cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtual environment for engineering design evaluation and scientific visualization

The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) has been exploring potential uses for virtual environments (VE) in engineering and scientific applications for approximately two years. The initial research involved commercial software, and while researchers at WES feel that the software available at that time had potential in a variety of application areas, it was found to lack specific features and flexibility needed for their target applications. The research then concentrated on designing and developing a software system which will provide VE designers at WES and the Engineering Research Center (ERC) a foundation of basic research upon which future development and application systems could be based. In implementing the prototype system, many graphical and software techniques and their application toward VE in general were evaluated. Several of these techniques are discussed in terms of performance and effectiveness. A specific application was developed based on the prototype system, and its effectiveness in relating meaningful information to the research scientist is discussed in the body of the paper. Finally, general observations concerning the potency of VE in engineering and scientific visualization are made.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Assessing the Impact Unique NVG Filters Have on Human Visual Performance under Simulated Compatible Cockpit Lighting

The introduction of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) into the cockpits of aircraft configured with head-up displays (HUDs) and colored cockpit instruments necessitated the addition of special NVG objective lens filters to ensure NVG/cockpit compatibility. Three classifications have been developed: Class A, B and C, all minus blue filters, but with different transmissivity characteristics customized to make NVGs compatible with particular cockpit configurations. Class C filters, designed for aircraft equipped with holographic HUDs, are constructed of applied reflective coatings with a built-in spectral notch for transmitting the correct light wavelength to make the projected HUD symbology readable. New absorptive glass technology was integrated into the design of an RG-665 minus-blue filter identical to a class B filter but with a physical pinhole and varying glass material thickness to fine tune the filter for optimal transmissivity for NVG/HUD compatibility. A study was conducted to examine the impact these two unique classifications of filters have on visual performance using simulated compatible cockpit lighting in a controlled laboratory. Results indicate the Class C filters significantly outperformed the RG-665 filters with the windscreen condition installed. A discussion of the properties of each type of filter and its effect on NVG visual performance are discussed in this paper.
Traps for neutral radioactive atoms

We describe several methods for efficiently injecting a small number of radioactive atoms into a laser trap. The characteristics of laser traps that make them desirable for physics experiments are discussed and several different experimental directions are described. We describe recent experiments with the alkali element Fr and point to future directions of the neutral atom trapping program.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Home range, home range overlap, and species energy use among herbivorous mammals

Harestad & Bunnell (1979) showed that, at least for North American species, home ranges of large herbivorous mammals are relatively larger than we would expect on metabolic grounds, and suggested that the productivity of the environment for mammal species decreases with increasing body size. This interpretation assumes that the number of conspecifics that share an individual's home range is independent of body size. Data presented here show that this is not true for the species in their sample; the home range is shared with an increasing number of conspecifics in larger herbivore species. The productivity of the environment for a species is independent of body size and the area available to an individual for its own use scales approximately as do individual metabolic requirements. These results agree with conclusions based upon the scaling of population density with body mass and illustrate the interrelationship between home range and dietary and social organization trends among mammalian herbivores. Individual home range area is a function of the way in which the local population of a species, not merely an individual, exploits the environment.
Ontogeny of tracheal dimensions and gas exchange capacities in the grasshopper, Schistocerca americana

How does body size affect the structure and gas exchange capacities of insect tracheae? Do insects become more oxygen-limited as they grow? We addressed these questions by measuring the dimensions of two transverse tracheae within the abdomen of American locusts of different ages, and evaluating the potential for diffusion or convection to provide adequate gas exchange. The grasshopper abdomen has longitudinal tracheae that run along the midgut, heart, nerve cord, and lateral body wall. Transverse tracheae run from each spiracle to the longitudinal tracheae. Dorsal air sacs attach near each spiracle. In both transverse tracheae studied, diffusive capacities increased more slowly than metabolic rates with age, and calculated oxygen gradients necessary to supply oxygen by diffusion increased exponentially with age. However, surgical studies demonstrated that transport of gas through these transverse tracheae occurred by convection, at least in adults. Convective capacities paralleled metabolic rates with age, and the calculated pressure gradients required to sustain oxygen consumption rates by convection were independent of age. Thus, in growing grasshoppers, tracheal capacities matched tissue oxygen needs. Our morphological and physiological data together suggest that use of convection allows older grasshoppers to overcome potential limitations on size imposed by diffusion through tracheal systems.
Phonon Frequencies in Copper at 49 and 298°K

Phonon frequencies for wave vectors along the principal symmetry directions in copper have been determined at 49 and 298\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K from neutron inelastic-scattering measurements. In general, the temperature dependences of the frequencies were found to be smaller for the higher-frequency modes. For the lower frequencies ($\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\lesssim}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}$ cps), the frequency changes measured are consistent with the 3-4% changes estimated from the isothermal elastic constants. For higher frequencies the relative changes are much smaller, often being 1% or less. Axially symmetric force models, which included interactions to the sixth nearest neighbors, were fitted to the data and have been used to calculate a frequency distribution function $g(\ensuremath{\nu})$ at each temperature. A comparison of the temperature dependences of the moments of these distributions with various Gr\"uneisen parameters leads to the conclusion that Cu does not satisfy the assumption of the quasiharmonic model. The Debye temperature ${\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{C}$ versus temperature curve calculated with the 49\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K $g(\ensuremath{\nu})$ is in excellent agreement with results from specific-heat measurements in the entire 0 to 298\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K range. A fairly strong temperature dependence for the widths of some well-focused phonons was observed.
An assessment of shell theories for buckling ofcircular cylindrical laminated composite panels loaded inaxial compression

Abstract Buckling loads of circular cylindrical laminated composite panels are obtained usingSanders–Koiter (e.g. Sanders, 1959 ; Koiter, 1959 ) , Love (e.g. Love, 1927 ) and Donnell (e.g. Loo, 1957 ) shell theories with a first-order, shear-deformationapproach and a Rayleigh–Ritz method that accounts for different boundary conditions andmaterial anisotropy. Results obtained using Sanders–Koiter, Love, Donnell shell theories arecompared with those obtained from finite element simulations, where the curved panels aremodeled using nine-node quadrilateral continuum-based shell elements that are independent of anyshell theory. Comparisons with finite element results indicate that Donnells theory could be inerror for some lamination schemes and geometrical parameters.
Blockade by Polyunsaturated n-3 Fatty Acids of Endotoxin-Induced Monocytic Tissue Factor Activation Is Mediated by the Depressed Receptor Expression in THP-1 Cells

Background.Monocytic hypercoagulation often occurs in inflammatory conditions. We have previously reported that polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) including eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) prevent the activation of monocytic tissue factor (TF) induced by bacterial endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] in cell cultures and animals. Hypothesis. We herein explore the mode of inhibitory action of n-3 FA to determine if LPS transmembrane signaling is blocked, exerting such antagonism. Results. Exposure of human leukemia monocytic THP-1 cells to bacterial endotoxin (Escherichia coli 0111:B04, 1.5 μg/ml) for 6 h significantly activated TF activity and the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-1β in conditioned medium. Pretreatment with n-3 FA, 20:5 and 22:6 at 10 μM, resulted in time-dependent suppression of not only TF activation but also the elicitation of NO, TNF-α, and IL-1β. These LPS responses were substantially depressed by more than 50% after a 72-h pretreatment. FACScan analysis showed that n-3 FA readily prevented fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated LPS from binding to THP-1 cells by approximately 70%. The observation that anti-CD14 mAb diminished FITC–LPS binding in a dose-dependent fashion has revealed CD14 dependency in LPS recognition. LPS upregulated CD14 expression, which was significantly arrested by n-3 FA. Similarly, the upregulation of the expression of CD11b, another proposed LPS receptor, was also minimally but significantly depressed by n-3 FA. Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that n-3 FA are able to block LPS transmembrane signaling via suppression of the receptor upregulation, mediating a variety of significant antagonisms against LPS action.
Redox-coupled dynamics and folding in cytochrome c.

Cytochrome c functions as an electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron-transport chain using the Fe(II)−Fe(III) redox couple of a covalently attached heme prosthetic group, and it has served as a paradigm for both biological redox activity and protein folding. On the basis of a wide variety of biophysical techniques, it has been suggested that the protein is more flexible in the oxidized state than in the reduced state, which has led to speculation that it is the dynamics of the protein that has been evolved to control the cofactor's redox properties. To test this hypothesis, we incorporated carbon−deuterium bonds throughout cytochrome c and characterized their absorption frequencies and line widths using IR spectroscopy. The absorption frequencies of several residues on the proximal side of the heme show redox-dependent changes, but none show changes in line width, implying that the flexibility of the oxidized and reduced proteins is not different. However, the spectra demonstrate that folded protei...
Power distribution network design with split and merged power rails

In a power distribution network design, it is always desirable to have a clean, undistorted power supply from the voltage source to each of the functional blocks in a microprocessor in order for the chip to function properly. Although a large individual power rails supply is generally preferred, it is usually not feasible in a real-world design due to form factor limitation and cost constraint. Power rails merging not only allows the option for decoupling capacitors sharing, but also reduces the number of voltage sources needed in the designed system. However, by merging power rails, coupling noise is generated between the functional blocks that share the same voltage source. In this study, a study on power rails merger option is carried out based on two aspects: the load current characteristics and the power noise tolerances of the functional blocks being merged.
H II REGION DRIVEN GALACTIC BUBBLES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE GALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELD

The relative alignments of mid-infrared traced Galactic bubbles are compared to the orientation of the mean Galactic magnetic field in the disk. The orientations of bubbles in the northern Galactic plane were measured and are consistent with random orientations?no preferential alignment with respect to the Galactic disk was found. A subsample of H II region driven Galactic bubbles was identified, and as a single population they show random orientations. When this subsample was further divided into subthermal and suprathermal H II regions, based on hydrogen radio recombination linewidths, the subthermal H II regions showed a marginal deviation from random orientations, but the suprathermal H II regions showed significant alignment with the Galactic plane. The mean orientation of the Galactic disk magnetic field was characterized using new near-infrared starlight polarimetry and the suprathermal H II regions were found to preferentially align with the disk magnetic field. If suprathermal linewidths are associated with younger H II regions, then the evolution of young H II regions is significantly affected by the Galactic magnetic field. As H II regions age, they cease to be strongly linked to the Galactic magnetic field, as surrounding density variations come to dominate their morphological evolution. From the new observations, the ratios of magnetic-to-ram pressures in the expanding ionization fronts were estimated for younger H II regions.
The ethics of belief: doxastic self-control and intellectual virtue

Most of the literature on doxastic voluntarism has concentrated on the question of the voluntariness of belief and the issue of how our actual or possible control of our beliefs bears on our justification for holding them and on how, in the light of this control, our intellectual character should be assessed. This paper largely concerns a related question on which less philosophical work has been done: the voluntariness of the grounding of belief and the bearing of various views about this matter on justification, knowledge, and intellectual virtue. In part, my concern is the nature and extent of our voluntary control over our responses to reasons for believing—or over what we take to be such reasons. This paper provides a partial account of such control and, on the basis of the account, will clarify the criteria for appraising intellectual virtue.
Global observations of nitric oxide in the thermosphere

[1] Nitric oxide density in the lower thermosphere (97–150 km) has been measured from the polar-orbiting Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) satellite as a function of latitude, longitude, and altitude for the 2 1/2 year period from 11 March 1998 until 30 September 2000. The observations show that the maximum density occurs near 106–110 km and that the density is highly variable. The nitric oxide density at low latitudes correlates well with the solar soft X-ray irradiance (2–7 nm), indicating that it is the solar X-rays that produce thermospheric nitric oxide at low and midlatitudes. Nitric oxide is produced at auroral latitudes (60°–70° geomagnetic) by the precipitation of electrons (1–10 keV) into the thermosphere. During high geomagnetic activity, increased nitric oxide may be present at midlatitudes as the result of meridional winds that carry the nitric oxide equatorward.
Defining geometric algebra semantics

This paper discusses the development of Open Math Content Dictionaries (CDs) for Geometric Algebra (GA) in support of efforts towards developing a Physics Markup Language (PML). This paper introduces the underlying principles of a PML. The background on the various bodies of knowledge that are being leveraged including markup languages, GA, and OpenMath are introduced. The approach for the creation of CDs specific to GA is presented with an amplifying example. Four GA CDs were constructed proving the capabilities for standardizing GA semantics and PML development.
Ganglioside GM3 Blocks the Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Induced by Integrin at Specific Tyrosine Sites

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can be activated by both direct ligand binding and cross-talk with other molecules, such as integrins. This integrin-mediated cross-talk with growth factor receptors participates in regulating cell proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion. Previous studies have shown that ligand-dependent EGFR activation is inhibited by GM3, the predominant ganglioside of epithelial cells, but the effect of GM3 on ligand-independent, integrin-EGFR cross-talk is unknown. Using a squamous carcinoma cell line we show that endogenous accumulation of GM3 disrupts the ligand-independent association of the integrin beta1 subunit with EGFR and results in inhibition of cell proliferation. Consistently, endogenous depletion of GM3 markedly increases the association of EGFR with tyrosine-phosphorylated integrin beta1 and promotes cell proliferation. The ligand-independent stimulation of EGFR does not require focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation or cytoskeletal rearrangement. Stimulation of EGFR and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling by GM3 depletion involves the phosphorylation of EGFR at tyrosine residues 845, 1068, and 1148 but not 1086 or 1173. The specific blockade of phosphorylation at Tyr-845 with Src family kinase inhibition and at Tyr-1148 with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibition suggests that GM3 inhibits integrin-induced, ligand-independent EGFR phosphorylation (cross-talk) through suppression of Src family kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling.
Contributions to the kinematical theory of diffraction contrast from screw dislocations

The images of screw dislocations have been evaluated with the kinematical theory of electron diffraction using numerical techniques. The advantage of this method is that the periodic term in the diffracted intensity can be treated. It is found that because of this periodic term a screw dislocation for which n = g · b = 1 will be nearly invisible for certain foil thicknesses, deviations from the Bragg angle, and dislocation positions in the foil. On the basis of these findings, it is proposed that errors in Burgers vector determinations are possible. [Russian Text Ignored].
A membrane proximal helix in the cytosolic domain of the human APP interacting protein LR11/SorLA deforms liposomes.

Abstract Over the last decade, compelling evidence has linked the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to defective intracellular trafficking of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Faulty APP trafficking results in an overproduction of Aβ peptides, which is generally agreed to be the primary cause of AD-related pathogenesis. LR11 (SorLA), a type I transmembrane sorting receptor, has emerged as a key regulator of APP trafficking and processing. It directly interacts with APP and diverts it away from amyloidogenic processing. The 54-residue cytosolic domain of LR11 is essential for its proper intracellular localization and trafficking which, in turn, determines the fate of APP. Here, we have found a surprising membrane-proximal amphipathic helix in the cytosolic domain of LR11. Moreover, a peptide corresponding to this region folds into an α-helical structure in the presence of liposomes and transforms liposomes to small vesicles and tubule-like particles. We postulate that this amphipathic helix may contribute to the dynamic remodeling of membrane structure and facilitate LR11 intracellular transport. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: NMR Spectroscopy for Atomistic Views of Biomembranes and Cell Surfaces. Guest Editors: Lynette Cegelski and David P.Weliky.
The secondary-electron yield measured for 5–24 MeV protons on aluminum-oxide and gold targets

Abstract The yield of first-surface secondary electrons from H+ impact on aluminum and gold targets is measured. Data are obtained for proton energies of 5 ≤ E ≤ 24 MeV on aluminum and 5 ≤ E ≤ 18 MeV on gold, and these data are compared with theoretical expectations and with previous data for lower proton energies. An empirical curve for the yield from aluminum-oxide is obtained from a theoretical curve for pure aluminum by using earlier measurements of primary-electron-produced yields from both aluminum and aluminum-oxide.
Monoclonal IgG1κ anti-glomerular basement membrane disease: a case report.

We report a case of anti–glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) nephritis with indolent course, monoclonal IgG1κ (immunoglobulin G, subclass 1, κ light chain) linear staining of the GBM, and multifocal GBM breaks but without crescents or detectable serum anti-GBM antibody in a patient followed over 9 years. Atypically, anti-GBM nephritis follows an indolent course. A very small fraction of patients with anti-GBM nephritis lack detectable circulating anti-GBM antibodies, and rare reports of monoclonal anti-GBM nephritis exist. We report what is to our knowledge the first case manifesting all 3 of these rare variations. Our patient initially presented with asymptomatic decreased kidney function following an upper respiratory tract infection. He was found to have microhematuria and subnephrotic proteinuria with mild diffuse endocapillary proliferative and exudative glomerulonephritis with linear IgG1κ staining of the GBM. He was treated with an induction regimen of intravenous cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids followed by maintenance monotherapy with mycophenolic acid. Nine years later, repeat kidney biopsy for worsening kidney function after an upper respiratory tract infection showed persistent monoclonal staining of the GBM and acute glomerulonephritis with increased chronicity, including a single fibrocellular crescent. Despite extensive clinical investigations spanning nearly a decade, no circulating anti-GBM antibody or monoclonal protein has been detected. In this case report, we explore the unique features of this monoclonal IgG1κ-associated anti-GBM nephritis.
A note on testing for spatial error components

Abstract The two tests for spatial error components are the Kelejian-Robinson (KR) test and the LM test developed by Anselin (2001). We develop a new form for the LM test which facilitates comparisons to the KR test, and show why the LM test is superior. We develop a second test in the spirit of KR which overcomes this particular shortcoming, but in fact incurs a second shortcoming which renders it inferior even to the original KR test. We discuss this failure as well.
"STUTTERING" IN NORMAL SPEECH.

“Stuttering” in normal speech occurs more on lexical items than on function words, This and other recent general research in hesitation phenomena correlate closely with previous research in the loc...
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS WITH A FERROELECTRIC AND FERROELASTIC MATERIAL MODEL

ABSTRACT Domain wall motion and phase transformations are driven by stress and electric field, are rate and temperature dependent, and can occur at relatively low stress and electric field levels due to field concentrators such as pores and electrode edges. Analysis of this behavior requires multiaxial material models with hysteresis in a finite element code. This work describes the current state of research in the area of constitutive modeling and finite element analysis of ferroelectric materials. It begins with a description of the large field experimental characterization of ferroelectric behavior including observed effects of field induced phase transformations. Constitutive modeling using a phenomenological approach (macroscale) is discussed followed by the micromechanical approach (microscale). These constitutive models connect the variables of stress, strain, electric field, electric displacement, temperature, and entropy. In addition to these relations, mechanics problems require satisfying elect...
Variational calculation of multihole binding energies in hydrogenic impurity centers in semiconductors

Variational calculations for the binding energies of additionally charged, multiple acceptors in semiconductors, with configurations ${(1s)}^{3}$ and ${(1s)}^{4}$, are presented.
Theoretical Study of Structure and Raman Spectra for Models of Carbon Nanotubes in Their Pristine and Oxidized Forms

Changes upon oxidization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in structure and Raman spectra are investigated using geometry optimizations and frequency calculations with density functional theory and ONIOM(MO:MO) methods. Macrocycles consisting of six and 12 fused C6 hexagon units, C24H12 and C48H24 or [6]- and [12]-cyclacene, respectively, were chosen as model systems for zigzag single wall carbon nanotubes. A vertically extended belt model with three fused [12]-cyclacenes, C96H24, was also studied as well. The oxidation was modeled by 1,2- or 1,4-cycloaddition poducts of two oxygen atoms at the furthest ends of each macrocycle; 1,4-adducts are found to be much more stable than 1,2-adducts and are possibly the actual oxidation products. It is shown for all these cases that, when oxygen atoms react, the macrocycle undergoes large deformation from the totally symmetric cyclic structure toward an oval shape. This is due to the introduction of sp3 centers on the ring and subsequent relaxation of the adjacent C6 hexag...
Unicast-based inference of network link delay distributions using mixed finite mixture models

As telecommunication networks grow larger and more complex, it is important to monitor internal link characteristics for operation, monitoring, and diagnosis purposes. Since router link monitoring is not practical due to high communication overhead, there has been considerable interest in monitoring from edge (end-to-end) observations. This paper focuses on the estimation of internal link delay distributions from edge measurements. Discrete and continuous delay models are introduced and we propose a new mixed finite mixture model for link delay probability density functions (p.d.f.). When collecting end-to-end unicast packet delays from edge nodes, we are able to estimate internal link delay distributions using the EM algorithm. Simulation results are given to illustrate our method.
Impairments in Physical Performance and Cognitive Status as Predisposing Factors for Functional Dependence Among Nondisabled Older Persons

Background. Little is known about the processes underlying the development of functional dependence. We set out to determine whether impairments in physical performance and cognitive status contribute independently to the risk of functional dependence in nondisabled older persons. Methods. Among a probability sample of 1,103 community-living adults, aged 72 years and older, we evaluated the 945 subjects who reported no disability in the activities of daily living. Subjects underwent a comprehensive assessment, including physical performance and cognitive testing. Results. Among the 775 subjects alive with complete outcomes data, 221 (28.5%) developed dependence in activities of daily living at either the 1- or 3-year follow-up interview. The rates of functional dependence were 18%, 20%, 26%, and 50% (p < .001) and 18%, 23%, 31%, and 47% (p < .001), respectively, across quarters of worsening physical performance and cognitive status. Compared with subjects in the best group, those with the worst physical performance and cognitive status were more than five times as likely to develop functional dependence (67% vs 13%; p < .001). After adjustment for age, gender, number of chronic conditions, and housing stratum, the risk of functional dependence increased across quarters of both worsening physical performance (relative risks [RR] 1.0, 1.1, 1.3, 2.1) and cognitive status (RR 1.0, 1.3, 1.5, 2.0), independent of the effect of the other. Similar results were found for subjects who developed functional dependence at one year, for those who developed functional dependence at three years, and for the combined endpoint of functional dependence or death. Conclusions. Impairments in physical performance and cognitive status contribute independently to the risk of functional dependence in nondisabled, community-living older adults. A better understanding of the processes underlying functional dependence may facilitate the design of effective and efficient strategies to prevent or slow functional decline.
The effects of exposure to feminist ideology on women's body image

Body image disturbance has become a common problem among women and there is a need to focus on creating empirically supported treatments. Psychoeducational interventions have reduced body image dissatisfaction, but their impact is limited because they do not offer women adaptive methods of interpreting the many appearance-related messages they receive. This study examined if exposure to a feminist perspective may provide alternative interpretations of cultural messages, thereby increasing body image satisfaction. Participants were randomly assigned to a feminist or psychoeducational intervention, or a control group. Exposure to the feminist condition resulted in increased self-identification as a feminist and greater appearance satisfaction, and changes in feminist identity were related to positive changes in body image. The findings indicate that exposure to feminist theories may serve as an effective intervention strategy.
Tiresias, Oedipus, and Pasolini: the Figure of the Intellectual in the Edipo Re

Critics have interpreted Pasolini's Edipo Re from a psychoanalytical point of view as the reenactment of Pasolini's own Oedipus complex, in which the famous director identifies himself with the Greek hero. In this paper I argue that this identification has a further dimension. Drawing on the evolution of the Oedipus character in Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus, Pasolini uses the figure of Oedipus as the blind sage as a symbol of his own role as intellectual /seer in the modern world and of his isolation in contemporary 20th century Italy.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Exerts Powerful Anti-Influenza Virus Effects in Lung Epithelial Cells

Previous studies have associated influenza virus-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), with influenza pathogenesis in the human respiratory tract and have suggested that alpha and beta interferons are the first cytokines recruited to counteract such infection. However, we report here that TNF-α has powerful anti-influenza virus activity. When infected with influenza virus, cultured porcine lung epithelial cells expressed TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of TNF-α was induced only by replicating virus. TNF-α showed strong antiviral activity against avian, swine, and human influenza viruses, and the antiviral effect of TNF-α was greater than that of gamma or alpha interferon. These findings suggest that TNF-α serves as the first line of defense against influenza virus infection in the natural host.
Bio-directed synthesis and assembly of nanomaterials

This tutorial review provides an overview of bio-directed synthesis of nanomaterials, starting with the foundation of biomineralization research—how organisms are able to biomineralize materials in vivo—and progressing to studies of biomineralizationin vitro. This research is of interest to biologists, chemists and materials scientists alike, especially in light of efforts to find ‘greener’ methods of inorganic material synthesis. Examples of applications of nanomaterials synthesized by these methods are provided to demonstrate the end goals of biomineralization research.
Generation of ES Cells for Conditional Expression of Nuclear Receptors and Coregulators in Vivo

Nuclear receptors and coregulators orchestrate diverse aspects of biological functions and inappropriate expression of these factors often associates with human diseases. The present study describes a conditional overexpression system consisting of a minigene located at the Rosa26 locus in the genome of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Before activation, the minigene is silent due to a floxed STOP cassette inserted between the promoter and the transgene. Upon cre-mediated excision of the STOP cassette, the minigene constitutively expresses the tagged transgene driven by the ubiquitous CAGGS promoter. Thus, this system can be used to express target gene in any tissue in a spatial and/or temporal manner if respective cre mouse lines are available. Serving as proof of principle, the CAG-S-hCOUP-TFI allele was generated in ES cells and subsequently in mice. This allele was capable of conditionally overexpressing human chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor I (COUP-TFI) in all tissues tested upon activation by cre drivers. This allele was further subjected to address functionality of expressed COUP-TFI and the functional similarity between COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII. Expression of COUP-TFI in COUP-TFII-ablated uterus suppressed aberrant estrogen receptor-α activities and rescued implantation and decidualization defects of COUP-TFII mutants, suggesting that COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII are able to functionally compensate for each other in the uterus. A toolbox currently under construction will contain ES cell lines for overexpressing all 48 nuclear receptors and selected 10 coregulators. Upon completion, it will be a very valuable resource for the scientific community. Several ES cells are currently available for distribution.
Decentralized reactive collision avoidance for multivehicle systems

This paper addresses a novel approach to the n-vehicle collision avoidance problem. The vehicle model used is a planar unicycle, chosen for its wide applicability to ground, sea, and air vehicles. This paper generalizes previous work with constant-speed vehicles to models that include the ability to slow down, stop and reverse. An algorithm is developed that works in conjunction with any desired controller to guarantee all vehicles remain free of collisions while attempting to follow their desired control. This algorithm is reactive and decentralized, making it well suited for real time applications, and explicitly accounts for actuation limits. Results are demonstrated in simulation.
The epidemiology of hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis: a cohort study in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Vertebral osteomyelitis is a common manifestation of osteomyelitis in adults and associated with considerable morbidity. Limited data exist regarding hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis. Our objective was to describe the epidemiology and management of hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis. Methods: We performed a 2-year retrospective cohort study of adult patients with hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis at a tertiary care hospital. Results: Seventy patients with hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis were identified. The mean age was 59.7 years (±15.0) and 38 (54%) were male. Common comorbidities included diabetes (43%) and renal insufficiency (24%). Predisposing factors in the 30 days prior to admission included bacteremia (19%), skin/soft tissue infection (17%), and having an indwelling catheter (30%). Back pain was the most common symptom (87%). Seven (10%) patients presented with paraplegia. Among the 46 (66%) patients with a microbiological diagnosis, the most common organisms were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus [15 (33%) cases], and methicillin-resistant S. aureus [10 (22%)]. Among the 44 (63%) patients who had a diagnostic biopsy, open biopsy was more likely to result in pathogen recovery [14 (93%) of 15 with open biopsy vs. 14 (48%) of 29 with needle biopsy; p = 0.003]. Sixteen (23%) patients required surgical intervention for therapeutic purposes during admission.
A probabilistic model for the performance analysis of a distributed task allocation algorithm

In this paper we extend our previous work where the mean of the global cost was used as a performance metric for distributed task allocation algorithms. In this case, we move a step forward and calculate the variance of the global cost. This second parameter gives us a better understanding of the distributed algorithm performance, i.e., we can estimate how much the algorithm behavior diverts from its mean. The normal distribution, computed from the theoretical mean and variance, is shown to be suitable for modeling the global cost. This approximation enables us to compare our algorithm theoretically in different cases.
Isolation of an Avian Serovar of Chlamydia Psittaci from a Case of Bovine Abortion

Figure 2. Placenta; the cotyledonary villi are extensively necrotic, with clumps of cellular debris (large arrow) and thrombosis (small arrow). HE, bar 5 50 mm. Figure 1. Marked vasculitis involving the arterioles of the placenta. There are fibrinoid necrosis (arrow) and severe infiltrates of the media, composed of leukocytes, mainly neutrophils. The surrounding placental tissue is necrotic. HE, bar 5 80 mm. Many microbial agents have been incriminated as causes of abortion in cattle. Implication of one of these agents in a given case is often problematic. This report deals with abortion in a university-maintained teaching dairy herd that averages about 100 lactating cows. The herd is split into 3 production groups on concrete lots and is fed a total mixed ration according to production level. During previous Dairy Herd Improvement (DHIA) sampling periods, the herd had an average production per cow of 8,325 kg of milk. Average somatic cell count and body condition score are 180,000 and
Working a program of recovery in alcoholics anonymous

WE q INDEBTED TO Khantzian and Mack, hereafter refer&l to as “the authors,” for providing useful stimulus examining how Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) works. All health care professionals working with alcoholics need to have both knowledge and skill in helping their clients/patients utilize the valuable treatment resource AA provides. The authors’ current article builds on the work begun by Bean (1975) and Mack (1981) in providing a scientific rationale not only for the program of AA but also for the spiritual stimulus that appears to contribute so much to recovery from addiction. With regard to understanding the spiritual aspects of AA, the authors have added little to their observation that “the idea of God, or a power greater than oneself, may be a step in the direction of taming and transforming infantile omnipotence and serving in early childhood to establish a capacity for objective love” (Khantzian & Mack, 1989). This valuable theory is supported by Coles’s (1990) research on the spiritual life of children. It is also supported by the clinical experience of grandiosity and omnipotence associated with deteriorating and lost object relationships that occur so often in active drug-addicted individuals. In their current article, the authors, in their conclusion, have added a definition of spiritual life “as the longing for or experience of meaning, purpose, or connection with an unknown reality behind the manifest one and a higher self both within and outside the person.” It would be very helpful if they gave examples showing how the clinician can use the spiritual aspects of AA to help the addicted patient speed up and deepen her or his recovery.
Opportunities for enzyme engineering in natural product biosynthesis

Organisms from all kingdoms of life produce a plethora of natural products that display a range of biological activities. One key limitation of developing these natural products into pharmaceuticals is the inability to perform effective, fast, and inexpensive structure-activity relationship studies (SAR). Recently, enzyme engineering strategies have allowed the exploration of metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways to create new 'natural' products that can be used for SAR. The enzymes that enable the biosynthesis of natural products represent a largely untapped resource of potential biocatalysts. A challenge for the field is how to harness the wealth of reaction types used for natural product metabolism to obtain useful biocatalysts for industrial biotransformations.
Strategy and Irreversibility in Supplier Relations: The Case of the U.S. Automobile Industry

The purchasing strategies of the dominant U.S. automakers form a topic neglected by both economists and business historians. The following article examines the automakers' changing relations with their suppliers throughout the twentieth century. Using the exit/voice paradigm, it establishes a framework that can account for both current and past strategies, even when they seem to contradict the logic of economic theory.
Tropes in space

Tropes are particular features of concrete objects. Properties—the extensions of predicates—are primitive resemblance classes of tropes. Friends of tropes have been criticized for failing to answer three questions. First, are there fundamental items other than tropes? Second, what criteria determine whether some tropes are all and only the features of some one object? Third, can trope classes be formed adequately using only primitive resemblance? Trading on the spatiotemporal status of tropes, this essay offers new responses to each of these questions. The novel thesis is that there is a sui generis property called ‘markedness’, whose tropes “mark” certain locations in an ontologically basic way. The spatiotemporal distribution of markedness tropes fixes the distribution of familiar characterizing tropes like mass and charge, and characterizing tropes are bundled by being co-contained in the location of a maximally connected markedness trope. This novel theory of trope bundling is defended by appeal to theoretical utility: it is ontologically parsimonious and solves outstanding problems involving co-location and resemblance class construction.
Diurnal Variation of Lee Vortices in Taiwan and the Surrounding Area

Abstract Lee vortices have been frequently observed in the wake of mesoscale mountains under a low Froude number flow regime. During the Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment (TAMEX), a cyclonic vortex was observed to the Ice of Taiwan by a P-3 aircraft. In this paper a numerical simulation is carried out to study this event. It is shown that the numerical results are capable of recapturing the detailed features as observed by airplane and surface analysis. The simulated surface pressure, wind field, and Ice vortex are in good agreement with observations. The diurnal oscillation of cloudiness and precipitation in Taiwan is also consistent with the observations under undisturbed conditions during the TAMEX period. Under a prevailing southwesterly-to-westerly summer monsson flow, numerical results demonstrate that the observed cyclonic vortex initially develops to the southeast of Taiwan after sunset, then drifts northeastward. The diurnal forcing not only generates land/sea breezes but also controls the vortex ...
Effect of temperature on the germination of common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), giant foxtail (Setaria faberi), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

Common waterhemp, giant foxtail, and velvetleaf seed germination in response to temperature was studied with a two-way thermogradient plate. Seeds were maintained under dark and wet conditions at 4 C for 12 wk, and velvetleaf seeds were scarified before the experiments were conducted. The seeds were germinated at 25 different temperature treatments. Minimum and optimum temperatures for velvetleaf germination were approximately 8 and 24 C, respectively. Temperature alternation did not affect the germination of this species. The minimum germination temperature was 10 C for common waterhemp and 14 C for giant foxtail. The optimum germination of giant foxtail occurred at approximately 24 C, but common waterhemp optimum germination was variable depending on temperature alternation. Increased amplitude of the diurnal temperature alternation increased percent germination of these two species, and this was more evident at lower temperatures. In the case of common waterhemp, the temperature required to reach specific germination percentages was reduced by increasing the amplitude of the temperature alternation.
Rate of Decay of Concentration Functions on Discrete Groups

Given an irreducible probability measure μ on a non-compact locally compact group G, it is known that the concentration functions associated with μ converge to zero. In this note the rate of this convergence is presented in the case where G is a non-locally finite discrete group. In particular it is shown that if the volume growth V(m) of G satisfies V(m) ≥ cm D then for any compact set K we have sup g∈G μ (n)(Kg) ≤ Cn −D/2.
Minimizing DC System Loss in Multi-Terminal HVDC Systems through Adaptive Droop control

Abstract In this paper, droop control of inverters in a multi-terminal HVDC (MTDC) system is designed to achieve minimum DC system loss while preventing converter overvoltage. Circuit analysis along with optimization analysis is first conducted to seek the optimal droop control gains. Contingent operating conditions are then considered. The droop control gains will adapt to achieve minimum loss as well as constant inverter side dc voltage. A 6-terminal MTDC system with detailed control loops as well as PWM-based switching is built in a real-time digital simulator, RT-Lab. Time-domain simulation results validate the circuit analysis results and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed adaptive droop control.
Real-time crash prediction for expressway weaving segments

Weaving segments are potential recurrent bottlenecks which affect the efficiency and safety of expressways during peak hours. Meanwhile, they are one of the most complicated segments, since on- and off-ramp traffic merges, diverges and weaves in the limited space. One effective way to improve the safety of weaving segments is to study crash likelihood using real-time crash data with the objective of, identifying hazardous conditions and reducing the risk of crashes by Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) traffic control. This study presents a multilevel Bayesian logistic regression model for crashes at expressway weaving segments using crash, geometric, Microwave Vehicle Detection System (MVDS) and weather data. The results show that the mainline speed at the beginning of the weaving segments, the speed difference between the beginning and the end of weaving segment, logarithm of volume have significant impacts on the crash risk of the following 5–10 min for weaving segments. The configuration is also an important factor. Weaving segment, in which there is no need for on- or off-ramp traffic to change lane, is with high crash risk because it has more traffic interactions and higher speed differences between weaving and non-weaving traffic. Meanwhile, maximum length, which measures the distance at which weaving turbulence no longer has impact, is found to be positively related to the crash risk at the 95% confidence interval. In addition to traffic and geometric factors, wet pavement surface condition significantly increases the crash ratio by 77%. The proposed model along with ITS, e.g., ramp metering, Dynamic Message Sign (DMS), and high friction surface treatment can be used to enhance the safety of weaving segments in real-time.
The Body and Sociology

Bodies produce and consume food and, through this consumption, experience consequences. From one point of view, this statement describes an apparent series of physical and physiological processes. However, as sociologists well know, food production and consumption involves culture, social organization, and technology. Furthermore, distinct social consequences result from various nutritional as well as bodily states. Therefore, sociologies of food and nutrition that do not account for the social aspects of the body are likely to be profoundly lacking.