cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estrogen-Induced Uterine Responses and Growth: Relationship to Receptor Estrogen Binding by Uterine Nuclei11

The relationship between estrogen receptor (R) binding by uterine nuclei and uterotrophic responses was examined. Immature rats received a single injection of estradiol (E2) or estriol (E3) and the following parameters were measured: accumulation and retention of the estrogen receptor by the nucleus of uterine cells; incorporation of 14C-glucose into CO2, lipid, protein and RNA; RNA polymerase activity; water imbibition and increased dry weight. E2 and E3 were of equal potency with regard to the rapid accumulation of R by the nucleus but differed with respect to long term retention of R. The concentrations of nuclear RE2 and RE3 complexes were equivalent between 1 and 3 hr after estrogen injection; however, by 6 hr RE2 remained significantly elevated while RE3 levels had fallen to control values. E2 and E3 were also of equal potency with respect to the stimulation of enhanced glucose utilization, water imbibition, the incorporation of 14C-glucose into lipid, protein and RNA 3 hours following an injection ...
The ADR rule-of-thumb as predictor of lodging property values

Abstract In a positive context, asset valuation models may be judged on the basis of their predictive ability rather than on the number and elegance of the underlying assumptions. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) rule-of-thumb has been used for decades as a quick way of estimating hotel and motel room rates and, more recently, as a simple gross-income multiplier model for predicting values of lodging properties. This study examines how well the ADR rule-of-thumb model predicts property values. The results of our comparative analysis of estimates from the ADR model with those from a hedonic valuation model indicate that the ADR model performs well in the aggregate, but is an inconsistent estimator at various levels of disaggregation, such as when property subsamples were organized by number of rooms, age, occupancy rate and number of restaurants.
A high efficiency thin film silicon solar cell and module

Abstract A photoelectric conversion efficiency of over 10% has been achieved in thin-film microcrystalline silicon solar cells which consist of a 2 μm thick layer of polycrystalline silicon. It was found that an adequate current can be extracted even from a thin film due to the very effective light trapping effect of silicon with a low absorption coefficient. As a result, this technology may eventually lead to the development of low-cost solar cells. Also, an initial aperture efficiency as high as 13.5% has been achieved with a large area (91 cm × 45 cm) tandem solar cell module of microcrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon (thin film Si hybrid solar cell). An even greater initial efficiency of 14.7% has been achieved in devices with a small size (area of 1 cm 2 ), and further increases of efficiency can be expected.
Difficulties for foreign scientists in coming to the United States.

The recent Editorial “The high cost of coming to America” by A. Teich and W. D. White (5 May, p. [657][1]) calls attention to the humiliating and unjustifiable treatment of distinguished scientists such as Goverdhan Mehta in the Visas Mantis program. The Visas Mantis program is just the tip of
Plasma aminoacid levels across the brain in patients with respiratory failure

. Animal studies and theoretical considerations have suggested that in hypercapnic respiratory failure there is interconversion of glutamic acid to glutamine within the brain, perhaps as part of a local buffering mechanism to minimize hypercapnia-induced cerebral acidosis. Detection of transcerebral arteriovenous differences, positive for glutamic acid and negative for glutamine, would lend support to this hypothesis. We measured arterial and internal jugular venous levels of twenty-three aminoacids in four patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure and in four suitable controls. In patients, arterial as well as venous glutamine levels were elevated proportionally, and there was no demonstrable A-V difference across the brain; arterial and venous glutamic acid levels were the same as controls. All other aminoacid levels, arterial and venous, were normal. These findings confirm the previous observations that in hypercapnic respiratory failure glutamine metabolism is altered, but provide no support for the proposed glutamic acid-glutamine interconversions within the brain.
TEMPERATURE VARIATION IN THE INFAUNAL ENVIRONMENT OF A SAND FLAT

Temperature variation within intertidal sands was observed at two stations in Tomales Bay, California. The annual range and seasonal trend temperature at 10 cm beneath the sand surface are similar to those in the open water of the bay. The daily variation resembles that observed in terrestrial soils. Animals living in the upper 1 cm are exposed to a daily temperature range as great as three times that experienced by subtidal individuals of the same species. The animals living at 10 cm or deeper are subject to a temperature regime similar to that of the subtidal environment.
Superconformal anomaly on the supertorus

Abstract We consider the supersymmetric extension of the Krichever-Novikov algebra on the supertorus. We use the construction of superelliptic functions which serve as the bases of the generators of superconformal transformation. We use the fact that the superconformal algebra contains terms proportional to the odd modular parameter and with the introduction of ghosts we show that the superconformal anomaly for strings on the supertorus cancels exactly for the space-time dimensionality ten.
Bio-inspired coupled oscillatory phase reset control system applied to movement in an underwater vehicle

The present hardware circuit was designed as a fast and energy efficient motor control system based on cerebellar oscillatory neuron activity and network dynamics. Specifically, a hardware model of the olivo-cerebellar dynamics controlling vertebrate motor coordination is used to control movement in an underwater robotic vehicle. Single shot oscillatory phase resetting is used for instantaneous motor plant reorganization based on incoming sensory information. Such a rapid feedback mode, which is rapid enough to prevent animals from falling when they stumble, has been previously described in biological and mathematical papers (Pellionisz and Llinas, 1979, Velarde et al., 2002, 2004). In the present control system, the direction of the vehicle displacement is captured by a camera, and transformed into a phase shift modulation of sets of oscillatory elements that embody internal dynamics. This design provides a novel real time control platform for robotic control in three dimensions.
(Curvature)2-terms for supergravity in three dimensions

We investigate the effect of (curvature)2-terms on N=1 and N=2 supergravity in three dimensions. We use the off-shell component fields (eμm,ψμ,S) for N=1 and (eμm,ψμ,ψμ∗,Aμ,B,B∗) for N=2 supergravity. The S,Aμ and B are respectively a real scalar, a real vector and a complex scalar auxiliary fields. Both for N=1 and N=2, only two invariant actions for (curvature)2-terms exist, while only the actions with (scalar curvature)2 are free of negative energy ghosts. Interestingly, the originally non-physical graviton and gravitino fields start propagating, together with the scalar field S for the N=1 case, or the complex scalar B and the longitudinal component ∂μAμ for N=2. These new propagating fields form two new physical massive supermultiplets of spins (12,0) with 2×(1+1) degrees of freedom for the N=1 case, and two physical massive N=2 supermultiplets of spins (12,12,0,0) with 2×(2+2) degrees of freedom for the N=2 case.
Photo‐oxidation of polypropylene films. VI. Possible UV‐stabilization mechanisms

The effects of the chemical nature, concentration, stability, and location of various additives on the ultraviolet stability of polypropylene are discussed. It is shown that effective stabilizers of thin films do not depend on UV absorption for their protective action, whereas some relatively inefficient additives operate solely as UV screeners. Adequate UV protection was observed when small amounts (∼0.01 wt-%) of effective stabilizers were concentrated in or on the surfaces of commercial films, and the remaining bulk of the film contained only a very low concentration (∼0.01 wt-%) of uniformly blended additive. Previous attempts at demonstrating energy-transfer stabilization of the polymer are discussed with reference to the present data; it is concluded that effective polypropylene stabilizers probably operate by a combination of chromophore quenching, radical scavenging, and hydroperoxide decomposition.
Can Late Gadolinium Enhancement Predict Adverse Clinical Events in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Purpose Right ventricular (RV) function predicts prognosis in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients (pts). Prior studies evaluating 3D RV metrics have yielded inconsistent prognostic information. Here we explore the prognostic value of contrast enhanced Cardiac MRI (CMR) in PAH (WHO group 1) pts. We hypothesize that CMR-Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE), when present in RV or RV insertion points (RVIP), provides additional prognostic information. Methods and Materials A retrospective chart review of PAH pts (n=46) who underwent CMR were analyzed. Demographic data: age: 56 yrs; 80% female. RV volumetric data from MRI including RVEF, RVESVI, RVEDVI and RVMI. RVIP LGE was classified as LGE + or LGE-. These were correlated with major adverse clinical events (MACE) including death, hospitalization, referral/need for lung transplant and addition of inhaled/IV prostacyclin therapy. Results LGE was positive (+) in 26 pts (57%) and negative (-) in 20 pts (43%). There were 29 MACE events in LGE+ group (avg 1.1±1.5) and 8 MACE events in LGE- group (avg 0.4±0.6) (p Conclusions Late Gadolinium Enhancement is a significant predictor of MACE events including hospitalization and addition of prostacyclin therapy. LGE status alone provides additional prognostic information to standard CMR metrics and hemodynamic data in MACE. LGE may reflect the pathophysiologic hallmark in PH patients of progressive myocardial fibrosis and RV failure.
Carbonsulfur bond cleavage in CpRu(η5-thiophene)+ and subsequent reactions of the butadiene-thiolate product

Abstract The complexes CpRu(η5-Th)+ (1) where Th is thiophene or a methyl-substituted thiophene, react with hydridges such as H2Al(OCH2CH2OMe)2− to give (eq. 3) the CS cleaved butadiene-thiolate product 3. Subsequent reactions of 3 are shown: This scheme is not intended to indicate that all reactions were performed on the thiophene complex; many were carried out using the methyl-substituted thiophene analogs. Structures of complexes of the types 6 and 9 were established by X-ray diffraction studies. Possible mechanisms for reaction 3 are considered, and stereochemistries
A rigid body model and decoupled control architecture for two manipulators holding a complex object

Abstract A rigid body dynamical model and control architecture are developed for the closed-chain motion of two manipulators holding an object containing a spherical joint in a three-dimensional workspace. The model is first developed in the joint space and then transformed to obtain reduced order equations of motion and a separate set of equations describing the behavior of the internal stress and strain component of the generalized contract forces. The problem of solving the model for the unknown variables is discussed. A control architecture consisting of the sum of the outputs of a primary and secondary controller is suggested which, according to the model, decouples the position- and internal stress force-controlled degrees of freedom during motion of the system. The purposed composite controller enables the designer to develop independent, noninteracting control laws for the position- and internal stress force-control of the closed-chain system. Finally, the modeling and control framework is applied to the case of an object containing a revolute joint.
Underwater Vision of the Sea Otter

A sea otter, Enhydra lutris, was trained to select the larger of two disks simultaneously presented under water, and its ability to discriminate between disks of nearly the same size was tested. The results provide an index of visual acuity, and suggest that Enhydra has slightly poorer underwater vision than Zalophus or Phoca.
Divergencies in Pavlovian conditioned heart rate and eyeblink responses produced by hippocampectomy in the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The present study examined the effect of hippocampectomy on acquisition and reversal of a Pavlovian conditioned heart rate (HR) and eyeblink (EB) discrimination in New Zealand albino rabbits. Hippocampectomy greatly impaired reversal of the EB discrimination, and produced a somewhat weaker disruption of discrimination during initial acquisition in some animals; however, the performance of several hippocampectomized subjects during acquisition was equal to or better than that of control subjects. The normally occurring bradycardiac HR CR was attenuated in both hippocampal and cortically damaged subjects, although HR discrimination was not impaired. The latter findings, which conflict with previous studies of HR changes in hippocampal lesioned subjects could have been due to the more extensive hippocampal damage produced in the present study compared to that produced in previous studies, or to some as yet undetermined cortical mechanism.
Nulliparity and Fracture Risk in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

Whether nulliparity increases fracture risk is unclear from prior studies, which are limited by small samples or lack of measured bone mineral density. No study has evaluated whether the effect of parity differs by skeletal site. We prospectively analyzed the relationship of parity to the risk of incident nontraumatic hip, spine, and wrist fractures in 9704 women aged 65 years or older participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures to determine if parity reduces postmenopausal fracture risk, and if so, if this risk reduction is (1) greater at weight-bearing skeletal sites and (2) independent of bone mineral density. Parity was ascertained by self-report. Incident hip and wrist fractures were determined by physician adjudication of radiology reports (mean follow-up, 9.8 years) and spine fractures by morphometric criteria on serial radiographs. The relationship of parity to hip and wrist fracture was assessed by proportional hazards models. Spine fracture risk was evaluated by logistic regression. Compared with parous women, nulliparous women (n = 1835, 19%) had an increased risk of hip and spine, but not wrist, fractures. In multivariate models, parity remained a significant predictor only for hip fracture. Nulliparous women had a 44% increased risk of hip fractures independent of hip bone mineral density (hazards ratio, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.17-1.78). Among parous women, each additional birth reduced hip fracture risk by 9% (p = 0.03). Additionally, there were no differences in mean total hip, spine, or radial bone mineral density values between nulliparous and parous women after multivariate adjustment. In conclusion, childbearing reduces hip fracture risk by means that may be independent of hip bone mineral density.
Diffusion of videos on US hospital web sites

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the adoption of videos on US hospital web sites in an attempt to find out how this new medium had been used by hospitals for marketing purposes.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a systematic probability sample of the 6,456 US hospital web sites, a content analysis is conducted to measure the effects that hospital service quality, hospital size, hospital affiliation, and geographic population had on the diffusion of online videos.Findings – The paper has found that, although the critical mass for using videos on hospital web sites has been reached, for the overwhelming majority of the hospitals, including those that are already using videos, there is still a long way to go in learning how to harness the power of video for marketing and to make videos an integral and routine part of their marketing strategy.Research limitations/implications – Further studies need to be conducted to uncover hospitals' attitudes and users' attitudes toward new media adopt...
Maximum power point considerations in micro-scale solar energy harvesting systems

Maximum power point (MPP) tracking is a technique to maximize the amount of power harvested from energy transducers such as solar cells. MPP tracking presents new design challenges when used in the context of micro-scale energy harvesting systems, where the area dedicated to solar cells is small (in the range of sub or a few cm2) and hence, the power output is in the range of a few mW. This paper provides an overview of several low-overhead MPP tracking approaches that are attractive for micro-scale solar energy harvesting. These include: design-time component matching method, fractional open-circuit voltage or fractional short-circuit current method, and variants of the generic hill-climbing approach. We also illustrate using a simple case study, how MPP from a full-system perspective may differ from the MPP of the photovoltaic module itself in micro-scale harvesting systems.
Long-term urodynamics followup of bladder augmentation for neurogenic bladder.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Augmentation enterocystoplasty is well tolerated by patients with neurogenic bladder in whom conservative therapy has failed. However, few studies exist on long-term urodynamic evaluation of these patients. We assessed the clinical and urodynamic outcomes of patients with neurogenic bladder treated with augmentation enterocystoplasty with at least 4 years of followup.Materials and Methods: A total of 26 patients with neurogenic voiding dysfunction underwent augmentation enterocystoplasty alone or in conjunction with various continence or antireflux techniques. Clinical outcomes regarding incontinence, medications, catheterization schedule, subsequent interventions, bowel function and patient satisfaction were addressed. Urodynamic evaluation was performed to assess the long-term durability of bladder augmentation.Results: Mean followup was 8.0 years (range 4 to 13). All but 1 patient (96%) in our series had near or complete resolution of urinary incontinence. Mean total bladder capacity ±...
Ca2+ flux through voltage-gated channels with flow cessation in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells.

Objective: To investigate the role of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in Ca2+ influx with flow cessation in flow-adapted rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells.Methods: Cells were evaluated for mRNA and protein levels for major components of the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Ca2+ influx with flow cessation and cell membrane potential were measured in real time with fluorescent dyes. Mibefradil and nifedipine were used as inhibitors of Ca2+ channel activity.Results: Voltage-gated Ca2+ channel protein and mRNA for the T-type channel were expressed at a relatively low level in endothelial cells cultured under static conditions and expression was induced significantly during flow adaptation. Flow-adapted but not control cells showed Ca2+ influx during flow cessation that was blocked by mibefradil but not by nifedipine. Ca2+ influx also was blocked by cromakalim, a KATP channel agonist. Cell membrane depolarization with flow cessation was unaffected by mibefradil.Conclusions: Rat pulmonary microvascular endo...
Question-Order Effects on Presidential Popularity

SOCIAL scientists are becoming increasingly sensitive to the potential contamination of survey data by response effects. This paper explores a type of response problem about which relatively little is known: the effect of question order (see especially Sudman and Bradburn, 1974). The paper centers on a question that has been asked in Gallup Polls for more than 40 years: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that is handling his job as President?" A question-order effect is said to operate when responses are influenced by the question's placement within a survey. Most research on order effects pertains to the situation in which people's responses to one item in a survey are consciously or unconsciously influenced by their responses to a previous item; had the order of the items been reversed, or had the first one not been asked, their responses to the later question would have been different. This can happen, for example, as the result of what Bradburn and Mason
Appearing and disappearing calyces.

The excretory urograms of 51 children under the age of 12 years who had 167 excretory urograms, an average of 3.3 per patient, were carefully examined. It was found that an average of 2 calyces per kidney per patient did not fill during excretory urography on the left, and just over 2 calyces per kidney per patient did not fill during excretory urography on the right. Neither the intravenous injection of large amounts of contrast medium nor the use of ureteral compression were of particular use in filling the calyces. Calyces did not always fill with a vigorous injection during retrograde pyelography. A poorly filed calyx, therefore, may be misdiagnosed as abnormal, or a clubbed calyx not filled during the examination may be missed.
Forbidding-enforcing systems

This paper presents a model of molecular computing that is based on two kinds of "boundary conditions": forbidding and enforcing. Forbidding conditions require that a contradictory (or conflicting) group of components (molecules) may not be present in a (molecular) system, as otherwise the system will "die". An enforcing condition requires that if a certain group of components (molecules) is present in a system, then eventually other components will be present in the system -- hence such an enforcing condition models a molecular reaction. Thus the evolution of a system is determined by the enforcing conditions, but it is constraint by the forbidding conditions. Such forbidding-enforcing systems (fe systems) are investigated in this paper in the framework of strings--i.e., molecules are represented by strings. Each fe system defines a family of languages (rather than just one language, which is standard in formal language theory)--each language in this family presents a set of molecules that satisfy both forbidding and enforcing constraints. In this paper we investigate basic computational properties of fe systems operating on strings.
Porcine aortic valve bioprostheses: a morphologic comparison of the effects of fixation pressure.

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using polarized light microscopy to detect quantitative differences in porcine aortic valve collagen crimp following zero; low- and high-pressure fixation
Scalable approach to providing constant rate services

High speed networks must provide constant rate services to handle applications like telephony, audio and video, multimedia services, and real-time control. An important issue in providing constant rate services is scaleability. In this paper we propose a scaleable approach, called the reduced control complexity network, to providing constant rate service. Our approach uses an asynchronous network that guarantees lossless transport of constant rate data. First, we consider the problem of providing FIFO order, lossless and fault-free transport of one constant rate connection using asynchronous network elements. We accurately characterize the behavior of the traffic as it goes through the network. We find that the minimum buffer size required to guarantee lossless transport grows nearly linearly with the number of network elements traversed by the connection. We propose an asynchronous switch element in which each connection is allocated a logically separate buffer space. We use a non-work conserving scheduling policy to guarantee the service requirement of all connections. This simplifies the problem of reasoning about network behavior. We use a static, table-driven scheduler that can be easily implemented to work at high speeds. Finally, we address the problem of generating the schedule table to meet the service rates of connections.
Toxicity of high dose Ara-C in children and adolescents

The toxicity of high dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) in 23 leukemic children aged 1.5 years to 16 years 11 months was evaluated. The group included 11 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), nine with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL), two with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) in blastic crisis, and one with Burkitt's lymphoma. Toxicity consisted of bone marrow suppression in all patients, with a mean nadir time of 11 days for platelets and granulocytes. All patients experienced nausea and vomiting; 12 of 23 had drug induced fever; seven of 23 conjunctivitis; five of 23 mucositis; four of 23 diarrhea, and one of 23 elevated transaminase with hyperbilirubinemia. Adverse reactions were mild and reversible in all patients. No serious neurologic toxicity was seen. The toxicity observed in four patients with prior cranial irradiation was not any different from nonirradiated patients. The only life-threatening effect was neutropenia, the consequences of which were generally well controlled with antibiotic therapy. While this agent was effective in induction of remission in AML patients resistant to standard doses of Ara-C, it had no significant effect in a very small number of patients with relapsed ALL and CML in blast crisis. Side effects of high dose Ara-C though relatively substantial are manageable enough to warrant wider scale efficacy trials of this agent in childhood leukemias and solid tumors.
Particle size effects in the electrorheological behavior of silica-poly (dimethylsiloxane) mixtures

Electrorheological (ER) fluids are typically nonaqueous suspensions that show a reversible viscosity increase upon application of an external electric field. There has been some important basic work on the stress-transfer mechanisms in ER fluids but little work on actual particle size effects. Several ER fluids were characterized with a modified Brookfield viscometer; field strengths up to about 0.5 kV/mm may be employed with this setup. The ER fluids consisted of various synthetic precipitated and fumed silicas suspended in a 50-cStk. or 200- cStk. silicone oil at levels up to 9% by weight. Apparent viscosity and shear stress were measured as a function of shear rate and field strength employing several silicas with different primary particle size and composition. The data show a dependence of primary and agglomerated particle sizes on the electrorheological behavior. However, all of the data for these three systems could be combined onto one scaling plot of relative viscosity versus Mason number, Mn. The crossover from electrostatic to hydrodynamic control for the stress transfer in these systems occurred at a Mn of 1.5. A fumed silica with a smaller primary particle size, and no significant agglomeration was also examined. It showed similar behavior to the previous silicas.
Condensation from superheated vapor flow of R744 and R410A at subcritical pressures in a horizontal smooth tube

Abstract This paper presents experimentally determined heat transfer coefficients for condensation from a superheated vapor of CO 2 and R410A. The superheated vapor was flowed through a smooth horizontal tube with 6.1 mm ID under almost uniform temperature cooling at reduced pressures from 0.55 to 0.95, heat fluxes from 3 to 20 kW m −2 , and superheats from 0 to 40 K. When the tube wall temperature reaches the saturation point, the measured results show that the heat transfer coefficient gradually starts deviating from the values predicted by a correlation valid for single-phase gas cooling. This point identifies the start of condensation from the superheated vapor. The condensation starts earlier at higher heat fluxes because the tube wall temperature reaches the saturation point earlier. The heat transfer coefficient reaches a value predicted by correlations for condensation at a thermodynamic vapor quality of 1. The measured heat transfer coefficient of CO 2 is roughly 20–70% higher than that of R410A at the same reduced pressures. This is mainly because the larger latent heat and liquid thermal conductivity of CO 2 , compared to that of R410A, increase the heat transfer coefficient.
Sub-30nm scaling and high-speed operation of fully-confined Access-Devices for 3D crosspoint memory based on mixed-ionic-electronic-conduction (MIEC) materials

BEOL-friendly Access Devices (AD) based on Cu-containing MIEC materials [1–3] are shown to scale to the 100uA) currents of NVM writes can reach 15ns; NVM reads at typical (∼5uA) current levels can be ≪1usec.
Inhibitory Effects of Bile Acids and Synthetic Farnesoid X Receptor Agonists on Rotavirus Replication

Rotaviruses (group A rotaviruses) are the most important cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and children worldwide. Currently, an antiviral drug is not available and information on therapeutic targets for antiviral development is limited for rotavirus infection. Previously, it was shown that lipid homeostasis is important in rotavirus replication. Since farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and its natural ligands bile acids (such as chenodeoxycholic acid [CDCA]) play major roles in cholesterol and lipid homeostasis, we examined the effects of bile acids and synthetic FXR agonists on rotavirus replication in association with cellular lipid levels. In a mouse model of rotavirus infection, effects of oral administration of CDCA on fecal rotavirus shedding were investigated. The results demonstrate the following. First, the intracellular contents of triglycerides were significantly increased by rotavirus infection. Second, CDCA, deoxycholic acid (DCA), and other synthetic FXR agonists, such as GW4064, significantly reduced rotavirus replication in cell culture in a dose-dependent manner. The reduction of virus replication correlated positively with activation of the FXR pathway and reduction of cellular triglyceride contents (r(2) = 0.95). Third, oral administration of CDCA significantly reduced fecal virus shedding in mice (P < 0.05). We conclude that bile acids and FXR agonists play important roles in the suppression of rotavirus replication. The inhibition mechanism is proposed to be the downregulation of lipid synthesis induced by rotavirus infection.
Crack Detection and Evaluation in Grout Structures with Passive/Active Methods

AbstractThis paper presents piezoelectric-based passive/active methods to reliably detect and quantify defects in mass concrete or grout structures. A dual-mode sensing methodology that makes use o...
Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Two Mixed Valence Piperazine–Vanadium Phosphates: (C4H12N2)(H3O)[(VOPO4)4(H2O)H2PO4]·3H2O and (C4H12N2)[(VO)(VO2)2(H2O)(PO4)2]

Abstract Two new phases, (C4H12N2)(H3O)[(VOPO4)4(H2O)H2PO4]·3H2O (1) and (C4H12N2)[(VO)(VO2)2(H2O)(PO4)2] (2) have been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetic susceptibility. Compound 1 has an open-framework structure and is closely related to (VO)2(PO4)2H2PO4·N2C2H10, whereas compound 2 has layered structure containing discrete trinuclear [V3O13(H2O)] corner-sharing units. In both structures the V atoms are mixed-valence, VIV and VV, with octahedral and trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Crystal data: (C4H12N2)(H3O)[(VOPO4)4(H2O)H2PO4]·3H2O 1, monoclinic, space group P2/n (No. 13), a=9.6448(7) A, b=8.8770(7) A, c=14.813(1) A, β=91.936(2)°, Z=4, R1=0.0717; (C4H12N2)[(VO)(VO2)2(H2O)(PO4)2] 2, triclinic, space group P 1 (No. 2); a=6.1650(5) A, b=10.8206(9) A, c=11.854(1) A, α=66.598(1)°, β=76.008(2)°, γ=83.439(2)°, Z=2, R1=0.0467.
Continuous cultivation of Trichoderma viride on cellulose

Using ball milled cellulose as the only carbon source Trichoderma viride was grown in a continuous flow culture at pH = 5.0 and T = 30/sup 0/C. Steady-state values for cell protein, cellulose, and cellulase for different substrate concentrations (4 to 11 g/liter) and dilution rates (0.033 to 0.080 hr/sup -1/) were obtained. Under steady-state conditions, 50 to 75 percent of the cellulose was consumed indicating a critical dilution rate on 0.17 hr/sup -1/. Cellulase activity (U/ml) in the fermentation broth increased slightly with increasing substrate concentration and decreased with increasing dilution rate, while the specific cellulase productivity (U/mg cell protein.hr) was fairly independent of the dilution rate, with a maximum around D = 0.05 hr/sup -1/. Following step changes in substrate concentration and dilution rate, new steady-state values were reached after three to five residence times (cell protein and cellulose) and four to six residence times (celullase activity).
Causality among Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: A Directed Acyclic Graph Approach

With the aim of examining the causal structure between foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth, this study derives inductive causal inference using the directed acyclic graph approach, which makes no a priori causal assumptions. There are three major findings of this study. First, economic growth causes FDI inflows for developing countries, whereas FDI induces economic growth for developed countries. Second, trade is an important intermediary to facilitate the interaction between FDI and other factors. Third, the stock market is found to be an intermediary that amplifies the influence on FDI from many causal variables of FDI for developed countries.
Lossy Compression of Discrete Sources via the Viterbi Algorithm

We present a new lossy compressor for finite-alphabet sources. For coding a sequence xn, the encoder starts by assigning a certain cost to each possible reconstruction sequence. It then finds the one that minimizes this cost and describes it losslessly to the decoder via a universal lossless compressor. The cost of each sequence is a linear combination of its distance from the sequence xn and a linear function of its kth order empirical distribution. The structure of the cost function allows the encoder to employ the Viterbi algorithm to find the sequence with minimum cost. We identify a choice of the coefficients used in the cost function which ensures that the algorithm universally achieves the optimum rate-distortion performance for any stationary ergodic source, in the limit of large , provided that increases as o(log n). Iterative techniques for approximating the coefficients, which alleviate the computational burden of finding the optimal coefficients, are proposed and studied.
World fertilizer model - the WorldNPK model.

We introduce a world fertilizers model that is capable of producing fertilizer demand projections by crop, by country, by macronutrients, and by year. For each crop, the most relevant countries in terms of production, consumption, or trade are explicitly modeled. The remaining countries are modeled, for each crop, within a regional aggregate. The nutrient coverage includes nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). In this report we present the data and procedures used to set up the model as well as the assumptions made. The fertilizer model interacts with the yield equations of the FAPRI-ISU model (Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at Iowa State University), and by means of a set of production elasticities, projects each nutrient's application rate per hectare for each commodity and each country covered by the FAPRI-ISU model. Then, the application rates and the areas projected by FAPRI-ISU are used to obtain projections of fertilizer demand from agriculture on a global scale. With this fertilizer module, policies that directly affect fertilizer markets, such as input taxes or subsidies, quantity use restrictions, and trade restrictions, can now be explicitly formulated and evaluated. The effects of these policies on global agricultural markets and on greenhouse gas emissions can be evaluated with the FAPRI-ISU model and the Greenhouse Gas in Agriculture Simulation Model (GreenAgSiM). Also, any other policy affecting commodity markets such as input and output price shocks, biofuels mandates, and land-use change can now be evaluated with regard to its impacts on the world fertilizer markets.
A Low-Cost Instrumented Spatial Linkage Accurately Determines ASIS Position During Cycle Ergometry

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an alternative method for determining the position of the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) during cycling. The approach used in this study employed an instrumented spatial linkage (ISL) system to determine the position of the ASIS in the parasagittal plane. A two-segment ISL constructed using aluminum segments, bearings, and digital encoders was tested statically against a calibration plate and dynamically against a video-based motion capture system. Four well-trained cyclists provided data at three pedaling rates. Statically, the ISL had a mean horizontal error of 0.03 ± 0.21 mm and a mean vertical error of −0.13 ± 0.59 mm. Compared with the video-based motion capture system, the agreement of the location of the ASIS had a mean error of 0.30 ± 0.55 mm for the horizontal dimension and −0.27 ± 0.60 mm for the vertical dimension. The ISL system is a cost-effective, accurate, and valid measure for two-dimensional kinematic data within a range of motio...
TP-planet: a reliable transport protocol for interplanetary Internet

Space exploration missions are crucial for acquisition of information about space and the Universe. The entire success of a mission is directly related to the satisfaction of its communications needs. For this goal, the challenges posed by the InterPlaNetary (IPN) Internet need to be addressed. Current transmission control protocols (TCPs) have very poor performance in the IPN Internet, which is characterized by extremely high propagation delays, link errors, asymmetrical bandwidth, and blackouts. The window-based congestion control, which injects a new packet into the network upon an ACK reception, is responsible for such performance degradation due to high propagation delay. Slow start algorithms of the existing TCPs further contribute to the performance degradation by wasting long time periods to reach the actual data rate. Moreover, wireless link errors amplify the problem by misleading the TCP source to unnecessarily throttle the congestion window. The recovery from erroneous window decrease takes a certain amount of time, which is proportional to the round-trip time (RTT) and further decreases the network performance. In this paper, a reliable transport protocol (TP-Planet) is presented for data traffic in the IPN Internet. It is intended to address the challenges and to achieve high throughput performance and reliable data transmission on deep-space links of the IPN Backbone Network. TP-Planet deploys a rate-based additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) congestion control, whose AIMD parameters are tuned to help avoid throughput degradation. TP-Planet replaces the inefficient slow start algorithm with a novel Initial State algorithm, which allows the capture of link resources in a very fast and controlled manner. A new congestion detection and control mechanism is developed, which decouples congestion decisions from single packet losses in order to avoid the erroneous congestion decisions due to high link errors. In order to reduce the effects of blackout conditions on the throughput performance, TP-Planet incorporates the blackout state procedure into the protocol operation. The bandwidth asymmetry problem is addressed by the adoption of delayed selective acknowledgment (SACK). Simulation experiments show that the TP-Planet significantly improves the throughput performance and addresses the challenges posed by the IPN Backbone Network.
Perception of the Family Environment and Intrafamilial Agreement in Belief Concerning the Adolescent

This study investigated differences in perception of the family environment between families with a child in early adolescence and those with a child in late adolescence, and the relation between those perceptions and intrafamilial agreement in belief concerning the personal characteristics of the adolescent. Forty-two families and their adolescent children were interviewed in two sessions scheduled a week apart. Interviews were based on the Family Belief Interview Schedule, which presents 15 short vignettes designed to assess parental beliefs about the child and the child's beliefs about parental beliefs. Families additionally completed the Family Environment Scale. Results indicated that (1) parents with younger adolescents perceived more conflict and less organization in the home; (2) younger adolescents perceived their families to be characterized by less conflict than did older adolescents; and (3) families high in intrafamilial agreement in belief perceived themselves to be more cohesive, organized,...
Answers to R&D Dilemmas

The blurring of boundaries among industry, university, and government is becoming a dominant trend as we approach the twenty‐first century. In a world where technology and information have become vital corporate assets, management is recognizing that business strategies must turn to other sectors to sustain international competitiveness.
Enhancement of the Sensitivity of Human Colon Cancer Cells to Growth Inhibition by Acivicin Achieved through Inhibition of Nucleic Acid Precursor Salvage by Dipyridamole

This study was undertaken to determine if salvage of nucleic acid precursors might constitute a mechanism of resistance to acivicin in human colon cancer cells and, if so, to establish whether dipyridamole, an inhibitor of nucleoside and nucleobase transport, can block the salvage process and restore sensitivity to acivicin. Acivicin inhibited the replication of human colon cancer cells (VACO 5) in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. In addition, marked cell lysis was evident after a 24-hr exposure to acivicin at concentrations greater than 1 microgram/ml. The primary metabolic effect of acivicin was depletion of the cytidine triphosphate and guanosine triphosphate pools. Adenosine triphosphate levels were also reduced, but apparently as a consequence of the guanosine triphosphate depletion. VACO 5 cells exposed to acivicin (3 micrograms/ml) efficiently salvaged low levels (1 micron) of cytidine, guanosine, and guanine and could, therefore, restore the depleted nucleotide pools. The combination of cytidine and guanosine, but not either nucleoside alone, provided significant protection against the growth-inhibitory properties of acivicin. Dipyridamole, at a noncytotoxic concentration (5 microM), blocked repletion of the cytidine triphosphate and guanosine triphosphate pools in cells exposed to acivicin and the nucleic acid precursors. As a result, the growth-inhibitory effects of acivicin were maintained. The salvage of cytidine was particularly sensitive to inhibition by dipyridamole, and no restoration of cytidine triphosphate pools was evident. The cellular uptake of a variety of nucleic acid precursors was differentially sensitive to inhibition by dipyridamole. The 50% inhibitory dose values ranged from 0.01 to 2.5 microM for cytidine and uridine, respectively. The results of this study indicate that, although the replication of VACO 5 cells was inhibited by acivicin, low levels of nucleosides and nucleobases can circumvent the cytotoxicity. Dipyridamole effectively blocked the salvage pathways and restored the sensitivity of the cancer cells to the antiproliferative actions of acivicin.
Accumulation and mobilization of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters in Leydig tumor cells

Incubating MA-10 Leydig tumor cells with sodium oleate led to the accumulation of triglyceride within the cells. Triglycerides were deposited in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Cellular triglyceride promoted storage of cholesteryl ester. As much cholesteryl ester was stored in oleate-treated cells as in cells treated with saturating concentrations of low density lipoprotein. Addition of both oleate and low density lipoprotein resulted in additive accumulation of cholesteryl esters. Cholesteryl esters in cells loaded with triglyceride by oleate treatment were mobilized in response to dibutyryl-cAMP to an extent similar to that in cells containing low triglyceride concentrations. Dibutyryl-cAMP stimulated cholesteryl ester mobilization under all conditions, and stimulated triglyceride mobilization when adequate fatty acid acceptors were available. The results indicate that while triglyceride accumulation in MA-10 cells promoted cholesteryl ester deposition, it did not impair cAMP-dependent cholesteryl ester hydrolysis or steroid hormone production.
Dietary apigenin reduces LPS-induced expression of miR-155 restoring immune balance during inflammation

Scope High incidence of inflammatory diseases afflicts the increasing aging-population infringing a great health burden. Dietary flavonoids, including the flavone apigenin, are emerging as important anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals due to their health benefits, lack of adverse effects and reduced costs. MicroRNAs (miRs) play a central role in inflammation by regulating gene expression, yet how dietary ingredients affect miRs is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify miRs involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of apigenin and apigenin-rich diets and determine their immune regulatory mechanisms in macrophages and in vivo. Methods and results A high-throughput quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR screen of 312 miRs in macrophages revealed that apigenin reduced LPS-induced miR-155 expression. Analyses of miR-155 precursor and primary transcript indicated that apigenin regulated miR-155 transcriptionally. Apigenin-reduced expression of miR-155 led to the increase of anti-inflammatory regulators forkhead box O3a and smooth-muscle-actin and MAD-related protein 2 in LPS-treated macrophages. In vivo, apigenin or a celery-based apigenin-rich diet reduced LPS-induced expression of miR-155 and decreased tumor necrosis factor α in lungs from LPS-treated mice. Conclusion These results demonstrate that apigenin and apigenin-rich diets exert effective anti-inflammatory activity in vivo by reducing LPS-induced expression of miR-155, thereby restoring immune balance.
A Discriminative Training Framework using N-Best Speech Recognition Transcriptions and Scores for Spoken Utterance Classification

In this paper, we propose a novel discriminative training approach to spoken utterance classification (SUC). The ultimate objective of the SUC task, originally developed to map a spoken speech utterance into the most appropriate semantic class, is to minimize the classification error rate (CER). Conventionally, a two-phase approach is adapted, in which the first phase is the ASR transcription phase, and the second phase is the semantic classification phase. In the proposed framework, the classification error rate is approximated as differentiable functions of the language and classifier model parameters. Furthermore, in order to exploit all the available information from the first phase, class-specific discriminant functions are defined based on score functions derived from the N-best lists. Our experimental results on the standard ATIS database indicate a notable reduction in CER from the earlier best result on the identical task. The proposed framework achieved a reduction of CER from 4.92% to 4.04%.