cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion in anisotropic porous media

An experimental system was constructed in order to measure the two distinct components of the effective diffusivity tensor in transversely isotropic, unconsolidated porous media. Measurements were made for porous media consisting of glass spheres, mica particles, and disks made from mylar sheets. Both the particle geometry and the void fraction of the porous media were determined experimentally, and theoretical calculations for the two components of the effective diffusivity tensor were carried out. The comparison between theory and experiment clearly indicates that the void fraction and particle geometry are insufficient to characterize the process of diffusion in anisotropic porous media.
Abstract 2502: Proteomic identification of carboplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The analysis of quantitative protein expression is necessary for the determination of actual biochemical protein concentrations that can lead to a more accurate description of cellular function. A knowledgebase of cancer function based on cellular protein levels can more directly implicate potential gene candidates for the detection and treatment of disease. Therefore, we analyzed iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification) data from 11 serous ovarian cancer cell lines and 2 normal ovarian surface epithelial cell lines. We profiled cellular protein abundance in over 3000 proteins with 749 proteins common to all 13 cell lines. Of the 749, 52 proteins exhibited elevated expression and 46 proteins had diminished expression in the cancerous cells when compared to the normal cell lines. We identified the 300 most variable iTRAQ expressed proteins based on median absolute deviation within 8 carboplatin sensitive and resistant cell lines. Using iTRAQ protein expression profiles from these 300 we successfully segregated the cell lines based on carboplatin sensitivity and resistance measurements. We further examined correlations among iTRAQ protein expression, individual gene RNA expression and DNA methylation data. There was no substantial correlation between protein abundance and RNA expression or epigenetic data. Furthermore RNA expression and DNA methylation data alone did not show any significant discrimination for chemosensitivity or resistance. We therefore present the potential of proteomics based discovery for carboplatin response in ovarian cancer and also identify putative gene candidates that may be functionally responsible for chemotherapy response which otherwise would not have been predicted using other singular whole genome data sources. Citation Format: Kazimierz O. Wrzeszczynski, Gaofeng Fan, Cexiong Fu, Darryl J. Pappin, Robert Lucito, Nicholas K. Tonks. Proteomic identification of carboplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2502. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2502
Diffusive flux of nanoparticles through chemically modified alumina membranes.

Surface chemistry plays an important role in determining flux through porous media such as in the environment. In this paper diffusive flux of nanoparticles through alkylsilane modified porous alumina is measured as a model for understanding transport in porous media of differing surface chemistries. Experiments are performed as a function of particle size, pore diameter, attached hydrocarbon chain length and chain terminus, and solvent. Particle fluxes are monitored by the change in absorbance of the solution in the receiving side of a diffusion cell. In general, flux increases when the membranes are modified with alkylsilanes compared to untreated membranes, which is attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the porous membranes and differences in wettability. We find that flux decreases, in both hexane and aqueous solutions, when the hydrocarbon chain lining the interior pore wall increases in length. The rate and selectivity of transport across these membranes is related to the partition coefficient (Kp) and the diffusion coefficient (D) of the permeating species. By conducting experiments as a function of initial particle concentration, we find that KpD increases with increasing particle size, is greater in alkylsilane–modified pores, and larger in hexane solution than water. The impact of the alkylsilane terminus (–CH3, –Br, –NH2, –COOH) on permeation in water is also examined. In water, the highest KpD is observed when the membranes are modified with carboxylic acid terminated silanes and lowest with amine terminated silanes as a result of electrostatic effects during translocation.
Q-analytics: An ethics case on unlicensed software usage

Abstract This short role-taking ethics case is designed to provide students with several different perspectives related to the unauthorized/unlicensed use of software within a realistic accounting setting. Although the case could be considered for use in a variety of accounting classes at both undergraduate and graduate levelswith limited preparation, it is likely to be most relevant to Accounting Information Systems, Auditing, Controllership, and Accounting Ethics courses. The case can be read in about ten minutes, after which the class is assigned to groups that deliberate over the concerns of six different roles regarding the software-usage issues implied in the case.The issues are relevant to the students because they will inevitably encounter software-usage problems in their personal or professional lives. Furthermore, they inevitably have been exposed to similar copyright-infringement issues in the realms of music and video, which helps make for a rich class discussion.The case has consistently generated considerable discussion and debate within a graduate-level controllership course. A survey of students from five graduate accounting classes over a three-year period indicates favorable perceptions of the case.
The craze initiation response of a polystyrene and a styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymer during physical aging

The influence of structural recovery or physical aging on the craze initiation of amorphous polystyrene and a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer has been examined in two states of stress/deformation and at different temperatures. Studies of craze initiation in equibiaxial creep were performed using a bubble inflation test geometry while uniaxial elongation in stress relaxation conditions was studied by bending the specimen over a variable radius of a curvature test jig. All tests were performed by aging the specimen and testing it at the same temperature subsequent to a quench from above the glass transition to below it. The results are compared with expectations from three craze models: Sternstein and Ongchin (1), Argon (2), and Kambour (3). The results are most consistent with the model of Kambour, but discrepancies arise because, e.g., the impact of aging on the stress for crazing in the equibiaxial tests is different for the polystyrene than for the styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. The results also suggest that there are two regimes of behavior for craze initiation under equibiaxial stresses, a behavior not manifested in the uniaxial stress relaxation experiments.
Lipolytic activity of porcine adipose tissue after preincubation.

Abstract 1. 1. The stimulated lipolytic rate in porcine adipose tissue slices was markedly increased after preincubation with or without isoproterenol. 2. 2. Preincubation with and without insulin, dibutyryl-cAMP or theophylline suggested that the activation of the stimulated rate resulted from inhibition or inactivation of cAMP-phosphodiesterase activity during preincubation. 3. 3. Preincubation with isoproterenol also caused activation of the basal (no exogenous hormone) lipolytic activity. 4. 4. However, much of this activation appeared to result from carry-over of isoproterenol into the incubation medium because it could be lowered by additional washing of the tissue, by lower isoproterenol concentration or by propranolol.
Investigating driver injury severity in traffic accidents using fuzzy ARTMAP

This paper applies fuzzy adaptive resonance theory MAP (fuzzy ARTMAP) neural networks to analyze and predict injury severity for drivers involved in traffic accidents. The paper presents a modified version of fuzzy ARTMAP in which the training patterns are ordered using the K–means algorithm before being presented to the neural network. The paper presents three applications of fuzzy ARTMAP for analyzing driver injury severity for drivers involved in accidents on highways, signalized intersections, and toll plazas. The analysis is based on central Florida’s traffic accident database. Results showed that the ordered fuzzy ARTMAP proved to reduce the network size and improved the performance. To facilitate the application of fuzzy ARTMAP, a series of simulation experiments to extract knowledge from the models were suggested. Results of the fuzzy ARTMAP neural network showed that female drivers experience higher severity levels than male drivers. Vehicle speed at the time of an accident increases the likelihood of high injury severity. Wearing a seat belt decreases the chance of having severe injuries. Drivers in passenger cars are more likely to experience a higher injury severity level than those in vans or pickup trucks. Point of impact, area type, driving under the influence, and driver age were also among the factors that influence the severity level.
Cell Phones in Telehealth and Otolaryngology

The worldwide prevalence of mobile phones makes them a powerful platform for providing individualized health care delivered at the patient's convenience. They have the potential to extend the health care interaction from a brief office visit to a continuous monitoring via body sensors of either a specific healthcare parameter or with multiple sensors in wireless body area networks. Remote data collection by way of mobile phones in underserved areas allows for better management of public health and provides the opportunity for timely intervention. Published data showing benefits specific to otolaryngology are primarily in remote consultation, body sensors specific to balance, and appointment compliance.
Computational mathematical morphology

Abstract As classically defined via the umbra transform (or via lattice theory), the theory of gray-scale morphology applies to functions possessing the extended real line (or integers) as range. Four interrelated problems arise: (1) binary morphology embeds via {− ∞, 0}-valued functions; (2) finite-range function classes are not preserved; (3) gray-scale filters are not directly expressible in terms of logical variables, as are binary filters and, more generally, stack filters; and (4) the theory of optimal binary filters does not fall out directly as a special case of the gray-scale theory. The present paper discusses a different gray-scale morphology that eliminates the preceding anomalies. Major topics addressed are filter structure, representation of both increasing and nonincreasing operators, and, in particular, the theory of optimal filters.
Rorty, Phenomenology and Transcendental Philosophy

Richard Rorty’s book1 bridges the gap, much talked about in the English-speaking philosophical world, between “Analytic philosophy” and “Continental philosophy” by showing, first, that they both inherited from Descartes, Locke and Kant, the same themes, concerns and ambitions and, second, that they both are on the verge of meeting the same fate. In fact, he does something more: he subsumes all, or most, recent analytical philosophical concerns under the rubric “Transcendental philosophy.” If some philosophers — or, better, some of their arguments — do not fall under it, then it is only because they are directed against it. Amongst “continental philosophers,” of course, a continuing concern with transcendental philosophy was almost a sufficient reason for regarding them as bad philosophers. If Rorty is right, then Russell, Quine, and a host of other minor luminaries come under the same genre; not unlike Heidegger and Derrida, Sellars, Quine and Davidson also fight transcendental philosophy, some from within, some from without. For having shown, with impressive historical scholarship, that this common concern runs through modern philosophy Rorty deserves congratulations.
Donor Age and Gender Are the Strongest Predictors of Marrow Recovery from Cadaveric Vertebral Bodies

The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to determine whether there were donor factors that were useful for predicting the yield of nucleated cells from marrow derived from cadaveric vertebral bodies. An analysis of 132 donors over a 6-year period was performed. The average number of vertebral bodies procured from each donor was 10.2 +/- 1.6 (range 5-14). The total number of nucleated cells recovered per donor ranged from 24 x 10(9) to 160 x 10(9) with an average recovery of 69 +/- 28 x 10(9) cells. The cell viability of the recovered cells was > 95%. The average age of the donors was 33 +/- 14 years (mean +/- SD; range 12-65) with an average weight of 169 +/- 41 lb (range 82-308 lb). Males comprised 68% of the donor population. The average number of days from admission to death was 1.9 +/- 1.7 with a range of 1-11.4 days and the interval between asystole and procurement averaged 3.1 +/- 2.3 h (range (0.1-14.7 h). The majority of donors died from head trauma due to an intracranial bleed, gunshot wound, or closed head injury. Regression analysis of the data indicated that the total nucleated cell yield tended to decrease with increasing time between hospital admission and death. The data also indicated that in general female donors yielded lower cell numbers independent of age and male donors under 30 years of age yielded the highest number of cells.
The Active Site His-460 of Human Acyl-coenzyme A:Cholesterol Acyltransferase 1 Resides in a Hitherto Undisclosed Transmembrane Domain *

Human acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (hACAT1) esterifies cholesterol at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We had previously reported that hACAT1 contains seven transmembrane domains (TMD) (Lin, S., Cheng, D., Liu, M. S., Chen, J., and Chang, T. Y. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 23276-23285) and nine cysteines. The Cys near the N-terminal is located at the cytoplasm; the two cysteines near the C-terminal form a disulfide bond and are located in the ER lumen. The other six free cysteines are located in buried region(s) of the enzyme (Guo, Z.-Y., Chang, C. C. Y., Lu, X., Chen, J., Li, B.-L., and Chang, T.-Y. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 6537-6548). In the current study, we show that the conserved His-460 is a key active site residue for hACAT1. We next performed Cys-scanning mutagenesis within the region of amino acids 354-493, expressed these mutants in Chinese hamster ovary cells lacking ACAT1, and prepared microsomes from transfected cells. The microsomes are either left intact or permeabilized with detergent. The accessibility of the engineered cysteines of microsomal hACAT1 to various maleimide derivatives, including mPEG5000-maleimide (large, hydrophilic, and membrane-impermeant), N-ethylmaleimide, 4-acetamido-4′-maleimidylstilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (small, hydrophilic, and ER membrane-permeant), and N-phenylmaleimide (small, hydrophobic, and ER membrane-permeant), were monitored by Western blot analysis. The results led us to construct a revised, nine-TMD model, with the active site His-460 located within a hitherto undisclosed transmembrane domain, between Arg-443 and Tyr-462.
Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Recommender Systems on Sales

Online retailers are increasingly using information technologies to provide value-added services to customers. Prominent examples of these services are online recommender systems and consumer feedback mechanisms, both of which serve to reduce consumer search costs and uncertainty associated with the purchase of unfamiliar products. The central question we address is how recommender systems affect sales. We take into consideration the interaction among recommendations, sales, and price. We then develop a robust empirical model that incorporates the indirect effect of recommendations on sales through retailer pricing, potential simultaneity between sales and recommendations, and a comprehensive measure of the strength of recommendations. Applying the model to a panel data set collected from two online retailers, we found that the strength of recommendations has a positive effect on sales. Moreover, this effect is moderated by the recency effect, where more recently released recommended items positively affect the cross-selling efforts of sellers. We also show that recommender systems help to reinforce the long-tail phenomenon of electronic commerce, and obscure recommendations positively affect cross-selling. We also found a positive effect of recommendations on prices. These results suggest that recommendations not only improve sales but they also provide added flexibility to retailers to adjust their prices. A comparative analysis reveals that recommendations have a higher effect on sales than does consumer feedback. Our empirical results show that providing value-added services, such as digital word of mouth and recommendations, allows retailers to charge higher prices while at the same time increasing demand by providing more information regarding the quality and match of products.
Anti-conflict efficacy of buspirone following acute versus chronic treatment

In many animal studies, acute treatment with the novel anxiolytic agent buspirone exhibits only minimal “anxiolytic efficacy” (i.e., increases in punished responding) when compared to benzodiazepines and barbiturates. The present studies examined the effects of acute pre-test challenges with buspirone in subjects receiving chronic post-test buspirone or saline treatments. Chronic post-test treatment with buspirone (4 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, followed by 8 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks) did not significantly affect CSD behavior. Consistent with previous reports, acute pre-test administration of buspirone (0.125–2 mg/kg, IP) to subjects receiving chronic post-test saline treatment resulted in only a modest anti-conflict effect in the CSD paradigm (approximately ten shocks over control). In contrast, subjects chronically treated with buspirone exhibited a dramatically greater anti-conflict effect following acute challenge with buspirone (up to 40 shocks over control). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the full anxiolytic efficacy of buspirone requires repeated administration.
Comparison of Alcian blue and ruthenium red effects on preservation of outer envelope ultrastructure in methanotrophic bacteria

Alcian blue (AB) and ruthenium red (RR) effects on ultrastructural preservation of the bacterial cell envelope of methanotrophs are compared. A previous successful method with RR that enhanced preservation of outer envelope layers in two representative methanotroph species is applied to other genera and species of methanotropic bacteria. Alcian blue is substituted for RR in this en bloc protocol. The effect of AB on preservation of these layers is assessed at the ultrastructural level and compared to RR for all species examined. Further, comparison with freeze etch and a fixation in the absence of either RR or AB is made. Both RR and AB are found to aid preservation and help visualize additional components of the cell envelope which are lost or minimized in a standard fixation not employing these cationic reagents. For some species, images obtained are similar between RR and AB procedures and agree with images seen by freeze etch. For other species, AB preserves extended filamentous material that is partially condensed even with the use of RR. Thus, use of AB improves the preservation of outer envelope structure in these organisms equally or more effectively than use of RR.
The toxic shock syndrome in a burn victim.

Abstract A case of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in a 6-year-old boy with a 5 per cent body surface area partial thickness scald burn is reported. Biobrane® was the wound dressing used initially. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the syndrome are listed. The syndrome is caused by an exotoxin of Staph. aureus and can occur in the absence of invasive infection. The syndrome, first described in menstruating women who used tampons, has occurred in patients with a variety of wounds. Reports of the TSS syndrome in burn victims are limited to children whose wounds were covered. Children are most vulnerable to the development of TSS because of their limited prior exposure to the toxin.
Radiation pattern computations for cylindrical-rectangular microstrip antennas

Microstrip antennas may be mounted on spherical surfaces on some vehicles of practical interest such as missiles and satellites. One possible application, for example, might be to build phased array microstrip radiators on a spherical surface to give wide angle scan capability much like that of a Luneberg lens antenna. The cavity model method is used to obtain the electric field at the edge of the radiating patch. Then, the radiation field may be evaluated from the edge field for a given excitation current. A spherical-rectangular microstrip structure is studied. The study is based on the assumption that the thickness of the dielectric layer is much smaller than the radius of the ground sphere. Then, the radiation frequency for single mode radiation is defined and the radiation patterns for typical spherical-rectangular microstrip antennas are presented.
Quantification of clenbuterol in equine plasma, urine and tissue by liquid chromatography coupled on-line with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Clenbuterol (CBL) is a potent β2-adrenoceptor agonist used for the management of respiratory disorders in the horse. The detection and quantification of CBL can pose a problem due to its potency, the relatively low dose administered to the horse, its slow clearance and low plasma concentrations. Thus, a sensitive method for the quantification and confirmation of CBL in racehorses is required to study its distribution and elimination. A sensitive and fast method was developed for quantification and confirmation of the presence of CBL in equine plasma, urine and tissue samples. The method involved liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), separation by liquid chromatography (LC) on a short cyano column, and pseudo multiple reaction monitoring (pseudo-MRM) by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). At very low concentrations (picograms of CBL/mL), LLE produced better extraction efficiency and calibration curves than solid-phase extraction (SPE). The operating parameters for electrospray QTOF and yield of the product ion in MRM were optimized to enhance sensitivity for the detection and quantification of CBL. The quantification range of the method was 0.013–10 ng of CBL/mL plasma, 0.05–20 ng/0.1 mL of urine, and 0.025–10 ng/g tissue. The detection limit of the method was 13 pg/mL of plasma, 50 pg/0.1 mL of urine, and 25 pg/g of tissue. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of CBL in plasma, urine and various tissue samples, and in pharmacokinetic (PK) studies of CBL in the horse. CBL was quantified for 96 h in plasma and 288 h in urine post-administration of CLB (1.6 µg/kg, 2 × daily × 7 days). This method is useful for the detection and quantification of very low concentrations of CBL in urine, plasma and tissue samples. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developmental regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and function in the mouse mammary gland during a prolonged lactation cycle

The regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and function in the lactating mammary cell is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to use proteomics to relate temporal changes in mammary cell m...
Nonlinear behaviors of capillary formation in a deterministic angiogenesis model

In this paper, we consider a deterministic approach for modeling angiogenesis. The model equations form a nonlinear coupled system of partial and ordinary differential equations. We propose an efficient, accurate and locally conservative numerical method to solve the nonlinear system. Computational results indicate that the model generates the overall dendritic structure and pattern of the capillary network morphologically similar to those observed in vivo. The influence of the capillary network and the growth factor distribution on each other and their interaction are investigated using numerical simulations.
Respiratory Stimulant Use in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the use of respiratory stimulants in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).DATA SOURCESMEDLINE (1966–July 2003) and EMBASE (1980–3rd quarter 2003) were searched using the search terms medroxyprogesterone acetate, acetazolamide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic obstructive lung disease.DATA SYNTHESISTrials are reviewed evaluating ventilatory parameters with acetazolamide and/or medroxyprogesterone in patients with COPD. All studies found improvements in ventilatory parameters, but failed to demonstrate improvements in survival or quality of life.CONCLUSIONSSignificant improvement in arterial blood gas and ventilatory parameters was reported in COPD patients after acetazolamide and medroxyprogesterone treatment; however, with no improvement in survival or quality of life, the place of these drugs in therapy remains unknown.
Generation of toxic degradation products by sonication of Pluronic® dispersants: implications for nanotoxicity testing

Poloxamers (known by the trade name Pluronic � ) are triblock copolymer surfactants that contain two polyethylene glycol blocks and one polypropylene glycol block of various sizes. Poloxamers are widely used as nanoparticle dispersants for nanotoxicity studies wherein nanoparticles are sonicated with a dispersant to prepare suspensions. It is known that poloxamers can be degraded during sonication and that reactive oxygen species contribute to the degradation process. However, the possibility that poloxamer degradation products are toxic to mammalian cells has not been well studied. We report here that
Predictive utility of the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS) risk status classifications: clinical interpretation and application

Predictive validity and clinical implications of the increasingly popular Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS) risk status classifications have not been previously reported. In this longitudinal follow-up study, the BINS was administered to high-risk infants at 6, 12, and 24 months of age, and the McCarthy Scales at 3 years of age. Ninety-two children were evaluated at 6 and 36 months, 105 at 12 and 36 months, and 118 at 24 and 36 months; 190, 125, and 140 infants were included in the comparisons at 6 to 12, 6 to 24, and 12 to 24 months. BINS risk status was classified as low, moderate, or high; or as a binary variable, LOWRISK/HIGHRISK. The three BINS items groups were moderately correlated. Consistency was most variable in the moderate-risk group. BINS risk was predictive of 36-month function in 18 out of 18 comparisons. Odds ratios, ranging from 2.76 to 54.70, were significant in 15 out of 18 logistic models. An early high-risk classification was associated with increased probability of later developmental morbidity. The BINS offers an alternative to detailed assessment in high-volume clinical applications and has good concurrent and predictive validity.
Bundle Protocol (BP) over Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP) for Cislunar Communications

With demands increasing in lunar and Mars explorations, the need for a new space communication standard protocol is becoming more and more critical. The DTN Research Group (DTNRG) is developing a series of communication protocols with new architecture, generally called DTN protocols, to tolerate highly stressed communication environments with long propagation delays and frequent link disruptions. In this paper, we present an experimental investigation of the bundle protocol (BP), over Licklider transmission protocol (LTP - sometimes called the long-haul transmission protocol), operating with unreliable User Datagram Protocol (UDP), over an emulated cislunar networking under various channel conditions. Our intention is to investigate the transmission performance of the BP/LTP protocol, running on top of an unreliable UDP stack, over a cislunar link with long propagation delays, frequent disconnects, and a high bit error rate (BER). A comparison between BP/LTP/UDP and another DTN protocol suite is also presented.
A study in vivo of the effects of a static compressive load on the proximal tibial physis in rabbits.

Background: The effect of compression on the physis is generally defined by the Hueter-Volkmann principle, in which decreased linear growth of the physis results from increased compression. This investigation examined whether mechanically induced compression of rabbit physes causes changes in gene expression, cells, and extracellular components that promote physeal resilience and strength (type-II collagen and aggrecan) and cartilage hypertrophy (type-X collagen and matrix metalloprotease-13). Methods: Static compressive loads (10 N or 30 N) were applied for two or six weeks across one hind limb proximal tibial physis of thirteen-week-old female New Zealand White rabbits (n = 18). The contralateral hind limb in all rabbits underwent sham surgery with no load to serve as an internal control. Harvested physes were divided into portions for histological, immunohistochemical, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Gene expression was statistically analyzed by means of comparisons between loaded samples and unloaded shams with use of analysis of variance and a Tukey post hoc test. Results: Compared with unloaded shams, physes loaded at 10 N or 30 N for two weeks and at 10 N for six weeks showed histological changes in cells and matrices. Physes loaded at 30 N for six weeks were decreased in thickness and had structurally disorganized chondrocyte columns, a decreased extracellular matrix, and less intense type-II and X collagen immunohistochemical staining. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of loaded samples compared with unloaded shams yielded a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased gene expression of aggrecan and type-II and X collagen and no significant (p > 0.05) changes in the matrix metalloprotease-13 gene expression with increasing load. Conclusions: Compressed rabbit physes generate biochemical changes in collagens, proteoglycan, and cellular and tissue matrix architecture. Changes potentially weaken overall physeal strength, consistent with the Hueter-Volkmann principle, and lend understanding of the causes of pathological conditions of the physis. Clinical Relevance: Compressive forces across rabbit tibial physes cause changes in cartilage molecular biology, biochemistry, and structure, which may provide insight into disorders of the open physis in humans.
Development of a chordate anterior-posterior axis without classical retinoic acid signaling

Developmental signaling by retinoic acid (RA) is thought to be an innovation essential for the origin of the chordate body plan. The larvacean urochordate Oikopleura dioica maintains a chordate body plan throughout life, and yet its genome appears to lack genes for RA synthesis, degradation, and reception. This suggests the hypothesis that the RA-machinery was lost during larvacean evolution, and predicts that Oikopleura development has become independent of RA-signaling. This prediction raises the problem that the anterior–posterior organization of a chordate body plan can be developed without the classical morphogenetic role of RA. To address this problem, we performed pharmacological treatments and analyses of developmental molecular markers to investigate whether RA acts in anterior–posterior axial patterning in Oikopleura embryos. Results revealed that RA does not cause homeotic posteriorization in Oikopleura as it does in vertebrates and cephalochordates, and showed that a chordate can develop the phylotypic body plan in the absence of the classical morphogenetic role of RA. A comparison of Oikopleura and ascidian evidence suggests that the lack of RA-induced homeotic posteriorization is a shared derived feature of urochordates. We discuss possible relationships of altered roles of RA in urochordate development to genomic events, such as rupture of the Hox-cluster, in the context of a new understanding of chordate phylogeny.
Publishing over the next decade

This article examines the future of the book publishing industry and presents strategies for publishers to decrease risk and increase profit. These strategies also benefit education, science, and technology by making books cheaper, more flexible, and more easily and quickly available. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quadratic approximate dynamic programming for input‐affine systems

SUMMARY We consider the use of quadratic approximate value functions for stochastic control problems with inputaffine dynamics and convex stage cost and constraints. Evaluating the approximate dynamic programming policy in such cases requires the solution of an explicit convex optimization problem, such as a quadratic program, which can be carried out efficiently. We describe a simple and general method for approximate value iteration that also relies on our ability to solve convex optimization problems, in this case, typically a semidefinite program. Although we have no theoretical guarantee on the performance attained using our method, we observe that very good performance can be obtained in practice. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FUZZY LOGIC BASED FOREBODY VORTEX FLOW CONTROL

A Fuzzy Logic Controller is applied to lateral/directional regulator design for an aircraft equipped with forebody vortex flow controller. The flight condition of an aircraft is high angle-ofattack and low speed where conventional effectors such as rudder and differential flaps lose effectiveness. The closed loop controller consists of two controllers, full state feedback gain controller for continuous control effector, rudder and differential flaps, and three states fuzzy logic controller for bang-bang control effector, VFC nozzles. Based on the analysis of previous controller design, designer defines membership function and fuzzy rule. "Tuning" of the fuzzy logic controller has been done to optimize system performance by adjusting the fuzzy-rule. Detailed mathematical model of the system is not required for designer in these steps. The results of this paper show that application of a fuzzy logic controller improves general performance of regulator design and makes controlling of VFC activity more practical comparing to conventional controller.
Let's Peel the Onion Together: An Application of Schein's Model of Organizational Culture

Courses: Organizational Communication, Communication Theory, Introduction to CommunicationObjective: To illustrate the manifestation of cultural markers, espoused values, and basic assumptions in a real organizational context using Schein's Model of Organizational Culture.
Accuracy and precision of hemoglobin point-of-care testing during major pediatric surgery

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare accuracy and reproducibility of four point-of-care testing (POCT) devices (GEM(®) Premier 3000, ABL 800 flex, GEM(®) OPL(™) , HemoCue(®) B-Hemoglobin) for hemoglobin (Hb) analyzes as compared with the reference laboratory method (Sysmex XE 2100) in children undergoing major surgery. Methods: Pediatric patients undergoing craniofacial, spine, hip, or cancer surgery were included. Blood samples for Hb testing were taken at several intraoperative time points and generally withdrawn from the arterial catheter, if accessible. Results: A total of 256 blood samples were taken intraoperatively from 71 pediatric patients. All POCT devices showed very small bias (maximum -0.46 g/dL) to reference method as well as very good reproducibility (maximum coefficient of variation of 0.99%). However, in two cases (HemoCue), potential clinical relevant differences were observed beyond a range of 2 g/dL. Conclusion: All POCT devices tested and operated by trained staff for hemoglobinometry showed reliable test results. They all allow for simple, fast, and precise bedside determination of hemoglobin concentration in the intraoperative setting.
Macrofungi associated with vegetation and soils at Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Missouri

Fungi and vascular plant interactions are necessary components of natural community establishment, productivity and degradation. While many fungal species serve as decomposers of organic matter, others have evolved mutualistic or parasitic relationships with vascular plants. This research focused on characterizing associations among macrofungi, vascular plant communities and soils. Ha Ha Tonka State Park is in central Missouri and has a varying landscape with numerous natural community types that provide diverse habitats and microhabitats that are ideally suited to the investigation of fungal, floral and soil associations. Five communities sampled within the park included glades, open woodlands, flatwoods, closed-canopy forests and karst sinks. Permanent 0.01 ha. plots were surveyed in the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons. Surveys of plots and entire communities yielded 249 fungal taxa and approximately 265 floral taxa. Soils were analyzed to help define specific edaphic components of each community and used to associate soil attributes with plant and fungal communities. Forest communities contained the most ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi species. Karst sinks and glades had higher soil pH and phosphorus and fewer ectomycorrhizal fungi. Statistical analyses included non-metric multidimensional scaling, multiresponse permutation procedure and indicator species analysis. Indicator species were identified for flatwood, forest and karst communities, but results were inconclusive for glades and open woodlands.
Prediction of Creep Behavior from Stress Relaxation Data for Nonlinearly Viscoelastic Materials

Abstract The stress relaxation behavior of many polymeric materials can be expressed in a very simple fashion, because the logarithm of nominal stress fi(t) (based upon the undeformed cross-sectional area of the sample) plotted against the logarithm of time, t, is a straight line. Furthermore, these lines are often parallel, and with linearly viscoelastic materials, one obtains a straight line for the stress-relaxation modulus E(t)=fi(t)/ei, independent of the strain level. Thus, the linear stress-relaxation modulus can be expressed as: Ei(t)=Ei0·t−m, with Ei0 the modulus at t=1 s and m the slope of the straight line in the double logarithmic plot. Most polymers are, of course, nonlinearly viscoelastic (except for infinitesimal deformations); that is, the stress-relaxation modulus is a function of both time and strain. These time and strain effects can be factored out, if the log fi(t) versus log t curves are parallel: Ei(t,ei)=Ei0·t−mϕ(e), where ϕ(e), the strain function, is a measure of the nonlinearity...
l-Cysteine supplementation increases adiponectin synthesis and secretion, and GLUT4 and glucose utilization by upregulating disulfide bond A-like protein expression mediated by MCP-1 inhibition in 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to high glucose

Adiponectin is an anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic adipokine; its plasma levels are decreased in obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. An adiponectin-interacting protein named disulfide bond A-like protein (DsbA-L) plays an important role in the assembly of adiponectin. This study examined the hypothesis that L-cysteine (LC) regulates glucose homeostasis through the DsbA-L upregulation and synthesis and secretion of adiponectin in diabetes. 3T3L1 adipocytes were treated with LC (250 and 500 µM, 2 h) and high glucose (HG, 25 mM, 20 h). Results showed that LC supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated the DsbA-L, adiponectin, and GLUT-4 protein expression and glucose utilization in HG-treated adipocytes. LC supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) promoted the secretion of total and HMW adiponectin secretion in HG-treated adipocytes. In addition, LC significantly (p < 0.05) decreased ROS production and MCP-1 secretion in HG-treated cells. We further investigated whether MCP-1 has any role of LC on DsbA-L expression and adiponectin levels in 3T3-L1 cells. Treatment with LC prevented the decrease in DsbA-L, adiponectin, and GLUT-4 expression in 3T3L1 adipocyte cells exposed to MCP-1. Thus, this study demonstrates that DsbA-L and adiponectin upregulation mediates the beneficial effects of LC on glucose utilization by inhibiting MCP-1 secretion in adipocytes and provides a novel mechanism by which LC supplementation can improve insulin sensitivity in diabetes.
Vertical Profiles and Seasonal Variations of Key Parameters Controlling Particle Formation and Growth at Storm Peak Laboratory

ABSTRACTHere we compare model simulated number concentrations of condensation nuclei larger than 10 nm (CN10) in 2009 with those measured at the Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL), a high elevation mountain-top observatory in northwestern Colorado, US. We also investigate vertical profiles and seasonal variations of key parameters controlling particle formation and growth over this remote mountain-top site. The model overall captures absolute values of CN10 and their variations, especially in the spring months where regional scale new particle formation (NPF) occurred frequently. The model is able to predict the right magnitude of background CN10 values in July and August but it fails to reproduce the short-term spikes in CN10 and thus under-predicts the mean CN10 in these two months. The vertical profiles of key parameters relevant to NPF, including temperature and concentrations of SO2, secondary organic gases (SOG), OH, H2SO4 and low volatility SOG, show clear seasonal variations that lead to relatively high frequency of NPF in the spring and fall. Vertically, high concentrations of precursors and aerosol number concentrations are generally confined to the boundary layer and lower troposphere.
Population of intrinsic high spin states with the direct 116 Sn(α,p) 119 Sb reaction

The $^{116}\mathrm{Sn}$($\ensuremath{\alpha}$,$p$)$^{119}\mathrm{Sb}$ reaction at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=35.6$ MeV has been used to locate previously unknown high spin states in $^{119}\mathrm{Sb}$. Cluster distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations have been employed to identify $L=10$ (${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}=\frac{19}{{2}^{+}}, \frac{21}{{2}^{+}}$) transfers to states at 4.120\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015 and 4.210\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015 MeV. A state located at 4.020\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}.015 MeV may be fit by either $L=12 or 14$ distorted-wave Born-approximation curves. These high spin states are not members of the previously identified ${K}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}=\frac{9}{{2}^{+}}$ rotational band. No evidence for population of this $\frac{9}{{2}^{+}}$ band was observed. Residual interaction matrix elements for the ${(\ensuremath{\nu}{h}_{\frac{11}{2}}\ensuremath{\pi}{s}_{\frac{1}{2}})}_{{5}^{\ensuremath{-}},{6}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ configurations have been deduced, assuming simple wave functions for the states populated by $L=10$ transfers. The resulting matrix elements are in excellent agreement with the predictions of a $\ensuremath{\delta}$ force, as are other matrix elements extracted from the odd-odd Sb spectra.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{116}\mathrm{Sn}$($\ensuremath{\alpha}$,$p$)$^{119}\mathrm{Sb}$, separated isotope, measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}({E}_{p},\ensuremath{\theta})$, cluster DWBA analysis, deduced residual interaction matrix elements.
The Research of Historical Data Compression and Storage Strategy in Power Dispatch SCADA System

In order to reduce the amount of historical data of SCADA system and improve storage efficiency, in this paper, effective reckon swing door trending(ERSDT) which is an algorithm improved from swing door trending(SDT) algorithm and a storage policy of three-level architecture are proposed. ERSDT compress data by searching the farthest compression point and rotating balance factor. Three-level architecture which includes real-time database, historical database and disk storage database is presented to store the compressing data. The result of test verifies the feasibility of ERSDT. Comparing with traditional SDT, ERSDT can improve the compression ratio and reduce the compression time. Practice has proved that ERSDT algorithms and three-level data storage strategy can reduce the amount of historical data, and improve the efficiency of data storage and query.
Experimental study on implanted pulmonary valve stent

Objectives To study the feasibility and safety of implantation of pig pericardium-made pulmonary valve stent to animals. Methods After being extracted, burnished and soaked, pig percardium was made into tricuspid like, stitched into a self-expandable alloy stent consisting of nickle and Ti with polypropylene thread, soaked in Glutaral for 36 hours and preserved in 60% alcohol. Thoracic cavity and pericardium were opened, the heart was disclosed, pulmonary valve stents were implanted into sheeps or pig through right ventricular anterior wall under the direction of echocardiography. Results Valves in the stent worked very well, no backstreaming was found both in echocardiography immediately after operation or 3-month following and in angiography at 2nd month or 3rd month. There were no significant difference in right ventricular pressure and in pulmonary arterial pressure before and after valve implantation,besides,a mild systolic pressure gradient of 12 mm Hg through the stent between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery was seen in a sheep in which stent with valve was located in right ventricular outflow. Gross and microscope showed that the native pulmonary valve was nonfunctional because it was stuck between the pulmonary wall and the stent and the other extremity of the stent were embedded into the right ventricular outflow. Visible calcification, surrounding tissue inflammatory reaction and embolization in liver, kidney and lung, were not found in stent valves. After 6 months, scanning electron microscope showed normal surrounding tissue cells and stent fibrous valve. Conclusions Stent with pig pericardium-made valve implanted into animals is effective and safe.
Technical Measures for Improving Transmission Ability of Power Network

To satisfy the demand of high capacity and long distance power transmission and power load increasing rapidly, it is necessary to adopt some technical measures for improving transmission ability of power network. Through the methods of field testing and research for power system dynamic property and load model, the paper summarized and introduced the research condition and application of the technical measures for improving transmission ability of power network in China, such as power system stability controller (PSS), double line on the same tower and compact power transmission technology, large section wire and heat-resisting wire technology, and FACTS technologies of SVC, FSC, TCSC, SVG, SSSC. The Gansu TCSC project, the first autonomous development by China, is also introduced emphatically.