cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exothermic reactions in Al–CuO nanocomposites

Abstract Heterogeneous reactions in the Al–CuO system were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry combined with structural and phase analyses of partially reacted samples. The dense nanocomposite 2Al + 3CuO powders used in this study were prepared by arrested reactive milling. Ignition experiments with the powders heated at different rates were also performed and compared to the results of thermal analysis. The results of thermal analysis measurements were processed using isoconversion techniques and a multistep reaction mechanism was proposed to describe the experiments. The reaction between Al and CuO started at ∼400 K and was well described by four parallel reaction steps. The kinetic descriptions of individual steps depend on the frequency factors specific for the powders used in this study and activation energies that should remain valid for any Al–CuO composite materials. The values of the frequency factors and activation energies were determined as well as the specific reaction mechanisms describing each reaction step. The identified reaction steps were tentatively assigned to specific processes of CuO decomposition followed by diffusion of reacting species through amorphous and then crystalline Al 2 O 3 polymorphs. Ignition of the nanocomposite Al–CuO materials was shown to be driven primarily by the lower-temperature oxidation processes. It was shown that ignition of Al–CuO nanocomposite powders can be described reasonably well using the proposed kinetics of Al–CuO heterogeneous reactions.
Multi-Level Communication Structure for Heirarchical Gain Aggregation

Algorithms for the partitioning and scheduling of parallel programs have been the topic of intense research for numerous years. It is well understood that the organization und size of the parallel tasks are critical to the efficiency of a parallel program and to the effective use of parallel resources various algorithm have been proposed for partitioning and scheduling that are optimal under severely constrained assumptions. Under realistic assumptions, the general partitioning and scheduling problems are intractable.
The Effects of Various Levels of Sodium Citrate, Glycerol, and Equilibration Time on Survival of Bovine Spermatozoa after Storage at −79° C

Summary Experiments were designed to determine the optimal combination for per cent sodium citrate, per cent glycerol (by volume), and equilibration hours which would allow maximum survival of motile spermatozoa after being frozen for 5 days by use of dry ice. A sodium citrate–yolk glycerol diluent was used which contained approximately 24% yolk in the final dilution. A dilution rate of 20million spermatozoa per milliliter of diluted semen was used. A three-dimensional central composite experimental design was used, which is adapted to estimating the optimal level of the factors studied. The estimated optima were: sodium citrate, 2.9%; glycerol, 7.6%; equilibration time, 14.9 hours. As equilibration time was decreased, per cent survival decreased only slowly. An interaction between sodium citrate and glycerol was noted. Although semen from bulls was different, the pattern of response to treatments was the same with only absolute magnitude of response varying. An eosin-aniline blue live-dead stain was not satisfactory for estimating live spermatozoa when used on freshly thawed semen samples.
The C-terminal domain of human insulin degrading enzyme is required for dimerization and substrate recognition.

Abstract Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), a zinc metalloprotease, can specifically recognize and degrade insulin, as well as several amyloidogenic peptides such as amyloid β (Aβ) and amylin. The disruption of IDE function in rodents leads to glucose intolerance and cerebral Aβ accumulation, hallmarks of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. Using limited proteolysis, we found that human IDE (113 kDa) can be subdivided into two roughly equal sized domains, IDE-N and IDE-C. Oligomerization plays a key role in the activity of IDE. Size-exclusion chromatography and sedimentation velocity experiments indicate that IDE-N is a monomer and IDE-C serves to oligomerize IDE-N. IDE-C alone does not have catalytic activity. It is IDE-N that contains the crucial catalytic residues, however IDE-N alone has only 2% of the catalytic activity of wild type IDE. By complexing IDE-C with IDE-N, the activity of IDE-N can be restored to ∼30% that of wild type IDE. Fluorescence polarization assays using labeled insulin reveal that IDE-N has reduced affinity to insulin relative to wild type IDE. Together, our data reveal the modular nature of IDE. IDE-N is the catalytic domain and IDE-C facilitates substrate recognition as well as plays a key role in the oligomerization of IDE.
Product-line deregulation and the cost structure of US savings and loan associations

Recent legislative actions restrict thrift powers, which were broadened by deregulatory actions in the early 1980s. Using nationwide data for savings and loans (S&Ls), evidence is found that these restrictions may rise intermediation costs for S&Ls by limiting their ability to exploit economies of scope between mortgage-related and other outputs. In addition, economies of scale for a wide size range of S&Ls are found. Evidence is also found to suggest that insolvent S&Ls have higher costs for the same level of outputs than solvent S&Ls.
The role of queens in colonies of the swarm-founding wasp Parachartergus colobopterus

Abstract Social insect queens reproduce while workers generally do not. Queens may also have other behavioural roles in the colony. In small, independent-founding colonies of social wasps, the dominant queen physically enforces her interests over those of the workers and serves as a pacemaker of the colony, stimulating workers to forage and engage in other tasks. By contrast, in large-colony, swarm-founding wasps, the collective interests of the workers are fulfilled in sex allocation and production of males, whether or not they coincide with the interests of the queens. The behavioural role of the queens in such species has not been extensively studied. We investigated the role of the queens both in regulating worker activity and in reducing the numbers of reproductively active queens in the swarm-founding epiponine wasp Parachartergus colobopterus . We found no evidence that queens regulate worker activity, as they were rarely involved in any interactions. Worker activity may be self-organized, without centralized active control by anyone. Furthermore, we found no evidence that the reduction in queen number characteristic of this tribe of wasps occurs in response to aggression among queens. The reduction in queen number may be a result of worker treatment of queens, although worker discrimination against some queens was not obvious in our data. i
The Psychological Impact of Cardiovascular Screening in Young Athletes: Perspectives Across Age, Race, and Gender.

OBJECTIVE To determine the psychological impact of electrocardiogram (ECG) screening in young competitive athletes based on age, race, and gender. DESIGN Prospective multisite cross-sectional investigation. SETTING Young competitive athletes. PATIENTS One thousand five hundred six high school athletes (59.3% male with a mean age of 15.5 years, 56.2% white, 24.5% African American). INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Athletes underwent screening with a standardized American Heart Association-based history, physical examination, and ECG. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Prescreen and postscreen validated assessments for health attitudes, anxiety, and impact of screening on sport. RESULTS Of the athletes participated, 76.3% had normal screens, 22.7% false-positive (FP) results (12.9% history, 4.2% examination, 3.1% ECG), and 0.9% were diagnosed with serious cardiac disorders. There were no differences in anxiety levels among athletes screening normal versus FP (P = 0.69). There was no difference in anxiety based on the reason for a FP result (history, physical examination, or ECG) both during (P = 0.95) and after (P = 0.40) screening. Analysis by age, race, and gender demonstrated that before screening, females were more likely to prefer knowing about underlying cardiac conditions compared with males (P < 0.001), and males were less concerned about having cardiac disease (P < 0.001) compared with females. African Americans were less concerned about underlying disease (P < 0.001) and less interested (P < 0.001) in cardiac screening compared with whites. Athletes diagnosed with a cardiac disease described anxiety after screening, but still believe that all athletes should receive an ECG before competition. CONCLUSIONS Electrocardiogram screening does not cause excessive anxiety in US high school athletes across spectrums of age, race, and gender. Recognition of age, race, and gender-specific perspectives could improve physician-patient dialogue and support mechanisms for those diagnosed with potentially lethal cardiac disorders. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This article provides evidence that undue anxiety should not be used as an argument against the implementation of ECG screening during the preparticipation examinaton for young athletes. Although males and African Americans seem to be at highest risk for sudden cardiac death during exercise, they actually report being the least concerned and least worried about potentially harboring an underlying condition that might predispose them to such an event. Emotional support should readily be available for athletes who are diagnosed with cardiovascular conditions as these individuals report emotional distress after their diagnosis.
Health and Medical Care: Selected Data Sources

One of the leading indicators of the quality of human life is health and access to medical care. Increasing social concern over the problems of health has resulted in various nationwide proposals like medicare and medicaid. At present, many bills are pending before the United States Congress for the creation of a comprehensive national health insurance scheme. One result of this public awareness is the demand in many libraries for information on the various aspects of the health care industry in general and in particular, on health legislation, resources and facilities, prices and costs and insurance. The following survey aims to examine certain leading publications which provide statistical and other types of information in this area. Excluded from this survey are sources dealing specifically with clinical aspects of drugs and medicine. Moreover, additional and uptodate information on the specific topics discussed below can be obtained by consulting subject indexes like the Hospital Literature Index and the Insurance Periodicals Index.
Effects of maternal nutrition, resource use and multi-predator risk on neonatal white-tailed deer survival.

Growth of ungulate populations is typically most sensitive to survival of neonates, which in turn is influenced by maternal nutritional condition and trade-offs in resource selection and avoidance of predators. We assessed whether resource use, multi-predator risk, maternal nutritional effects, hiding cover, or interactions among these variables best explained variation in daily survival of free-ranging neonatal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during their post-partum period (14 May–31 Aug) in Michigan, USA. We used Cox proportional hazards mixed-effects models to assess survival related to covariates of resource use, composite predation risk of 4 mammalian predators, fawn body mass at birth, winter weather, and vegetation growth phenology. Predation, particularly from coyotes (Canis latrans), was the leading cause of mortality; however, an additive model of non-ideal resource use and maternal nutritional effects explained 71% of the variation in survival. This relationship suggested that dams selected areas where fawns had poor resources, while greater predation in these areas led to additive mortalities beyond those related to resource use alone. Also, maternal nutritional effects suggested that severe winters resulted in dams producing smaller fawns, which decreased their likelihood of survival. Fawn resource use appeared to reflect dam avoidance of lowland forests with poor forage and greater use by wolves (C. lupus), their primary predator. While this strategy led to greater fawn mortality, particularly by coyotes, it likely promoted the life-long reproductive success of dams because many reached late-age (>10 years old) and could have produced multiple generations of fawns. Studies often link resource selection and survival of ungulates, but our results suggested that multiple factors can mediate that relationship, including multi-predator risk. We emphasize the importance of identifying interactions among biological and environmental factors when assessing survival of ungulates.
The Role of Ultrasound in Orbital Evaluation

Ultrasound is a valuable and practical extension of a clinical ophthalmic examination. It is noninvasive, does not use ionizing radiation, is portable, and allows for rapid acquisition and assessment of images. Acoustic characterization of orbital lesions often permits a secure clinical diagnosis to be established. Orbital ultrasound is thus a highly reliable, easily performed examination technique which can guide further diagnostic testing and monitor the patient's response to clinical therapy.
Human Evaluation of Internet-Based Bilateral Teleoperation Using Wave Variables With Adaptive Predictor and Direct Drift Control

In a conventional bilateral teleoperation, transmission delay over the Internet can potentially cause instability. The wave variables algorithm can solve this problem at the cost of poor transient response. The wave variables algorithm with adaptive predictor and drift control based on our previous work [24] has been proposed to provide stability under time delay with improved performance. The effectiveness of this algorithm is fully evaluated using human subjects with no previous experience in haptics. Three algorithms are tested using Phantom haptic devices as master and slave: conventional bilateral teleoperation with no transmission delay as control, wave variables with 200-300 ms transmission delay one way, and wave variables with adaptive predictor and direct drift control (WAPD) also with 200-300 ms delay one way. For each algorithm the human subjects are asked to perform three simple tasks: free space trajectory tracking, surface contour identification, and maze navigation. The results show WAPD to be superior to regular wave variables algorithm with higher subject ratings.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Catch-up growth after glucocorticoid excess: a mechanism intrinsic to the growth plate.

In humans and other mammals, the release from growth-inhibiting conditions, such as glucocorticoid excess, leads to supranormal linear growth. The prevailing explanation for this catch-up growth involves a central nervous system mechanism that compares actual body size to an age-appropriate set-point and adjusts growth rate accordingly via a circulating factor. Although such a neuroendocrine "sizostat" was hypothesized more than 30 yr ago, its existence has never been confirmed experimentally. Here we show that suppression of growth within a single growth plate by locally administered glucocorticoid is followed by local catch-up growth that is restricted to the affected growth plate. Thus, the catch-up growth cannot be explained by neuroendocrine mechanism but, rather, must arise from a mechanism intrinsic to the growth plate. To explain this finding, we propose that the normal senescent decline in growth plate function depends not on age per se, but on the cumulative number of stem cell divisions, and th...
An approach to geometry of visual space with no a priori mapping functions: Multidimensional mapping according to Riemannian metrics

Abstract A method of multidimensional mapping is described which constructs a configuration of points {Pi} in a Euclidean map of Riemannian space of constant curvature (hyperbolic, Euclidean, and elliptic) from the dissimilarity matrix (dij). The method was applied to the distance matrix in visual space where stimulus points Qi were either small light points in the dark or small black points in the illuminated field surrounded by white curtains and dij represent scaled values of perceptual distances. Configuration of points {Qi} were at intersections of parallel or distance alleys and horopters for the subject in the horizontal plane of the eye level. In contrast to the theoretical equations for {Qi} by Luneburg and Blank, no a priori assumption on mapping functions between {Qi} and {Pi} is necessary in this procedure to fit theoretical curves to {Pi} in the Euclidean map. The data were accounted for better by equations in the hyperbolic plane than by ones in the Euclidean plane. Discussions are made on robustness of Euclidean representation and on how to approach geometry of visual space as a dynamic entity under more natural conditions than the traditional frameless condition for alley and horopter experiments.
How Involvement in African American Student Organizations Supports and Hinders Academic Achievement.

The perspectives of 84 African American students attending a predominantly White institution (PWI) were qualitatively analyzed to identify the conditions under which African American student organizations were perceived as assets and liabilities to academic success. Results indicate that involvement in African American student organizations can hinder the academic achievement of students who value hierarchical leadership styles, service toward systemic change, and leadership experiences over grades. Implications for advising African American students at PWIs are provided along with suggestions for modifying Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement when applying it to African Americans at PWIs.
Capitalist development and educational structure

Abstract This essay presents a theoretical overview of the relationship between the accumulation process and educational change in the capitalist periphery. The author argues that the school system may serve the interests of the capitalist class by (a) regulating the labour flow between the capitalist and non-capitalist modes of production, (b) raising labour productivity in the capitalist mode, (c) thwarting the development of either a large and class-conscious proletariat or a peasant-worker alliance, and (d) undermining the ideological and political position of traditional elites. Data are introduced consistent with the proposition that where the state represents primarily the interests of the capitalist class, it is these objectives, not a commitment to equality or to maximizing the rate of economic growth, which dominate educational policy.
Headache in Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) frequently complain of headaches, but there are limited data concerning the prevalence and causes of headache in these children. The prevalence of headache in healthy children has been reported to range from 8% to 60%, depending on the population studied and the definition used.1 The most common causes of headache in childhood are tension and migraine headache.2 Children with SCD may have headaches related to these common causes, but headaches also may be related to their underlying SCD such as bony infarction, severe anemia, or frequent opioid medication use. One particular concern is that headache may be a manifestation of cerebrovascular disease.3 A child with SCD who presents with frequent headache often undergoes an extensive evaluation, which may include brain computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography (MRA), and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography, to determine the cause and to rule out cerebral vasculopathy and stroke. It is unclear, however, how often headache is the sole symptom of central nervous system disease, or whether frequent headache signifies the presence of cerebrovascular disease. This cross-sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of frequent headache in children with SCD compared with healthy black control subjects. Our secondary aim was to investigate whether specific SCD-related factors such as vasoocclusive pain episodes (VOE) and cerebrovascular disease are associated with frequent headache. These data could facilitate the evaluation of headache in the pediatric population with SCD and suggest areas for future study.
Technology in education: the Turkish experiment

Nowadays, the role of information technology in education is being continuously tested in countries all over the world, each with their unique learning environment and culture. In Turkey, the Computer Experimental School (CES) project is a dynamic example of the country’s commitment to opening up educational opportunities to a wider population and accelerating the development of human capital to support the acquisition of a whole new set of twenty-first century skills. There is not much evidence that learning is significantly enhanced by the use of computing systems. The Turkish example discussed in this paper shows how the use of technology must be grounded in curriculum goals, integrated with subject-matter content, and how its introduction may unleash unexpected system-changing forces.
Automated Twitter data collecting tool for data mining in social network

Applying data mining techniques to social media can yield interesting perspectives about individual human behavior, detecting hot issues and topics, or discovering a group and community. However, it is difficult to build your own data set to apply data mining techniques without an automated data gathering system. To overcome this challenge, we developed a java-based data gathering tool that continually collects social data from Twitter. This allows us, as well as other researchers, to build our own Twitter database. In this paper, we introduce the design specifications and explain the implementation details of the Twitter Data Collecting Tool we developed. In addition, we provide an in-depth analysis of Twitter messages about various Super Bowl ads by applying data-mining techniques to a case study. The study aims to address the question of how people use Twitter and to assess the power of Twitter in terms of creating consumer interest in brands and commercials.
Categorical color coding in a one-phase avoidance procedure

Four colors (red, yellow, green, and blue) were arranged in all possible two-color sets to determine if goldfish can discriminate between color sets associated with shock and color sets associated with safety/shock omission in a one-phase (linear presentation) discrimination-learning procedure. The results showed that goldfish learned to discriminate between two-color sets if set colors were natural categorical color-code mates (red = yellow and green = blue). When natural code mates were not in the same set, and therefore were paired with different shock consequents, no discrimination learning occurred, suggesting that goldfish, unlike pigeons, are not able to code colors arbitrarily. The method also allowed a measure of preference between colors within sets associated with safety/shock omission. Original-learning preference measures between colors in sets so associated showed that goldfish chose red over any other color, yellow over blue or green, and green over blue, despite the fact that both colors in any set were procedurally identical, implying that goldfish do discriminate between colors in the absence of explicit discrimination training. The goldfish that failed to discriminate between red/blue and green/yellow sets in original learning were transferred to red/yellow and blue/green color sets. In transfer, the color paired with safety/shock omission in original learning was preferred over the color paired with shock in original learning, which resulted in a reversal of original-learning color preferences for half the goldfish. The transfer color-preference results imply that the goldfish had associated specific colors with specific shock consequents, but the associations were not robust enough to support discrimination learning in the face of categorical color coding.
Airborne Microbial Contaminants in Indoor Environments. Naturally Ventilated and Air-Conditioned Homes

The atmospheric burden of viable particulates in the interiors of condominium homes with central air conditioning was compared with that of the typically more open-type of naturally ventilated Hawaiian homes. Andersen microbial air samplers were used to enumerate the numbers and kinds of respirable fungi and bacteria inside the residences. The results were compared with that obtained outside the homes to evaluate the impact of the air conditioning systems on indoor air quality. There were no significant differences in microbial air contaminants between the outdoors and the air inside naturally ventilated residences. The air inside air conditioned homes were found to have fewer fungi, including a significantly smaller number of Cladosporium sp., but had a significantly greater number of Aspergillus sp. when compared to the outdoors. The total number of bacteria and the number of Gram positive (+) cocci were significantly larger inside air-conditioned residences than outside. A preliminary health status survey revealed occupants of centrally air-conditioned homes had more complaints of eye irritation, sneezing, nasal congestion, and cough.
The Folding Energy Landscape of the Dimerization Domain of Escherichia coli Trp Repressor: A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

Enhanced structural insights into the folding energy landscape of the N-terminal dimerization domain of Escherichia coli tryptophan repressor, [2-66]2 TR, were obtained from a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of its equilibrium folding reaction. Previous studies have shown that the three intertwined helices in [2-66]2 TR are sufficient to drive the formation of a stable dimer for the full-length protein, [2-107]2 TR. The monomeric and dimeric folding intermediates that appear during the folding reactions of [2-66]2 TR have counterparts in the folding mechanism of the full-length protein. The equilibrium unfolding energy surface on which the folding and dimerization reactions occur for [2-66]2 TR was examined with a combination of native-state hydrogen exchange analysis, pepsin digestion and matrix-assisted laser/desorption mass spectrometry performed at several concentrations of protein and denaturant. Peptides corresponding to all three helices in [2-66]2 TR show multi-layered protection patterns consistent with the relative stabilities of the dimeric and monomeric folding intermediates. The observation of protection exceeding that offered by the dimeric intermediate in segments from all three helices implies that a segment-swapping mechanism may be operative in the monomeric intermediate. Protection greater than that expected from the global stability for a single amide hydrogen in a peptide from the C-helix possibly and another from the A-helix may reflect non-random structure, possibly a precursor for segment swapping, in the urea-denatured state. Native topology-based model simulations that correspond to a funnel energy landscape capture both the monomeric and dimeric intermediates suggested by the HX MS data and provide a rationale for the progressive acquisition of secondary structure in their conformational ensembles.
TU-A-9A-10: Verification of Photoacoustic Computed Tomography Perfusion Imaging Using DCE-CT

Purpose: We propose to verify quantifiable perfusion information generated by a Photoacoustic Computed Tomography (PCT) scanner using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced CT (DCE-CT), and to investigate physicsbased models of acoustic properties of tissue and photon transport to improve quantification. These corrections first necessitate a skin identifying algorithms to reduce speed-of-sound blurring and empirical photon correction methods. Methods: Xenograft mice (n=5) of breast cancer was imaged using DCE-CT which was followed by DCE-PCT. To obtain CT perfusion data, each mouse was i.v. injected (0.2mL Isovue @0.5mL/min) and subsequent radio-opaque time curves fit to a 2-compartmental model on a voxel-wise basis. For DCE-PCT, different concentrations of ICG (250, 125, and 62.5 micro-Molar) were injected at the same rate, but also acquired at different sampling rates (3, 6, and 12 seconds). The time intensity curves from PCT were fit to a 1-compartmental model on a voxel by voxel basis. The images were coregistered (Oncentra) based on the structural similarities of the tumor vasculature after which we compared both the contrastenhanced dynamics and the vascular physiology. Results: Moderate to high doses of ICG impact the washin phase of the PCT contrast due to photon losses as a function of depth. A semi-automatic algorithm has been developedmore » to identify the skin margin, and subsequent MC and empirical models of photon transport and variations in speed-of-sound are being evaluated. Conclusion: From our results we find that there is a need to apply photon and speed-of-sound corrections to our PCT data to improve the quantifiable image data at depth in the tumor for PCT. The dose and injection rate may help in reducing large systematic effects. Our project is partially funded by a NIH SBIR grant.« less
Modeling of comprehensive electric drive system for a study of regenerative brake system

Regenerative brake system is more complicate compared to a conventional brake system since its design and control goals require not only to achieve a good braking performance but also to recover brake energy as much as possible. In this paper, a comprehensive regenerative brake system model has been developed for a study of brake performance and effective regenerative brake energy recovery. This paper presents a detailed modeling of electric drive system, design of a brake force distribution, and effective brake force allocation between motor brake and friction brake forces. The performance of a proposed model has been evaluated using a commercially available full vehicle model (CARSIM) through simulation.
Ribonucleic acid synthesis in microsomes and pH 5 enzymes

Abstract Incorporation of [14C]AMP and [14C]ATP into RNA has been studied using a rat-liver enzyme-microsome system. Both the nucleotides were incorporated to the same extent. The incorporation was increased in the presence of a mixture of amino acids, a mixture of mononucleotides or a mixture of trinucleotides.
Targeting AMPK for cardiac protection: Opportunities and challenges

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates cellular energy homeostasis and multiple biological processes in cell growth and survival, hence an attractive drug target. AMPK is a heterotrimeric protein consisting of α catalytic, β and γ regulatory subunits; two isoforms of each subunit are present in the heart. Studies using both genetic and pharmacological approaches have demonstrated important roles of AMPK in protecting the heart during ischemia/reperfusion injury as well as in pathological hypertrophy and failure. There is also emerging evidence suggesting isoform-specific function of AMPK, e.g. mutations of the γ2 subunit cause human cardiomyopathy. Thus, strategies avoiding the undesirable effects of altering γ2-AMPK activity, such as isoform selective activation of AMPK may lead to cardioprotective therapies with greater efficacy and safety. This article is part of a special issue entitled "Key Signaling Molecules in Hypertrophy and Heart Failure."
Nitrogen and phosphorus runoff losses from variable and constant intensity rainfall simulations on loamy sand under conventional and strip tillage systems.

Further studies on the quality of runoff from tillage and cropping systems in the southeastern USA are needed to refine current risk assessment tools for nutrient contamination. Our objective was to quantify and compare effects of constant (Ic) and variable (Iv) rainfall intensity patterns on inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from a Tifton loamy sand (Plinthic Kandiudult) cropped to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and managed under conventional (CT) or strip-till (ST) systems. We simulated rainfall at a constant intensity and a variable intensity pattern (57 mm h 21 ) and collected runoff continuously at 5-min intervals for 70 min. For cumulative runoff at 50 min, the Iv pattern lost significantly greater amounts (p , 0.05) of total Kjeldahl N (TKN) and P (TKP) (849 g N ha 21 and 266 g P ha 21 for Iv; 623 gNh a 21 and 192 g P ha 21 for Ic) than did the Ic pattern. However, at 70 min, no significant differences in total losses were evident for TKN or TKP from either rainfall intensity pattern. In contrast, total cumulative losses of dissolved reactive P (DRP) and NO3–N were greatest for ST-Ic, followed by ST-Iv, CT-Ic, and CT-Iv in diminishingorder(69gDRPha 21 and361gNO3–Nha 21 ;37gDRPha 21 and 133 gN O3–N ha 21 ;3gD RP ha 21 and 58 g NO3–N ha 21 ;1g DRP ha 21 and 49 g NO3–N ha 21 ). Results indicate that constant-rate rainfall simulations may overestimate the amount of dissolved nutrients losttotheenvironmentin overlandflowfromcroppingsystemsinloamy sand soils. We also found that CT treatments lost significantly greater amounts of TKN and TKP than ST treatments and in contrast, ST treatments lost significantly greater amounts of DRP and NO3–N than CT treatments. These results indicate that ST systems may be losing more soluble fractions than CT systems, but only a fraction the total N (33%) and total P (11%) lost through overland flow from CT systems.
High-Yield Synthesis of Warfarin and Its Phenolic Metabolites: New Compounds

A novel synthesis of warfarin and phenolic warfarin metabolites is presented which results in higher yields than previous methods.
Population difference thermometry

Abstract The intensity ratio of two magnetic resonance lines in a multiplet spectrum has been shown to be useful as a primary thermometer in the millikelvin temperature range. We are presently developing a similar thermometer based on the Zeeman perturbed NQR of Sb near 11 MHz, that will be sensitive at microkelvin temperatures.
National Innovation Systems: A Retrospective on a Study

In this essay I will describe a large comparative study of national innovation systems that was recently completed, tell something of what motivated the study and how it was organized and undertaken, and highlight some of the more interesting findings. This is a difficult task, for the project was not only large but also complex.
Behavioral aspects of cold tolerance in blackchin tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron, at different salinities

Cold tolerance and behavioral responses of blackchin tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron, to rapidly decreasing temperatures were investigated at salinities of 5, 15, and 35 parts per thousand (ppt). Cold tolerance did not significantly differ with salinity or social rank. Mean temperatures were 10.7° C for beginning loss of equilibrium, 9.6° C for complete loss of equilibrium, and 6.9° C for death at all salinities. Behavioral activity declined with decreasing temperature and ceased between 10–12° C. Certain behavioral actions were significantly more frequent at 15 or 35 ppt salinity than at 5 ppt. The northward range expansion by introduced populations of the blackchin tilapia in the United States probably will be limited by its lower lethal temperature limits, but may also be affected by temperatures at which social behavior becomes disrupted.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Mediates Disseminated Intravascular Inflammation (DII) in the Genesis of Multiple Organ Edema

Multiple system organ failure (MSOF), resulting from a diffuse overwhelming inflammatory response, is frequently the cause of death in patients suffering either severe injury or infection. Previous studies have demonstrated increased circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor with both severe injury and infection. In addition, the intravenous administration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been shown to induce systemic responses similar to those seen in patients with MSOF. The data from in vitro studies suggest that TNF-mediated events at the level of the microcirculation may be primary in the genesis of multiple system organ edema and dysfunction. We hypothesized that the intravenous administration of TNF would acutely induce alterations in the microcirculation that were associated with the development of multiple organ edema and cardiorespiratory impairment. The cremaster microcirculation model was used to quantitate changes in microvascular indices. We directly observed increased numbers of firmly adherent leukocytes to the microvascular endothelium and quantitated decreased leukocyte rolling along the surface of the endothelium as leukocytes became firmly adherent following TNF injection. This TNF-mediated leukocyte-endothelial adherence was also associated with the development of microvascular protein leakage. TNF also acutely induced arteriolar vasodilation and increased microvascular blood flow. These changes in microvascular parameters were associated with the synchronous development of TNF-mediated multiple organ edema and cardiorespiratory impairment. These data support the hypothesis that TNF acutely mediates disseminated intravascular inflammation resulting in multiple organ edema and subsequent hemodynamic instability.
Learning a face model for tracking and recognition

This paper describes a system for learning a face model that is used for 3D tracking of the human face. The face is modeled as a linear combination of shape basis vectors and action vectors. Shape space models the difference in face shape of different people while action space models the facial expressions. First, real stereo tracking data is used to learn the space of these shape and action vectors using Principal Component Analysis. Then this low-complexity model is used to simultaneously track shape, pose and expression from a monocular image sequence. The main contribution of this paper is in learning shape and action deformation models simultaneously from real data. Results of monocular model-based tracking for subjects not included in the training set show that the model derived from data is robust and generalizes well.
Nucleophilic substitution reactions of chlorpyrifos-methyl with sulfur species

Chlorpyrifos-methyl is widely used in the control of insects on certain stored grain, including wheat, barley, oats, rice, and sorghum. The reactions of chlorpyrifos-methyl with hydrogensulfide/bisulfide (H2S/HS-), polysulfides (Sn(2-)), thiophenolate (PhS-), and thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)) were examined in well-defined aqueous solutions over a pH range from 5 to 9. The rates are first-order in the concentration of the different reduced sulfur species. The resulting data indicate that chlorpyrifos-methyl undergoes a S(N)2 reaction with the reduced sulfur species. The transformation products indicate that the nucleophilic substitution of reduced sulfur species occurs at the carbon atom of a methoxy group to form the desmethyl chlorpyrifos-methyl. The formation of trichloropyridinol, a minor degradation product, could be attributed entirelyto hydrolysis. The reaction of chlorpyrifos-methyl with thiophenolate leads to the formation of the corresponding methylated sulfur compound. The resulting pseudo-first-order rate constant for chlorpyrifos-methyl with bisulfide yielded a second-order rate constant of 2.2 (+/- 0.1) x 10(-3) M(-1) s(-1). The determined second-order rate constants show that the reaction of chlorpyrifos-methyl with HS- is of the same order of magnitude as the reaction of chlorpyrifos-methyl with S2O3(2-) with a second-order rate constant of 1.0 (+/- 0.1) x 10(-3) M(-1) s(-1). The second-order rate constant for chlorpyrifos-methyl with polysulfides (3.1 (+/- 0.3) x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1)) is of the same order of magnitude as the one with thiophenolate (2.1 (+/- 0.2) x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1)). The second-order rate constant for the reaction of polysulfides is approximately 1 order of magnitude greater than that for the reaction with HS-. When the determined second-order rate constants are multiplied by the concentration of HS-, polysulfides and thiosulfate reported in salt marshes and porewaters, predicted half-lives show that the inorganic reduced sulfur species present at environmentally relevant concentrations may represent an important sink for phosphorothionate triesters in coastal marine environments.
Construction Quality Management: Principles and Practice

Paul Watson and Tim Howarth, Spon Press, London, 2011 321pp., ISBN 978 0 415 56911 8, £29.99 (pb) The first chapter of this book starts out with a comprehensive discussion of the various definition...
Flow-combustion interactions in the near field of high Damköhler number non-premixed exothermic jets

The flow in the near-field of high Damkohler number, exothermic planar jets is analyzed using highresolution two-dimensional simulations. The focus of the analysis is the experimentally observed, and yet unexplained, tendency of the flame to locate itself outside the region of vortical structures and to experience minimum convolution by them. The Lagrangian transport element method is used to resolve the unsteady and unaveraged post-transitional flow. The reacting field is represented by an infinite reaction rate model based on the Schvab-Zeldovich formulation. Results indicate that the flame behavior in the jet near field is controlled by the presence of a wake region just downstream the nozzle wall and the interaction of this region with combustion exothermicity. The wake region is contaminated by vorticity from the upstream boundary layers. This vorticity experiences a maximum away from the initial location of the flame that is constrained by the diffusion of the previously unmixed reactants. The region of most intense vorticity gets destabilized in a shear layer mode leading to the formation of vortical structures that, in the absence of exothermicity, convolute the flame. When exothermic energy is present, volumetric expansion pushes the flame and the developing shear layer away from one another, diminishing and delaying their interaction. This behavior is expected to become more pronounced with increasing combustion exothermicity and decreasing Reynolds number. The upstream physical arragement of the nozzle is also important because it controls the nature of the boundary layers. Finally, it is suggested that under most conditions, nonunity stoichiometry, preferential diffusion effects, and the presence of a weak coflow have a secondary impact on this phenomenon.
How contact foraging experiences affect preferences for host-related odors in the larval parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Responses of individual females of the parasitoidCotesia marginiventris to the odors of four different complexes of host larvae feeding on leaves were observed in a four-arm olfactometer. The plant-host complexes were composed of fall armyworm (FAW) larvae or cabbage looper (CL) larvae feeding on either corn or cotton seedlings. Prior to testing, each female was given a brief foraging experience on a plant-host complex and was then exposed to the odors of the same complex in the olfactometer. The experienced females responded to familiar odors in a dose-related manner, and these responses were virtually identical to all four complexes. Preferences for the odors of one of two plant-host complexes were tested in dual choice situations. Generally, FAW odors were preferred over CL odors and corn odors over cotton odors. A short foraging experience significantly affected the females' odor preferences in favor of the odors released by the experienced complex. Additional experiments revealed that neither longer bouts of experience nor bouts that included ovipositions resulted in a stronger change in preference. Experience affected preference in combinations where only the host species was varied as well as in combinations where only the plant species was varied. The results, therefore, strongly indicate that both the plants and the hosts somehow are involved in the production and/or release of the semiochemicals that attractC. marginiventris.
A one-parameter family of stationary solutions in the Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible epidemic model

Abstract We study the uncorrelated Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) model in epidemiology on top of a one parameter family of networks whose connectivity distribution ranges from scale free (SF) to exponential. For each network, the fraction of the population infected in the long term is a recursively defined hypergeometric function. For highly contagious diseases, with a high infection rate, the fraction of the population infected is lower when the network is SF. For less contagious diseases, the fraction of the population infected is lower when the network is exponential. This result points to an evolutionary advantage for a network being SF—namely an SF network is more resistant to the spread of a deadly disease.
The role of BMPs in endothelial cell function and dysfunction

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of proteins has a multitude of roles throughout the body. In embryonic development, BMPs promote endothelial specification and subsequent venous differentiation. The BMP pathway also plays important roles in the adult vascular endothelium, promoting angiogenesis and mediating shear and oxidative stress. The canonical BMP pathway functions through the Smad transcription factors; however, other intracellular signaling cascades can be activated, and receptor complexes beyond the traditional type I and type II receptors add additional layers of regulation. Dysregulated BMP signaling has been linked to vascular diseases including pulmonary hypertension and atherosclerosis. This review addresses recent advances in the roles of BMP signaling in the endothelium and how BMPs affect endothelial dysfunction and human disease.
Rapid generation and manipulation of microfluidic vortex flows induced by AC electrokinetics with optical illumination

We demonstrate a rapid generation of twin opposing microvortices (TOMVs) induced by non-uniform alternating current (AC) electric fields together with a laser beam on a patterned pair of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. A fast and strong jet flow region between twin microvortices is also generated. Its pattern and direction, such as whether it is symmetric or asymmetric, are controlled mainly by the location of a single laser spot relative to the ITO electrodes. With two laser beams, two separate flows are superposed to give a new one. In situ generation and control of the TOMV flow are tested in suspensions of fluorescent polystyrene particles, as well as in milk emulsions. This technique has great potential for dynamically manipulating micro-fluid flows, functioning as a micro-pump or mixer.
Removable silicon insertion stiffeners for neural probes using polyethylene glycol as a biodissolvable adhesive

Flexible polymer probes are expected to enable extended interaction with neural tissue by minimizing damage from micromotion and reducing inflammatory tissue response. However, their flexibility prevents them from being easily inserted into the tissue. This paper describes an approach for temporarily attaching a silicon stiffener with biodissolvable polyethylene glycol (PEG) so that the stiffener can be released from the probe and extracted shortly after probe placement. A novel stiffener design with wicking channels, along with flip-chip technology, enable accurate alignment of the probe to the stiffener, as well as uniform distribution of the PEG adhesive. Insertion, extraction, and electrode function were tested in both agarose gel and a rat brain. Several geometric and material parameters were tested to minimize probe displacement during stiffener extraction. We demonstrated average probe displacement of 28 ± 9 µm.