cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma Physics of Accreting Neutron Stars

Accretion of plasma by a neutron star is thought to be the fundamental process that powers many X- and γ-ray sources in the cosmos. Examples of such sources include the X-ray pulsars found in high- and low-mass binary systems and the luminous X-ray stars found in low-mass binary systems in the galactic bulge. These lectures provide an introduction to some of the plasma concepts and phenomena that are needed to understand such sources. The capture of material from the wind or from the atmosphere or envelope of a binary companion star is described and the resulting types of accretion flows discussed. The reasons for the formation of a magnetosphere around the neutron star are explained. The qualitative features of the magnetospheres of accreting neutron stars are then described and compared with the qualitative features of the geomagnetosphere. The conditions for stable flow and for angular and linear momentum conservation are explained in the context of accretion by magnetic neutron stars and applied to obtain rough estimates of the scale of the magnetosphere. Accretion from Keplerian disks is then considered in some detail. The radial structure of geometricallythin disk flows, the interaction of disk flows with the neutron star magnetosphere, and models of steady accretion from Keplerian disks are described. Accretion torques and the resulting changes in the spin frequencies of rotating neutron stars are considered. The predicted behavior is then compared with observations of accretion-powered pulsars. Magnetospheric processes that may accelerate particles to very high energies, producing GeV and, perhaps, TeV γ-rays are discussed.Finally, the mechanisms that decelerate and eventually stop accreting plasma at the surfaces of strongly magnetic neutron stars are described.
Dental biometrics: human identification using dental radiographs

The goal of forensic dentistry is to identify people based on their dental records, mainly as radiograph images. In this paper we attempt to set forth the foundations of a biometric system for semi-automatic processing and matching of dental images, with the final goal of human identification. Given a dental record, usually as a postmortem (PM) radiograph, we need to search the database of antemortem (AM) radiographs to determine the identity of the person associated with the PM image. We use a semi-automatic method to extract shapes of the teeth from the AM and PM radiographs, and find the affine transform that best fits the shapes in the PM image to those in the AM images. A ranking of matching scores is generated based on the distance between the AM and PM tooth shapes. Initial experimental results on a small database of radiographs indicate that matching dental images based on tooth shapes and their relative positions is a feasible method for human identification.
Securities clearance and settlement systems - a guide to best practices

As an essential part of a nation's financial sector infrastructure, securities clearance, and settlement systems must be closely integrated with national payment systems, so that safety, soundness, certainty, and efficiency can be achieved at a cost acceptable to all participants. Central banks have paid considerable attention to payment systems, but securities clearance, and settlement systems have only recently been subjected to rigorous assessment. The Western Hemisphere Payments and Securities Clearance and Settlement Initiative (WHI), led by the World Bank, and in cooperation with the Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA), gave the authors a unique opportunity to observe how various countries in Latin America, and the Caribbean undertake securities clearance, and settlement. To do so, the authors developed a practical, and implementable assessment methodology, covering key issues that affect the quality of such systems. In this paper they discuss the objectives, scope, and content of a typical securities system, identify the elements that influence the system's quality, and show how their assessment methodology works. They focus on the development of core principles, and minimum standards for integrated systems of payments, and securities clearance and settlement. Their paper fills a gap by providing an evaluation tool for assessors of such systems, especially those who must assess evolving systems in developing, and transition economies. Essentially, an assessment involves a structured analysis to answer four related questions: 1) What are the objective, and scope of a securities clearance and settlement system? 2) Who are the participants, what roles do they play, and what expectations do they have? 3) What procedures are required to satisfy the participants' needs? 4) What inherent risks are involved, and how can they be mitigated at an acceptable cost?
VMS: a VHDL Modeling System

VMS (VHDL Modeling System) is a tool which automates the model generation of ASIC gate level cells for VHDL logic simulators. VMS is a rule-based system and has built into it the expertise of model developers in the form of rules. VMS handles many of the complex and intricate model behaviors, and is a high productivity tool. >
Fuzzy ARTMAP network with evolutionary learning

Neural networks, particularly the multilayer perceptron, have been used extensively in automated signal classification systems with classification accuracy as the figure of merit. Three important issues that can enhance the utility of these systems are (i) incremental learning, (ii) confidence or reliability measures and (iii) performance improvement through continual learning. This paper investigates these issues using a fuzzy ARTMAP network. A hypothesis testing based algorithm is developed for computing reliability measures, which are fed back to the network for retraining and performance improvement. Implementation results on ultrasonic data are presented.
Surgeon-performed bedside ultrasound to assess volume status: a feasibility study

Rapid assessment of volume status in children is often difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of surgeon-performed ultrasound to assess volume status in patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Ultrasounds were performed on admission and before operation. The diameters of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and aorta (Ao) were measured and IVC/Ao ratios were calculated. Electrolytes were measured on admission and repeated if warranted. Logistic regression was used to associate the clinical outcome, defined as CO2 ≤30 mEq/L, with IVC/Ao ratios. Predictive capacity was estimated from the logistic regression for IVC/Ao ratios. Linear regression was used to estimate associations between CO2 values and IVC/Ao ratios. Thirty-one patients were enrolled. The IVC/Ao ratio is highly associated with actual CO2 values (P < 0.001) and the clinical outcome (P = 0.004). For every 0.05 unit increase in IVC/Ao ratio, predicted CO2 decreased 1.1 units. For every 0.05 unit increase in the IVC/Ao ratio, the odds of having a CO2 ≤30 mEq/L increased 48 % [OR = 1.48, 95 % CI (1.13,1.94)]. Predictive capacity is maximized at an IVC/Ao ratio of 0.75 as 83.9 % of subjects were correctly classified and specificity and PPV = 100 %. Surgeon-performed ultrasound to determine IVC/Ao ratio is feasible. An IVC/Ao ratio of 0.75 predicted adequate resuscitation.
Ion Replacement as a Buoyancy Mechanism in a Pelagic Deep-Sea Crustacean

Unlike most pelagic crustaceans, the deep-sea shrimp Notostomus gibbosus (A. Milne-Edwards) (Oplophoridae) is positively buoyant, possessing a dorsally enlarged carapace which contains a low-density fluid. This fluid comprises 43% of the animal9s wet mass, has a low pH, and gives a lift of 17.7 mg ml −1 ; when this fluid is drained, the animal sinks. Low density is achieved by the replacement of less buoyant ions with ions which reduce density via two mechanisms: a change in total solute mass by the use of ions of lesser mass, and an ion-specific disruption of the structure of water molecules (resulting in an increase in fluid volume) caused by ions having large, positive partial molal volumes. The presence of large amounts of trimethylamine (Me 3 NH + ), a relatively large, heavy ion which, together with NH 4 + , replaces nearly 90 % of the Na + in the carapace fluid, results in little change in the total solute mass of the carapace fluid of N. gibbosus (33.2‰) relative to sea water (approximately 34.1‰). Reduced fluid density is primarily a result of the large, positive partial molal volumes of Me 3 NH + and NH 4 + , rather than a function of reduced solute masses.
Rethinking the Persuasion Knowledge Model: Schematic Antecedents and Associative Outcomes of Persuasion Knowledge Activation for Covert Advertising

Whether persuasion knowledge activation occurs naturally among adults as a result of covert advertising exposure is an underexplored area that should interest practitioners, researchers, and regulators. By using the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) and Schema Theory as theoretical underpinnings, this article proposes a conceptual model that addresses two central questions. First, is persuasion knowledge activated for advertising or persuasive episodes in which individuals have no a priori knowledge? Since persuasion knowledge activation requires awareness or recognition of a persuasive or advertising episode, are individuals able to recognize covert advertising episodes as advertising—that is, ads that have the appearance of something other than advertising? Second, if individuals do activate persuasion knowledge when exposed to covert advertising episodes, are the associated attitudinal outcomes automatically negative? As posited by the PKM, persuasion knowledge activation generates coping mechanisms lea...
Imaging of Volume Objects by Shadow Casting

A novel technique for imaging the spatial distribution of radio isotopes is described that has application in diagnostic Nuclear Medicine. The penetrating nature of gamma and X-ray radiation renders conventional imaging techniques useless, and scanning methods or shadow casting techniques employing restrictive apertures comprised of an opaque material are required. The new technique consists of using coded apertures that enclose or partially enclose the object to cast shadow patterns on a recording media. For cylindrical and spherical shadowing configurations, the shadow pattern is shown to specify the three-dimensional Fourier Transform of the source on concentric cylinders or spheres. By appropriate aperture design, this sampling contains sufficient information to permit true volume reconstruction. This is unlike previous shadowing techniques using planar geometries, where the encoding of depth by the scale of the aperture pattern placed a fundamental restriction on the relation between depth and lateral resolution. The new imaging configuration is such that the physical constraints of the aperture construction, that prohibited the planar system from achieving high spatial resolution, are largely removed. In deriving the new imaging concept, this paper addresses the fundamental dimensionality-reduction question of how three-dimensional source information is encoded onto two dimensions, with detailed results presented for the cylindrical and spherical geometries. In addition to identifying the factors that affect the fidelity of the new system, results are presented regarding the trade-off between resolution and noise behavior.
Glassy dynamics and mechanical response in dense fluids of soft repulsive spheres. I. Activated relaxation, kinetic vitrification, and fragility.

The microscopic nonlinear Langevin equation theory of activated glassy dynamics is applied to dense fluids of spherical particles that interact via a finite range Hertzian contact soft repulsion. The activation barrier and mean alpha relaxation time are predicted to be rich functions of volume fraction and particle stiffness, exhibiting a non-monotonic variation with concentration at high volume fractions. The latter is due to a structural “soft jamming” crossover where the real space local cage order weakens when soft particles significantly overlap. The highly variable dependences of the relaxation time on temperature and volume fraction are reasonably well collapsed onto two distinct master curves that are qualitatively consistent with a recent scaling ansatz and computer simulation study. A kinetic vitrification diagram is constructed and compared to its dynamic crossover analog. Intersection of the dynamic crossover and soft jamming threshold boundaries occurs for particles that are sufficiently soft...
A tutorial on the control of wind turbines and wind farms

Wind is recognized worldwide as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution to energy shortages, and wind energy is currently the fastest-growing energy source in the world. Despite the amazing growth in the installed capacity of wind turbines in recent years, engineering and science challenges still exist. These large, flexible structures operate in uncertain environments and lend themselves nicely to advanced control solutions. Advanced controllers can help achieve the overall goal of decreasing the cost of wind energy by increasing the efficiency, and thus the energy capture, or by reducing structural loading and increasing the lifetimes of the components and turbine structures. This session will introduce the controls community to a number of issues in wind power, and will outline many open problems in the areas of modeling and control of wind turbines.
A remark on the generator-coordinate method and the quasi-boson approximation

Abstract By use of Bargmann's integral transform and the coherent state formalism, it is proved that the generator-coordinate method with quadratic approximation to the kernels (=Gaussian kernels) is completely equivalent to the quasi-boson approximation to the original Hamiltonian.
Biochemical Characterization of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxins from Schistosoma mansoni*

Abstract Peroxiredoxins are a large family of peroxidases that have important antioxidant and cell signaling functions. Genes encoding two novel 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin proteins were identified in the expressed sequence tag data base of the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a causative agent of schistosomiasis. The recombinant proteins showed peroxidase activity in vitro with a variety of hydroperoxides and used both the thioredoxin and the glutathione systems as electron donors. Steady-state kinetic analysis indicated that the new peroxiredoxins had saturable kinetics, whereas a previously identified schistosome peroxiredoxin was found to function with more typical unsaturable (ping-pong) kinetics. The catalytic efficiencies S. mansoni peroxiredoxins were similar to those for other peroxiredoxins studied (104–105 m–1 s–1). Mutagenesis of S. mansoni peroxiredoxins indicated that glutathione dependence and kinetic differences were conferred by the C-terminal α-helix forming 22 amino acids. This is the first report of 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins efficiently utilizing reducing equivalents from both the thioredoxin and glutathione systems. Studies to determine the resistance to oxidative inactivation, important in regulating cell signaling pathways, showed that S. mansoni possess both bacterial-like resistant and mammalian-like sensitive peroxiredoxins. The susceptibility to oxidative inactivation was conferred by the C-terminal tail containing a tyrosine-phenylalanine motif. S. mansoni is the first organism shown to possess both robust and sensitive peroxiredoxins. The ability of schistosome peroxiredoxins to use alternative electron donors, and their variable resistance to overoxidation may reflect their presence in different cellular sites and emphasizes the significant differences in overall redox balance mechanisms between the parasite and its mammalian host.
X-ray photocathodes for image intensifiers and large area thick window detectors

Abstract This investigation consists of three parts. In the first one, the photoelectric yield for Pb-doped glass, W, Be, Al, CsI, and for CaF 2 was measured in the spectral region between 0.452 and 4.52 keV. Inthe second part a laboratory model of an X-ray image intensifier (or X-ray image converter, or X-ray image enlarger) utilizing a “Bendix” Channeltron electron multiplier array in proximity focus with an X-ray photocathode, a “Shibaden” vidicon, and a TV monitor, has been evaluated. The system provides both high efficiency and good spatial resolution. Finally, in the third part, a large area thick window detector for soft X-ray radiation has been constructed and tested. In this detector, the window acts as a phohotocathode; the photoelectrons are counted by a “SEM-4219” electron multiplier. The system is ideal for applications where no energy resolution is required and weight and power consumption are restricted.
Science Achievement for All: Improving Science Performance and Closing Achievement Gaps

This article addresses the serious and growing need to improve science instruction and science achievement for all students. We will describe the results of a 3-year study that transformed science instruction and student achievement at two high-poverty ethnically diverse public elementary schools in Texas. The school-wide intervention included purposeful planning, inquiry science instruction, and contextually rich academic science vocabulary development. In combination, these instructional practices rapidly improved student-science learning outcomes and narrowed achievement gaps across diverse student populations.
Image delivery performance of a CT/MR PACS module applied in neuroradiology

Image delivery performance of a CT/MR PACS module was evaluated through a year-long clinical operation. Performance comparisons between the current film-based management system and the PACS module were conducted. By analyzing the elapsed time spent in each modularized task in both systems, the study results indicate the image delivery performance of the PACS system is acceptable in clinical application.
Influence of bulk nematic orientation on the interface between a liquid crystalline polymer and a flexible polymer

The structure of the interface between a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and a flexible polymer was studied using the three-dimensional bond fluctuation model in Monte Carlo simulations. Orientation in both phases in the neighborhood of the interface is sensitive to the far-field nematic orientation. The more diffuse interface caused by a homeotropic far-field orientation in the LCP results in a substantial reduction in the calculated interfacial tension relative to that for a planar far-field orientation.
Can Human Genetic Enhancement be Prohibited

This article seeks to reframe the ethical discussion of genetic enhancement, which is the use of genetic engineering to supply a characteristic that a parent might want in a child that does not involve the treatment or prevention of disease. I consider whether it is likely that enhancement can be successfully prohibited. If genetic enhancement is feasible, it is likely that there will be demand for it because parents compete to produce able children and nations compete to accumulate human capital in skilled workers. If some parents or nations begin using genetic enhancement, this will change these competitions in ways that increase the incentives for others to use it. Therefore, a ban on genetic enhancement would be unstable, because once the ban was breached by defectors the motivation of others to uphold it would weaken, making the ban liable to collapse. The argument provides a new perspective on slippery slopes to dangerous technology.
Reionization and its imprint of the cosmic microwave background

Early reionization changes the pattern of anisotropies expected in the cosmic microwave backgrond. To explore these changes, we derive from first principles the equations governing anisotropies, focusing on the interactions of photons with electrons. Vishniac (1987) claimed that second-order terms can be large in a reionized universe, so we derive equations correct to second order in the perturbations. There are many more second-order terms than were considered by Vishniac. To understand the basic physics involved, we present a simple analytic approximation to the first-order equation. Then, turning to the second order equation, we show that the Vishniac term is indeed the only important one. We also present numerical results for a variety of ionization histories (in a standard cold dark matter universe) and show quantitatively how the signal in several experiments depends on the ionization history. The most pronounced indication of a reionized universe would be seen in very small scale experiments; the expected signal in the Owens Valley experiment is smaller by a factor of order 10 if the last scattering surface is at a redshift z approximately = 100 as it would be if the universe were reionized very early. On slightly larger scales, the expected signal in a reionized universe is smaller than it would be with standard recombination, but only a factor of 2 or so. The signal is even smaller in these experiments in the intermediate case where some photons last scattered at the standard recombination epoch.
LPA-induced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in vitro invasion and migration are mediated by VEGF receptor-2 (VEGF-R2).

Abstract Objective Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulates ovarian tumor growth partially via induction of VEGF expression through transcriptional activation. Previous studies have shown that LPA induces epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in vitro metastasis. In this study, we examined the role of VEGF in LPA-induced EOC invasion and migration and underlying mechanisms. Methods The invasiveness of DOV13 cells was determined by in vitro basement membrane Matrigel invasion assay. Ovarian carcinoma cellular migration was quantified by the colloidal gold migration assay. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 secretion and activation were detected by gelatin zymography. Urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) activity was determined by a coupled colorimetric assay measuring the activity of generated plasmin. Student's t test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results Using a VEGF neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb), we show that LPA-induced EOC invasion is dependent upon VEGF. Using the selective VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 inhibitor, SU1498, LPA-induced EOC invasion and migration were significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, SU1498 inhibits MMP-2 secretion and uPA activity in ovarian cancer DOV13 cells. At 5 and 20 μM, SU1498 almost completely inhibited the activity of MMP-2 and uPA. SU1498 also decreases the LPA-induced increase of uPA activity in DOV13 cells. Conclusions Our results show that LPA-induced EOC invasion is at least partially mediated by VEGF. Further, the VEGFR-2-mediated signaling transduction pathway may be involved in LPA-induced EOC invasion and migration by regulating the secretion and activation of MMP-2 and uPA.
Vasopressin Amplifies the Production of Proinflammatory Mediators in Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has previously been shown to promote disruption of the blood−brain barrier, exacerbate edema, and augment the loss of neural tissue in various forms and models of brain injury. However, the mechanisms underlying these AVP actions are not well understood. These mechanisms were studied in AVP-deficient Brattleboro rats (Avpdi/di), and their parental Long-Evans strain, using a controlled cortical impact model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The increased influx of inflammatory cells into the injured cortex in wild-type versus Avpdi/di rats was associated with higher levels of cortical synthesis of the CXC and CC chemokines found in wild-type versus Avpdi/di rats. These chemokines were predominantly produced by the cerebrovascular endothelium and astrocytes. In astrocyte and brain endothelial cell cultures, AVP acted synergistically with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to increase the TNF-α-dependent production of CXC and CC chemokines. These AVP actions were mediated by c...
Medical and legal implications for necessary requirements to diagnose damaging hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy leading to later cerebral palsy.

Intrapartum hypoxia leading to neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading cause of cerebral palsy targeted in malpractice law suits, because it is believed that the health care providers may avert the neurologic damage by intervention for fetal heart rate patterns that are believed to indicate hypoxia. Unfortunately, because of the high costs involved with later care of such damaged children, it is common for plaintiffs’ attorneys to be willing to pursue actions against physicians and hospitals even when causation criteria are not fully met. The possibility of large judgments awarded by juries often leads to the settlement of such cases by physicians and hospitals. This study helps to further clarify the basis for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-American Academy of Pediatrics, (ACOG-AAP) criteria necessary to attribute later cerebral palsy to hypoxia proximate to birth of term infants. The authors should be congratulated on an extensive review of factors associated with HIE and the contribution of HIE to later death and neurologic damage. Clearly, over the years, there has been decreasing attribution of HIE to later cerebral palsy and, although at one time the majority of neurologic and developmental abnormalities in children were attributed to hypoxia preceding birth, 1,2 the authors’ findings of 14.5% infants with later cerebral palsy attributable to hypoxia-ischemia during labor at term would appear to be a reasonable estimate. A proportion of cases of cerebral palsy have evidence of hypoxia preceding labor, and it may be difficult to apportion cause when hypoxia was also present intrapartum. 3 It should be pointed out that the majority of cases of cerebral palsy are found in children born prematurely, and the myriad factors involved in neurologic damage in this group are even more diverse than with term infants. When evaluating cerebral palsy, one finds that there may be more than 1 causative factor. The criteria promulgated by ACOG and AAP 4 to attribute intrapartum hypoxia as a cause of
Histopathology predictors of medically refractory ulcerative colitis.

PURPOSE: The ability of ulcerative colitis histology to predict medically refractory disease was evaluated. METHODS: Twenty patients who underwent colectomy for medically refractory disease were compared with 48 medically managed patients. All patients were followed up for > or =6 months. The study design was a retrospective longitudinal observational chart review to determine whether specific histologic parameters were predictive of a later colectomy for medically refractory disease. RESULTS: On initial biopsy, medically refractory patients were more likely to have severe cryptitis, 75% vs 49%; lymphoid follicles, 78% vs 48%; and erosions, 35% vs 11%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of crypt abscesses, mucin depletion, crypt distortion, or mucosal ulceration between medically refractory and medically managed patients. Active inflammation on endoscopy was not statistically different between groups (P = .192). In a recursive partition model, the strongest predictors of future colectomy were age dependent. Among older patients (>38 y), severe cryptitis was the strongest determinant of refractory disease. Only 1 of 21 (5%) of the patients who initially did not have severe cryptitis progressed to colectomy. In younger patients (< or =38 y), the presence of lymphoid follicles was the strongest predictor of future colectomy; 9 of 14 (64%) patients with lymphoid follicles progressed to colectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Medically refractory ulcerative colitis was associated with initial biopsy findings of severe cryptitis, lymphoid follicles, and erosions. Refractory disease was not predicted by the severity or extent of endoscopic findings. In younger patients, the presence of lymphoid follicles, and in older patients, severe cryptitis, were the most important predictors of medically refractory disease.
The influence of females upon aggression in domesticated male rats (Rattus norvegicus)

The aggression of adult male Long-Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus), toward males of the same strain, was tested before and after a 1-week period of cohabitation with a pair of intact females, ovariectomized females, or intact males, comparable to the females in size. Only cohabitation with intact females increased the aggression of resident males against unfamiliary male intruders. Female enhancement of aggression does not appear to be caused by sexual frustration of males, or a function of dominance-subordinance relations, per se. Increased aggression may be mediated by elevated testosterone production associated with mating.
Characterization of Op3, a lysis-defective mutant of bacteriophage f2

Abstract We have isolated a conditional lethal mutant of bacteriophage f2 which makes plaques only on E. coli strains carrying a UGA suppressor. It grows normally in nonsuppressing hosts but does not lyse such strains. The mutation complements with amber mutations in each of the three known phage cistrons. These observations lead us to postulate the existence of a fourth gene in the RNA phage.
Pretreatment of Acetylsalicylic Acid Promotes Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand-induced Apoptosis by Down-regulating BCL-2 Gene Expression

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to be selective in the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal tissues. However, not all cancers are sensitive to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Thus, TRAIL-resistant cancer cells must be sensitized first to become responsive to TRAIL. In this study, we observed that pretreatment by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) augmented TRAIL-induced apoptotic death in human prostate adenocarcinoma LNCaP and human colorectal carcinoma CX-1 cells. Western blot analysis showed that pretreatment of ASA followed by TRAIL treatment activated caspases (8, 9, and 3) and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, the hallmark feature of apoptosis. Most interestingly, at least 12 h of pretreatment with ASA was prerequisite for promoting TRAIL-induced apoptosis and was related to down-regulation of BCL-2. Biochemical analysis revealed that ASA inhibited NF-kappaB activity, which is known to regulate BCL-2 gene expression, by dephosphorylating IkappaB-alpha and inhibiting IKKbeta activity but not by affecting the HER-2/neu phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt signal pathway. Overexpression of BCL-2 suppressed the promotive effect of ASA on TRAIL-induced apoptosis and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, our studies suggested that ASA-promoted TRAIL cytotoxicity is mediated through down-regulating BCL-2 and by decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential.
Nuclear data sheets for A=206

Nuclear structure data available through July 1978 for nuclei with mass number 206 are compiled and evaluated. A summary of the information obtained in reaction and decay measurements is presented with the bulk of the data being presented pictorially for easy comparison. Adopted level and decay properties are given. Any additions or corrections should be addressed to the evaluators for maintenance and updating of the data file.
Staging of Organic and Inorganic Gallery Cations in Layered Silicate Heterostructures

Abstract Heterostructured fluorohectorite clays with regularly alternating interlayers of inorganic and organic exchange cations have been prepared through ion exchange reaction of the sodium clay in aqueous suspension with half an equivalent of alkylammonium ions. In order to elucidate this staging-like behavior of the intercalates, the exchange process was examined for a series of onium ion surfactants of the type [CnH(2n+1)N(CmH(2m+1))3]+. One set of onium ions varied the alkyl chain length (n=4–22), while maintaining a constant onium head group size (m=4). A second set varied the head group size (m=1–5), while the chain length remained fixed (n=16). Two fundamental factors, namely, alkyl chain length and head group size determined staging behavior. The surfactant alkyl chain length determined the extent of Na+replacement by onium ions. Relatively little Na+exchange (∼10%) occurred for the short chain onium ions withn=4,m=4 andn=6,m=4. The replacement of Na+by onium ions became more favorable as the alkyl chain length was increased ton=8 or 10. For very hydrophobic surfactants withn≥12, onium ion uptake was essentially quantitative, affording 1:1 mixed Na+–onium ion intercalates. The “footprint” or area covered by the onium ion head group on the interlayer surface controlled heterostructure formation for the 1:1 intercalates. Form≥3 the head group footprint matched the clay surface charge density and precluded the mixing of organic and inorganic exchange cations within the same gallery. The segregation of the hydrophobic organic cations and the hydrophilic inorganic cations on the internal and external surfaces of two-nanolayer tactoids during the ion exchange process was proposed as the pathway for staging behavior in the heterostructured intercalates. The smaller footprints of trimethyl and triethyl onium ion head groups (m=1,2) allowed for comingling of the exchange ions on single-nanolayer tactoids and the formation of phase–segregated organic and sodium ion clays upon stacking of the tactoids.
Esterases of chicken serum located on an acrylamide gel.

Abstract 1. 1. Esterase (ES) activity was observed in six regions of an acrylamide gel. 2. 2. ES-1, ES-2, ES-4, ES-5 and ES-6 were associated with five serum proteins: Rho-2, and bands 2, 14, 16 and 17. 3. 3. ES-4 was eliminated by eserine ( 10 −3 M).
Influences of the hydrological cycle on observed interannual variations in atmospheric CO18O

[1] The global increase in atmospheric CO2 since the preindustrial era has not been accompanied by a long-term trend in the CO18O/CO2 ratio (denoted as δCa), though many monitoring stations around the world observed a downward excursion in δCa (of about 0.1‰ y−1) after 1992/1993 that lasted for 5–6 years. A number of studies have suggested that the interannual variation, seasonal cycle, and spatial structure of δCa depend on terrestrial ecosystem fluxes. The δCa budget is evaluated to identify meteorological variables that could potentially influence the observed interannual δCa variations. Using global data sets, time series of relative humidity, 18O composition of precipitation (δWP), air temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were correlated with Mauna Loa δCa variations. Observed δCa negatively correlated with relative humidity in tropical and middle- and high-latitude regions, and we estimated that observed relative humidity variations drove a 0.14‰ decrease in δCa during the mid-1990s. Similar variations in precipitation rates were also found within the tropics that suggest positive correlations between δWP and δCa consistent with an amount effect (δWP decreases as precipitation increases). The decrease in δWP during the 1990s was estimated to decrease δCa by as much as 0.48‰. In contrast to previous work, little evidence was found that would suggest carbon flux anomalies as the primary driver of interannual δCa variations. We conclude that interannual δCa variations were driven primarily by isotope hydrology and relative humidity, and that δCa can be exploited as a new constraint on hydrological cycle variations at a variety of scales.
Tennis physiology: training the competitive athlete.

The game of tennis has evolved from the wooden-racket era of long, crafty points based on style and finesse, to the current fast paced, explosive sport based on power, strength and speed, where 210 km/h serves are common. This evolution over the last 20 years has led to an increased interest in tennis research. Competitive tennis athletes need a mixture of anaerobic skills, such as speed, agility and power, combined with high aerobic capabilities. The work-to-rest ratios of competitive tennis athletes range between 1 : 3 and 1 : 5, and fatigue has been shown to greatly reduce the hitting accuracy. Competitive male tennis athletes maintain body fat 50 mL/kg/min, and as high as 70 mL/kg/min. Results from lactate testing in tennis players are inconclusive as some studies have shown increased levels, whilst other studies have shown little or no change. Further investigation is required to determine the production and utilisation effects of lactate from playing tennis. The average length of time to play a point in tennis is <10 seconds and this has declined substantially in the last 20 years. Further research is needed to investigate tournament performance and its effect on fatigue, recovery, hormonal and injury levels. As the game of tennis continues to change, the physiological parameters must be continually investigated to help provide athletes, coaches and trainers with information that will aid in the development of efficient and productive tennis performance and injury prevention programmes.
Anomalous Temporal Behaviour of NP 0532

Temporal behavior of NP 0532 in radio and optical bands compared for second derivative of period
Transport of [14C]Gly-Pro in a proline peptidase mutant of Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract The transport of [14C]Gly-Pro was examined using a mutant of Salmonella typhimurium (strain TN87) deficient in an X-Pro dipeptidase and an X-Pro-Y iminopeptidase. The dipeptide was taken up by one saturable transport system having a K m of 5.3 · 10 −7 M and a V of 1.4 nmol/mg dry wt cell per min. The uptake of Gly-Pro was not inhibited by amino acids or tripeptides and the transport system exhibited a rather broad side chain specificity for dipeptides. Dipeptides containing hydrophobic residues were the most potent inhibitors of this dipeptide transport system exhibiting K i values between 10−8 and 10−7 M. In contrast, dipeptides containing glycine residues were particularly weak inhibitors. Finally, Gly-Pro was found to be in the intact form inside the cell and was concentrated more than 1000-fold.
Lessons in Hypertension from New Clinical Trials

AbstractThree important principles have emerged from recent epidemiologic and clinical studies in hypertension. First, patients with hypertension most often have other cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and diabetes. Second, hypertension remains grossly undertreated. Third, at blood pressure levels once considered “high-normal,” early organ damage may already be taking place in patients with multiple risk factors that, without treatment, can eventually lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The concept of evaluating global or overall risk is gaining wide acceptance, and US treatment guidelines may soon reflect these findings and assist clinicians in identifying individuals who are most likely to benefit from therapy. Results from clinical trials suggest that among the various pharmacologic agents available to treat hypertension, blockers of the renin-angiotensin system are effective in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, conditions that often occur in conjunction with hypertension.
AURA – next generation neutrino detector in the South Pole

The quest for ultra high energy neutrinos requires detectors with very large effective volume, and a long exposure. Due to the attenuation of light in ice and water, and the cost of building and deploying optical detectors in extreme environments, complementary detection techniques such as radio frequency or acoustic waves are useful. The proposed AURA experiment aims to detect the radio frequency emissions resulting from the Askaryan effect of neutrino interactions in the Antarctic ice. Based on the success of the RICE experiment, together with technology developed for IceCube and ANITA detectors, we are on our way towards a 10-100 kilometer array of radio detectors. In the coming austral summer, antenna clusters will be co-deployed with IceCube strings.
The synthesis of vitellogenin in the Cecropia silkworm

Abstract Two periods of amino acid incorporation into vitellogenin, the sex-limited female blood protein, were detected in the metamorphosing silkworm Hyalophora cecropia . The first period occurs late in the pharate pupal stage and is associated with a well established net increase in the amount of vitellogenin in the blood. The second one takes place during yolk production and coincides with a 20 per cent drop in the vitellogenin content of the animal. It is postulated that the second period of incorporation reflects synthesis which serves primarily to compensate for processes by which metamorphosing tissues utilize circulating blood proteins. In ovariectomized animals the second period of synthesis generates a 65 per cent increase in the amount of extractable vitellogenin, apparently because an unusual amount of fat body, the tissue which synthesizes this protein, survives metamorphosis in the absence of egg formation.
The C2 domains of Rabphilin3A specifically bind phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate containing vesicles in a Ca2+-dependent manner: In vitro characteristics and possible significance

In the present study we investigated the lipid binding characteristics of the C2 domains of Rabphilin3a. We found that the tandem C2 domain of Rabphilin3a specifically bound lipid vesicles containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. There was little binding to vesicles containing PtdIns(3,4)P2 in the presence or absence of Ca2+. Binding to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate-containing vesicles was similar to binding to PtdIns(4,5)P2-containing vesicles. The presence of physiological amounts of phosphatidylserine (PS) greatly potentiated the ability of PtdIns(4,5)P2 to cause vesicle binding. As with the C2 domains together, the binding of individual C2 domain of Rabphilin3a was much greater to PtdIns(4,5)P2-containing vesicles than PtdIns(3,4)P2-containing vesicles. Both C2 domains also bound 29 mol % PS-containing vesicles in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Because of the importance of the C2B domain in the enhancement of secretion from chromaffin cells by Rabphilin3a, its biochemistry was further investigated. The mutation of aspartates 657 and 659 to asparagines in C2B decreased Ca2+-dependent and increased Ca2+-independent vesicle binding, indicating the Ca2+ dependence of the domain is provided by aspartic acid residues in the putative Ca2+-binding pocket. A peptide from the COOH-terminal region of the C2B domain specifically inhibited ATP-dependent secretion from permeabilized chromaffin cells and the binding of Rabphilin3a to phosphatidylcholine/PS/PtdIns(4,5)P2-containing lipid vesicles, suggesting a role of this sequence in secretion through its ability to interact with acidic lipid vesicles.
PRACTITIONER INVOLVEMENT WITH ENGINEERING ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM

Ethics depend, in general, on the personal or voluntary acceptance of established rules. In particular, professional engineering ethics has been defined as service of the public interest with integ...
Thermal Imaging Now And In The Future

Thermal imaging system technology has grown from a lab curiosity in the early sixties to the point where today it is a key element in military night operations. This paper briefly reviews the historical developments, describes the current state of the art, and discusses the main aspects of advanced programs aimed at future applications.
Carebots and Caregivers: Sustaining the Ethical Ideal of Care in the Twenty-First Century

In the early twenty-first century, we stand on the threshold of welcoming robots into domains of human activity that will expand their presence in our lives dramatically. One provocative new frontier in robotics, motivated by a convergence of demographic, economic, cultural, and institutional pressures, is the development of “carebots”—robots intended to assist or replace human caregivers in the practice of caring for vulnerable persons such as the elderly, young, sick, or disabled. I argue here that existing philosophical reflections on the ethical implications of carebots neglect a critical dimension of the issue: namely, the potential moral value of caregiving practices for caregivers. This value, I argue, gives rise to considerations that must be weighed alongside consideration of the likely impact of carebots on care recipients. Focusing on the goods internal to caring practices, I then examine the potential impact of carebots on caregivers by means of three complementary ethical approaches: virtue ethics, care ethics, and the capabilities approach. Each of these, I argue, sheds new light on the contexts in which carebots might deprive potential caregivers of important moral goods central to caring practices, as well as those contexts in which carebots might help caregivers sustain or even enrich those practices, and their attendant goods.
Activation and inhibition of posterior parietal cortex have bi-directional effects on spatial errors following interruptions

Interruptions to ongoing mental activities are omnipresent in our modern digital world, but the brain networks involved in interrupted performance are not known, nor have the activation of those networks been modulated. Errors following interruptions reflect failures in spatial memory, whose maintenance is supported by a brain network including the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC). The present study therefore used bi-directional transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of right PPC to examine the neuromodulation of spatial errors following interruptions, as well as performance on another PPC-dependent task, mental rotation. Anodal stimulation significantly reduced the number of interruption-based errors and increased mental rotation accuracy whereas cathodal stimulation significantly increased errors and reduced mental rotation accuracy. The results provide evidence for a causal role of the PPC in the maintenance of spatial representations during interrupted task performance.
Suppression of Bending- Torsion Flutter Through Displacement-Dependent Dry Friction Damping

Flutter is an important problem in modern technology engines. Despite significant research in the area of turbomachinery aeroelasticity, flutter instabilities still occur. The flutter suppression potential of dry friction damping with displacement-dependent friction forces is investigated. Bending-torsion coupling, aerodynamic coupling, and realistic aerodynamic damping terms are all considered. The total aeroelastic system is studied under compressible flow conditions and is modeled by a set of first-order differential equations in state-space form. Through time integration studies, it is found that the nondimensional flutter speed can be significantly increased by including displacement-dependent friction forces and by moving the location of the dry friction damper. This result strongly suggests that it may be possible to design the geometry and location of frictional interfaces on airfoils so that damping may be enhanced and flutter can be better controlled. Possihle future applications might be in the area of turbine or fan and compressor hlade systems.
Improved Reagents for Newborn Screening of Mucopolysaccharidosis Types I, II, and VI by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Tandem mass spectrometry for the multiplex and quantitative analysis of enzyme activities in dried blood spots on newborn screening cards has emerged as a powerful technique for early assessment of lysosomal storage diseases. Here we report the design and process-scale synthesis of substrates for the enzymes α-l-iduronidase, iduronate-2-sulfatase, and N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase that are used for newborn screening of mucopolysaccharidosis types I, II, and VI. The products contain a bisamide unit that is hypothesized to readily protonate in the gas phase, which improves detection sensitivity by tandem mass spectrometry. The products contain a benzoyl group, which provides a useful site for inexpensive deuteration, thus facilitating the preparation of internal standards for the accurate quantification of enzymatic products. Finally, the reagents are designed with ease of synthesis in mind, thus permitting scale-up preparation to support worldwide newborn screening of lysosomal storage diseases. The ne...