cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Centrifugal Fan Load Regulating in a Commercial CFB Boiler

The performances of centrifugal fans, two primary air fans and two secondary air fans were tested in BECR load and were compared with design parameters. The results show that air fan capacity excesses in practical BECR are 40% and 80%, beyond the design value. An operation optimization test offers the suggestions that keep inlet baffles completely open and regulate air fan loads only by hydraulic couplers. It earns about 20A of the primary air fan di,o, where input voltage is 6000V. The secondary air fan motor di,o changes from 2-27A depending on the fan load. A driver upgrading prediction shows that the primary air fan di,u would have been over 75A, and the primary air fan di,u would have been over 90A, if the hydraulic couplers are substituted for variable-frequency drive.
An assembled surface normal algorithm for interior node removal in three-dimensional finite element meshes

An algorithm is developed for identifying interior nodes and edges in finite element meshes of three-dimensional solids. The algorithm is extremely simple and quite fast. The interior nodes are identified by assembling the normals to all surfaces of the model according to the usual finite element assembly procedure. Comparison with a sort-search algorithm shows a tenfold reduction in running time; running time is a linear function of the number of nodes or elements.
Exotic properties and potential applications of quantum metamaterials

We discuss here potential venues for applications and exotic features of quantum metamaterials. We explore the coupling of conventional electromagnetic metamaterials with quantum emitters and the wave properties of quantum metamaterials obtained by tailoring their effective band structure. We discuss anomalous enhancement effects in the quantum emission properties of individual and collections of small emitters in the presence of metamaterials, as well as matter-wave cloaking and anomalous tunneling phenomena for quantum mechanical waves in artificial materials with exotic band structures.
Effect of a Static Electric Field on the Trapping of Beam Electrons in a Slow Wave Structure

The effect of an applied static electric field on trapped beam electrons in a traveling wave tube has been observed. In particular, it was found that the wave power can be increased. It was found that beam space charge can play an important role in limiting the wave-power enhancement, and that the wave enhancement is strongly dependent on the rf input drive level. By launching large-amplitude waves over 10 dB of enhanced wave growth has been observed.
Microassay of heme oxygenase by high-performance liquid chromatography: Application to assay of needle biopsies of human liver

Abstract We developed a microassay for heme oxygenase, in which bilirubin (BR) production was measured by HPLC, and compared it to previously reported spectrophotometric methods. The microassay required as little as 5 mg wet human, rat, or chick embryo liver. Using the HPLC assay, values for heme oxygenase activity in extracts (10,000 g supernatant) of normal human liver obtained by needle biopsies were 44 ± 7 (pmol BR · min −1 · mg protein −1 ). Spectrophotometric assays of homogenates of human liver resulted in low values for heme oxygenase, due to unknown sources of interference. Comparative values of microsomal heme oxygenase activity were 294 ± 25, 95 ± 3, and 87 ± 9 pmol BR · min −1 · mg protein −1 for chick, rat, and human livers, respectively.
Magnetic field dependence of monomer and excimer delayed fluorescence of aromatics in fluid solution

We have extended our study of the magnetic field dependence of monomer (MM) and excimer (ID) delayed fluorescence of aromatics in fluid solution. IM and ID show a monotonic decrease with increasing field strength at room temperature in agreement with theoretical predictions. At lower temperatures both IM and ID show an initial increase followed by a monotonic decrease. This marked temperature dependence can be attributed to a “freezing-out” of the effect of molecular motion on the field effect. At even lower temperatures the field effect curves of IM and ID start to diverge. Two models have been proposed to explain the mechanism of excimer formation in triplet—triplet annihilation. Qualitatively at least the divergence can be rationalized in terms of both models.
Thiazide-like diuretic drug metolazone activates human pregnane X receptor to induce cytochrome 3A4 and multidrug-resistance protein 1

Human pregnane X receptor (hPXR) regulates the expression of drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and drug transporters such as multidrug-resistance protein 1 (MDR1). PXR can be modulated by small molecules, including Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, thus altering drug metabolism and causing drug-drug interactions. To determine the role of FDA-approved drugs in PXR-mediated regulation of drug metabolism and clearance, we screened 1481 FDA-approved small-molecule drugs by using a luciferase reporter assay in HEK293T cells and identified the diuretic drug metolazone as an activator of hPXR. Our data showed that metolazone activated hPXR-mediated expression of CYP3A4 and MDR1 in human hepatocytes and intestine cells and increased CYP3A4 promoter activity in various cell lines. Mammalian two-hybrid assays showed that hPXR recruits its co-activator SRC-1 upon metolazone binding in HepG2 cells, explaining the mechanism of hPXR activation. To understand the role of other commonly-used diuretics in hPXR activation and the structure-activity relationship of metolazone, thiazide and non-thiazide diuretics drugs were also tested but only metolazone activates hPXR. To understand the molecular mechanism, docking studies and mutational analysis were carried out and showed that metolazone binds in the ligand-binding pocket and interacts with mostly hydrophobic amino acid residues. This is the first report showing that metolazone activates hPXR. Because activation of hPXR might cause drug-drug interactions, metolazone should be used with caution for drug treatment in patients undergoing combination therapy.
Avian reticuloendotheliosis virus contains a new class of oncogene of turkey origin.

Abstract We have prepared cDNA specific for avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), a defective acute leukemia virus. By using this probe (cDNA REV ) we have shown that REV contains a new class of transformation-specific sequences. These sequences ( ret ) are distinct from all the known viral oncogenes specific for hematopoietic cell transformation. Analogous to other avian viral oncogenes, the ret -related sequences are present in normal uninfected vertebrate cells. However, the ret sequences have two unique features: (1) they are most related to and probably derived from normal turkey cellular DNA, and (2) they are present only in normal avian species and not in nonavian vertebrates. In contrast, the sequences related to its helper virus, REV-A, could not be detected in any normal vertebrate cells. We have also shown that the ret sequences are transcribed into RNA in normal avian cells, and that the ret sequences are not contained in other viruses.
Stable isotope constraints on the elevation history of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Research on the uplift history of the Sierra Nevada mountain range has yielded seemingly conflicting results. Some studies argue for substantial uplift within the past 3–5 m.y.; others suggest that high elevations may have existed since the Cretaceous. The rain shadow across the Sierra Nevada is associated with a strong isotopic gradient, with lower δ18O values in precipitation on the leeward side of the range. Reconstruction of the δ18O value of meteoric water as a monitor of paleoelevation has focused mainly on the leeward side of the Sierras, but interpretation of the results of these studies may be complicated by shifts in global climate and regional moisture sources. We address these concerns by analyzing the δ18O value of tooth enamel bioapatite from contemporaneous mammalian fossils on either side of the present Sierra range. By sampling across the range, δ18O differences induced by a rain shadow can be isolated from other complicating factors. Our results indicate that the Sierra rain shadow has existed since at least 16 Ma, which is an important constraint on models for the tectonic evolution of the western United States. Unfortunately, temporal resolution for localities is too coarse to differentiate between glacial and interglacial localities during the past 2 m.y., so we cannot evaluate if there was a latest Cenozoic pulse of uplift or elevation loss.
Media analysis and resistance by elementary school children in the primary prevention of eating problems

Abstract This paper describes our efforts to promote “media literacy” and media resistance skills in boys and girls ages 9-11 who were participating in a controlled evaluation of a 10-lesson prevention program designed to improve nutrition and exercise behavior and to promote self-acceptance and body esteem. Our approach to a critical evaluation of mass media focused on student content analyses of nutritional and body shape messages, followed by consideration of the disparity of their findings and emphasis on healthy messages about eating, weight, and shape in the entire curriculum. This approach was by and large ineffective in both grades, and was not well-received by nearly a third of the teachers. However, the entire curriculum was moderately successful in increasing knowledge, and it had a positive effect on 5th graders' attitudes toward fat people. Images and content from the mass media, scattered throughout the lessons and homework assignments, may have been instrumental in these effects. Implicatio...
Impotence caused by traumatic pelvic arteriovenous communication--a case report.

A case of traumatic arteriovenous (AV) communication between the internal iliac artery and vein presented with impotence and buttock claudication simu lating the iliac artery steal syndrome. Surgical resection of the AV fistula re sulted in satisfactory coitus and abolishment of the claudications.
Love and loss, marriage and mourning: World War One in German home front novels

Mass death in World War One had significant costs on the home front, including disruption of marriage and bereavement practices. Home front novels, women's fiction written with an aim of depicting this disruption as well as supporting the war effort, provide a lens through which to examine discursive attempts to reconcile personal love and loss with nationalist imperatives to suppress grief and make willing sacrifices for the good of the nation. Authors failed to achieve a consistent, clear prescription for their readers: their attention to personal pain and the war's effects on broad sections of society made adherence to collective ideologies, including nationalism and socialism, difficult to maintain.
Survival on the heart transplant waiting list: impact of continuous flow left ventricular assist device as bridge to transplant.

Background Continued donor organ shortage and improved outcomes with current left ventricular assist device (LVAD) technology have increased the number of patients supported with bridge-to-transplantation (BTT) therapy. Using the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database, we assessed the impact on survival in patients supported with BTT while on the heart transplant waiting list. Methods The UNOS database was queried from January 2005 to June 2012 to identify patients listed for heart transplantation as UNOS status 1A or 1B. Patients implanted with a pulsatile-flow device or an LVAD other than the HeartMate II (HM II; Thoratec Inc, Pleasanton, CA) were excluded. Patients were divided into LVAD and non-LVAD groups based on status at the time of listing. Patients were propensity matched (LVAD –non-LVAD = 1:2) for age, sex, weight, presence of diabetes, creatinine levels, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and UNOS status. Kaplan-Meier curves were analyzed for survival. Results A total of 8,688 patients were analyzed, with 1,504 (17%) in the LVAD group. Average age (52.6 ± 11.8 versus 51.3 ± 12.9 years; p = 0.0002) and weight (86.6 ± 18.6 versus 80.8 ± 18.2 kg; p p p = 0.03) in the LVAD group. Of all patients, 6,943 patients (80%) underwent transplantation, 862 (10%) died, and 883 (10%) remained on the waiting list. After propensity matching, survival to transplantation was significantly better in the LVAD group than in the non-LVAD group at both 1 year (91% versus 77%) and 2 years (85% versus 68%). Conclusions Patients supported with an HM II LVAD as BTT therapy were older with increased comorbidities; they demonstrated an improved survival while listed for heart transplantation. The use of LVADs as a BTT strategy can potentially improve patient survival while waiting for transplantation and allow better allocation of donor hearts.
Biosynthesis of ubiquinone-9 from p-hydroxybenzoate by a cell-free system from rat liver.

Abstract Mitochondria isolated from rat liver slices preincubated with 5 mM mevalonate have been shown to be capable of converting p-hydroxybenzoate-G- 3 H to 5-demethoxyubiquinone-9- 3 H, and endogenous 5-demethoxyubiquinone-9- 14 C to ubiquinone-9- 14 C. Microsomes and cytosol isolated from the same liver slices were essentially inactive. This biosynthetic system is dependent upon external ATP, and to a lesser extent S-adenosyl-methionine, coenzyme A, and reduced pyridine nucleotides.
Leaching Dynamics Studies of Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Ash

Abstract An assessment of the short- and long-term hazards from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash is made through the elemental analysis of 40 to 50 elements in the ash and leachates produced by several leaching procedures. The ash was analyzed using neutron activation analysis (NAA) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). The leachates were analyzed using NAA and inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP). The leaching dynamics of an ash monofill were modelled with a series of extractions using simulated acid rain. An initial spike of the metals Ag, Ba, Be, Cr, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sr, and Zn in the leachates appears to be the greatest hazard posed by MSWI ash monofills. The elements As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, S, and Zn were identified as potential long term hazards utilizing a sequential extraction procedure which approximates the total amount of the elements available over the lifetime of the monofill. The pH of the resulting leachate is the single greatest factor governing the concentration of met...
Small radius bends and large angle splitters in SOI waveguides

The silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) materials system provides a high index contrast waveguide platform compatible with existing monolithic microelectronic fabrication processes. The large index difference between the Si and SiO2 ((Delta) n approximately equals 2.0) allows the miniaturization of waveguide cross-sectional dimensions: single-mode strip waveguides with 0.2 X 0.5 micrometers cross-sections are possible. Additionally, right angle waveguide bends with radii of 2.0 micrometers can be fabricated with insertion loss of less than 1.0 dB. Bend radii of 250 micrometers or more are required to achieve the same performance in less confined waveguide systems such as GaAs/AlGaAs. The high confinement of the Si/SiO2 system also allows Y-branch power splitters with splitting angles greater than 20 degree(s) to operate with low loss. The combination of small cross- section, small bend radius, and large splitting angle provides a highly compact light guiding technology. Calculations of the loss due to 90 degree(s) bends in these waveguides and preliminary loss measurements for bends from 2.0 to 100.0 micrometers in radius are reported. Y-branch power splitters are analyzed and measurements of branches from 2 degree(s) to 40 degree(s) are presented.
Separation of triglycerides by chain length and degree of unsaturation on silica HPLC columns

Triacylglycerols can be separated by both chain length and number of double bonds using micro particulate silica high pressure liquid chromatography columns with isooctane, diethyl ether, and acetic acid solvent mixtures. The separations obtained are the reverse of those observed with μ-Bondapak C18 columns (Waters Associates); i.e., longer chain length triglycerides elute from the column earlier than their shorter chain homologs, and saturated triglycerides elute before the more unsaturated ones. Base line separation was obtained between tristearin, triolein, trilinolein, and trilinolenin.
Concealed in the Open: Recipients of International Clandestine Jewish Aid in Early 1950s Hungary

This article discusses the emergence of the semi-clandestine efforts of a network of international Jewish philanthropies and the Israeli government to send material and financial aid to Jews in early-communist Hungary. Post Second World War Hungary was a special focus for Jewish aid organizations in the west and the Israeli government. They poured resources into Hungary, both to feed, cloth and provide medical care to hundreds of thousands of Jews, and to assist thousands of Jews migrating west through Hungary. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the dominant Jewish aid organization in the world at the time, ran its largest and most expensive program in Hungary. Working with Israeli and Hungarian authorities, it financed a network of welfare services, often through the importation of scarce consumer goods and raw materials. As the Communist Party reshaped the economy, and pushed out “undesirable elements” from Hungarian life, this aid program served a growing population of impoverished, sick, and religious Jews, some exiled in Hungary’s countryside. This program increasingly took advantage of black market networks to distribute aid. Yet, after conditions deteriorated so much that this program ceased officially, Jewish aid providers in the US and Israel adapted their earlier practices and networks to take advantage of the impoverished consumer economy in program to distribute aid clandestinely to Hungarian Jews, with the cooperation of Hungary’s communist authorities.
MMP/TIMP expression profiles in distinct lung disease models: implications for possible future therapies

Background There is currently a vast amount of evidence in the literature suggesting that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory airways diseases, such as asthma and COPD. Despite this, the majority of reports only focus on single MMPs, often only in one model system. This study aimed to investigate the profile of an extensive range of MMP/TIMP levels in three different pre-clinical models of airways disease. These models each have a different and very distinct inflammatory profile, each exhibiting inflammatory characteristics that are similar to that observed in asthma or COPD. Since these models have their own characteristic pathophysiological phenotype, one would speculate that the MMP/TIMP expression profile would also be different.
Probing the historical sources of the Mauritian miracle: sugar exporters and state building in colonial Mauritius

Scholars increasingly agree that the ‘Mauritian Miracle’ was enabled by the country's significant level of state capacity. This article probes Mauritius's state-building past to identify the early sources of Mauritian state capacity. Specifically, I find that the close collaboration between the island's export-oriented sugar planters, known as the Franco-Mauritians, and colonial officials accounts for the growth of Mauritian state capacity during the nineteenth century. Following the island's first major commodity boom, in 1825, sugar planters pressed colonial officials to ‘regulate’ the island's labour supply, improve its transportation infrastructure, and undertake research and development initiatives. These efforts collectively promoted the growth of state capacity and laid the groundwork for the country's relatively capable state. The influence of Mauritius's export-oriented coalition on state building may shed light on the country's comparative success to other African countries, where export-oriente...
Desmosome differentiation during epidermal cornification: New observations obtained from intermediate voltage electron microscopy

Human epidermis was examined under 400-kV intermediate voltage electron microscopy using epon sections cut 5–8 times thicker than usual ultrathin sections. Asymmetry of desmosomal structures occurred as cells became cornified. Electron-dense proteins deposited at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane of corneocytes do not extend into the desmosomal area, which connects to granular cells. Stereo micrographs revealed the existence of two different cellular elements at the cell surface confirming that the plasma membrane first thickened in areas without desmosomes. Examination of the three-dimensional nature of desmosomes and keratin-filament aggregation without serial sectioning and/or selecting a strict angle of the tissues will allow us to extend our ultrastructural knowledge.
Subunit composition, protein interactions, and structures of the mammalian brain sec6/8 complex and septin filaments

Both the sec6/8 complex and septin filaments have been implicated in directing vesicles and proteins to sites of active membrane addition in yeast. The rat brain sec6/8 complex coimmunoprecipitates with a filament composed of four mammalian septins, suggesting an interaction between these complexes. One of the septins, CDC10, displays broad subcellular and tissue distributions and is found in postmitotic neurons as well as dividing cells. Electron microscopic studies showed that the purified rat brain septins form filaments of 8.25 nm in diameter; the lengths of the filaments are multiples of 25 nm. Glutaraldehyde-fixed rat brain sec6/8 complex adopts a conformation resembling the letter "T" or "Y". The sec6/8 and septin complexes likely play an important role in trafficking vesicles and organizing proteins at the plasma membrane of neurons.
Processing dependencies between segmental and suprasegmental features in Mandarin Chinese

The aim of this study was to examine processing interactions between segmental (consonant, vowel) and suprasegmental (tone) dimensions of Mandarin Chinese. Using a speeded classification paradigm, processing interactions were examined between each pair of dimensions. Listeners were asked to attend to one dimension while ignoring the variation along another. Asymmetric interference effects were observed between segmental and suprasegmental dimensions, with segmental dimensions interfering more with tone classification than the reverse. Among the three dimensions, vowels exerted greater interference on consonants and tones than vice versa. Comparisons between each pair of dimensions revealed greater integrality between tone and vowel than between tone and consonant. Findings suggest that the direction and degree of interference between segmental and suprasegmental dimensions in spoken word recognition reflect differences in acoustic properties as well as other factors of an informational nature.
Time reversal violation

This talk briefly reviews three types of time-asymmetry in physics, which I classify as universal, macroscopic and microscopic. Most of the talk is focussed on the latter, namely the violation of T-reversal invariance in particle physics theories.
The role of angioplasty after successful thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction.

Soon after the efficacy of thrombolytic agents in recanalizing totally occluded arteries in the setting of AMI was shown, angiographic studies revealed a residual high-grade stenosis in a majority of these patients. To improve clinical outcome further, the role of coronary angioplasty at varying time intervals after myocardial infarction has been examined. In all studies examining the role of immediate angioplasty, no definite advantage was observed with the invasive strategy. In one study, a higher mortality rate was observed in the invasive group, whereas all studies demonstrated a significant increase in the number of non-fatal ischemic adverse events after PTCA. Although differences in clinical outcomes were noted, no difference in left ventricular function, the primary endpoint of all three studies, was demonstrated. Similar results were obtained in the randomized trials of delayed ( 48 h) angioplasty versus conservative management. The majority of these latter trials suffer from the lack of a true control arm, as many patients in the conservative arms undergo PTCA. Observational series in conservatively treated patients after thrombolysis suggest that the coronary plaque remains unstable for several weeks after myocardial infarction. Pacifying the unstable plaque either by medical therapies or by PTCA with adjunctive therapies may in the future be the way to improve outcome in the post-infarction period. In the acute phase, aortic counterpulsation has been found to reduce ischemic events after PTCA in a randomized trial [36].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges—and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates (review)

(2009). The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys its Way into Elite Colleges—and Who Gets Left outside the Gates. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 116-117.
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuronal cell death in HIV dementia.

The deaths of neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells have been described in patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) dementia. HIV-1 does not infect neurons; instead, neurotoxic substances shed by infected glia and macrophages can induce a form of programmed cell death called apoptosis in neurons. These neurotoxins include the HIV-1 proteins Tat and gp120, as well as proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, excitotoxins and proteases. In this article we review the evidence for apoptosis of various cell types within the brain of HIV-infected patients, and describein vitro andin vivo experimental studies that have elucidated the mechanisms by which HIV causes apoptosis of brain cells.
Risk factors and outcomes for foreign body left during a procedure: analysis of 413 incidents after 1 946 831 operations in children.

Objective To determine risk factors and outcomes associated with a foreign body left during a procedure in a population of pediatric surgical patients. Design Case-control study. Setting The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Kids' Inpatient Database were used to identify hospitalized pediatric surgical patients in the United States (aged 0-18 years) from 1988 to 2005. Patients After data from 1 946 831 hospitalizations in children were linked to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Pediatric Quality Indicator (PDI) software, 413 pediatric patients with foreign bodies left during a procedure (PDI 3) were identified. A 1:3 matched case-control design was implemented with 413 cases and 1227 controls. Cases and controls were stratified into procedure categories based on diagnosis related group procedure codes. Main Outcome Measures To examine the relationship between PDI 3 and procedure category, as well as the outcomes of in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total hospital charges. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant higher odds of PDI 3 in the gynecology procedure category (odds ratio, 4.13; P = .01). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that patients with PDI 3 had an 8-day longer length of stay (95% confidence interval, 5.6-10.3 days; P P P = .92). Conclusions Among pediatric surgical admissions, a foreign body left during a procedure was observed to occur with highest likelihood during gynecologic operations. The occurrence of this adverse event was associated with longer length of stay and greater total hospital charges, but not with increased mortality.
Circulating Cytokine Levels in Osteoporotic and Normal Women

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6 have been postulated to play roles in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. To test this hypothesis, we measured circulating levels of IL-6, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta in 40 age-matched normal and 40 osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures and increased bone turnover. Since IL-1 activity is modulated by the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), we also measured circulating IL-1ra levels in these women. Despite having higher rates of bone turnover as assessed by bone biochemical markers, the osteoporotic women had serum levels of IL-6, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta that were similar to the normal women. IL-1ra levels (mean +/- SEM) tended to be lower in the osteoporotic women (143 +/- 21 pg/mL) vs. the normal women (189 +/- 22 pg/mL; P = 0.08). The IL-1 alpha/IL-1ra ratio, an index of IL-1 alpha bioactivity, was higher in the osteoporotic women (6.4 +/- 1.1) than in the normal women (4.4 +/- 0.5; P < 0.05). There were nonsignificant trends for increased IL-1 beta/IL-1ra and (IL-1 alpha + IL-1 beta)/IL-1ra ratios in the osteoporotic vs. normal women. None of the cytokines correlated with markers of bone resorption in either group of women. In summary, although there was a trend for a higher IL-1/IL-1ra ratio in the osteoporotic women, we were unable to demonstrate unequivocal abnormalities of cytokines affecting bone resorption in peripheral serum of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, it is possible that increased production of these cytokines occurs in the local environment of bone or bone marrow and is not detected by analysis of peripheral serum. Thus, further studies will be required to exclude this possibility.
Decentralized control of nonlinear uncertain systems with bounded uncertainties

Two classes of decentralized robust controls, namely, nonadaptive and adaptive, are presented for a class of uncertain interconnected nonlinear systems. The uncertainty considered here is time-varying and appears at each system and interconnections. No statistical information of the uncertainty is invoked. The possible bound of the uncertainty is assumed to be known for the nonadaptive robust control. For the adaptive control, the bound is unknown and the adaptive scheme tracks the bound. Compared with nonadaptive control, more assumptions are imposed on the structure of the uncertainty for the use of adaptive control. These assumptions include that no uncertainty appears in the input matrix. >
Cloning and characterization of AgCA9, a novel alpha-carbonic anhydrase from Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae.

SUMMARY Mosquito larvae generate a luminal pH as high as 10.5 in the anterior region of their midgut. The mechanisms responsible for the generation and maintenance of this alkaline pH are largely unknown, but there is evidence suggesting a role for the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA). CA has been cloned from the alimentary canal epithelium of Anopheles gambiae larvae and can generate bicarbonate, which is implicated as a buffer for the larval lumen. The question remains as to how the bicarbonate is transported from the cells into the lumen. We hypothesize the presence of a CA within the lumen itself to generate bicarbonate from CO 2 produced by the metabolically active alimentary canal cells. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a novel cytoplasmic-type α-CA from the larval An. gambiae alimentary canal. Antibody immunolocalization reveals a unique protein distribution pattern that includes the ectoperitrophic fluid, `transitional region9 of the alimentary canal, Malpighian tubules and a subset of cells in the dorsal anterior region of the rectum. Localization of this CA within the lumen of the alimentary canal may be a key to larval pH regulation, while detection within the rectum reveals a novel subset of cells in An. gambiae not described to date. Phylogenetic analysis of members of theα -CA family from the Homo sapiens , Drosophila melanogaster , Aedes aegypti and An. gambiae genomes shows a clustering of the novel CA with Homo sapiens CAs but not with other insect CAs. Finally, a universal system for naming newly cloned An. gambiae CAs is suggested.
Softener absorption by regenerated cellulose. Uptake from 10% aqueous glycerol

The softener content of regenerated cellulose film (gel film) in equilibrium with aqueous glycerol solution was found to be determined primarily by only two factors: the softener concentration of the solution and the volume of free space within the gel film. Volume changes of film in contact with 10% glycerol solutions are negligible. Preferential uptake of glycerol as the solution passes into the film is, at most, slight, amounting to no more than 0.04% at the concentration used. No evidence was found for a large enrichment within the gel film, as has been postulated, or for adsorption of glycerol on cellulose chains. The system, cellulose-glycerol-water, appears to be a polymer-liquid mixture brought to equilibrium principally by diffusion. It appears that at 10% concentration, glycerol and probably other organic compounds are taken in by gel film by a diffusion process in which the free water in the film is replaced by solution without appreciable enrichment or change in volume. Water contained in the interchain spaces of cellulose is simply exchanged for softener solution. The free volume of the film as determined by the cellulose structure and the degree of crystallinity remains essentially unchanged on softener uptake at the softener concentration studied.
Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients.

Background: Many older patients have difficulty in swallowing their tablets and capsules. Dose form modification, by crushing tablets or opening capsules, is often used by nurses to administer such medication.Methods: Electronic searches of five literature databases on tablet crushing and capsule opening were carried out. A review of medication incident reports involving tablet crushing from the U.K. National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) was also undertaken. An observational study of medication administration on two long-stay wards for older mentally ill inpatients was carried out in a large psychiatric hospital.Results: Only 17 incidents involving tablet crushing were reported to NRLS in 13 months. In the observational study, the administration of 1257 oral doses of medication at 36 medication rounds was observed. Tablets were crushed or capsules opened for 25.5% (266/1045) of solid oral doses. For 44.0% (117/266) of these doses the tablet crushing had not been authorized by the prescriber. For 4.5% (12/266) of doses crushing was specifically contra-indicated by the manufacturer. In 57.5% (153/266) of doses, tablet crushing was avoidable by the correct use of more suitable preparations. Crushing caused contamination, spillage and hygiene problems.Conclusions: Although tablet crushing and capsule opening are common practices, they are rarely reported as causing patient harm. Tablet crushing can often be avoided by the use of more suitable preparations. Crushing tablets and opening capsules are contra-indicated for some preparations. Older patients' medication may benefit from review by a pharmacist in order to optimize safe medication administration. Where tablet crushing is unavoidable, attention to cleanliness, contamination and spillage are necessary.
Differential Privacy for Protecting Multi-dimensional Contingency Table Data: Extensions and Applications

The methodology of dierential privacy has provided a strong deni- tion of privacy which in some settings, using a mechanism of doubly-exponential noise addition, also allows for extraction of informative statistics from databases. In a recent paper, Barak et al. (1) extend this approach to the release of a specied set of margins from a multi-way contingency table. Privacy protection in such settings implicitly focuses on small cell counts that might allow for the identica- tion of units that are unique in the database. We explore how well the mechanism works in the context of a series of examples, and the extent to which the proposed dierential-priva cy mechanism allows for sensible inferences from the released data. We conclude that the methodology, as it is currently formulated, is problematic in the context of the types of large sparse contingency tables encountered in statisti- cal practice. Keywords and phrases: Efron-Stein decomposition; Infeasible tables; Log- linear models; Privacy-protected marginals; Risk-Utility tradeo.
Defining the limit to resistance in a drought‐tolerant grassland: long‐term severe drought significantly reduces the dominant species and increases ruderals

Summary 1. Models predict that the duration and intensity of drought will increase under future climate regimes. Although semi-arid grasslands are adapted to moisture limitation, the sensitivity of semi-arid grassland vegetation to extreme and sustained dry periods that may occur in the future has not been tested. 2. In this study, we analysed vegetation cover data from an 11-year drought manipulation in the semi-arid shortgrass steppe in Colorado, USA. We examined changes in total vegetation cover, dominant plant (Bouteloua gracilis) cover and ruderal cover in plots receiving 25% and 50% of ambient precipitation during the growing season. 3. We found that 11 years of drought resulted in large reductions in total cover and cover of the dominant species, but significant differences did not emerge until the 4th and 7th year of drought. Drought severity significantly influenced the degree to which ruderal cover increased in the later period of the drought, but reductions in B. gracilis cover under drought were not significantly different under different drought severities. Bouteloua gracilis reduction did correspond strongly with increases in ruderal cover and species richness, suggesting that the dominant species plays a strong role in maintaining the structure of communities in the shortgrass steppe. 4. Synthesis. Our results suggest that the shortgrass steppe, and most notably the dominant species B. gracilis, can be significantly perturbed by long-term droughts that may be more common in future decades. By quantifying the resistance-limit of a drought-tolerant system, our results can inform theories of stability and management decisions for grassland systems under new climate regimes and provide a new temporal context for previous and future manipulation studies.
Partial duplication 4q and deletion 1p36 in monozygotic twins with discordant phenotypes.

We report on monozygotic (MZ) twins with a de novo chromosome abnormality consisting of a partial duplication of chromosome 4 (q25-qter) and deletion of chromosome 1p36. These infants had dysmorphic facial features and other clinical manifestations similar to those described with the previously delineated duplication 4q and deletion 1p36 phenotypes and two other reported cases of combined partial duplication 4q and deletion 1p36. However, the twins were discordant for a number of congenital anomalies. The discordant phenotypes described in these genetically identical infants demonstrate that nongenetic factors may play a significant role in the phenotypic differences in patients with recognized chromosome duplication and deletion syndromes, which are usually attributed to the individual genotypic differences in the duplicated and/or deleted chromosome segments. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ON THE RAMAN EFFECT IN DIATOMIC GASES

In a recent paper [1] the writer has pointed out how the phenomena observed in the incoherent scattering of light by molecules can be easily accounted for with the quantum theory of dispersion. Kemble and Hill,[2] Langer [3] and Dieke [4] have independently developed similar considerations. The experimental results obtained by the writers, McLennan and McLeod, [6] and Wood [6] all support these theoretical conclusions. In the present paper I want to report some experiments which I have been carrying on recently, and which show the relationship between Raman transitions and band spectrum structure much more clearly than before. A preliminary communication of these results has already been given in a letter to Nature [1], but they were incomplete, and besides some inaccurate statements were made concerning the N2 spectrum. Recently Wood [6] seems to have obtained similar results on HCl, in which the separation of rotational levels is large enough to be resolved with the low dispersion employed. The essential improvement in the experimental arrangement consists in the use of the λ2536 mercury line as exciting light. The scattering is much stronger in that spectral region than in the visible, so that the Raman lines could be photographed with fairly large dispersion in a Hilger quartz spectrograph.
Case study: observing a volume rendered fetus within a pregnant patient

Augmented reality systems with see-through head-mounted displays have been used primarily for applications that are possible with today's computational capabilities. We explore possibilities for a particular application---in-place, real-time 3D ultrasound visualization---without concern for such limitations. The question is not "How well could we currently visualize the fetus in real time," but "How well could we see the fetus if we had sufficient compute power?"Our video sequence shows a 3D fetus within a pregnant woman's abdomen---the way this would look to a HMD user. Technical problems in making the sequence are discussed. This experience exposed limitations of current augmented reality systems; it may help define the capabilities of future systems needed for applications as demanding as real-time medical visualization.
Cots in space: Developing an Environmental Control System for Balloon-Borne Air-Cooled Electronics

The design and analysis of an environmental control system developed for a balloon-borne electronics payload is presented. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) air-cooled electronics were flown as part of the science mission payload for a NASA operated climate sensor called FIRST (far-infrared spectroscopy of the troposphere). The FIRST sensor was successfully flown in June 2005 as a stratospheric balloon-based demonstration of a new space sensor designed to measure the Earth's thermal far-infrared signature (10-100 microns) at high spatial and spectral resolution. COTS electronics were selected for instrument operation, data processing and storage, and telemetry downlink functions based upon their low cost and immediate availability, two factors deemed critical to mission success given the short development cycle of the demonstration flight. Specific air-cooled computers were chosen based upon engineering experience in developing mission systems with same/similar electronics. This engineering 'heritage' was deemed to have greatly reduced overall mission risk. Insuring operational functionality of the COTS electronics during ascent through the Earth's atmosphere and operating at mission altitude of 36.6 km (120,000 feet) proved to be a challenging thermal engineering problem. Temperatures predicted using first-order hand calculations and more detailed finite element analysis (FEA) techniques are compared with data taken during the float mission sequence. Analysis procedures and assumptions are discussed. Common thermal analysis techniques (hand calculations, FEA) are shown to adequately predict system thermal response, provided that the variation in and complexity of the near-space thermal environment are adequately modeled. Post mission insights concerning the analytical approach and engineering assumptions are also presented
Cultured Human Luteal Peripheral Monocytes Secrete Increased Levels of Interleukin-1

Interleukin-1 (IL-1), an immune monokine secreted by activated macrophages and monocytes, appears to be intimately involved in endocrine phenomena. It is well established that IL-1 mediates a number of immune and inflammatory responses. In addition, the production of IL-1 appears to be modulated by the gonadal estradiol and progesterone, leading to this study of IL-1 secretion by cultured peripheral monocytes isolated at varying times during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Circulating peripheral monocytes were isolated from eight women undergoing human menopausal gonadotropin-stimulated ovulation induction during the late follicular phase just before hCG administration and from eight similarly stimulated women on the 12th day after hCG administration. Peripheral monocytes were also isolated from six women during both second and third trimester pregnancy. After 48 h in culture, conditioned media were assayed for IL-1 bioactivity using the D1O lymphocyte proliferation assay. Significantly more IL-1 bioactivity was secreted by monocytes isolated in the luteal phase of the cycle (52.4 +/- 17.5 IU/mL) compared to that in late follicular phase (5.2 +/- 0.9 IU/mL; P = 0.001) or third trimester of pregnancy (7.0 +/- 1.5 IU/mL; P = 0.006). Thus, peripheral monocyte IL-1 secretion appears to be increased by luteal levels of progesterone, although further elevation of progesterone during pregnancy returns IL-1 levels to the preovulatory baseline. In addition, basal body temperatures obtained in four women during third trimester pregnancy were 98 F or less. Thus, IL-1 secretion from cultured monocytes appears to increase with luteal concentrations of progesterone and decrease to preovulatory levels at higher concentrations of the steroid during pregnancy, which may account for the dissociation of high progesterone levels and elevated basal body temperature during late pregnancy.
High efficiency wide load range buck/boost/bridge photovoltaic microconverter

Series strings of photovoltaic modules with integrated dc-dc microconverters can harvest more energy compared to conventional string-inverter architectures if the arrays are partially shaded or the modules mismatched. This work presents a multi-mode dc-dc converter as a candidate microconverter topology for photovoltaic modules. The topology constitutes a single inductor and four switching devices and can function in either buck, boost or an intermediate bridge mode based on the load. The proposed maximum power point tracking scheme is capable of tracking the true maximum even in partially-shaded PV modules. An experimental prototype demonstrates efficiency above 95 % at 215 W over a load range of 3 A to 7 A.
The Effect of Group Mentoring on Career Outcomes

The importance of mentoring as a component of career development has been well supported empirically. Yet mentors may not be a viable option for individuals who would like to progress on a management track but have limited opportunities to do so. This study proposed that professional associations may function as a source of mentoring for its members. The influence of affiliation with a professional organization on career outcomes was tested. Four components of group mentoring were identified through factor analysis: psychosocial support, inclusion, networking, and role modeling. Inclusion predicted higher job attainment, whereas role modeling made a significant contribution to salary. This study has practical implications for management development.