cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The method of virtual power in a micromorphic theory of ductile fracture in metals

We use the method of virtual power to rigorously establish the balance equations and boundary conditions in the context of a micromorphic theory developed by Gologanu, Leblond, Perrin and Devaux (GLPD) to solve the pathological mesh size effects in numerical simulations of problems involving ductile rupture. As an example, we derive these equations for the problem of circular bending of a beam deformed in plane strain. Also, we provide links between the outcome of the method and the micromorphic theory of Germain. In particular, we show that, with a minor modification, the modified GLPD theory, which can easily fit into a finite element subroutine, is equivalent to Germain micromorphic theory. The paper ends with some comparisons with the general second gradient theory.
How Does the Interplay between Semiflexible Polymers Determine Composite Network Mechanics

The semiflexible polymers actin and intermediate filaments (IF) intertwine in a complex network within the cell, and together are key determinants of cellular stiffness. While the mechanics of actin networks together with stiff microtubules have been characterized, the interplay between actin and IF networks is largely unknown, necessitating the study of composite networks using mixtures of semiflexible biopolymers. We employ bulk rheology in a simplified in vitro system to uncover the fundamental mechanical interactions between networks of the two semiflexible polymers, actin and vimentin IF. Surprisingly, co polymerization of actin and vimentin can produce composite networks either stronger or weaker than pure actin networks. We show that this effect occurs through steric constraints imposed by IF on actin during network formation and filament crosslinking, highlighting novel emergent behavior in composite semiflexible networks.In addition, we find that vimentin IF have little effect on actin network mechanics when actin is crosslinked with alpha-actinin. However, when using Filamin-A as an actin crosslinker, co-polymerization with vimentin creates a stiffer network able to better maintain its elasticity under larger strains, but with a lower yield stress.
Characterization of Chlorobium tepidum Chlorosomes: A Calculation of Bacteriochlorophyll c per Chlorosome and Oligomer Modeling

The bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) c content and organization was determined for Chlorobium (Cb.) tepidum chlorosomes, the light-harvesting complexes from green photosynthetic bacteria, using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Single-chlorosome fluorescence data was analyzed in terms of the correlation of the fluorescence intensity with time. Using this technique, known as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, chlorosomes were shown to have a hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of 25 +/- 3.2 nm. This technique was also used to determine the concentration of chlorosomes in a sample, and pigment extraction and quantitation was used to determine the molar concentration of Bchl c present. From these data, a number of approximately 215,000 +/- 80,000 Bchl c per chlorosome was determined. Homogeneity of the sample was further characterized by dynamic light scattering, giving a single population of particles with a hydrodynamic radius of 26.8 +/- 3.7 nm in the sample. Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) was used to determine the x,y,z dimensions of chlorosomes present in the sample. The results of the TMAFM studies indicated that the average chlorosome dimensions for Cb. tepidum was 174 +/- 8.3 x 91.4 +/- 7.7 x 10.9 +/- 2.71 nm and an overall average volume 90,800 nm(3) for the chlorosomes was determined. The data collected from these experiments as well as a model for Bchl c aggregate dimensions was used to determine possible arrangements of Bchl c oligomers in the chlorosomes. The results obtained in this study have significant implications on chlorosome structure and architecture, and will allow a more thorough investigation of the energetics of photosynthetic light harvesting in green bacteria.
Sulfur and selenium accretion in the gravid uterus during late gestation in holstein cows

Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 18) were bred artificially to the same Holstein bull and then slaughtered at times from 190 to 270 d postmating to assess S and Se accretion in the fetus and nonfetal components of the conceptus. Concentrations of S and Se were obtained for the fetus, fetal fluids, fetal membranes, cotyledons, caruncles, and uterine tissues. Also, Se concentrations were determined in liver samples from 15 of the fetus-dam pairs. The Se concentration in fetal liver was greater than the corresponding Se concentration in maternal liver for all fetus-dam pairs. Accumulation rates of S and Se in components of the conceptus were determined from linear or exponential functions relating S and Se contents to day postmating. When estimated from linear regression coefficients, accretion rates of S for the fetus and entire conceptus were 1.26 and 1.51 g/d, respectively; corresponding accretion rates for Se in the fetus and entire conceptus were 41 and 55 micrograms/d, respectively. These rates provided estimates of net amounts of S and Se utilized for conceptus growth during late pregnancy. Estimates of total needs for S and Se during late pregnancy in dairy cows may be obtained by adding requirements for conceptus development to allowances for maternal maintenance. Current dietary allowances for S and Se appear to be sufficient to meet the requirements for S and Se for growth of the conceptus during the dry period.
Prior Helicobacter pylori infection ameliorates Salmonella typhimurium-induced colitis: mucosal crosstalk between stomach and distal intestine.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a lower risk of chronic autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). H. pylori modulates the gastric immune response, decreasing the local inflammatory response to itself. In mice, chronic Salmonella typhimurium infection induces colitis similar to Crohn’s disease, characterized by inflammation, which progresses toward fibrosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether prior H. pylori infection acts at a distance to modulate the immune response of S. typhimurium-induced colitis. Methods: Mice were infected with the mouse-adapted strain of H. pylori (SS1), followed by infection with S. typhimurium. The effect of H. pylori on colitis was determined by gross pathology, histopathology, cytokine response, and development of fibrosis in the cecum. Gastritis and systemic immune response was measured in response to infection. Results: H. pylori suppresses the Th17 response to S. typhimurium infection in the mouse cecum, but does not alter the Th2 or T-regulatory response or the development of fibrosis. H. pylori infection induces IL-10 in the mesenteric lymph nodes, suggesting an extragastric mechanism for immunomodulation. H. pylori / S. typhimurium coinfection decreases inflammation in both the cecum and the stomach. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a potential mechanism for the negative association between H. pylori and IBD in humans. H. pylori represses the lower gastrointestinal tract Th17 response to bacterially induced colitis via extragastric immunomodulatory effects, illustrating immunological crosstalk between the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;17:1398–1408)
A genetic algorithmic framework for process design and optimization

Abstract A general optimization framework for discrete and continuous problems based on genetic algorithmic techniques is presented. The proposed framework exhi
Adrenalin Reaction in Pregnancy and in the Preeclamptic State

ConclusionWomen with preeclamptic toxemia show an exaggerated reverse curve when given subcutaneous adrenalin injection.
Dynamics and evolution of β-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling revealed through massively parallel clonogenic screening

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is of significant interest due to the roles it plays in regulating development, tissue regeneration and disease. Transcriptional reporters have been widely employed to study Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction in live cells and whole organisms and have been applied to understanding embryonic development, exploring oncogenesis and developing therapeutics. Polyclonal heterogeneity in reporter cell lines has historically been seen as a challenge to be overcome in the development of novel cell lines and reporter-based assays, and monoclonal reporter cell lines are commonly employed to reduce this variability. A375 cell lines infected with a reporter for Wnt/β-catenin signaling were screened over short ( 25) generational timescales. To characterize phenotypic divergence over these time-scales, a microfabricated cell array-based screen was developed enabling characterization of 1119 clonal colonies in parallel. This screen revealed phenotypic divergence after 25 generations. Not only were reporter dynamics observed to diverge widely, but monoclonal cell lines were observed with seemingly opposite signaling phenotypes. Additionally, these observations revealed a generational-dependent trend in Wnt signaling in A375 cells that provides insight into the pathway's mechanisms of positive feedback and self-inhibition.
The solvolytic rearrangement of some 1,2-diphenyl-3,3-dichloroaziridines

Abstract The solvolytic rearrangement of 1,2-diphenyl-3,3-dichloroaziridine has been studied by stoichiometric, kinetic and isotopic tracer techniques. The heterogeneous reaction occurring in water suspension results in a quantitative yield of α-chloro-α-phenylacetanilide. The homogeneous reaction in dioxan-water mixtures yield α-chloro-α-phenylacetanilide and α-hydroxy-α-phenylacetanilide in nearly equal amounts, also in high total yield. Tracer results using Cl36 and C14 give information on the chlorine atom shift and on the point of ring cleavage respectively. The rate constant increases markedly with increase in the %H2O in the mixed solvent (Grunwald-Winstein m = 0·88). Kinetic investigations are reported for a series of 1-(para-substituted phenyl)-2-phenyl- and 1-phenyl-2-(para)-substituted phenyl)-3,3-dichloroaziridines. The Hammett reaction constant rho (ϱ) for the former series is −3·5, while a value of −1·9 was obtained for the latter series. Mechanistic interpretations based upon our results are discussed in terms of an ion-pair intermediate.
Scattering of Hard γ -Rays

Measurements have been made on the scattering of γ-rays from Th C″ by Al and Pb. For Al the scattering is, within experimental error, that predicted by the Klein Nishina formula. For Pb additional scattered rays were observed. The wave-length and space distribution of these are inconsistent with an extranuclear scatterer, and hence they must have their origin in the nuclei.
MO-E-224C-06: Improving Homogeneity of Abutment Dosimetry in Segmented-Field Electron Conformal Therapy Using Variable Insert Positioning

Purpose: To improve dose homogeneity in segmented‐field electron conformal therapy by matching penumbra of abutted fields. Method and Materials: A Varian 21EX electron applicator was modified to allow for energy‐dependent positioning of Cerrobend inserts resulting in energy‐dependent air gaps. Air gaps were chosen based on theoretical calculations to approximately match penumbra for 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV beams at 1.5‐cm depth in a water phantom at 100‐cm SSD. Treatment plans developed for four simulated target volumes using the modified applicator were compared to identical plans using the standard applicator. Improvement in dose homogeneity was assessed by comparing maximum and minimum dose, mean dose, and sigma of the dose distribution in the target volume for the two plans. Subsequently, electron blocks were cut with diverging edges using the Compu•cutter® system, and dose plans using the modified applicator were delivered to Kodak XV film in a polystyrene phantom to demonstrate feasibility. Results:Treatment planning results using the modified applicator showed improved dose homogeneity in all four simulated target volumes as compared to plans using the standard applicator. Averaged for all four PTVs; dose spread (Dmax − Dmin) decreased by 35%, σ of the dose distribution decreased by 29%, and D90–10 decreased by 31%. Dose delivered to a film phantom using the modified applicator was found to agree well with predictions (within approximately 5%) of the Pinnacle treatment planning system in the abutment region of the PTV (±2 cm from the abutment edge at depths ⩾1.5 cm). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest segmented‐field electron conformal therapy can be delivered with significant improvement in dose homogeneity as compared to the current method by using energy‐dependent positioning of electron inserts to match beam penumbra.
Hetero-oligomers of α2A-adrenergic and μ-opioid receptors do not lead to transactivation of G-proteins or altered endocytosis profiles

Complexes of alpha(2A)-ARs (alpha(2A)-adrenergic receptors) and MORs (mu-opioid receptors), probably hetero-oligomers, were detected by co-immunoisolation after extraction from HEK-293 cells (human embryonic kidney 293 cells). Functional communication between these receptors is revealed by alpha(2A)-AR activation of a pertussis toxin-insensitive G(i)alpha subunit (termed as G(i)1) when fused with the MOR and evaluated in membranes from pertussis toxin-treated cells. However, the alpha(2A)-AR does not require transactivation through MOR, since quantitatively indistinguishable results were observed in cells co-expressing alpha(2A)-AR and a fusion protein of G(i)1 with the first transmembrane span of MOR (myc-MOR-TM1). Functional cross-talk among these alpha(2A)-AR-MOR complexes does not occur for internalization profiles; incubation with adrenaline (epinephrine) leads to endocytosis of alpha(2A)-AR but not MOR, while incubation with DAMGO ([D-Ala,NMe-Phe,Gly-ol]enkephalin) leads to endocytosis of MOR but not alpha(2A)-AR in cells co-expressing both the receptors. Hence, alpha(2A)-AR and MOR hetero-oligomers, although they occur, do not have an obligatory functional influence on one another in the paradigms studied.
Colorectal manifestations of endocrine disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this review is to alert the colon and rectal surgeon to the colorectal manifestations of endocrine disease. METHODS: This report was obtained by a review of the medical literature. Endocrine disease may initially present as a symptom felt to be referable to colorectal disease. Furthermore symptoms of well-established endocrine disorders may have refractory colorectal symptoms. RESULTS: Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal symptom of diabetics; however, in patients with brittle diabetes, diarrhea may be chronic and intermittent. Unexplained diarrhea, despite an exhaustive work-up for an etiology, should alert the clinician to the possibility of a pancreatic endocrine tumor. Thyroid disorders, depending on activity of the gland, may have refractory constipation, diarrhea, or steatorrhea as the only presenting symptoms. Constipation is a common symptom of hypercalcemia, secondary to hyperparathyroidism. Primary hyperparathyroidism has been associated with increased incidence of malignancies, specifically of colonic origin. In patients with acromegaly a threefold to eightfold increased risk of colon carcinoma or adenomatous polyps is seen. Chronic adrenal insufficiency may present initially as diarrhea and malabsorption. The adrenal gland is a frequent site of metastases from colorectal cancer. Pheochromocytomas may be a cause of occult gastrointestinal bleeding or ischemic colitis. CONCLUSION: Unexplained symptoms referable to the colon and rectum should alert the clinician to the possibility of an underlying endocrine disorder.
On the Redundancy-Error Tradeoff in Slepian-Wolf Coding and Channel Coding

We characterize the redundancy-error tradeoff in Slepian-Wolf coding. Similar results are derived for a class of cyclic-symmetric channels. Through the linear codebook-level duality between Slepian-Wolf coding and channel coding, we show that, in Slepian-Wolf coding, linear codes are optimal in terms of redundancy-error tradeoff at rate close to the Slepian- Wolf limit but suboptimal at high rate.
Contributions of statistical noise to spatial heterogeneity of PET images of pulmonary function

We have recently developed methodologies to assess the local distributions of alveolar ventilation and pulmonary perfusion using positron emission tomography (PET) with 13NN gas as a tracer. In order to quantify the true regional heterogeneity in lung function from these images, it was important to assess the contributions of noise caused by finite count statistics and by imaging artifacts. To characterize these artifacts we collected multiple images with different total number of counts from a uniform phantom labeled with 11CO2 and assessed their heterogeneity as the mean normalized variance of the pixel by pixel data. We developed a novel disc phantom made of open cell foam with a density comparable to that of the lungs. Images of this phantom were reconstructed with a Hanning filter set for different resolution lengths (L). The mean normalized variance of these images was found to closely follow a linear relationship with the inverse of the average number of counts per pixel and L-3 having an intercept that represented the heterogeneity caused by imaging and reconstruction artifacts.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The area of 2-[125I]iodomelatonin binding in the pars tuberalis of the ground squirrel is decreased during hibernation

Quantitative receptor autoradiography was used to analyze 2-[125I]iodomelatonin binding sites in the brains of golden-mantled ground squirrels (Citellus lateralis). Specific binding appeared to be discretely localized to the pars tuberalis region of the pituitary that surrounds the medial basal hypothalamus. The total area of binding was significantly decreased in brains of hibernating squirrels as compared to those of awake, euthermic animals. These findings support a role for melatonin receptors of the pars tuberalis in seasonal behavior.
Production of liquid aerosols by harmonic electrical spraying

Abstract A method is described for producing collimated beams of monodisperse, uniformly charged liquid particles. The method utilizes the harmonic electrical spraying of liquids, wherein uniform particles are regularly emitted from an electrically stressed meniscus at a capillary tip. Data are presented showing the dependence of this process on capillary diameter, reservoir pressure, and applied voltage. It is expected that focused beams of particles produced by the harmonic spraying process will facilitate the selective coating and abrading of solid surfaces within microscopic tolerances. In addition, the process provides a convenient method for producing monodisperse aerosols of known particle diameter.
Doubly Penalized LASSO for Reconstruction of Biological Networks

Reconstruction of biological and biochemical networks is a crucial step in extracting information from a large volume of biological data. There are several methods developed recently to reconstruct biological networks using dynamic data, each with specific benefits and some drawbacks. Here, we have developed a new method called Doubly Penalized Linear Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (DPLASSO) for reconstruction of dynamic biological networks. In this approach, we have integrated two distinct methods viz., statistical significance testing of model coefficients and penalized/constrained optimization. Principal component analysis with statistical significance testing acts as a supervisory-level filter to extract the most informative components of the network from a dataset (Layer 1). In the lower level (Layer 2), LASSO with extra weights on the smaller parameters obtained in the first layer is employed to retain the main predictors and to set the small coefficients to zero. Two case studies are used to compare the relative performance of DPLASSO and LASSO in terms of several metrics, such as sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and fractional-error in the estimates of the coefficients. In the first case study, with a synthetic data set, our simulation results show substantial improvements over LASSO for the reconstruction of the network in terms of accuracy and specificity. The second case study relies on experimental datasets for cell division cycle of fission yeast. This case study illustrates that DPLASSO performs better than LASSO in terms of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in reconstructing networks.
The effect of scorbutus and pentobarbital on the in vivo levels of "energy-rich" phosphates and their turnover in guinea pig cerebral tissue.

Abstract The in vivo cerebral levels of ascorbic acid and “energy-rich” phosphates and turnover of the phosphates were measured in young guinea pigs under different experimental conditions. Pentobarbital-treated scorbutic animals show a cerebral ascorbic acid level twice that of the untreated scorbutic guinea pig. The results also indicate that the combination of scorbutus plus pentobarbital treatment raises the in vivo creatine phosphate level and interferes with the turnover of creatine phosphate and adenosine triphosphate. Boiling water and cold perchloric acid were compared as extracting agents for cerebral organic phosphates. Boiling water results in considerably less creatine phosphate and adenosine triphosphate isolation than does cold perchloric acid, although total creatine and adenine nucleotides extracted by the two remain the same.
A method to record changes in local neuronal discharge in response to infusion of small drug quantities in awake monkeys.

Abstract A newly designed combination microelectrode-injection system is described which can be used to record electrophysiological responses of individual neurons in the primate brain to local administration of small quantities of drugs or other compounds. The assembly of the system is simple, and the materials used are inexpensive. The system consists of a standard tungsten microelectrode alongside fused silica tubing within a polyimide sleeve. The major advantage of this device is the ability to record with excellent quality, changes in the activity of single cells in vivo within 50–100 μm of the location of drug injections.
Fabricating a Plastic Microfluidic Device for Protein Synthesis

We developed an array device consisting of miniaturized wells and a mechanism of fluid manipulation for cell-free protein synthesis. The array offers high-throughput protein production, matching the format of gene discovery. Each unit in the array is for synthesis of one individual protein and it consists of a tray chamber and a well chamber. The tray chamber is for in vitro protein synthesis reaction, while the well functions as a nutrient reservoir. The tray and well are separated by a dialysis membrane, which is glued to the bottom of the tray. The connection between the tray and the well provides a means to supply nutrients and remove the reaction byproducts. The device was demonstrated by synthesis of green fluorescent protein (GFP). The effectiveness of the device design on the protein production yield has been studied. The resultant advantages due to miniaturization include rapid analysis, less consumption of samples and reagents, and the decrease in the cost of protein synthesis.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The effect of rishitin on Erwinia carotovora var. atroseptica and other bacteria

Abstract Aqueous methanol extracts of potato tubers rotted in air after inoculation with Erwinia carotovora var. atroseptica ( E. atroseptica ) were inhibitory to the growth of E. atroseptica in vitro . Fractionation of these extracts by column and thin-layer chromatography showed that the inhibitory activity was associated with rishitin. Pure rishitin was tested against E. atroseptica in several liquid media and caused a 50% reduction in viability at 106 μg/ml in 0·1% peptone water. A method is described for locating compounds inhibitory to E. atroseptica on thin-layer chromatograms. Using this technique rishitin was shown to be the major inhibitor in extracts of rots from eight cultivars. Other, relatively minor areas of inhibition were located on chromatograms but these inhibitors were not identified. Phytuberin and spirovetiva-1(10),11-dien-2-one did not affect the viability of E. atroseptica . Rishitin was active against five other bacteria.
47.1: Invited Paper: Combinatorial Studies on OLED Structures

The capabilities of combinatorial methods are presented in order to get a detailed understanding of the electrical and optical properties of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), to optimize their performance and to provide reliable data for device modeling. We show results on multilayer OLEDs ranging from the conventional copper-phthalocyanine (CuPc)/ N, N′-di-(naphtalene-1-yl) -N, N′-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB) and tris-(8-hydroxy-quino-linato) aluminum (Alq) tri-layer device to double-doped, deep-red emitting OLEDs.
Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Affects Event-Related Potential Measures of Novelty Processing in Autism

In our previous study on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Sokhadze et al., Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 34:37-51, 2009a) we reported abnormalities in the attention-orienting frontal event-related potentials (ERP) and the sustained-attention centro-parietal ERPs in a visual oddball experiment. These results suggest that individuals with autism over-process information needed for the successful differentiation of target and novel stimuli. In the present study we examine the effects of low-frequency, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on novelty processing as well as behavior and social functioning in 13 individuals with ASD. Our hypothesis was that low-frequency rTMS application to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) would result in an alteration of the cortical excitatory/inhibitory balance through the activation of inhibitory GABAergic double bouquet interneurons. We expected to find post-TMS differences in amplitude and latency of early and late ERP components. The results of our current study validate the use of low-frequency rTMS as a modulatory tool that altered the disrupted ratio of cortical excitation to inhibition in autism. After rTMS the parieto-occipital P50 amplitude decreased to novel distracters but not to targets; also the amplitude and latency to targets increased for the frontal P50 while decreasing to non-target stimuli. Low-frequency rTMS minimized early cortical responses to irrelevant stimuli and increased responses to relevant stimuli. Improved selectivity in early cortical responses lead to better stimulus differentiation at later-stage responses as was made evident by our P3b and P3a component findings. These results indicate a significant change in early, middle-latency and late ERP components at the frontal, centro-parietal, and parieto-occipital regions of interest in response to target and distracter stimuli as a result of rTMS treatment. Overall, our preliminary results show that rTMS may prove to be an important research tool or treatment modality in addressing the stimulus hypersensitivity characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.
Use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a southern, rural population in the United States.

Abstract 1. 1. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen for the incidence of postpartum depression in women receiving their pre- and post-partal care at a southern, rural health department maternity clinic. 2. 2. One hundred eighty-one women completed the EPDS during their postpartum visit. Scores on the EPDS ranged from 0 to 27. Thirty-six of the 181 subjects (19.9%) had scores of 12 or more, the threshold identified by Cox, et al. (1987) as indicating women likely to be experiencing postpartum depression. 3. 3. Results support use of the EPDS as a screening tool for postpartum depression in this population.
Incorporating a Gaussian model at the catheter tip for improved registration of preoperative surface models

Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac arrhythmia in which aberrant electrical activity cause the atria to quiver which results in irregular beating of the heart. Catheter ablation therapy is becoming increasingly popular in treating atrial fibrillation, a procedure in which an electrophysiologist guides a catheter into the left atrium and creates radiofrequency lesions to stop the arrhythmia. Typical visualization tools include bi-plane fluoroscopy, 2-D ultrasound, and electroanatomic maps, however, recently there has been increased interest in incorporating preoperative surface models into the procedure. Typical strategies for registration include landmark-based and surface-based methods. Drawbacks of these approaches include difficulty in accurately locating corresponding landmark pairs and the time required to sample surface points with a catheter. In this paper, we describe a new approach which models the catheter tip as a Gaussian kernel and eliminates the need to collect surface points by instead using the stream of continuosly tracked catheter points. We demonstrate the feasibility of this technique with a left atrial phantom model and compare the results with a standard surface based approach.
Scale-dependent homogenization of inelastic random polycrystals

Rigorous scale-dependent bounds on the constitutive response of random polycrystalline aggregates are obtained by setting up two stochastic boundary value problems (Dirichlet and Neumann type) consistent with the Hill condition. This methodology enables one to estimate the size of the representative volume element (RVE), the cornerstone of the separation of scales in continuum mechanics. The method is illustrated on the single-phase and multiphase aggregates, and, generally, it turns out that the RVE is attained with about eight crystals in a 3D system. From a thermodynamic perspective, one can also estimate the scale dependencies of the dissipation potential in the velocity space and its complementary potential in the force space. The viscoplastic material, being a purely dissipative material, is ideally suited for this purpose.
GPC: Use of automatic weighing to determine elution volumes

An automatic balance has been designed, constructed, and tested for continuous determination of the weight of the eluent in chromatography. This balance is considerably more precise than the frequently used automatic siphons. As the elution volume for any molecular species is independent of flow rate over a considerable range, the balance can be used with relatively inexpensive pumps, and thus highly precise constant volume pumps are not required.
Molecular Systematics of Hystricognath Rodents: Evidence from the Mitochondrial 125 rRNA Gene

Nucleotide sequence variation among 22 representatives of 14 families of hystricognathid rodents was examined using an 814-bp region of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene composing domains I-III. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the phylogenetic relationships among Old World phiomorph (primarily African) and New World caviomorph (primarily South American) families were investigated, with a special emphasis on testing hypotheses pertaining to the origin of New World families and the identification of major monophyletic groups. Second, divergence times derived from molecular data were compared to those suggested by the fossil record. The resultant 12S rRNA gene phylogeny, analyzed separately and in combination with other morphological and molecular data, supported a monophyletic Caviomorpha. This finding is counter to the idea of a multiple origin for the South American families. The most strongly supported relationships within the Caviomorpha were a monophyletic Octodontoidea (containing five families) and the placement of New World porcupines (family Erethizontidae) as the most divergent family. Although comparisons to other data were more equivocal, the most parsimonious 12S rRNA trees also supported a monophyletic Phiomorpha that could be subdivided into two major groups, a clade containing the Thryonomyoidea (Thryonomyidae and Petromuridae) plus Bathyergidae and the more divergent Hystricidae (Old World porcupines). No significant differences in rates of 12S rRNA gene divergence were observed for hystricognathids in comparison to other rodent groups. Although time since divergence estimates were influenced by the fossil dates chosen to calibrate absolute rates, the overall divergence times derived from both transversions only and Kimura corrected distances and calibrations using two independent dates revealed a divergence time between Old and New World groups dating in the Eocene.
The Clean Trucks Program: Evaluation of Policy Impacts on Marine Terminal Operations

The Clean Trucks Program is a Clean Air Action Plan initiative currently being adopted by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. This paper examines each of the Clean Trucks Program’s current requirements and estimates the impact on terminal operations. Using terminal operations data supplied by three terminal operating companies, we conduct a simple queuing analysis and present a regression model which allow us to consider the potential impact of the policy changes. While the impact at a specific terminal is not estimated in this paper, we consider order of magnitude effects. While the programme itself does not require terminal operations changes, the programme will modestly increase incentives to improve operational efficiency outside the terminal and reduce terminal gate processing time. It will also require technology that could be used for further operational changes. We show, however, that unless gate time improvements are matched with these operational improvements in the terminal, they will only move the delay inside the terminal and not reduce total terminal time. Our research considers the impact of the Clean Trucks Program on the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, but similar concerns are driving changes at ports around the globe. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2008) 10, 393–408.
A regional analysis of the response of soybean yield to planting date.

Planting date is a critical aspect of all soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems, but the response of yield to planting date fluctuates widely among environments. A combined analysis of many planting date experiments will provide a better estimate of the average response. Data from 28 nonirrigated planting date experiments that were conducted for more than 1 yr with at least three planting dates (a minimum of one in June) were combined by regions (Midwest, 9; Upper South, 10; Deep South, 9) for analysis. Experiments using the early soybean production system (ESPS) were not included. A segmented-linear regression model with two segments was used to determine when yield began a rapid decline as planting was delayed. The rapid decline began on 30 May in the Midwest, 7 June in the Upper South, and 27 May in the Deep South. The rate of decline was larger in the Upper South (1.1) and Deep South (1.2) than it was in the Midwest (0.7% points per day). Yield trends before the rapid decline began showed no significant advantage for early plantings. Only 23% of the April or early (first week) May plantings exhibited higher yields than later plantings and the average advantage was 7%. The average response to planting date was remarkably similar across all regions and there seems to be no consistent advantage for ultra-early planting dates with traditional cultivars, but there was a significant penalty for planting after the critical date in late May or early June.
Development platform for self-organizing wireless sensor networks

Distributed microsensor networks, built from collections of nodes each having the ability to sensor their environment, process the raw sensor data in cooperation with other neighboring nodes into information and then communicate that information to end users. These systems are designed to be self-organizing in the sense of establishing and maintaining their own network without the need for specialistic operators. In most envisioned applications, wireless communications are the most practical means of interconnection, eliminating the internode cabling. Long periods of autonomous operations in remote environments will need battery or other renewable energy sources. In order to prolong battery life, all node hardware and software functions need to be designed to consume minimal power. In general, a node will expend energy on local processing of sensor data to produce compressed information in order to reduce communications. These network systems are intended to support large numbers of such nodes to cover large geographic areas.
Sleep Deprivation: Practical and Philosophical Considerations

Understanding the subjective and objective consequences of sleep deprivation has relevance for many aspects of health and performance. The collection of topics in this book explores areas of particular interest. Despite major advances in the field of sleep deprivation, especially in clinical sleep medicine, it is important to remain mindful that much uncertainty remains. The definitions of normal sleep, the consequences of impaired sleep quality or quantity, and the manner in which sleep is quantified in health and disease are all moving targets and actively debated. It is especially challenging to maintain a balanced approach in the field of sleep deprivation, when personal experience may provide stronger valence and face validity than might be typical in other medically relevant subspecialties. This chapter outlines various challenges and uncertainties, with the hope that improved recognition of uncertainties will aid in future advancements.
Quantitative structure-activity relationships for evaluating the influence of sorbate structure on sorption of organic compounds by soil

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of sorbate structure, by using the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) approach, on sorption of organic compounds by two soils with different amounts of organic matter. Miscible displacement experiments were performed with several organic contaminants representing six classes of nonpolar, nonionizable organic chemicals, including chlorinated aliphatics, chlorobenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), n-alkylbenzenes, methylated benzenes, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The breakthrough curves were analyzed by using a bicontinuum model wherein sorption is assumed to be instantaneous for a fraction of the sorbent and rate limited for the remainder. The QSAR approach was used to investigate the dependency of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium sorption coefficients on topological descriptors representing structural properties of the solutes. For both equilibrium and nonequilibrium parameters, the first-order valence molecular connectivity (1Xv) was found to be the best topological descriptor. Most of the rate-limited sorption behavior could be explained by accounting for the size and structure of the solute molecule, as indicated by the good correlation between the rate coefficient and 1Xv. This supports the contention that rate-limited sorption in these systems is controlled by a physical diffusion mechanism, consistent with the polymer diffusion model. Based on this model, the calculated diffusion-length ratios for the Borden and Mt. Lemmon soils, which have a large difference in organic-matter contents, compare favorably to the values determined from the measured rate data.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the History of the Jewish Book

The complicated process whereby the biblical books took shape and were copied and transmitted in biblical times can only be partly reconstructed based on biblical evidence, with the help of ancient Near Eastern parallels. Clearly, the biblical era constitutes the first stage in the history of the Jewish book, or more correctly, the Jewish book par excellence. However, for the period immediately following, the Second Temple period, the level of documentation for creating, editing/redacting, and copying and disseminating Jewish books is now enormous due to the discovery, publication, and analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls. While this information relates directly to the period in which the Scrolls were copied, from the last part of the third century bce through the early first century ce, it also allows us a model with which to supplement our understanding of the biblical period, and much of it is directly relevant to the rabbinic period in which most of the same scribal conventions were in use.
The quest for four-dimensional imaging in plant cell biology: it's just a matter of time.

Background Analysis of plant cell dynamics over time, or four-dimensional imaging (4-DI), represents a major goal of plant science. The ability to resolve structures in the third dimension within the cell or tissue during developmental events or in response to environmental or experimental stresses (i.e. 4-DI) is critical to our understanding of gene expression, post-expression modulations of macromolecules and sub-cellular system interactions.
Barr Rosenberg and Barra Case Study

The purpose of this case is to help with the understanding of beta, factor models, and risk management.
Structures of Organizational Governance

Organizations are viewed as systems of governance. A distinction is made between formal structure and governance structure, and a network perspective is adopted to investigate the correspondence between them. This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of governance in an R&D laboratory in which decision-making power is found to be concentrated in an elite cadre of managers and experts who are also centrally located in the interaction network. The article discusses the utility of the concept of governance in enriching our perspective on organizational structuring.
A comparative study of the glutamate dehydrogenase activity in several species of marine phytoplankton

Kinetic studies on the NADP-linked glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity in 8 species of marine phytoplankton have been carried out. The pH optima, linearity of reactions, apparent energies of activation, and apparent Km values for NADPH, NH4>+and α-ketoglutarate were determined. Based on these data, an accurate, sensitive enzyme assay procedure is presented which was successfully tested on shipboard during a recent cruise in an upwelling region. Preliminary studies on inhibition and activation of the NADP-linked GDH activity have also been carried out. In addition to NADP-linked GDH activity, NAD-linked GDH activity was discovered in certain species of phytoplankton. The possible physiological roles of NAD-and NADP-linked GDH enzymes are discussed.
Pituitary GH and hypothalamic GHRF after median eminence implantation of ovine or human GH.

The effects of implanting human or ovine GH in the median eminence were measured on pituitary GH concentration, hypothalamic content of growth hormone releasing factor (GHRF) and serum prolactin activity. Adult female rats implanted with human or ovine GH showed a significant decrease in pituitary GH concentration and in hypothalamic GHRF content when compared with controls 7 days after implantation. Pituitary weights were also decreased in GH implanted rats. There were no significant changes in body weight or ovarian or uterine weights. Rats implanted with human GH showed decreased serum prolactin and atrophy of the mammary glands when compared with pre-implantation levels or controls implanted with cocoa butter. These results suggest that human and ovine GH act via the hypothalamus to decrease pituitary GH concentration. They also indicate that human GH, like prolactin from other species, can decrease serum prolactin levels and induce mammary gland regression when implanted in the median eminence of rat...
A reduced complexity integer lifting wavelet-based module for real-time processing in implantable neural interface devices

In high-density implantable microelectrode arrays, the sheer amount of data recorded poses a serious challenge to the bandwidth of the associated biotelemetry system. The power limitations and restricted chip area for an implantable module strongly imposes significant limitations on the computational complexity. In this work, we propose a new methodology for processing multichannel neural data most suitable for hardware implementation. Our work builds on previous work aimed at using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) compact representation of the acquired neural data. We propose a novel design of the DWT computational block in a neural interface module and evaluate its performance in terms of speed, complexity and fidelity of the reconstructed signals. We show that most of the computations in this block can be performed with fixed-point representations and finite precision without significant loss in performance compared to the traditional floating-point computations in standard DSP chips.
Performance evaluation for real-time traffic in differentiated services capable IP network

With the rapid development of network technology, deployment of real-time applications such as video, voice and virtual reality over network become more popular than ever. However, the best effort model, existing over the Internet cannot satisfy the QoS requirements of real-time applications. In order to make Internet quality of service (QoS) capable, the IETF proposed a series of protocols and algorithms, some of them forming what is known as "differentiated services." In this paper, we focus on analyzing the performance of real-time applications over a Diffserv-capable network, especially when real-time traffic aggregation and link congestion case happen in the core router. Based on extensive testing results we propose a novel scheduling scheme, which can solve the problem generated by EF traffic aggregation and link congestion. Based on our findings, we conclude that with proper resource management and traffic engineering, differentiated services can provide satisfactory QoS to real-time applications with strict delay, delay variation, packet loss and throughput constraints.
ASAP : A MAC Protocol for Dense and Time Constrained RFID Systems

In this paper, we introduce a novel medium access control (MAC) protocol for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems which exploits the statistical information collected at the reader. The protocol, termed Adaptive Slotted ALOHA Protocol (ASAP), is motivated by the need to significantly improve the total read time performance of the currently suggested MAC protocols for RFID systems. In order to accomplish this task, ASAP estimates the dynamic tag population and adapts the frame size in the subsequent round. We demonstrate that ASAP provides significant improvement in total read time performance over the current RFID MAC protocols. We extend the design to mobile RFID systems where tags move at constant velocity in the reader's field, and show that ASAP performs well in mobile scenarios as well.
The VIP interface design system

The goals of user interface management systems (UIMS) research are to reduce the high cost of implementing user interfaces and to increase the functionality of highly interactive, visually oriented user interfaces. The visual interface programming (VIP) system realizes the independence of the interface and computation functions of many programs and allows interface designers, whose expertise might lie in areas other than traditional computer programming, to construct interfaces independent of the development of other program components. The authors describe the structure of VIP and the principles that have guided its development. >