cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
110th Anniversary : An Effective Methodologyfor Kinetic Parameter Estimation for Modeling Commercial PolyolefinProcesses from Plant Data Using Efficient Simulation Software Tools

Polyolefins are one of the most widely used commodity polymers with applications in films, packaging, and the automotive industry. The modeling of polymerization processes producing polyolefins, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) using Ziegler–Natta catalysts with multiple active sites, is a complex and challenging task. Most of the studies on polyolefin process modeling over the years do not consider all of the commercially important production targets when quantifying the relevant polymerization reaction kinetic parameters based on measurable plant data. Most of the published articles also do not make efficient use of simulation tools, particularly sensitivity analysis, design specifications, and data fit, that are available in commercial modeling software for polymerization processes, such as Aspen Polymers. This paper presents an effective methodology to estimate kinetic parameters that have the most significant impacts on specif...
Velocity-defect laws, log law and logarithmic friction law in the convective atmospheric boundary layer

The mean velocity profile in the convective atmospheric boundary layer (CBL) is derived analytically. The shear-stress budget equations and the mean momentum equations are employed in the derivation. The multi-point Monin–Obukhov similarity (MMO) recently proposed and analytically derived by Tong & Nguyen (J. Atmos. Sci., vol. 72, 2015, pp. 4337–4348) and Tong & Ding (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 864, 2019, pp. 640–669) provides the scaling properties of the statistics in the shear-stress budget equations. Our previous and present studies have shown that the CBL is mathematically a singular perturbation problem. Therefore, we obtain the mean velocity profile using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Three scaling layers are identified: the outer layer, which includes the mixed layer, the inner-outer layer and the inner-inner layer, which includes the roughness layer. There are two overlapping layers, the local-free-convection layer and the log layer, respectively. Two new velocity-defect laws are discovered: the mixed-layer velocity-defect law and the surface-layer velocity-defect law. The local-free-convection mean profile is obtained by asymptotically matching the expansions in the first two layers. The log law is obtained by matching the expansions in the last two layers. The von Karman constant is obtained using velocity and length scales, and therefore has a physical interpretation. A new friction law, the convective logarithmic friction law, is obtained. The present work provides an analytical derivation of the mean velocity profile hypothesized in the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory, and is part of a comprehensive derivation of the MMO scaling from first principles.
An output-driven approach to design a swarming model for architectural indoor environments

Abstract We introduce a novel tool for designing a swarming behavior model for a set of virtual agents to automatically capture an initially unknown indoor architectural environment. Our key idea is to use an output-driven optimization to create targeted swarming behavior. The input to our model is a simple rectangular proxy of the target area and desired acquisition indicator values. The final outputs are the parameters for a swarming behavior model that is autonomous and decentralized, uses only local exploration, and is robust to agent failure. We show and compare the swarming performance in several simulated environments of up to several hundred square meters, 100 agents, and under various conditions.
A Survey on Applications of Internet of Things in Healthcare

Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare is a revolution in patient’s care with improved diagnosis, real examining and preventive as well as real treatments. The IoT in healthcare consists of sensors enabled smart devices that accurately gather data for further analysis and actions. By using real time data, the devices permit monitoring, tracking and management in order to enhance healthcare. Due to the efficiency of IoT, the information gathered imparts improved judgment and decreases risks of committing mistakes. IoT can also be employed for preventing machines failures which are pros as this can enhance the reliability and quality when it comes to the patient’s supply chain responsiveness. This paper presents a relative survey of applications of IoT in healthcare system.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) overexpression supports bladder cancer development in PAI-1 knockout mice in N-butyl-N- (4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine- induced bladder cancer mouse model

Accumulating evidence suggests that plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in bladder tumorigenesis by regulating cell cycle. However, it remains unclear whether and how inhibition of PAI-1 suppresses bladder tumorigenesis. To elucidate the therapeutic effect of PAI-1 inhibition, we tested its tumorigenicity in PAI-1 knockout (KO) mice exposed to a known bladder carcinogen. PAI-1 deficiency did not inhibit carcinogen-induced bladder cancer in mice although carcinogen-exposed wild type mice significantly increased PAI-1 levels in bladder tissue, plasma and urine. We found that PAI-1 KO mice exposed to carcinogen tended to upregulate protein C inhibitor (PAI-3), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type PA (tPA), and significantly increased PAI-2, suggesting a potential compensatory function of these molecules when PAI-1 is abrogated. Subsequent studies employing gene expression microarray using mouse bladder tissues followed by post hoc bioinformatics analysis and validation experiments by qPCR and IHC demonstrated that SERPING1 is further downregulated in PAI-1 KO mice exposed to BBN, suggesting that SERPING1 as a potential missing factor that regulate PAI-2 overexpression (compensation pathway). These results indicate that serpin compensation pathway, specifically PAI-2 overexpression in this model, supports bladder cancer development when oncoprotein PAI-1 is deleted. Further investigations into PAI-1 are necessary in order to identify true potential targets for bladder cancer therapy.
Technology Roadmap: Smart Apartments

Companies all over the world are facing the pressures of dealing with competition and an endless need to improve on cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Technology companies are particularly facing the challenge of maintaining their competitiveness given the speed of technological advancements. As such, tech companies need to create strategic plans for technology advancement to enable them to deal with the market challenges. A technology roadmap is a tool that companies can use in planning short-term and long-term goals and aligning them with technology adoption and advancement. This chapter is a technology roadmap for ABC Inc. ABC is a technology startup in Portland, Oregon, that provides smart apartment solutions in Oregon and in the US market. In developing this technology roadmap, industry experts were asked to identify the key market drivers in the smart apartment market, the product features, technologies, and resources. The study also identified the gaps in product features, technologies, and resources that need to be addressed. We then used Quality Function Development (QFD) method in mapping the four components using a 4-scale scoring model. Finally, a timeline plan for each of the drivers, product features, technology, and resources is done to indicate the appropriate market timing for deployment.
Afterword: Multiplicities and Intersections of Homes and Fields

Multiple and context-specific terms for “home” in Indian languages can help us as ethnographers imagine and recognize home(s) and field(s) as non-binary, multiple, fluid, intersecting categories. In North India, these terms may include: mul nivas, gaon, ghar, maika (pihar), sasural. The terms identify home by ancestry, residence, performance and ritual, affect, landscapes, and familial and other relationships. Paying attention to the everyday use of indigenous terms, we also learn that home may be gendered and may change over a person’s life cycle. While concepts of belonging and home are fluid and multiple, they may also have limits and constraints. Individuals in our research communities, families, academic audiences—and we as ethnographers—all have the potential to belong or lose belonging, even to renounce belonging, in multiple ways that shift over time and in different contexts. One of our tasks as ethnographers is to recognize these possibilities and to write in ways that leave space for their fluidity.
Small Business Training to Improve Management Practices in Developing Countries: Reassessing the Evidence for 'Training Doesn’t Work'

This study revisits and reassesses the evidence for whether small business training works, incorporating the results of more recent studies. A meta-analysis of these estimates suggests that training increases profits and sales on average by 5 to 10 percent. The author argues that this is in line with what is optimistic to expect given the relatively short length of most training programs, and the expected return on investment from the cost of such training. However, impacts of this magnitude are too small for most experiments to detect statistically. Emerging evidence is provided on five approaches for improving the effectiveness of traditional training by incorporating gender, kaizen methods, localization and mentoring, heuristics, and psychology. Training programs that incorporate these elements appear to deliver improvements over traditional training programs on average, although with considerable variation. Given that training delivers some benefits for firms, the challenge is then how to deliver a quality program on a cost-effective basis at a much larger scale. Three possible approaches to scaling up training are discussed: using the market, using technology, or targeting and funneling firms.
Complex Stabilization Method

Many phenomena, such as field ionization, electron resonances, absorption and emission of radiation by composite systems, etc., which arise when photons and electrons interact with atomic and molecular systems or when atomic and molecular systems interact have a resonance structure. This observed structure (i.e., its position and width) can be described in terms of the real and imaginary parts, respectively, of the complex energy E res of a pole of the scattering matrix.* In general, a number of closely spaced poles may occur. Theoretically, a number of techniques have been developed to determine these poles. The various methods have been classified in one of two categories—either a complete scattering calculation is performed at a number of energies in the vicinity of the resonance, and then the resonance parameters (position and width) are extracted by fitting the calculated cross section to a resonance expression, such as a Breit-Wigner form, or the complex energy where the S matrix has a pole is computed directly.
Measuring market response to price changes: A classification approach

Abstract In making pricing decisions, marketing managers frequently change prices concurrently with other marketing mix variables. In order to assess market response to such changes, managers must measure the overall effect of changes in multiple marketing variables. The authors describe an approach for evaluating the interaction effect of multiple marketing variables by searching a historical database for instances in the past where similar changes took place. Market response can be assessed by evaluating how markets responded to these similar changes in the past. An empirical example is provided to demonstrate how managers can predict market response to future price changes using information on past market response contained in large scanner databases.
Post-shutdown fission-product decay heating for plutonium-239-fueled fast reactors

Fission-product decay heat rates in shutdown 239Pu-fueled fast reactors are determined by direct calculation using a modified version of the CINDER code with a fission-product library of 344 nuclid...
Food Retailing in an Urban Food Desert: Strategies for Success in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Demand for and access to affordable, nutritious food is at the forefront of the food desert problem. Detroit, MI is arguably America’s worst food desert, characterized by the scarcity of nutritious foods, and unknown demand for and consumption of healthy food products. Primary data was analyzed to determine factors influencing healthy food consumption in inner-city Detroit. Affordability, access, and consumer perception were found significantly to impact food desert consumers’ decisions to consume fresh fruits and vegetables.
Calcium Absorption in Crohn's Disease

Calcium absorption and endogenous loss of calcium were measured in a group of patients with Crohn's disease, using a simultaneous metabolic balance and calcium isotope regimen. Calcium malabsorption resulting in negative calcium balance was found in only 4 of 31 patients with Crohn's disease. No elevation of endogenous fecal calcium or total secreted intestinal calcium was observed in 10 patients studied, regardless of the level of net or true calcium absorption. Correlation between calcium balance and serum protein loss was observed, but no association was noted with intestinal fat excretion, d-xylose absorption, bacterial colonization of the jejunum, or glucocorticosteroid therapy. The results indicate that in this group of patients with Crohn's disease involving different areas of the intestine, calcium malabsorption occurred infrequently and that the levels of calcium excretion correlated best with enteric protein loss.
Further comments concerning low energy charged particle distributions within the earth's magnetosphere and its environs

Several recent observations of the distributions of low energy charged particles (100 eV≲ E ≲50keV) within the earth’s magnetosphere and its environs are examined for evidences of source (acceleration) mechanisms. Proton (0.5≲ E ≲ 50 keV) intensities in the outer radiation zone and plasma sheet are concentrated upon since this population forms the largest charged particle energy reservoir in the magnetospheric system. To date no source mechanism for these proton intensities with broad differential energy spectrums (i.e., of the plasma sheet and the storm time and quiescent ‘ring currents’) has been delineated clearly. It is suggested herein that at least the storm time ring current protons are of solar origin and are convected into the magnetotail under the influence of magnetospheric electrostatic fields or via a diffusion process driven by fluctuating magnetic and/or electric fields.
A Case Study in Using Preference Logic Grammars for Knowledge Representations

Data standardization is the commercially important process of extracting useful information from poorly structured textual data. This process includes correcting misspellings and truncations, extraction of data via parsing, and correcting inconsistencies in extracted data. Prolog programming offers natural advantages for standardizing: definite clause grammars can be used to parse data; Prolog rules can be used to correct inconsistencies; and Prolog's simple syntax allows rules to be generated to correct misspellings and truncations of keywords. These advantages can be seen as rudimentary mechanisms for knowledge representation and at least one commercial standardizer has exploited these advantages. However advances in implementation and in knowledge representation -- in particular the addition of preferences to logical formalisms -- allow even more powerful and declarative standardizers to be constructed. In this paper a simple preference logic, that of [7] is considered. A fixed point semantics is defined for this logic and its tabled implementation within XSB is described. Development of a commercial standardizer using the preference logic of [7] is then documented. Finally, detailed comparisons are made between the preference logic standardizer and the previous Prolog standardizer illustrating how an advance in knowledge representation can lead to improved commercial software.
Optimization of quality of service in dynamic systems

Resource allocation policies which signi cantly improve Quality of Service (QoS) while minimizing QoS instability are presented. In a dynamic system in which applications are continuously entering and departing the system, QoS instability occurs when the system over-commits resources and can not meet the resource demands of new admission requests. The system is forced to either reject the request or degrade one or more existing tasks. In this paper we introduce three admission control policies and compare their QoS performance/stability tradeo s. We show that by maintaining a small resource reserve modeled as a competing application in the QoS optimization framework, we can achieve QoS levels that are over 90% of the theoretical maximum while reducing instability by one to two orders of magnitude.
A Cost-effective, Gelatin-Based Phantom Model for Learning Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Procedures of the Head and Neck

The rise in popularity of ultrasound imaging has seen a corresponding increase in demand for effective training tools such as phantom models. They are especially useful for teaching and practice of invasive procedures, such as fine-needle aspiration of lesions of the head and neck. We have created 2 gelatin models out of inexpensive, commonly available materials that can be used in sequence to learn head and neck fine-needle aspiration. Fundamental skills can be learned first on the flat, rectangular model, whereas the second, cylindrical model more closely represents human anatomy and can be used to develop more advanced technique.
Transmission and Institutional Infection Control of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) transmission control in institutions is evolving with increased awareness of the rapid impact of treatment on transmission, the importance of the unsuspected, untreated case of transmission, and the advent of rapid molecular diagnostics. With active case finding based on cough surveillance and rapid drug susceptibility testing, in theory, it is possible to be reasonably sure that no patient enters a facility with undiagnosed TB or drug resistance. Droplet nuclei transmission of TB is reviewed with an emphasis on risk factors relevant to control. Among environmental controls, natural ventilation and upper-room ultraviolet germicidal ultraviolet air disinfection are the most cost-effective choices, although high-volume mechanical ventilation can also be used. Room air cleaners are generally not recommended. Maintenance is required for all engineering solutions. Finally, personal protection with fit-tested respirators is used in many situations where administrative and engineering methods cannot assure protection.
On the homology spectral sequence for topological Hochschild homology

Marcel B6kstedt has computed the homotopy type of the topological Hochschild homology of Z/p using his definition of topological Hochschild homology for a functor with smash product. Here we show that easy conceptual proofs of his main technical result of are possible in the context of the homotopy theory of S-algebras as introduced by Elmendorf, Kriz, Mandell and May. We give algebraic arguments based on naturality properties of the topological Hochschild homology spectral sequence. In the process we demonstrate the utility of the unstable "lower" notation for the Dyer-Lashof algebra.
Psychoticism and arousal: Possible evidence for a linkage of p and psychopathy

A study is described in which two postural conditions (standing, reclining) were used to induced high and low activation levels in normal Ss divided into high and low P groups ( (HP and LP). Electrodermal and heart rate (HR) measures were recorded during each of these activation conditions which included instructions, an initial rest period, a series of tones, a rtwo-flash threshold task and a final rest period. It was found that HP Ss tended to display significantly lower automatic arousability and poorer two-flash performance while undergoing the low activation (Recline) condition. There was a reliable tendency for HP Ss to evidence significantly slower recovery and rise times and to manifest significantly lower response criterion and sensory sensitivity. They also manifested a near significantly lower mean HR than LP Ss. The performance of HP and LP groups was compared to findings reported previously for schizophrenics and psychopaths for these tasks. It was posited that the performance of the HP Ss suggests that psychoticism may be more nearly akin to psychopathy than to schizophrenia.
Non-linear response to amplitude-modulated waves in the apical turn of the guinea pig cochlea.

Abstract Mechanical vibrations of the Hensen’s cells were measured in the apical turn of the cochlea in living guinea pigs, in response to amplitude-modulated (AM) sound. The FFT of the input wave consisted of spectral components at the carrier frequency C and two sidebands ( C ± M ) separated from the carrier by the modulation frequency M . The FFT of the velocity response consisted of components at: (i) the modulation frequency M , and harmonics n M ; (ii) Carrier frequency C and sidebands ( C ± n M ); (iii) harmonics of the carrier frequency and their side bands (2C± n M ); (3 C ± n M ); (4 C ± n M ); … n =1,2,3,…,10. The carrier and the first pair of side bands were broadly tuned and nearly linear. Other components were sharply tuned and highly non-linear, suggesting a different origin. Evidence is presented that these components are generated in the non-linear stereocilia dynamics. An important function of this non-linearity is to demodulate the AM wave to extract information contained in the modulation.
Grass inflorescences as foreign bodies in the respiratory tract.

Summary The course of three children who aspirated into their lungs inflorescences of common grasses is described. Each became ill in July, with inflammatory changes in the right lower lobe; initial bronchoscopy in each was unproductive, but in two the offending objects were removed at subsequent instrumentation. With the third child, lobectomy was performed and the spike was recovered from the surgical specimen. The two children in which bronchoscopic removal was successful have continued to reveal x-ray evidence of segmental bronchiectasis and fibrosis, but each has remained well and the need for surgery has not become apparent.
Effects of aerosol corticosteroids on the voice: triamcinolone acetonide and beclomethasone dipropionate.

The present investigation compared the effects of triamcinolone acetonide (Aristocort® Aerosol) and beclomethasone dipropionate (Vanceril Inhaler®) on the vocal functioning of 11 chronic asthmatics...
Regulation of target gene expression by the vitamin D receptor - an update on mechanisms

Virtually all of the known biological actions of the hormonal ligand 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Following binding and activation by the ligand, the VDR localizes in the nucleus to the regulatory regions of target genes and recruits chromatin-active coregulatory complexes which, in turn, modulate transcriptional output. The failure of the VDR to function due to crippling mutations results in total hereditary resistance to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in both mice and humans. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional properties of the VDR and the role of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in receptor activation, and then describe the results of recent studies using genome-wide analyses that define the overarching principles through which the VDR modulates genes expression. We also focus on the recent analysis of a specific 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) regulated gene that provides confirmation of the principles identified through these genome-wide methodologies. Taken together, these studies suggest an unanticipated increase in the complexity of the molecular processes that govern gene regulation by hormones and other factors.
Pattern, time of birth, and morphogenesis of sensillum progenitors in Drosophila

In this paper we describe the spatiotemporal pattern of sensillum progenitors (SOPs), as well as the way in which these cells segregate from the ectoderm and proliferate. The birthdate of SOPs was determined by applying short heat pulses to embryos carrying the Nintra construct [Struhl et al. (1993), Cell, 74:331-345] which allows the overexpression of the active Notch protein at defined developmental stages and thereby eliminates SOPs which would normally segregate during these stages. Our results show that sensillum progenitors appear in several waves which to some degree respect sensillum modality, as well as dorsoventral sensillum location. The four early SOPs (stage 10) give rise exclusively to multiply innervated sensilla, chordotonal organs, and some multidendritic neurons. The second wave (early stage 11) produces the remaining chordotonal organs, some multidendritic neurons, and the dorsal singly innervated mechanosensilla. The third wave (late stage 11), in a dorsal-to-ventral succession, gives rise to the lateral and ventral singly innervated hair and papilla sensilla. Labeling developing SOPs with specific markers demonstrates that only progenitors of subepidermally located chordotonal organs and multidendritic neurons delaminate, whereas progenitors of external sensilla are born and proliferate within the ectodermal layer.
Metacomprehension effects situated within an anchoring and adjustment framework

Low accuracy levels are often obtained when readers are asked to predict test performance over reading materials. Three investigations further explore the information readers use to make predictions during metacomprehension. Our results show that readers’ estimates are influenced by factors such as their initial impression of the reading task, based in part on their perceptions surrounding text genre and test item type. To explain these and other published results, a new framework for investigating metacomprehension using Tversky and Kahneman’s (Science, 185:1124–1131, 1974) anchoring and adjustment heuristic as a guide is proposed. We argue that readers anchor comprehension test performance on factors such as self-perceptions of reading ability and/or perceptions of the reading task and then insufficiently adjust their predictions to reflect the demands of the specific reading task at hand such as text difficulty.
Scoliosis: evidence-based diagnostic evaluation

This article summarizes the evidence behind the imaging evaluation of scoliosis, which is primarily performed with plain radiographs and MR imaging. Issues related to the radiographic evaluation of spinal curvature include interobserver variability of scoliosis measurements and the radiologist's detection of unexpected findings. The effects of radiation exposure during scoliosis evaluation and strategies to minimize radiation dose are summarized. The use of MR imaging in idiopathic scoliosis is discussed, with special attention to imaging groups at higher risk for underlying pathology of the neural axis.
Effect of treatment with ivermectin on reproductive performance of yearling beef heifers

To determine the effect of treatment with ivermectin on reproductive parameters, 78 fall-born, yearling heifers were allotted to either an ivermectin treatment group or to the control, non-treatment group. The heifers were treated in June and October when they were approximately 7 and 11 mo old, respectively. Ivermectin effectively lowered fecal egg counts in the treated heifers compared with that of the controls. In heifers that were maintained on a marginal plane of nutrition, treatment with ivermectin not only improved weight gains during each recording period but also hastened the onset of puberty and improved the pregnancy rate during a 60-d breeding season. The positive effect of ivermectin on these reproductive characteristics could not be explained by increased weight gain alone, because the correlation between weight gain and puberty was not significant. Treatment with ivermectin positively affected pelvic area but not uterine score when compared with those of the controls.
Architectural Differentiation of Linear and Cyclic Polymeric Isomers by Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry

An extra dimension of polymer analysis: ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) separates ions according to their size in the gas phase, allowing differentiation of linear and cyclic polymeric isomers. This analytical technique is a rapid and sensitive method for assessing cyclic polymer purity in one step. As highly pure cyclic polymers are crucial for adequately assessing architecture dependent properties, IMS–MS offers great promise in the characterization of this unique class of polymers.
Bovine tongue organ culture assay for tumorigenicity

Bovine tongue purchased from public retail food distribution centers was used as the substrate onto which tumor cells were inoculated in organ culture. The tongue could be preseved at 4°C for several weeks before use in the assay, and it served as an excellent substrate on which tumor cells grew as well as into which they invaded. The system mimics the intramuscular inoculation of tumor cells in vivo, but without the complications of immunologic rejection mechanisms.
Critical windows in development of the rodent immune system

The immune system of rodents, like that in humans, develops from a population of pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that are generated early in gestation from uncommitted mesenchymal stem cells in the intraembryonic splanchnoplure surrounding the heart. This early population of HSC gives rise to all circulating blood cell lineages, including cells of the innate and acquired immune system. To access the impact of chemical exposure on the developing immune system and establish developmental windows of potential vulnerability to these exposures, it is essential to first consider the anatomical development of hematopoietic and lymphopoietic tissues and the sequence of appearance of cells that give rise to the immune system. This is particularly true in embryonic development because, after they initially appear in intraembryonic mesenchyme early in gestation, HSC migrate through an orderly series of tissues before establishing residence in the bone marrow and thymus. The effect of exposure to chemical insults in utero, then, may differ depending on the specific timing of exposure and anatomical location of hematopoiesis. Mechanisms and consequences of developmental immunotoxicity in experimental animals will need to be considered in that context. This review presents an overview of developmental hematopoiesis and a working hypothesis of critical developmental windows of vulnerability of this developmental system to toxic insult by chemical exposure.
Brainstem sites controlling the lower esophageal sphincter and crural diaphragm in the ferret: A neuroanatomical study

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and the crural diaphragm (CD) surrounding the esophagogastric junction are key components of the gastroesophageal reflex mechanism, which engages the vago-vagal brainstem circuitry. Although both components work in conjunction to prevent gastroesophageal reflux, little is known about the brain area(s) where this integration takes place. The aims of this study were to: (1) trace the brainstem circuitry associated with the CD and the LES, and (2) determine possible sites of convergence. Experiments were done in adult male ferrets. Under isoflurane anesthesia, recombinant strains of the transneuronal pseudorabies virus (PRV-151 or PRV-Bablu) or the monosynaptic retrograde tracer cholera toxin beta-subunit (CTb) were injected into either the CD or the LES. Following a survival period of 5-7 days, animals were euthanized, perfused and their brains removed for dual-labeling immunofluorescence processing. In animals injected with recombinants of PRV into the CD and the LES, distinct labeling was found in various brainstem nuclei including: area postrema, DMV, nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), medial reticular formation (MRF) and nucleus ambiguous (NA). Double-labeled cells were only evident in the DMV, NTS and MRF. Injections of CTb into the CD or the LES resulted in retrograde labeling only in the DMV. These findings demonstrate the presence of a direct projection from the DMV to the CD. They further suggest that the neuronal connections responsible for CD or LES function are contained in circuitries that, though largely independent, may converge at the level of DMV, NTS and MRF.
The Staphylococcus aureus LytSR Two-Component Regulatory System Affects Biofilm Formation

Studies of the Staphylococcus aureus LytSR two-component regulatory system have led to the identification of the cid and lrg operons, which affect murein hydrolase activity, stationary-phase survival, antibiotic tolerance, and biofilm formation. The cid gene products enhance murein hydrolase activity and antibiotic tolerance whereas the lrg gene products inhibit these processes in a manner believed to be analogous to bacteriophage-encoded holins and antiholins, respectively. Importantly, these operons have been shown to play significant roles in biofilm development by controlling the release of genomic DNA, which then becomes an important structural component of the biofilm matrix. To determine the role of LytSR in biofilm development, a lytS knockout mutant was generated from a clinical S. aureus isolate (UAMS-1) and the effects on gene expression and biofilm formation were examined. As observed in laboratory isolates, LytSR was found to be required for lrgAB expression. Furthermore, the lytS mutant formed a more adherent biofilm than the wild-type and complemented strains. Consistent with previous findings, the increased adherence of the mutant was attributed to the increased prevalence of matrix-associated eDNA. Transcription profiling studies indicated that the lrgAB operon is the primary target of LytSR-mediated regulation but that this regulatory system also impacts expression of a wide variety of genes involved in basic metabolism. Overall, the results of these studies demonstrate that the LytSR two-component regulatory system plays an important role in S. aureus biofilm development, likely as a result of its direct influence on lrgAB expression.
Embracing user generated content within destination management organizations to gain a competitive insight into visitors' profiles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of incorporating user generated content (UGC) in the e‐marketing strategies and activities of destination management organizations (DMOs) and debate the possibilities that UGC offers in terms of market research and aiming at improved consumer profile and segmentation to increase destinations' competitive advantages.Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyzes good practice examples of the integration UGC in the e‐marketing strategies of destination DMOs at national and local level and highlights the limited number of DMOs which develop market research using UGC.Findings – An increasing number of DMOs have incorporated UGC in their e‐marketing strategies. Most DMOs now actively display in their web sites spaces dedicated to text and video UGC. Nonetheless, very few are using content analysis to better understand and profile the visitors' to their destinations and the enormous value of such information in terms of profiling and segmentin...
Configuration interaction calculations on the cyclic carbon clusters C8, C10, Pt@C8 and Pt@C10 and their anionic forms

Ab initio single plus double excitations configuration interaction calculations in the context of relativistic effective core potentials are reported for C8, C10, Pt@C8 and Pt@C10 clusters in their neutral and ionic forms. The predicted geometries of cyclic C82- and C102- correctly justify double coincidence mass spectra results as compared to linear C82- and C102-. The effects of Pt encapsulation in these clusters are discussed in terms of binding energies and equilibrium geometries. The Pt@C8 and Pt@C10 clusters have binding energies of 1662 kJ/mol and 2200 kJ/mol, respectively. Binding energies for Pt encapsulation are only favorable for the doubly charged carbon clusters, indicating that stable Pt encapsulation only occurs for the C82- and C102- clusters.
Synthesis of ultrasmall magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and study of their colloid and surface chemistry

Abstract Colloidal nanoparticles of Fe3O4 (4 nm) were synthesized by high-temperature hydrolysis of chelated iron (II) and (III) diethylene glycol alkoxide complexes in a solution of the parent alcohol (H2DEG) without using capping ligands or surfactants: [Fe(DEG)Cl2]2−+2[Fe(DEG)Cl3]2−+2H2O+2OH−→Fe3O4+3H2DEG+8Cl− The obtained particles were reacted with different small-molecule polydentate ligands, and the resulting adducts were tested for aqueous colloid formation. Both the carboxyl and α-hydroxyl groups of the hydroxyacids are involved in coordination to the nanoparticles’ surface. This coordination provides the major contribution to the stability of the ligand-coated nanoparticles against hydrolysis.
Planning for the Long Haul: Investment Strategies for National Energy and Transportation Infrastructures

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the resulting influence on global climate change have motivated nations throughout the world to reconsider how we obtain, move, and utilize energy. Use of the Sankey diagrams produced annually by Lawrence Livermore National Labs (see https://flowcharts.llnl.gov) indicates that in 2011, energy harvested in the United States was converted to electricity (40%), used for transportation (28%), or used for heating and industrial processes (32%). Similarly, in 2010, energy-related CO2 emissions were due to electric conversion (40%), transportation (33%), and heating and industrial processes (27%). (Including non-CO2 greenhouse-gas emissions does not significantly change these percentages.) Because energy-related CO2 emissions come from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), there has been much emphasis on reducing reliance on these fuels or shifting some use of coal or petroleum to the use of cleaner-burning natural gas, along with reducing energy consumption via efficiency improvements and conservation.
Seismic response of structures with supplemental damping

This paper presents a review of supplemental damping devices used for the control of the seismic response of structures. The mechanical properties of these devices are discussed and considerations in the design of energy absorbing systems are presented.
Multiple isotope tracing of methanation over nickel catalyst: III. Completion of 13C and D tracing

Abstract The methanation of mixtures of carbon monoxide and hydrogen was studied by a transient superposition technique using terminal species marked by 13 C and D. Further evidence is presented that the most abundant reacting intermediate is the species CH ads . It appears that the hydrogenation of this species controls the rate of methanation. Carbidic carbon consists of relatively small pool of active C ads together with a larger pool of carbon which, although not active for methanation, is also not graphitic. A mechanism is presented which summarizes the findings of this and the previous two papers in this series.
Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and gestational diabetes: Burris et al

See related article, page 182 For many women, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a precursor to enduring illness. Some 5-10% of women with GDM will be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, mainly type 2, directly after giving birth. But even those who escape an immediate postnatal diagnosis have a 35-60% likelihood of developing diabetes in the 10-20 years following pregnancy, and thus, are advised to undergo regular monitoring. Several well-known risk factors exist, such as a family history of diabetes or a personal history of GDM or impaired glucose tolerance. A new study examined a more subtle connection; a possible link between maternal vitamin D status and GDM.
Novobiocin-mediated inhibition of polymerization and ligation of DNA in vitro.

Abstract Novobiocin has been used as an inhibitor in several investigations of DNA replication and repair in mammalian cells on the assumption that it inhibits topoisomerases, which are believed to have a role in DNA replication and repair (Collins and Johnson, 1979; Mattern and Painter, 1979; Mattern and Scudiero, 1981; Cleaver, 1982). Although inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase (a type II topoisomerase) by novobiocin is well established (Gellert et al., 1976), the full range of enzymatic reactions that are sensitive to novobiocin is not known. To interpret the inhibition of DNA replication and repair by novobiocin correctly, it is essential to know whether its effect is on topoisomerases alone. We therefore studied novobiocin's effect in vitro on two other enzymes involved in DNA metabolism, T4 DNA ligase and DNA polymerase I.
Effect of orthohydrogen–parahydrogen composition on performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract The effect of orthohydrogen–parahydrogen concentration on the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is calculated and experimentally investigated. Gibbs free energy and reversible cell potential calculations predict that parahydrogen at room temperature produces a voltage 20 mV/cell higher than normal hydrogen and a 1.6% increase in efficiency over normal hydrogen. Experimental data based on a 1 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell rapidly switched between normal and parahydrogen did not show a statistically significant difference in performance. Variations due to stack humidity and anode purging are found to dominate fuel cell output. The experimental results confirm that, as anticipated, parahydrogen concentration has a negligible impact on fuel cell performance for the majority of practical applications.
A survey on server-side approaches to securing web applications

Web applications are one of the most prevalent platforms for information and service delivery over the Internet today. As they are increasingly used for critical services, web applications have become a popular and valuable target for security attacks. Although a large body of techniques have been developed to fortify web applications and mitigate attacks launched against them, there has been little effort devoted to drawing connections among these techniques and building the big picture of web application security research.This article surveys the area of securing web applications from the server side, with the aim of systematizing the existing techniques into a big picture that promotes future research. We first present the unique aspects of the web application development that cause inherent challenges in building secure web applications. We then discuss three commonly seen security vulnerabilities within web applications: input validation vulnerabilities, session management vulnerabilities, and application logic vulnerabilities, along with attacks that exploit these vulnerabilities. We organize the existing techniques along two dimensions: (1) the security vulnerabilities and attacks that they address and (2) the design objective and the phases of a web application during which they can be carried out. These phases are secure construction of new web applications, security analysis/testing of legacy web applications, and runtime protection of legacy web applications. Finally, we summarize the lessons learned and discuss future research opportunities in this area.
Ion extraction systems: optics and design

Abstract The ion beam formation process and extraction systems are treated in this paper from a rather practical standpoint, with emphasis on, but not strict limitation to, the case of high-current beams extracted from plasma ion sources. Some basic principles of ion extraction optics are discussed and beam quality parameter definitions outlined. Based on the characteristics of an actual extraction system, a general scaling model is then derived for a wide range of beam current and energy values. It allows a determination of the main parameters of systems to be built under specific constraints, or a judgment of the performance of an existing system in terms of one figure of merit. Finally, some examples of special-purpose systems are presented, including multi-aperture, slit, and compound systems. The detailed mechanical contours of these systems are shown to scale in all cases.
Echocardiographic evaluation of dogs receiving 1:1 thiopental/propofol in a clinical setting.

The purpose of this study was to compare the echocardiographic Doppler blood pressure and heart rate effects of 1:1 thiopental/propofol with thiopental and propofol, when used as anesthesia-induction agents. Seven healthy dogs (six Beagles and one Pembroke Welsh Corgi), ranging in age from 1 to 9 years and weighing 14.2 ± 2.4 kg (mean ± SD), were used during the study. In a cross-over study design with a minimum drug interval of 3 days, each dog received propofol, thiopental, or a mixture of propofol–thiopental IV until each dog received all the three anesthetic agents. An initial dose (propofol 4.9 ± 0.8 mg kg−1; thiopental 12.9 ± 2.4 mg kg−1; propofol–thiopental 2.3 ± 0.3 mg kg−1 (P)−5.7 ± 0.8 mg kg−1 (T)) of each anesthetic agent was titrated IV until intubation was accomplished. Echocardiographic Doppler blood pressure and heart rate variables were recorded prior to anesthesia and at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after induction of anesthesia. anova and the Bonferroni's t-test were used to evaluate the groups for differences. Alpha was <0.05. There was no significant effect of treatment on systolic or diastolic ventricular wall thickness, septal thickness, left atrial diameter, or systolic left ventricular diameter. There was a tendency for diastolic left ventricular diameter to decrease over time. There was a tendency for heart rate to increase with a significant difference at the 10-minute time period between propofol (109 ± 26 beats minute−1) and thiopental (129 ± 23 beats minute−1). At the 10-minute recording period, heart rate following the propofol/thiopental mixture (110 ± 34 beats minute−1) was closer to that following propofol than to that following thiopental. With all induction agents, indirect blood pressure tended to decrease over time (p = 0.005); however, there was no difference between the groups. The changes observed were not considered to be of clinical significance. The propofol/thiopental mixture produces similar changes in echocardiographic variables when compared to propofol or thiopental, and could be substituted for propofol for induction of anesthesia in dogs.
Runway acquisition and extinction as a joint function of magnitude of reward and percentage of rewarded acquisition trials

Abstract To determine the joint effects of partial reward and reward magnitude on acquisition and extinction rates, and on acquisition and extinction asymptotes, 215 Wistar albino rats were trained in a Hunter straight runway. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 × 2 factorial combining four reward magnitudes, four reward percentages, and two experimenters. The data revealed that the acquisition rate was an increasing function of both percentage and magnitude of reward and that neither reward magnitude nor percentage of reward significantly affected acquisition asymptote. For extinction, it was found that, for continuous schedules, the larger the reward magnitude the less the resistance to extinction and, for partial schedules, the larger the reward magnitude the greater the resistance to extinction. These results were interpreted within the framework of the sequential effects hypothesis ( Capaldi, 1966 ).