cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genotype of wheat and barley affects light penetration and wild oat growth.

Cereal breeders have selected for traits that confer resistance to diseases and insects, with the goal of stabilizing yield potential and reducing inputs. The possibility exists that, by selecting for growth habits that impede weed development, cultivars can be developed with increased tolerance to weed infestations. Our objective was to determine whether wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines differ in their ability to prevent penetration of light into interrow spaces and suppress wild oat (Avena fatua L.) growth. Based on our results, significant genotypic variation exists within winter and spring wheat and spring barley for the amount of sunlight allowed to penetrate to interrow spaces. A negative correlation existed between height and light penetration in four of seven nurseries studied. Six barley lines and six spring wheat lines, of similar heights but allowing different amounts of light penetration, were tested for suppression of wild oat growth. Barley was a much better competitor with wild oat than wheat was, allowing approximately one-half the wild oat biomass and seed production. Barley lines allowed approximately 43% less light penetration than wheat. Significant variation for wild oat growth variables also existed among lines within the crops. High positive correlations of light penetration with wild oat growth existed within barley, suggesting that lines may be selected to contribute to integrated wild oat management.
Cathodes for HeNe lasers

Vapor deposited aluminum cathodes for parallel plate HeNe lasers have been used with considerable success. It is shown that the aluminum cold cathode is improved by the addition of copper and that other alloying elements of bulk Al 2024 do not contribute to cathode performance. The plasma oxidation process of Hochuli improves cathode performance by cleaning the surface and optimizing the oxide film for maximum efficiency. There appears to be a trade-off between life and electron tunneling efficiency for optimum oxide thickness. Auger electron spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and scanning electron microscopy are the techniques used for surface characterization.
Design Curves for Maximum Stresses in Blocks Containing Pressurized Bore Intersections

Intersecting bore geometries are used in a number of industrial applications such as in fluid ends of reciprocating pumps. Maximum tensile stresses at stress concentration points in the block can be many times the fluid pressure in the bores. Obtaining good estimates of the maximum stresses in the structure is necessary for making sound design decisions on the block dimensions. Finite element models of the bore intersection geometry were analyzed for ranges of bore sizes and block dimensions. Results of the finite element model were compared with predictions provided by a popular approximation method based on mechanics of materials principles. The approximation method was found to underpredict the maximum stresses in the block in almost every case analyzed. For some conditions, the maximum stresses computed from the finite element model were more than two times the predictions provided by the approximation method. Design curves, based on the ratio of the sizes of the intersecting bores, are presented for selecting block dimensions to meet desired maximum stress criteria.
An Assessment of Refrigerant Heat Transfer, Pressure Drop, and Void Fraction Effects In Microfin Tubes

Microfin tubing can significantly increase heat transfer in refrigeration evaporators and condensers. The effectiveness of microfins is dependent on fluid properties, flow field configuration, heat flux direction (evaporation and condensation), and tube geometry. This review focuses on the performance of microfin tubes in refrigeration systems and details information known about microfin tube performance as well as information that is not yet investigated. Generally, microfins enhance heat transfer by an amount that is similar or greater than the amount of surface area added to the internal wall surface. Pressure drop does not tend to increase significantly; however, the range of reported pressure drop effects is broad. Oil generally degrades heat transfer and increases pressure drop; however, the oil concentration and viscosity are important factors.
The Bentley "Measures of Musical Abilities": A Congruent Validity Report.

The Measures of lMusical Abilities, a musical aptitude test battery designed especially for use with children of elementary school age, was first published in 1966. It was designed and developed by Arnold Bentley at the University of Reading, England, and consists of four separate tests: Pitch Discrimination, Tonal Memory, Chord Analysis, and Rhythmic Memory. The battery does not purport to measure all of the attributes that may comprise musical aptitude, but rather is designed to deal only with "the investigation of such abilities as are basic and essential to progress in active music-makirlg as vocalist and instrumentalist-i.e., to the performance of music.''l Bentley presents the following assumptions as the rationale upon which the tests are based: 1. The most elemental form of music is the melodic phrase, or figure, which comprises tonal configurations within a rhythmic framework. 2. Apprehension (perception) of melody is impossible without the ability to recall, in detail, sounds that have already been heard, and this depends upon the ability to apprehend the constituent factors of melody-i.e., pitch and time. 3. Finer than semitone pitch discrimination is essential in singing and in all instrumental playing, except at the keyboard, in order to achieve the necessary good intonation. 4. Concurrent sounds (chords) are not fundamental to melody; therefore, it is necessary for the singer or monophonic instrumen-
A virtual doctor prototype for quick diagnosis and secure health information exchange

The general field of health monitoring and health information exchange has garnered a keen research and market interest for the past few decades. This is indicated by the development of a plethora of wearable health monitoring systems, as well as research efforts and projects concerning the security issues in health information exchange. In this paper, a virtual doctor prototype for quick diagnosis and secure health information exchange is presented. The measured physiological data that are acquired by a wearable health monitoring system are modeled as words of a fuzzy formal language and are used by a trained and personalized neural network to diagnose the patient's health status. Moreover, we present a secure architectural scheme, which secures the transmitted data and uses the medical doctors' biometrics to authorize them and give them access to these data.
Bacterial Indicator Occurrence and the Use of an F(+) Specific RNA Coliphage Assay to Identify Fecal Sources in Homosassa Springs, Florida.

A microbiological water quality study of Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park (HSSWP) and surrounding areas was undertaken. Samples were collected in November of 1997 (seven sites) and again in November of 1998 (nine sites). Fecal bacterial concentrations (total and fecal coliforms, Clostridium perfringens, and enterococci) were measured as relative indicators of fecal contamination. F+-specific coliphage genotyping was performed to determine the source of fecal contamination at the study sites. Bacterial levels were considerably higher at most sites in the 1997 sampling compared to the 1998 sampling, probably because of the greater rainfall that year. In November of 1997, 2 of the 7 sites were in violation of all indicator standards and guidance levels. In November of 1998, 1 of 9 sites was in violation of all indicator standard and guidance levels. The highest concentrations of all fecal indicators were found at a station downstream of the animal holding pens in HSSWP. The lowest levels of indicators were found at the Homosassa Main Spring vent. Levels of fecal indicators downstream of HSSWP (near the point of confluence with the river) were equivalent to those found in the Southeastern Fork and areas upstream of the park influences. F+ specific RNA coliphage analysis indicated that fecal contamination at all sites that tested positive was from animal sources (mammals and birds). These results suggest that animal (indigenous and those in HSSWP) and not human sources influenced microbial water quality in the area of Homosassa River covered by this study.
Complementary roles of BDNF and NT-3 in vestibular and auditory development.

Abstract The physiological role of BDNF and NT-3 in the development of the vestibular and auditory systems was investigated in mice that carry a deleted BDNF and/or NT-3 gene. BDNF was the major survival factor for vestibular ganglion neurons, and NT-3, for spiral ganglion neurons. Lack of BDNF and NT-3 did not affect ingrowth of nerve fibers into the vestibular epithelium, but BDNF mutants failed to maintain afferent and efferent innervation. In the cochlea, BDNF mutants lost type 2 spiral neurons, causing an absence of outer hair cell innervation. NT-3 mutantsshowed a paucity of afferents and lost 87% of spiral neurons, presumably corresponding to type 1 neurons, which innervate inner hair cells. Double mutants had an additive loss, lacking all vestibular and spiral neurons. These results show that BDNF and NT-3 are crucial for inner ear development and, although largely coexpressed, have distinct and nonoverlapping roles in the vestibular and auditory systems.
Measurements of lead in human tibiae. A comparison between K-shell x-ray fluorescence and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to validate 109Cd-based K-shell x-ray fluorescence measurements against atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) measurements of core and surface tibia lead. The lead content of nine adult human cadaver tibiae was measured using 109Cd-based K-shell x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and the results compared to measurements obtained using electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry following acid digestion. Each tibia was divided into nine cross-sectional segments, which were further separated into tibia core and surface samples for the AAS analytical measurements. Proximal–distal variability in tibia lead concentration as determined by AAS was previously described for both surface and core segments and was found to decrease towards the ends of the tibia, in contrast to XRF in which lead was found to increase towards the tibia ends. The effect of this contrasting behaviour on the agreement between XRF and AAS measurements was examined. Lead concentrations determined by AAS ranged from 3 to 19 μg of lead per gram of dry weight bone (μg g−1) for tibia core and from 5 to 32 μg g−1 for tibia surface. Lead concentrations determined by XRF ranged from 2 to 35 μg g−1 dry weight. No statistically significant difference was found between mean XRF-measured concentrations and mean surface lead concentrations measured by AAS, but XRF significantly overestimated tibia core lead concentrations by between 5 and 8 μg g−1.
Oral Squamous‐Cell Carcinoma within a White‐Sponge Nevus

A 59-year-old woman had thick plaques of leukoplakia on the tongue bilaterally. The condition was initially diagnosed by biopsy as a white-sponge nevus. A second biopsy of a suspicious area on the right side showed squamous-cell carcinoma two years later. It is speculated that prednisone therapy for steroid-dependent intrinsic asthma may have caused a loss of "immunologic surveillance," which permitted development of malignancy in a previously benign condition.
Electrochemical properties of welded joints of 17G1SU steel

We study the electrochemical and microelectrochemical characteristics and the microhardness of a fragment of a pipe made of 17G1SU steel with a weld made by FOX EV 50, Basic One, and UONII-13/55R electrodes. The corrosion potentials of different layers of the weld and heat-affected zones around them increase the electrochemical heterogeneity up to ∼ 130 mV as compared with the base metal. The corrosion currents of the base metal differ by ∼ 15 %, and the corrosion currents of different layers of the weld differ by at most 69 %. The microelectrochemical heterogeneities of different zones of the welded joint determined by the moving-drop method differ insignificantly (ΔE = 20–80 mV). Only the weld made by the FOX EV 50 electrode has a somewhat higher microelectrochemical heterogeneity (ΔE = 25–95 mV). For all electrodes, the microhardness of the base metal and heat-affected zone up to the fusion line remains unchanged (1.6–2.25 GPa), but for the weld made by the FOX EV 50 electrode it is lower (1.2–1.4 GPa) than for the welds made by the Basic One and the UONII-13/55R electrodes (1.6–2.2 GPa).
Immunosuppressive potential of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found at a Superfund site: new model used to evaluate additive interactions between benzo[a]pyrene and TCDD.

Exposure to environmental pollution is rarely limited to a single compound or even a single class of compounds. The Superfund site located in Massena, NY, is contaminated by both halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Since representatives of both HAHs and PAHs are capable of binding to the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), two well-documented AhR-mediated effects, immunosuppression and induction of hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, were used to evaluate the individual and interactive toxicity of these compounds. Fifteen PAHs were first screened for their ability to suppress the antibody response in C57BL/6 (Ah+/+) mice immunized 12 h after a single oral dose of 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg. Acenaphthene, anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene had little or no effect. Seven PAHs caused > 50% suppression at 100 mg/kg. Listed in order of decreasing potency they were benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3,c,d]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, and benz[a]anthracene. Chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), were further evaluated to determine the dependence of these effects on the Ah phenotype by comparing responses of C57BL/6 and congenic B6.D2 (Ah-/-) mouse strains. Chrysene immunosuppression was maximal at 0.1 mg/kg and was Ah phenotype-independent whereas chrysene AHH induction was Ah phenotype-dependent, but a 100-fold less sensitive indicator of exposure. In contrast, B[a]P immunosuppression and AHH induction were coincident in B6 mice and Ah phenotype-dependent. In the final phase, a new approach was used to evaluate toxic interactions. This approach considers the mechanism of action of each compound and accounts for the fact that the extent of increase in toxic response caused by an incremental change of dose is determined by its position on the dose-response curve rather than on the absolute amount of dose administered. Thus, the immunotoxic effects of combined exposure to B[a]P and the AhR ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a representative HAH, were evaluated by combining the ED20 of B[a]P with the difference between the ED20 and ED40 of TCDD, and vice versa, to produce 40% suppression. The results of the combination were consistent with additivity regardless of the composite arrangement or phenotype although some antagonism could not be excluded with certainty.
Influence of Pre-Transplant Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) on Adult Heart Transplant (HT) Outcomes

Purpose Severity of renal dysfunction is typically considered during HT evaluation candidacy. However, the acceptable level of dysfunction is not well defined. The influence of CKD staging on post-HT outcomes is unknown. Methods and Materials 30437 HT pts were identified from UNOS (1987-2011) & stratified by CKD stage using the MDRD formula. Exclusions (42%): age Results CKD stages 2 (39%) & 3 (36%) were most prevalent compared to CKD 1 (19%), 4 (3%) & 5 (3%). The most prevalent etiology among CKD 2-5 was ischemic (47%, 52%, 48% & 46%, respectively), while dilated cardiomyopathy (53%) was most prevalent in CKD 1. FU began at time of HT (mean 65 ± 57 months). 12516 died during the study period (35%, 39%, 44%, 55% & 59% for CKD 1-5 respectively). Crude survival is shown in Figure . Unadjusted HR for all-cause mortality (compared to CKD 1) was: CKD 2 [0.99 (0.94-1.04)**], CKD 3 [1.22 (1.16-1.29)*]; CKD 4 [1.68 (1.52-1.86)*]; CKD 5 [2.03 (1.82-2.26)*]. Adjusted multivariate analysis showed: Stage 2 [0.98 (0.92-1.04)**]; Stage 3 [1.21 (1.14-1.29)*]; Stage 4 [1.63 (1.44-1.83)*]; Stage 5 [1.84 (1.50-2.26)*]. Conclusions CKD stage is an independent predictor of mortality post HT. Patients with mild CKD (stage 2) have similar outcomes compared to those with normal function (stage 1), while CKD stages 3, 4, & 5 have significantly worse outcomes. Further studies are warranted to understand causative mechanisms. *p
The Library as Learning Commons: Rethink, Reuse, Recycle

At Oregon State University (OSU) Libraries, librarians are evaluating the decade-old information commons in the transition to a learning commons. Visits to commons spaces at libraries across the country provided perspective on this transition. This paper describes the development of the OSU Libraries Information Commons, identifies themes from our trips to other commons, and discusses the idea that we need to incorporate the concepts of the commons throughout the library in recognition that wherever our students are in the library becomes their learning commons.
Estimating demand systems when outcomes are correlated counts

Abstract We describe and employ a Bayesian posterior simulator for fitting a high-dimensional system of ordinal or count outcome equations. The model is then applied to describe the multiple site recreation demands of individual agents, and we argue that our approach provides advantages relative to existing methods commonly applied in this area. In particular, our model flexibly adjusts to match observed frequencies in trip outcomes, permits a flexible correlation pattern among the sites visited by individuals, and the posterior simulator for fitting this model is relatively easy to implement in practice. We also describe how the posterior simulations produced from the model can be used to conduct a variety of counterfactual experiments, including predicting behavioral changes and describing welfare implications resulting from shifts in exogenous demographic and site characteristics. We illustrate our method using data from the Iowa Lakes Project by modeling the visitation patterns of individuals to a set of twenty-nine large Iowa lakes. Consistent with previous findings in the literature, we see strong evidence that own and cross-price effects on trip demand are negative and positive, respectively, that higher income increases the likelihood of visiting most sites, and that a commonly used indicator of water quality, Secchi transparency, is positively correlated with the number of trips taken. In addition, the correlation structure among the errors reveals a complex pattern in which unobserved factors affecting trip demand are generally (though not strictly) positively correlated across sites. The flexibility and richness with which we are able to characterize the demand system provides a solid platform for counterfactual analysis, where we find significant behavioral and welfare effects from changes in site availability, water quality, and travel costs.
A probabilistic framework for the modeling of fatigue in cast lamellar gamma-based titanium aluminides

Abstract This paper presents a probabilistic framework for the modeling of fatigue damage in three gamma-based titanium aluminides: Ti–45Al–2Mn–2Nb + 0.8 vol% TiB 2 , Ti–47Al–2Mn–2Nb + 0.8 vol% TiB 2 and Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb (all compositions quoted in atomic percent unless stated otherwise). This includes: empirical stress life and fracture mechanics approaches to the estimation of material reliability or the risk of failure. Empirical reliability functions are obtained initially from multiple stress-life experiments designed to identify the statistical distributions that best describe the measured variabilities in fatigue life. Fracture mechanics-based reliability functions are also derived using statistical distributions that characterize the measured variabilities in fatigue crack growth data obtained from fatigue crack growth experiments in the long crack regime. The anomalous behavior of short cracks is then discussed before assessing the implications of the current work for the design of engineering structures and components from gamma-based titanium aluminides.
Experiment to investigate self-testing techniques in VLSI

The paper contains the results of an experiment which observes the capabilities of a linear feedback shift register network, to both generate pseudorandom test patterns and compress the results of a test. Two typical networks from an actual LSI designed machine are used.
Computed tomography of benign intrapulmonary lymph nodes: retrospective comparison with sarcoma metastases.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the computed tomographic (CT) characteristics of benign intrapulmonary lymph nodes and small sarcoma metastases are sufficiently characteristic to allow specific prospective identification. Patients and Methods Preoperative chest CT scans of 41 patients with benign intrapulmonary lymph nodes and 33 patients with sarcoma metastases seen from 1991 through 1996 were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with pathologic findings. Results Fifty-seven benign intrapulmonary lymph nodes were found. Twenty-six (46%) were subpleural, 38 (67%) were oval, and 46 (81%) were located in the lower portions of the lungs; 43 (75%) had a lymphatic distribution on CT and 54 (95%) at pathologic review. Ninety-eight sarcoma metastases were found. Thirteen (13%) were subpleural, 15 (15%) were oval, and 56 (57%) were in the lower portions of the lungs; 29 (30%) had a lymphatic distribution on CT and 45 (46%) at pathologic review. Conclusion Benign intrapulmonary lymph nodes were more likely than sarcoma metastases to be oval, to occur in a lymphatic distribution, and to be located subpleurally.
Machine vision based analysis and harvest of somatic embryos

Abstract The heterogeneity of embryo maturity and quality typically found in somatic embryogenesis cultures has impeded the commercialization of this propagation technique. This variability necessitates identifying viable embryos in culture and separating them from the immature embryos and abberant structures prior to ex vitro processing. In this work a fluidic, in vitro embryo monitor and harvester was developed for liquid based, bioreactor culture systems. A machine vision system was used to rate the viability of embryos as they were pumped through a 3 mm, square glass conduit. Embryo morphologies were ranked with 17 geometric features processed by a neural network. Embryos which ranked as harvestable by the network were ejected from a gap in the flow conduit by a precisely timed injection of medium from a control nozzle. The position and velocities of embryos between the imaged section of the conduit and the harvest gap were monitored by an object tracker employing 30 LED/photo-diode pairs mounted on 2.54 mm centers along the conduit. Objects not harvested were routed back to the bioreactor. The harvester successfully removed 28% of harvestable embryos from a test population manually introduced at a rate of one object every 4 s. The homogeneity of the harvested population was 88% compared to the test population homogeneity of 56%.
Strategic Treasury Debt Management in Public Policy

The Treasury should supplement its bond offerings with adjustable-rate coupon bonds. The adjustable coupon would be linked to the six-month Treasury bill auction yield. Given the different magnitude of adjustable and fixed mortgage rates, the interest servicing costs would be dramatically lower for the floating-coupon bonds. This idea is already a proven winner in the corporate bond market where close to 30 percent of new Eurobond offerings in the last 10 years have been adjustable-rate bonds. In addition to reducing servicing costs, the strategy will relieve some of the burden on the long-maturity fixed-coupon bonds. Reducing the supply of the fixed-coupon bonds should increase prices and decrease long-term yields. Reduction in long-term interest rates enhances spending, construction and capital expenditures. Most importantly, these bonds help enforce a low inflation policy.
Electrically tunable thermal-infrared metamaterials

We experimentally demonstrate that the resonance of a thermal-infrared metamaterial on a semiconductor substrate can be shifted by the substrate doping. We further study the electrical tuning of metamaterial resonance via finite integral time-domain simulation.
Responses of cultured cerebellar neurons to iontophoretically applied amino acids.

Electrical activity of spontaneously firing neurons in explant cultures of neonatal rat cerebellum was recorded with extracellularly placed microelectrodes. Several different normal patterns of firing were noted, common ones being single spikes at regular intervals, irregularly spaced single spikes and rapid bursts of up to 10 spikes separated by periods of silence. The firing rate could be modified by the local application of drugs through iontophoresis onto the soma and adjacent processes. Firing rates were increased by glutamate and homocysteate, and decreased by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine. The action of GABA was blocked by bicuculline and picrotoxin. GABA was relatively more effective than glycine. Acetylcholine was generally ineffective, but rarely had weak excitatory actions. We conclude that the sensitivities of the cultured Purkinje cell with respect to these drugs is the same as the adult Purkinje cellin vivo and similar to the immature cell at the time of explantation. We suggest that pharmacological and physiological criteria be used to identify cell types and evaluate the extent of differentiation of neurons in culture.
FAO's state of fisheries and aquaculture: Correcting some misrepresentations by Pauly and Froese

Abstract A paper by Pauly and Froese published in Marine Policy includes several misrepresentations concerning a paper published in Nature by Branch et al. on the tropic fingerprint of marine fisheries. The purpose of this Short Communication is to examine and refute their claims.
PARAMETER ESTIMATION IN CAKE WASHING

Abstract The uniform-film model for cake washing considers the cake to be composed of channels in which a stagnant film of solute-rich filtrate adheres to the surface of the channel. Two independent methods are presented for an unbiased evaluation of the uniform-film model parameters. The first is an iterative procedure which requires adjustment of only one model parameter, and the second is a direct analytical procedure based on the method of moments. Both require experimental data to identify the model parameters. Application of the two methods give wet-base porosities greater than unity which suggests that the experimental data used to determine the model parameters is beyond the domain of applicability of the uniform-film model.
“BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE”:: Women's Professional Organizations in Nursing and Class, Racial, and Ethnic Inequalities

Surveying job segmentation within nursing, this article analyzes attempts by professional registered nurses and nursing educators to resist the deskilling of nursing. In so doing, they have reinforced race and class segmentation within nursing. The article concludes with a discussion of class, race, and gender stratification and suggests that resistance to deskilling may reinforce inequalities among women.
The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor: bridging innate and adaptive immune responses at mucosal surfaces

Secretory antibodies of the immunoglobulin A (IgA) class form the first line of antigen-specific immune protection against inhaled, ingested, and sexually transmitted pathogens and antigens at mucosal surfaces. Epithelial transcytosis of polymeric IgA (pIgA) is mediated by the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). At the apical surface, the extracellular ligand-binding region of pIgR, known as secretory component (SC), is cleaved and released in free form or as a component of secretory IgA (SIgA). SC has innate anti-microbial properties, and it protects SIgA from proteolytic degradation. Expression of pIgR is regulated by microbial products through Toll-like receptor signaling and by host factors such as cytokines and hormones. Recent studies of the structure of the extracellular ligand-binding domain of pIgR have revealed mechanisms by which it binds pIgA and other ligands. During transcytosis, pIgA has been shown to neutralize pathogens and antigens within intracellular vesicular compartments. The recent identification of disease-associated polymorphisms in human pIgR near the cleavage site may help to unravel the mystery of how pIgR is cleaved to SC. The identification of novel functions for SC and SIgA has expanded our view of the immunobiology of pIgR, a key component of the mucosal immune system that bridges innate and adaptive immune defense.
Quantitative estimate of spatial/temporal variations in the optical properties of tissue-like media from diffuse reflectance data

We have measured relative diffuse reflectance images on tissue-like liquid phantoms using a laser diode (784 nm, 40 mW) as a broad-beam source and a CCD camera detector. We have found that, to a good approximation, the result that the reflectance R only depends on the ratio of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the medium (μa/μs') can be extended to geometrical configurations that are more general than those considered by theoretical studies. In fact, over the range 0.0028<μa/μs'<0.058 considered by us, the dependence of R on μa/μs' varies by no more than 8% by changing the incidence angle of illumination over the range 0-30°. The relative diffuse reflectance vs. μa/μs was well described by introducing an arbitrary normalization factor K in the analytic relationship for the absolute reflectance reported by S.L. Jacques [http://omlc.ogi.edu/news/may99/rd/index.html]: R=Kexp{-7.8/[3(1+μs'/μa)]}. The ratio of the relative diffuse reflectance values at two locations (for spatial changes) or at two times (for temporal changes) cancels out the unknown normalization factor K, so that this ratio can be used to obtain quantitative estimates of the corresponding change in μa/μs'. We have experimentally estimated that in our experimental conditions R is sensitive to a superficial volume about 2 mm deep and 4 mm wide.
Determination of binding constants and stoichiometries of short-range, hydrogen-bonding solvation by use of a proton-transfer indicator reaction

Abstract A recent method for determination of stoichiometries and binding constants for short-range, hydrogen bonding solvation is reviewed and new results are presented. The method exploits the sensitivity of a proton-transfer equilibrium, K PT to changes in solvent composition. Solvation numbers and binding constants for primary and secondary stages of solvation of an aminephenol proton-transfer adduct and the phenol and amine are determined as adjustable parameters when model isotherms are fitted to K PT versus [ S ] data, where [ S ] is the concentration of a hydrogen-bonding minor component of a mixed solvent, Results for most of the twenty-three aprotic solvents investigated are modeled by bifurcation-type hydrogen bonding of two or more electron pairs to a single polar hydrogen. Results for the seven protic solvents studied, including new data for ethanol, 2-choloroethanol, and 2,2-dichloroethanol, are modeled by two, or possibly three, successive stages of solvation, assumed to involve hydrogen-bonded chains. Preliminary results indicate that solvation by water is amenable to this analysis.
Preliminary design of multiproduct noncontinuous plants using simulated annealing

Abstract A heuristic procedure using simulated annealing (SA) is developed for the preliminary design of multiproduct noncontinuous plants. The procedure determines equipment sizes/rates and allows structural features such as location of intermediate storage, in-phase and out-of-phase mode of operation and nonidentical parallel units in a stage. The procedure extends naturally to retrofit problems. An approach for choosing the best set of generic annealing parameters based on their parametric studies is described. The important issue of incorporation of design constraints in such an algorithm is also discussed. Several forms of simulated annealing algorithms are evaluated using illustrative problems, and results are compared with results from existing algorithms. The Metropolis algorithm for move acceptance with the Aarts and Van Laarhoven scheduling strategy performs the best and consistently gives solutions within 0.5% of the global optimum. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of SA in solving complex problems of noncontinuous plant design.
Mapping genes with longitudinal phenotypes via Bayesian posterior probabilities

Most association studies focus on disease risk, with less attention paid to disease progression or severity. These phenotypes require longitudinal data. This paper presents a new method for analyzing longitudinal data to map genes in both population-based and family-based studies. Using simulated systolic blood pressure measurements obtained from Genetic Analysis Workshop 18, we cluster the phenotype data into trajectory subgroups. We then use the Bayesian posterior probability of being in the high subgroup as a quantitative trait in an association analysis with genotype data. This method maintains high power (>80%) in locating genes known to affect the simulated phenotype for most specified significance levels (α). We believe that this method can be useful to aid in the discovery of genes that affect severity or progression of disease.
Combined multi-resolution (wideband/narrowband) spectrogram

The speech spectrogram is a two-dimensional time-frequency display of a one-dimensional signal. The wideband spectrogram and the narrowband spectrogram are deficient either in frequency or in time resolution. The authors present a method for combining the two spectrograms by evaluating the geometric mean of their corresponding pixel values. The combined spectrogram appears to preserve the visual features associated with high resolution in both frequency and time. >
Electrochemical Investigations of Cobalt-Doped LiMn 2 O 4 as Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A wide range (y = 0.05-0.33) of Co-doped LiCo y Mn 2-y O 4 spinels were synthesized and electrochemically characterized. These Co-doped spinels showed improved specific capacity and capacity retention over pure spinels. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the linear polarization resistance technique were used to determine the transport and electrochemical kinetic parameters of Co-doped spinels. The presence of Co in the spinel inhibits the passivation process occurring on the surface of the cathode. Also, Co increases the exchange current density and facilitates the charge-transfer reaction of the active material. The lower self-discharge observed for Co-doped spinels was attributed to their low surface areas. The cumulative capacity loss estimated for a pure spinel resulting from self-discharge in the first 30 h was 3 and 6 times larger than those estimated for Co-doped spinels with y = 0.05 and y = 0.16 in LiCo y Mn 2-y O 4 , respectively.
Deuterium Tracer Studies and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Deuterated Products during Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

Hydrogen is one of the two reagents of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis. In order to have the information about the role of hydrogen, which is the key to understand the mechanism of the reaction, deuterium tracer experiments are useful. One of the obstacles in conducting deuterium tracer experiments during FT reactions is to accurately determine the amounts of isotopomers of a hydrocarbon in the FT products. Because of an inverse isotope effect for isotopomers on a GC column, the isotopomer with more deuterium atoms will be eluted first. If the difference in deuterium atoms is >3, the quantitative analysis of a mixture of isotopomers can be conducted using GC–FID. However, if the difference in deuterium atoms is <3, an accurate measurement of the relative amounts of isotopomers of a compound requires a determination of the total area of all of the molecular ions by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results determined using this method are close to the true value (by weight) with an error of ±3 %. The deuterium tracer technique and GC–MS analysis of FT products have been used to study the accumulation effects, the role of H2O, the isotope effect, the role of C2 species derived from ethanol and ethene, and deuterium enrichment during FT reactions.
Management options for minimal hepatic encephalopathy

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a neurocognitive dysfunction that is present in the majority of patients with cirrhosis. MHE has a characteristic cognitive profile that cannot be diagnosed clinically. This cognitive dysfunction is independent of sleep dysfunction or problems with overall intelligence. MHE has a significant impact on quality of life, the ability to function in daily life and progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy. Driving ability can be impaired in MHE and this may be a significant factor behind motor vehicle accidents. A crucial aspect of the clinical care of MHE patients is their driving history, which is often ignored during routine care and can add a vital dimension to the overall disease assessment. Driving history should be an integral part of the care of patients with MHE. The preserved communication skills and lack of specific signs and insight make MHE difficult to diagnose. The predominant strategies for MHE diagnosis are psychometric or neurophysiological testing. T...
Thyroxine excretion in lactating rats.

The urine, milk and feces of lactating rats maintained on Purina lab chow were assessed for radioactivity 16 hours after a single subcutaneous injection of 1 μc Tm l-thyroxine given on postpartum day 14. The total milk extractable from the mammary glands contained 10.5% of the dose which when combined with the 9.9% present in the urine, represented a significant increase over the 17.8% excreted by the kidneys of nonlactating rats. In the lactating rats, 29.2% of the dose was excreted in 10.5 g of feces (dry wt.) in comparison with 18.5 % in 3.4 g of feces for nonlactating rats. Fecal weight and fecal I131 thyroxine were significantly correlated (r = + .80). These data suggest that, in the lactating rat, the daily requirement of thyroxine by the thyroid gland may be increased in proportion to the increase in fecal thyroxine excretion. The presence of normal PBI and thyroid size suggested that the thyroid gland of the lactating rat was capable of meeting this requirement without being overtaxed.
The Ad5 fiber mediates nonviral gene transfer in the absence of the whole virus, utilizing a novel cell entry pathway

The interesting discovery reported here that soluble adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) fiber proteins enter cells without the virus was a serendipitous result during our development of Ad5 capsid proteins as nonviral gene transfer vectors. The Ad5 capsid fiber and penton proteins mediate infection. The fiber docks to a noninternalizing cell surface protein called the coxsackievirus-Ad receptor (CAR), followed by penton binding to integrins, triggering integrin-mediated endocytosis of the virus. In our previous work, we assembled the nonviral complex, 3PO, which utilized the penton to mediate gene transfer through integrin binding and endocytosis. Here, we tested whether incorporating the fiber targets 3PO to CAR, thus recapitulating the Ad5 infection pathway. As CAR is not an endocytic receptor, we were surprised to find that the fiber alone, without the penton, enabled gene transfer by binding CAR, but internalizing through an unknown mechanism. We show here that the fiber distributes to the nucleus and cytoplasm after temperature-independent uptake, whereas the penton accumulates around the nucleus after temperature-dependent uptake. Fiber uptake by HeLa cells is also actin-dependent, requires the fiber tail/shaft region, and is largely inhibited by heparin. This study raises the possibility that alternative pathways may enable both viral and nonviral cell entry.
Suboptimal symbol-by-symbol demodulation of continuous phase modulated signals with phase and frequency offset estimation

In applications requiring soft decision metrics, e.g., systems with interleaved coded modulation, symbol-by-symbol detection is preferred to sequence detection. This paper develops some soft-output detectors called the Bayesian conditional decision feedback estimators (BCDFE), for the demodulation continuous phase modulated signals and the simultaneous estimation of possibly time varying, phase and frequency offsets. By varying certain parameters, the BCDFEs offer an effective trade-off between performance and complexity, as measured by arithmetic operation count and the number of integrators required. Additionally, some simple complexity reduction schemes can be used in conjunction with the BCDFEs. The phase and frequency offsets are estimated using an extended Kalman filter type of approximation. The properties of the phase and frequency offset estimator are explored by means of simulations.
Thermal analysis of the mixture of laboratory and commercial grades hexadecane and tetradecane

Abstract Tests were performed to characterize the thermal behavior of hexadecane and tetradecane as a potential phase change material (PCM) to enhance the convective heat transfer performance of district cooling system. Commercial grade as well as laboratory grade of the PCMs were tested to compare their thermal characteristics. In order to vary the melting temperature of the mixture, hexadecane and tetradecane were mixed in different fractions, and their thermal behavior was experimentally evaluated. Test results for melting temperature and fusion energy for laboratory grade substances showed good agreement with data in the literature. However, values for commercial (i.e., technical) grade substances were found to be considerably lower than for laboratory grade materials. In the ranges from 0% to approximately 10% hexadecane in tetradecane (or vice versa), the fusion energy of the mixtures was comparable to that of the pure substances. The melting temperature was found to decrease as the fractions of the two substances became more equal. This could be expressed by a simple equation.
Combined radiation and natural convection in a two-dimensional participating square medium

Abstract Combined radiation and natural convection in a two-dimensional emitting, absorbing and isotropically scattering square medium is studied numerically. The exact integral formulation for radiant transport and the momentum and energy balance equations are discretized by the product-integral method and finite difference method, respectively. The resulting algebraic equations are solved by a non-linear SOR technique, with the Rayleigh number varying from 103, 104 to 105, and the radiation-conduction parameter ranging from 0 to ∞. The influences of radiation-conduction parameter, Rayleigh number and other parameters on flow and temperature distributions and heat transfer are discussed.
Synthesis of machine code from semantics

In this paper, we present a technique to synthesize machine-code instructions from a semantic specification, given as a Quantifier-Free Bit-Vector (QFBV) logic formula. Our technique uses an instantiation of the Counter-Example Guided Inductive Synthesis (CEGIS) framework, in combination with search-space pruning heuristics to synthesize instruction-sequences. To counter the exponential cost inherent in enumerative synthesis, our technique uses a divide-and-conquer strategy to break the input QFBV formula into independent sub-formulas, and synthesize instructions for the sub-formulas. Synthesizers created by our technique could be used to create semantics-based binary rewriting tools such as optimizers, partial evaluators, program obfuscators/de-obfuscators, etc. Our experiments for Intel's IA-32 instruction set show that, in comparison to our baseline algorithm, our search-space pruning heuristics reduce the synthesis time by a factor of 473, and our divide-and-conquer strategy reduces the synthesis time by a further 3 to 5 orders of magnitude.
GBR12909 stimulates hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity by inhibition of uptake at hypothalamic dopamine neurons.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that the inhibition of neurotransmitter uptake at dopamine (DA) terminals stimulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. In the present study we investigated the role of central DA neuronal systems in the regulation of this axis. Administration of the DA uptake inhibitor GBR12909 (3–30 μg) into the third ventricle dose-dependently elevated serum adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) levels in rats. GBR12909 (10 μg) elevated serum ACTH levels following administration into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus but not into the lateral ventricle. The administration of 6-OHDA into the third ventricle significantly decreased DA content in the hypothalamus and striatum and significantly attenuated the ACTH response to GBR12909 (10 μg, third ventricle or 10 mg/kg, i.p.). Conversely, 6-OHDA lesions of the medial forebrain bundle, which depleted 99% of DA in the caudate but did not decrease DA content in the hypothalamus, and did not attenuate the ACTH response to i.p. GBR12909. Measurement of GBR12909-induced inhibition of [ 3 H]DA uptake into synaptosomal preparations indicates the presence of GBR12909-sensitive DA transporters in the region of the hypothalamus surrounding the thrid ventricle. The present findings suggest that an endogenous DA neuronal system terminating in the hypothalamus mediates the effects of stimulants on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function and might play a role in the ongoing regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity.
Drosophila Patj plays a supporting role in apical-basal polarity but is essential for viability

Patj has been characterized as one of the so-called polarity proteins that play essential and conserved roles in regulating cell polarity in many different cell types. Studies of Drosophila and mammalian cells suggest that Patj is required for the apical polarity protein complex Crumbs-Stardust (Pals1 or Mpp5 in mammalian cells) to establish apical-basal polarity. However, owing to the lack of suitable genetic mutants, the exact in vivo function of Patj in regulating apical-basal polarity and development remains to be elucidated. Here, we generated molecularly defined null mutants of Drosophila Patj (dPatj). Our data show conclusively that dPatj only plays supporting and non-essential roles in regulating apical-basal polarity, although such a supporting role may become crucial in cells such as photoreceptors that undergo complex cellular morphogenesis. In addition, our results confirm that dPatj possesses an as yet unidentified function that is essential for pupal development.
Evaluation of alternative materials handling systems

Abstract This paper addresses the development of a simulation model to assist in the selection of a new materials handling system for the service and repair group of a major electronics company.