cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in unexplained cerebral ischemia

Two-hundred seventy consecutive patients with "unexplained cerebral ischemia" were studied with transesophageal echocardiography to determine the value of this test in identifying potential cardiac sources of cerebral embolism. The findings of this group were compared with those of 772 consecutive patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation for indications other than cerebral ischemia. This study also examined this group of patients with unexplained cerebral ischemia to determine differences in relation to underlying cardiac rhythm and patient age. Intracardiac thrombus, atrial septal aneurysm, patent foramen ovale, spontaneous left atrial contrast and protruding debris in the thoracic aorta were found more often in patients with unexplained cerebral ischemia. Wall motion abnormalities of the left ventricle, as well as mild to moderate valvular lesions including mitral valve prolapse, were found to be similar in both groups. Spontaneous left atrial contrast, as well as mild to moderate valvular abnormalities, were found more often in patients with atrial fibrillation (22% of the group with unexplained cerebral ischemia). However, the presence of intracardiac thrombus was no more frequent in patients with atrial fibrillation than in those with normal sinus rhythm. Patients aged > 50 years were found to have atrial fibrillation and larger left atrial size more often than their younger cohorts, as well as a greater incidence of valvular abnormalities and left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. Mitral valve prolapse was seen more frequently in the younger cohort of patients.
Transverse Dissociation of the Human His Bundle

"Completed" and "abortive" alternating Wenckebach periods occurred in a symptomatic female with calcification of the mitral annulus. These arrhythmias were attributed to transverse dissociation of the His bundle into two horizontal levels "connected in series," with 2:1 block in the "distal" level and Wenckebach periods in the "proximal" level. Intra-Hisian alternating Wenckebach periods resembled those resulting from transverse dissociation of other infra-AV nodal structures in that they are rare, usually symptomatic and require pacemaker implantation. This contrasts with the variety of rhythms resulting from transverse dissociation of the AV node which occur frequently, are not always malignant, and generally are not treated with implanted pacemakers.
New Matrix Materials for Molten Electrolyte Membranes

Abstract An electrochemical flue gas desulfurization process has been developed and shown to remove 98+% of SO2 from simulated flue gas (0.3% SO2) by flow past an electrolyte-filled membrane. An applied electric field preferentially removes SO2 and produces a concentrated by-product stream of SO3. The only reagent required for the process is electricity; this permits the process to have favorable economics. The electrolyte is retained by a matrix of inert powder which forms a membrane. The matrix is designed to retain the molten electrolyte and prevent electrode pore flooding; flooding reduces interfacial area and increases the electrical requirements. New membrane formulations have been tested for increased electrolyte retention; the preparation of membranes with borosilicate glass or zeolites as the matrix is presented. The capillary action of the zeolite is higher than that of the porous electrodes. This enables the process to operate with a higher mass transfer area, allowing higher current densities....
An application of spatially autoregressive models to the study of US county mortality rates

County mortality rates in the US tend to be associated with social and economic resources of counties and the unequal distribution of these resources across space. The processes that generate these social and economic inequalities are often tied to geographical location. In this paper, we present an application of spatially autoregressive models of US county mortality rates that control for the social and economic conditions that often influence mortality rates and the effects of spatial structure of counties in the US. We suggest that arguments are missing from the social science and demographic literatures to offer possible explanations for the spatial patterning of county mortality rates and ecological correlates of these rates at the county level. We find that, after controlling for spatial structure in the data, several key social variables become insignificant in the analysis. We suggest that spatial statistical models are valuable tools in the social and behavioural sciences but that the use of these methods needs to be well grounded in considerations about the spatial process inherent to the outcome studied, and the applications of these methods should not be used solely for post hoc statistical correction. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of monomer type and dangling end size on polymer network synthesis

The design of novel biomaterials for applications in biological recognition, drug delivery, or diagnostics requires a judicious choice of preparation conditions and methods for the production of well-characterized 3-dimensional structures, preferably by benign processes. In this work, the polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) methacrylates was examined by kinetic gelation modeling and kinetic analysis in order to ascertain the factors affecting the resulting structure. The kinetics of the polymerization and structure of the final polymer network are strongly affected by the length of the PEG graft chain. The propagation of the polymer chains becomes increasingly diffusion limited with the incorporation of longer PEG grafts. In addition, a more heterogeneous network consisting of numerous microgel regions is produced as the length of the PEG graft is increased. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3506–3519, 2003
DISPOSAL OF OIL SPILL DEBRIS

ABSTRACT A landfill was designed and constructed for the disposal of approximately 8,500 yards of debris collected in the cleanup of a major pollution incident in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The debris primarily consisted of sand and gravel, but also included logs, large rocks, and tires picked up during the beach cleanup. The landfill was constructed as a single cell with a sandy-silt base and cover with monitoring wells to sample the groundwater. The debris was layered in alternate layers of one foot of debris and six inches of clean fill within the cell. The results of the analysis of samples of the groundwater, to date, indicate no increase in the total organic carbon or phenolic content.
Developing Strategic Alliances: A Framework for Collaborative Negotiation in Design

This work applies a theory-based framework of collaborative negotiation to some of the disputes that regularly arise during group design. Although the framework was developed to provide general support for group work, this paper focuses on its use as a design tool. The framework, embodied in our system NegotiationLens, has four facets. It: 1. Provides a negotiation method intended to produce gain for all parties. 2. Provides an efficient process for conflict resolution. 3. Develops working alliances. 4. Lets parties decide quickly when they should go their separate ways. The framework produces the above results by: • Helping parties develop well-reasoned and clearly articulated points of view (Adelson and Jordan, 1991; Conklin and Yakemovic, 1991; Conklin and Begeman, 1988; MacLean et al ., 1991). • Creating a context of committment and respect. • Moving negotiating parties away from an adversarial stance and into a collaboration. • Allowing joint construction of solutions that are more beneficial than the unilateral solutions each party initially brought to the table. We present our framework for collaborative negotiation, describe NegotiationLens, and present two cases in which it was used. We present a third case, a large design project with recurrent design conflicts, and argue how NegotiationLens could have been of benefit there.
Relationships among "ancient araliads" and their significance for the systematics of Apiales.

The relationship between the angiosperm families Apiaceae and Araliaceae (order Apiales) has been difficult to resolve, due in large part to problems associated with taxa characterized by a mixture of features typical of both families. Among such confounding groups are the araliads Delarbrea, Pseudosciadium, Myodocarpus, Mackinlaya, and Apiopetalum and many members of Apiaceae subfamily Hydrocotyloideae. Traditional systems have often envisioned these taxa as phyletic intermediates or bridges between the two families. To reevaluate the phylogenetic position of the “intermediate” araliad genera, molecular data were collected from nuclear (rDNA ITS) and plastid (matK) sequences from a complete or near-complete sampling of species in each genus. When analyzed with samples representing the other major clades now recognized within Apiales, results confirm and expand the findings of previously published studies. The five araliad “intermediates” are placed within two wellsupported clades clearly segregated from the “core” groups of both Apiaceae and Araliaceae. These segregate clades closely parallel traditional definitions of the araliad tribes Myodocarpeae (Delarbrea, Pseudosciadium, and Myodocarpus) and Mackinlayeae (Mackinlaya and Apiopetalum), and relationships among the species within these clades are largely supported by morphological and anatomical data. Based on these results, Myodocarpeae and Mackinlayeae may best be treated as distinct families. This approach would render four monophyletic groups within Apiales, to which a fifth, Pittosporaceae, cannot at present be excluded. Sampling of taxa from Hydrocotyloideae remains preliminary, but results confirm previous studies indicating the polyphyly of this subfamily: hydrocotyloid taxa may be found in no fewer than three major clades in Apiales. © 2001 Academic Press
Peptide coincidence in rat superior cervical ganglion.

Abstract The immunofluorescent localization of substance P (SP), somatostatin and methionine enkephalin has been determined in the rat superior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic nervous system. Immunoreactivity was confined to the norepinephrine-containing post-ganglionic neurons and their processes. Nearly 20% of the postganglionic somata demonstrate dual coincidence in staining for SP-somatostatin, somatostatin-enkephalin, or SP-enkephalin. Almost 10% of the positively stained neurons show a coincident staining of all 3 peptide compounds within their somata. This suggests that multiple neurotransmitter chemicals may be employed by the post-ganglionic cells of the superior cervical ganglion.
Reconsidering active procrastination: Relations to motivation and achievement in college anatomy

Abstract This study examined passive and active procrastination among undergraduate anatomy students in terms of background variables, motivational beliefs (i.e., belief about the speed of knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, and task value), and grades. Factor analysis revealed three discrete factors of active procrastination, one of which was closely tied to passive procrastination and behavioral procrastination. Analyses indicated that the relations to motivational beliefs and grades were markedly different for, on the one hand, two factors of active procrastination (positive relations) and, on the other hand, passive procrastination and the third factor of active procrastination (negative relations). After controlling for academic ability, only passive procrastination was a statistically significant predictor of grades. Results imply that the dimensions of active procrastination that appear adaptive for learning may not reflect behavioral procrastination, whereas the dimension of active procrastination that involves behavioral procrastination lacks adaptive associations.
Placental 5-Deiodinase Activity and Fetal Thyroid Hormone Economy Are Unaffected by Selenium Deficiency in the Rat

In adult male rats, selenium deficiency results in a near complete loss in the selenoprotein 5'-deiodinase in the liver, resulting in decreased peripheral deiodination of thyroxine (T4) and increased serum T4 concentrations. Serum 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine concentrations are normal or slightly decreased, and serum 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine concentrations are normal or slightly increased in selenium-deficient rats. We now report the effects of selenium deficiency on maternal and fetal thyroid hormone economy and on placental 5-deiodinase activity in the rat. Weanling female rats were fed either a selenium-deficient or selenium-supplemented diet for 4 wk before mating and then throughout gestation. Rats were killed at 21 d of gestation. Selenium deficiency was confirmed by a 95 and 94% decrease in glutathione peroxidase and a 84 and 56% decrease in liver type I outer ring 5' deiodinase activity in the mother and the fetus, respectively. In contrast to the increase in circulating T4 observed in selenium-deficient male and nonpregnant female adult rats, serum T4 was not affected by selenium deficiency in pregnant rats, but there was a 3-fold increase in serum 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine concentrations associated with a 70% decrease in maternal brain type II outer ring 5' deiodinase activity. Maternal serum 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine concentrations were decreased by 21%. Placental 5-deiodinase activity was unaffected by selenium deficiency. In the fetus, serum T4, 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine, and TSH concentrations were not affected by selenium deficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Factors Controlling the Fluorine Content and the Electrochemical Performance of Spinel Oxyfluoride Cathodes

An investigation of spinel LiMn 2-y-z Li y M z O 4 - η F η (M = Ti and Ni, 0 ≤ η ≤ 0.29) cathodes synthesized by firing the cation-substituted LiMn 2-y- Li y M z O 4 oxide analogs with the fluorinating agent NH 4 HF 2 at 450°C reveals that the amount of fluorine that could be incorporated into the spinel lattice is limited by the Mn valence in the spinel lattice; it is difficult to incorporate fluorine as the Mn valence lowers to around 3.5+. Although fluorine substitution increases the capacity, spinel cathodes with a Mn valence of <3.6+ encounters a larger lattice mismatch between the two cubic phases formed during the charge-discharge process and higher Mn dissolution, resulting in a degradation of the electrochemical properties. For example, LiMn 18 Li 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3.8 F 0.2 with an initial Mn valence of 3.61+ exhibits a combination of high capacity, excellent cyclability with graphite anode at 60°C, good storage characteristics, high rate capability, and low irreversible capacity compared to LiMn 1.8 Li 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3.71 F 0.29 .
Effects of wireless physical layer modeling in mobile ad hoc networks

In most studies on mobile ad hoc networks (MANET), simulation models are used for the evaluation of devices and protocols. Typically, such simulations focus on the specific higher layer protocols that are being proposed, and tend to ignore details of models at other layers, particularly the interactions with physical layer models. In this paper, we present the set of factors at the physical layer that are relevant to the performance evaluations of higher layer protocols. Such factors include signal reception, path loss, fading, interference and noise computation, and preamble length. We start the discussion with the comparisions of physical layer models in ns-2 and GloMoSim, two commonly used simulators for MANET studies, and then quantify the impact of the preceding factors under typical scenarios used for the performance evaluation of wireless ad hoc routing protocols. Our experimental results show that the factors at the physical layer not only affect the absolute performance of a protocol, but because their impact on different protocols is non-uniform, it can even change the relative ranking among protocols for the same scenari
Robust polythiophene nanowires cross-linked with functional fullerenes

Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT)-block-poly(3-(3-aminopropyl)oxymethyl thiophene) (P3AmT) diblock copolymers were synthesized and assembled into nanowires by solvent-induced crystallization. Bis(4-[1,6-hexyldiisocyanate]benzylpyrrolidine)-C60 was synthesized and used to covalently cross-link the structures, affording robust p-type/n-type nanowires. These cross-linked nanowires proved stable to solvents and temperatures that would disrupt conventional P3HT-nanowires, as characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy showed quenching of the PL signal of the fullerene-crosslinked material, suggesting electronic communication between the polymer and fullerene in these novel donor/acceptor assemblies. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) showed a similar crystal structure for nanowires before and after cross-linking, while field effect transistor transfer measurements of the cross-linked nanowires showed hole and electron mobilities of 3.5 × 10−5 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 4.6 × 10−5 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively.
Relationships among types of speech intelligibility in pediatric users of cochlear implants

Twenty pediatric users of cochlear implants were administered three tests of speech intelligibility: (1) a test of contrast perception intelligibility, (2) a test of contrast production intelligibility, and (3) a test of production sentence intelligibility. Sixty adults with normal hearing served as listener judges for the two speech production tasks, and percent correct scores were generated for each of the three tasks. Correlational analyses showed significant correlations among overall scores for the three tasks. However, scores for individual feature classes from the contrast perception task were not correlated with their corresponding contrast production feature class scores, and only some of the feature class scores were correlated significantly with sentence intelligibility. We conclude that although these three types of intelligibility are related at a gross level, relationships are more tenuous at finer levels of analysis, suggesting that the separate skills may need to be addressed separately in remediation. Educational objectives: As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to differentiate various methods for assessing speech intelligibility and describe the relationships among different types of speech intelligibility in pediatric users of cochlear implants.
How to Overcome Strawson’s Point: Defending a Value-Oriented Foundation for Contractualism

In The Second Person Standpoint, Darwall charges that all value-oriented foundations for ethics make a category mistake. Calling it Strawson’s point, he argues these foundations explain moral authority, which concerns whether someone has standing to hold another accountable, in terms of a value, which essentially concerns what makes the world go best. However, whether it would be good for me to blame you simply asks a different question than whether I have standing to blame you. I defend a valueoriented foundation for contractualism by identifying one way to overcome Strawson’s point. At bottom, Darwall’s objection relies on the assumption that all values are worldregarding. I argue that another class of values exists: second-personal values. Grounding morality in one of these values does not make the category mistake at the heart of Strawson’s point. In particular, I argue that grounding morality on one secondpersonal value, the ideal of acting justifiably towards others, better captures traditional contractualist ideals than Darwall’s formal foundation.
Laser remote sensing of epipelagic fishes

Airborne lidar is being considered as a tool for fish detection and for fisheries surveys. Detection has been demonstrated, and an imaging lidar has been developed to detect and identify fish for commercial fisheries. For survey work, a simpler radiometric lidar is being investigated, and preliminary results suggest that such a lidar can be very useful for biomass estimation.
Destructive creation: fascist urban planning, architecture and new towns in the Pontine Marshes

This paper examines the construction, architecture, planning and design of New Towns in the Pontine Marshes, south of Rome, in the 1930s, analysing the discourses which contributed to their shaping and settlement. It focuses specifically on the plans and architectural characteristics of the city of Sabaudia as the best example of fascist urban utopias in the area. The paper also moves beyond an analysis of architecture and planning to consider the human beings who were slated for occupying what were viewed as ideal, utopian fascist spaces. This is done through an investigation of Italy's ruralization and internal colonization policies, which aimed to tackle a ‘demographic problem’ defined through recourse to statistics and sociological analysis. These policies were animated by colonists, and their families, chosen by the regime's institutions to take part in the Pontine Marshes project. Italian fascism's structuring of a new urban environment, which stretched from grand systemic designs to the measurement of mosquito net dimensions in colonial houses' bedrooms, justified the attempted social and political control of fascism's experimental urban subjects.
Optimal economic strategies with considerations of reliability of fatigue-sensitive structural systems

Abstract The integrity of structural systems relative to fatigue and fracture can be ensured by a rational program which coordinates a design, inspection, and repair process to minimize life-cycle costs in the context of a reliability analysis which treats uncertainties in fatigue design factors and inspection performance. The features of the process are summarized, and a simple illustration is provided. Research needs relative to this problem, delineated herein, are principally those of developing reliability models of material behavior, obtaining the data to compute parameter values, and developing efficient computational methods for fatigue reliability and maintainability analysis of “large”-scale series and redundant structures.
Weighted Inequalities on John Domains

We study two-weighted inequalities on John domains. We first introduce domains that generalize the C(λ, M) domains defined by HajLasz and Koskela (J. London Math. Soc., to appear) and then show that our domains are actually just John domains. We then extend an interesting and nice result of HajLasz and Koskela by modifying their proof and then obtain some interesting consequences that include weighted Sobolev interpolation inequalities and an almost necessary and sufficient condition for two-weighted Poincare inequality on cubes.
A new technique for endomyocardial biopsy in infants and small children

Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is usually performed from the femoral veins in infants and small children. This requires the use of a long vascular sheath to direct a bioptome to the ventricular septum. We describe a technique of EMB in this population that obviates the need for the use of a long vascular sheath. A 5 Fr 0.038" internal diameter, no-sideholes Cobra catheter (Cook, Bloomington, IN) introduced via a 5 Fr short sheath was used to direct a 3 Fr, 60-cm-length Cook bioptome to the ventricular septum. From January 1998 to August 1999, this technique was used 22 times in seven patients for EMB (median, age 13 months; range, 1-72 months). Indications for EMB in this group were posttransplantation surveillance (21 times) and evaluation for cardiomyopathy/myocarditis (1). Median number of EMB specimens obtained per procedure was 6 (range, 5-9). There was one pneumopericardium seen post-EMB with this technique without hemodynamic embarrassment. EMB in infants and small children can be performed successfully, safely, and repeatedly from the femoral veins without the need for a long sheath.
Fabrication of Garnet Waveguides and Polarizers for Integrated Optical Isolators

YIG waveguides and photonic crystal polarizers were successfully integrated with Si using SiO2 claddings. The films were grown by room temperature reactive RF sputtering and rapid thermal annealing. Faraday rotations of 0.2deg/mum were achieved.
The effect of changes in cell geometry on the sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation of mammalian cellular capacity.

— We have measured a calcium and magnesium dependent change in cell shape when mammalian cell monolayers are being prepared for irradiation by replacing their growth medium with certain buffers. In some cases, flattened cells (umbonate) assumed a spherical configuration. In order to assume a centrally located target molecule, we used a DNA-dependent cellular function–pacity for herpes viral growth–as the parameter to measure ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity of cells irradiated while in either of the two shapes. Umbonate cells were more sensitive to UV than were spherical cells. Exposures to the cell that lowered the cellular capacity of umbonate cells to the 10% survival level only lowered spherical cells to the 50% level. Twenty-seven per cent additional UV exposure to spherical cells was required to get the same effect as with umbonate cells. Included in the text are photographs of both cell types, survival curves for cellular capacity, a measure of the absorbance of cell homogenates, and a calculation of the relative number of photons absorbed by each cell nucleus.
CHARGE TRANSFER BETWEEN GROUND-STATE Si 3+ AND He AT ELECTRON-VOLT ENERGIES

The charge-transfer rate coefficient for the reaction Si(3+)(3s(sup 2)S) + He yields products is measured by means of a combined technique of laser ablation and ion storage. A cylindrical radio-frequency ion trap was used to store Si(3+) ions produced by laser ablation of solid silicon targets. The rate coefficient of the reaction was derived from the decay rate of the ion signal. The measured rate coefficient is 6.27(exp +0.68)(sub -0.52) x 10(exp -10)cu cm/s at T(sub equiv) = 3.9 x 10(exp 3)K. This value is about 30% higher than the Landau-Zener calculation of Butler and Dalgarno and is larger by about a factor of 3 than the recent full quantal calculation of Honvault et al.
Are blood transfusions beneficial in the cyclosporine era

In patients treated with conventional immunosuppression (azathioprine and prednisone) after renal transplantation, there is a beneficial effect of pre-transplant blood transfusions on graft survival; in patients treated with cyclosporine, this effect may be lost. In 66 children who received living-related donor transplants after donor-specific transfusions (DST) and were treated with azathioprine-prednisone in our center, 1- and 5-year graft survival rates were 99% and 77% respectively. These rates were similar to those reported for children who did not receive DST but were treated with cyclosporine in other centers. There were 634 adult and pediatric recipients of cadaver transplants in our center who were treated with cyclosporine and prednisone (non-sequential therapy,n=89) or antilymphoblast globulin, azathioprine preduisone, and cyclosporin (sequential therapy,n=545). When all patients were considered, graft survival rates were higher in transfused than in non-transfused patients at 3–5 years, but in the sequential therapy group, there were no differences in graft survival rates between transfused and non-transfused patients. The results suggest that transfusions do not improve cadaver graft survival in patients receiving optimal cyclosporine therapy and that equally good related donor graft survival can be achieved with DST and conventional immunosuppression or no DST and cyclosporine.
Minimum disparity estimation for continuous models: Efficiency, distributions and robustness

A general class of minimum distance estimators for continuous models called minimum disparity estimators are introduced. The conventional technique is to minimize a distance between a kernel density estimator and the model density. A new approach is introduced here in which the model and the data are smoothed with the same kernel. This makes the methods consistent and asymptotically normal independently of the value of the smoothing parameter; convergence properties of the kernel density estimate are no longer necessary. All the minimum distance estimators considered are shown to be first order efficient provided the kernel is chosen appropriately. Different minimum disparity estimators are compared based on their characterizing residual adjustment function (RAF); this function shows that the robustness features of the estimators can be explained by the shrinkage of certain residuals towards zero. The value of the second derivative of theRAF at zero,A 2, provides the trade-off between efficiency and robustness. The above properties are demonstrated both by theorems and by simulations.
Single-Molecule Profiling of Ribosome Translational Phenomena

Translation elongation is a heterogeneous process, involving multiple compositional factors stochastically binding to the ribosome to direct protein synthesis, which in turn regulates the conformation of the ribosome. The rate of translation is often regulated by the underlying messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence and structure. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) and colocalization with zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) to correlate directly ribosome conformations and compositions of thousands of ribosomes simultaneously during multiple rounds of elongation. This allows us to profile global translational rates while delineating mechanistic details of the dynamics with codon resolution. We first studied translation of a canonical mRNA with uniform translation rates to establish the tight interplay between compositional factors and conformational dynamics of the ribosome during elongation. We then determined how mRNA sequences and structures, such as hairpins and possible ribosome-mRNA base pairing, as expressed in the the dnaX −1 frameshifting sequence, perturb the basal elongation process. Our results show how mRNAs can modulate and uncouple ribosomal conformational and compositional dynamics.
Studies on a serum substitute for mammalian cells in culture. 2. Analyses of fractionated peptone dialysate and the use of glycine peptides.

Amino acid analyses of two biologically efficacious fractions from a peptone dialysate (PD) revealed high concentrations of glycine, presumably present in PD as glycine-rich peptides. Before undertaking further analyses of PD the growth-promoting abilities of several commercially available glycine peptides were tested with strain L (NCTC 2071) cells continuously subcultured in chemically defined medium NCTC 135, and with RH-PD cells which require peptone or peptone fractions for continued survival and proliferation. NCTC 2071 populations 5 to 10% greater than control cultures were obtained with 0.18 to 0.72mm peptide-supplemented medium NCTC 135; slightly better results were obtained with peptides containing an even number of glycine residues. No amplification of this response was observed after 28 to 29 weekly culture transfers in 0.72mm supplemented NCTC 135, and evidence suggested that the peptides were poorly hydrolyzed to monomeric glycine. Addition of the glycine peptides may permit use of a reduced minimum inoculum for NCTC 2071. Marked growth enhancement of peptone-dependent RH-PD cells was obtained only when glycine peptides were tested in the presence of 0.5 mg of PD per ml.
The Rate of Cooling and Water Absorption of Poultry Held in Various Mediums

Abstract THE immediate removal of body heat from dressed and eviscerated poultry is considered essential for retention of quality. However, during the time in which the body heat is being removed, the carcass may change in weight due to cooling mediums. Roberts and Robertson (1941) found a weight increase or a weight loss when poultry carcasses were wet or dry cooled respectively. Orr (1953) observed a faster rate of cooling with running tap water, water plus ice and water plus ice plus compressed air than with air methods. In cooling eviscerated chicken Connally et al. (1954) observed a faster rate of cooling with a flowing liquid than with agitated ice slush. Heavier birds were found to cool much slower than lighter ones. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE In the several studies conducted and reported in this paper, a total of 576 fryers, hens and cocks were used. These were slaughtered by slitting the …
Aqueous-Based Extrusion of High Solids Loading Ceramic Pastes: Process Modeling and Control

A novel fabrication method known as aqueous-based extrusion fabrication (ABEF) has been developed for the manufacture of ceramic-based components in an environmentally friendly fashion. The method is based on the extrusion of ceramic pastes using water as the medium. This paper describes a machine developed for the extrusion of high solids loading ceramic pastes, investigates the dynamic behavior of the extrusion process, and develops and implements a feedback controller to regulate the extrusion force. The results demonstrate that aqueous-based ceramic extrusion processes have a very slow dynamic response, as compared to other non-compressible fluids such as water. A substantial amount of variation exists in aqueous-based ceramic extrusion processes, most notably during the transient period, and a constant ram velocity may either produce a relatively constant steady-state extrusion force or it may cause the extrusion force to steadily increase until the ram motor skips. It is demonstrated that the use of feedback control reduces the effects of process disturbances (i.e., agglomerate breakdown and air bubble release) and variations in the process as the material in the reservoir decreases, substantially decreases the time to obtain a desired extrusion force level, and dramatically improves part quality.
Kadam virus: Neutralization studies and laboratory transmission by dermacentor variabilis

Abstract By neutralization test, Kadam virus, originally isolated from ticks (Rhipicephalus pravus) collected from a cow in Uganda, is distinct from 39 other group B viruses and in particular shows no close relationship to members of the TBE complex. Attempts to infect mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) and mosquito cell lines (Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti) with the virus were unsuccessful. Ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) maintained the virus for at least 3 weeks after inoculation and transmitted it to baby mice.
Bioreactors for removing methyl bromide following contained fumigations.

Use of methyl bromide (MeBr) as a quarantine, commodity, or structural fumigant is under scrutiny because its release to the atmosphere contributes to the depletion of stratospheric ozone. A closed...
The hawaiian algal database: A laboratory LIMS and online resource for biodiversity data

Background Organization and presentation of biodiversity data is greatly facilitated by databases that are specially designed to allow easy data entry and organized data display. Such databases also have the capacity to serve as Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). The Hawaiian Algal Database was designed to showcase specimens collected from the Hawaiian Archipelago, enabling users around the world to compare their specimens with our photographs and DNA sequence data, and to provide lab personnel with an organizational tool for storing various biodiversity data types.
Molecular cloning and expression of the rat EAAT4 glutamate transporter subtype

Abstract Glutamate transport is a primary mechanism for the synaptic inactivation of glutamate. Excitatory amino acid transporter 4 (EAAT4) is a novel glutamate transporter with properties of a ligand-gated chloride channel that was recently cloned from human brain. Here we report the cloning of rat EAAT4 (rEAAT4) cDNA from rat cerebellum. The nucleotide sequence of rEAAT4 was 88% identical to the human sequence, and the predicted peptide was 89% identical to the human protein. The transport activity encoded by rEAAT4 has high affinity for l -glutamate. In Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing rEAAT4, l -glutamate and other transporter substrates elicited a current predominantly carried by chloride ions. Like human EAAT4, the rEAAT4 mRNA was largely restricted to cerebellar Purkinje cells; the rEAAT4 protein was localized to Purkinje cell somas and dendrites.
The mechanism of microsomal hydroxylation of 7-methylbenz(a)-anthracene and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene by oxygen-18 studies.

The carcinogenic 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene were converted by rat liver microsomes into the corresponding hydroxymethyl derivatives and other metabolic products. The 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene incubation was carried out in H218O, and no incorporation of oxygen-18 was found in the hydroxymethyl metabolite isolated and purified by high pressure liquid chromatography, and analyzed by mass spectrometry. When 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene was incubated with 18O2, isotope incorporation was observed in the corresponding hydroxymethyl derivatives, indicating that such hydroxylation is a true oxygenase reaction.
Performance of BSM Dissemination in Multi-Channel DSRC

To support both safety and non-safety applications in vehicular communications, IEEE 1609.4 protocol defines a channel switching mechanism to enable a single radio to operate efficiently on multiple channels. Basic safety message is transmitted only through control channel at regular intervals. In this paper, an analytic model based on semi-Markov process is proposed to evaluate MAC level performance and reliability of safety message dissemination incorporating the impact of the multi- channel operations. Safety message service time distribution is derived using Laplace-Stieltjes transform based on the proposed model. Subsequently, fixed-point iteration is used to obtain converged solutions. MAC level performance metrics are then derived. Channel fading with path loss is taken into account in this derivation. The analytic models are validated through simulations in NS2 to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model.
Relative biopotency of vitamin E compounds as determined by reversal of plasma pyruvate kinase activity in curative myopathy of rats

Abstract The biopotency of four vitamin E compounds relative to all - rac -α-tocopheryl acetate was determined using plasma pyruvate kinase activity as an index of myopathy. The results showed that the relative potency of RRR-α-tocopheryl acetate was 1.31, that of 2-ambo-α-tocopheryl acetate was 1.09, that of RRR-α-tocopherol was 1.45, and that of d-γ-tocopherol was 0.21 to 0.24. The bioassay based on the recovery of plasma pyruvate kinase activity was proven to be a convenient and reliable bioassay method for vitamin E compounds.
Excess free energy of different water models computed by Monte Carlo methods

The excess free energy and entropy of three water models (ST2, MCY and SPC) are determined using Monte Carlo thermodynamic integration, with soft spheres as a reference system. The method used is compared with two other methods, the umbrella sampling and the overlap ratio methods. A simple self check for the umbrella sampling method is proposed.
An investigation of the emission of reverse ion current from electrically stressed dust layers

Abstract The emission of reverse ion current from high resistivity dust layers is of significance in electrostatic precipitator (ESP) applications because of the severe negative impact it has on collection performance. In this paper we describe a transient experimental technique which was developed to determine the ratio of forward to reverse current which flows when a dust layer is electrically stressed. Results for fly ash particles of different electrical resistivity are presented and it is demonstrated that for high resistivity (>10 11 Ω cm ) fly ash, reverse current injection sets in at current densities well below those normally associated with practical precipitator operation. It is also shown that ratios of reverse to forward current greater than one are easily obtained and that reverse current injection can be initiated at electrical stresses below those associated with macroscopic electrical breakdown of the layer.
Use Of Image Similarity For The Selection Or Synthesis Of Projections For Subtraction Radiography

The use of subtraction radiography in dentistry is impeded by the necessity to couple physically the x-ray source, the patient and the film, in order to achieve a reproducible projection geometry. This need can he obviated by the ability to synthesize arbitrary projection images from a basis set of projections bearing a known geometric relationship to each other. Implementation of this method requires knowledge of the projection angle of the desired projection image relative to the basis set. This investigation explores the feasibility of using the gray-level standard deviations in corresponding subtraction images as similarity measures, in order to determine retrospectively the projection angle of a radiograph of interest with respect to the set of basis projections. An iterative coordinate estimation procedure is developed incorporating this technique, and its accuracy is evaluated using radiographs obtained from dry skull specimens.© (1986) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Electronic and optical devices with gallium arsenide on silicon prepared by MBE

Abstract Remarkable advances made in the performance of electronic and optical devices fabricated in GaAs on Si may necessitate the utilization of this composite system for novel applications. Possible areas of interest range from simply replacing the GaAs substrates with large area, light weight, and high strength Si substrates to highly desirable integration of GaAs and Si (optical and electronic) devices and circuits on the same chip. Other applications include the use GaAs as an interlayer for subsequent growth of long wavelength compound semiconductors (III–V and II–VI) for local plane arrays with built-in Si signal processors.
Achieving operational two-way laser acquisition for OPALS payload on the International Space Station

The Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) experiment was installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2014. Developed as a technology demonstration, its objective was to experiment with space-to-ground optical communications transmissions from Low Earth Orbit. More than a dozen successful optical links were established between a Wrightwood, California–based ground telescope and the OPALS flight terminal from June 2014 to September 2014. Each transmission required precise bi-directional pointing to be maintained between the space-based transmitter and ground-based receiver. This was accomplished by acquiring and tracking a laser beacon signal transmitted from the ground telescope to the OPALS flight terminal on the ISS. OPALS demonstrated the ability to nominally acquire the beacon within three seconds at 25° elevation and maintain lock within 140 μrad (3σ) for the full 150-second transmission duration while slewing at rates up to 1°/sec. Additional acquisition attempts in low elevation and weather-challenged conditions provided valuable insight on the optical link robustness under off-nominal operational conditions.
Multiresolution radial basis function networks for the adaptive control of robotic systems

In this paper we review recent developments and their applications to robotic systems, and analyze several different variations of the basis function selection mechanism. In particular, we analyze algorithms in which the network is explicitly limited to employ no more than a specified fraction of the potential basis function set, and algorithms in which the actual dimensionality of each basis function employed is gradually expanded similar to the MARS algorithm. The results of these new algorithms is compared with previous results contrasting both the ultimate tracking accuracy and evolved network size for a canonical robotic application.
A wearable ultrasound multi-transducer array system for abdominal organs monitoring

Ultrasound imaging (USI) or Medical Sonography (MS) as it is formally called is widely used in biomedical applications over the last decades. Form the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) minimally invasive monitoring to the recent point of care testing besides the patient's bed. US imaging outcomes can provide clinicians with a thorough view of the internal parts of the human body at a very low expense. In this paper, we insinuate an alternative approach compared to already existing ones of capturing US images. We propose a wearable ultrasound system composed of an array of ultrasound circular 2D transducers, integrated in a belt, for point of care monitoring of the abdominal region and particularly the liver for critical ill subjects. The configuration of the array and the type of the transducers will entail a system capable of providing clinicians with high resolution 2D imaging of the region of interest (ROI) as well as 3D representation of whole organs without theirs assistance.
Prominence of Characters on Television Program Websites

This study investigated the general distribution of gender, ethnicity, and age on broadcast TV networks' web pages and compared the distribution with on-air promotion of programs, and where possible, to U.S. Census. It also modified and tested a salience index, up to now used mainly for measuring the effectiveness of over-the-air television promotion, as a measure of character prominence on the web. As expected, images of prime-time characters on websites were predominantly male and White but somewhat less male and White than in on-air television overall. Frequency counts of images showed that websites foregrounded settled-adult characters more than younger characters, but applying an index of promotional salience revealed that extra visual attention was given to teens. In other words, determining which characters are featured depends on which image attributes are evaluated. These findings suggest that the salience index measures subtle attributes of prominence useful for assessing differential promotion.