cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Additive protection against lung ischemia-reperfusion injury by adenosine A2A receptor activation before procurement and during reperfusion

Objective Adenosine A 2A receptor activation during reperfusion improves lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this study we sought to determine whether pretreatment of rabbits with a potent and selective adenosine A 2A receptor agonist, ATL-313, before transplantation or whether adding ATL-313 to the preservation solution results in equivalent or additional protection compared with ATL-313 added during reperfusion. Methods An isolated, ventilated, ex vivo blood-perfused rabbit lung model was used. All groups underwent 2 hours of reperfusion after 18 hours of cold ischemia (4°C). ATL-313 was administered 1 hour before ischemia intravenously, with the preservation solution, and/or during reperfusion. Results Both pretreatment of donor animals with ATL-313 or adding ATL-313 just during reperfusion improved pulmonary function, but significantly greater improvement was observed when pretreatment and treatment during reperfusion were combined (all P Conclusions Adenosine A 2A receptor activation with ATL-313 results in the greatest protection against lung ischemia-reperfusion injury when given before ischemia and during reperfusion. Improved pulmonary function observed with adenosine A 2A receptor activation was correlated with decreased bronchoalveolar lavage tumor necrosis factor α and decreased lung myeloperoxidase. The loss of protection observed with the concurrent administration of the adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist, ZM 241385, supports that the mechanism of ATL-313 protection is specifically mediated via adenosine A 2A receptor activation.
Velocity and Temperature Measurements in a Low-Power Hydrazine Arcjet

Recent advances have been made in low-power (1 – 2 kW) arcjet performance with the aid of numerical, nonequilibrium plasma  ow models. Consequently, validation of these models through experimentation has become increasingly important. We discuss diagnostic probe techniques for measuring the exit plane  ow of a 1 kW class hydrazine thruster. A spatially resolved time-of- ight electrostatic probe method is described for measurements of radial pro les of the plasma axial velocity ui. These measurements are combined with previous quadruple probe measurements of Te and the ion speed ratio ui/cm to estimate the ion temperature Ti, resulting in Ti/Te ’ Tg/Te ; 0.4 at the thruster exit. The exit plane data for ui and Ti are compared with computational arcjet model predictions and previous experimental results, showing substantial agreement.
Calculation of recoil-order matrix elements for the beta decays of F 20 and Na 20 .

The matrix elements which affect the shapes of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ spectra and the $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ angular correlations are calculated for the $^{20}\mathrm{F}$-$^{20}\mathrm{Na}$ mirror Gamow-Teller decays to the 1634 keV level of $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$. The dominant effects are due to the weak-magnetism and the axial-vector tensor form factors. Matrix elements relevant to the $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ correlations for other $^{20}\mathrm{Na}$ decays are also evaluated, with similar conclusions.RADIOACTIVITY $^{20}\mathrm{F}$, $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$, $^{20}\mathrm{Na}$, calculated $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay form factors, $M1$, $E2$ matrix elements; predict $\ensuremath{\beta}$ spectrum shape, $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ angular correlations.
A semiquantitative model of spin-orbit coupling in doublet states and its application to the photoelectron spectra of diatomic halogens

An algorithm for a model of the spin-orbit coupling in doublet states of polyatomic molecules is presented. It is used to provide a complete and consistent interpretation of the photoelectron spectra of the diatomic halogens I$sub 2$, Br$sub 2$, ICl, and IBr. The success of the model in these systems and in some previously studied transition metal systems suggests that it may be of general utility to the experimentalist in the assignment and interpretation of the photoelectron spectra of molecules containing one or more heavy atoms.
Abstract 5542: Chronic TNF-α treatment augments malignant properties of HPV-immortalized oral keratinocytes

While acute inflammation is a part of the defense response, there have been emerging lines of evidence that suggest a strong link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infection is one of key factors in cervical cancer development, and possible link between HPV and oral carcinogenesis have been proposed. However, mechanisms by which HPV and chronic inflammation contribute to oral carcinogenesis have not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of chronic inflammation on malignant progression of HPV-associated oral carcinogenesis. We treated HPV-immortalized oral keratinocytes (HOK-16B) with a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α for 4 months and examined the effect of chronic TNF-α treatment on malignant behavior of HOK-16B. Chronic treatment of TNF-α resulted in reduction in differentiation potential, and induction in proliferation potential and in migration ability of the HPV-immortalized oral keratinocytes. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that a subset of genes was significantly downregulated in long-term TNF-α treated cells, and the genes that were involved in differentiation, tumor suppression, and cell-cell junction functions supported the three increased malignant phenotypes, respectively. Our results indicate that chronic inflammation promotes malignant behavior of HPV-immortalized oral keratinocytes, suggesting that chronic inflammation is an important co-carcinogenic factor for HPV-associated oral carcinogenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5542. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5542
Treatment of refractory depression.

Treatment of refractory depression is a common challenge for mental health professionals. To assure optimal treatment, the clinician should first determine that adequate dosage has been employed for an adequate duration. Next there are a variety of augmentation strategies or alternative antidepressants that could be considered. This report reviews the evidence supporting these strategies, describes their implementation, compares their effectiveness, and offers suggestions for approaching the array of treatments available. Depression and Anxiety 5:165–174, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electron spin relaxation of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of cytochrome c

Abstract The progressive power saturation of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of ferricytochrome c has been investigated in order to determine the spin-lattice relaxation time of the center. We have generalized the usual saturation treatments to include the effects of extended sample size and anisotropic g values as well as derivative spectra. We find that the results are consistent with a T 7 power law in the temperature range 6–25 K. At temperatures above 25 K the relaxation time is too short for successful power saturation. Observation of the linewidth shows that the relaxation behavior continues as a first-order Raman process to 50 K.
Study and realization of Dynamic Security Assessment system Graph-Data integration platform

Dynamic Security Assessment (DSA) is based on analysis of transient stability, voltage stability, small-signal stability, which gives evaluation on multi-contingency and preventive measures or optimization strategies. PSASP Dynamic Security Assessment (PDSA) Graph-Data integration platform is studied in this paper, which supports not only graph configuration, auto-consistent graph and data, drawing of geographical and single-line substation diagrams, but also online system monitor, offline analysis, visualization etc. Three run-states and two frameworks are summarized in the platform. Abundant two-dimensional and efficient three-dimensional visualization is also discussed. The platform of Graph-Data integration in this paper is used in Electric Power Dispatching Centre of State Grid and Guangdong province and so on.
Effect of Coil Temperature on Microstructure and Texture Evolution of an High Strength Nb-IF Steel Sheet

Effect of coil temperature on the texture and microstructure evolution during cold rolling and annealing were investigated by OM, ODF and EBSD. The results indicate that the {223} and {114} textures appeared after cold rolling are inherited followed by annealing, whose intensities would be higher as the coil temperature decreased. Lower coil temperature could improve the uniformity of grain size and increase the fraction of low-angel grain boundaries as well as coincidence site lattice boundaries. And the {111}//ND texture is improved in the lower coil temperature cold and annealing steel sheet, which is beneficial for the deep-drawability.
A14C-2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic investigation of sensory inputs to the optic tectum ofRana pipiens

1. Brains of intactRana pipiens frogs exposed to a visual stimulus adequate to release behavior that resembled components of preycatching showed heavy bilateral accumulation of14C-2-deoxyglucose (2DG) in the optic nerve and optic tract and in all known primary visual projection areas of the diencephalon and mesencephalon (Fig. 2). 2. Removal of visual input by optic nerve section caused a marked reduction in 2DG accumulation in all areas of the visual pathway. However, no effect on the deep cellular layers of the optic tectum was apparent until the VIII nerve was also bilaterally sectioned (Fig. 3). This result suggested a significant acoustic or vestibular effect on metabolic activity in these deep tectal layers. 3. Autoradiograms produced by14C-2DG had sufficient resolution to allow quantitative analysis of label in specific laminae of the optic tectum. Such analysis (Fig. 4 and Table 1) supported qualitative observations and showed that, while sensory input to the superficial neuropil and cell layer 6 is primarily visual, the activity of the deeper cell layers (layers 4 and 2) is also significantly influenced by acoustic or vestibular input. 4. The 2DG method allowed assessment of the response of populations of neurons and provided data complimentary to those available from single cell recording studies. Our evidence suggests that tectal cells whose cell bodies are in layers 4 and 2 receive both visual and vestibular inputs, and supports the notion that the deep tectal layers may serve as a multi-modal sensory integration area for orienting towards prey.
(E)-1-benzotriazolyl-3-(phenylsulphonyl)-1-propene and its alkylation reactions

(E)-1-Benzotriazolyl-3-(phenylsulphonyl)-1-propene (6) has been synthesized and its alkylation was studied. The results showed that the phenylsulphonyl group is a more powerful α-directing group than the benzotriazolyl group in the corresponding 1,3-dihetero-stabilized allyl anion.
Computer analysis of Frank lead electrocardiographic data recorded in an epidemiologic study.

Abstract This report describes results of computer analysis of Frank lead electrocardiographic data recorded during a population study. Computer and visual measurements were compared in records from the same subjects. The prevalence of several Frank lead findings and standard lead electrocardiographic criteria were compared in subjects without clinical evidence of cardiac disease, in subjects with a clinical history of myocardial infarction or other evidence of cardiovascular abnormality, and in an unclassified group. A multivariate statistical method was used to evaluate the capability of several sets of Frank lead variables to identify records from subjects with standard lead electrocardiographic abnormalities and to discriminate between normal subjects and those with cardiovascular abnormalities. Most, but not all, records from subjects with standard lead electrocardiographic abnormalities were identified with the use of Frank lead variables. A multivariate statistic using four points during the ST-T wave may be more effective than some standard lead ST-T findings in discriminating between normal subjects and those with cardiovascular abnormalities. Other Frank lead variables did not give better discrimination between these two groups than standard lead criteria. More subjects in the unclassified group had Frank lead findings outside normal limits than had abnormalities in the standard leads; further study will be necessary to determine whether this indicates that these Frank lead variables have higher sensitivity or lower specificity for cardiac disease.
Modified mapping-collocation method revisited

Abstract The Modified Mapping-Collocation (MMC) method is re-examined and improved. With this improvement, the MMC method permits the imposition not only of tractions, but also of displacement constraints and mixed boundary conditions. In order to demonstrate this capability of the method, the response of a finite geometry anisotropic laminate containing a hole with either two edge cracks or one edge crack is investigated under both uniform tractions and displacement constraints. A specially orthotropic laminate containing two holes with double edge cracks is also studied in order to illustrate the effects of crack tip interactions and the finite geometry. The simplicity, versatility, and generality of the present formulation is demonstrated by capturing the singular behavior of the elastic stress field ahead of an edge crack in an isotropic plate. The results obtained from the present analysis compare favorably with those provided by others.
A novel regulator of macrophage activation: miR-223 in obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation.

Background—Macrophage activation plays a crucial role in regulating adipose tissue inflammation and is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of obesity-associated cardiovascular diseases. On various types of stimuli, macrophages respond with either classic (M1) or alternative (M2) activation. M1- and M2-mediated signaling pathways and corresponding cytokine production profiles are not completely understood. The discovery of microRNAs provides a new opportunity to understand this complicated but crucial network for macrophage activation and adipose tissue function. Methods and Results—We have examined the activity of microRNA-223 (miR-223) and its role in controlling macrophage functions in adipose tissue inflammation and systemic insulin resistance. miR-223−/− mice on a high-fat diet exhibited an increased severity of systemic insulin resistance compared with wild-type mice that was accompanied by a marked increase in adipose tissue inflammation. The specific regulatory effects of miR-223 in myeloid cel...
AUTOMATED PROCEDURE FOR GENERATION OF CREEP COMPLIANCE MASTER CURVE FOR ASPHALT MIXTURES

For the design of asphaltic paving mixtures under heavy traffic loading, the Superpave system specifies use of performance-based mixture tests and prediction models to supplement volumetric mix design procedures. Central to the mechanics-based thermal cracking model used in Superpave is the prediction of thermally induced stresses based on a master curve and shift factor concept. The original version of Superpave had procedures for automated construction of the mixture creep compliance master curve from measured mixture properties. However, recent studies have indicated the need for several new modeling techniques, the development of which has resulted in the need for substantially more sophisticated procedures for automated construction of the master curve. This paper details the development of a computer program called MASTER, which automates master curve construction using built-in logic capabilities designed to handle the wide variety of measured responses encountered in practice. MASTER was found to ...
ON THE ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF RECURRENT NEURAL NETWORKS FOR OPTIMIZATION

Asymptotic properties of recurrent neural networks for optimization are analyzed. Specifically, asymptotic stability of recurrent neural networks with monotonically time-varying penalty parameters for optimization is proven; sufficient conditions of feasibility and optimality of solutions generated by the recurrent neural networks are characterized. Design methodology of the recurrent neural networks for solving optimization problems is discussed. Operating characteristics of the recurrent neural networks are also presented using illustrative examples.
A micropower programmable DSP using approximate signal processing based on distributed arithmetic

A recent trend in low-power design has been the employment of reduced precision processing methods for decreasing arithmetic activity and average power dissipation. Such designs can trade off power and arithmetic precision as system requirements change. This work explores the potential of distributed arithmetic (DA) computation structures for low-power precision-on-demand computation. We present an ultralow-power DSP which uses variable precision arithmetic, low-voltage circuits, and conditional clocks to implement a biomedical detection and classification algorithm using only 560 nW. Low energy consumption enables self-powered operation using ambient mechanical vibrations, converted to electric energy by a MEMS transducer and accompanying power electronics. The MEMS energy scavenging system is estimated to deliver 4.3 to 5.6 /spl mu/W of power to the DSP load.
The lipids in fossils

Abstract 1. 1. Lipid components such as fatty acid esters, cholesterol esters, free fatty acids and phospholipids (phosphatidyl ethanolamine and lecithin) were found in well-preserved fossil bones of Pleistocene age. 2. 2. Half the older specimens (to Paleozoic) contained fatty acids and two still retained phosphatidyl ethanolamine. 3. 3. A method for identification of the phosphorus from the phospholipid fraction by a new soft X-ray spectrometer is given. 4. 4. The presence of fatty acids in fossils is a function primarily of the conditions of preservation rather than age.
The neurite-promoting effect of fibroblast growth factor on PC12 cells

Treatment of PC12 cells with fibroblast growth factor(s) from either brain or pituitary caused neurite outgrowth comparable to that produced by nerve growth factor. The neurite outgrowth was preceded by a substantial rise in the activity of ornithine decarboxylase.
Pyridine nucleotide-dependent changes in the phase-partitioning behavior of NADP-linked glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from pea chloroplasts

Abstract Addition of NAD(H) or NADP(H) to an aqueous two-phase polyethylene glycol-dextran system affects the partitioning of purified pea ( Pisum sativum L.) chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase. The results indicate that the nature of the bound pyridine nucleotide affects the conformation and the state of aggregation of the enzyme, as suggested earlier by size exclusion (R. Cerff, Eur. J. Biochem., 82 (1978) 45–53) and sucrose density gradient centrifugation (P. Pupillo and G. Giuliani Piccari, Eur. J. Biochem., 51 (1975) 475–482) experiments.
A new approach to elastography using mutual information and finite elements

Historically, increased mechanical stiffness during tissue palpation exams has been associated with assessing organ health as well as with detecting the growth of a potentially life-threatening cell mass. As such, techniques to image elasticity parameters (i.e., elastography) have recently become of great interest to scientists. In this work, a new method of elastography will be introduced within the context of mammographic imaging. The elastography method proposed represents a non-rigid iterative image registration algorithm that varies material properties within a finite element model to improve registration. More specifically, regional measures of image similarity are used within an objective function minimization framework to reconstruct elasticity images of tissue stiffness. Numerical simulations illustrate: (1) the encoding of stiffness information within the context of a regional image similarity criterion, (2) the methodology for an iterative elastographic imaging framework and (3) elasticity reconstruction simulations. The real strength in this approach is that images from any modality (e.g., magnetic resonance, computed tomography, ultrasound, etc) that have sufficient anatomically-based intensity heterogeneity and remain consistent from a pre- to a post-deformed state could be used in this paradigm.
Enzymic synthesis of RNA from T7 DNA

Abstract RNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of RNA chains at a rate of seven nucleotides per second per growing RNA molecule at 37 °C. The RNA chains grow in a complex with the DNA that is not dissociable by 0.5 m -KCl but can be dissociated by 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate. By twenty minutes, RNA with a number average molecular weight of 1 × 106 is synthesized. Longer incubation times yield many molecules with molecular weights in the 2 to 3 × 106 range. Up to fifty RNA molecules can be made per DNA molecule in ten minutes without affecting the growth rate of individual chains. Proflavine at 12 μg/ml. was found not to limit the growth rate of the RNA chains, whereas actinomycin D at 0.4 mμmole/ml. does.
Assay system for simultaneous measurement of three steroidogenic enzyme activities in rat and human testis--effect of human chorionic gonadotropin.

Abstract An assay system that measures the enzymatic activities (17α-hydroxylase, 17,20-desmolase, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) in the Δ 4 pathway of testosterone biosynthesis using rat and human testicular homogenate was examined. This system involves the simultaneous separation of the steroid intermediates by a three-step TLC procedure. The observed R f values were 0.78 for progesterone (P), 0.59 for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-HP), 0.70 for androstenedione (A), 0.5 for testosterone, 0.64 for dihydrotestosterone, and 0.45 for 3α,17β-androstanediol. The identification of these steroid intermediates was further accomplished by acetylation and rechromatography of the representative samples along with the authentic standards and by recrystallization to constant specific activity until three consecutive crystallizations were within ±5% of the mean value. Incubation time up to 30 min and increasing protein concentrations showed a linear relationship with respect to these three enzymatic activities. The optimum temperature for these enzymatic activities varied from 32 to 34°C, with a sharp decline between 37 and 40°C. The Michaelis constants ( K m ) for the rat testis homogenate samples were 0.17 μ m for P, 0.22 μ m for 17α-HP, and 2.5 μ m for A, while for the human testis the K m values were 1.2, 2.2, and 2.3 μ m , respectively, for these substrates. The concentrations of the endogenous steroid substrates present in these homogenate samples did not alter the K m or V max values. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in vitro on these steroidogenic enzyme activities was also studied. In the rat testis, 10 IU of hCG produced a significant rise in all the three enzyme activities whereas in the human testis 10 and 30 IU of hCG showed no significant change in any of these enzymatic activities. However, 100 IU of hCG resulted in a significant increase in 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20-desmolase activities in the human testis. These studies suggest that this assay system for the measurement of these enzymatic activities using a testicular homogenate sample provides consistent and reproducible results. Based on the sensitivities of the measurements and our experience with testicular biopsy technique, we conclude that a routine testicular biopsy in the human should provide sufficient tissue to run these enzymatic assays.
COMPLEX ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN TWO-CHANNEL PROBLEMS

Analytic properties of the two-channel S matrix are investigated, and the threshold behavior of each channel is also studied. It is concluded that a certain class of potenials eads to an S matrix that has branch points in linear the complex angular momentum plane. A formula is given that displays the discontinuity across the threshold cut as an explicit function of the angular momentum. (auth)
Informational Efficiency, Organisational Development and the Institutional Linkages of the Provincial People's Congresses in China

The Provincial People's Congresses (PPCs), Chinese legislatures at the provincial level, were resumed and their Standing Committees were established in the late 1970s after a decade of political chaos during the Cultural Revolution. In their early development, the survival and maintenance of the PPCs were threatened by the information impactedness, resulting from their structural detachment from both the National People's Congress and ordinary citizens, among many severe challenges. This article probes how, in the last two decades, the PPCs have pursued a network strategy and developed a complex of institutional linkages with other power institutions and societal forces. Taking advantage of these networks, the PPCs have woven their own information networks and dramatically enhanced their ability to collect, process, and disseminate information, both from the central leadership in Beijing, and from deputies and ordinary citizens at the grassroots. They also could have played a new role, ‘information broker...
Failure Behavior of Cellular‐Core Ceramic Sandwich Composites

The mechanical behavior of a novel ceramic sandwich composite system was investigated. This system was comprised of a low-density, cellular alumina core bonded to dense alumina faceplates. The flexural strength and elastic properties of the core material alone were measured as a function of relative density. For the sandwich system, failure mechanisms and failure loads for a variety of core densities and face thicknesses were recorded. Initial failure mechanisms were observed to be exclusively core fracture but in a non-catastrophic manner. In order to successfully predict these failure loads with existing theory, Weibull statistics were incorporated into the analysis. This allowed flexural strengths measured independently on the core material to be scaled to those expected from the stress distribution in the sandwich core.
Energy-dissipating and self-repairing SMA-ECC composite material system

Structural component ductility and energy dissipation capacity are crucial factors for achieving reinforced concrete structures more resistant to dynamic loading such as earthquakes. Furthermore, limiting post-event residual damage and deformation allows for immediate re-operation or minimal repairs. These desirable characteristics for structural ‘resilience’, however, present significant challenges due to the brittle nature of concrete, its deformation incompatibility with ductile steel, and the plastic yielding of steel reinforcement. Here, we developed a new composite material system that integrates the unique ductile feature of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) with superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA). In contrast to steel reinforced concrete (RC) and SMA reinforced concrete (SMA-RC), the SMA-ECC beams studied in this research exhibited extraordinary energy dissipation capacity, minimal residual deformation, and full self-recovery of damage under cyclic flexural loading. We found that the tensile strain capacity of ECC, tailored up to 5.5% in this study, allows it to work compatibly with superelastic SMA. Furthermore, the distributed microcracking damage mechanism in ECC is critical for sufficient and reliable recovery of damage upon unloading. This research demonstrates the potential of SMA-ECC for improving resilience of concrete structures under extreme hazard events.
Ferroelastic phase transition in cryolite, Na3AlF6, a mixed fluoride perovskite: High temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction study and symmetry analysis of the transition mechanism

Cryolite, Na3AlF6[ = 2Na+(Na0.5 +Al0.5 3+)F3] is a mixed fluoride perovskite, in which the corner-sharing octahedral framework is formed by alternating [NaF6] and [AlF6] octahedra and the cavities are occupied by Na+ ions. At 295 K, it is monoclinic (α phase), space group P2 1/n with a = 5.4139 (7), b = 5.6012 (5) and c = 7.7769 (8) A and β = 90.183 (3)∘, Z = 2. A high temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction study in the range 295–900 K indicates a fluctuation-induced first-order phase transition from monoclinic to orthorhombic symmetry at T 0 ∼ 885 K, in contrast to a previous report that it becomes cubic at ∼823 K. The space group of the high temperature β phase is Immm with a = 5.632 (4), b = 5.627 (3) and c = 7.958 (4) A, Z = 2 at 890 K. Above T 0, the coordination number of the Na+ ion in the cavity increases from eight to twelve and the zigzag Na1 — Al octahedral chains parallel to c become straight with the Na1-F-Al angle = 180 °. The phase transition is driven by two coupled primary order parameters. The first corresponds to the rotation of the nearly rigid [AlF6] group and transforms according to the Γ 4 + irreducible representation of Immm. Coupled to the [AlF6] rotation is a second primary order parameter corresponding to the displacement of the Na2+ ion in the cavity from its equilibrium position. This order parameter transforms according to the X 3 + irreducible representation of Immm. Following Immm → P2 1 /n phase transition, four equivalent domains of P2 1/n are determined relative to Immm, which are in an antiphase and/or twin relationship. The abrupt shortening of the octahedral Al-F and Na-F bonds and a sudden change in orientations of the atomic thermal vibration ellipsoids above T 0 indicate a crossover from displacive to an order-disorder mechanism near the transition temperature. The β phase is interpreted as a dynamic average of four micro-twin and -antiphase domains of the a phase. This view is consistent with the entropy of phase transition, ΔStrans (11.43 JK−1 mol−1) calculated from heat capacity measurements (Anovitz et al. 1987), which corresponds closely to R ln4 (11.53 JK−1 mol−1), where 4 is the number of domains formed during the phase transition. The dynamic nature of the β phase is independently confirmed from a considerable narrowing of the 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) line-shape above T 0 (Stebbins et al. 1992).
Cooperative caching techniques for continuous media in wireless home networks

With wide spread deployment of wireless home networks, management of data across devices is becoming increasingly important. This is especially true for continuous media (audio and video clips) because they are large in size and are streamed at a pre-specified rate to support a display free from disruptions and delays. Caching of clips across devices is an effective way to improve key quality of service (QoS) metrics including the fraction of requests serviced successfully when the home's connection to the outside infrastructure is lost (data availability), number of devices that may stream and display their referenced clips simultaneously (throughput), and the average delay incurred from when a user references a clip to the onset of its display (average startup latency). In this paper, we focus on home networks consisting of a handful of devices and present a novel cooperative caching technique named Cont-Coop. Cont-Coop controls the content of participating caches based on the asymmetric bandwidth of wireless connections between devices. We compare this technique with an alternative that does not control the content of cooperative caches, showing Cont-Coop is superior when the access pattern to clips is skewed. In addition, we show cooperative techniques enhance all the aforementioned QoS metrics when compared with a greedy caching technique.
The Outage Probability and Optimum Power Assignment for Differential Amplify-and-Forward Relaying

Differential Amplify-and-Forward (DAF) relaying can be viewed as an attractive cooperative communication strategy for wireless networks where channel estimation is not feasible or it is rather avoided. A new exact outage probability expression is presented herein for DAF relaying that involves only a single integral. Then, an asymptotically tight closed-form approximation is obtained which enables power allocation optimization for the outage behavior of DAF relaying. Numerical and simulation studies validate the theoretical analysis.
Automation and technical services organization

There are many factors about automation that prompt reorganization and that must be considered in the process, and I will highlight four of them. The primary goal should be the streamlining of functions, and this might very well be the basis on which any reorganization is planned. It is important to make sure that duplication of effort is eliminated, i.e., that the same person does not have to handle the material twice and that the item moves through technical services in an organized way. Cost-effectiveness also comes into the picture, both in terms of human resource allocation as well as the actual cost of searches, record transfers, and bibliographic utilities. In addition, automation has provided for immediate access to all we do in technical services. The patron is able to track how a book is acquired and cataloged virtually every step of the way. How our orders look and how the database is maintained suddenly take on a more global meaning. Finally, the integrated database binds all of our functions together. One record is used for order, receipt, and cataloging. Therefore, whatever we do in one section automatically affects the work of another. It is that integration which one needs to exploit.
CONTROLLED VARIATION SCHEME IN A SEQUENTIAL SOLVER FOR RECIRCULATING FLOWS, PART II: APPLICATIONS

A controlled variation scheme (CVS) in the context of a sequential pressure-based solver for incompressible steady-state Navier-Stokes equations has been formulated in Part I of this work. In the present work, two-dimensional test cases such as laminar flows in a lid-driven cavity and over a backward-facing step as well as a turbulent flow over a backward-facing step are used to assess the performance of the CVS and the interaction of the net numerical viscosity with the grid resolution. It is demonstrated that the concept of a controlled variation scheme, with its nonlinear numerical dissipation that is dependent on the local solution gradients, holds promise in terms of computations of strongly convective flows using pressure-based algorithms.
Abstract 2109: Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2) knockout mice have a dysregulation in COX-2 signaling in two-stage skin carcinogenesis

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with an estimated two million cases diagnosed annually. Inflammation is believed to be a critical component in skin cancer progression, and therefore understanding genes controlling inflammation is beneficial. MAP3K8 (Tpl2) is a protein kinase in the MAP Kinase signal transduction cascade. Previous research using a two-stage skin carcinogenesis model has revealed that Tpl2 -/- mice have significantly higher tumor incidence and inflammation than wild-type (WT) controls. Mechanistically, dysregulation in NF-κB signaling is a major contributor to the high degree of inflammation and tumorigenesis found in the Tpl2 -/- mice. Knockout animals have heightened NF-κB reporter activity, increased NF-κB dependent edema, and increased NF-κB nuclear localization. This study investigates how cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an NF-κB regulated gene known to contribute to skin carcinogenesis, and COX-2 downstream factors might play a role in inflammation-mediated skin carcinogenesis in Tpl2 -/- mice. Keratinocytes from newborn WT or Tpl2 -/- mice were treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) for varying times over 24 hours. Western analysis revealed significant differences in COX-2 and COX-2 dependent prostanoids and prostanoid receptors. Additionally, in vivo experiments confirmed that COX-2 and COX-2 downstream factors were elevated in TPA-treated Tpl2 -/- skin, as well as in papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas from Tpl2-/- mice. These experiments illustrate that COX-2 induction in the absence of Tpl2 may be responsible for the increased tumorigenesis found in Tpl2-/- mice. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2109. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2109
Applications of percolation theory to porous media with distributed local conductances

Critical path analysis and percolation theory are known to predict accurately dc and low frequency ac electrical conductivity in strongly heterogeneous solids, and have some applications in statistics. Much of this work is dedicated to review the current state of these theories. Application to heterogeneous porous media has been slower, though the concept of percolation was invented in that context. The definition of the critical path is that path which traverses an infinitely large system, with no breaks, which has the lowest possible value of the largest resistance on the path. This resistance is called the rate-limiting, or critical, element, Rc. Mathematical schemes are known for calculating Rc in many cases, but this application is not the focus here. The condition under which critical path analysis and percolation theory are superior to other theories is when heterogeneities are so strong, that transport is largely controlled by a few rate-limiting transitions, and the entire potential field governing the transport is influenced by these individual processes. This is the limit of heterogeneous, deterministic transport, characterized by reproducibility (repeatability). This work goes on to show the issues in which progress with this theoretical approach has been slow (in particular, the relationship between a critical rate, or conductance, and the characteristic conductivity), and what progress is being made towards solving them. It describes applications to saturated and unsaturated flows, some of which are new. The state of knowledge regarding application of cluster statistics of percolation theory to find spatial variability and correlations in the hydraulic conductivity is summarized. Relationships between electrical and hydraulic conductivities are explored. Here, as for the relationship between saturated and unsaturated flows, the approach described includes new applications of existing concepts. The specific case of power-law distributions of pore sizes, a kind of ‘‘random’’ fractal soil is discussed (critical path analysis would not be preferred for calculating the hydraulic conductivity of a regular fractal). ” 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Oxidation-Induced Changes in Foods

A frequent cause of poor shelf life and off-flavors in processed foods is oxidation of lipids, primarily the unsaturated fatty acids of storage oil and membrane lipids in plant foods, and the saturated fats in animal products and cooking fats used for cooking/processing both plant and animal foods. Even during storage, fats can undergo oxidative changes that give rise to objectionable flavors and odors. In general, the higher the unsaturation of the fat, the greater the susceptibility to oxidation. Oxidation of fats proceeds via a free radical mechanism in three basic steps: initiation (addition of oxygen to the fat), propagation (generation of hydroperoxides and free radicals), and termination (combination of free radicals with each other or with other compounds, the formation of further peroxides and the release of oxygen back to the system). Hydroperoxides are the major products of lipid oxidation. They can break down to secondary products (aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids), or they can react with proteins and enzymes in the food products. Oxidized lipid free radicals, which were studied for scientific interest only a few years ago, have stimulated considerable interest by food scientists and clinicals because of increasing evidence for their association with toxic or carcinogenic agents. Our diet today contains several chemcals that are mutagenic of carcinogenic (Abelson 1983; Ames 1983), some formed during cooking via reactions involving fats or proteins.
Occurrence of western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) near forest edges in fragmented golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) habitat

Abstract The western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) is a common nest predator and has been documented depredating nests of the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), a woodland songbird, in central Texas. We conducted opportunistic and transect surveys for western scrub-jays across two vegetation classes (woodland and shrub-scrub) to investigate the proximity of scrub-jays to golden-cheeked warblers breeding in a fragmented landscape. We used a chi-square test to compare the number of observed and expected scrub-jay detections for each vegetation class. To investigate if scrub-jays are an edge-occupying species, we compared the distance to nearest vegetation edge of actual scrub-jay detections to a null distribution of mean random distances. We found that scrub-jays occur in areas closer to vegetation class boundaries but do not appear to prefer one vegetation type over the other. Our findings suggest that golden-cheeked warblers may have higher nest predation risk in fra...
T. Boone Pickens energy plan: A feasibility analysis

A major problem that the United States is facing in the 21st century is meeting energy needs. With an ever-increasing population, a question arises: can we generate and deliver enough energy in order to meet the ever-increasing demand? Each day more and more people are using automobiles to go from place to place, but there is a single point of failure in automotive design: petroleum based fuels. Travel is dependent on this mostly foreign fuel source, and as more require it, the price goes up while supply diminishes. On July 7, 2008, T. Boone Pickens introduced the “Pickens Plan,” an energy proposal to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil by one-third over the next ten years. By harnessing wind power to generate electricity, and using natural gas to power automobiles, he believes that it can revitalize a dying industry and stimulate the economy.
Using spaced education to teach interns about teaching skills.

BACKGROUND: Despite limited preparation and knowledge base, surgical interns have important teaching responsibilities. Nevertheless, few faculty development programs are aimed at interns. METHODS: Succinct teaching skill content was electronically distributed over time (spaced education) to interns in academic year 2010/2011. The interns in the previous year served as historic controls. Electronic surveys were distributed for program evaluation. RESULTS: Fifteen of 24 (62.5%) interns and 35 of 49 (71.4%) students responded to the surveys in academic year 2009/2010 and 16 of 27 (59.3%) interns and 38 of 52 (73%) students responded in academic year 2010/2011. Surveys showed improved attitudes toward teaching by interns as well as a higher estimation of interns’ teaching skills as rated by students for those interns who received the spaced education program. CONCLUSIONS: Using spaced education to improve interns’ teaching skills is a potentially powerful intervention that improves interns’ enthusiasm for teaching and teaching effectiveness. The changes are mirrored in students’ ratings of interns’ teaching skills and interns’ attitudes toward teaching.
A defense technique against misbehavior in VANETs based on threshold authentication

Vehicular Ad Hoc network (VANET) can offer various services and benefits to VANET users and thus deserves deployment effort. Misusing such network could cause destructive consequences. It is therefore necessary to discourage misbehavior and defend VANET systems against it, in order to ensure correct and smooth operations of the network. In this paper, we propose a defense technique to handle misbehavior in VANETs, caused by either malfunctioning hardware (unintentional) or purposeful attacks. It can be used in both inter-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, where user privacy is highly desirable but adds more complexity to the defense. By employing our misbehavior defense technique, users of the system can opt for allowing occasional or unintentional misbehavior while preventing frequent or disruptive misbehavior.
Relations between PET-derived measures of thalamic glucose metabolism and EEG alpha power

Electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha power has been demonstrated to be inversely related to mental activity and has subsequently been used as an indirect measure of brain activation. The thalamus has been proposed as an important site for modulation of rhythmic alpha activity. Studies in animals have suggested that cortical alpha rhythms are correlated with alpha rhythms in the thalamus. However, little empirical evidence exists for this relation in humans. In the current study, resting EEG and a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan were measured during the same experimental session. Over a 30-min period, average EEG alpha power across 28 electrodes from 27 participants was robustly inversely correlated with glucose metabolic activity in the thalamus. These data provide the first evidence for a relation between alpha EEG power and thalamic activity in humans.
Application of Finite Elements to High Frequency Transformer Modeling

This paper proposes a high frequency transformer model. The model consists of power frequency transformer model connected in parallel with frequency dependent branch (FDB). The FDB branch represents the transformer high frequency behavior over wide frequency range. The frequency response of the transformer was obtained by coupling the transformer FE model and external electric circuits. Such a technique would allow the physical representation of the nonlinear magnetization behavior of the transformer as well as the strong frequency dependence of the transformer parameters. The self capacitance of each conductor and the mutual capacitances between turns were calculated by electrostatic FE analysis. The model is reduced to a lower order by shifting the capacitances connected to internal nodes to the external ones (coil nodes). The resultant capacitances are then used in the circuit domain. The obtained frequency response is then fitted with rational function approximation. The implementation is performed on 125 kVA shell type transformer with sandwich coils
CREATIONISM AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Creationism, the rejection of evolution in favor of supernatural design, comes in many varieties besides the common young-earth Genesis version. Creationist attacks on science education have been evolving in the last few years through the alliance of different varieties. Instead of calls to teach “creation science,” one now finds lobbying for “intelligent design” (ID). Guided by the Discovery Institute's “Wedge strategy,” the ID movement aims to overturn evolution and what it sees as a pernicious materialist worldview and to renew a theistic foundation to Western culture, in which human beings are recognized as being created in the image of God. Common ID arguments involving scientific naturalism, “irreducible complexity,” “complex specified information,” and “icons of evolution,” have been thoroughly examined and refuted. Nevertheless, from Kansas to Ohio to the U.S. Congress, ID continues lobbying to teach the controversy, and scientists need to be ready to defend good evolution education.