cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal renewable generation and battery storage sizing and siting considering local transformer limits

Abstract In response to climate change and sustainability challenges, various incentive programs have increased solar photovoltaic (PV) generation interconnection in the low voltage electrical distribution system. However, electric utility support of PV generation is limited by reverse power flow into the electricity network at high penetration levels. This limits the ability to achieve Zero Net Energy (ZNE) behind individual meters and in whole communities. In parallel, district level energy systems, and Advanced Energy Communities (AEC) that include storage, offer a great prospect for integrating high levels of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) into the built environment. Optimally designing such systems to serve communities, commercial, and industrial loads, while maximizing the penetration of solar PV, has been a challenge to Distribution System Operators (DSO) and city planners. This paper proposes a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) optimization to decide the best DER portfolio, allocation, and dispatch, for an AEC that achieves ZNE and islanding while respecting electrical grid operational constraints, with a focus on distribution transformer overloads. The main strategies to avoid transformer overloads were found to be judicious sizing and siting of battery energy storage and also optimally re-distributing PV throughout the community, which increased the ability of the electric infrastructure to support a PV deployment that is 1.7 times larger than the existing transformer capacity without the need for infrastructure upgrades. This work highlights the importance of including local infrastructure capacities, such as distribution transformer constraints when developing projects that result in high renewable penetration throughout the distribution network.
Solar Event Tracking with Deep Regression Networks: A Proof of Concept Evaluation

With the advent of deep learning for computer vision tasks, the need for accurately labeled data in large volumes is vital for any application. The increasingly available large amounts of solar image data generated by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) mission make this domain particularly interesting for the development and testing of deep learning systems. The currently available labeled solar data is generated by the SDO mission’s Feature Finding Team’s (FFT) specialized detection modules. The major drawback of these modules is that detection and labeling is performed with a cadence of every 4 to 12 hours, depending on the module. Since SDO image data products are created every 10 seconds, there is a considerable gap between labeled observations and the continuous data stream. In order to address this shortcoming, we trained a deep regression network to track the movement of two solar phenomena: Active Region and Coronal Hole events. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt of solar event tracking using a deep learning approach. Since it is impossible to fully evaluate the performance of the suggested event tracks with the original data (only partial ground truth is available), we demonstrate with several metrics the effectiveness of our approach. With the purpose of generating continuously labeled solar image data, we present this feasibility analysis showing the great promise of deep regression networks for this task.
Data-driven Stochastic Anomaly Detection on Smart-Grid communications using Mixture Poisson Distributions

Characterizing communications in smart-grid distributed control systems is fundamental for understanding the expected behavior and identify abnormal scenarios. In this paper, we present a stochastic data-driven approach to model the the communication network in smart-grid systems. Our approach uses Mixture Poisson distributions to model the packet communication between the network devices. The network is modeled using a directed graph, where each edge represents a Poisson distribution of the packets being transmitted. Parameters are learned using mini-batch Expectation Maximization in order to scale to large datasets. The advantages of the presented approach are 1) unsupervised data-driven discovery of representative communication patterns, 2) intuitive visualization of the expected behavior, 3) scalability to large datasets, and 4) coherent and interpretable model. Tests were conducted in a simulated SCADA microgrid distributed control system environment.
Adeno-Associated Virus Genome Interactions Important for Vector Production and Transduction

Recombinant adeno-associated virus has emerged as one of the most promising gene therapy delivery vectors. Development of these vectors took advantage of key features of the wild-type adeno-associated virus (AAV), enabled by basic studies of the underlying biology and requirements for transcription, replication, and packaging of the viral genome. Each step in generating and utilizing viral vectors involves numerous molecular interactions that together determine the efficiency of vector production and gene delivery. Once delivered into the cell, interactions with host proteins will determine the fate of the viral genome, and these will impact the intended goal of gene delivery. Here, we provide an overview of known interactions of the AAV genome with viral and cellular proteins involved in its amplification, packaging, and expression. Further appreciation of how the AAV genome interacts with host factors will enhance how this simple virus can be harnessed for an array of vector purposes that benefit human health.
First-principles study of intrinsic point defects and Xe impurities in uranium monocarbide

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we perform an extensive investigation of intrinsic point defects and Xe impurities in uranium monocarbide (UC). The DFT calculations involve both the conventional generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and the GGA+U approach with the Hubbard parametric term (U), using up to 5 × 5 × 5 supercells. GGA calculations for the formation energy of intrinsic defects demonstrate the significant effect of using larger supercells than in previous studies. Results confirm that the ⟨ 111 ⟩ and ⟨ 100 ⟩ dumbbell interstitials are the most stable interstitial configurations for U and C, respectively. The interstitial mechanisms are favored for self-diffusion of both uranium and carbon and diffusion of Xe under equilibrium conditions. Calculations also reveal that the Xe substitutional defect at the C lattice site tends to adopt an off-site configuration, which can be interpreted as a Xe interstitial–C vacancy complex. We also utilize GGA+U to assess the impact of effective U parameter ( U e f f) on the results. Moreover, we introduce a method to estimate the carbon chemical potential by fitting the phase diagram composition data and propose a selection U e f f = 1.25 eV based on the experimental Xe diffusion activation energy. With this approach, GGA+U calculations reproduce the available experimental data for the formation energy of the carbon Frenkel pair and can explain the stepwise recovery of intrinsic properties and burst Xe release behavior in UC observed in annealing experiments.
Talking about Sugar-sweetened Beverages: Causes, Processes, and Consequences of Campaign-Induced Interpersonal Communication

Media campaigns may influence audience members directly, via message exposure, or indirectly, via conversations about the campaign. Either process has the potential to produce persuasion or counter...
Preexisting immunity shapes distinct antibody landscapes after influenza virus infection and vaccination in humans

Humans are repeatedly exposed to variants of influenza virus throughout their lifetime. As a result, preexisting influenza-specific memory B cells can dominate the response after infection or vaccination. Memory B cells recalled by adulthood exposure are largely reactive to conserved viral epitopes present in childhood strains, posing unclear consequences on the ability of B cells to adapt to and neutralize newly emerged strains. We sought to investigate the impact of preexisting immunity on generation of protective antibody responses to conserved viral epitopes upon influenza virus infection and vaccination in humans. We accomplished this by characterizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from plasmablasts, which are predominantly derived from preexisting memory B cells. We found that, whereas some influenza infection-induced mAbs bound conserved and neutralizing epitopes on the hemagglutinin (HA) stalk domain or neuraminidase, most of the mAbs elicited by infection targeted non-neutralizing epitopes on nucleoprotein and other unknown antigens. Furthermore, most infection-induced mAbs had equal or stronger affinity to childhood strains, indicating recall of memory B cells from childhood exposures. Vaccination-induced mAbs were similarly induced from past exposures and exhibited substantial breadth of viral binding, although, in contrast to infection-induced mAbs, they targeted neutralizing HA head epitopes. Last, cocktails of infection-induced mAbs displayed reduced protective ability in mice compared to vaccination-induced mAbs. These findings reveal that both preexisting immunity and exposure type shape protective antibody responses to conserved influenza virus epitopes in humans. Natural infection largely recalls cross-reactive memory B cells against non-neutralizing epitopes, whereas vaccination harnesses preexisting immunity to target protective HA epitopes.
Interactive Query Formulation using Point to Point Queries.

Effective information disclosure in the context of databases with a large conceptual schema is known to be a non-trivial problem. In particular the formulation of ad-hoc queries is a major problem in such contexts. Existing approaches for tackling this problem include graphical query interfaces, query by navigation, and query by construction. In this article we propose the point to point query mechanism that can be combined with the existing mechanism into an unprecedented computer supported query formulation mechanism. In a point to point query a path through the information structure is build. This path can then be used to formulate more complex queries. A point to point query is typically useful when users know some object types which are relevant for their information need, but do not (yet) know how they are related in the conceptual schema. Part of the point to point query mechanism is therefore the selection of the most appropriate path between object types (points) in the conceptual schema. This article both discusses some of the pragmatic issues involved in the point to point query mechanism, and the theoretical issues involved in finding the relevant paths between selected object types.
A Radio Drama's Effects on HIV Attitudes and Policy Priorities: A Field Experiment in Tanzania.

A growing body of evidence investigates how entertainment education influences knowledge about HIV, stigma toward those with HIV, and openness to disclosing one’s HIV status. The present study show...
Appeal to Women’s Experience in Ethics: Lessons from Feminism and the Challenge from Postcolonial Critique:

Appeal to women’s experience for moral delineation in theological ethics has been perplexed by the issue of cultural diversity and colonialism as raised by postcolonial critique. This paper aims to...
Do baseline anxiety symptoms impact response to IV Ketamine in treatment resistant depression

Abstract Objective In a retrospective study, we analyzed if anxious depression impacts outcomes in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) receiving IV Ketamine infusions at an academic center Ketamine clinic. Methods Forty-three patients with TRD received six IV Ketamine infusions over a three-week period. Anxious depression (ANX-TRD) was defined as a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Anxiety/Somatization factor score of ≥ 7 at the baseline evaluation. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales were used through the infusion course to assess symptom change. Results Twenty-three patients were categorized as ANX-TRD and 20 as non-anxious TRD. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models revealed BDI-II and GAD-7 scores for ANX-TRD and NANX-TRD groups did not differ significantly during any time point. Symptoms of anxiety and depression improved after treatment in both groups, though the degree of change was significant and greater for depression. Limitations This was a naturalistic, retrospective study, without a control group. Conclusions Symptoms of depression show greater improvement than symptoms of anxiety. IV Ketamine is effective in the treatment of depression, regardless of the baseline anxiety level.
Phase transition in the 3d random field Ising model

We show that the three-dimensional Ising model coupled to a small random magnetic field is ordered at low temperatures. This means that the lower critical dimension,dl for the theory isdl≦2, settling a long controversy on the subject. Our proof is based on an exact Renormalization Group (RG) analysis of the system. This analysis is carried out in the domain wall representation of the system and it is inspired by the scaling arguments of Imry and Ma. The RG acts in the space of Ising models and in the space of random field distributions, driving the former to zero temperature and the latter to zero variance.
Using periodicals in women's studies : The faculty experience

An exploratory study of the information-seeking experiences of women's studies faculty provided interesting insights into their use and collection of periodical literature. Using in-depth interviews and observations, as well as postings from a listserv, the study identified problems, influences, and expectations involved in faculty's daily work with magazines and journals.
Spherical algorithms for setup orientation of workpieces with sculptured surfaces

Algorithmic solutions to the problems of workpiece setup orientations and the optimal setup configuration in the numerical control (NC) machining of objects that have been designed as a collection of sculptured surfaces are developed. By dualizing the Gaussian map of a surface, and taking the set of interfering orientations into consideration, a feasible set of orientations that may be used to setup the workpiece for machining is obtained. By the intersection of the feasible sets corresponding to all the surfaces and the loci of the tool orientations for different types of NC machines, the minimization of the number of setups is formulated as a set-covering problem. To support the computations, a collection of geometric algorithms dealing with spherical polygons are developed in addition to the basic notion of convexity on the sphere. They include the spherical convex hull, spherical Voronoi diagram, maximum intersection of spherical polygons, etc. The time complexity of these algorithms are also given. Implementations in Turbo Pascal and applications to a Toshiba BMC-50B 4-axis machining center and a Maho MH700C 4-axis universal milling machine are performed.
PIA Requirements and Privacy Decision-Making in US Government Agencies

It is notoriously difficult to make organisations take into account “secondary mandates” – values at best orthogonal to, and at worst in tension with, the institution’s primary mission.1 This is true when the goal is to force business organisations to prioritise legal goals such as market fairness or consumer safety along with their pursuit of profit.
Monitoring fire recovery in a tallgrass prairie using a weighted disturbance index

The recently proposed Disturbance Index (DI) has been repeatedly shown to accurately detect stand-replacing disturbances. We assess the utility of the DI for monitoring more subtle disturbances using a weighting scheme that increases its sensitivity to specific disturbances. The weights were derived separately for each Landsat image in a dense time-series using linear discriminate analysis based on training data collected during a year of recovery after controlled prairie burns in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas. The weights drew closer to zero as recovery progressed and the spectral differences between unburned and recovering sites diminished. The initial classification accuracy was very high, nearly 94%, but the accuracy decreased as recovery advanced. By about 100 days after the initial fire, the classification accuracy was not statistically better than what might be achieved by chance. The results clearly highlight the value of statistically fitting the DI to specific disturbances an...
Holistic processing in the composite task depends on face size

Holistic processing is a hallmark of face processing. There is evidence that holistic processing is strongest for faces at identification distance 2–10 metres from the observer. However, this evidence is based on tasks that have been little used in the literature and that are indirect measures of holistic processing. We use the composite task—a well validated and frequently used paradigm—to measure the effect of viewing distance on holistic processing. In line with previous work, we find a congruency x alignment effect that is strongest for faces that are close (2 m equivalent distance) than for faces that are further away (24 m equivalent distance). In contrast, the alignment effect for same trials, used by several authors to measure holistic processing, produced results that are difficult to interpret. We conclude that our results converge with previous findings providing more direct evidence for an effect of size on holistic processing.
Detection of denial-of-message attacks on sensor network broadcasts

So far sensor network broadcast protocols assume a trustworthy environment. However in safety and mission-critical sensor networks this assumption may not be valid and some sensor nodes might be adversarial. In these environments, malicious sensor nodes can deprive other nodes from receiving a broadcast message. We call this attack a denial-of-message attack (DoM). In this paper we model and analyze this attack, and present countermeasures. We present SIS, a secure implicit sampling scheme that permits a broadcasting base station to probabilistically detect the failure of nodes to receive its broadcast, even if these failures result from an attacker motivated to induce these failures undetectably. SIS works by eliciting authenticated acknowledgments from a subset of nodes per broadcast, where the subset is unpredictable to the attacker and tunable so as to mitigate acknowledgment implosion on the base station. We use a game-theoretic approach to evaluate this scheme in the face of an optimal attacker that attempts to maximize the number of nodes it denies the broadcast while remaining undetected by the base station, and show that SIS significantly constrains such an attacker even in sensor networks exhibiting high intrinsic loss rates. We also discuss extensions that permit more targeted detection capabilities.
Bachillerato Virtual de la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa. Avances y logros

El Bachillerato Virtual de la Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa forma parte del Proyecto Institucional uas Virtual, y se constituye como un proyecto estrategico de la Rectoria, desde su creacion en febrero de 2010, para atender y diversificar la oferta de Bachillerato Universitario. Este programa educativo tiene como objetivo ofrecer una alternativa viable y de calidad para la poblacion que no puede acudir a las aulas de los establecimientos escolares o cumplir satisfactoriamente con los horarios academicos caracteristicos de las modalidades presenciales. En este sentido el presente trabajo tiene como proposito dar a conocer en forma resumida la experiencia, logros y avances que el Bachillerato Virtual ha obtenido en estos tres primeros anos.
C-Microtubules in Isolated Mitotic Spindles

Microtubules with incomplete cylindrical structure are present in isolated mitotic spindles of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata. In cross-section they appear C-shaped, and are thus similar to the ‘C-microtubules’ or ‘C-filaments’ observed previously in other systems. The C-microtubules are not uniformly distributed within isolated spindles, but are typically numerous in the interzonal region of anaphase spindles and in the metaphase chromosome ‘plate’. In chromosome-to-pole regions they are seen much less frequently, and microtubules with the usual O-configuration predominate. Counts of C- and O-microtubules in anaphase spindle cross-sections of known location show an inverse relationship between the number of C-microtubules present and the total number of microtubules present. The observations suggest that the C-microtubules are not simple artifacts of fixation or isolation, but rather may represent a stage of microtubule disassembly which occurs in the interzone during isolation or during anaphase in vivo . The alternate possibility of assembly is not excluded, however. The significance of C-microtubules is further discussed with respect to their occurrence in other systems, and to potential differences between mitotic microtubules.
Relative importances of North America and Eurasia as sources of arctic aerosol

Abstract During winter, the Arctic atmosphere is filled with high concentrations of aerosol which is largely pollution-derived. This article reviews a series of meteorological, meteorological-chemical, observational and compositional arguments in an attempt to determine which, if any, of the two most likely sources of Arctic aerosol, eastern North America and Eurasia, dominates. The majority, but not all, of the presently available evidence indicates that Eurasia is the more important source.
PLACENTAL TRANSFER OF NUTRIENTS DURING NORMAL AND PROLONGED GESTATION

The rate of placental transfer of glucose and α-amino isobutyric acid (AIB) was studied at 14, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 days of gestation in normal rats and at day 22 and 23 (prolonged gestation) in rats with uterine ligation. Transfer of both substances increases linearly from day 14 to day 19, levels off between days 19 and 20 and drops to 75 per cent of day 20 levels at day 21. There is a 90 per cent increase in AIB transfer between days 14 and 20 compared with a 28 per cent increase in glucose transfer during the same period. Thus, although the developmental pattern was similar the capacity of the placenta to transfer amino acids develops later than glucose. Prolonged gestation markedly reduces the capacity to transfer AIB but has little effect on the placenta ability to take up this substance. This was demonstrated in experiments showing little if any change in uptake of AIB at days 22 and 23 compared to day 21. By contrast, AIB transfer was 30 per cent less than day 21 and 55 per cent less than day 20. Thus, there are marked developmental differences in the maturation of the transfer systems for glucose and amino acids. Prolonged gestation reduces transfer of both substances.
Cyanide and nitric oxide binding to reduced protocatechuate 3,4- dioxygenase: Insight into the basis for order-dependent ligand binding by intradiol catecholic dioxygenases

EPR-silent, chemically reduced protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (Er) binds NO at the active site Fe2+ to yield an EPR-active, S = 3/2 species that blocks subsequent binding of all other exogenous ligands. In contrast, addition of NO to a preformed Er.CN- complex yields an EPR-active, S = 1/2 species [Er.(CN)x.NO] that exhibits resolved superhyperfine splitting from 13CN-, 15/14NO, and a protein-derived 14N. Simulations of the EPR spectra observed for the Er.(CN)x.NO complex formed with 12CN- and 13CN- (1:1) show that CN- binds in two iron ligand sites (x >/= 2). The two cyanides exhibit similar, but distinguishable, hyperfine coupling constants. This demonstrates unambiguously that at least three exogenous ligands (two cyanides and NO) can bind to the Fe2+ simultaneously and strongly suggests that at least one histidine ligand is retained in the complex. The Er.(CN)>/=2.NO complex readily exchanges both of the bound cyanides for the substrate analog, 2-hydroxyisonicotinic acid N-oxide (INO), to form a Er.INO.NO complex exhibiting the same S = 3/2 type EPR spectrum that is observed for this complex in the absence of CN-. Because the dead-end Er.NO complex does not accumulate during the exchange, the results suggest that Er.(CN)>/=2. NO and Er.INO.NO are in conformational states that allow facile exchange of INO and CN- but not NO. The results are interpreted in the context of the known X-ray crystal structures for the ferric form of the resting enzyme (Eox) and numerous Eox.substrate, inhibitor, and CN- complexes, all of which have a charge neutral iron center. It is proposed that the binding of one CN- causes dissociation of an anionic endogenous ligand which begins a series of conformational changes analogous to those initiated by anionic substrate binding to Eox. This results in a new unique coordination site for NO, and a new second site for CN-; both cyanide sites are utilized when the enzyme subsequently binds substrates or INO.
Insomnia, alcohol, and over-the-counter drug use in old-old urban women

Insomnia is a common complaint of older adults. Historically, alcohol and over-the-counter (OTC) medications have been used as sedatives. Yet, there is a lack of information regarding the use of these substances by old-old urban women. A volunteer sample of 155 urban women over the age of 85 participated in a two-part structured interview to obtain data related to their health, sleep patterns, use of alcohol and OTC medication to improve sleep, awareness of hazards associated with use of these substances, and reason for seeking health care for insomnia. Findings indicate that all of the women had health problems and difficulty in sleeping. The majority used alcohol, OTC medication, or both on a regular basis in an effort to improve their sleep. Nurses who work with very old women need to assess clients' use of these substances and the side effects associated with them.
A Sensitivity Analysis of Shot Peening Parameters

Shot peening process is largely used for surface treatment of metallic components with the aim of increasing surface toughness and extending fatigue life. The fatigue strength of the component can be improved by inducing compressive residual stress in the surface and subsurface layers by the shot peening process. Numerical simulation of the shot peening process is an important tool that is used to aid in understanding the effects of the process parameters on intended goal of attaining the optimum residual stress profile and maximum process gain. In this paper an elasto-plastic finite element model is used for the shot peening process. The process parameters that are varied in this analysis are: the shot diameter, shot speed, number of shots at a given time (coverage) and target material. The analysis is carried out for two different materials, namely, steel and aluminum. An Explicit finite element code (ABAQUS) is used to perform this task. These parameters have different effects on the resulting residual profile and the results of the study showed that by adjusting these parameters, the most effective residual stress profile could be obtained.© 2006 ASME
The Stanford-Ames portable echocardioscope - A case study in technology transfer

The paper describes a lightweight portable battery-powered echocardioscope fabricated largely from readily available components. The transducer contains a piezoelectric crystal which acts as both an ultrasound pulse emitter and echo receiver, and the oscilloscope is of modular construction. The oscilloscope display can be produced in any of three different modes: A-mode, B-mode, and M-mode (time-motion) by sweeping the intensified points of light of the B-mode display vertically along the oscilloscope face. The resulting display can be photographed in a time exposure, thus providing a hardcopy record for the patient's chart or physician's records. The device is clinically validated on both normal subjects and patients by experienced echocardiographers.
Preliminary Evidence for Increased Frontosubcortical Activation on a Motor Impulsivity Task in Mixed Episode Bipolar Disorder

Background Of all mood states, patients in mixed episodes of bipolar disorder are at the greatest risk for impulsive behaviors including attempted suicide. The aim of this study was to examine whether the neural correlates of motor impulsivity are distinct in patients with mixed mania.
Where in the World is Russia? Geopolitical Perceptions and Preferences of Ordinary Russians

Two political geographers present the results of an extensive survey and examine the effects of post-Soviet territorial reconfiguration of the Russian state on ordinary Russians' sense of national identity, and opinion on a range of political, economic, and social issues. The survey, comprising 1,200 face-to-face interviews, probed Russian attitudes to determine which states of the former USSR they view as culturally closest to Russia and which they wish to reunify with Russia. Differences in responses show a clear split between Slavic, Eurasianist, and Baltic geopolitical visions. The findings shed light on the willingness of ordinary Russians to support reunification with other parts of the former USSR. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F02, F22, Z13. 6 figures, 3 tables, 68 references.
Trypsin-like protease activity ofPorphyromonas gingivalisas a potential virulence factor in a murine lesion model☆

Porphyromonas gingivalispossesses a large number of enzymatic activities which might be important in the virulence of this putative periodontopathogen. The purpose of this study was to examine these enzymatic activitiesin vivoin a murine model to assess their role in soft tissue destruction. Whole cells ofP. gingivalisstrains whether grown on blood agar plates or in broth exhibited high levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase), a trypsin-like protease (TLPase), acid phosphatase (ACPase), N-acetylβ-glucosaminidase (Naβ-Gase) enzymes and collagenolytic activities.P. gingivalisW50 treated with 2 mmNa-P-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK)/phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) prior to subcutaneous infection of mice failed to induce a phlegmonous abscess and lethality characteristic of animals challenged with untreatedP. gingivalis. Comparison of wild typeP. gingivalisstrain 3079.03 with its protease-deficient (TLPase-negative) mutant NG4B19 revealed the mutant to be avirulent (no lesion and no death) in this model.P. gingivalisBEI and SW5 mutants (parent W50), which partially lacked TLPase enzyme activity produced only localized lesions, and no death. Thus, the TLPase enzyme appears to be correlated with the lesion type (spreading or localized), lesion size, and death in this mouse abscess model. Therefore, the enzymatic activities ofP. gingivalisand specifically the TLPase enzyme could play an important role in periodontal disease by enhancing bacterial spread and degrading gingival tissues.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A HORIZONTAL VISCOUS FLOW MODEL

The horizontal viscous flow model with “infinite” areal extent can be used for almost any well flow problem whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional, steady or nonsteady, single aquifer or multiaquifer. This model can also be used in the field of soil mechanics for subsurface drainage problems. The design includes scale model analysis and the application of conformal mapping techniques in order to simulate an ideal aquifer. Construction, calibration, and test procedures for the model are described. The apparatus has proved to be both a valuable research tool and an excellent teaching aid.
Chronic and Acute n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (n-3 PUFA) Treatments Have Divergent Effects on Cardiac Ion Channel Function

Background: Clinical studies suggest that dietary fish oil (FO) supplement (containing n-3 PUFAs) has anti- or pro-arrhythmic effects in different patient populations. The underlying mechanisms are not clear. Objectives: To compare effects of chronic vs acute n-3 PUFA treatment on ion channel function important for shaping cardiac action potential (AP) configuration/duration, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Left ventricular myocytes (VMs) from adult rabbits or guinea pigs fed with FO (180 mg/kg n-3 PUFAs) for ≥ 4 weeks or age-matched control are used for patch clamping (AP & ionic current evaluation) and confocal microscopy (protein distribution). Ventricular membrane fractions are used for Western blotting (protein level quantification). Channel-expressing COS-7 cells serve as an in vitro model to test the effects of chronic or acute n-3 PUFA treatment on cardiac channel function/expression. Results: Chronic n-3 PUFA treatment increases ICaL but decreases Ito, IKr and IKs. Correspondingly, AP plateau is elevated and duration is prolonged. Mechanisms for the observed chronic effects include: (a) changes in posttranslational modification involving caveolae-related signaling pathways (no change in Cav1.2 protein level/ distribution but decrease in caveolin-3), and (b) changes in membrane protein trafficking/stability (reduced Kv4.2 protein level). Chronic COS-7 exposure to n-3 PUFA also reduces the protein level of Kv4.2 & KCNQ1, although not Kv1.4, Kv4.3, KChIP2, KCNE1 or hERG. Importantly, acute exposure of VMs to n-3 PUFA reduces ICaL but increases IKs, thus offsetting the chronic effects. Conclusions: FO supplement impacts on cardiac ion channel function by chronic/stable effects, superimposed with acute effects following FO ingestion that can offset the chronic effects but decline with time. Combination of these effects sets up a dynamic pattern of how cardiac electrical activity is influenced by FO supplement.
Binding Kinetics of Antiricin Single Domain Antibodies and Improved Detection Using a B Chain Specific Binder

Single domain antibodies are the recombinantly expressed binding fragments derived from heavy chain antibodies found in camels and llamas. These unique binding elements offer many desirable properties such as their small size (∼15 kDa) and thermal stability, which makes them attractive alternatives to conventional monoclonal antibodies. We created a phage display library from llamas immunized with ricin toxoid and selected a number of single domain antibodies. Phage selected on ricin were found to bind to either ricin A chain or the intact molecule; no ricin B chain binders were identified. By panning on B chain, we identified binders and have characterized their binding to the ricin B chain. While they have a poorer affinity than the previously described A chain binders, it was found that they performed dramatically better as capture reagents for the detection of ricin, providing a limit of detection in enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) below 100 pg/mL and excellent specificity for ricin versus t...
In Vivo Femtosecond Ablation and Imaging in Bone with a High Repetition Rate Source

This work establishes a dual-purpose multi-color femtosecond fiber laser for in vivo imaging and ablation to study bone regeneration, image deep objects, and knock out targeted cells. Results will enable future insights in skeletal biology.
Emotional and Cardiovascular Responses to Adults' Angry Behavior and to Challenging Tasks in Children of Hypertensive and Normotensive Parents

Cardiovascular, overt-motor, and verbal-reported responses to interadult emotional expressions, including anger, and to challenging task situations were examined in a sample of 49 10-14-year-old children of hypertensive (EH) and normotensive parents (NT). Sons of EH parents showed greater systolic blood pressure reactivity to interadult anger and to the digit span task than sons of NT parents. A consistent pattern was not found for girls. Marital distress and overt maternal anger expression predicted verbal-reported and overt-motor responses to interadult anger. Family history of EH and sex did not predict these responses. Implications include (a) heightened systolic blood pressure response to stress may be found in sons of EH parents before they are diagnosed to have EH disorders, (b) relations between family history of EH and cardiovascular response may be sex moderated, and (c) vulnerability to stress may be related to specific familial histories and backgrounds.
Arthroscopic Hip Labral Reconstruction With a Gracilis Autograft Versus Labral Refixation 2-Year Minimum Outcomes

Background:There is high interest but very little evidence to support labral reconstruction of the hip.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness of arthroscopic hip labral reconstruction using gracilis autograft in the multistep surgeries for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The hypothesis was that patients undergoing arthroscopic hip labral reconstruction with gracilis autograft would have improvement in symptoms and function attributable to this procedure.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A comparative retrospective review at a large medical facility was performed of patients who underwent labral reconstruction with a gracilis autograft (RECON group) and those who underwent labral refixation (REFIX group) between October 2008 and November 2009. Inclusion criteria were adult patients having undergone arthroscopic surgery for symptomatic cam-pincer FAI without advanced radiographic osteoarthritis, who had both acetabular and femoral o...
Delamination cracking in functionally graded coating/metal substrate systems

A micromechanics analysis is carried out for delamination cracking in functionally graded coating/substrate systems. The FGM coating is taken to be a ceramic/metal composite with its thermomechanical properties changing with position in the coating along the thickness direction. Based on a linear fracture mechanics analysis, the energy release rate of the delamination crack is determined as a function of the coating gradation, the location of the crack, the thickness ratio of the coating/substrate system, and the elastic properties of the ceramic and metal phases. Formulae are given for the stress intensity factors and the mode mixity of the system. Buckling of the FGM coating due to compressive residual stresses is analyzed using a thin plate theory; the buckle-driven delamination is modeled accordingly. It is found that functional gradation of the coating can significantly reduce the fracture driving force of the delamination crack in both edge-delamination and buckle-driven delamination cases. A steady-state heat transfer analysis is performed for the FGM coating/substrate system; the increase of the coating thickness owing to the functional gradation is quantified.
Families of update rules for non-additive measures: Applications in pricing risks

Abstract Wang et al. [Axiomatic characterization of insurance prices, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics 21 (1997) 173–183] propose axioms for prices in an insurance market. Chateauneuf et al. [Choquet pricing for financial markets with frictions, Mathematical Finance 6 (1996) 323–330] propose similar axioms for prices in a financial market with frictions. As a result of these axioms, market prices can be represented by the Choquet integral with respect to a non-additive measure. In both insurance and financial pricing, it is important to update prices in light of newly available information. This updating can be achieved by conditioning the underlying non-additive measure. Denneberg [Conditioning (updating) non-additive measures, Annals of Operations Research 52 (1994) 21–42] studies three conditioning rules for updating non-additive measures. Two of these update rules, the Bayes' and the Dempster-Shafer, are extreme cases of a family of update rules, [Gilboa, Schmeidler, Updating ambiguous beliefs, Journal of Economic Theory 59 (1993) 33–49]. In this paper, we introduce a family of update rules more general than the one of Gilboa and Schmeidler. We also show how to embed the general and Dempster-Shafer update formulas in another family of update rules. We examine the properties of these two families of update rules and the resulting conditional prices.
Transformation Superplasticity of Zirconium

A tensile strain of 270 pct was achieved for coarse-grained zirconium subjected to transformation superplasticity conditions, where strain increments are accumulated upon repeated thermal cycling around the allotropic transformation temperature under the biasing effect of a uniaxial tensile stress. The strain increment per cycle was found to consist of two equal contributions from transformations on heating and cooling and to increase linearly with the applied stress. The measured strain increments are in good quantitative agreement with predictions based on the average internal stress during the transformation, which was determined independently from experimental transformation times. As the cycling frequency is raised, the average strain rate increases (a maximum value of 1.3·10−4 s−1 was measured), but the strain increment per cycle decreases above a critical cycling frequency, for which the sample gage section undergoes only a partial phase transformation. The resulting reduction in internal mismatch and increase in internal stress are modeled using the experimental observation that β-Zr deforms by a mixture of diffusional and dislocation creep in the stress range of interest.
Insulin binding and degradation by rat liver Kupffer and endothelial cells

The liver is the major site of insulin metabolism. Previous studies have suggested that hepatocytes were chiefly responsible for this activity, while contributions of Kupffer and other nonparenchymal liver cells remained controversial. In this study, we compared 125I-insulin binding and degradation by rat hepatocytes with insulin binding and degradation by sinusoidal Kupffer and endothelial cells. Kupffer cells were separated from endothelial cells by centrifugal elutriation. Hepatocytes had approximately 3.5 times more insulin binding sites than Kupffer cells and approximately eight times more binding sites than endothelial cells. In addition, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-purified solubilized receptors from all three cell types bound insulin in proportions similar to whole cells. Moreover, all three cell types were shown with a ribonuclease (RNase) protection assay to express insulin receptor mRNA. Hepatocytes degraded approximately four times more insulin than Kupffer cells, while endothelial cells degraded only negligible amounts of insulin. Based on morphometric data available in the literature, we estimated that nonparenchymal cells could account for approximately 10% to 15% of hepatic insulin degradation. We concluded that rat hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and endothelial cells all have specific insulin receptors, and that nonparenchymal cells play a small but significant role in insulin degradation.
Variability in the sizes of brain parts

Brain parts can scale independently of the whole brain, and an example is given to point out that the authors underestimate variation that can exist in brains of equal size.
A goal-programming method of stochastic allocative data envelopment analysis

Abstract Allocative Data Envelopment Analysis (ADEA) is a version of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) which measures relative efficiency for a group of similar operating units with known input prices. By using the actual input values, ADEA provides information to managers on the minimum cost method of operation for each unit. A major criticism of DEA methods is that they are deterministic and have no means of allowing for uncertainty. This paper applies the goal-programming approach, introduced by Banker (1991), to allocative efficiency and develops the Stochastic ADEA model. A two-stage solution method is introduced, which is needed because of the existence of alternate optimal solutions regarding which units are found to be significantly inefficient. We propose that identifying the significantly inefficient units is most useful to managers because it best facilitates improved efficiency. The concept of a minimum frontier is introduced and used to define the significantly inefficient units. We also show how bounds can be imposed which allow the ambiguity of the noise/inefficiency trade-off to be eliminated from the objective function. The use of bounds also allows the identification of the significantly inefficient unit based on the amount of uncertainty present for each operating unit. As a result of optimizing cost, this method has the important advantage of being ideally suited for multiple outputs.
Comparative toxicokinetics of chlorinated and brominated haloacetates in F344 rats.

Abstract Chloro, bromo, and mixed bromochloro haloacetates (HAs) are by-products of drinking water disinfection and are hepatocarcinogenic in rodents. We compared the toxicokinetics of a series of di-HAs, dichloro (DCA), bromochloro (BCA), dibromo (DBA) and tri-HAs: trichloro (TCA), bromodichloro (BDCA), chlorodibromo (CDBA), and tribromo (TBA) after iv and oral dosing (500 μm/kg) in male F344 rats. The blood concentrations of the HAs after iv injection declined in a bi-exponential manner with a short but pronounced distributive phase. The structural features that had the greatest influence on the disposition of HAs were substitution of a halogen for a hydrogen and the degree of bromine substitution. All di-HAs had blood elimination half-lives of less than 4 h (DCA > DBA, BCA) compared to the tri-HAs, which had half-lives that varied from 0.6 to 8.0 h (TCA > BDCA > CDBA > TBA). The urinary excretion of all di-HAs was low and accounted for less than 3% of the dose in contrast to the tri-HAs, where urinary excretion accounted for at least 30% of the dose. Toxicokinetic analysis indicated the steady-state apparent volume of distribution varied between 301 and 881 ml/kg among the HAs, but the variation was not statistically significant ( P > 0.17). The blood concentration–time profiles for all di-HAs after oral dosing was complex and exhibited multiple peaks. This did not appear to be due to enterohepatic recirculation, as bile duct cannulated animals also displayed similar profiles. In contrast, the profiles for the tri-HAs did not exhibit multiple peaking after oral dosing and could be described using a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model. The oral bioavailability of the HAs varied between 30% (DBA) and 116% (TCA), depending on the number of halogen substituents and the degree of bromine substitution. In general, three patterns of elimination for the HAs can be broadly described: low metabolism with moderate renal clearance (TCA), high metabolism and renal clearance (BDCA, CDBA, TBA), and high metabolism, low renal clearance (DCA, BCA, DBA).
Possible involvement of taurine in the genesis of muscular dystrophy.

ALTHOUGH taurine is a major amino acid in muscles and nerves its physiological role is not well understood1. It has been proposed to be a neuro-transmitter and has been shown to be released from electrically stimulated rat cortical slices2 and spinal cord slices3.
Disruption of G1-phase phospholipid turnover by inhibition of Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 induces a p53-dependent cell-cycle arrest in G1 phase

The G1 phase of the cell cycle is characterized by a high rate of membrane phospholipid turnover. Cells regulate this turnover by coordinating the opposing actions of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase and the group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2). However, little is known about how such turnover affects cell-cycle progression. Here, we show that G1-phase phospholipid turnover is essential for cell proliferation. Specific inhibition of iPLA2 arrested cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. This G1-phase arrest was associated with marked upregulation of the tumour suppressor p53 and the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21cip1. Inactivation of iPLA2 failed to arrest p53-deficient HCT cells in the G1 phase and caused massive apoptosis of p21-deficient HCT cells, suggesting that this G1-phase arrest requires activation of p53 and expression of p21cip1. Furthermore, downregulation of p53 by siRNA in p21-deficient HCT cells reduced the cell death, indicating that inhibition of iPLA2 induced p53-dependent apoptosis in the absence of p21cip1. Thus, our study reveals hitherto unrecognized cooperation between p53 and iPLA2 to monitor membrane-phospholipid turnover in G1 phase. Disrupting the G1-phase phospholipid turnover by inhibition of iPLA2 activates the p53-p21cip1 checkpoint mechanism, thereby blocking the entry of G1-phase cells into S phase.