cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of the extracellular counter-ion on the sodium-dependent, ouabain-uninhibited sodium efflux from human erythrocytes.

Abstract 1. 1. Progressive reductions of extracellular Na + (Na O + ) reduced radioisotopic Na + efflux from human erythrocytes in the presence of ouabain. Nine different counter-ions were used to replace Na 0 + and the results were qualitatively similar. 2. 2. Ethacrynic acid always inhibited less Na + efflux in low Na 0 + solutions than in 135 mM Na 0 + solutions regardless of the counter-ion which replaced Na 0 + . 3. 3. Na + efflux was stimulated in zero Na 0 + , ouabain solutions of sucrose served as the counter-solute; ethacrynic acid eliminated this effect. 4. 4. We conclude that the reduction of ouabain-uninhibited Na + efflux as Na 0 + is reduced from 135 mM to zero is truly the result of removal of Na 0 + and not an inhibitory effect of the counter-ion used to preserve isosmolarity. Furthermore, this Na 0 + -dependent Na + efflux is practically eliminated by ethacrynic acid.
The effects of substrate-adsorbed albumin on platelet spreading.

Adsorbed albumin appears to passivate nearly all materials, minimizing platelet adhesion and thrombus formation. Since in vitro platelet spreading can be an indicator of in vivo reactivity leading to thrombosis, and as in vitro platelet adhesion investigations are routinely done in the presence of bovine or human serum albumin (BSA or HSA), we examined the influence of albumin on platelet reactivity to material substrates. Platelet spreading was examined subsequent to adherence onto several related polyurethanes, and to Formvar, in the presence of bulk albumin concentrations sufficient to form an adsorbed monolayer or a multilayer. No other exogenous proteins were present. The spreading behavior of adherent platelets was analyzed using generalized linear interactive modeling (GLIM). The models showed that the polymer type always influenced platelet responses, irrespective of the albumin concentration. In many experiments, platelet behavior could be adequately modeled without including the effects of album...
Herbicide 4-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1,2-trimethylsemicarbazide and its Mechanism of Action

CERTAIN 1,1-dimethyl-3-phenylureas are potent herbicides1–3. Their herbicidal action is attributed in part to inhibition of chloroplast electron transport (the Hill reaction) in photosynthesis4–7. The corresponding mono-methylureas differ only slightly in herbicidal activity2,8 and in inhibition of the Hill reaction7. Nonmethylated phenylureas are, however, relatively inactive both as herbicides2,9 and Hill inhibitors7. In studies of the relationship between structure, herbicidal activity and inhibition of the Hill reaction, it seemed desirable to prepare and test 4-phenylsemicarbazides with varied methyl substitution in the 1 and 2 positions. The 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) analogues shown in Table 1 were chosen as models because of the high herbicidal and Hill inhibitory activities of diuron [I,3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] and nordiuron [II, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methylurea].
p53-dependent Induction of Apoptosis by Proteasome Inhibitors

Proteolysis by the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway controls the intracellular levels of a number of proteins that regulate cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. To determine whether this pathway of protein turnover was also linked to apoptosis, we treated Rat-1 and PC12 cells with specific proteasome inhibitors. The peptide aldehydes PSI and MG115, which specifically inhibit the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome, induced apoptosis of both cell types. In contrast, apoptosis was not induced by inhibitors of lysosomal proteases or by an alcohol analog of PSI. The tumor suppressor p53 rapidly accumulated in cells treated with proteasome inhibitors, as did the p53-inducible gene products p21 and Mdm-2. In addition, apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibitors was inhibited by expression of dominant-negative p53, whereas overexpression of wild-type p53 was sufficient to induce apoptosis of Rat-1 cells in transient transfection assays. Although other molecules may also be involved, these results suggest that stabilization and accumulation of p53 plays a key role in apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibitors.
Clouds of ammonia ice - Laboratory measurements of the single-scattering properties

A new apparatus for the growth of clouds of ammonia and water ice has been developed which represents an improvement over the one constructed by Holmes (1981). Better thermal control of the cloud chamber has been achieved so that colder temperature relevant to the outer planets' atmospheres could be reached. The angular resolution of the scattering measurements has been improved from 10 deg to about 2 deg. A rotating filter wheel combined with a much larger computer allows a complete data set to be collected in three colors once per second. This capability is important in monitoring cloud properties as they change with time and in collecting data on larger crystals which can fall through the beam in a few seconds.
Biodistribution of pH-sensitive immunoliposomes.

Abstract Liposomes composed of either dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and oleic acid (pH-sensitive) or dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and oleic acid (pH-insensitive) were injected into C3H and Balb/c mice in order to determined the tissue distribution of both the lipid and the aqueous content. The lipid component was monitored by use of [3H]cholestanyl ether and the aqueous content was monitored by use of encapsulated 125I-tyraminyl-inulin. The pH-insensitive liposomes injected into both types of mice were rapidly cleared from the blood stream followed by accumulation primarily in the liver, followed by the spleen. The presence of a monoclonal antibody on the liposome surface caused a slight acceleratiion in liver accumulation, though generally gave the sane profile as the antibody-free liposomes. pH-sensitive liposomes were leaky upon exposure to the mouse plasma following injection. The lipid component, though, displayed a large amount (e.g., 50–70% in C3H mice) of accumulation in the lung for up to 6 h, followed by a subsequent appearance in the liver and spleen. The presence of monoclonal antibody had no effect on the tissue distribution profile. These results indicate that the pH-sensitive liposomes, although ineffective as an aqueous drug delivery agent, may be effective as a means of delivering lipophilic drugs to the lung.
Effect of contrast material on transitional cell carcinoma viability

Implantation of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cells onto adjacent areas of the urinary epithelium is frequently a concern during endoscopic procedures.11,14,27,35-37 This concern is supported both by clinical studies showing a high rate of upper tract tumors in patients with bladder TCC and vesicoureteral reflux,1,9 and by laboratory research demonstrating that many synchronous and metachronous tumors are monoclonal.10,19,33 Many urologists, therefore, advocate avoiding any percutaneous approaches to TCC treatment or concomitant procedures at the time of transurethral bladder tumor resection; some investigators recommend administration of intravesical chemotherapy at the end of the endoscopic procedure to minimize the risk of tumor seeding.27,36,37
Double quantum size effects on the energy spectra of charge carriers in thin wires of pure bismuth

The energy spectra of electrons and holes in a thin wire of bismuth are subject to two dimensional size quantizations. Because of the highly anisotropic energy-momentum relationship for bismuth electrons, exact solutions to the Schrodinger equation satisfying appropriate boundary conditions in connection with the quantum size effects are generally difficult to obtain. A perturbation method has been applied to obtain the energy subbands under the double size quantizations. Numerical evaluations have been carried out of the possible quantum-size-induced semimetal to semiconductor transitions. General features of the anisotropic size dependence of the Fermi energy and of the electron density and the identifications of the associated quantum oscillations are presented.
Kitanidis receives 2011 Hydrologic Sciences Award: Response

Peter Kitanidis received the 2011 Hydrologic Sciences Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award is for outstanding contributions to the science of hydrology.
A fully integrated linear eddy and chemistry agglomeration method with detailed chemical kinetics for studying the effect of stratification on HCCI combustion

Abstract The one-dimensional linear eddy model (LEM), which captures both molecular and turbulence mixing mechanisms, has great potential for providing useful insights into the effects of inhomogeneity and turbulence on HCCI combustion. In this work, the one dimensional LEM code has been enhanced so that detailed/reduced chemical kinetics can be incorporated in a straightforward manner. Additionally, a chemistry agglomeration model is employed to speed up the chemistry calculations, while maintaining accurate predictions of combustion quantities such as pressure, temperature and chemical species concentrations. The chemistry agglomeration model clusters computational cells with “similar” thermo-chemical compositions and performs chemistry calculations on the clusters of cells instead of individual cells. By doing this, significant savings in computational time are achieved. This model communicates with the LEM code at each time step and the thermo-chemical composition of the computational cells is mapped back and forth between them. Furthermore, a series of LEM calculations with reduced chemical kinetics are performed to explore the effects of fuel distribution on HCCI combustion for both n-heptane and iso-octane fuels. Results show that the effect of fuel stratification on combustion phasing is fuel dependent. Coarsening the fuel distribution monotonically advances combustion phasing significantly for n-heptane, but lesser so for iso-octane. With fuel stratification, increases in NOx and CO emissions are observed. Results also show that turbulence retards combustion phasing and its relative effect is dependent on the fuel. The relative importance of γ (i.e., the ratio of specific heats) due to the different thermal properties of each species and effect of chemistry in generating thermal gradients is also studied.
Mechanisms that efficiently verify the optimality of a proposed action

The best known achievement of the literature on resource-allocating mechanisms and their message spaces is the first rigorous proof of the competitive mechanism's informational efficiency. In an exchange economy withN persons andK+1 commodities (including a numeraire), that mechanism announcesK prices as well as aK-compenent trade vector for each ofN−1 persons, making a total ofNK message variables. Trial messages are successively announced and after each announcement each personprivately determines, usingprivate information, whether she finds the proposed trades acceptable at the announced prices. When a message is reached with which all are content, then the trades specified in that message take place, and they satisfy Pareto optimality and individual rationality. The literature shows that no (suitably regular) mechanism can achieve the same thing with fewer thanNK message variables. In the classic proof, all the candidate mechanisms have the privacy property, and the proof uses that property in a crucial way.
Influence of selenium on vascularization in the hamster cheek pouch.

Abstract The inhibitory effect of selenium (Na 2 SeO 3 ) on the vascularization induced by amelanotic tumor implants (A Mel-4B32) in the Syrian hamster cheek pouch membrane is reported. Among control animals receiving A Mel-4B32 implants, 19 developed tumors out of 19 chambers with capillary proliferation being observed on day 4 after implant. Addition of 50 μg Se to the chamber at the time of tumor implant delayed the initial observation of capillary proliferation until day 10 after implant. In the 50 μg Se treated group, tumor-induced vascularization developed in 11 of 15 chamber implants and not in the remaining 4. Intermediate doses of 5 and 10 μg Se added to the chamber at the time of tumor implant delayed the initial observation of capillary proliferation to days 7 and 9, respectively, with tumors developing in all chambers. Neither sodium nor sulfite altered the vascular pattern. Capillary proliferation was observed on day 4 after tumor implant when either 50 μg NaCl or 50 μg S as Na 2 SO 3 were added to the chamber at the time of implant. Provision of Se as a drinking water supplement also delayed the onset of capillary proliferation.
Spinal Cord Convulsions in the Developing Rat at Altitude (12,470 ft., 3,800 m)

PREVIOUS investigations in this laboratory have demonstrated that maximal electro-shock seizure responses are more severe in adult rats brought to high altitude1 and in developing rats born at high altitude2 than in corresponding sea-level controls.
Production of a reference transcriptome and transcriptomic database (PocilloporaBase) for the cauliflower coral, Pocillopora damicornis

Background Motivated by the precarious state of the world's coral reefs, there is currently a keen interest in coral transcriptomics. By identifying changes in coral gene expression that are triggered by particular environmental stressors, we can begin to characterize coral stress responses at the molecular level, which should lead to the development of more powerful diagnostic tools for evaluating the health of corals in the field. Furthermore, the identification of genetic variants that are more or less resilient in the face of particular stressors will help us to develop more reliable prognoses for particular coral populations. Toward this end, we performed deep mRNA sequencing of the cauliflower coral, Pocillopora damicornis, a geographically widespread Indo-Pacific species that exhibits a great diversity of colony forms and is able to thrive in habitats subject to a wide range of human impacts. Importantly, P. damicornis is particularly amenable to laboratory culture. We collected specimens from three geographically isolated Hawaiian populations subjected to qualitatively different levels of human impact. We isolated RNA from colony fragments ("nubbins") exposed to four environmental stressors (heat, desiccation, peroxide, and hypo-saline conditions) or control conditions. The RNA was pooled and sequenced using the 454 platform.
A Waveform Analyzer Applied to the Human EEG

This paper presents an approach to signal waveform analysis in the frequency range of 1 to 50 Hz. The technique is applicable to any waveform which is a single-valued function of time with continuous derivatives. The main application of this system has been on the human EEG. The analyzer, to be described, performs its analysis in the time domain and abstracts wave shape information from the original wave and from the successive mathematical derivatives of that wave. The output from this analyzer consists of six analog descriptors of the input EEG wave. These descriptors are basic amplitude and basic frequency of the original input wave, amplitude and frequency of the first derivative of the input wave, and amplitude and frequency of the second derivative of the input wave.
Inhibition of Na+,K+-ATPase by the cardenolide 6'-O-(E-4-hydroxycinnamoyl) desglucouzarin.

Abstract Among the major cardenolides from the milkweed Asclepias asperula, 6′- O -( E -4-hydroxycinnamoyl) desglucouzarin has not been characterized biochemically. In this study, its binding affinity for a physiological receptor, porcine kidney Na + ,K + -ATPase, was found to be lower than the other cardenolides in this plant. The order of affinities from highest to lowest was: uzarigenin (K d = 1.05 μM) = desglucouzarin (K d = 0.98 μM) > uzarin (K d = 4.0 μM) > 6′- O -( E -4-hydroxycinnamoyl) desglucouzarin (K d = 16 μM). The chemical attachment of the 4-hydroxycinnamoyl group to the 6′-carbon of desglucouzarin significantly inhibits binding. This agrees with predictions that a 5′-methyl group on cardenolides fits the receptor site optimally for the porcine kidney enzyme. The 4-hydroxycinnamic ester was also found to be fluorescent.
Theoretical study of magnesium dicarbide

Abstract The electronic structure of MgC2 has been studied within the self-consistent field approximation using expansion basis sets ranging up to triple zeta plus double polarization in size. The ground state is predicted to be an ionic, Mg+C2−, symmetric triangular structure. A metastable linear MgCC structure is predicted to lie about 20 kcal/mol higher in energy. Rotation constants and harmonic vibrational force constants are given. The possibility of observing MgC2 in astrophysical sources is briefly discussed.
A K-6 Nutrition Curriculum Evaluation--Instruction and Teacher Preparation.

Abstract This paper reports the evaluation of an integrated nutrition education curriculum for elementary school children and examines the effect of 3 levels of teacher preparation on student outcome. The study involved 2,959 students from 156 K-6 classes taught by 125 teachers. In the experimental block, students completed pre- and posttests before and after 10 weeks of instruction; control students completed pre- and posttests prior to instruction. Additional experimental and control students completed only posttests in order to measure the effect of pretesting. Teachers representing all grade levels undertook a 45-hour nutrition education course or a 3-hour inservice or implemented the curriculum without supplementary preparation aside from the curriculum guide. At all grade levels and with all levels of teacher preparation, experimental students demonstrated significantly greater cognitive gains in nutrition knowledge than did the control students. Pretesting did not have a consistent positive effect on posttest scores. In some cases, knowledge gains of fourth and sixth grade students were greater when teachers had additional preparation; but these effects were not consistent across all treatments. Thus this curriculum is effective over the entire age range for which it was developed. The curriculum guide alone provides adequate materials for teachers so that they can implement instruction effectively without supplementary preparation.
Bromodomain and Extraterminal Domain Inhibitors (BETi) for Cancer Therapy: Chemical Modulation of Chromatin Structure

In cancer, epigenetic proteins are intensely studied targets for therapeutic drug discovery, showing great promise. These proteins include the chromatin-modifying enzymes that "write" and "erase" histone posttranslational modifications (PTM), and those that "read" these marks through binding modules. In an effort to find a compound that could disrupt the protein-protein interactions between a PTM and reader, JQ1 has proven to be a first-in-class, drug-like inhibitor of the "bromodomain and extraterminal domain" epigenetic readers (BETs), which recognize histone lysine acetylation marks. JQ1 has facilitated the mechanistic study and therapeutic application in cancer of this kind of epigenetic inhibition. By using this chemical probe, we have discovered that the bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) have compelling activity in preclinical models of multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia. In particular, BETi down-regulates the MYC, IL-7R, and E2F transcriptional programs. We are continuously integrating the transcriptional consequences of BETi with changes in the epigenomic landscapes of cancer cells to elucidate the mechanisms underlying response to BETi using chemical and genetic perturbations.
Human Capital vs. Signalling Explanations of Wages

increases wages by directly increasing the worker's productivity. This learning explanation is usually associated with human capital theory. However, it seems unlikely that learning explains all the wage differences associated with schooling and work history. Better-educated workers are not a random sample of workers: they have lower propensities to quit or to be absent, are less likely to smoke, drink or use illicit drugs, and are generally healthier. It is unlikely that employers make full use of differences in propensities to quit or to be absent or sick when hiring workers. These characteristics are often not directly observed, and the Americans with Disabilities Act precludes firms from using either poor health or the likelihood of future sickness as a hiring criterion unless it is directly related to job performance.' However, if low levels of education are associated with these unfavorable employee characteristics, and employers are allowed to take education into account when hiring workers, we would expect employers to favor better-educated workers as a means of reducing their costs of sickness and job turnover. In turn, students will take these hiring criteria into account when deciding how long to stay in school. Students will choose a length of schooling to "signal" their ability to employers, and employers will demand a minimum level of schooling
Sequestration and autophagy of mitochondria do not cut proteins across the board.

Mitochondria that acquire deleterious DNA mutations or sustain chemical damage to proteins are sequestered and cleared by autophagy, purportedly to maintain the fidelity of the remaining organelles. In PNAS, Vincow et al. demonstrate that two proteins, phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) and Parkin, which are mutated in forms of familial parkinsonism, promote mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) in vivo in Drosophila raised in a normal laboratory environment (1). Thus, mitophagy appears to be a routine and necessary housekeeping activity that may be essential for survival of certain neurons and muscle cells that die in PINK1 and Parkin mutant flies. The work also uncovers a mystery that some mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) proteins appear to be selectively routed for autophagosomal degradation, a process generally thought to remove entire mitochondria and indiscriminately eliminate RC components.
Widely-tunable chip-scaletransmitters and wavelength converters

In this paper we review the current status of InP-based integrated optical transmitters, which are monolithically integrated on a single chip and cover the full C or L-bands, we will also give an update on the recent application of devices within monolithically-integrated widely-tunable wavelength converters.
A gas-liquid chromatographic assay of melatonin and indoleamines using heptafluorobutyryl derivatives.

A gas chromatographic assay for melatonin based on the formation of a diheptafluorobutyrate is described. The procedure permits the quantitative determination of melatonin in rat pineals and assures that at least the quantitated amount is present. Prior to derivatization, other indole derivatives are removed by selective extraction. The melatonin is then derivatized with N-heptafluorobutyrylimidazole using triethylamine as a catalyst for the acyl exchange of the N-acetyl group. The structure of the resultant derivative was determined by mass spectrometry. When applied to adult rat pineals, the assay is within the published range using other assays. The overall procedure can be applied to the assay of other indoles.
Regulatory interaction of phosducin-like protein with the cytosolic chaperonin complex

Phosducin and phosducin-like protein (PhLP) bind G protein βγ subunits and regulate their activity. This report describes a previously uncharacterized binding partner unique to PhLP that was discovered by coimmunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometric identification. Chaperonin containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 (CCT), a cytosolic chaperone responsible for the folding of many cellular proteins, binds PhLP with a stoichiometry of one PhLP per CCT complex. Unlike protein-folding substrates of CCT, which interact only in their nonnative conformations, PhLP binds in its native state. Native PhLP competes directly for binding of protein substrates of CCT and thereby inhibits CCT activity. Overexpression of PhLP inhibited the ability of CCT to fold newly synthesized β-actin by 80%. These results suggest that the interaction between PhLP and CCT may be a means to regulate CCT-dependent protein folding or alternatively, to control the availability of PhLP to modulate G protein signaling.
Calcium, Vitamin D, and Dairy Product Intake and Prostate Cancer Risk The Multiethnic Cohort Study

High intakes of calcium and dairy products have been suggested to be related to prostate cancer risk. Such associations were examined in the Multiethnic Cohort Study (1993-2002) among 82,483 men who completed a detailed quantitative food frequency questionnaire. During a mean follow-up of 8 years, 4,404 total cases of prostate cancer were identified. In Cox proportional hazards models, no association was found between calcium and vitamin D intake and total, advanced, or high-grade prostate cancer risk, whether for total intake, intake from foods, or intake from supplements, among all male participants or among nonusers of supplemental calcium. No association of calcium or vitamin D intake was seen across racial/ethnic groups. In analyses of food groups, dairy product and total milk consumption were not associated with prostate cancer risk. However, low-/nonfat milk was related to an increased risk and whole milk to a decreased risk of total prostate cancer; after stratification, these effects were limited to localized or low-grade tumors. Although the findings from this study do not support an association between the intakes of calcium and vitamin D and prostate cancer risk, they do suggest that an association with milk consumption may vary by fat content, particularly for early forms of this cancer.
Development of apnea interruption system by vibratory stimulus

The present study was undertaken to develop an automated sleep apnea control system that would awake an infant experiencing an apneic event. At present, the method of alerting an infant involves stimulation by the nursing staff. In our system, a vibratory stimulator is used that will not endanger the safety of the infant, yet still provide an effective stimulus. The preliminary results obtained from clinical trials indicate that the vibratory stimulator meets all the requirements for use as a safe, efficient means of apnea interruption.
Panel: foundations for intrusion detection

Intrusion detection technologies have well-known shortcomings, such as a very high false alarm rate and the ability to detect only a limited class of attacks on a limited set of system components. Specialized attack types on unique system components cannot be detected, and neither can application-specific attacks. Even generic attacks on operating systems and networks cannot be reliably detected. Moreover, today's technology does only poorly at detecting new attack types, whereas much effort goes into developing signatures indicative of known attacks.
Risk aversion, imperfect competition, and long-lived information

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for characterizing the optimal dynamic behavior of risk-averse, strategic agents with private information, by building on Kyle (Econometrica, 1985, 53, 1315–1335). It is shown that both monopolistic and competing informed traders choose to exploit rents rapidly, causing market depth to be low in the initial periods and high in later periods, and causing information to be revealed rapidly, unlike in the case of a risk-neutral monopolist considered by Kyle.
Color Retrieval for Video Surveillance

In this paper, we present retrieval methods for extracting colored moving objects from surveillance cameras. In particular, we describe a method to classify moving objects into one of six colors. The method includes two sets of parameters. The first set can be used to compensate for illumination conditions and camera differences. The second set is used to tune the color extraction for specific object types and optimal retrieval. The tuning can be performed after video analysis has extracted metadata in real-time. The metadata is fed into a database which can be interactively queried by the user. The ability to query with feedback makes it possible to successfully find events of interest during an investigation without performing real-time adaptation which might be error-prone. In addition, for situations in which tracking moving objects is difficult, the system can generate significant colored object snippets of moving colored objects for retrieval. If the event of interest is not found by the initial system, this backup system can be invoked ensuring that the relevant event is found.
Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel-silver nanocomposites and evaluation of blood compatibility, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial behaviors

In this investigation, cryogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by repeated freeze-thaw method. The prepared cryogels served as templates for producing highly stable and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles via in situ reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) using alkaline formaldehyde solution as reducing agent. The structure of the PVA/Ag cryogel nanocomposites was characterized by a Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The morphologies of pure PVA cryogels and PVA/Ag nanocomposites were observed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The SEM analysis suggested that cryogels show a well defined porous morphology whereas TEM micrographs revealed the presence of nearly spherical and well separated Ag nanoparticles with diameter about 100 nm. XRD results showed all relevant Bragg's reflections for crystal structure of silver nanoparticles. The amount of silver in cryogel nanocomposites and thermal stability were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and thermogravimetric analysis measurements. Mechanical properties of nanocomposites were observed in terms of tensile strength. The antibacterial studies of the synthesized nanosilver containing cryogels showed good antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The prepared PVA/Ag nanocomposites were also investigated for swelling and deswelling behaviors. The results reveal that both the swelling and deswelling process depends on the chemical composition of the cryogel silver nanocomposites, number of freeze-Thaw cycles and pH and temperature of the swelling medium. The biocompatibility of the prepared nanocomposites was judged by in vitro methods of percent hemolysis and protein (BSA) adsorption. POLYM. COMPOS., 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Tutorial visualization software for concept reinforcement in digital signal processing education

Tutorial visualization for use in digital signal processing education has been developed which fills a niche not covered by software developed for design and productivity tools, toolboxes, application libraries, or student drill and evaluation. This experimental tutorial structure makes use of widely available workstations with high resolution raster displays and user friendly graphical interfaces to provide dynamic examples and illustrations of basic concepts and relationships. Material is presented in a manner complementary to the verbal descriptions found in textbooks. A wider selection of illustrations that can reasonably be included in a textbook can be offered, and more complex displays with combinations of several perspectives can reinforce the connections between topics which may not be introduced at the same time during a course. No programming in any language or command line syntax is required, and students can easily learn to use the mouse-driven software in a few minutes. A pilot version of this system has been tested in an undergraduate digital signal processing course and a more fully developed version is currently being evaluated. >
PREPARATION AND STORAGE OF SWEET POTATO FLAKES FORTIFIED WITH PLANT PROTEIN CONCENTRATES AND ISOLATES

Sweet potato flakes supplemented with soy flour, soy flour plus DL-methionine, cottonseed flour and wheat gluten flour were prepared. The fortified flakes had higher protein calorie to total calorie ratios but had lower water-binding capacity than flakes with no supplementary material. The amino acid pattern of soy flour, soy plus methionine and cottonseed flour formulations compared favorably with that of non-supplemented flakes. Each formulation was stored at 23° and 40°C under nitrogen for 8.25 months. Although the levels of several amino acids appeared to change significantly during storage, only glycine in the gluten formulation linearly decreased. Tyrosine in the soy formulation appeared to increase during storage. Flakes stored at 40°C appeared to develop off flavors and to lose water-binding capacity.
Dark Matter in Classically Scale-Invariant Two Singlets Standard Model

We consider a model where two new scalars are introduced in the standard model, assuming classical scale invariance. In this model the scale invariance is broken by quantum corrections and one of the new scalars acquires non-zero vacuum expectation value (VEV), which induces the electroweak symmetry breaking in the standard model, and the other scalar becomes dark matter. It is shown that TeV scale dark matter is realized, independent of the value of the other scalarʼs VEV. The impact of the new scalars on the Higgs potential is also discussed. The Higgs potential is stabilized when the Higgs mass is over ∼120 GeV.
Influences of climate, fire, grazing, and logging on woody species composition along an elevation gradient in the eastern Cascades, Washington

Across western North America, current ecosystem structure has been determined by historical interactions between climate, fire, livestock grazing, and logging. Climate change could substantially alter species abundance and composition, but the relative weight of the legacy of historical factors and projected future conditions in informing management objectives remains unresolved. We integrated land use histories with broad scale climatic factors to better understand how inland Pacific Northwest ecosystems may develop under projected climates. We measured vegetation structure and age distributions in five vegetation types (shrub steppe to subalpine forest) along an elevation gradient in the eastern Cascades of Washington. We quantitatively assessed compositional changes, and qualitatively summarized the environmental history (climate, fire and fire suppression, grazing, and logging) of each site. Little change was evident in woody species composition at the shrub steppe site. At the shrub steppe/forest ecotone, densities of drought-tolerant Artemisia tripartita and Pinus ponderosa increased. In the dry conifer, montane, and subalpine forest sites, increases in Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies grandis, and Abies lasiocarpa, respectively, and decreases in Pinus ponderosa, Larix occidentalis, and Pinus contorta, respectively, have shifted species composition from fire and drought-tolerant species to shade-tolerant species. Fire suppression, grazing, and logging explain changes in species composition more clearly than climate variation does, although the relative influence of these factors varies with elevation. Furthermore, some of the observed changes in composition are opposite what we expect would be most suited to projected future climates. Natural resource managers need to recognize that the current state of an ecosystem reflects historical land uses, and that contemporary management actions can have long-term effects on ecosystem structure. Understanding the processes that generated an ecosystem's current structure will lead to more informed management decisions to effectively respond to projected climate changes.
Membrane-based on-line optical analysis system for rapid detection of bacteria and spores.

We report here the adaptation of our electronic microchip technology towards the development of a new method for detecting and enumerating bacterial cells and spores. This new approach is based on the immuno-localization of bacterial spores captured on a membrane filter microchip placed within a flow cell. A combination of microfluidic, optical, and software components enables the integration of staining of the bacterial species with fully automated assays. The quantitation of the analyte signal is achieved through the measurement of a collective response or alternatively through the identification and counting of individual spores and particles. This new instrument displays outstanding analytical characteristics, and presents a limit of detection of ∼500 spores when tested with Bacillus globigii (Bg), a commonly used simulant for Bacillus anthracis (Ba), with a total analysis time of only 5 min. Additionally, the system performed well when tested with real postal dust samples spiked with Bg in the presence of other common contaminants. This new approach is highly customizable towards a large number of relevant toxic chemicals, environmental factors, and analytes of relevance to clinical chemistry applications. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Influence of planetary wave transport on Arctic ozone as observed by Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) III

[1] Interannual differences in Arctic ozone are investigated using data from the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) III instrument obtained between May 1998 and April 2001. These three winters were unusually warm or cold relative to the 1979–2001 mean, resulting in years with either a warm, disturbed vortex or a cold, quiet vortex. Contours of probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the POAM data are used to identify seasonal and interannual variations in the transport processes controlling ozone. A major warming in December, 1998, displaced the middle stratospheric vortex from the pole for nearly a month, dissipating it. The vortex reformed in January, 1999, filled with high O3 air from lower latitudes, which then cooled and descended. By the end of winter 1999, ozone at 500 K in the vortex was 0.5–1.0 ppm higher than in the subsequent cold winter. The winter of 2000–2001 had frequent wave disturbances, beginning with a fairly large event in November. However, at the end of this event, the high potential vorticity (PV) core of the vortex was intact, and by February, O3 in the vortex looked the same as in 2000. Transport in these winters is inferred from the PDFs and supported by potential vorticity analyses. This study demonstrates that variability in the O3-PV relationship can be caused by transport, independent of loss by polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Ozone in the vortex in a very disturbed winter can be unusually high due to transport and will not represent O3 levels expected in the absence of PSCs in other years.
Modulation of leg muscle function in response to altered demand for body support and forward propulsion during walking

A number of studies have examined the functional roles of individual muscles during normal walking, but few studies have examined which are the primary muscles that respond to changes in external mechanical demand. Here we use a novel combination of experimental perturbations and forward dynamics simulations to determine how muscle mechanical output and contributions to body support and forward propulsion are modulated in response to independent manipulations of body weight and body mass during walking. Experimentally altered weight and/or mass were produced by combinations of added trunk loads and body weight support. Simulations of the same experimental conditions were used to determine muscle contributions to the vertical ground reaction force impulse (body support) and positive horizontal trunk work (forward propulsion). Contributions to the vertical impulse by the soleus, vastii and gluteus maximus increased (decreased) in response to increases (decreases) in body weight; whereas only the soleus increased horizontal work output in response to increased body mass. In addition, soleus had the greatest absolute contribution to both vertical impulse and horizontal trunk work, indicating that it not only provides the largest contribution to both body support and forward propulsion, but the soleus is also the primary mechanism to modulate the mechanical output of the leg in response to increased (decreased) need for body support and forward propulsion. The data also showed that a muscle's contribution to a specific task is likely not independent of its contribution to other tasks (e.g., body support vs. forward propulsion).
Corrosion of High Chromium and Conventional Steels Embedded in Concrete

Corrosion rates of high chromium and conventional steel rebars were measured and compared by conducting two studies. One was on concrete blocks and the other was on bare steel rebars. In the former study, concrete blocks that had been made with two different steel rebars were placed in sodium chloride solutions, and air was blown through the solutions to accelerate corrosion of the embedded steel rebars. These blocks were taken out of the solution periodically, and the corrosion rates of the rebars were measured with a 3LP device. In the latter study, the bare rebars of the two steels were also corroded in sodium chloride solutions through which air was blown, withdrawn periodically, dried, and weighed after the corrosion products were removed. The corrosion rates were measured by the reduction of the weight of the rebars. In the study on concrete blocks, it was found that the corrosion rate increases for both steels as the concentration of sodium chloride in solution increases. It was also found that the...
Mechanisms for Efficient Allocation in Divisible Capacity Networks

We propose a mechanism for auctioning bundles of multiple divisible goods. Such a mechanism is very useful for allocation of bandwidth in a network where the buyers want the same amount of bandwidth on each link in their route. We first propose a single-sided VCG-type mechanism. However, instead of reporting types, the players only reveal a two-dimensional bid signal - the maximum quantity that they want and the per unit price they are willing to pay. We show the existence of an efficient Nash equilibrium in the corresponding auction game of the mechanism. We show through an example that not all Nash equilibria are efficient but provide a distributed algorithm that yields the efficient one. Further, we provide a sufficient characterization of all efficient Nash equilibria. We then present a double-sided auction mechanism for multiple divisible goods, and show that there exists a Nash equilibrium of the auction game which yields the efficient allocation.
A high pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption ion source for Fourier transform mass spectrometry designed to accommodate large targets with diverse surfaces

A new design for a high pressure MALDI-FTMS instrument is described and initial data are shown. The instrument incorporates a large, 10 cm × 10 cm, sample translation stage to accommodate and position the MALDI target. The new instrument allows coupling to a wide variety of surface techniques such as gel electrophoresis or surface plasmon resonance. Coupling to thin layer chromatography is shown. Furthermore, a new nozzle design allows high pressure collisional cooling sufficient to stabilize gangliosides while minimizing the gas load on the system.
Vector competence of Florida mosquitoes for chikungunya virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV, family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus) has re-emerged and caused human epidemics in Europe, Africa, Asia, and India in recent years (Bessaud et al. 2006, Powers and Logue 2007, Peyrefitte et al. 2008, Leo et al. 2009). The debilitating disease caused by CHIKV results in fever, skin rash, and arthritis-like pain in small peripheral joints that lasts for weeks or months (Beltrame et al. 2007, Chhabra et al. 2008). There is no licensed vaccine or treatment for CHIKV infection (Couderc et al. 2009).
Early Stage Failure Modeling and Analysis Applied to a Wave Energy Converter

Ocean wave power is still in its infancy. New systems are conceptualized on nearly a daily basis. The systems vary wildly in complexity and scope, but share one common trait; they have never been built. This scenario is ripe with massive financial risk and of course the possibility of reward. Providing an early stage failure and safety analysis could greatly improve the design process by identifying potential weak points in the system prior to the costly build and testing stages of product development. More broadly, determining potentially successful conceptual designs which should be pursued becomes critical. However, there is currently no tool readily available for such a task. In this paper, we adapt and simplify function-based modeling and analysis to fill this void. Completing a function based failure analysis allows engineers to evaluate the dependencies and fault tolerance of their system early in the design stage. This process aids in catching design problems when they are still relatively cheap to address. This paper proposes the System Functionality Method for conceptual design stage analysis. This proposed method places systems and subsystems in a flow (mass, energy, and signal) based on their location, and assigns functionality numbers to help describe their contribution to the system. Component or sub-system faults are then used to determine the effect on other components and the system as a whole. The process is unique in its simplicity and adaptability to the conceptual stage of designing wave energy technologies.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A NEW GENUS OF SQUIRREL (RODENTIA, SCIURIDAE) FROM THE MID-CENOZOIC OF NORTH AMERICA

ABSTRACT A new genus of sciurid, Hesperopetes, contains three species: H. thoringtoni (type species), H. jamesi, and H. blacki. H. thoringtoni is from the early Chadronian (late Eocene) White River Formation of central Wyoming and represents the earliest recognized species of sciurid. The other species are from the latest Whitneyan or earliest Arikareean (late Oligocene) Blue Ash local fauna of South Dakota. Hesperopetes is closest in dental morphology to Oligopetes Heissig, which is known only from the early Oligocene of Europe. Hesperopetes may also represent the earliest occurrence of a lineage leading to pteromyine sciurids (“flying” squirrels). It is impossible at this time to construct a phylogeny of North American “flying” squirrels due to their scarcity in the fossil record and their undetermined relationships with Old World taxa.
Early detection of high entropy traffic

High entropy (HE) traffic may result from encrypted traffic such as C&C botnet communication. Such traffic also tends to be opaque to an IDS. However, line speed entropy calculation is expensive, especially for long flows. In this paper we introduce methodology to classify flows as HE or low entropy (LE) by considering only the first M packets of the flow. We use our HE classifiers in two ways: (a) to improve the effectiveness of BotHunter, a bot detection tool when presented with encrypted bot traffic, and (b) as a filter to reduce the load on an IDS. We implement our filter as a Snort preprocessor. Our results show that integration with BotHunter improves detection drastically. When used as a filter, our classifiers reduce the amount of traffic delivered to IDS by more than 50%, while maintaining more than 99.9% of the original alerts. Other work needs to inspect at least 13 times more packets or it misses about 70 times of the alerts.