cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opposite effects of GABAA and GABAC receptor antagonists on the b-wave of ERG recorded from the isolated rat retina

The largest component in the fully dark-adapted ERG is a corneal-positive response, known as the b-wave, and believed to originate from depolarizing (ON-type) bipolar cells. The two types of GABA receptors, GABA(A) and GABA(C) have been reported to exist on bipolar cells in rat retina. The goal of these experiments was to find whether these GABA receptors participate in the generation of the b-wave of electroretinogram (ERG). ERGs were recorded from the isolated rat retinas. The P(2)(t) component, obtained by subtracting the ERGs measured before the application of 50 micrograms APB from those measured after the application of 50 micrograms APB, was used as an indicator of depolarizing bipolar cell activity. Photovoltages, the fast P(3)(t) component of ERG, were registered between the two microelectrodes across the rod outer segments. Bicuculline and 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid (3-APA) were used as selective antagonists of GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors, respectively. It was found that the GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors antagonists have opposite effects on the b-wave: bicuculline increased the b-wave amplitude, while 3-APA reduced the amplitude of the b-wave. Neither bicuculline nor 3-APA affect photoreceptors.
Inhibitor of protein synthesis isolated from ribosomes of unfertilised eggs and embryos of sea urchins.

IT is not yet clear what mechanisms turn on protein synthesis in the first stages of embryonic development. In the sea urchin two mechanisms are debated: activation of ribosomes1,2 and activation of mRNA3,4, possibly through adenylation5,6. An inhibitor of protein synthesis has been isolated from ribosomes of unfertilised eggs of Paracentrotus lividus7,8 by extraction of ribosomes with high concentrations of salt. Metafora et al.7 found that this inhibitor is a protein, that it is not a ribonuclease and that it decreases ribosomal binding of a synthetic messenger (poly(U)) and of phenylalanine tRNA. They found that this inhibitor was absent from extracts of ribosomes of P. lividus blastulae, suggesting that it is inactivated or lost when the eggs are fertilised.
A MULTI-AGENT SYSTEM-BASED REFERENCE GOVERNOR FOR MULTIOBJECTIVE POWER PLANT OPERATION

Abstract A large-scale power plant requires optimal set-points, namely references, for optimal operation. In a 600 MW oil-fired drum-type boiler power unit, the set-points considered are for the main steam pressure and reheater/superheater steam temperatures. The set-points should be mapped with varying unit load demand and satisfy the conflicting operation requirements of the power plant. The conflicting requirements are tackled by multiobjective optimization problem to produce the optimal mapping. In general, the set-points obtained by using a fixed nonlinear function cannot provide optimal power plant operation. This paper presents a methodology, Multi-Agent System-based Reference Governor (MAS-RG), to realize the optimal mapping by searching for the best solution to the multiobjective optimization problem. In searching for the optimal set-points, a heuristic optimization tool, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), is utilized to solve the multiobjective optimization problem. Moreover, the approach provides the means to specify optimal set-points for controllers under a diversity of operating scenarios on-line.
Ionic properties of beef brain gangliosides.

Abstract The titration characteristics and the reactions of aqueous systems of beef brain gangliosides with cations were studied. When free of calcium, all the sialic acid groups can be titrated with roughly half neutralization at pH approx. 4. In the presence of metallic chlorides the titrations indicated that some of the acid groups were bound to metal ions. In 1 mM CaCl 2 this effect was extremely pronounced. The reactions with metallic cations and some amines were studied by measuring the cation-proton exchange at pH 4.0. In 1 mM CaCl 2 this exchange was greater than in 50 mM univalent chlorides. The amines, l -norepinephrine, dl -dopamine and procaine also exchanged protons similar to the alkali metals while the reaction of acetylcholine was different. Analysis of the titration data indicated that a configurational change may occur in the course of protonation. Mixed systems of beef brain gangliosides with egg lecithin titrated like gangliosides alone, however, the reactions with metallic cations were decreased. It is suggested that a barrier to metallic ions may exist in these systems.
Orientational anisotropy in the human visual system: an evoked potential and psychophysical study.

Orientational anisotropy in the human visual system was investigated using electrophysiological and psychophysical techniques. Grating patterns of various orientations were presented and contrast detection thresholds were measured using a two alternative forced choice procedure. Using the same observers, visual evoked cortical potentials (VECPs) were elicited by identical gratings set at various contrasts ranging from subthreshold to high levels. Plots of contrast sensitivity versus grating orientation were derived using the amplitude of a negative wave of the VECP for low contrast data and the amplitude of a positive wave for moderate to high contrast data. These plots were compared with plots obtained during the psychophysical experiment. The results indicate that the low contrast VECP functions exhibit an orientational anisotropy that is qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that observed in the psychophysical data. The high contrast VECP functions, however, exhibit an orientational effect that i...
Hexahydropyrimidines as masked spermidine vectors in drug delivery

Abstract N -(4-Aminobutyl)hexahydropyrimidine and N -(3-aminopropyl)hexahydropyrimidine are shown to compete with spermidine for uptake by L1210 cells. This observation is in keeping with the idea that spermidine may adopt a hydrogen-bonded cyclic structure in the course of transport. Furthermore, the differences in the ability of spermidine, homospermidine, and norspermidine to utilize the spermidine uptake apparatus is analyzed in terms of the charge on the triamines, as calculated from p K a data.
1,2,3-Trichloropropane: A Multisite Carcinogen in Rats and Mice

Abstract 1,2,3-Trichloropropane: A Multisite Carcinogen in Rats and Mice. Irwin, R. D., Baseman, J. K., and Eustis, S. L. (1995). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 25, 241-252. 1,2,3-Trichloropropane was evaluated in 2-year toxicology and carcinogenesis studies by the National Toxicology Program. The selection of this chemical for study was based on the potential for human exposure, its positive in vitro genotoxicity, and the carcinogenicity of structurally related chemicals. During the 2-year study 1,2,3-trichloropropane was administered in corn oil by gavage 5 days per week; groups of 60 F344/N rats received 0, 3, 10, or 30 mg/kg, while groups of 60 B6C3F1 mice received 0, 6, 20, or 60 mg/kg. Because of reduced survival associated with the development of chemical-related neoplasms, rats that received 30 mg/kg were terminated at 65 weeks (females) or 76 weeks (males). Similarly, mice that received 60 mg/kg were terminated at 73 weeks (females) or 79 weeks (males), while groups of mice that received 20 mg/kg were terminated at 88 weeks. 1,2,3-Trichloropropane induced benign and/or malignant neoplasms at multiple sites in both rats and mice; this included increased incidences of benign and malignant neoplasms of the squamous epithelium of the oral mucosa and forestomach of male and female rats, benign neoplasms of the kidney and pancreas and benign or malignant neoplasms of the preputial gland in male rats, malignant neoplasms of the mammary gland, and benign or malignant neoplasms of the clitoral gland in female rats. In mice, 1,2,3-trichloropropane induced a low incidence of malignant neoplasms of the oral mucosa in females, high incidences of benign and malignant neoplasms of the forestomach in males and females, benign neoplasms of the liver and harderian gland of males and females, and uterine neo-plasms in females.
Integrated Evaluation Method and Application of Coordinated Development

Coordinated development theory is the precondition and an important portion of sustainable development theory. In this paper, several works have been done as follows: (1) An improved integrated evaluation method based on coordinated development theory was discussed, and then we estimate the developmental status of system depending on this method. (2) Coordinated development space was defined and partitioned. During the process of partition, the evaluating indicator is classified by a threshold method which makes the variance between two groups is the maximum, and lower limit of development alpha was ascertained. (3) Coordinated development radius r were defined and gained by alpha , and coordinated development spaces were established based on r. (4) Considering the indicator of each evaluated objectives, they were distributed into relevant coordinated development space and those objectives in the same coordinated development space were sorted. The method discussed in this paper can offer the plain result for estimator in order to judge the coordinated development status of system, and to establish optimum strategy for various systems. An example is given to testify the validity of this method.
Radiatively induced spontaneous symmetry breaking and phase transitions in curved spacetime

Local gauge symmetries which are spontaneously broken in flat spacetime are shown to be restored for large spactime curvatures. The case of symmetry breaking due to radiative quantum corrections in gauge theories with elementary scalar fields is considered explicity. In spacetimes with a postive Ricci curvature scalar R and a cosmological event horizon, the critical curvature R/sub C/ is of O(m/sub H/ /sup 2/) or O(m/sub w/ /sup 2/), depending on whether the theory is formulated with conformal or minimal scalar fields. In Ricci flat spacetimes with a conventional event horizon the symmetry is expected to be restored when the temperature of the Hawking thermal radiation is of O(m/sub w/). This phenomenon is described in detail, using functional integral methods and dimensional renormalization, for massless scalar electrodynamics in de-Sitter spacetime. For conformal scalars, the symmetry restoring phase transition is first order, the critical curvature being R/sub c/=0.910 m/sub H/ /sup 2/. For minimal scalars, an anomalous, curvature dependent mass counterterm is required. The phase transition in this case is second order, and occurs at R/sub C/=83.57 m/sub w/ /sup 2/. Symmetry restoration at finite temperature in flat spacetime is considered in an appendix. The critical temperature at which a first-ordermore » phase transition occurs in the Weinberg-Salam model is found to be T/sub C/=0.329 m/sub w/.« less
An investigation of ergonomic interventions in dental hygiene work

Alternative methods for viewing teeth while performing simulated dental procedures were investigated. The methods allowed participants to assume postures requiring less neck flexion than the standard direct view. One alternative used a video camera and monitor to view the mouth, the other incorporated 90° prism glasses. The study was conducted in two parts: (1) novice participants performing a targeting task; (2) dental hygienists performing a scaling task on a mouth model. Posture and subjective perceptions were assessed in Parts 1 and 2. Muscle activity and performance were also assessed in Part 1. The alternative methods significantly reduced muscle activity, neck flexion, and discomfort, compared to the direct view. Preferences were a function of criteria (general, comfort, productivity, or accuracy). Previously, recommendations for reducing ergonomic risk factor exposure of dental professionals emphasized reducing time spent performing dental procedures. This study shows ergonomic interventions offer alternative means of risk exposure reduction.
Trans-Acting Hepatitis Delta Virus Ribozyme: Catalytic Core and Global Structure Are Dependent on the 5‘ Substrate Sequence†

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV), an infectious human pathogen affecting millions of people worldwide, leads to intensified disease symptoms, including progression to liver cirrhosis upon coinfection with its helper virus, HBV. Both the circular RNA genome of HDV and its complementary antigenome contain a common cis-cleaving catalytic RNA motif, the HDV ribozyme, which plays a crucial role in viral replication. Previously, the crystal structure of the product form of the cis-acting genomic HDV ribozyme has been determined, and the precursor form has been suggested to be structurally similar. In contrast, solution studies by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) on a trans-cleaving form of the ribozyme have shown significant global conformational changes upon catalysis, while 2-aminopurine (AP) fluorescence assays have detected concomitant local conformational changes in the catalytic core. Here, we augment these studies by using terbium(III) to probe the structure of the trans-acting HDV ribozyme at nucleotide resolution. We observe significant structural differences between the precursor and product forms, especially in the P1.1 helix and the trefoil turn in the single-stranded region connecting P4 and P2 (termed J4/2) of the catalytic core. We show, using terbium(III) footprinting and sensitized luminescence spectroscopy as well as steady-state, time-resolved, and gel-mobility FRET assays on a systematic set of substrates, that the substrate sequence immediately 5 ' to the cleavage site significantly modulates these local as well as resultant global structural differences. Our results suggest a structural basis for the previously observed impact of the 5' substrate sequence on catalytic activity.
Redo pull-through in Hirschprung's disease for obstructive symptoms due to residual aganglionosis and transition zone bowel

Abstract Background Reoperations in Hirschsprung disease may be required for residual aganglionosis or transition-zone bowel found at the distal pull-through. We aimed to review the management of patients who had this complication and offer suggestions on how to avoid it. Methods Ninety-three patients with Hirschsprung disease were referred to our institution with recurrent problems after a pull-through done elsewhere. All required reoperations with a variety of indications, and of these, 25 had residual aganglionosis/transition-zone histology. This was the only indication for redo in 16 children. Results Children (range, 2-17 years) presented 6 to 66 months after the initial pull-through. The predominant symptoms were enterocolitis (n = 9 [56%]), constipation (n = 7 [44%]), failure to thrive (n = 5 [31%]), and impaction (n = 4 [25%]). The rectal biopsy performed as part of their post pull-through work up showed hypertrophic nerves (n = 16), absent ganglion cells (n = 6), and normal ganglion cells (n = 10). The original frozen-section biopsy, determining the level of the pull-through, only sampled the seromuscular layer in 3 children, leading to misdiagnosis. Reoperations involved a transanal resection (n = 15) and a posterior sagittal approach (n = 1). In all cases, obstructive symptoms were resolved, and no patient has had recurrent enterocolitis. Conclusion Patients' post pull-through with recurrent obstructive symptoms may have residual aganglionosis or transition-zone bowel. Reoperation can result in the resolution of these symptoms. A full-thickness biopsy at the time of the initial pull-through to include the mucosa and submucosa may increase the possibility of identifying hypertrophic nerves.
Pyrolysis products in ion/molecule reactions. II. Amines, thiols, and esters

Abstract The title compounds undergo pyrolytic decomposition on the hot filament of an ionization gauge in an ICR mass spectrometer. The products of pyrolysis are detected by their negative ion/molecule reactions.
The Immunoglobulin Class Switch: Beyond “Accessibility”

The nuclear components responsible for effecting the switch recombination event are unknown. Potential candidates may include a variety of regulatory proteins that participate in DNA replication, repair, and/or recombination and whose expression could in theory be regulated. In this regard, a recent report compared the capacity of B cell precursors from RAG-2-deficient and SCID mice to undergo Sμ–Se recombination in response to anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody plus IL-4 (Rolink et al. 1996xRolink, A, Melchers, F, and Andersson, J. Immunity. 1996; 5: 319–330Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (348)See all ReferencesRolink et al. 1996). The RAG genes (RAG-1 and RAG-2) are key mediators of VDJ recombination (57xMombaerts, P, Iacomini, J, Johnson, R.S, Herrup, K, Tonegawa, S, and Papaioannou, V.E. Cell. 1992; 68: 869–877Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (1708)See all References, 71xShinkai, Y, Rathbun, G, Lam, K.P, Oltz, E.M, Stewart, V, Mendelsohn, M, Charron, J, Datta, M, Young, F, Stall, A.M, and Alt, F.W. Cell. 1992; 68: 855–867Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (1654)See all References). SCID mice lack the Ku70/Ku86-associated DNA-dependent serine/threonine protein kinase (DNA-PK; p350), which has also been implicated in VDJ recombination (6xBosma, G.C, Custer, R.P, and Bosma, M.J. Nature. 1983; 301: 527–530Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (1233)See all References, 5xBlunt, T, Finnie, N.J, Taccioli, G.E, Smith, G.C.M, Demengeot, J, Gottlieb, T.M, Mizuta, R, Varghese, A.J, Alt, F.W, Jeggo, P.A, and Jackson, S.P. Cell. 1995; 80: 813–823Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (686)See all References). B cell precursors from both the RAG-2 and SCID mice expressed germline CHe RNA in the presence of anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody plus IL-4 (Rolink et al. 1996xRolink, A, Melchers, F, and Andersson, J. Immunity. 1996; 5: 319–330Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (348)See all ReferencesRolink et al. 1996). However, RAG-2-deficient, but not SCID, B cell precursors undergo Sμ–Se recombination under these conditions. This suggests that DNA-PK, though not RAG-2, is a key mediator of switch rearrangement. If the level of expression of the functional Ku complex in B cells can be regulated during activation, this would represent one potential pathway for regulating Sμ–Sx recombination independent of alterations in germline CH transcription.Overall, the nature of the switch-recombinase activity and its targeting factors still remains largely unknown. That at least some of these parameters may be regulated within the B cell is suggested by the capacity of various cytokines, B cell activators, and transcription factors to effect changes in switch recombination without altering the expression of the corresponding germline CH genes. These model systems should help to elucidate the nature of these factors.
Dopa reversal of reserpine enhancement of audiogenic seizure susceptibility in mice

Abstract Increased sensitivity to audiogenic seizures induced by reserpine was antagonized by dopa. The antagonism was dependent upon the conversion of dopa to dopamine in brain since blockade of both cerebral and extracerebral decarboxylase prevented the dopa effect, whereas blockade of extracerebral decarboxylase only did not affect the dopa antagonism. Increased seizure susceptibility occurred when brain levels of NE and DA were significantly lowered, while decreased susceptibility was found when brain levels of DA were significantly elevated. The results of this study indicate that dopamine plays a role in protection against audiogenic seizures in mice.
On lower bounds for scheduling problems in high-level synthesis

This paper presents new results on lower bounds for the scheduling problem in high-level synthesis. While several techniques exist for lower bound estimation, comparisons among the techniques have been experimental with few guarantees on the quality of the bounds. In this paper, we present new bounds and a theoretical comparison of these with existing bounds. For the resource-constrained scheduling problem, we present a new algorithm which generalizes the bounding techniques of Langevin and Cerny [6] and Rim and Jain [11]. This algorithm is shown to produce bounds that are provably tighter than other existing techniques. For the time constrained scheduling problem, we show how to generate the tightest possible bounds that can be derived by ignoring the precedence constraints by solving a linear programming formulation. These bounds are therefore guaranteed to be tighter than the bounds generated by the techniques of Fernandez-Bussell [2] or Sharma-Jain [12]. As a result, we show that the linear relaxation of the ILP formulation of the time constrained scheduling problem produces tighter bounds than the two techniques mentioned above.
Attenuated interleukin-8/leukocyte immunoresponse in preterm infants compared with term infants hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis: a pilot study.

Decreased transplacental transfer of antibodies and altered immunoresponsiveness may place preterm (PT) infants at higher risk for serious consequences from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. We hypothesize that among infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis, immune response in PT infants may be different when compared with that of term infants. Nasal-wash samples were collected from 11 PT ( 0.05) infants. IL-4 and IFN-γ levels did not differ between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). PT infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis have lower nasal-wash leukocyte counts and a less robust IL-8 response than term infants, and only in term infants did IL-8 levels correlate with clinical disease severity.
Down-regulation of MHC class I synthesis by murine cytomegalovirus occurs in immortalized but not primary fibroblasts.

Abstract Murine cytomegalovirus downregulates expression of MHC class I molecules required for recognition of virus-specific CD8+ CTL, effector cells which mediate clearance of virus from the host. We previously identified two mechanisms of MHC class I downregulation in MCMV-infected immortalized fibroblasts: a defect in transport of the class I molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface, and a significant inhibition in class I heavy chain synthesis. We now report that these two mechanisms are independently regulated at early times post MCMV infection. The defect in MHC class I transport, evident at 4 hr postinfection, precedes the defect in synthesis at 6–8 hr postinfection. Levels of MHC class I heavy chain mRNA decline between 4–12 hr postinfection. Levels of mRNA for some cellular genes also declined at approximately the same rate in MCMV-infected but not mock-infected cells. The defect in MHC class I synthesis and transport was evident in several fibroblast cell lines immortalized by a variety of agents. However, only the defect in transport of MHC class I heavy chain was seen in primary fibroblast cells. In primary cells, synthesis of heavy chain molecules was unaffected by MCMV infection. Thus, MCMV infection alters expression of host cell proteins at multiple levels in a cell-specific manner, perhaps dependent upon the state of differentiation or transcriptional activity of the cell.
Electrochemical Determination of the Thermodynamic Properties of Lithium-Antimony Alloys

The variation in the high temperature thermodynamic properties of the Li-Sb system with temperature (425–775oC) and composition (xLi = 0.01–0.75) was determined by electromotive force (emf) measurements in a cell configured as follows: Li-Bi reference electrode (xBi = 0.35) | eutectic of LiCl-KCl or LiCl-LiF | Li-Sb alloy. On the basis of these data the Li-Sb couple was deemed attractive for storage of electrical energy in a liquid metal battery. In addition, an updated Li-Sb binary phase diagram is proposed. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0671503jes] All rights reserved.
On the choice of optimal energy options at the city-metropolitan level

Abstract We analyze the long-run consequences at the city-metropolitan level if, given a reliance on conventional fossil fuel energy resources, such resources become vulnerable to supply disruption. For this eventuality, new energy sources not vulnerable to disruption should be developed as quickly as possible. Investment in a solar energy-weatherization program at the local level accomplishes this.
Eating banana in cats for brain stimulation reward

Abstract Hungry cats offered banana and meat pellets, preferred banana to meat pellets when electrical stimulation in the hypothalamus (ESB) was delivered for consumption of banana but never for consumption of meat pellets. Withholding ESB caused the cessation of banana consumption which was resumed with the reapplication of ESB. When, after a few weeks of training, both foods were presented to the hungry cats in their home compartment, without ESB, the animals approached banana and ignored meat pellets.
Triplet spin dephasing in impurity-induced traps in molecular crystals: detuning of proximate nuclear spins

Abstract Two-pulse Hahn and three-pulse stimulated echo experiments are performed on the impurity-induced Y-trap in 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene. Comparison of results obtained with protonated and deuterated trap-inducing impurities suggest that the nuclei of the impurity, which lies adjacent to the triplet trap, are detuned from the bulk nuclei, and thus do not participate in the dephasing process. In addition, Hahn echo decay modulations are observed which can be attributed to chlorine nuclear hyperfine interactions in the traps.
An integrated materials information system for infrastructure planning

The vitality of a nation or region is based on the effective use of material resources for public and private infrastructure. There are an abundance of technological options and policy choices that can be defined. A value chain approach based on the Reference Material System, using state-of-the-art information systems, can be used to provide an integrated framework for information on material resources and finished materials markets to support planning and analysis of the physical infrastructure that is essential to social and economic development. This framework also provides a model for tracking annual flows and stock levels for the capital account of a region or nation.
Comparison of Surface Moisture Measurements with Depth- Integrated Moisture Measurements on a Fine-Grained Beach

ABSTRACT Edwards, B.L.; Schmutz, P.P., and Namikas, S.L., 2013. Comparison of surface moisture measurements with depth-integrated moisture measurements on a fine-grained beach. Surface moisture measurement on beaches is an important component of beach groundwater and aeolian transport studies. There are several approaches to measuring beach surface moisture, but each has significant limitations. Several recent studies have used techniques that integrate moisture content over shallow depths, and this study aims to assess the utility of these measurements for characterizing moisture conditions at the sediment surface, and also to briefly comment on the usefulness of a handheld spectroradiometer for measuring beach surface moisture. Depth-integrated moisture measurements of the top 1.5 and 6 cm of sediment obtained with a time domain reflectometry probe were compared with collocated surface moisture measurements from the spectroradiometer. Results show that depth-integrated measurements overestimated actual ...
Power-driven design of router microarchitectures in on-chip networks

As demand for bandwidth increases in systems-on-a-chip and chip multiprocessors, networks are fast replacing buses and dedicated wires as the pervasive interconnect fabric for on-chip communication. The tight delay requirements faced by on-chip networks have resulted in prior microarchitectures being largely performance-driven. While performance is a critical metric, on-chip networks are also extremely power-constrained. In this paper, we investigate on-chip network microarchitectures from a power-driven perspective. We first analyze the power dissipation of existing network microarchitectures, highlighting insights that prompt us to devise several power-efficient network microarchitectures: segmented crossbar, cut-through crossbar and write-through buffer. We also study and uncover the power saving potential of existing network architecture: express cube. These techniques are evaluated with synthetic as well as real chip multiprocessor traces, showing a reduction in network power of up to 44.9%, along with no degradation in network performance, and even improved latency-throughput in some cases.
Strategies for equilibrium‐stage separation calculations on parallel computers

When multicomponent, multistage separation problems are solved on parallel computers by successive linearization methods, the solution of a large sparse linear equation system becomes a computational bottleneck, since other parts of the calculation are more easily parallelized. When the standard problem formulation is used, this system has a block-tridiagonal form. It is shown how this structure can be used in parallelizing the sparse matrix computation. By reformulating the problem so that it has a bordered-block-bidiagonal superstructure, it can be made even more amenable to parallelization. These strategies permit the use of a two-level hierarchy of parallelism that provides substantial improvements in computational performance on parallel machines
Low voltage firing characteristics of a triggered vacuum gap

The triggered vacuum gap is a normally nonconducting device in which a high-current metal-vapor arc can be established by a suitable pulse of current to a triggering electrode. While this gap is well suited to switching applications at high voltage, it has properties which make it useful at low voltage as well. The operation of the triggered vacuum gap has, therefore, been studied in the range 100 to 1000 volts. It was found that, although the gap could be triggered with currents as low as 0.02 amperes, consistent triggering with firing delays less than a microsecond required trigger pulses of 10 amperes or more. Little or no dependence of firing time on main gap voltage was observed. Below a few hundred volts, however, the probability of establishing a stable main discharge with a short duration trigger pulse falls off rapidly with decreasing gap voltage. The polarity of the main gap voltage and of the trigger pulse strongly influenced the firing characteristics of the gap in the range studied. These effects are discussed in detail.
Energy-efficient high-performance storage system

This project is developing extended versions of RAIDs with low-power, and exploring novel energy-efficient disk array architectures using coding techniques for data intensive computing.
LmrS Is a Multidrug Efflux Pump of the Major Facilitator Superfamily from Staphylococcus aureus

A multidrug efflux pump designated LmrS (lincomycin resistance protein of Staphylococcus aureus), belonging to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) of transporters, was cloned, and the role of LmrS in antimicrobial efflux was evaluated. The highest relative increase in MIC, 16-fold, was observed for linezolid and tetraphenylphosphonium chloride (TPCL), followed by an 8-fold increase for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol. LmrS has 14 predicted membrane-spanning domains and is homologous to putative lincomycin resistance proteins of Bacillus spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Listeria spp.
Fusion of decisions transmitted over Rayleigh fading channels in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we revisit the problem of fusing decisions transmitted over fading channels in a wireless sensor network. Previous development relies on instantaneous channel state information (CSI). However, acquiring channel information may be too costly for resource constrained sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a new likelihood ratio (LR)-based fusion rule which requires only the knowledge of channel statistics instead of instantaneous CSI. Based on the assumption that all the sensors have the same detection performance and the same channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), we show that when the channel SNR is low, this fusion rule reduces to a statistic in the form of an equal gain combiner (EGC), which explains why EGC is a very good choice with low or medium SNR; at high-channel SNR, it is equivalent to the Chair-Varshney fusion rule. Performance evaluation shows that the new fusion rule exhibits only slight performance degradation compared with the optimal LR-based fusion rule using instantaneous CSI.
Stochastic Solutions for the Two-Dimensional Advection-Diffusion Equation

In this paper, we solve the two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation with random transport velocity. The generalized polynomial chaos expansion is employed to discretize the equation in random space while the spectral hp element method is used for spatial discretization. Numerical results which demonstrate the convergence of generalized polynomial chaos are presented. Specifically, it appears that the fast convergence rate in the variance is the same as that of the mean solution in the Jacobi-chaos unlike the Hermite-chaos. To this end, a new model to represent compact Gaussian distributions is also proposed.
A kaleidoscope of digital American literature

Daphnee Rentfrow assisted in writing and editing the report. This 176 page report is also available from purchase for $30 from CLIR or the DLF. It is freely available in html or pdf formats from their web sites. It is archived with the permission of the CLIR and DLF who hold copyright.
Cycle-balance conditions for distance-regular graphs

In a distance-regular graph, the partition with respect to distance from a vertex supports a unique eigenvector for each eigenvalue. There may be non-singleton vertex sets whose corresponding distance partition also supports eigenvectors. We consider the members of three families of distance regular graphs, the Johnson Graphs, Hamming Graphs and Complete Multipartite graphs. For each we determine all such sets which support an eigenvector for the next to largest eigenvalue. These sets exhibit the underlying geometric structure of the graph.
Constrained random search for IIR adaptive and non-linear filters

A constrained random search algorithm is introduced to perform system identification for both linear and nonlinear unknown systems. This proposed method is a population based algorithm involving a structured yet randomised information exchange resulting in survival of fittest among the population. It has capabilities of reaching the global solution. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm works well on multimodal error surfaces that are characteristic of linear IIR and general nonlinear adaptive filters.
Towards Utilizing GPUs in Information Visualization: A Model and Implementation of Image-Space Operations

Modern programmable GPUs represent a vast potential in terms of performance and visual flexibility for information visualization research, but surprisingly few applications even begin to utilize this potential. In this paper, we conjecture that this may be due to the mismatch between the high-level abstract data types commonly visualized in our field, and the low-level floating-point model supported by current GPU shader languages. To help remedy this situation, we present a refinement of the traditional information visualization pipeline that is amenable to implementation using GPU shaders. The refinement consists of a final image-space step in the pipeline where the multivariate data of the visualization is sampled in the resolution of the current view. To concretize the theoretical aspects of this work, we also present a visual programming environment for constructing visualization shaders using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Finally, we give some examples of the use of shaders for well-known visualization techniques.
Using entropy based clustering method to optimize heterogenous antennas in ad hoc wireless networks

Directional antennas widely used in IEEE 802.11 series protocols can offer high gain and low interference to other stations. But they also cause some side effects like the hidden terminal and deafness problems, which will deteriorate the performance of the networks significantly. Therefore, omni-directional antennas have to be used in some cases to avoid these problems. So a station equipped with antennas capable of operating in both omni-directional and directional modes is desired. In this paper, an entropy-based clustering algorithm is proposed to find an improved solution between using omni- and directional antennas, which utilizes the advantage of directional antennas and meanwhile alleviates the effects brought by directional antennas. We compare our proposed algorithms with the traditional ones and the simulation results confirm the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Examining the Scope of Channel Expansion A Test of Channel Expansion Theory With New and Traditional Communication Media

This article draws on channel expansion theory to explore the selection and use of communication media by organizational members. Channel expansion theory scholars posit that media richness percept...
Interval Computations and Interval-Related Statistical Techniques: Tools for Estimating Uncertainty of the Results of Data Processing and Indirect Measurements

In many practical situations, we only know the upper bound Δ on the (absolute value of the) measurement error Δ x that is, we only know that the measurement error is located on the interval [-Δ,Δ]. The traditional engineering approach to such situations is to assume that Δ x is uniformly distributed on [-Δ,Δ], and to use the corresponding statistical techniques. In some situations, however, this approach underestimates the error of indirect measurements. It is therefore desirable to directly process this interval uncertainty. Such “interval computations” methods have been developed since the 1950s. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of related algorithms, results, and remaining open problems.
Course portfolios: a systematic mechanism to document teaching and learning

Many creative and effective teaching strategies are forgotten or misplaced between semesters, only to be learned anew in subsequent semesters or lost forever. Beginning in September 1997, the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering linked its efforts to strengthen undergraduate education with a project designed to help teaching assistants become better instructors. This project, called a course portfolio, is a formal mechanism that documents and shares course-specific teaching information among teaching assistants and faculty. Course portfolio components include a repository of knowledge, instructor reflections, and critical analyses of activities. Instructors representing all ten departments in the College of Engineering have created course portfolios, and the project continues to expand and improve.
A Developmental fMRI Study of the Stroop Color-Word Task

We used fMRI to investigate developmental changes in brain activation during a Stroop color-word interference task. A positive correlation was observed between age and Stroop-related activation (n = 30) in the left lateral prefrontal cortex, the left anterior cingulate, and the left parietal and parieto-occipital cortices. No regions showed a negative correlation between activation and age. We further investigated age-related differences by stratifying the sample into three age groups: children (ages 7-11), adolescents (ages 12-16), and young adults (ages 18-22). Young adult subjects (n = 11) displayed significant activation in the inferior and middle frontal gyri bilaterally, the left anterior cingulate, and bilateral inferior and superior parietal lobules. Between-group comparisons revealed that young adults had significantly greater activation than adolescent subjects (n = 11) in the left middle frontal gyrus and that young adults showed significantly greater activation than children (n = 8) in the anterior cingulate and left parietal and parieto-occipital regions, as well as in the left middle frontal gyrus. Compared to children, both adult and adolescent subjects exhibited significantly greater activation in the parietal cortex. Adult and adolescent groups, however, did not differ in activation for this region. Together, these data suggest that Stroop task-related functional development of the parietal lobe occurs by adolescence. In contrast, prefrontal cortex function contributing to the Stroop interference task continues to develop into adulthood. This neuromaturational process may depend on increased ability to recruit focal neural resources with age. Findings from this study, the first developmental fMRI investigation of the Stroop interference task, provide a template with which normal development and neurodevelopmental disorders of prefrontal cortex function can be assessed.
Composition and safety of cured meats in the USA

The meat-consuming public is concerned about foodborne illnesses which are primarily of microbiological origin, about more long-term effects thought to be associated with dietary consumption patterns, and about the possible presence of low levels of various additives or contaminants. Even though 100% safety from foodborne illnesses can never be achieved, steady progress is being made through adoption of new technologies and improved control and prevention systems. A new generation of low-fat products gives the consumer more dietary choices, and modern cured meats have lower residual nitrite than they did twenty years ago.
CCM2 Expression Parallels That of CCM1

Background and Purpose— Mutations in CCM2 (MGC4607 or malcavernin) cause familial cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), an autosomal dominant neurovascular disease. Both the function of this molecule and the pathogenesis of the disease remain elusive. Methods— We analyzed the mRNA expression of Ccm1 and Ccm2 in the embryonic and postnatal mouse brain by in situ hybridization. Subsequently, we generated CCM2-specific polyclonal antibodies and tested their specificity using transient transfection experiments in various cell lines. We then investigated CCM2 protein expression in cerebral and extracerebral tissues by Western blot analysis as well as immunohistochemistry and compared these results with CCM1 (KRIT1) protein expression. Results— In situ analysis shows similar temporal and spatial expression patterns for Ccm1 and Ccm2, although Ccm1 expression appears more widespread. Immunohistochemical analysis shows that CCM2 is expressed in various human organs, most noticeably in the arterial vascular endot...
Heterochromia iridis and Homer's syndrome due to paravertebral neurilemmoma

A case of heterochromia iridis and Horner's syndrome is reported in a 7-year old girl with paravertebral neurilemmoma. These clinical findings can be useful in the early diagnosis of mediastinal tumors in the paravertebral axis. While typically associated with neuroblastoma, these findings can be due to tumors which are inately benign — in this case neurilemmoma. The mechanism for heterochromia is briefly discussed.
Time-varying idiosyncratic risk and aggregate consumption dynamics

Abstract Long-term earnings losses for displaced workers are large and counter-cyclical. Similarly, the skewness of earnings growth rates is strongly pro-cyclical. This paper presents an incomplete markets business cycle model in which idiosyncratic risk varies over time in accordance with these empirical findings. These dynamics of idiosyncratic risk give rise to a cyclical precautionary savings motive that substantially raises the volatility of aggregate consumption growth. According to the model, idiosyncratic risk spiked during the Great Recession, leading to a substantial decline in aggregate consumption.
Abstract 19525: Knockout of CD38 Preserves Endothelial Function in the Postischemic Heart through Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Salvage

Introduction: Cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury causes dysfunction in the coronary endothelium, resulting in loss of vascular relaxation and decreased tissue perfusion. Prior data with pharmacological inhibitors suggests that CD38 plays a role in I/R-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) through consumption of NADPH precursor NADP, limiting the supply of NADPH for nitric oxide (NO) production from endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and decreasing NOS-dependent coronary flow (NDCF). In order to definitively determine the role of CD38 in cardiac I/R injury and endothelial dysfunction, we performed studies on hearts of wild type (WT) and CD38-/- mice. Methods: Isolated Langendorff perfused hearts of WT (n=9) and CD38-/- mice (n=7) were subjected to 30 min ischemia (I) and contractile function and coronary flow were monitored through 30 min reperfusion (R) with an intraventricular balloon and Doppler flow probe, respectively. At 30 min R, NDCF was measured with administration of NOS inhibitor L-NAME and then hearts were frozen for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements of NADP(H) and NAD(H). Results: There was no difference in contractile function recovery between groups. However, hearts from CD38-/- mice had enhanced recovery of both NADP(H) and NAD(H) (47.4 +/- 3.2 and 42.2 +/- 3.3% higher). Furthermore, at 30 min R, hearts from CD38-/- mice had much higher post-ischemic recovery of coronary flow (14.64 +/- 3.50% higher) and NDCF (48.7 +/- 5.5% higher) compared to WT mice (Fig 1 & 2). Conclusion: Thus, we observe that CD38 activation is a key mechanism contributing to NADP(H) depletion and VED in the postischemic heart. ![][1] ![][2] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/graphic-2.gif
/sup 10/B+/sup 17/O fusion cross sections

The fusion cross section for /sup 10/B+/sup 17/O has been measured at five exitation energies in /sup 27/Al of E* = 48.4, 55.1, 66.9, and 74.4 MeV in order to study possible compound nucleus limitation effects on fusion for light heavy-ion systems at intermediate excitation energies. Comparing this data with other measurements for different entrance channels populating the same compound nucleus it is found that for E* 60 MeV the bands tend to converge indicating a possible compound nucleus limitation effect. The data are compared with existing models for entrance channel and statistical yrast line limitations.
Determination of Androgens and Related Steroids

Androgens and 17-ketosteroids are derived from several organs. In the testes, the primary biosynthetic product appears to be the steroid testosterone.
Optimizing Complex Kinetics Experiments Using Least-Squares Methods.

Complex kinetic problems are generally modeled employing numerical integration routines. Our kinetics modeling program, Acuchem, has been modified to fit rate constants and absorption coefficients generically to real or synthesized "laboratory data" via a least-squares iterative procedure written for personal computers. To test the model and method of analysis the self- and cross-combination reactions of HO2 and CH3O2 radicals of importance in atmospheric chemistry are examined. These radicals as well as other species absorb ultraviolet radiation. The resultant absorption signal is measured in the laboratory and compared with a modeled signal to obtain the best-fit to various kinetic parameters. The modified program generates synthetic data with added random noise. An analysis of the synthetic data leads to an optimization of the experimental design and best-values for certain rate constants and absorption coefficients.