cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microsomal oxidation in the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.)

Abstract Optimal in vitro assay conditions for the microsomal enzymes effecting aldrin epoxidation and dihydroisodrin hydroxylation have been established for the house cricket Acheta domesticus (L.). Both enzymes require NADPH and oxygen and are completely inhibited by carbon monoxide. Tissue fractionation studies have revealed that these enzymes are found primarily in the tissues of the Malpighian tubules. Enzyme activity was found to be greater in female crickets than in male, the absolute levels being dependent on age in both the adult insect and in the final nymphal instar.
Titanium(III)-Ruthenium(III) Electron Transfer through 3,6-Dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonate Ligands: an Ultra-short Insulated Wire

Substituents in positions 2 and 5 of a 3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-quinonate ligand (BQ2-) bring about gross changes in the kinetics and mechanism by which ruthenium(III) complexes containing that ligand (with triethylenetetramine, trien, as spectator ligand) are reduced by aqueous titanium(III). TiIII-reduction of Ru(trien)(BQ)+ requires two mols of TiIII per mol of RuIII; the product is a RuIII hydroquinonate complex. An intermediate is involved in this reaction. Both formation and decay of the intermediate follow the kinetic pattern characteristic of outer-sphere electron-transfer (ET). In contrast, reduction of the chloro-substituted analogue, Ru(trien)(Cl2BQ)+, by TiIII has 1/1 stoichiometry, no detectable intermediate, and displays the rate behavior characteristic of inner-sphere reactions. A third pattern obtains for reduction of the methoxy-substituted analogue, Ru(trien)((OMe)2BQ)+ by TiIII. This reaction has 1/1 stoichiometry, does not involve an intermediate, and follows outer-sphere kinetics. The differ...
Early Parkinson’s disease and non-motor issues

Non motor symptoms (NMS) of PD are a key determinant of health, quality of life and societal cost of PD. Contrary to common perception, many NMS of PD occur early in PD and some may even predate the diagnosis of PD which is based on motor signs. These include olfactory deficit, sleep problems such as REM behaviour disorder, contipation and the more recently described male erectile dysfunction. The non motor quesionnaire (NMSQuest) and the recently validated NMS scale allow falgging and quantification of NMS of PD and therefore are important tools to comprehensively assess symptom load in PD.
Nuclear reactions in the 86Kr + 139La system at 710 MeV☆

Abstract Two distinct groups of reaction products are observed in the 86 Kr + 139 La system at 710 MeV. Partially damped events show an angular distribution peaked near the grazing angle while fully damped products exhibit a strongly forward-peaked angular distribution suggestive of nuclear orbiting.
Effect of methylimidazole-induced hypothyroidism in a model of low retinal neovascular incidence.

PURPOSE. To determine the effect of methylimidazole (MMI)-induced hypothyroidism in a newborn rat model of low retinal neovascular (NV) incidence. METHODS. Control and MMI-exposed newborn rats were raised either in room air or variable oxygen (40/15) until P14. All groups were then exposed to room air between postnatal day (P)14 and P20. Dams drank either tap water or water containing MMI. Eyes of animals in all groups were enucleated, and retinas were removed and stained with adenosine diphosphatase and analyzed for peripheral avascularity, vascular density, and NV incidence and severity. RESULTS. In the control group, MMI treatment did not promote the development of retinal NV although a linear relationship (r = 0.99, P < 0.01) was found between increased MMI dose and lower peripheral retinal vascular densities. In all the 40/15 groups, peripheral retinal vascular densities were lower (P < 0.05) than normal and were not a function of MMI dose. Increased MMI dose produced increased retinal incidence of NV (r = 0.99, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. These data are consistent with the notions that thyroid function contributes to normal retinal vascular density and that hypothyroidism can play a permissive role in the development of retinal NV.
The future of native languages

Abstract This paper examines some of the difficulties facing forecasting about the fate of endangered languages. It is argued that previous efforts to predict the number of languages that will become extinct in the next century are flawed in that they do not make fine enough distinctions between language situations and they assume that socio-economic patterns that characterized the colonial period and the rise of the nation state will continue indefinitely. Several breaks from the past, which may affect language death, are examined, including language revitalization programs, information technology, globalization, and environmental degradation.
Evidence for long-period global oscillations of the Sun

THE results of our observations of the solar potassium resonance absorption line at 7,699 A using integrated solar light from the McMath telescope at Kitt Peak together with an atomic beam resonance scattering apparatus are reported here. In two long runs on successive days we observed wavelength oscillations of large amplitude with a period close to 160 min. If, as we believe, these oscillations are produced by motions of the photosphere, they provide evidence for oscillations of the entire Sun. We describe our experimental method, the analysis of the observations, and the results we obtain, and compare these with previous results.
Alfvénon, driven reconnection and the direct generation of the field‐aligned current

The patchy and intermittent nature of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction suggests that MHD mesoscale processes are important in the description of transport at the magnetopause. In order to deal with the nonlinear electromagnetic interaction of localized fluctuations in a highly inhomogeneous region such as the magnetopause, a quasi-particle description involving compressional and shear Alfvenons is introduced to give the particle-like behavior of the corresponding MHD waves. The driven nature of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction, and in particular driven reconnection, is discussed in terms of the interactions between these Alfvenons, and between Alfvenons and the ambient magnetic field. The dependence of the threshold conditions for the onset of the driven reconnection on the IMF and the dynamic pressure of the solar wind is calculated by analyzing the generation and interaction of the Alfvenons. The conversion of compressional Alfvenons into shear Alfvenons gives a mechanism for the direct generation of field-aligned current filaments.
Guided Lamb Wave Propagation in Composite Plate/Concrete Component

This research examines the propagation of guided Lamb waves in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bonded components, establishing the effectiveness of combining laser ultrasonic techniques with a time frequency representation (TFR) to experimentally measure the dispersion curves of a concrete component repaired with a FRP plate. A TFR is used to operate on experimentally measured, guided Lamb waves to resolve a FRP bonded component's individual modes and generate its dispersion curves. The objective of this research is to demonstrate that it is possible to develop the dispersion curves of FRP bonded components from a single, experimentally measured guided Lamb wave. The experimental results show that the stiffer the bond, the more deviation from the behavior of a free plate specimen, and the less modes that are present.
Complex Permittivity Model for Time Domain Reflectometry Soil Water Content Sensing. II. Calibration

Despite numerous applications of time domain reflectometry (TDR), serious difficulties in estimating accurate soil water contents under field conditions remain, especially in fine-textured soils. A complex dielectric mixing model was calibrated for fine-textured soils (24-45% clay) and its accuracy was evaluated and compared with empirical calibrations. The Ap and Bt horizons of two soils were packed into columns and adjusted to volumetric water contents (θ) ranging from air dry to near saturation. Travel time and bulk electrical conductivity (σ 0 ) were measured using TDR at temperatures (T) of 8, 22, and 40°C and using three coaxial cables to obtain a range of input spectrum bandwidths (ω S ). Apparent permittivities (K a ) were predicted using the complex permittivity model with measured θ, T, σ 0 , ω S , and soil bulk density, and fitted to measured K a by optimizing specific surface area (As), the power-law exponent (a), and an empirical polarization loss factor. Measured K a was best approximated using the power-law dielectric mixing model with a semiempirical effective frequency estimate and a = 0.68. Predicted As increased with increasing clay content, cation exchange capacity, and measured specific surface areas. The two-parameter power-law calibration removed temperature bias in θ estimates and reduced the RMSE in θ estimates by an average of 0.006 m 3 m -3 compared with an empirical calibration. Empirical models predicted field θ with oscillations of up to 0.022 m 3 m -3 in phase with soil temperatures resulting from permittivity temperature dependencies. In contrast, the calibrated dielectric mixing model removed or dampened in-phase θ fluctuations to <0.004 m 3 m -3 , which permitted the detection of more subtle changes (<0.02 m 3 m -3 ) in θ.
Vertical Responses of Atlantic Croaker to Gas Supersaturation and Temperature Change

Abstract Vertical responses of juvenile Atlantic croakers (Micropogon undulatus) to acute supersaturation of nitrogen and oxygen and to changing temperature were observed in a 2.5-m-tall test cylinder supplied with flowing estuarine water. Supersaturation of nitrogen caused an initial upward movement of fish, although a compensatory downward response seemed to occur after 2–4 hours of exposure. Supersaturation of oxygen resulted in an almost immediate downward movement of fish. Abrupt upward displacement of fish followed water-temperature changes, especially increases. Similarities between the behavior of croakers in these experiments and the behavior of other physoclists after swim-bladder volume manipulation suggested that gas supersaturation caused the swim bladders of our fish to inflate, resulting first in upward drift and then in downward swimming to restore neutral buoyancy. A nonlinear response model incorporating this hypothesis accounted for 62% of the variation (over all experiments) in mean ve...
Prediction of high-temperature oxygen isotope fractionation factors between mantle minerals

The increment method is adopted to calculate oxygen isotope fractionation factors for mantle minerals, particularly for the polymorphic phases of MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4. The results predict the following sequence of 18O-enrichment: pyroxene (Mg,Fe,Ca)2Si2O6>olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4>spinel (Mg,Fe)2SiO4>ilmenite (Mg,Fe, Ca)SiO3>perovskite (Mg,Fe,Ca)SiO3. The calculated fractionations for the calcite-perovskite (CaTiO3) system are in excellent agreement with experimental calibrations. If there would be complete isotopic equilibration in the mantle, the spinel-structured silicates in the transition zone are predicted to be enriched in 18O relative to the perovskite-structured silicates in the lower mantle but depleted in 18O relative to olivines and pyroxenes in the upper mantle. The oxygen isotope layering of the mantle would essentially result from differences in the chemical composition and crystal structure of mineral phases at different mantle depths. Assuming isotopic equilibrium on a whole earth scale, the chemical structure of the Earth's interior can be described by the following sequence of 18O-enrichment: uppr crust>lower crust>upper mantle>transition zone>lower mantle >core.
On the modeling of irradiation-induced homogeneous precipitation in proton-bombarded Ni-Si solid solutions

Abstract Irradiation-induced solute redistribution leading to precipitation of coherent γ' particles in undersaturated Ni-based solid solutions containing 6 and 8 at.% Si during 400-keV proton bombardment was modeled, based on the concept of solute segregation in concentrated alloys under spatially-dependent defect production conditions. The combined effects of (i) an extremely large difference between the defect production rates in the peak-damage and mid-range regions during irradiation and (ii) a preferential coupling between the interstitial and solute fluxes generate a net transient flux of Si atoms into the mid-range region, which is much larger than the solute flux out of this location. As a result, the Si concentration exceeds the solubility limit and homogeneous precipitation of the γ' phase occurs in this particular region of the irradiated samples. The spatial, compositional and temperature dependences of irradiation-induced homogeneous precipitation derived from the present theoretical calculations are in good qualitative agreement with experimental observations
Dissociation of cellular proliferation and c-myc expression by buttercup extract.

ABSTRACT Buttercup extract (BE), an extract the buttercup plant (Zanthoriza simplicissima), inhibits RNA and DNA synthesis by HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Exposure of these cells to 3% BE for 48 hours results in dramatic Inhibition of RNA synthesis without loss of cell viability. The effect of BE is partially reversible over 12–24 hours with the level of RNA synthesis returning nearly to control levels during this time period. INST A synthesis is also reversibly inhibited by exposure to BE. Despite the inhibition of RNA synthesis in HL-60 cells, there is no decrease in the level of c-myc mRNA, even at high BE concentrations. The level of gene-specific mRNA for the c-Ha-ras, cfms, and c-mos genes in these cells also remained constant during exposure to BE. Ribosomal RNA is not degraded during 24 hours of BE treatment in vitro, suggesting that BE does not maintain the relative mRNA level for these genes by selective degradation of other RNA species. The inhibition of RNA and DNA synthesis by BE without a corresponding alteration in the level of expression of the C-MYC gene suggests that this agent dissociates C-MYC expression and cellular proliferation in these cells.
Managing recalls in a consumer product supply chain – root cause analysis and measures to mitigate risks

The focus of this study is to analyse the management of recalls in a consumer products supply chain, as well as the reasons, costs, and measures to prevent recalls. A Six Sigma DMAIC methodology is used to understand the root causes and management of recalls and also analyse the costs in a consumer products supply chain. There are many variables in a supply chain, so it is essential for manufacturers to have procedures in place to prevent failures that result in a product recall. It is important that companies have traceability capability or containment measures for parts, products and processes throughout a global supply chain in the event a quality or safety issue arises. Companies in the consumer products industry need to consider not only the cost to their financials in an event of a product recall, but also the loss in terms of goodwill and consumer risk. It is clear from recent Toyota recall and others, companies need to seriously examine their strategic business objectives with their priorities in ...
The Deformation of aluminum foams

The compressive flow behavior of Al, Al−7 pct Mg and 7075 Al alloy foams has been determined in structures whose void fraction varies from 0.80 to 0.95 of the total volume. In all cases, a greater than linear increase in flow strength with increase in density was exhibited, indicating that bending stresses within the foam structure are an important feature of the collapse mode. The flow strength did not follow proportionately changes in bulk flow strength in comparisons of either alloy or of heat-treatment conditions. Ancillary tensile and metallographic observations show that this lack of correlation arises because the different foams collapse by different modes with localized fracture becoming dominant in the higher strength 7075 alloy. The energy absorbing efficiency was found to be independent of foam density for all the materials. However, the efficiency was found to be a strong function of the alloy and heat treatment increasing from about 30 pct in Al, to 43 pct in Al−7 pct Mg and to 50 pct in the solution heat treated and aged 7075 alloy. The increase in efficiency occurs because of an increase in the propensity to fracture in the higher strength alloys which introduces the potential for a propagating constant-stress collapse process.
Nuclear DNA and salmonid phylogenetics

There are many unresolved problems in salmonid systematics, both at the interspecific and sub-specific levels. Some of the major systematic problems in the subfamily Salmoninae are briefly reviewed along with the available molecular methods for their analysis. Nuclear DNA markers available for use in molecular systematics include localized and dispersed highly repetitive DNA sequences, moderately repetitive sequences such as the ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA), and single copy DNA sequences. Both coding and non-coding sequences can be examined in the rDNA and single copy DNA. The rDNA is especially suitable for use in phylogenetic analysis, since different regions evolve at different rates and can be used for comparisons at different taxonomic levels. Comparison of restriction maps of the entire rDNA repeating unit in 17 salmonid species from Hucho. Sahelinus, Salmo and Oncorhynchus has shown that the transcribed spacer regions are the most informative for interspecific comparisons and that the intergenic spacer has potential for use in intraspecific comparisons. Our current approach is to amplify selected regions from each of these spacers for analysis by DNA sequencing. DNA sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers should be very informative in elucidating interspecific relationships in Salvelinus and Oncorhynchus. Analysis of a hypervariable region in the intergenic spacer has potential for identification of geographically separated stocks. The relative utility of different types of nuclear DNA sequences for identification of stocks and subspecies is examined.
Embracing Paradox in Management: The Value of the Competing Values Framework

In the late 1970s, numerous organizational behavior and theory researchers focused on and debated the usefulness of the construct of organizational effectiveness. Indeed, in the first chapter of th...
Time domain fundamental solution to Biot's complete equations of dynamic poroelasticity. Part I: Two-dimensional solution†

Abstract This paper develops transient fundamental solution for Biot's full dynamic two-dimensional equations of poroelasticity. An explicit, well-posed Laplace transform domain fundamental solution is obtained for the governing differential equations which are established in terms of solid displacements and fluid pressure. In some limiting cases, the solutions are shown to reduce to those of classical elastodynamics and steady state poroelasticity, thus ensuring the validity of our result. The closed-form transient fundamental solutions both for the limiting case (early time approximation) and for the general case are derived from corresponding ones in the Laplace transform domain by means of Laplace transform techniques. They represent the very first satisfactory fundamental solutions in the real-time domain for full dynamic poroelasticity. Some characteristics of the solutions are investigated. Selected numerical results are presented to demonstrate the features of the waves, and the accuracy of the solution is established by comparing them with Laplace transform domain solutions. To complete the ingredients for developing the BEM, the Betti's reciprocal theorem is extended to the full dynamic poroelasticity, based on which a time domain boundary integral equation is obtained.
Cross-sectional mortality studies and air pollution risk assessment

Abstract The use of coefficients, derived from cross-sectional mortality studies, for air pollution risk assessment is quite controversial. In this study, the major limitations of cross-sectional studies are reviewed. The consistency of results from the major recent cross-sectional studies is examined, and the sensitivity of results to model specification is analyzed. Finally, the implications for risk assessment of our inquiries are discussed.
MEASUREMENTS OF CURRENTS ALONG THE EQUATOR IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

IN recent years large, high-speed, eastward flows beneath the surface along the equator have been discovered and/or rediscovered1. The structure of the Cromwell Current in the central and eastern Pacific has been described in some detail2. The current is symmetrical about the equator, has a transport as great as 40 × 106 m3/ sec and has a maximum speed in the thermocline of about three knots. The current appears to be steady and to be in geostrophic balance to within a half a degree of the equator. The distributions of oxygen, salinity and other properties indicate upwelling of water along the equator and strong vertical mixing. The observations in the Atlantic Ocean indicate that the current structure there is remarkably similar3.
Tier automation representation of communication protocols

The tier automation is presented as a model for communication protocols. Several advantages of the model are cited, among which are universality of representation and manipulability. A scheme for using the tier automation to model specific distributed architectures and their protocols is described. The scheme is then used on a sample protocol and a transmission session with the sample protocol as exhibited.
Implementing the National Curriculum: Some teachers' dilemmas

(1990). Implementing the National Curriculum: Some teachers' dilemmas. Education 3-13: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 3-10.
Laboratory proficiency in blood banking: the variability of blood bank reagents for blood typing.

. A statistical analysis of the 1970 College of American Pathologists Comprehensive Blood Bank Survey was made to determine if variability of blood bank reagents may affect the testing of laboratory proficiency in blood banking. Antisera marketed by 5 manufacturers were used sufficiently widely for satisfactory statistical comparisons. Discordant results were noted among manufacturers of sera used to detect A1-positive, A-positive, rh' (C)-positive, rh' (C)-negative, hr' (c)-positive and hr'(e)-positive. This indicates an undesirable variability of some batches of blood bank reagents.
Chronic Myocarditis Induced by T Cells Reactive to a Single Cardiac Myosin Peptide: Persistent Inflammation, Cardiac Dilatation, Myocardial Scarring and Continuous Myocyte Apoptosis

Recent recognition that an autoimmune myocarditis may precede, and result in, dilated cardiomyopathy has focused attention on immune mechanisms of myocardial injury. In this paper, we describe a model of chronic autoimmune myocarditis in the Lewis rat. The production of myocarditis has been previously described by this group and in brief is accomplished by a single tail vein infusion of activated T cells specific for a 17-amino acid peptide from rat cardiac myosin. In this report, animals were followed for approximately 6 months post-T-cell infusion. Hearts from animals which received cardiac myosin specific T cells all showed extensive fibrosis associated with ongoing inflammation. Apoptosis, identified by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL), was identified as a mode of myocyte death in hearts with acute and chronic myocarditis but not in age- and sex-matched controls. Immunohistochemistry was used to characterize the immune infiltrate and adhesion molecules in hearts with chronic myocarditis and these findings were compared to hearts with acute myocarditis. We propose that this rat model of chronic myocarditis mimics human disease, since inflammation results in ventricular dilatation and myocyte hypertrophy reminiscent of dilated cardiomyopathy. This model offers potential for further investigation of immune, functional and possible therapeutic aspects of autoimmune related cardiomyopathies.
IDENTIFYING PROBABLE FAILURE MODES FOR UNDERGROUND OPENINGS USING A NEURAL NETWORK

Abstract The design of underground openings in complex geological environments is restrained by our limitations in defining the geological environment in which the opening will be created and in modelling the response of the geological environment to the excavation created and support procedures used. This paper describes the use of a neural network to identify probable failure modes for underground openings from prior case history information. This step in geotechnical design is a critical step in identifying the dominant geologic parameters to be included in a simplified geologic and engineering model. The structure of the neural network adopted and the “learning” algorithm by which the neural network obtains its knowledge from case histories are described. The results of “learning” are then used to examine the operational characteristics of the neural network. Four experiments are designed to test its abilities in inferring possible failure modes, retrieving patterns from partial cues (content-addressability) and in resistance to faulty input data. Limitations of and possible improvements on the neural network are also described. Use of the knowledge obtained by the neural network learning in a geotechnical design context is demonstrated by a tunnel design assistance system. This neural network approach differs from conventional rule-based expert systems in the manner of knowledge representation and the problem solving process. Instead of applying rules and facts to end up with conclusions, the approach solves problems by pattern matching and allows input information to be incomplete and vague.
Surface-treatment chemistry in the manufacture of aerogels: computational modelling of cyclic and linear siloxanes

Abstract An essential feature of some aerogel manufacturing processes is the `end-capping' of reactive silanol groups in the undried silica gel. Whilst the chemistry associated with the monofunctional trimethylsilanol-based processes is relatively straightforward, alternative chemistry involving multifunctional silylation reagents is not. An example of a multifunctional reagent is dimethyldichlorosilane, which rapidly hydrolyzes in aqueous environments, and in the hydrolyzed form, can condense with itself, yielding linear silanols. The resulting silanols may then further condense to form cyclic siloxanes. Such reactions will inevitably occur under typical end-capping conditions, so it is necessary to consider these when addressing the details of such treatments. We have used a variety of computational methods, including semi-empirical AM1 and PM3 as well as quantum mechanical HF/MP2 at the 6-31+G * and 6-311++G ** levels of theory, to investigate some of the siloxane species as isolated molecules. These calculations permit us to compare the enthalpies of formation of the various molecules. Furthermore, we are able to calculate various geometric attributes of the siloxanes. The calculations indicate that in the isolated state, the initial hydrolyses are nearly isoenthalpic, so other mechanisms are needed to explain the strong exothermicity observed in the laboratory. Chain extension of the linear diols is seen to be mildly exothermic with each step. Of the cyclic siloxanes, formation of the trimer, tetramer and pentamer are enthalpically most favored.
Temporal discounting in life cycle assessment: A critical review and theoretical framework

Abstract Temporal homogeneity of inventory data is one of the major problems in life cycle assessment (LCA). Addressing temporal homogeneity of life cycle inventory data is important in reducing the uncertainties and improving the reliability of LCA results. This paper attempts to present a critical review and discussion on the fundamental issues of temporal homogeneity in conventional LCA and propose a theoretical framework for temporal discounting in LCA. Theoretical perspectives for temporal discounting in life cycle inventory analysis are discussed first based on the key elements of a scientific mechanism for temporal discounting. Then generic procedures for performing temporal discounting in LCA is derived and proposed based on the nature of the LCA method and the identified key elements of a scientific temporal discounting method. A five-step framework is proposed and reported in details based on the technical methods and procedures needed to perform a temporal discounting in life cycle inventory analysis. Challenges and possible solutions are also identified and discussed for the technical procedure and scientific accomplishment of each step within the framework.
Efficient Salmonella entry requires activity cycles of host ADF and cofilin

Entry of Salmonella into mammalian cells is strictly dependent on the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton induced by a panel of Salmonella type III secreted proteins. Although several factors have been identified to be responsible for inducing the actin polymerization and stability, little is known about how the actin depolymerization contributes to Salmonella-induced actin rearrangements. We report here that activity cycles of host actin depolymerizing factor (ADF and cofilin) are modulated by Salmonella during bacterial entry. Efficient Salmonella internalization involves an initial dephosphorylation of ADF and cofilin followed by phosphorylation, suggesting that ADF and cofilin activities are increased briefly. Expression of a kinase dead form of an ADF/cofilin kinase (LIM kinase 1) or a catalytically inactive ADF/cofilin phosphatase (Slingshot), but not constitutively active LIM kinase 1 or wild-type Slingshot, resulted in decreased invasion. These data suggest that ADF/cofilin activities play a key role in the actin polymerization/depolymerization process induced by Salmonella. The activation of ADF/cofilin is brief and has to be reversed to facilitate efficient bacterial entry. Surprisingly, co-expression of constitutive active ADF and cofilin prevented efficient Salmonella entry, whereas expression of either one alone had no effect. We propose that ADF and cofilin actin-dynamizing activities and their activity cycling via phosphorylation are required for efficient Salmonella internalization.
A forearm actuation unit for an upper extremity prosthesis

This paper presents the design of a 14 degree-of-motion forearm actuation unit for an upper extremity prosthesis. The forearm utilizes pneumatic type actuators which use the reaction products of a monopropellant gas generator as a working fluid. The use of pneumatic type actuators provides a near-human power density, such that the fourteen actuator forearm unit can deliver approximately one half of the force and power capability of a human arm, with a total package size that fits within the volumetric constraints of a 50th percentile female forearm (excluding the cartridge of liquid propellant). This paper describes the design of the forearm. The design has been fabricated, and experimental results are presented that demonstrate the closed-loop force tracking capability. An accompanying video further demonstrates the forearm performance.
A new model for the performance evaluation of synchronous circuit switched multistage interconnection networks

Patel (1981) proposed a probabilistic approach to analyze the performance of synchronous multistage interconnection networks (MINs) based on a uniform reference model and the assumption of independent requests. Patel's model and analytical results have been widely adopted by numerous researchers as a basis to investigate various aspects of MINs. We study in detail the effects of the independence assumption on the accuracy of system performance and point out the factors which cause an inaccuracy. A new queueing model is then proposed and is shown to be very accurate. Since only six states are needed, independent of the size of MINs, this new model is very efficient computationally.
Flow Cytometry in the Management of Breast Cancer

There is a pressing need for the further definition of prognostic factors capable of defining the clinical course of patients with primary breast cancer. Current data suggest that approximately 50% of women will present with node-negative (N -) disease, 35% with node-positive (N + ) disease, and 15% with metastases [37]. Of these patients, 25% with N - and 60% with N + will develop locally recurrent or metastatic disease over a 10-year follow-up period. Adjuvant chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy following primary treatment provides potentially curative treatment for an additional 10%–25% of patients with N+ disease, and current trials suggest benefit in N- patients [35]. For patients with primary operable breast cancer, a continuing clinical dilemma related to the use of adjuvant therapy is the need to treat all patients of a given stage in order to provide effective treatment for only a small proportion of the population. Although tumor size, histologic grade, and steroid receptor status provide information suggesting recurrence risk for large groups of patients, there remains no satisfactory tool for accurate prediction of recurrence in the individual.
An Approach to Hosting Versioned Web Services

With the growing adoption of service oriented computing, Web services are becoming important building blocks of distributed applications. As these services inevitably evolve and change, service version management will increasingly become a key part of the service lifecycle. To address this versioning requirement from the service provider's point of view, we propose two key concepts. The first is to draw a distinction between a service's interface version and its implementation version. The second is to employ a tiered hosting model which echoes this structure, by introducing a version routing point in front of the actual service implementation versions. This version routing point routes versioned requests to the appropriate implementation versions. We have implemented a prototype of our approach on IBM's WebSphere Process Server and WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus. We show our results with a versioned test service to demonstrate the capabilities of our proposal.
Monte Carlo Modeling of Heat Generation in Electronic Nanostructures

This work develops a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method for calculating the heat generation rate in electronic nanostructures. Electrons accelerated by the electric field scatter strongly with optical phonons, yet heat transport in silicon occurs via the faster acoustic modes. The MC method incorporates the appropriate energy transfer rates from electrons to each phonon branch. This accounts for the non-equilibrium energy exchange between the electrons and phonon branches. Using the MC method with an electron energy-dependent scattering rate intrinsically accounts for the non-locality of the heat transfer near a strongly peaked electric field. This approach provides more information about electronically generated heat at nanoscale dimensions compared to traditional macroscopic field-dependent methods. The method has applications in any region of high spatial or temporal non-equilibrium between electrons and phonons, and particularly facilitates careful microscopic analysis of heating in a nanoscale transistor.
Comparative dynamic response characteristics of primates exposed to vibratory stress

A comparison of the mechanical impedance response characteristics of humans and rhesus monkeys exposed to sinusoidal vibration was undertaken to establish similarities and differences in dynamic response characteristics for human surrogate models. The results indicate that the impedance response characteristics are dependent on anatomical variations between the two species. The rhesus monkey demonstrates a predominant response of the supporting structures of the upper and lower torso, while the human primary response includes a dependence on visceral dynamics of the thoraco-abdominal region. >
First global census of the Adélie Penguin

ABSTRACT We report on the first global census of the Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), achieved using a combination of ground counts and satellite imagery, and find a breeding population 53% larger (3.79 million breeding pairs) than the last estimate in 1993. We provide the first abundance estimates for 41 previously unsurveyed colonies, which collectively contain 420,000 breeding pairs, and report on 17 previously unknown colonies, 11 of which may be recent colonizations. These recent colonizations represent ∼5% of the increase in known breeding population and provide insight into the ability of these highly philopatric seabirds to colonize new breeding territories. Additionally, we report on 13 colonies not found in the survey, including 8 that we conclude have gone extinct. We find that Adelie Penguin declines on the Antarctic Peninsula are more than offset by increases in East Antarctica. Our global population assessment provides a robust baseline for understanding future changes in abundance and d...
Transmitral Flow Propagation Velocity and Assessment of Diastolic Function During Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Introduction: In the perioperative arena, pronounced changes in cardiac loading conditions can make assessment of diastolic parameters difficult. A number of Doppler techniques have been introduced to assess perioperative diastolic function. Objectives: To compare transmitral flow propagation velocity (Vp) with other pulse-wave Doppler echocardiographic assessments of diastolic function in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) resection. Design: A prospective observational study. Study Subjects: Forty-five consecutive patients undergoing elective AAA repair under general anesthesia. Methods: Transesophageal echocardiographic examination was performed before, during, and after removal of the aortic cross-clamp (AXC). Diastolic function was categorized on the basis of the ratio of transmitral pulse-wave Doppler (PWD) into early (E) and late (A) waves and their ratio (E/A), deceleration time, and use of pulmonary venous inflow patterns to identify pseudonormal pattern. Subjects were then assessed by using the Canadian Consensus Guidelines (CCG) and on the basis of transmitral flow Vp. The correlation among methods for diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction and pseudonormal pattern was examined. Diastolic function over each of the 3 periods to assess changes during AXC was examined. Results: Data analysis was completed in 35 patients. The authors found excellent correlation between E/A ratio and Vp for diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction (24/25 cases) and a pseudonormal pattern (18/20 cases). The CCG methodology identified fewer cases of diastolic dysfunction than Vp (p = 0.003). The evaluation using CCG methodology could not be categorized in 15% of cases. The incidence of diastolic dysfunction increased during placement of AXC with both Vp and CCG (p 0.5 for all). Conclusion: Vp assessment identified the majority (93%) of cases of diastolic dysfunction identified by traditional methods. Furthermore, the incidence of diastolic dysfunction increased with application of the AXC but returned to baseline after removal.
Oxysterol-Induced Osteogenic Differentiation of Marrow Stromal Cells is Regulated by Dkk-1 Inhibitable and PI3-Kinase Mediated Signaling

Osteoporosis and its complications cause morbidity and mortality in the aging population, and result from increased bone resorption by osteoclasts in parallel with decreased bone formation by osteoblasts. A widely accepted strategy for improving bone health is targeting osteoprogenitor cells in order to stimulate their osteogenic differentiation and bone forming properties through the use of osteoinductive/anabolic factors. We previously reported that specific naturally occurring oxysterols have potent osteoinductive properties, mediated in part through activation of hedgehog signaling in osteoprogenitor cells. In the present report, we further demonstrate the molecular mechanism(s) by which oxysterols induce osteogenesis. In addition to activating the hedgehog signaling pathway, oxysterol-induced osteogenic differentiation is mediated through a Wnt signaling-related, Dkk-1-inhibitable mechanism. Bone marrow stromal cells (MSC) treated with oxysterols demonstrated increased expression of osteogenic differentiation markers, along with selective induced expression of Wnt target genes. These oxysterol effects, which occurred in the absence of beta-catenin accumulation or TCF/Lef activation, were inhibited by the hedgehog pathway inhibitor, cyclopamine, and/or by the Wnt pathway inhibitor, Dkk-1. Furthermore, the inhibitors of PI3-Kinase signaling, LY 294002 and wortmanin, inhibited oxysterol-induced osteogenic differentiation and induction of Wnt signaling target genes. Finally, activators of canonical Wnt signaling, Wnt3a and Wnt1, inhibited spontaneous, oxysterol-, and Shh-induced osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells, suggesting the involvement of a non-canonical Wnt pathway in pro-osteogenic differentiation events. Osteogenic oxysterols are, therefore, important small molecule modulators of critical signaling pathways in pluripotent mesenchymal cells that regulate numerous developmental and post-developmental processes.
The revised report on the syntactic theories of sequential control and state

Abstract The syntactic theories of control and state are conservative extensions of the λ υ -calculus for equational reasoning about imperative programming facilities in higher-order languages. Unlike the simple λ υ -calculus, the extended theories are mixtures of equivalence relations and compatible congruence relations on the term language, which significantly complicates the reasoning process. In this paper we develop fully compatible equational theories of the same imperative higher-order programming languages. The new theories subsume the original calculi of control and state and satisfy the usual Church–Rosser and Standardization Theorems. With the new calculi, equational reasoning about imperative programs becomes as simple as reasoning about functional programs.
Comments on "Efficient algorithms for spectra calculations in nonlinear microwave circuits simulators"

For the original article see IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., vol. 37, no. 11, p. 1339-55, 1990. In the above paper by Ngoya et al., an improved discrete Fourier transform for almost-periodic signals (QOM-DFT) is presented. The advantages of QOM-DFT, especially its great improvement in saving CPU time are demonstrated in comparison with two other approaches: Least-Square Quasi-Orthogonal sampling method (LSQO) and Almost-Periodic Fourier Transform (APFT). However, it is necessary to point out that there are qualitative errors in the comparisons performed by Ngoya et al. because of their mistakes in using the data from a paper by X. Zhang et al. >
Receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin at the blood-brain barrier

Rat brains were perfuse with a transferrin-peroxidase conjugate (Tf-HRP) to characterize morphologically the endocytic pathway of transferrin in blood-brain barrier endothelial cells. Electron microscopic evaluation of rat brains perfused with Tf-HRP at 4 degrees C and subsequently warmed to 37 degrees C for brief periods of time (2 minutes) showed sequestration of Tf-HRP in clathrin coated pits and vesicles on the luminal membrane of the brain endothelium. After 5 minutes of warming, diaminobenzidine (DAB) reaction product was present in vesicular structures 250-500 nm in diameter and in associated tubules morphologically identified as large or sorting endosomes. Recycling endosomes were also heavily labelled at this time point. Almost no DAB reaction product remained in the cerebral endothelial cells when the warming period was longer than 15 minutes. Other rat brains were perfused with Tf-HRP at 30 degrees C for 15 minutes prior to fixation and DAB cytochemistry. In these studies, brain endothelial cells contained large amounts of DAB reaction product, mostly localized in 50-100 nm vesicles and tubules, often in the Golgi region of the cells. Coated pits and vesicles and large endosomes were also heavily labelled. Transcytosis of Tf-HRP was not identified in either perfusion protocol. Ultrastructural, indirect immunocytochemical localization of transferrin receptors showed that the transferrin receptor is highly polarized at the blood-brain barrier and is localized only on the apical membrane, in contrast to other polarized epithelial cells, like hepatocytes, in which the receptor is present on the basolateral membrane. The evidence supports an iron transport model in which iron-loaded transferrin is taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis at the luminal membrane of brain capillaries. The iron then dissociates from transferrin in endosomal compartments and is transcytosed by unknown mechanisms, while the transferrin is retroendocytosed.
ARE TROPICAL FORESTS AN IMPORTANT CARBON SINK? REANALYSIS OF THE LONG-TERM PLOT DATA

In a recent (1998) publication of Science, data from a large number of forest inventory plots were used to estimate biomass trends in old-growth tropical forests. Al- though no evidence was found of net biomass change in mature Paleotropical forests, old growth of the humid Neotropics was inferred to have been a substantial biomass carbon sink in recent decades. Methodological artifacts affected this analysis, however. Many humid Neotropical plots were measured strictly at breast height, where tropical trees frequently have buttresses and other protruberances. Because biomass allometric equations are based on above-buttress tree diameters, and because bole irregularities show disproportionately rapid radial increments, estimates of biomass and biomass increase must be based on above- buttress measurements. In addition, some plots were on recent floodplains, where forests undergo biomass accretion during primary succession. The data set includes 25 sites from the humid lowland Neotropics that were measured above buttresses with standard techniques and that were not on recent floodplains. Mean estimated biomass change for these sites was 0.3 Mg-ha-' yr-', with a 95% confidence interval including 0.0 (-0.3 to +0.9 Mg.ha-'.yr-1). While the Science study was a laudable attempt to address an important aspect of the global carbon budget, the underlying data do not indicate a significant biomass carbon sink in old-growth forests of the humid Neotropics.
Assessment of the Dental Pipeline program from the external reviewers and National Program Office.

# Response to the Pipeline Evaluation {#article-title-2} Raymond A. Kuthy D.D.S., M.P.H. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and The California Endowment (TCE), along with each of the participating academic dental institutions, are to be commended for such a monumental undertaking in dental
Returns and Risk on Real Estate and Other Investments: More Evidence

Executive Summary. This study reviews the most recent findings on real estate returns, and organizes the reviews into five categories: (1) risk and returns; (2) diversification and portfolio optimi...