, 232, and 116 cm2 per bird in Experiments 1 and 2; 372, 232, 169, and 133 cm2 per bird in Experiment 3; and 372, 232, and 169 cm2 per bird in Experiment 4. Significant differences in five week body weights were found among birds from various space allocations in Experiments 1 and 2 but not in Experiments 3 and 4. These differences, however, were not consistent between experiments. Mortality was increased by the low space treatments (232 cm2 or less). Higher space allocations tended to result in lower feed consumption and better feed conversion, but the effect was statistically significant in only one case. A space allocation of 372 cm2 or more per bird is recommended.
Introduction of zinc-salt fixation for effective detection of immune cell related markers by immunohistochemistry

Tissue localization of immune cells is critical to the study of disease processes in mouse models of human diseases. However, immunohistochemistry (IHC) for immune cell phenotyping in mouse tissue sections presents specific technical challenges. For example, CD4 and CD8 have been difficult to detect using IHC on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded mouse tissue, prompting alternative methods. We investigated the use of formalin-free zinc-salt fixation (ZN) and optimized IHC protocols for detecting a panel of immune cell-related markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, B220, F4/80, CD68, and major histocompatibility complex [MHC] class-I, MHC class-II, and Gr-1). The IHC results for these markers were compared on mouse spleen tissue treated with neutral buffered formalin (NBF) or ZN with or ZN without antigen retrieval (AR). Whereas CD4 and CD8 were not detected in NBF-treated tissue, all markers were detected in ZN-treated tissue without AR. Thus, the use of ZN treatment for IHC staining can be a good tool for studying immunoreactive lesions in tissues.
Ordered arrays of self-assembled lipid tubules: fabrication and applications

Self-assembled lipid tubules with crystalline bilayer walls are supramolecular architectures that are attractive for a number of applications including drug releases, chemical sensors, nanofluidics, nanoreactors, and microelectronics. The ability to fabricate lipid tubules into ordered arrays on substrates is an important step in integrating them with functional devices. The ordered arrays of aligned lipid tubules may also lead to new applications in materials science. This feature article reviews recent developments in fabricating lipid tubules into ordered arrays on a variety of substrates. We also discuss the applications of ordered tubule arrays as templates in the synthesis of aligned and patterned silica cylinders and liquid-crystal fibers.
A realization of the particle-hole conjugation operator in the shell model

Abstract A quasi-spin representation of the particle-hole conjugation operator in one j -shell is given. Extension to the case of protons and neutrons allows a similar representation for the conjugation between a proton and a neutron hole. This is useful in the discussion of a symmetry property of systems self-conjugate under this conjugation.
Retrieval algorithms for the EOS Microwave limb sounder (MLS)

The retrieval algorithms for the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aura spacecraft, launched on July 15, 2004, are described. These algorithms are used to produce estimates of geophysical parameters such as vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and composition ("Level 2" data) from the calibrated MLS observations of microwave limb radiance ("Level 1" data). The MLS algorithms are based on the standard optimal estimation approach, a weighted nonlinear least squares optimization with a priori constraints. New aspects include adaptation to a two-dimensional system, and an approach to the issues of retrieval "phasing" and error propagation that differs from that taken for previous similar instruments. Important new aspects of the software that implements these algorithms are also described, along with the algorithm configuration for the "version 1.5" dataset. Some examples are shown from MLS in-orbit observations.
Damping rate measurements in the SLC damping rings

The transverse damping rates of the SLC electron and positron damping rings have been measured during the high current physics run at, I=3.5/spl times/10/sup 10/ particles per bunch. The measurements, done over a period of two months, show large fluctuations exceeding the statistical uncertainty of each measurement. The longitudinal damping rate of the positron damping was also measured.
Targeting vascular endothelial growth factor in angina therapy

Despite tremendous success of growth factor therapy in animal models, clinical trials have demonstrated minimal success. Vascular endothelial growth factors are perhaps the most potent inducers of angiogenesis in these animal models. This review outlines the biology of vascular endothelial growth factors in the context of myocardial angiogenesis with an emphasis on its effects on the endothelium. It also provides an overview of delivery strategies and summarises the preclinical and clinical evidence relating to exogenous growth factor delivery for myocardial angiogenesis with an emphasis on the key future challenges.
Parametric and Semiparametric Model‐Based Estimates of the Finite Population Mean for Two‐Stage Cluster Samples with Item Nonresponse

Summary. This article concerns item nonresponse adjustment for two-stage cluster samples. Specifically, we focus on two types of nonignorable nonresponse: nonresponse depending on covariates and underlying cluster characteristics, and depending on covariates and the missing outcome. In these circumstances, standard weighting and imputation adjustments are liable to be biased. To obtain consistent estimates, we extend the standard random-effects model by modeling these two types of missing data mechanism. We also propose semiparametric approaches based on fitting a spline on the propensity score, to weaken assumptions about the relationship between the outcome and covariates. These new methods are compared with existing approaches by simulation. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data are used to illustrate these approaches.
Implementation of a CIM system for semiconductor manufacturing at Rochester Institute of Technology

A computer-integrated-manufacturing (CIM) system which has been installed at the Rochester Institute of Technology to support a student-run integrated-circuit factory is described. The hardware and software selected are described. The capabilities of the system are discussed. The status of the project, long-term goals, and additional educational activities are outlined. >
Roles of Cell Division and Gene Transcription in the Methylation of CpG Islands

De novo methylation of CpG islands within the promoters of eukaryotic genes is often associated with their transcriptional repression, yet the methylation of CpG islands located downstream of promoters does not block transcription. We investigated the kinetics of mRNA induction, demethylation, and remethylation of the p16 promoter and second-exon CpG islands in T24 cells after 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) treatment to explore the relationship between CpG island methylation and gene transcription. The rates of remethylation of both CpG islands were associated with time but not with the rate of cell division, and remethylation of the p16 exon 2 CpG island occurred at a higher rate than that of the p16 promoter. We also examined the relationship between the remethylation of coding sequence CpG islands and gene transcription. The kinetics of remethylation of the p16 exon 2, PAX-6 exon 5, c-ABL exon 11, and MYF-3 exon 3 loci were examined following 5-Aza-CdR treatment because these genes contain exonic CpG islands which are hypermethylated in T24 cells. Remethylation occurred most rapidly in the p16, PAX-6, and c-ABL genes, shown to be transcribed prior to drug treatment. These regions also exhibited higher levels of remethylation in single-cell clones and subclones derived from 5-Aza-CdR-treated T24 cells. Our data suggest that de novo methylation is not restricted to the S phase of the cell cycle and that transcription through CpG islands does not inhibit their remethylation.
Rothstein Roundtable Podcast-"Putting All of Our Eggs in One Basket: Human Movement System"

In 2013, APTA's House of Delegates adopted APTA's Vision Statement for the Physical Therapy Profession: “ Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience .” One of the Guiding Principles to Achieve the Vision is that “the physical …
Growth, reproduction and longevity in the hermaphroditic freshwater snail Helisoma trivolvis

Life-history evolution often results in trade-offs between reproduction, growth and longevity. We investigated the relationships among these traits in a hermaphroditic freshwater snail, Helisoma trivolvis, by manipulating opportunities for reproduction and measuring body size and egg production throughout the lifespan. Snails were placed in one of four treatment groups: snails isolated for their entire lives, snails housed with a partner for 1 week at 18 weeks, snails housed with a partner for 1 week at 26 weeks and snails afforded 1 week of mating opportunities six times between 18 and 97 weeks. We monitored egg production and shell diameter regularly throughout the experiment until all snails had died. Isolated snails laid almost no eggs, confirming a low level of self-fertilization in this species. For both groups of snails with only one mating opportunity, the average duration of egg production was 16.8 weeks. Snails in the multiply-mated group continued to lay about 1 egg mass per day with an average of 19–25 eggs per mass for 48 weeks and then egg production decreased. Although all of the snails grew consistently throughout the experiment, when snails were actively laying eggs their growth slowed relative to those no longer producing eggs. There were no significant differences in longevity among snails that were isolated and never mated, those that mated once (either early or later in life) and those that had multiple mating opportunities and continued to lay eggs throughout their lifetimes. These overall patterns of growth demonstrate that costs of reproduction may result in trade-offs in the short term, but not in the long term.
Soliton Propagation of Zero Sound in Superfluid He 3 - B

Nonlinear equations for zero sound interacting with the $B$-phase collective modes are derived by treating $^{3}\mathrm{He}$-$B$ as a medium of two-level "molecules" (Cooper pairs). The nonlinear equations reduce to known results from kinetic theory in the linear response limit. Soliton solutions to the nonlinear equations are discussed in context with the experiments of Polturak et al.
Plant Protection in the American Economy: The Front Line

“The front line” is an expression generally used in war. Our regulatory pest programs may readily be compared with wars, and the term “front line” would apply to our efforts in agricultural pest control. But, like many other words and phrases, this expression is taking on new meaning as time goes on.
2015 Presidential Address: Our Teaching Mission

The article presents a speech by Paul S. Adler at the Academy of Management's annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada on August 9, 2015. Topics of the speech include challenges and opportunities that management educators face, how Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations have caused management challenges, and how sustainable development challenges impact management education. He also mentions the changing institutional field of business schools and universities and greater accountability.
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DECTION BASED ON REDUCED MODAL STRAIN ENERGY AND FREQUENCY

In the process of structural damage detection,the incompleteness of experiment mode shape is the main obstacle which hinders the efficiency of applying structural damage detection technique.A damage detection method is presented here which solved the qualitative and quantitative identification based on the reduced modal strain energy and frequency.The finite element model is reduced by Neumann series expansion.The reduced modal strain energy is defined,which is proved sensitive to damage.The variation rate of reduced modal strain energy is taken as the damage signature to identify the location of damage.With the probable damage locations determined,the eigenvalue perturbation method was employed to estimate the damage extent.The proposed method is demonstrated through the example of a simple steel beam.The results show the present method could give good damage detection results even if noise is present in test modal data.
Investigation on etiology of the first confirmed case with novel influenza A( H7N9) virus infection in Bozhou

Objective To understand the first human infeclious case with the H7N9 avian influenza virus and provide basis for preventing and controlling the avian influenza in Bozhou city. Methods We collected the 91 samples of chicken and environment from the live poultry markets,the live poultry breeding markets as well as the patients' homes which the patients had contacted with. Then we used RT- PCR method for detection of nucleic acid. Results A total of 91 samples were detected. The nucleic acids of subtype influenza virus of H5,H7,H9 and N9 proved positive whose rates were respectively 2. 2%( 2 /91),26. 4%( 24 /91),27. 5%( 25 /91),and 6. 6%( 6 /91). The rate of mixed infection of H7 and H9 was 15. 38 %( 14 /91). Conclusion The flu virus that might cause people to infect H7N9 can be derived from the live poultry markets. We suggest to clos the live poultry market temporarily,controll the source of infection,and cut off the route of transmission.
Kinetic superiority of intra- vs. extracellular pentose pathway flux: studies in porous adipocytes.

Considering how the cytosol is typically prepared, to wit, by cell disruption and ultracentrifugation, historically this compartment has been deemed unstructured and kinetically analogous to a solubilized system. By prudently permeabilizing rat adipocytes so that there is scant enzyme egress, intermediary metabolism can be explored intracellularly. Herein, cytoplasmic flux vs. a soluble reference system was compared. The three-enzyme oxidative portion of the pentose pathway was examined using [1-14C]glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P); both the steady-state velocities (nu o) and transient times (tau ss) were compared in each system. At low G-6-P levels (much less than km), nu o is dependent solely on the activity of the first enzyme, and tau ss is determined by the distal two enzymes. In our experiments, the need also arose to compare tau ss between preparations, wherein the enzyme concentrations were unequal. It is shown that tau ss.nu o/G-6-P serves as an index of kinetic efficiency. Over various dilutions, the kinetic value (nu o/G-6-P) for the porous cells ranged from 2.0 to 23.9 x 10(-6) l/min, with corresponding tau ss values of 18-1.0 min. The respective values for the solubilized enzyme system were from 4.9 to 42.2 x 10(-6) l/min and from 15.2 to 1.1 min. This abbreviated pathway occurring in porous cells was nearly twice as fast at reaching steady state than the corresponding solubilized system. We conclude that cytoplasmic flux is kinetically efficient and that metabolic studies conducted only under Vmax conditions and ignoring tau ss could overlook the cellular effects of hormones or pathological states.
Successive Interference Cancellation for Interception of the Forward Channel of Cellular CDMA Communications

We develop and evaluate receiver signal practising algorithms for the detection of signals transmitted via the forward link of a cell in a cellular system modeled after the IS-95 standard for direct-sequence spread-spectrum code-division multiple-access (CDMA) communications. Multiuser detectors on board airborne and terrestrial motile interceptors or monitors attempt the simultaneous detection, in a single receiver, of all communication signals transmitted by the base station of interest. Due to the detrimental effects of transmitter, receiver and channel nonlinearities, very fast multipath fading, shadowing, path loss, Doppler spread, additive white Gaussian noise, and intracell and intercell multiple-access interference, the user signals are de-orthogonalized. This leads to performance degradation in conventional receivers that is too severe, especially when the powers of some of the interfering users are dominant. In order to improve upon the performance of conventional matched filter receivers, this article focuses on the development and evaluation of fast and reliable successive interference canceling (SIC) algorithms. The techniques we have developed can be used to enable successful interception of CDMA signals; to relax the strict requirements on power control; and to improve the capacity of CDMA systems.
Writing for Publics, Designing for Platforms: Complexity and Fluency in Service of Accessibility

Background: Academic work continues to be dominated by the design schema of codex-based forms of scholarly communication, the academic monograph, journal, and research paper. Analysis: This article argues that the rise of the digital medium provides us with a chance to defamiliarize these traditional modes to develop more accessible publications through new uses of both digital and non-digital platforms. The appropriate integration of digital platforms in concert with physical displays and traditional texts is exemplified by work done on two exhibitions at the Bard Graduate Center. Conclusion and implications: Applying a sense of design acuity that thoughtfully develops engaging interactions across a number of different media platforms allows for the creative development of projects that integrate accessible knowledge production with intellectual rigour.
Design of a metamaterial slow wave structure for an O-type high power microwave generator

We describe a new O-type high power microwave oscillator that uses a metamaterial slow wave structure (MSWS) supporting waves with negative dispersion. The MSWS comprises periodically alternating, oppositely oriented split ring resonators (SRRs) connected to a metal tube where the distance between the rings is much less than a wavelength of the radiation generated. The SRRs provide negative permeability μ. The diameter of the metal tube is such that the generated oscillations are below cutoff for a regular waveguide with the same dimension, thus providing negative permittivity e. A tubular electron beam propagates coaxially through this structure. The interaction space is coupled with the outer coaxial channel through gaps between the SRRs. Radiation is extracted in an endfire manner at the end of the outer channel via a conical horn section. Using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, it was found that the electron beam in the interaction space forms a sequence of trapped electron bunches by the synchronou...
Conditioning of successive adaptive responses to the initial effects of drugs.

Data in the literature indicate that conditioned responses (CRs) generated by repeated pairing of conditional stimulus (CS) with administration of a neurotropic drug may resemble its unconditional effects or they may be opposite in direction; furthermore, the CRs may change as such pairings are continued. In explanation, it is hypothesized that as in conditioning of physiological reflexes, a CS repeatedly paired with administration of a neurotropic drug eventually comes to activate central“processing” events that are evoked by the“stimulus” properties of the drug,i.e., the effects of the drug at receptor sites inside or outside the pia mater which lie in the afferent arms of“reflex” neural circuits; or, the CS comes to activate central processing events that are evoked by centripetal feedback responses to the effects of the drug at receptor sites in the processing or efferent arms of reflex neural circuits. Depending on the receptor site action of the drug, the conditioned autonomic and/or neuromuscular responses that are observed may be in the same direction as, or opposite in direction to the unconditioned effects of the drug. With continued pairings of CS and drug, the unconditioned processing events evoked by the stimulus properties of the drug, and hence the CRs also, change in consequence of compensatory (sometimes“overshooting”) biochemical alterations proximal to the receptor site of action of the drug, induced by negative or positive neuronal feedback mechanisms. These concepts are utilized in a theory of opiate addiction and relapse.
Constitution Betrayed: The Endangerment of the American Democratic-Capitalist System

In numerous constitutional and non-constitutional cases, the early Roberts Court conservatives fully accepted and bolstered Democracy, Inc. With the conservative Neil Gorsuch having replaced the late Justice Scalia, the new Roberts Court is unlikely to change direction in any substantial way. Nevertheless, this chapter explains how the early Roberts Court’s neoliberal libertarian interpretation of the Constitution is problematic on multiple counts. In fact, with the Court’s support, our American constitutional democracy is now weaker than at any point since the mid-1930s. The election of Donald Trump as president is a symptom of Democracy, Inc. Most likely, without Democracy, Inc., and the Court’s approval of it, Trump would not be president. But the ascendancy of the thin-skinned and authoritarian Trump only increases the vulnerability of our Constitution. In this crisis, will the new Roberts Court abet in the potential demise of our democratic-capitalist system? This chapter critiques the early Roberts Court’s interpretation of the Constitution from three perspectives: the framing and originalism; social and political theory; and the practical effects of laissez faire in history.
The oral fungal mycobiome: characteristics and relation to periodontitis in a pilot study

The oral fungal microbiome (mycobiome) is not well characterized, particularly in relation to oral diseases such as periodontal disease. We aimed to describe and compare the oral mycobiome of subjects with and without periodontal disease. We characterized the oral mycobiome in 30 adult subjects (15 with periodontal disease, 15 with good oral health) by sequencing the taxonomically informative pan-fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene in DNA extracted from oral wash samples. We observed at least 81 genera and 154 fungal species across all samples. Candida and Aspergillus were the most frequently observed genera (isolated from 100% of participants), followed by Penicillium (97%), Schizophyllum (93%), Rhodotorula (90%), and Gibberella (83%). Candida and Aspergillus were also the most highly abundant genera in the samples (median relative abundance = 21% and 44%, respectively). Aspergillus niger was the most highly abundant species in the samples (median relative abundance = 44%). We did not observe significant differences in overall oral mycobiome diversity or composition between participants with periodontal disease and participants with good oral health, nor did we observe significant differences in phylum through species level taxon relative abundance or carriage between the two groups. Genus Candida, previously associated with periodontal disease in culture-based studies, had higher median relative abundance in participants with periodontal disease (33.2%) compared to participants with oral health (2.2%), though the difference was not significant (p = 0.52). Additionally, within the periodontal disease group, median relative abundance of Candida increased with increasing number of permanent teeth lost (1–2 teeth lost: 3.2%; 3–4 teeth lost: 16.6%; ≥5 teeth lost: 73.9%; p = 0.11), though sample size was small for this analysis. In this first study comprehensively characterizing the oral mycobiome of adults with periodontal disease or good oral health, we observed trends of higher Candida abundance in participants with periodontal disease, and participants with greater tooth loss. Small sample size may have limited the power to detect significant associations. Larger studies including subgingival samples may further establish the core oral mycobiome in health, and relate it to periodontal disease.
An Important Tool With No Instruction Manual: A Review of Gypsum Use in Agriculture

Abstract Land application of gypsum has been studied and utilized in agriculture and environmental remediation for many years. Most of the published literature has focused on gypsum application impacts on soil properties rather than crop yields. This literature review was conducted to (i) gather results from gypsum application studies relevant to crop grain yield, soil physical–chemical properties, and environmental impact; (ii) report different methods for determining gypsum application rates; (iii) suggest recommendations for future studies on land application of gypsum. Improvement in plant nitrogen use efficiency was rarely discussed as a potential mechanism for improving yield. Free Al activity has been demonstrated to be more correlated with plant yield responses to gypsum application than exchangeable Al or Al saturation. However, few authors reported Al speciation and Al activity. While gypsum is reported to improve soil chemical properties in most cases, these changes do not necessarily translate to increases in yield. Improvements in physical properties for nonsodic soils are not consistent. It is difficult to exactly determine the positive effects from gypsum application that are responsible for yield increases, since there are often many simultaneous physical and chemical changes occurring in the soil. Improvement in crop yield may be a result of an additive or synergistic effect of each of these potential changes. In addition, these potential changes, as varied as they are, appear to also vary with crop, soil type, and rainfall regime. Therefore, meta-analysis of gypsum experiments is highly recommended in order to improve gypsum recommendations across diverse environments.
Localized Diseases of the Bovine Brain and Spinal Cord

Localized lesions of the central nervous system do occur in cattle. Those affecting the cranial nerves and focal lesions of the spinal cord are most easily recognized by careful neurologic examination. Once the lesion has been anatomically localized, likely etiologic causes can be pursued. Probably the most common cause of cranial nerve deficits in cattle is listeriosis. Important differential diagnoses include brain and pituitary abscesses and extensions of ear infections. Other possible causes include PEM, TEME, hypovitaminosis A, and several rare, sporadic causes. In young cattle, spinal trauma and vertebral body abscesses are the most common causes of progressive paresis resulting from spinal cord lesions. Congenital abnormalities must be considered in the differential diagnoses for very young calves. Non-neurologic conditions, including fractures of the limbs and especially nutritional muscular dystrophy, must be ruled out. In older cattle, compressive neoplasms, most notably lymphosarcoma, are primarily responsible for progressive paresis. Differential diagnosis should include other neurologic conditions such as delayed organophosphate neurotoxicity; early progressive diffuse neurologic diseases such as rabies, pseudorabies, and botulism; plant toxicities; and non-neurologic conditions resulting in recumbency, such as hypocalcemia and musculoskeletal trauma.
Dynamic HARQ Optimization for Voice over LTE

Voice is a crucial communications service over mobile wireless networks. This paper presents an enhanced network architecture to support high fidelity rich voice services over full IP-based LTE packet network. A novel centralized Self-Organizing Network (SON) mechanism can dynamically improve Voice over LTE (VoLTE) coverage by utilizing instantaneous end-to-end latency measurement. The VoLTE downlink and uplink budgets, and various self-optimization means to enhance voice performance are presented. In particular, the coverage gain from Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ) is analyzed to show potential gain from increasing the number of HARQ retransmissions based on reduced real-time transport and core network latency. Field tests are conducted in a residential house at cell edge to demonstrate that the received signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio have increased by more than 2 dB from control channel power boosting and increased number of HARQ retransmissions. Network drop call and access performance are also improved by 20% and 25%, respectively. Commercial LTE networks have been optimized with those means to support adequate coverage for superior high-fidelity voice services.
The energy distribution of the electron beams in z-pinches with different load geometries

A wide variety of z-pinches are host to energetic electron beams whose energies and origins have yet to be sufficiently characterized. Knowing the electron energies and currents of these electron beams can give insight into the mechanism responsible for the acceleration of the electrons to such high energies. Measurements with a magnetic analyzer have been carried out to determine the energy distribution of electron beams on a variety of aluminum wire array z-pinch geometries at the Nevada Terawatt Facility at the University of Nevada, Reno. These measurements show that as the geometry of the wire array is changed so that the initial angle of inclination, or necking shape, is enhanced, there is an increase in electron beam activity and electron energies. Measurements such as these can be useful to benchmark spectroscopic techniques used to characterize these energetic beams and give insight into the mechanisms responsible for the generation of such energetic beams in z-pinch plasmas.
Ligand Noninnocence in Nickel Porphyrins: Nickel Isobacteriochlorin Formation under Hydrogen Evolution Conditions

An electron-deficient nickel porphyrin complex undergoes facile ring reduction to form a nickel isobacteriochlorin complex under hydrogen evolution conditions. Spectroscopic experiments indicate th...