cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of two improved enzyme immunoassays based on avidin-biotin interaction for the detection of Salmonella.

Based on a strong interaction between avidin and biotin, two enzyme immunoassays have been modified and tested for the detection of Salmonella typhimurium in foodstuffs. In both assays, the antigen containing sample was first reacted with antibody to Salmonella which has precoated on a polystyrene microtiter plate. The bound antigen was then allowed to react with an appropriate amount of biotinylated antibody. In the first procedure, the presence of Salmonella was quantified by using peroxidase-labeled avidin. In the latter, avidin acted as a bridge between the biotinylated antibody and the biotinylated peroxidase. Samples containing 103 and 104 cells/ml of the Salmonella virulent strain, respectively, were detectable by these two methods. The results thus compared favorably with the detection limit of the standard ELISA (105 cells/ml). The superiority of the modified ELISA's utilizing biotin/avidin interactions was also demonstrated for the detection of Salmonella in artificially contaminated food samples inoculated with only 2–5 Salmonella cells followed by two incubation steps. No significant interference of E. coli (up to 5×106 cells/ml) was observed in the quantification of Salmonella cells.
Species crosses in Helianthus: I. Diploid species

Results of artificial hybridization involving ten annual and 18 perennial diploid (n=17) species are given. Crosses between annual species give hybrids with highly reduced fertility and irregular meiosis. On the other hand, most crosses between perennials give hybrids with little or no reduction in fertility and show regular or essentially regular bivalent formation. Some “wide” crosses in the perennials, involvingH. carnosus, H. longifolius, andH. radula, give hybrids with some reduction in fertility; these in some combinations show less than the normal 17 pairs at diakinesis. Only two successful hybrids have been secured between annuals and perennials at the diploid level, viz.H. canus Xangustifolius andH. debilis Xfloridanus. These hybrids are vigorous and nearly sterile with numerous meiotie abnormalities. Thus it appears that the two groups of North American sunflowers, established primarily on the duration of growth, are well isolated genetically. Some discussion of the nature and significance of the barriers to natural hybridization in the two groups is presented.
Changes in bone in a model of spinal cord injury

Bone calcium, histomorphometry, and mechanical strength were evaluated in a model of spinal cord injury. Cortical bone area and rates of formation and apposition at the tibiofibular junction (TFJ) and midshaft of the humerus were measured at 35-42, 42-77, and 77-94 days after transection of the spinal cord. All comparisons were between the animals with a spinal lesion and control animals. A 0.34% difference in the length of the tibia of the two groups of animals was observed, the dry weight of the tibia was 28.4% less in rats with a lesion, and there was no significant difference in the amount of calcium per milligram of bone. At 35 days after surgery, the cortical area in the midshaft of the humerus was slightly less (11%) in rats with a lesion, but by 94 days there was no difference in cortical or medullary area. The final (day 94) cortical area at the TFJ in rats with a lesion was less than that in the controls. Bone formation at the TFJ was similar in both groups in the period of 35-42 days and was similar at 77-94 days in the animals with a lesion, and rates of formation and apposition were greater in the humerus of rats with a lesion; the rates did not differ significantly between groups at either site. At 94 days, trabecular bone area in the tibial metaphysis was 41% less in rats with a lesion. Mechanical parameters were significantly less in the femora, but not the humeri, of rats with a lesion.
High energy X-ray photon albedo

Abstract A sodium iodide scintillation spectrometer has been used to determine albedo photon spectra for thick targets of C, Mg, Cu, Sn and Pb bombarded by bremsstrahlung with a maximum photon energy of 90 MeV, and for Pb at 25, 50 and 170 MeV in addition. These measurements have also been used to determine the total energy albedo in these cases with an accuracy of the order of 15%.
Pneumocystis carinii Host Origin Defines the Antibody Specificity and Protective Response Induced by Immunization

To determine how the known host species-specific antigenic variation of Pneumocystis carinii would affect immune recognition, mice were immunized with either mouse- or ferret-derived P. carinii, with subsequent analysis of the immune response and the ability of the mice to resist infection after immunosuppression and challenge. Immunization with mouse-derived P. carinii produced a strong immune response to mouse but not ferret P. carinii. These mice were completely protected from P. carinii pneumonia when challenged by intratracheal inoculation with mouse P. carinii. In contrast, immunization with ferret P. carinii produced a limited antibody response to mouse P. carinii and had no protective effect. These results show that P. carinii from different host species are immunologically distinct, and any possible use of immunotherapy for P. carinii pneumonia in humans must take into consideration these biologically significant antigenic differences in P. carinii of animal origin.
DAQ for Forward Silicon Tracker Upgrade for PHENIX

The forward silicon vertex tracker (FVTX) is a silicon detector being planned as an upgrade to the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. Four layers of silicon strip layers at forward and backward rapidity will add to the vertex capability of the PHENIX silicon vertex tracker (VTX) enabling measurement of secondary vertices in front of the PHENIX muon arms. This allows the identification of heavy-quark decays (charm and beauty) into muons, while also allowing rejection of pion and kaon decays into muons. We describe the FPGA based data acquisition system that is being developed for this detector.
New Classical and Old Austrian Economics: Equilibrium Business Cycle Theory in Perspective

The recent flourishing of New Classical economics, and especially its Equilibrium Business Cycle Theory (EBCT), has given a fresh hearing to the Old-but still developing-Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT). While the New and the Old differ radically in both substance and methods, they exhibit a certain formal congruency that has captured the attention of both schools. The formal similarities between EBCT and ABCT invites a point-bypoint comparison, but the comparison itself dramatizes differences between the two views in a way that adds to the integrity and plausibility of the Austrian theory. In modern macroeconomic literature, the label EBCT is applied sometimes so broadly as to include New Keynesian as well as New Classical constructions and sometimes so narrowly as to preclude the very developments within the New Classical school that are most closely related to ABCT. So-called Real Business Cycle Theory, in which cyclical movements of macroeconomic variables are characterized by both market clearing and Pareto optimality, is sometimes designated as the only true equilibrium construction. The comparison of New Classical and Old Austrian theories is best facilitated by letting EBCT refer to those theories in which (a) individuals make the best use of the information available to them and (b) an informational deficiency temporarily masks the intementions of the monetary authority. As exposited by Robert Lucas (1981), Robert Barro (1981) and others, EBCT so conceived accounts for business cycles in terms of the actions of market participants confronted with what has come to be known as a signal-extraction problem. Difficulties in
Emigration from Europe to the Usa

Emigration rates from 13 European nations to the USA were predicted by the size of that population group already in the USA and the nation's suicide rate.
Validity, invariance and responsiveness of a self-report measure of functional limitations and disability in multiple sclerosis.

Objective. This study examined the structural and external aspects of score validity for the abbreviated Late Life-Function and Disability Inventory (LL-FDI) as well as its longitudinal measurement invariance and responsiveness in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods. The sample included 292 individuals with MS who completed a battery of questionnaires on two occasions separated by 6 months. The battery included the abbreviated LL-FDI along with measures of mobility disability; neurological impairments; symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, depression and pain; health status; and quality of life. The data were analysed using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), versions 16.0.Results. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structural validity and longitudinal measurement invariance of the disability and functional limitations components of the abbreviated LL-FDI. MANOVA and bivariate correlations supported the external aspects of score validit...
Fungicide Application Timing and Row Spacing Effect on Soybean Canopy Penetration and Grain Yield

Foliar diseases, such as soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) can cause severe defoliation and yield loss in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and can be managed with an effective fungicide applied during the reproductive growth stages. The impact of soybean row spacing and fungicide application timing on canopy penetration and grain yield are unknown. The objectives of this experiment were (i) to quantify the impact of crop row spacing and spray application timing on penetration and coverage with a fungicide and (ii) to quantify the impact of sprayer wheel traffic during fungicide application on crop yield. The experiment was a split plot design with three replications conducted at the Northeast, Southeast, and Davis–Purdue Agricultural Centers (NEPAC, SEPAC, DPAC) in 2005 and 2006. The whole-plot treatments were crop row spacing (19, 38, and 76 cm) and fungicide (azoxystrobin + propiconazole) [(methyl (E)-2-[2-[6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yl]oxyphenyl]-3-methoxy-prop-2-enoate) + (1-[[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]methyl]-1,2,4-triazole)] application timing (unsprayed or applications at growth stages R1, R3, R5, R3 + R5, or R1 + R3 + R5). Spray canopy coverage was quantified at 30-cm increments within the soybean canopy. Crop row spacing affected spray canopy coverage at the R3 growth stage at the NEPAC location only. Application timing did not affect canopy coverage or spray penetration. Coverage decreased with depth in the canopy. Grain yield averaged 9% greater in the 19- and 38-cm row spacing than in the 76-cm row spacing. Fungicide application timing did not influence yield. Our research shows that fungicide application timing should not influence row spacing decisions. Growers should consider the effects of wheel-track damage when planning spray applications during the reproductive growth stages of soybean.
Cytochrome c: a non-invasive biomarker of drug-induced liver injury.

Limitations of existing biomarkers to detect liver injury in experimental animals highlight the need for additional tools to predict human toxicity. The utility of cytochrome c (cyt c) as a biomarker in serum and urine was evaluated in two rodent liver injury models. Adult Sprague–Dawley rats treated with acetaminophen or d-galactosamine (GalN) showed dose- and time-dependent histomorphological changes and TUNEL staining in liver consistent with hepatocellular necrosis, apoptosis and inflammation up to 72 h. Matching changes in serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and cyt c peaked at 24 h for either drug at the highest dose, cyt c falling rapidly at 48 hours with ALT and AST remained high. Intracellular transit of cyt c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm in damaged hepatocytes, and then to peripheral circulation, was observed by immunohistochemistry. Correlation coefficients between cyt c and serum diagnostic tests indicate the liver to be the primary source of cyt c. Urinary analysis for cyt c revealed time-dependent increase at 6 h, peaking at 24 h in GalN-treated rats in contrast with irregular patterns of urinary ALT and AST activity. Histological changes detected at 6 h preceded altered ALT, AST and cyt c at 12 and 18 h, respectively, in GalN-treated rats. These studies demonstrate cyt c to be a useful indicator of hepatic injury in rodents and support its utility as a non-invasive predictor of drug-induced hepatotoxicity, when utilized as a potential urinary biomarker. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stimulation of neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cells by neuraminidase: putative role of GM1 ganglioside in differentiation.

: Treatment of three neuroblastoma cell types in culture with neuraminidase resulted in enhanced neurite outgrowth. These included the mouse Neuro-2A and rat B104 and B50 lines. The morphological changes depended on the presence of exogenous Ca2+ and were accompanied by modest but statistically significant increases in 45Ca2+ influx. Neur-aminidase-stimulated neuritogenesis was blocked by the B subunit of cholera toxin (cholera B) and anti-GM1 antibody, a finding suggesting the effect was due to an increased amount of GM1 on the cell surface. Cholera B also blocked the increase in 45Ca2+ influx. The mouse N1A-103 line, previously characterized as “neurite minus,” did not respond to neuraminidase with either neurite outgrowth or enhanced Ca2+ influx. These results point to an influence of GM1 on neuritogenesis in cells with differentiation potential and suggest a mechanism involving modulation of Ca2+ flux.
Development of Diomus austrinus Gordon (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on two mealybug prey species at five constant temperatures.

Abstract Diomus austrinus Gordon is a generalist mealybug predator native to southern Florida. The objective of this study was to provide information on the development and survival of D. austrinus when reared on two common mealybug species [the Madeira mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green, and the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso)] at five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C). Results of this study demonstrated the efficacy of D. austrinus as an egg predator of mealybugs within the temperature range found in greenhouses. D. austrinus successfully completed development on both mealybug species, with larval development requiring 1–4 days longer on the citrus mealybug than on the Madeira mealybug. D. austrinus feeding on the Madeira mealybug completed development in 15 days at 20 °C, 22 days at 25 °C, and 39 days at 30 °C. The lower and upper larval developmental thresholds of D. austrinus appeared to be 15 and 35 °C, respectively. Estimates of lower developmental thresholds using a linear model agreed with the observed results. Survival of D. austrinus from egg to adult among temperature/prey species combinations ranged from 60 to 90%. In all temperature/prey species combination, the cohorts were slightly female-biased, with an average proportion females of 0.53. Females reared on Madeira mealybugs at higher temperatures were generally larger than those reared on citrus mealybugs.
A tumorlike papilliform growth in the brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus).

Abstract A brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, from an experimental pond of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Marine Laboratory at Palacios, Texas, possessed a papilliform tumorlike growth on the right ventrolateral aspect of the sixth abdominal segment. Gross and histological study revealed the lesion to be confluent with the carapace, epidermis, and subepidermal connective tissue. The growth, tentatively diagnosed as a benign neoplasm, consists of grossly hypertrophied and normal tissue elements.
Arthroscopic assessment of stifle synovitis in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture.

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CR) is a degenerative condition in dogs that typically has a non-contact mechanism. Subsequent contralateral rupture often develops in dogs with unilateral CR. Synovitis severity is an important factor that promotes ligament degradation. Consequently, we wished to evaluate the utility of arthroscopy for assessment of stifle synovitis in dogs with CR. Herein, we report results of a prospective study of 27 dogs with unilateral CR and bilateral radiographic osteoarthritis. Arthroscopic images and synovial biopsies from the lateral and medial joint pouches were obtained bilaterally and graded for synovial hypertrophy, vascularity, and synovitis. Synovial tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive (TRAP+) macrophages, CD3+ T lymphocytes, Factor VIII+ blood vessels, and synovial intima thickness were quantified histologically and related to arthroscopic observations. Risk of subsequent contralateral CR was examined using survival analysis. We found that arthroscopic scores were increased in the index stifle, compared with the contralateral stifle (p 0.34, p 0.31, p<0.05). Strong intra-observer and moderate inter-observer agreement for arthroscopic scoring was found. Dog age and arthroscopic vascularity significantly influenced risk of contralateral CR over time. We conclude that arthroscopic grading of synovitis is a precise tool that correlates with histologic synovitis. Arthroscopy is useful for assessment of stifle synovitis in client-owned dogs, and could be used in longitudinal clinical trials to monitor synovial responses to disease-modifying therapy.
CALCIUM KINETICS IN GLYCOGEN STORAGE DISEASE TYPE 1A

Glycogen storage disease type 1a (Von Gierke's disease) is one of the more common glycogen storage diseases (GSD). GSD 1a patients can have severe idiopathic osteopenia, often beginning at a young age. Since calcium tracer studies offer a sensitive probe of the bone microenvironment and of calcium deposition, kinetics might be disturbed in patients with GSD 1a. Plasma dilution kinetics obtained using the stable isotope 42Ca are shown in this paper to be quite different between GSD 1a patients and age-matched controls. Comparison of kinetic parameters in these two populations is made using a new binding site model for describing calcium dynamics at the plasma-bone interface. This model describes reversible binding of calcium ions to postulated short-term and long-term sites by a retention probability density function ψ (t). Using this analysis, adult GSD subjects exhibited a significant decrease (P=0.023) in the apparent half-life of a calcium ion on the longer-term site compared with controls. The general theory of calcium tracer dilution kinetics is then discussed in terms of a new model of short-term calcium homeostasis recently proposed by Bronner and Stein [5].
Sensitivity analysis of mixed integer programs: An application to environmental policy making

Abstract We consider a class of mixed integer programs in which the concave objective function and the constraint matrix are held fixed while some of the right hand side (RHS) coefficients are varied. An efficient iterative algorithm is developed for performing the above sensitivity analysis. A practical application of this class of programs is encountered in environmental policy making and accordingly it is used in illustrating the operation of the algorithm.
The Concept of Evolution in Early Twentieth‐Century Americanist Archaeology

American archaeologists who founded the culture-history paradigm early in the 20th century held a view of the evolution of cultures commensurate with Darwin's notions of continuous, gradual change. Initially, in their view, artifacts varied continuously across space and through time. This materialist metaphysic was, however, short-lived. Its fall from favor began in the 1920s, when it was noted that cultural evolution was reticulate whereas biological evolution was only branching. When it was argued in the 1940s that cultures were, after all, not organisms and that inanimate objects did not interbreed, any hope of adopting a Darwinian version of evolution in archaeology was abandoned. Rather, archaeologists adopted cultural evolutionism founded by Herbert Spencer in the 19th century and popularized by Leslie White in the 20th century. Franz Boas and his students flatly rejected this version in part because of its essentialist metaphysic. A. L. Kroeber had some significant insights into how to construct historical lineages, but he and his contemporaries did not know how to implement Darwin's version of evolutionism in anthropology and archaeology. Archaeologists of the 1950s thus came to view culture change largely in terms of discontinuous stages. Such a view gained legitimacy because biologists in the 1950s claimed the evolution of cultures was unlike the evolution of organisms. After some forty years, it is time to try a Darwinian version of evolution.
Asymptotic analysis of the lumped-capacitance approximation

Abstract The lumped-capacitance (LC) approximation for solid bodies suddenly exposed to constant-property environments is analyzed. A mathematical derivation of the LC approximation is presented for bodies of an arbitrary shape. A Biot number is treated as a small parameter, and asymptotic analyses of the parabolic heat equation are developed in terms of this parameter. The LC approximation is recovered to leading order, while first-order solutions include spatial temperature variations and provide error estimates involved with using the LC approximation. It is also shown that the LC approximation may sometimes be accurate when conventionally-defined Biot numbers are of order unity or greater.
The mass spectra of small-ring heterocycles. III. Aroylaziridines

The mass spectra of cis-trans isomeric aroylaziridines are presented. Attempts to extend the method for distinguishing between cis and trans isomers previously established for aroylazetidines are described and the results rationalized. A simple fission of the 1-alkylnitrogen bond is described and detailed fragmentation mechanisms are presented and discussed.
FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS BY SURVIVING HEPATIC TISSUE OF "ACUTE" AND "CHRONIC" DIABETIC DOGS.

The conversion of acetate-1-CH and glucose-U-C14to fatty acids was studied in liver slices and cell-free liver systems prepared from normal and totally pancreatectomized dogs. It was found that, under our experimental conditions, a failure of lipogenesis in liver slices is not an immediate obligatory consequence of the diabetic state. No evidence was found to indicate the occurrence of a loss of fatty acid synthesizing enzymes in the particle-free supernatant of the diabetic liver, nor was there any evidence of a metabolic defect in the microsomes of the diabetic livers with regard to lipogenic activity. Further support was presented for the view that a reduction in the activity in the hexose monophosphate pathway need not result in a decreased rate of lipogenesis. (Endocrinology 74: 21, 1964)
A Note on the Computation of an Orthonormal Basis for the Null Space of a Matrix

A highly regarded method to obtain an orthonormal basis, $Z$, for the null space of a matrix $A^{T}$ is the $QR$ decomposition of $A$, where $Q$ is the product of Householder matrices. In several optimization contexts $A(x)$ varies continuously with $x$ and it is desirable the $Z(x)$ vary continuously also. In this note we demonstrate that the standard implementation of the $QR$ decomposition does not yield an orthonormal basis $Z(x)$ whose elements vary continuously with $x$. We suggest three possible remedies.
Theoretical study of terahertz quantum well photodetectors: Effect of metallic diffraction coating

The possibility of enhancement of sensitivity of quantum well photodetectors by adding metallic diffraction coating on top of the dielectric layer of photodetectors is studied. With the grating the spatial distribution of the intensity of electromagnetic wave within the active region of the photodetector is highly non-uniform with the intensity variation over a few orders of magnitude within a period of the grating. This effect is due to the coupling of surface plasmon with incident electromagnetic wave. At terahertz frequencies the average intensity of the transmitted radiation wave through the grating strongly depends on the dielectric constant of metal.
Altered lipid metabolism in livers of rainbow trout fed cyclopropenoid fatty acids.

Abstract The incorporation of 14C-labeled fatty acids isotopic phosphorus into liver lipids of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) that had received either 200 or 300 ppm of cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA) in the diet for 14 days was studied. The amount of [32P]O4 incorporated into liver phospholipids was lower in fish fed CPFA than in controls, with the greatest difference being in an unknown phospholipid. High levels of free [14C]oleic acid were found in livers from CPFA-fed fish after perfusion with this fatty acid, while none was detected in the controls. CPFA feeding lowered the incorporation of oleic acid into lipids of microsomal and mitochondrial fractions, but increased it in the 105,000g supernatant phospholipids. The type of dietary protein fed was shown to influence CPFA effects.
Assessment as a Strategy to Increase Oral Reading Fluency

For students with reading disabilities who experience difficulties with oral reading fluency, school-based interventions frequently focus on increasing speed through interventions such as repeated ...
Influence of injectant properties for fluid injection thrust vector control

A linearized model of fluid-injection thrust vector control is developed. The analysis provides a very simple expression for injectant effective specific impulse and clearly shows effects of injectant and propellant properties on performance. Results compare favorably with a body of gas and liquid injection data available in the open literature. Aerothermochemical aspects are examined by predicting performance of selected injectants in combination with a hypothetical rocket propellant and nozzle. These injectants fall into six classes: inert gases, inert liquids, reactive gases, dissociative liquids, reactive liquids, and liquid bipropellants. Results are discussed in detail.
High resolution NMR spectroscopy of nanocrystalline proteins at ultra-high magnetic field.

Magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy of uniformly-13C,15N labeled protein samples provides insight into atomic-resolution chemistry and structure. Data collection efficiency has advanced remarkably in the last decade; however, the study of larger proteins is still challenged by relatively low resolution in comparison to solution NMR. In this study, we present a systematic analysis of SSNMR protein spectra acquired at 11.7, 17.6 and 21.1 Tesla (1H frequencies of 500, 750, and 900 MHz). For two protein systems—GB1, a 6 kDa nanocrystalline protein and DsbA, a 21 kDa nanocrystalline protein—line narrowing is demonstrated in all spectral regions with increasing field. Resolution enhancement is greatest in the aliphatic region, including methine, methylene and methyl sites. The resolution for GB1 increases markedly as a function of field, and for DsbA, resolution in the C–C region increases by 42%, according to the number of peaks that can be uniquely picked and integrated in the 900 MHz spectra when compared to the 500 MHz spectra. Additionally, chemical exchange is uniquely observed in the highest field spectra for at least two isoleucine Cδ1 sites in DsbA. These results further illustrate the benefits of high-field MAS SSNMR spectroscopy for protein structural studies.
The cotype constant and an almost euclidean decomposition for finite-dimensional normed spaces

Every 2n-dimensional normed spaceE contains twon-dimensional subspacesE 1 andE 2 which are orthogonal with respect to the inner product induced by the John ellipsoid ofE and which satisfyd(E i, l 2 n )≦f(K 2(E)), wheref(K 2(E)) is some number that depends only on the cotype constant ofE, denotedK 2(E).
Adaptive Edge Enhancement Based on Image Segmentation

Many clinical applications, e.g., inner auditory cannel (IAC) studies, demand the CT scanner to provide high spatial in-plane resolution. Currently, these studies are performed by reconstructing the images with a high resolution reconstruction kernel. The cutoff frequency of the kernel is set to the limit of the Nyquist frequency, assuming perfect double sampling per detector cell can be achieved. Because of the fan-beam geometry, patient motion, and the inherent limitations of the third generation CT sampling, the Nyquist criteria are not always strictly observed. As a result, many clinical images are degraded by aliasing artifacts. In many cases, the fine structure of the anatomy and important pathologies are marred by aliasing streaks, which render the image unusable. In this paper, we analyze the root cause of the aliasing artifact and present an adaptive edge enhancement algorithm that enhances the fine structures and suppress aliasing artifacts and noise in the IAC images. In the proposed scheme, a high resolution CT image is first reconstructed with a modified reconstruction kernel, H1(f), which has a frequency response and a cutoff frequency just below the point where significant aliasing artifact can be observed. The reconstructed image is then segmented into two classes (E: enhancement and S: suppression) based on CT numbers as well as texture. Adaptive edge enhancement is performed on the E class and adaptive noise suppression is performed on the S class. Various phantom and clinical studies were conducted. For each case, three images were generated: CT images reconstructed with the conventional high resolution kernel, images reconstructed with the modified H1 kernel, and images produced by the adaptive enhancement algorithm. The results were reviewed by the experts. The conclusion has been fairly consistent that the adaptive edge enhanced images are as sharp as the convectional high resolution CT images, with much reduced noise and aliasing artifacts. Since the segmentation relies on CT numbers as well as the texture in the image, the method is quite robust.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pathogen prevalence and human mate preferences

Abstract Members of host species in pathogen-host coevolutionary races may be selected to choose mates who possess features of physical appearance associated with pathogen resistance. Human data from 29 cultures indicate that people in geographical areas carrying relatively greater prevalences of pathogens value a mate's physical attractiveness more than people in areas with relatively little pathogen incidence. The relationship between pathogen prevalence and the value people place on physical attractiveness remained strong even after potential confounds such as distance from the equator, geographical region, and average income were statistically controlled for. Discussion focuses on potential limitations of the data, alternative explanations for the findings, and the nature of adaptions to the problems posed by pathogen prevalence.
PREVENTION OF DRUG-INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Acute renal failure (ARF) occurs in 5% to 25% of all admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU). The development of ICU-associated ARF increases the average mortality from about 15% to more than 60%. ARF is also associated with significant prolongation of hospital stay as well as substantial expense. Recent studies suggest that a significant percent of hospital-acquired ARF is caused by nephrotoxins. This brief review will discuss the frequency of occurrence, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical course, and prevention of nephrotoxicity that may occur after exposure to aminoglycosides, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and radiographic contrast agents.
Carrying BioMath Education in a Leaky Bucket

In this paper, we describe a project-based mathematical lab implemented in our Applied Mathematics in Biology course. The Leaky Bucket Lab allows students to parameterize and test Torricelli’s law and develop and compare their own alternative models to describe the dynamics of water draining from perforated containers. In the context of this lab students build facility in a variety of applied biomathematical tools and gain confidence in applying these tools in data-driven environments. We survey analytic approaches developed by students to illustrate the creativity this encourages as well as prepare other instructors to scaffold the student learning experience. Pedagogical results based on classroom videography support the notion that the Biology-Applied Math Instructional Model, the teaching framework encompassing the lab, is effective in encouraging and maintaining high-level cognition among students. Research-based pedagogical approaches that support the lab are discussed.
Atomic diffusion, step relaxation, and step fluctuations.

We show that the dynamics of the {ital pair correlation function} in a step train can pinpoint the dominant relaxation mechanism occurring at a crystal surface. Evaporation-condensation and step-edge diffusion do not produce dynamical correlations between neighboring steps, while terrace diffusion may lead to correlations which fall off like a power law with distance and which are peaked at a characteristic time. We derive these results within a {open_quotes}real space{close_quotes} Langevin formalism which is based on diffusion kernels which are different for each mass transport process. We validate this formalism by reproducing the step fluctuation autocorrelation function. We then derive results on the pair correlation between different steps. Results for solvable limiting cases are summarized in Tables I and II of the paper. As an intermediate step in the analysis we also find expressions for the relaxation time {tau}{sub pq} of a mode of wave number {ital q} along the steps and wave number {ital p} perpendicular to the steps, which we also discuss and compare with prior work. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
An empirical model for PVC melt drawing

During their fabrication into useful parts, all plastic materials undergo a complex deformation history. It has been common practice for rheologists to study the response of polymers to various idealized deformations in order to better understand their processing behavior. Great success has been attained in predicting the characteristics of polymer melts for processes in which shear deformations dominate. The pressure, temperature, flow rate interdependence in extrusion and injection molding processes can be described with suitable accuracy from relatively straightforward laboratory experiments. These shear experiments can also be used to elucidate other processing phenomena such as extrudate expansion, melt fracture, and thermal stability. However, rheologists have not yet been successful in identifying and measuring material characteristics which relate to processes involving essentially elongational deformations. Since nearly all fabrication techniques involve such deformations, the importance of extensional flow studies is clearly evident.
MODERATE MORALISM VERSUS MODERATE AUTONOMISM

En reponse a l'article de J. Anderson et J. Dean (in «The British journal of aesthetics», 38, 2, 1998) refutant la these du moralisme modere defendue par l'A. dans un article recent (ibid., 36, 3, 1996), l'A. se distingue de l'ethicisme de Gaut, d'une part, et expose sa propre position selon laquelle un defaut moral ou une vertu morale dans une oeuvre d'art peuvent etre un defaut ou une vertu esthetiques, d'autre part. Mesurant le role du mal dans le defaut esthetique d'une oeuvre, l'A. rejette le cas de la perspective immorale considere par Anderson et Dean
Hybrid multi-agent based resilient control for EV connected micro grid system

A hybrid control strategy for the energy management of the microgrid system consisting of a number of electric vehicles and other energy sources is proposed in this paper. The main focus of this paper is on optimal control of power flow by scheduling and demand side management of energy generation system and the load by utilizing electric vehicles' energy storage system. The features of a centralized control and distributed control are combined into the proposed hybrid control strategy to improve the efficiency and reliability of the microgrid system consisting of electric vehicle charging stations. Cost of power generation and value of load equations are presented to compute a “situational aware” power balance. Simulated results utilizing these equations are presented for a residential scale proof-of-concept system.
The use of earnings variance in testing the invisibility hypothesis

This paper addresses the need for simple tests of discrimination models that use new sources of evidence. A particular model of statistical discrimination is considered with reference to its predictions concerning relative earnings variances between demographic groups. Calcuations using the 1980 US Census data provide qualified support for the model.
Development and Use of a Comprehensive Humanitarian Assessment Tool in Post-earthquake Haiti☆

Abstract This paper describes a comprehensive humanitarian assessment tool designed and used following the January 2010 Haiti earthquake. The tool was developed under Joint Task Force – Haiti coordination using indicators of humanitarian needs to support decision making by the United States Government, agencies of the United Nations, and various non-governmental organizations. A set of questions and data collection methodology were developed by a collaborative process involving a broad segment of the Haiti humanitarian relief community and used to conduct surveys in internally displaced person settlements and surrounding communities for a four-month period starting on 15 March 2010. Key considerations in the development of the assessment tool and data collection methodology, representative analysis results, and observations from the operational use of the tool for decision making are reported. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for design and use of similar tools in the future.
Women's security: Critical perspectives on assessment techniques and preventive responses

Full text is not available in SOAR due to copyright restrictions. WSU Libraries provides access to electronic copy of this article via commercial databases and library online catalog: A link to Security Journal online: http://libcat.wichita.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1375845
PASSIVE PRESSURE-DRAG CONTROL IN A PLANE WAKE

We report results of a study of the transition region of a compressible (subsonic) plane wake at moderately high Reynolds numbers, based on the numerical solution of the inviscid time-dependent flow equations. The focus is placed on the flow dynamics in the region of vortex formation and the near wake. A thin interference plate along the wake centreline, which can either be attached or detached from the bluff-body base, is used as a means for passive pressure-drag control by affecting the vortex formation process directly. The results show that the inclusion of an interference plate in the flow configuration can significantly decrease the magnitude of the base pressure coefficient by factors of up to 3, depending on the length of the plate and its separation from the base. The calculated results are in good agreement with the available experimental data and include the detached case for which little or no data exists. The observed self-sustained (global) instabilities in the present simulations were found to be intrinsic features of the flows investigated and are consistent with the local absolute/global instability picture currently favoured.
Fuel Economy and Emissions Effects of Low Tire Pressure, Open Windows, Roof Top and Hitch-Mounted Cargo, and Trailer

To quantify the fuel economy (FE) effect of some common vehicle accessories or alterations, a compact passenger sedan and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) were subjected to SAE J2263 coastdown procedures. Coastdowns were conducted with low tire pressure, all windows open, with a roof top or hitch-mounted cargo carrier, and with the SUV pulling an enclosed cargo trailer. From these coastdowns, vehicle dynamometer coefficients were developed which enabled the execution of vehicle dynamometer experiments to determine the effect of these changes on vehicle FE and emissions over standard drive cycles and at steady highway speeds. The FE penalty associated with the rooftop cargo box mounted on the compact sedan was as high as 25-27% at higher speeds, where the aerodynamic drag is most pronounced. For both vehicles, use of a hitch mounted cargo tray carrying a similar load resulted in very small FE penalties, unlike the rooftop cargo box. The results for the SUV pulling a 3500 pound enclosed cargo trailer were rather dramatic, resulting in FE penalties ranging from 30%, for the city cycle, to 50% at 80 mph, at which point significant CO generation indicated protective enrichment due to high load. Low tire pressure cases resulted in negligiblemore » to 10% FE penalty depending on the specific case and test point. Driving with all four windows open decreased FE by 4-8.5% for the compact sedan, and 1-4% for the SUV.« less
Fumonisin concentrations and in vivo toxicity of nixtamalized Fusarium verticillioides culture material: evidence for fumonisin-matrix interactions.

The toxic potential of nixtamalized foods can be underestimated if, during cooking, reversible fumonisin-food matrix interactions reduce the amount of mycotoxin that is detected but not the amount that is bioavailable. Fusarium verticillioides culture material (CM) was nixtamalized as is (NCM) or after mixing with ground corn (NCMC). Additional portions were sham nixtamalized without (SCM) or with corn (SCMC). Nixtamalization and sham nixtamalization reduced FB 1 ; CM, NCM, and SCM diets contained 9.08, 2.08, and 1.19 ppm, respectively. FB 1 was further reduced in the NCMC (0.49 ppm) but not the SCMC (1.01 ppm) diets compared to their NCM and SCM counterparts. Equivalent weights of the cooked products, uncooked CM, corn (UC) or nixtamalized UC (NUC) were fed to rats for up to three weeks. Kidney lesions in the NCM-fed group were less severe than in the CM-fed, positive control group and no lesions were found in the NCMC and other groups. Group kidney sphinganine (biomarker offumonisin exposure) concentrations decreased in the order: CM (absolute concentration (nmol/g) = 600-800) > NCM (400-600) > SCM and SCMC (30-90) > NCMC, UC and NUC (<8). Together, these results suggest that mycotoxin-corn matrix interactions during nixtamalization reduce the bioavailability and toxicity of FB 1 .
A Study of the Properties of a Room Temperature Martensitic Binary Nitinol Alloy Above and Below its Martensite to Austenite Transformation Temperature

Room temperature martensitic Nitinol alloys provide a challenge to end users of the material because they are martensitic and soft at room temperature. These are commonly referred to as Shape Memory alloys as they revert to their superelastic (pseudoelastic) form and austenitic structure at a temperature above ambient. For this study, a NiTi wire, Ti-55.3 wt.%Ni in composition (Alloy-B) and heat-treated to an Af ≈ 60 °C was used. Tensile testing was performed to fully characterize the performance of the material at a series of temperatures above and below its transformation temperature. This article will summarize the properties of the material along with the effects of multiple strains on key material performance characteristics.
Does soluble guanylyl cyclase need a chaperone

Two commonly accepted features of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC): its lack of "partners" and its exclusive-cytoplasmic localization were recently challenged. Several proteins that bind directly to sGC have now been identified. The molecular chaperone Hsp70 is one of these sGCinteracting proteins. Hsp70 modulates sGC activity, but apparently requires other associated proteins or co-factors for its sGC-activating effect. Other members of the molecular chaperones family appear to interact with sGC as well.
NATURE OF BOUND WATER IN COLLOIDAL SYSTEMS

The state of water in colloidal systems is a controversial subject. Discovery of the colloidal state by Graham (18) was followed by extensive studies by Van Bemmeln (66, 67, 68, 60) and Zsigmondy (73, 74). Thermodynamic studies by Katz (36) indicated significant changes in free energy and heat content in colloidal systems at low water content. Overton (51) concluded that part of the water in animal tissue did not have normal solvent properties. The work of Rosa (59) and Hooker (28) suggested a relationship between certain hydrophilic bio-colloids and cold resistance in plant tissue. Newton and Gortner (49) proposed a cryoscopic method for the measurement of hydrophilic colloids as a criterion of the state of water in living and non-living colloid systems. The apparently unusual state of water thus disclosed by a vast amount of data has been called *'bound'' water. It has been assumed that the presence of colloidal material was responsible for the observed phenomenon. It is of particular importance in biological systems because of certain implications with regard to hardiness and drought resistance in plants and animals. The majority of investigations have dealt with plant physiology. The estimation of bound water is based upon the physical measurement of a variety of properties of water. Some workers compute the amount of bound water from the total change in thermodynamic activity of the water in a given system while other workers include only that part of the change in thermodynamic activity which cannot be accounted for by osmotically active substances. In this paper the calculations are based upon the latter concept and bound water is denned as the amount of water required to compensate for the deviation of some thermodynamic property of water from the measurement expected in simple solution. It has been suggested (17) that bound water is due to the orientation of water molecules about the colloidal particles and that the water, thus removed from the body of the solution, loses its solvent properties. A few investigators have disagreed with these premises. The data of Hill (27) and Grollman (21) did not show appreciable amounts of bound water in many colloidal systems. Greenberg and Greenberg (20) subjected the concept of lost solvent powers to test and found no evidence for bound water on that basis. A knowledge of the nature of the phenomenon observed is necessary for the interpretation of its r?le in biological processes.
Solutions of the thin phase grating diffraction equation

Abstract An integral solution and a Bessel function solution of the thin phase grating difference-differential equation that describes diffraction by a thin arbitrarily-shaped periodic grating are presented and discussed.
Crystallization of lithium alumino / galliosilicate glasses

Abstract The effect of glass composition on the crystallization temperature, activation energy for crystallization, and identity of the crystalline phases formed was determined for a large number of lithium gallio and alumino/galliosilicate glasses using differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. A large region exists in the ternary system lithia-gallia-silica in which LiGaSi2O6 is the only crystalline phase formed. The devitrification of glasses containing both gallia and alumina resulted in the formation of solid solutions between the lithium galliosilicate and lithium aluminosilicate phases. These data suggest that gallium and aluminum ions occupy identical sites in the glass structure.