cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lens Aberration Correction Using Locally Optimal Mask Based Low Cost Light Field Cameras

We present a method to convert the ill-posed deblurring problem into a well-posed one allowing efficient deblurring of the lens aberration blur. We achieve this by building a locally optimal mask low cost lightfield camera.
Magnetophoretic mobilities correlate to antibody binding capacities.

Methods: A methodology and a mathematical theory have been developed, which allow quantitation of the expression levels of cellular surface antigens using immunomagnetic labels and cell tracking velocimetry (CTV) technology. Results: Quantum Simply Cellular (QSC) microbeads were immunomagnetically labeled with anti-CD2 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) antibodies and anti-FITC MACS paramagnetic nanoparticles. Magnetophoretic mobility has been defined as the magnetically induced velocity of the labeled cell or microbead divided by the magnetophoretic driving force, proportional to the magnetic energy density gradient. Discussion: Using computer imaging and processing technology, the mobility measurements were accomplished by microscopically recording and calculating the velocity of immunomagnetically labeled QSC microbeads in a nearly constant magnetic energy gradient. A calibration curve correlating the measured magnetophoretic mobility of the immunomagnetically labeled microbeads to their antibody binding capacities (ABC) has been obtained. Conclusion: The results, in agreement with theory, indicate a linear relationship between magnetophoretic mobility and ABC for microbeads with less than 30,000 ABC. The mathematical relationships and QSC standardization curve obtained allow determination of the number of surface antigens on similarly immunomagnetically labeled cells. Cytometry 40:307‐315, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Algae-Based Biodiesel for Household Applications

This paper presents the preliminary results of a research and developmental work on biodiesel production. An algae-based biofuel extraction system was developed for household applications. It consists of three modules: algae growth media preparation, biofuel-bearing algae growth chamber, and biodiesel extraction system. The details of the design and fabrication of these systems will be discussed. Further, the results of experiments on the selection of algae specimens and the influence of environmental variables on the growth process will be elucidated.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Lipoapoptosis in beta-cells of obese prediabetic fa/fa rats. Role of serine palmitoyltransferase overexpression.

Abstract We reported that the lipoapoptosis of beta-cells observed in fat-laden islets of obese fa/fa Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats results from overproduction of ceramide, an initiator of the apoptotic cascade and is induced by long-chain fatty acids (FA). Whereas the ceramide of cytokine-induced apoptosis may be derived from sphingomyelin hydrolysis, FA-induced ceramide overproduction seems to be derived from FA. We therefore semiquantified mRNA of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), which catalyzes the first step in ceramide synthesis. It was 2–3-fold higher in fa/fa islets than in+/+ controls. [3H]Ceramide formation from [3H]serine was 2.2–4.5-fold higher in fa/faislets. Triacsin-C, which blocks palmitoyl-CoA synthesis, andl-cycloserine, which blocks SPT activity, completely blocked [3H]ceramide formation from [3H]serine. Islets of fa/fa rats are unresponsive to the lipopenic action of leptin, which normally depletes fat and prevents FA up-regulation of SPT. To determine the role of leptin unresponsiveness in the SPT overexpression, we transferred wild type OB-Rb cDNA to their islets; now leptin completely blocked the exaggerated FA-induced increase of SPT mRNA while reducing the fat content. Beta-cell lipoapoptosis was partially prevented in vivo by treating prediabetic ZDF rats withl-cycloserine for 2 weeks. Ceramide content and DNA fragmentation both declined 40–50%. We conclude that lipoapoptosis of ZDF rats is mediated by enhanced ceramide synthesis from FA and that blockade by SPT inhibitors prevents lipoapoptosis.
Katabatic flow along a differentially cooled sloping surface

(Received 23 November 2005 and in revised form 22 June 2006) Buoyancy inhomogeneities on sloping surfaces arise in numerous situations, for example, from variations in snow/ice cover, cloud cover, topographic shading, soil moisture, vegetation type, and land use. In this paper, the classical Prandtl model for one-dimensional flow of a viscous stably stratified fluid along a uniformly cooled sloping planar surface is extended to include the simplest type of surface inhomogeneity – a surface buoyancy that varies linearly down the slope. The inhomogeneity gives rise to acceleration, vertical motions associated with low-level convergence, and horizontal and vertical advection of perturbation buoyancy. Such processes are not accounted for in the classical Prandtl model. A similarity hypothesis appropriate for this inhomogeneous flow removes the along-slope dependence from the problem, and, in the steady state, reduces the Boussinesq equations of motion and thermodynamic energy to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Asymptotic solutions for the velocity and buoyancy variables in the steady state, valid for large values of the slope-normal coordinate, are obtained for a Prandtl number of unity for pure katabatic flow with no ambient wind or externally imposed pressure gradient. The undetermined parameters in these solutions are adjusted to conform to lower boundary conditions of no-slip, impermeability and specified buoyancy. These solutions yield formulae for the boundary-layer thickness and slope-normal velocity component at the top of the boundary layer, and provide an upper bound of the along-slope surface-buoyancy gradient beyond which steady-state solutions do not exist. Although strictly valid for flow above the boundary layer, the steady asymptotic solutions are found to be in very good agreement with the terminal state of the numerical solution of an initial-value problem (suddenly applied surface buoyancy) throughout the flow domain. The numerical results also show that solution nonexistence is associated with self-excitation of growing low-frequency gravity waves.
Electric fields in the equatorial ionosphere: A review of techniques and measurements

Abstract This paper reviews the techniques and experimental results of measurements of ionospheric drifts and electric fields in the region of the magnetic dip equator. Various techniques are discussed and the results are compared with existing theoretical electric field models.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Oral Eletriptan during Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Volunteers

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and safety of eletriptan in different phases of the menstrual cycle. Female volunteers (n = 16) with a regular menstrual cycle (28 ± 4 days) received a single oral dose of 80 mg eletriptan during each of the four cycle phases: phase 1 (menses), days 1 to 4; phase 2 (follicular), days 6 to 10; phase 3 (ovulatory), days 11 to 13; and phase 4 (luteal), days 21 to 24. Eletriptan plasma concentrations were determined from serial plasma samples taken during a 24-hour period after dosing. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and ECG measurements were performed at baseline, 1 and 24 hours after dosing. No significant differences between phases were observed for maximum plasma concentration (C max , range of means = 188-234 ng/ml), time to maximum concentration (t max , range of means = 1.8-2.5 h), or systemic exposure (area under the curve [AUC], range of means = 1194-1514 ng.h/ml). Although there was a statistically significant difference in the terminal phase elimination rate constant (k el ) between phases 1 and 2(0.175/h vs. 0.158/h, p = 0.044), the corresponding difference in terminal phase half-life (t 1/2 ) (4.0 h vs. 4.4 h) was not considered to be clinically relevant. No clinically relevant differences in blood pressure, pulse rate, or ECG were observed, and the incidence, nature, and severity of adverse events were similar in all phases. The different phases of the menstrual cycle had no clinically significant effect on the pharmacokinetics, safety, or tolerability of oral 80 mg eletriptan in healthy females.
The attenuation by reserpine or guanethidine of the cutaneous vasoconstriction caused by tobacco smoking

Abstract The effect of reserpine and guanethidine on the vasoconstriction in the foot induced by smoking 2 cigarettes was studied in normal subjects. Large daily clinical doses of guanethidine or reserpine were given for 2 and 3 weeks, respectively. Blood flow in the foot was measured by venous-occlusion water plethysmography. A pre-drug (control) study was performed on each subject; cigarette smoking produced a significant decrease in blood flow and an increase in vascular resistance in the foot. A statistically significant attenuation of the vasoconstrictor response in the foot to cigarette smoking was found with both drugs, compared to the pre-drug studies. Subjects evidenced a depletion of catecholamines during administration of the agent, by a significant decrease in pulse rate, by postural hypotension, by hypotension after exercise, and by blockade or attenuation of the Valsalva “overshoot.” Since reserpine and guanethidine produced a marked attenuation of the cutaneous vasoconstrictor response to smoking, the conclusion is that cigarette smoking exerts its effects on the circulation in the skin via the sympathetic nerves, and that the release of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla is not important. Patients with peripheral vascular disease who refuse to stop smoking may benefit from the use of catecholamine-depleting agents.
Measuring Healthcare Worker Hand Hygiene Activity: Current Practices and Emerging Technologies

Monitoring hand hygiene compliance and providing healthcare workers with feedback regarding their performance are considered integral parts of multidisciplinary hand hygiene improvement programs. Observational surveys conducted by trained personnel are currently considered the "gold standard" method for establishing compliance rates, but they are time-consuming and have a number of shortcomings. Monitoring hand hygiene product consumption is less time-consuming and can provide useful information regarding the frequency of hand hygiene that can be used to give caregivers feedback. Electronic counting devices placed in hand hygiene product dispensers provide detailed information about hand hygiene frequency over time, by unit and during interventions. Electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems that utilize wireless systems to monitor room entry and exit of healthcare workers and their use of hand hygiene product dispensers can provide individual and unit-based data on compliance with the most common hand hygiene indications. Some systems include badges (tags) that can provide healthcare workers with real-time reminders to clean their hands upon entering and exiting patient rooms. Preliminary studies suggest that use of electronic monitoring systems is associated with increased hand hygiene compliance rates and that such systems may be acceptable to care givers. Although there are many questions remaining about the practicality, accuracy, cost, and long-term impact of electronic monitoring systems on compliance rates, they appear to have considerable promise for improving our efforts to monitor and improve hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers.
Flavin-containing oxidases regulate progression from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle in normal human diploid fibroblasts

Abstract The effects of flavin-containing oxidase enzymes on cellular progression from G 1 to S phase of the cell cycle were examined in normal human diploid fibroblasts by use of the cumulative labeling index method. Significant transient arrests in G 1 occurred when quiescent cell populations incubated with diphenyliodonium (DPI) for a 20 h period at concentrations as low as 0.05 μM were stimulated to proliferate by subculturing to low density in control growth medium. Quiescent cells pre-treated with DPI and subcultured in DPI-containing growth medium were permanently arrested in G 1 . Induction of this G 1 checkpoint was associated with activation of the p53/p21 Waf1 signaling pathway. Incubation of G 0 /G 1 phase cells with DPI (0.05–0.2 μM) resulted in significant decreases in the expression levels of cyclin D1 and p21 Waf1 ; no effect was detected on cyclin A expression. Collectively, these results suggest that DPI-sensitive signaling primarily regulates early G 1 events that lead to S-phase transition. Furthermore, they support a critical role for membrane originating oxidants in the regulation of cellular proliferation pathways.
Spot: a programming language for verified flight software

The C programming language is widely used for programming space flight software and other safety-critical real time systems. C, however, is far from ideal for this purpose: as is well known, it is both low-level and unsafe. This paper describes Spot, a language derived from C for programming space flight systems. Spot aims to maintain compatibility with existing C code while improving the language and supporting verification with the SPIN model checker. The major features of Spot include actor-based concurrency, distributed state with message passing and transactional updates, and annotations for testing and verification. Spot also supports domain-specific annotations for managing spacecraft state, e.g., communicating telemetry information to the ground.We describe the motivation and design rationale for Spot, give an overview of the design, provide examples of Spot's capabilities, and discuss the current status of the implementation.
Miniature Underwater Glider: Design and Experimental Results

The concept of gliding robotic fish combines gliding and fin-actuation mechanisms to realize energy-efficient locomotion and high maneuverability. Such robots hold strong promise for mobile sensing in versatile aquatic environments. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a miniature glider, a key enabling component for gliding robotic fish. The steady-state glide equation is first presented and then solved numerically for given net-buoyancy and movable mass displacement. Scaling analysis is conducted to understand the tradeoff between the glide performance and energy cost. Comprehensive design for the glider is provided. Experimentation and modeling analysis are further conducted to investigate the impacts of movable mass displacement, net buoyancy, and wing size on the gliding performance.
Hospital length of stay and readmission: an early investigation

This article is an investigation into the relationship between length of stay and readmission within 30 days of discharge from an acute care hospitalization. We estimated probability models for heart attack and for heart failure patients using generalized estimating techniques applied to hospital administrative data from California for calendar year 2008. The key independent variable was length of stay in the initial hospitalization. We found negative associations between length of stay and readmission probability, particularly in the case of heart attack. Simulated values of predicted readmissions based on a 1-day increase in length of stay yielded estimated reductions in readmission rates in the 7% to 18% range for heart attack patients and the 1% to 8% range for heart failure patients. Increasing length of stay for some patients may be a means of improving quality of care by reducing readmission during the 30-day postdischarge period.
Nonenzymatic reduction of nitrosobenzene to phenylhydroxylamine by NAD(P)H

Abstract The nonenzymatic reduction of nitrosobenzene by NADPH and NADH in aqueous buffer solution at 25°C is described. Both reactants quantitatively convert nitrosobenzene to phenylhydroxylamine. Rate constants for reduction ( k r ) were determined spectrophotometrically and found to be identical at pH 5.7 and 7.4 and independent of buffer concentration. The values of k NADH (124–149 M −1 sec −1 ) and k NADPH (131–170 M −1 sec −1 ) are essentially identical. The reaction is not subject to general catalysis or specific salt effects. The oxidation of phenylhydroxylamine by NAD(P) to nitrosobenzene is only stimulated by a factor of 1.2 over oxidation in its absence (when the ratio of NADP: phenylhydroxylamine was 8:1).
Electron/ion whistler instabilities and magnetic noise bursts

Two whistler instabilities are investigated by means of the linear Vlasov dispersion equation. They are called the electron/ion parallel and oblique whistler instabilities, and are driven by electron/ion relative drifts along the magnetic field. It is demonstrated that the enhanced fluctuations from these instabilities can explain several properties of magnetic noise bursts in and near the plasma sheet in the presence of ion beams and/or field-aligned currents. At sufficiently high plasma beta, these instabilities may affect the current system in the magnetotail.
Radiation Reaction and Ultra-high Intensity Lasers

Radiation reaction describes the classical self-interaction of charged particles with their radiation field. The theory will be reviewed, as well as interesting possibilities to test the theory in the near future with ultra-high intensity lasers.
Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system for testing the effect of Trichoderma volatile organic compounds

Abstract In ecosystems, plant and bacterial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to influence plant growth but less is known about the physiological effects of fungal VOCs. We have used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model to test the effects of VOCs from the soil fungus Trichoderma viride. Mature colonies of T. viride cultured on Petri plates were placed in a growth chamber in a shared atmosphere with A. thaliana without direct physical contact. Compared to controls, plants grown in the presence of T. viride volatiles were taller, bigger, flowered earlier, and had more lateral roots. They also had increased total biomass (45 %) and chlorophyll concentration (58 %). GC–MS analysis of T. viride VOCs revealed 51 compounds of which isobutyl alcohol, isopentyl alcohol, and 3-methylbutanal were most abundant. We conclude that VOCs emitted by T. viride have growth promoting effects on A. thaliana in the absence of direct physical contact.
A morphometric analysis of isolated perfused dog lungs after acute oncotic edema.

Abstract Established stereologic techniques were used to evaluate morphologic changes in isolated-perfused dog lungs after induction of severe, acute oncotic edema. Lung volumes that were occupied by the connective tissue spaces surrounding extraalveolar vessels and airways were increased. Likewise, thickness of the parenchymal interstitium (interstitial compartment of the air-blood barrier) was increased, which created an overall increase in mean thickness of the barrier. In the cellular compartment of the air-blood barrier, cytoplasmic volumes of the endothelial and type I epithelial cells occupied by pinocytotic vesicles were increased. In addition, the number of vesicles opening directly onto the luminal and abluminal cellular surfaces was increased. Thus, transendothelial and transepithelial vesicular transport may contribute to edema formation in isolated perfused dog lungs. The production of oncotic edema was also associated with an increase in alveolar surface density while the proportion of the alveolar septa occupied by capillary contents was decreased.
Polymers to direct cell fate by controlling the microenvironment

Enhanced understanding of the signals within the microenvironment that regulate cell fate has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated polymeric biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. This advancement is exemplified by biomaterials with precisely controlled scaffold architecture that regulate the spatio-temporal release of growth factors and morphogens, and respond dynamically to microenvironmental cues. Further understanding of the biology, qualitatively and quantitatively, of cells within their microenvironments and at the tissue-material interface will expand the design space of future biomaterials.
Secondary fibrosarcoma of the brain stem treated with cyclophosphamide and Imatinib

Radiation-induced midbrain fibrosarcoma is a rare, highly aggressive tumor, which is associated with poor prognosis. We present the case of a 48-year old man with brainstem fibrosarcoma 20 years following radiation therapy received for a pituitary tumor. We discuss this case in the context of the diagnostic criteria for these tumors, and previous reports of secondary and primary sarcomas of the central nervous system.
Human T Lymphocyte Subpopulation and NK Cell Alterations in Persons Exposed to Cocaine

Immunophenotypic changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed by flow cytometry in several patient groups positive for cocaine in their urine. Single- and dual-color immunofluorescence staining was performed to examine total numbers of NK, T, and B cells, as well as the coexpression of surface molecules on T cells associated with memory function, helper/inducer capacity, and activation status. In addition, levels of several serum proteins (including immunoglobulins) and other demographic variables were evaluated. Our results show that cocaine-intoxicated patients display reductions in the total percentage of CD4+ T cells and increases in the number of NK cells. Dramatic shifts within certain T cell subpopulations were also observed. In particular, there appeared to be a preferential stimulation of "activated" T cells as indicated by increased levels of class II+ CD4 and CD8 T cells and IL2r+ CD4 T cells. "Memory" CD8+ T cell subpopulations (i.e., CD45RO+) were reduced in the cocaine-positive patients, whereas CD45R+/CD8+ T cells were accordingly increased in the same individuals. In some cases, direct correlation could be established between certain T cell percentages and cocaine levels. None of the serum protein levels measured appeared to be influenced by cocaine. These findings demonstrate that cocaine utilization is associated with variations in levels of certain T cell subpopulations and other immune cells. This may represent a disruption of particular immunologic cell networks which could ultimately influence host resistance to infection and malignancy.
Impact of Grapefruit Juice on the Antiplatelet Activity of Loading and Maintenance Doses of Clopidogrel in Healthy Volunteers.

Background: Grapefruit juice impacts the metabolism of a number of drugs via inhibition of a variety of metabolic enzymes. This study evaluated the impact of grapefruit juice on the antiplatelet activity of a loading dose and 7 days of maintenance therapy with clopidogrel. Methods: Healthy volunteers participated in two separate treatment protocols. The first protocol included a single 300 mg loading dose of clopidogrel and the second protocol included maintenance therapy with clopidogrel 75 mg given for 7 consecutive days. In both protocols, subjects were randomized to take clopidogrel with grapefruit juice or with tap water. At 6 h after the loading dose and at 6 h after the last maintenance dose of clopidogrel, a P2Y 12 reaction unit (PRU) value using the VerifyNow ® P2Y12 assay was determined. A PRU value > 235 was defined as high on-treatment platelet reactivity (defined as clopidogrel hyporesponse). Results: Fourteen subjects completed the loading dose protocol while 17 subjects completed the maintenance dose protocol. Following administration of the loading dose, the mean PRUs with grapefruit juice and tap water were 235.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 210.4-260.0) and 177.4 (95% CI: 141.6-213.2), respectively (P = 0.001). Following administration of the loading dose, the numbers of subjects with a PRU > 235 with grapefruit juice and tap water were 9 (64%) and 3 (21%), respectively (P = 0.05). In the maintenance dose protocol, the mean PRUs with grapefruit juice and tap water were 212.4 (95% CI: 175.8-249.0) and 186.1 (95% CI: 149.6-222.7), respectively (P = 0.059). In the maintenance dose protocol, the proportions of patients with a PRU > 235 with grapefruit juice and tap water were 9 (53%) and 4 (23%), respectively (P = 0.16). Discussion: Compared to tap water, grapefruit juice significantly increased the mean PRU in patients following a 300 mg loading dose of clopidogrel. The increase in mean PRU after 7 days of a 75 mg/day maintenance dose of clopidogrel was also increased by grapefruit juice, but the magnitude of the increase was not statistically significant. The proportion of subjects with high on-treatment platelet reactivity with clopidogrel after ingestion with grapefruit juice was not significant during either the loading or maintenance dose. The results of our study are insufficient to reach a valid conclusion concerning an interaction between clopidogrel and grapefruit juice. Cardiol Res. 2014;5(1):1-7 doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.14740 / cr307w
Large-scale structure and entrainment in the supersonic mixing layer

Experiments were conducted in a two-stream planar mixing layer at convective Mach numbers, Mc, of 0.28, 0.42, 0.50, 0.62 and 0.79. Planar laser Mie scattering (PLMS) from a condensed alcohol fog and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of nitric oxide were used for flow visualization in the side, plan and end views. The PLIF signals were also used to characterize the turbulent mixture fraction fluctuations.Visualizations using PLMS indicate a transition in the turbulent structure from quasi-two-dimensionality at low convective Mach number, to more random three-dimensionality for . A transition is also observed in the core and braid regions of the spanwise rollers as the convective Mach number increases from 0.28 to 0.62. A change in the entrainment mechanism with increasing compressibility is also indicated by signal intensity profiles and perspective views of the PLMS and PLIF images. These show that at Mc = 0.28 the instantaneous mixture fraction field typically exhibits a gradient in the streamwise direction, but is more uniform in the cross-stream direction. At Mc = 0.62 and 0.79, however, the mixture fraction field is more streamwise uniform and with a gradient in the cross-stream direction. This change in the composition of the structures is indicative of different entrainment motions at the different compressibility conditions. The statistical results are consistent with the qualitative observations and suggest that compressibility acts to reduce the magnitude of the mixture fraction fluctuations, particularly on the high-speed edge of the layer.
Fundamental issues of modeling in a climate of change

[1] Numerical models, one of the dominant modes of performing scientific research, fit into two broad classes: operational models, which aim to produce tightly constrained estimates of future behavior using historical observations, and exploratory, or novelty-seeking models, which aim to include as many physical dynamics as possible. Kumar suggests that in the face of human-induced land use and climate changes, attempts need to be made to bridge the divide between the two types of models. He argues that climate and human-driven forces could fundamentally alter hydrologic dynamics such that appeals to historical evidence could be rendered obsolete as a method of ensuring that a model is an accurate representation of reality. Using the hydrologic cycle as a platform, the author categorizes ways that novelty-seeking models could be used to improve predictions of future behavior. He suggests that prioritizing the prediction of extreme events, normally a focus of novelty-seeking models, could result in more physically realistic models and improved estimates of future behavior. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009769, 2011)
Protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated protein phosphorylation in rat aortic smooth muscle cells is enhanced by allylamine.

Abstract The profile of endogenous protein phosphorylation mediated by protein kinase C (PKC) was examined in cell fractions prepared from subcultured aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) isolated from rats treated with 70 mg/kg allylamine (AAM) or tap water for 20 days. Increased phosphorylation of endogenous proteins was observed under unstimulated conditions in the particulate, but not cytosolic, fraction of cells from AAM-treated animals (i.e. AAM cells) relative to control cells. Although the same phosphorylation bands were observed in the particulate or cytosolic fraction of control and AAM cells following phorbol ester stimulation of the enzyme, enhanced PKC-mediated phosphorylation was observed in both fractions of AAM cells relative to control cells. Measurements of exogenous histone Type III-S phosphorylation by PKC following in vitro exposure of naive SMCs to 100 μM AAM for up to 60 min revealed that AAM selectively increased histone phosphorylation in the cytosolic fraction of SMCs. These results demonstrate that AAM treatment enhances PKC-mediated protein phosphorylation in rat aortic SMCs and raise the possibility that such alterations participate in the angiotoxic response to AAM.
Reconciling the lattice background field method with nonrelativistic QED: Spinor case

We show that inconsistency between background field methods, which are relevant for lattice QCD spectroscopy, and effective field theory matching conditions, which are obtained from scattering amplitudes, can be resolved by augmenting nonrelativistic QED with operators related by the equations of motion. To determine the coefficients of such operators, we perform the nonrelativistic expansion of QED for a spin-half hadron including nonminimal electromagnetic couplings. As an effective field theory framework could provide a valuable tool to analyze lattice QCD correlation functions in external fields, we investigate whether nonrelativistic QED can be used to this end. We argue, however, that the most desirable approach is a hybrid one, which combines a relativistic hadron theory with operator selection based on nonrelativistic QED power counting. In this hybrid framework, new results are obtained for charged spin-half hadrons in uniform magnetic fields, including a proper treatment of Landau levels both in infinite volume and on a torus.
Experiments on a wind turbine blade testing an indication for damage using the causal and anti-causal Green's function reconstructed from a diffuse field

The increasing demand for renewable and clean power generation has resulted in increasing sizes of rotor blades in wind turbine systems. The demanding and variable operational environments have introduced the need for structural health monitoring systems in the blades in order to prevent unexpected downtime events in the operation of the power plant. Many non-destructive evaluation methods used for structural health monitoring purposes need external excitation sources. However, several systems already accepted in the wind turbine industry are passive. Here we present a new approach to health monitoring of a wind turbine blade using only passive sensors and the existing noise created on the blade during operation. This is achieved using a known method to reconstruct the causal and anticausal time-domain Green’s function between any two points in an array of passive sensors placed in a diffuse field. Damage is indicated when the similarity between the causal and anticausal signals decrease due to nonlinearities introduced from structural damage. This method was studied experimentally using a CX-100 wind turbine test blade located at the UCSD’s Powell Structural Laboratories where a diffuse field was approximated by exciting the skin of the blade with a random signal at several locations.
Studies on serum apolipoproteins and lipids in amniotic fluid and neonatal urine

Abstract Amniotic fluid and neonatal urine were examined for the presence of lipids and serum apolipoproteins. Human apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and ApoD found principally in serum high density lipoproteins were identified in both neonatal urine and amniotic fluid. A lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio of greater than 5 associated with fetal lung maturity was accompanied by the disappearance of A-II from amniotic fluid. Dissimilarities of total fatty acid composition of amniotic fluid when compared to cord serum or neonatal urine indicate other tissue sources for fatty acids found in amniotic fluid. In addition, the presence of serum apolipoproteins and lipids in both amniotic fluid and neonatal urine suggests that at least a portion of these constituents could be derived from fetal urine.
Pharmacologic Options for Treatment of Levodopa-Associated ``Wearing Off''

Levodopa remains the gold standard drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, but the combination of disease progression and prolonged treatment can lead to ``wearing-off'' problems in the majority of patients. This constitutes the onset of motor fluctuations which includes nonmotor sensory, psychiatric, and autonomic ``off '' symptoms. There are several pharmacologic options to minimize the ``wearing-off'' phenomenon, including adjustment of levodopa treatment, the use of long-acting dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase type B inhibition, or catechol-O-methyl-transferase inhibition in combination with levodopa. Dopamine agonists may reduce levodopa requirements. Monoamine oxidase type B inhibition can increase dopamine availability by preventing its metabolism. Similarly catechol-O-methyl-transferase inhibitors can increase the half-life of levodopa and the amount available to cross the blood-brain barrier by preventing its breakdown. The selection of a treatment for the management of ``wearing off''...
In Vivo Alterations in Enamel from Zinc Phosphate Cement Containing Stannous Fluoride

Fluoride uptake was significantly increased, enamel solubility was significantly decreased, and surface topography was not appreciably altered in tooth enamel of young orthodontic patients who had had orthodontic bands cemented with a zinc phosphate cement containing 10% stannous fluoride. Contralateral or contravertical teeth that had had orthodontic bands cemented with an identical formulation of zinc phosphate cement without stannous fluoride served as the control teeth. One control tooth sample was used for each experimental tooth sample.
A longitudinal etiologic model for symptoms of anxiety and depression in women

Background Designed as state measures to monitor treatment response, symptoms of anxiety and depression (SxAnxDep) also have trait-like characteristics. No comprehensive etiologic model for SxAnxDep has illuminated the inter-relationship between their state- and trait-like characteristics, while including key predictor variables. Method In a prospective three-wave study of 2395 female twins from the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders (VATSPSUD), we examined, using structural equation modeling, how genes, childhood and past-year environmental stressors, personality and episodes of major depression (MD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) influence SxAnxDep. Results The best-fit model, which explained 68-74% of the variance in SxAnxDep, revealed two etiologic pathways. Stable levels of SxAnxDep resulted largely from neuroticism, which in turn was influenced by genetic and early environment risk factors. Occasion-specific influences resulted from stressful events mediated through episodes of MD or GAD. These two pathways, which had approximately equal influences on levels of SxAnxDep, were substantially correlated because the genetic, early environmental and personality factors that impacted on stable symptom levels also predisposed to event exposure and disorder onset. No significant interaction was seen between the two pathways. Conclusions SxAnxDep in women in the general population arise from two inter-related causal pathways. The first, the 'trait-like' pathway, reflects genetic and early environmental risk factors, and is mediated largely through personality. The second pathway is mediated through episodes of MD and GAD, and is the result of both recent environmental adversities and trait-like factors that influence event exposure and the probability of disorder onset.
Make Haste Slowly: Moderates, Conservatives, and School Desegregation in Houston

When faced by the Court-ordered "all deliberate speed" time frame for school desegregation, a fearful Houston school board member urged the city to "make haste slowly," in order for the school system to receive decisions based on sound judgment and discretion. Houston, Texas, had what may have been the largest racially segregated "Jim Crow" public school system in the United States when the Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional in 1954. Ultimately, helped by members of its business community, Houston did desegregate its public schools and did so peacefully, without making the city a battleground of racial violence. In "Make Haste Slowly, " William Henry Kellar provides the first extensive examination of the development of Houston's racially segregated public school system, the long fight for school desegregation, and the roles played by various community groups, including the HISD Board of Education, in one of the most significant stories of the civil rights era. Drawing on archival records, HISD School Board minutes, interviews with participants in the process, the oral history collection of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, and a variety of other sources, Kellar constructs a detailed account of the development of Houston's segregated public school system and the struggle of Houston's African American community against the "Number Eighty: ""The Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University" oppression of racial discrimination in the city. Kellar shows that, while Houston desegregated its public school system peacefully, the limited integration that originally occurred served only to delay equal access to HISD schools. Houstonians shifted from a strategy "massive resistance" to one of "massive retreat." White flight and resegregation transformed both the community and its public schools. Kellar concludes that forty years after the "Brown" decision, many of the aspirations that landmark ruling inspired have proven elusive, but the impact of the ruling on Houston has changed the face of that city and the nature of its public education dramatically and in unanticipated ways. "Make Haste Slowly" fills a longtime void in the literature on the civil rights era in Texas. Those interested in Texas history and African American history will find this book essential to understanding one of the most reactionary periods in American history.
The CD8 T-Cell Response against Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Is Directed toward a Broad Repertoire of Epitopes from both Early and Late Antigens

Infection of mice with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) robustly activates CD8 T cells, but only six class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted epitopes have been described to date for the widely used H-2b haplotype mice. To explore the specificity and kinetics of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response in MHV-68-infected C57BL/6 mice, we screened for H-2Kb- and H-2Db-restricted epitopes using a set of 384 candidate epitopes in an MHC tetramer-based approach and identified 19 new epitopes in 16 different open reading frames. Of the six known H-2Kb- and H-2Db-restricted epitopes, we confirmed a response against three and did not detect CD8 T-cell-specific responses for the remaining three. The peak of the CD8 T-cell response to most peptides occurs between 6 and 10 days postinfection. The respective MHC tetramer-positive CD8 T cells display an activated/effector phenotype (CD62Llo and CD44hi) and produce gamma interferon upon peptide stimulation ex vivo. MHV-68 infection in vivo elicits a response to multiple viral epitopes, derived from both early and late viral antigens, illustrating a far broader T-cell repertoire and more-rapid activation than those previously recorded.
Neural Computing and the Aids Pandemic: The Case of Ohio

Unless effective vaccines or a cure for the ravaging effects of the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) arrive before the end of the century, possibilities that appear remote at the time of writing, the world faces one of the most devastating pandemics in its history1. The World Health Organization (WHO), a normally cautious international body, has predicted 40 million people infected by the year 2000, upgrading prior estimates of 5-10 million made in the middle and late eighties. Although these smaller estimates appeared exaggerated at the time, the new 40 million prediction may itself be an underestimate, although reasonably reliable numbers to check these figures will become increasingly difficult to obtain. In most of the Third World, under-reporting is chronic, and in some regions of Africa and Asia officially reported figures may be as much an order of magnitude too low. Even in North America and Europe, both underreporting and late-reporting have constituted a problem for monitoring national epidemics; while in countries like France and Britain, HIV infection is still not a legally reportable disease, such reporting to a central authority being left entirely to an attending physician’s discretion.
Testing and modeling multivariate threshold models

Abstract Threshold autoregressive models in which the process is piecewise linear in the threshold space have received much attention in recent years. In this article I use predictive residuals to construct a test statistic for detecting threshold nonlinearity in a vector time series and propose a procedure for building a multivariate threshold model. The thresholds and the model are selected jointly based on the Akaike information criterion. The finite-sample performance of the proposed test is studied by simulation. The modeling procedure is then used to study arbitrage in security markets and results in a threshold cointegration between logarithms of future contracts and spot prices of a security after adjusting for the cost of carrying the contracts. In this particular application, thresholds are determined in part by the transaction costs. I also apply the proposed procedure to U.S. monthly interest rates and two river flow series of Iceland.
An accelerated multi-zone model for engine cycle simulation of homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion:

We have developed an accelerated multi-zone model for engine cycle simulation (AMECS) of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion. This model incorporates chemical kinetics and is intended for use in system-level simulation software. A novel methodology to capture thermal stratification in the multi-zone model is proposed. The methodology calculates thermal stratification inside the cylinder based on a single computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation for motored conditions. CFD results are used for tuning zone heat loss multipliers that characterize wall heat loss from each individual engine zone based on the assumption that these heat loss multipliers can then be used at operating conditions different from those used in the single CFD run because the functional form of thermal stratification is more dependent on engine geometry than on operating conditions. The model is benchmarked against detailed CFD calculations and fully coupled HCCI CFD chemical kinetics calculations. The resul...
Elementary School Science for Students with Disabilities

This paper reviews science curriculum issues surrounding the education of children with disabilities. Our nation's leadership has expressed serious concern regarding the role of science and mathematics in the education of our children, and children with disabilities cannot be excluded from this interest. we explore the background of science education for children with disabilities and examine three curricula designed especially for children with disabilities: Biological Science Curriculum study, full option science system, and science for all children.
Solid-state fermentation of sweet sorghum to ethanol in a rotary-drum fermentor

Sugar compounds present in chopped solid-sweet sorghum particles were fermented to ethanol in a rotary-drum fermentor (RDF) using an ethanol tolerant yeast strain. The influence of rotational speed of the RDF on the rate of ethanol fermentation was investigated and compared with static-flask experiments. The rate of ethanol formation decreased with increasing rotational speed. The maximum rate and extent of ethanol formation were ca. 3.1 g EtOH/L h (based on expressed juice volume) and ca. 9.6 g EtOH/100 g mash, respectively, at 1 rpm rotational speed.
New Information on the Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Cations from Experiments on The Spectroscopy of Polyatomic Rydberg States

Historically, electronic spectroscopy has played a central role in the effort to structurally characterize small molecules, and, particularly, reactive intermediates.1 Increasingly, spectroscopic knowledge and analysis has also had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the radiationless dynamics of molecular excited states.2 The theoretical apparatus for dealing with such problems is well developed, and has been profitably extended to considerations of intramolecular relaxation in vibrationally excited electronic ground states.3
High fat diet-induced animal model of age-associated obesity and osteoporosis

Osteoporosis and obesity remain a major public health concern through its associated fragility and fractures. Several animal models for the study of osteoporotic bone loss, such as ovariectomy (OVX) and denervation, require unique surgical skills and expensive set up. The challenging aspect of these age-associated diseases is that no single animal model exactly mimics the progression of these human-specific chronic conditions. Accordingly, to develop a simple and novel model of post menopausal bone loss with obesity, we fed either a high fat diet containing 10% corn oil (CO) or standard rodent lab chow (LC) to 12-month-old female C57Bl/6J mice for 6 months. As a result, CO fed mice exhibited increased body weight, total body fat mass, abdominal fat mass and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in different skeletal sites measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. We also observed that decreased BMD with age in CO fed obese mice was accompanied by increased bone marrow adiposity, up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, cathepsin k and increased proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α) in bone marrow and splenocytes, when compared to that of LC fed mice. Therefore, this appears to be a simple, novel and convenient age-associated model of post menopausal bone loss, in conjunction with obesity, which can be used in pre-clinical drug discovery to screen new therapeutic drugs or dietary interventions for the treatment of obesity and osteoporosis in the human population.
Managing for Excellence in the Food and Beverages Industry

Abstract In order to understand how to manage for excellence in the food and beverages industry, one must recognize some key principles that are utilized by top companies in this industry. The following article will provide detail examples of three top organizations to let the readers realize the strategies used by each company and what makes them superior than other competitors. The first example is about Nestle's excellent achievement on market research and successful story about “Wellness strategy”. The second example shows how Coca-Cola produces the world's best known product and implements “Total Quality Management” and “Just-In-Time” system. The third example reveals the success secrets of McDonald's franchise kingdom and “three-legged-stool” relationship with its franchisees and suppliers. To be the top leader in the food and beverage industry, we suggest learning these skills.