cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When the animal destroys the beach, the beach destroys the animal. Mutually assured destruction in gist processing

Observers can report some semantic content of scenes when those scenes are presented for 20 msec, flanked in time by masks. It is likely that only a single object could be selected for attentional processing in this time so this gist processing would seem to involve non-selective processing of the entire image. Similarly, we find that expert observers (radiologists and cytopathologists) can detect subtle signs of cancer at above chance levels in 250 msec exposures of mammograms and Pap-smears. These exposures are unmasked but still preclude normal extended attentional scrutiny. Can multiple gist’s be computed concurrently? Last year, we demonstrated limits on this ability. We cued observers with one of nine target categories (e.g. beach, animal, bridge) before presenting a masked scene for 20 msec. Targets were present on 50% of trials. Critically, on half of target present trials, an un-cued target category was also present. That is, “beach” would be cued but the scene might include both beach and animal – a “trial-irrelevant”, but “task-relevant” target category. Observers were 76% correct when trials contained only cued targets but only 52% correct when trial-irrelevant targets were also present. Critically, animal would not interfere with beach if it were not a target on other trials in the same block. This year, we show that interference is mutual. On each trial, observers reported on the presence of the target and were also asked if any other categories were present. If observers missed the task-relevant “animal”, they were actually LESS likely to be able to report a task-irrelevant beach. Of course, in real life, if you were looking for your fork and now for your glass, you are not blinded by the presence of both items in the visual field. We find that “mutually assured destruction” occurs for exposures shorter than 200 msec.
Accurate measurement of free carnitine in dried blood spots by isotope-dilution electrospray tandem mass spectrometry without butylation.

Abstract Background : To test the feasibility of free carnitine (FC) determination in dried blood spot specimens (DBS) by stable isotope-dilution electrospray-ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Methods : The MS/MS method established for newborn screening, measuring acylcarnitines by positive precursor ion scan of m / z 85 in DBS, was adapted by omitting the butylation and heating step during sample preparation. FC measurement in DBS by this non-butylating MS/MS assay was compared with the butylating MS/MS method and the spectrophotometric Cobas method. Results : FC measurement by the non-butylating MS/MS method meets the demands for a bioanalytical microassay with respect to linearity, detection limit (LOD), accuracy, and precision. Formation of FC was 0–1% and 1–4% in liquid samples and in DBS by the non-butylating MS/MS method, while 3–10% and 8–16% by the butylating method, respectively. Acid-catalysed hydrolysis (butanolysis) in liquid samples was higher for short-chain acylcarnitines (acetyl- and propionylcarnitine). Hydrolysis in DBS was more pronounced for long-chain acylcarnitines. FC concentrations in healthy newborns without butylation were 35% lower than those measured by the established newborn screening assay. Conclusions : The non-butylating MS/MS assay provides a simple and accurate method for FC determination in DBS and represents a trivial but important adaptation of a method already used in many laboratories.
Tolerance: An Historical Overview

Abstract Nitrates have been used in clinical cardiovascular medicine for >100 years. The phenomenon of nitrate tolerance has been known for almost as long, but it has only become important relatively recently, with the increasing use of nitrates in angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. This article examines the differing effects of nitrates, ranging from cellular effects, through coronary and vascular effects, to the recently confirmed antiplatelet actions. The theories put forward to explain nitrate tolerance are examined, including recent work on vascular superoxide and endothelin-1 regulation. Information on tolerance obtained from in vitro or in vivo animal experiments must, however, be interpreted with caution. Clinically, tolerance can be prevented by intermittent dosing of nitrates. This topic, and the results of work using other pharmacologic interventions in a clinical setting are discussed in the final section of this paper.
Measurements of Young's and shear moduli of rail steel at elevated temperatures.

Abstract The design and modelling of the buckling effect of Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) requires accurate material constants, especially at elevated temperatures. However, such material constants have rarely been found in literature. In this article, the Young’s moduli and shear moduli of rail steel at elevated temperatures are determined by a new sonic resonance method developed in our group. A network analyser is used to excite a sample hanged inside a furnace through a simple tweeter type speaker. The vibration signal is picked up by a Polytec OFV-5000 Laser Vibrometer and then transferred back to the network analyser. Resonance frequencies in both the flexural and torsional modes are measured, and the Young’s moduli and shear moduli are determined through the measured resonant frequencies. To validate the measured elastic constants, the measurements have been repeated by using the classic sonic resonance method. The comparisons of obtained moduli from the two methods show an excellent consistency of the results. In addition, the material elastic constants measured are validated by an ultrasound test based on a pulse-echo method and compared with previous published results at room temperature. The measured material data provides an invaluable reference for the design of CWR to avoid detrimental buckling failure.
T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion to T cell epitopes of Asp f 2 in ABPA patients.

The pathogenesis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) involves specific cytokines secreted by lymphocytes in response to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) allergens. To gain information about the lymphoproliferative response and cytokine production against a major Af allergen, Asp f 2, we studied Asp-f-2-specific T cell clones (TCCs) from ABPA patients. TCCs were stimulated with rAsp f 2, its deletion mutants, and synthetic peptides to identify the T cell epitope(s) and to understand cytokine production. PBMCs from four of five ABPA patients showed proliferation in response to Asp f 2. Three TCCs from one patient showed higher IL-5 secretion compared to IL-4 and IFN-gamma. Two TCCs from the second patient showed a mixed Th1/Th2 response, as evidenced by production of IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-gamma. An epitope from the N-terminal region of Asp f 2 induced only IL-5 secretion. High IL-5 secretion might explain the marked eosinophilia observed in ABPA patients.
Endoscopic determination of the aberrant crypt foci density by magnification chromoscopy: colorectal cancer vs. benign diseases of colon

Endoscopic determination of the aberrant crypt foci density by magnification chromoscopy: colorectal cancer vs. benign diseases of colon
U.S. influence on Pakistan: Can partners have divergent priorities?

For more than fifty years, the United States and Pakistan have had overlapping interests but differing priorities, resulting in a pattern of disillusionment. To avoid repeating history, Washington should depersonalize its policy and reconsider its priorities.
Influence of different N- and O-linked carbohydrates on the retention times of synthetic peptides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Glycopeptides consisting of 6–19 amino acid residues and different mono- and disaccharides attached to single asparagine and serine residues were synthesized on solid-phase and were characterized by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and circular dichroism. It was shown that the decreased retention times due to glycosylation could be correlated with the increasing length of the sugar moiety. Phosphorylation of the same sequences reduced the retention times 1.6 times more than glycosylation with monosaccharides did. The binding to the column was dependent on the structure of the disaccharide when derivatized and glycosylated asparagine, the building block of N-glycopeptide syntheses was studied. However, this structural dependence of the elution times disappeared in the final glycopeptides. Although both glycosylation and phosphorylation resulted in altered secondary structure of the peptide backbone, it appears that the retention times reflect the increased hydrophilicity more strongly than induced conformational orientation on the surface of the bonded phase.
In-situ HVEM recovery annealing of A1 single crystals

In-situ annealing experiments were made in a high voltage electron microscope using thin foils prepared from prestrained bulk Al single crystals to characterize the recovery events. Recovery events involve dislocation interaction and migration, which underlie the structural changes accompanying recovery. A comparison of these results with other results reveal the influence of foil free surfaces. (FS)
PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING: AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

Communication in any organization is a complex phenomenon. Public schools are people‐centered enterprises in which the primary tasks of teaching and learning are accomplished verbally. Within each school, the principal is uniquely positioned to regulate these communications activities. The research reported here sought to examine how five school principals managed communications in their schools. Three major questions guided the research. What are the preferred modes and levels of communications activities utilized by principals? What are the major messages communicated through various modes and at different levels by principals? What do the communications activities of individual principals tell us about how principals interpret their leadership role in school, how they set administrative priorities, and how they put their beliefs and values into practice? The findings indicate that the communications activities of school principals are dominated by dyadic interpersonal contacts. The major purpose of these dyadic interpersonal exchanges were maintenance messages which related to policies, procedures, and regulations for organizing, operating and perpetuating the school. As an adaptation to the nature of a principal's work life, each principal demonstrated a pragmatic preference for accomplishing his/her communications through talk even when written messages or other mechanisms for message delivery would have been more efficient. Finally, the principals believed that the success of their communications activities in school was characterized by openness, honesty, high visibility, and the ability and capacity to listen.
Log-rolling technique producing unacceptable motion during body position changes in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury

Object The purpose of the present study was to compare spinal motion generated during log-rolling and kinetic therapy with that generated when using a kinetic treatment table (KTT). The authors' hypothesis was that the KTT would produce less spinal motion while maintaining the benefits of body position changes. Methods Cervical and lumbar instability was created in three fresh, unembalmed cadavers. Electromagnetic sensors were fixed to the C5–6 and T12–L2 segments to measure cervical and lumbar spine segmental motion. Body position changes were performed using the traditional log-roll method and a KTT. Spinal motion was measured during each maneuver. Turning the cadaveric specimens on the KTT bed caused significantly less cervical motion than the log-roll technique as measured in flexion and axial rotation. The log-roll technique caused significantly greater cervical motion during body position changes than turning using the KTT. Conclusions Although the global instability will require surgical stabilizat...
Design of a Stepped Tube Exhaust Primary for High Performance Applications Using Unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics

High performance naturally-aspirated internal combustion engines require effective use of exhaust pressure waves during the gas exchange process to maximize volumetric efficiency and torque. Under certain conditions sudden increases, or steps, in exhaust runner diameter are used to control pressure wave reflections to provide appropriately timed low pressure waves to the cylinder that reduce pumping work and improve air scavenging. This research evaluates gas exchange performance for an exhaust port and an attached stepped-tube primary using unsteady conditions with 1-D and 3-D CFD. The objectives of this research are to (1) discuss the importance of using unsteady flow simulations in the design of high performance exhaust systems, (2) describe the use of stepped-runners to provide performance gains, and (3) discuss the influence of runner step geometry and the number of steps on gas exchange. Simulations are correlated with experimental data to ensure accuracy of the results. A correlation is found between the step size and the magnitude as well as phase of tuning effects. The number of steps is also found to have a direct impact on tuning. The pumping work of the cycle was significantly affected by the stepped primary design, while the scavenging efficiency was not.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The future of electro- and photo-nuclear physics

Abstract The behaviour of nucleon-nucleon forces in nuclear physics has been that they get stronger, with decreasing internucleon separation. This behaviour should cease when R becomes of the order of Λ−1, where Λ ~- (500 MeV)−1 is the scale breaking parameter of QCD, since at this distance asymptotic freedom will set in. The connection between nuclear physics, as we know it, in terms of mesons and nucleons, and the description in terms of quarks and gluons should, therefore, be made in the regime of momentum transfers q ~ 500 MeV c . This points up the need for precision instruments, such as electron accelerators, with energies in the requisite region. In the connection between meson-exchange forces and quarks, the pion plays a fundamental role. Since the pion is a collective quark-antiquark excitation, it can be very small in extent. This means that it may be justifiable to use pion-exchange forces down to small distances, ~ Λ−1, If one does this, the pion exchange force mixes S- and D-states in the ground state of the nucleon in order to produce a highly deformed object. Such deformation corrects for major deficiencies in the constituent quark model.
Influence of water flow on pipe inspection

From various studies by different investigators it has been now well established that a number of cylindrical guided wave modes are sensitive to the pipe wall defects. Several investigations by these authors and other researchers showed that the strengths of the guided waves propagating through a pipe that is placed in air are reduced when the pipe wall defects are encountered. This reduction is expected because the pipe wall defects (gouge, dent, removed metal due to corrosion etc.) alter the pipe geometry, hampering the free propagation of guided wave modes. When water flows through the pipes, the guided wave technique becomes more challenging because the flowing water absorbs part of the propagating acoustic energy. Flowing water may also induce some standing modes. The propagating cylindrical guided wave modes become leaky modes in presence of the flowing water, in other words energy leaks into water. Therefore, the energy detected by a receiver, placed at a large distance from the transmitter, is reduced even for a defect free pipe. Further reduction in the signal strength occurs in presence of defects.
Gender Differences in Cardiac Arrhythmias in the Elderly

Cardiac arrhythmias are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Gender differences have been described in the incidence and clinical course of various arrhythmias in the elderly. Gender appears to influence response to therapies such as implantable cardiac devices. The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in this area of electrophysiology. Further research is required to enhance our current knowledge of this complex subject.
Fore-aft translation aftereffects.

A general theme in sensory perception is that exposure to a stimulus makes it seem more neutral such that perception of subsequent stimuli is shifted in the opposite direction. The visual motion aftereffect (MAE) is an extensively studied example of this. Although similar effects have been described in other sensory systems, it has not previously been described in the vestibular system. Velocity storage has been extensively studied in the vestibular system and suggests a persistence of perception in the direction of the initial movement. The current study sought to determine how motion perception is influenced by prior movement in darkness. Thirteen human subjects (mean age 41, range 21–68) underwent whole-body fore–aft translation. The threshold of vestibular motion discrimination perception was measured using a single interval (1I) of motion lasting 0.5 s in which subjects identified their direction of motion as forward or backward using an adaptive staircase. The translation aftereffect (TAE) was measured in 2-interval (2I) experiments: The adapting stimulus moved 15 cm in 1.5 s (peak velocity 20 cm/s, peak acceleration 42 cm/s2). After a fixed inter-stimulus interval (ISI) of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 3 s, a second stimulus lasting 0.5 s was delivered and the subject identified the perceived direction of the second test stimulus. The test stimulus was determined using an adaptive staircase. The ISI was constant within the block, but adapting stimuli directions were randomly interleaved. During the 1I condition, the response bias was near zero in all subjects. With a 2I stimulus, 8 of 13 subjects demonstrated a significant bias. At an ISI of 0.5 s, a minority of subjects demonstrated a bias in the same direction as the adapter. When the ISI was 1, 1.5, or 3 s, all subjects who demonstrated a significant TAE had one in the opposite direction of the adapter, similar to that seen for MAE. When averaged across subjects, the TAE was significant with ISIs of 1.0 s and above. These findings demonstrate that perception of vestibular stimuli depends on prior motion. This has important implications for understanding and quantifying vestibular perception.
Breakthrough of 6% people productivity improvement via the development of Cloud Monitor

To maintain high stability and production yield of production equipment in a semiconductor fab, on-line quality monitoring of wafers is required. In current practice, physical metrology is performed only on monitor wafers that are periodically added in production equipment for processing with production wafers. In addition to control wafers usage and loss of tool availability, however, routine monitoring does result in a huge cost of manual operation loading. This is equivalent to about 15% loss of people productivity. To give consideration to quality control and people productivity improvement, the system of Cloud Monitor (CM) is proposed based on stepwise regression and principle component analysis (PCA). The CM is verified by test-runs on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes. Eight monitor items are considered. The CM is effective to construct forecast models with 1.34% mean absolute prediction errors (MAPE) and 100% OOC catch rate (OCR). The experimental results indicate that the CM is capable of predicting quality of production wafers using real-time sensor data from production equipment. Its performance abnormality or drift can be detected timely as well as improving people productivity.
Bulk modulus and thermal expansion coefficient of mechano-chemically synthesized Mg2FeH6 from high temperature and high pressure studies

Abstract Mg2FeH6 was synthesized by ball milling MgH2 and Fe (2:1 molar ratio) mixture for 72 h followed by heating at 400 °C under H2 pressure. The hydride formation, its structure and homogeneity were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. High pressure in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Vienna ab initio simulation were used to determine bulk modulus of the sample. The bulk modulus of Mg2FeH6 was found to be 75.4(4) GPa by optimized experiment and 76.3 GPa by theoretical simulation. From high temperature in situ X-ray diffraction study the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient of Mg2FeH6 was found to be αv = 5.85(3) × 10−5 + 7.47(7) × 10−8 (T − To)/°C. Decomposition of Mg2FeH6 was observed at 425 °C and the decomposition products were Mg, Fe and H2.
Death Concerns of Students, Employed Persons and Retired Persons

This study investigated the death concerns of three groups, 258 participants, in different temporal phases of life. These groups, 86 participants each, were high school students, X 16.3 years, persons in the work force, X 42.5 years, and a retired group, X 68.9 years. The fifteen question survey developed by Epstein was administered individually to each participant [1]. Non parametric analysis indicated a difference existed between the groups on eight of the fifteen items. In the retired group, concern centered around being helpless and dependent. The working group's concern was greater than the student and retired groups for both pain in dying and dying before ready. The students had greater concern over losing persons cared for, death as finality and punishment after death than did the other groups. Combined responses indicate concern over losing persons cared for, making loved ones unhappy, taking a long time to die, and being helpless and dependent are central themes to all groups. Discussions of d...
Thermal comparison of Infiniti OZil and Signature Ellips phacoemulsification systems.

Purpose To determine thermal characteristics of Signature Ellips (Abbott Medical Optics) and Infiniti OZil (Alcon, Inc.) transverse ultrasound and compare both with longitudinal ultrasound in clinically relevant scenarios. Design Laboratory investigation. Methods Temperature increase over baseline after 60 seconds was measured in water at positions in 90-degree increments around the sleeve near the proximal needle shaft in an artificial chamber for Ellips and OZil on continuous ultrasound with aspiration blocked and unblocked. This was also done with Signature using longitudinal ultrasound, with and without micropulse (6 ms on, 12 ms off), with aspiration blocked and unblocked, and at the OZil sleeve tip on continuous transverse mode with aspiration unblocked. Results OZil (8.1 ± 0.3 C) had greater temperature increase than Ellips (5.2 ± 0.3 C; P P P P = .57). OZil was cooler at the tip (6.6 ± 0.2 C; P Conclusions Metal stress probably creates heat at the proximal needle junction for both transverse methods. Heat generation differences between OZil and Ellips result from the manner in which they create needle motion. Incision burns may occur, especially for OZil, under nonpulsed settings during fragment removal with occlusion when reaching across the anterior chamber such that the proximal needle shaft came near the wound.
Hormonal regulation and expression of the jun-D protooncogene in specific cell types of the rat uterus.

Abstract Steroid hormone regulation and cell-type specific expression of the jun -D protooncogene in rat uterus was examined. Adult, ovariectomized rats were injected with progesterone, testosterone, 17β-estradiol (E 2 -17β), 16α-estradiol (E 2 -16α), dexamethasone or cycloheximide. Uteri were collected between 0 and 6 h post-treatment. Northern blot analysis of uterine RNA revealed that induction of jun -D was specific for estrogenic steroids, as progesterone and testosterone had no effect on expression of this member of the jun gene family. Treatment with E 2 -17β increased jun -D mRNA levels by approx. 5-fold, with expression reaching peak levels at 3 h after treatment and declining thereafter. Administration of E 2 -16α, a short-acting estrogen that does not cause uterine cell proliferation, increased expression of jun -D but with different kinetics compared to the long-acting E 2 -17β. The mRNA levels of jun -D increased by 3-fold 1 h after administration of E 2 -16α but declined soon after. Slight induction of jun -D mRNA by dexamethasone was apparent, but to a much lesser extent compared to estrogen. The protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, did not block jun -D induction, indicating that this is an “immediate early” response. Expression of Jun-D protein was examined by immunohistochemical methods. E 2 -17β treatment activated jun -D primarily in the nuclei of luminal and glandular epithelial cells of the endometrium. These results demonstrate that hormonal induction of jun -D is specific for estrogens and that uterine expression of this protooncogene occurs in a cell-type specific manner.
Current status of multimodel superensemble and operational NWP forecast of the Indian summer monsoon

In the last thirty years great strides have been made by large-scale operational numerical weather prediction models towards improving skills for the medium range time-scale of 7 days. This paper illustrates the use of these current forecasts towards the construction of a consensus multimodel forecast product called the superensemble. This procedure utilizes 120 of the recent-past forecasts from these models to arrive at the training phase statistics. These statistics are described by roughly 107 weights. Use of these weights provides the possibility for real-time medium range forecasts with the superensemble. We show the recent status of this procedure towards real-time forecasts for the Asian summer monsoon. The member models of our suite include ECMWF, NCEP/EMC, JMA, NOGAPS (US Navy), BMRC, RPN (Canada) and an FSU global spectral forecast model. We show in this paper the skill scores for day 1 through day 6 of forecasts from standard variables such as winds, temperature, 500 hPa geopotential height, sea level pressure and precipitation. In all cases we noted that the superensemble carries a higher skill compared to each of the member models and their ensemble mean. The skill matrices we use include the RMS errors, the anomaly correlations and equitable threat scores. For many of these forecasts the improvements of skill for the superensemble over the best model was found to be quite substantial. This real-time product is being provided to many interested research groups. The FSU multimodel superensemble, in real-time, stands out for providing the least errors among all of the operational large scale models.
Data-parallel Langevin dynamics simulations of surface growth

Abstract The basic principles of data-parallel programming on massively parallel computers are outlined and illustrated with examples from Langevin dynamics simulations of surface growth in the presence of dislocation defects.
Stable deep‐water waves propagating in one and two dimensions

Deep-water, narrow-banded wavetrains of uniform amplitude propagating in one horizontal dimension were shown to be unstable to small perturbations with nearly the same frequency and direction about 40 years ago. More recently, interactions of two narrow-banded wavetrains of uniform amplitude propagating in arbitrary directions were shown to be similarly unstable. In both cases, the instabilities have been described by either a single nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation or by two coupled NLS equations. However, the inclusion in these equations of any amount of damping (of a particular type) stabilizes the instabilities. Experiments show that the evolution of perturbed wavetrains in both cases is more accurately described by the NLS models that include damping when the amplitudes are small or moderate. When the amplitude of either the underlying waves or the perturbations is large, neither the undamped NLS model nor the damped NLS model accurately predicts the observed behaviour, which includes frequency downshifting. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Relating the Proca Photon Mass and Cosmic Vector Potential via Solar Wind

The effect of the Proca photon mass ${m}_{\mathrm{ph}}$ and cosmic vector potential ${A}_{C}$ on the dynamics of solar wind is considered. For large-enough values of the parameter ${A}_{C}{m}_{\mathrm{ph}}^{2}$, the solar wind structure at a distance of $\ensuremath{\sim}40\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{AU}$ from the Sun should change significantly with respect to the actual observed flow. The absence of such deviations gives an upper bound on the parameter ${A}_{C}{m}_{\mathrm{ph}}^{2}$ 9 orders of magnitude less than in laboratory experiments measuring torque on a toroidal magnet.
Cholinergic synaptic vesicles contain a V-type and a P-type ATPase.

Abstract: Fifty to eighty-five percent of the ATPase activity in different preparations of cholinergic synaptic vesicles isolated from Torpedo electric organ was half-inhibited by 7 μM vanadate. This activity is due to a recently purified phos-phointermediate, or P-type, ATPase. Acetylcholine (ACh) active transport by the vesicles was stimulated about 35% by vanadate, demonstrating that the P-type enzyme is not the proton pump responsible for ACh active transport. Nearly all of the vesicle ATPase activity was inhibited by N-ethyl-maleimide. The P-type ATPase could be protected from N-ethylmaleimide inactivation by vanadate, and subsequently reactivated by complexation of vanadate with deferoxamine. The inactivation-protection pattern suggests the presence of a vanadate-insensitive, A-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase consistent with a vacuolar, or V-type, activity expected to drive ACh active transport. ACh active transport was half-inhibited by 5 μM N-ethylmaleimide, even in the presence of vanadate. The presence of a V-type ATPase was confirmed by Western blots using antisera raised against three separate subunits of chromaffin granule vacuolar ATPase I. Both ATPase activities, the P-type polypeptides, and the 38-kilo-dalton polypeptide of the V-type ATPase precisely copurify with the synaptic vesicles. Solubilization of synaptic vesicles in octaethyleneglycol dodecyl ether detergent results in several-fold stimulation of the P-type activity and inactivation of the V-type activity, thus explaining why the V-type activity was not detected previously during purification of the P-type ATPase. It is concluded that cholinergic vesicles contain a P-type ATPase of unknown function and a V-type ATPase which is the proton pump
Laterally movable gate FET (LMGFET) as a resonant gate device

In our previous work, we had reported initial results on electrical behavior of a novel device called Laterally Movable Gate Field Effect Transistor or LMGFET. In this device, the gate of a FET moves parallel to the substrate surface, which causes the drain current to change linearly to gate motion. In this paper, we describe a potential application of this device as a resonant gate structure. A folded beam structure is utilized as a restraining spring in order to make spring more flexible in the direction of motion compared to the other two orthogonal directions. A high aspect ratio structure is utilized to decrease motion in the direction vertical to the substrate. The resonance frequency can be changed with device geometry resulting in an array of devices with different resonance frequencies on a chip. Five different resonant gate structures are designed with resonance frequencies lying in the audio frequency range. The structures are simulated by analytical and numerical methods. Damping effects are considered in the simulations resulting in quality factor Q values in the range of 500 to 1440 under atmospheric conditions for the designed structures.
Hydrothermal Melting Curves in Silicate-Water Systems at Pressures greater than 10 Kilobars

Fusion curves, or melting intervals, for many elements, minerals and rocks have now been measured experimentally to high pressures, but most determinations of melting relationships in the presence of water vapour have been limited to pressures below 10 kbar. It is well known that the solubility of water vapour under pressure in silicate liquids produces a marked depression of melting temperatures, as illustrated by the negative slopes, dP/dT, of the univariarit curves for the reactions: albite + vapour = liquid (Fig. 1); albite + nepheline + vapour = liquid (Fig. 2). Barth, Smith and Kadik and Khitarov have predicted that, because of the progressive change in the relative properties of water in vapour and liquid phases with increasing pressure, the slopes, dP/dT, of hydrothermal melting curves in silicate–water systems (solid–liquid–vapour) should change from negative to positive at moderate pressures, probably within the interval 3 kbar–10 kbar, with the curves passing through a temperature minimum where dT/dP = 0. We have recently extended water saturated univariant melting curves in the system NaAlSiO_4–SiO_2–H_2O from 10 to 35 kbar, using piston–cylinder apparatus, and none of the curves exhibited a temperature minimum where dT/dP = 0. Figs. 1 and 2 show some of our results. These are not complete phase diagrams; they show only the reactions encountered by two composition joins through the ternary system. Further reactions required by the existence of invariant points, I, and a singular point, S_5, will be illustrated elsewhere.
Damping requirement of a suspension seat subject to low frequency vehicle vibration and shock

Vibration attenuation performance characteristics of a suspension seat are investigated under excitations arising from different road and off-road vehicles. A Two-Degrees-of-Freedom (2-DOF) model of the suspension seat is formulated upon integration of component models, and consideration of the end-stop impacts and potential body-hop motions. Validated analytical model is applied to identify the desirable damping parameters, to achieve improved attenuation of continuous and transient vibration of varying intensities. The results, suggest that a suspension design with relatively higher compression and rebound mode damping would be desirable for realising improved shock and vibration isolation performance for vehicles with predominantly low frequency ride vibration.
INFLUENCE OF THYROID HORMONES ON CHOLESTEROL METABOLISM IN RATS WITH INDUCED OVARIAN CYSTS.

Administration of thiouracil to rats for 30 days increased the concentration of ovarian and serum cholesterol and decreased liver cholesterol. Administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) to hypothyroid rats for 20 days resulted in large ovarian follicular cysts with total and free cholesterol concentration less than 50 % that of untreated controls. Similar reduction in serum cholesterol was noted, and liver cholesterol remained subnormal. Cystic ovary formation was inhibited by concomitant thyroid hormones in doses which were only partially goiter preventing, indicating that the gonadal system is more sensitive to thyroid hormone level than is the pituitary-thyroid axis. Protection against cyst formation with increasing doses of thyroid hormones was correlated with progressively higher cholesterol concentrations in ovaries, serum, adrenals and liver. It is suggested that, in the presence of thiouracil and excessive ovarian growth, thyroid hormone action upon the liver may be partially masked, wi...
Evidence-based annotation of the malaria parasite's genome using comparative expression profiling

A fundamental problem in systems biology and whole genome sequence analysis is how to infer functions for the many uncharacterized proteins that are identified, whether they are conserved across organisms of different phyla or are phylum-specific. This problem is especially acute in pathogens, such as malaria parasites, where genetic and biochemical investigations are likely to be more difficult. Here we perform comparative expression analysis on Plasmodium parasite life cycle data derived from P. falciparum blood, sporozoite, zygote and ookinete stages, and P. yoelii mosquito oocyst and salivary gland sporozoites, blood and liver stages and show that type II fatty acid biosynthesis genes are upregulated in liver and insect stages relative to asexual blood stages. We also show that some universally uncharacterized genes with orthologs in Plasmodium species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and humans show coordinated transcription patterns in large collections of human and yeast expression data and that the function of the uncharacterized genes can sometimes be predicted based on the expression patterns across these diverse organisms. We also use a comprehensive and unbiased literature mining method to predict which uncharacterized parasite-specific genes are likely to have roles in processes such as gliding motility, host-cell interactions, sporozoite stage, or rhoptry function. These analyses, together with protein-protein interaction data, provide probabilistic models that predict the function of 926 uncharacterized malaria genes and also suggest that malaria parasites may provide a simple model system for the study of some human processes. These data also provide a foundation for further studies of transcriptional regulation in malaria parasites.
Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography for positioning the intraaortic balloon pump in the operating room.

Abstract In conclusion, TEE is useful for precise positioning of the IABP catheter in the operating room without the use of x-ray fluoroscopy.
Determination of binding effects of FN peptides with Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)

PDGF is a crucial growth factor in the human body, playing a part in cellular activity such as cell proliferation/migration, and angiogenesis. It is also linked to diseases such as atherosclerosis. Here we apply PDGF-BB to fibronectin domain binding. Four Peptides were tested originating from the first FN type III repeat (FNIII1), the heparinll-binding domain (FNIlI12-15) and the variably spliced IIICS domain. Circular dichroism was used to determine binding effects of PDGF to these peptides, evaluating the difference in signal between the addition of the independent peptides and the combination of the two. Results indicate distinct signal change in several of the target peptides when added to PDGF, indicating binding. Such results can also indicate as to positive beta-sheet secondary structure formation. This formation will be analyzed using Dichroweb software from the Centre for Protein and Membrane Structure and Dynamics (CPMSD) in Daresbury Laboratory. Results define binding trends of peptides to PDGF-BB, as well as clarify where binding on aforementioned domains best occurs.
Low-Complexity Source Coding Using Gaussian Mixture Models, Lattice Vector Quantization, and Recursive Coding with Application to Speech Spectrum Quantization

In this paper, we use the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) based multidimensional companding quantization framework to develop two important quantization schemes. In the first scheme, the scalar quantization in the companding framework is replaced by more efficient lattice vector quantization. Low-complexity lattice pruning and quantization schemes are provided for the $E_8$ Gossett lattice. At moderate to high bit rates, the proposed scheme recovers much of the space-filling loss due to the product vector quantizers (PVQ) employed in earlier work, and thereby, provides improved performance with a marginal increase in complexity. In the second scheme, we generalize the compression framework to accommodate recursive coding. In this approach, the joint probability density function (PDF) of the parameter vectors of successive source frames is modeled using a GMM. The conditional density of the parameter vector of the current source frame based on the quantized values of the parameter vector of the previous source frames is used to generate a new codebook for every current source frame. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed schemes in the application of speech spectrum quantization. The proposed scheme is shown to provide superior performance with moderate increase in complexity when compared with conventional one-step linear prediction based compression schemes for both narrow-band and wide-band speech.
Formation of a Conditioned Emotional Response (CER) Following Lesions of the Amygdaloid Complex in Rats

Formation of a conditioned emotional response (CER), using suppression of food-reinforced bar-pressing as an index, was studied in a group of rats with amygdaloid lesions (N = 5) and in a sham-operate control group (N = 5). In contrast to control animals, which typically suppressed in two to three sessions, none of the amygdaloid operates met criterion within the set limit of 15 sessions or showed signs of suppression. Increasing the intensity and duration of shock also proved ineffective in these animals. Only by punishing each bar-press during the CS period could their responding be suppressed. Further tests on generalization of conditioned suppression, performed on two of the control animals, revealed relatively flat generalization gradients, consistent with other findings. Results were discussed in terms of amygdaloid effects on non-reinforced behavior in discrimination situations. “Inhibition” of responding associated with nonreinforcement appears to involve some of the same processes that operate in...
Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Depletion in Hypertension Unmasks a New Role for Angiotensin II in Regulating Cu,Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Activity

While studying the effects of 2 weeks of angiotensin II infusion in extracellular superoxide dismutase knockout (ecSOD−/−) mice on increasing superoxide and promoting hypertension, Gongora et al1 made the surprising observation that NO production and its associated endothelium-dependent relaxation were actually improved by angiotensin II treatment in aorta from these mice without altering the expression of endothelial NO synthase. The studies were initially designed to further examine in ecSOD−/− mice the concept that an elevation of superoxide causes a compensatory increase in the expression of ecSOD, which blunts the hypertensive response to angiotensin II and preserves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. Evidence for this initial hypothesis was seen in measurements of blood pressure and in the response of isolated mesenteric resistance arteries. Angiotensin II treatment was observed to cause the hypothesized greater increase in blood pressure in the ecSOD−/− mice compared with control animals and a loss of endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine, associated with the detection of increased superoxide in the resistance arteries. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was impaired in the aorta of ecSOD−/− mice even in the absence of angiotensin II treatment. Thus, a dominant effect of depleted ecSOD in resistance arteries and aorta is an attenuation of endothelium-dependent relaxation, which could originate from superoxide scavenging NO and/or impairment of the conversion of superoxide to hydrogen peroxide, a potential alternative mediator of endothelium-dependent relaxation in mouse mesenteric resistance arteries.2 The surprising observation made in the study by Gongora …
Influence of an antacid containing aluminum and magnesium on the pharmacokinetics of cefixime.

Interaction studies in dogs have indicated that antacids significantly decrease the oral bioavailability of cefixime. Twelve healthy adult male volunteers participated in a randomized, four-way crossover trial to evaluate the influence of an aluminum-magnesium antacid (Maalox; 20 ml) on the pharmacokinetics of cefixime (400 mg). Regimens were (i) cefixime alone; (ii) cefixime simultaneous with antacid; (iii) cefixime 2 h before antacid; and (iv) cefixime 2 h after antacid. Serial blood and urine samples were collected over a 24-h period following each dose of cefixime. There was a 1-week washout interval between regimens. Cefixime concentrations in serum and urine were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Maximum cefixime concentrations in serum for regimens i through iv were (mean +/- standard deviation) 4.9 +/- 1.4, 5.7 +/- 1.3, 5.1 +/- 1.0, and 5.5 +/- 1.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. Corresponding values for area under the serum concentration-time curve extrapolated to infinity were 38.3 +/- 14.5, 42.8 +/- 13.9, 38.5 +/- 9.8, and 41.6 +/- 16.7 micrograms.h/ml. There was a trend toward increased concentrations in serum and area under the curve of cefixime when it was administered concomitantly with antacid; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P greater than 0.05; analysis of variance). We conclude that single-dose administration of an aluminum-magnesium antacid does not significantly decrease the oral bioavailability of cefixime.
Qualitative methods for identifying latent needs for new consumer technologies

In spite of the importance of staying close to their buyers, many marketers feel it is impossible to identify needs for new products through marketing research. They feel that consumer respondents simply cannot describe their wants and needs for products which are not currently on the market. This paper describes two qualitative approaches for co-creating new product concepts with consumers. The two approaches involve (1) mini-concepts (verb-object combinations representing new product functions), and (2) casting ideas as "CADWOs" or, new products people feel they cannot do without.
Bending of Rectangular Plates with Variable Rigidities

A microcomputer-oriented semianalytical method of solution is presented for rectangular plates with variable rigidity or thickness. The solution procedure is based on the classical method of separation of variables. The two-dimensional governing partial differential equation is first reduced to and ordinary difference equation. The classical unidirectional finite-difference method is then employed to solve the resulting ordinary differential equation. Results are presented for plates with different edge and loading conditions. Results for partially loaded plates with variable rigidity or thickness are presented in the literature for the first time.
Analytic streamline calculations on linear tetrahedra

Analytic solutions for streamlines within tetrahedra are used to define operators that accurately and efficiently compute streamlines. The method presented here is based on linear interpolation, and therefore produces exact results for linear velocity fields. In addition, the method requires less computation than the forward Euler numerical method. Results are presented that compare accuracy measurements of the method with forward Euler and fourth order Runge-Kutta applied to both a linear and a nonlinear velocity field.
A structural decomposition of the U.S. trade balance: Productivity, demographics and fiscal policy

Abstract The US external deficits have been the most striking manifestation of global imbalances. This paper investigates the contribution of productivity growth, demographics and fiscal policy in accounting for the evolution of the US external imbalances against industrialized countries during the last three decades. Productivity growth plays a dominant role. Demographics explain a non-negligible and nearly permanent component of the US trade deficit. Furthermore, the international demographic transition is crucial for large US external imbalances to be consistent with the persistent decline of world real interest rates observed in the data. Fiscal policy is of minor importance.