cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservation of soil moisture by different stone covers on alpine talus slopes (Lassen, California)

Abstract This study reports on the influence of stone covers with different clast sizes on the soil moisture of alpine talus slopes in Lassen (California). Fifteen four-plot sets were sampled in the dry season (July 1990) in sandy areas and in talus covered with pebbles, cobbles, or blocks between 2740 and 2775 m. Three depths (0–5, 5–10, 10–15 cm) were sampled. Field moisture content increased gradually with depth in all soil profiles, and also in plots covered by increasingly larger rocks. Surface soils in sand areas were very dry, but under rocks had water contents 6 to 14 times greater. Differences among plots decreased with depth, but subsoil samples in sand were still drier than those beneath any stone cover at similar depths. Blocks were most effective in conserving moisture; water content below them was higher than even in deep (10–15 cm) sand soils. Soil temperatures were recorded in sand and under blocks for an 11-day period. Minima were not significantly different, but average maxima were 5.6°C lower under blocks than in sand, which reached highs ∼4.4°C lower than the air. Differences in soil moisture among talus types are ascribed to lower evaporation losses under stones, due to both disruption of capillarity by the coarse particles, which prevented water flow to the talus surface, and to their efficient reduction of maximum temperatures. An irrigation experiment was conducted at 2110 m on a steep talus on the Chaos Crags from July 18 to Aug. 2, 1993. Four 100×75 cm plots with the same surface types than at Lassen received 22.5 mm water; moisture content was then periodically sampled. Watering produced similar water distributions among soil depths and talus types to those in Lassen. Evaporation occurred quickly in bare soils due to high air and soil temperatures. The sand surface was already dry 2 days after watering, but stone-covered plots remained moist until day 15, when soils under blocks still retained 77–97% of the water content (percent by weight) at the start of the test.
The influence of depression of respiratory metabolism by carbon monoxide on the pigment development in the insect eye.

1. Keeping pupae ofDrosophila melanogaster andMormoniella vitripennis in carbon monoxide containing atmosphere (CO/O2 in the ratio of 9:1) produces a general retardation of developmental processes, including the development of eye pigments. The retardation is greater and the development more sensitive to such treatment inMormoniella than inDrosophila. 2. In addition to the quantitative effects the carbon monoxide treatment has also a specific qualitative effect on the development of the brown-black pigment (ommochrome?) in the eyes ofMormoniella, which is completely suppressed, while inDrosophila the corresponding pigment component is not affected. 3. It is concluded that inMormoniella a coupling exists between processes of respiration and ommochrome formation, which is missing or is not essential inDrosophila. A possible explanation of this coupling is suggested.
Viral vector delivery of Env trimer immunogens

Methods We are using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a vector platform for delivery of Env immunogens as transmembrane glycoproteins. We have investigated a variety of vector designs and Env modifications to identify combinations that balance the practical requirement for vector genetic stability with factors influencing antibody responses including immunogen abundance, efficient post-translational processing, and presentation of antigenic determinants representative of a functional trimeric spike.
Phospholipase C-γ1 Is Required for Calcium-induced Keratinocyte Differentiation

Phospholipase C-γ1 is the most abundant member of the phospholipase C family in keratinocytes and is induced by calcium. Phospholipase C-γ1, therefore, may be involved in the signal transduction system leading to calcium regulation of keratinocyte differentiation. To test this hypothesis, expression of phospholipase C-γ1 in human keratinocytes was blocked by transfecting cells with the antisense human phospholipase C-γ1 cDNA construct. These cells demonstrated a dramatic reduction in phospholipase C-γ1 protein level compared with the empty vector-transfected cells and a marked reduction in the mRNA and protein levels of the differentiation markers involucrin and transglutaminase following administration of calcium. Similarly, cotransfection of antisense phospholipase C-γ1 constructs with a luciferase reporter vector containing involucrin or transglutaminase promoters led to a substantial reduction in calcium-stimulated involucrin and transglutaminase promoter activities. Similar results were seen following treatment with a specific phospholipase C inhibitor U73122. To determine whether phospholipase C-γ1 regulated differentiation by controlling intracellular calcium, we examined the ability of antisense phospholipase C-γ1 to block the calcium-induced rise in intracellular calcium and found that it could. These findings indicate that phospholipase C-γ1 is a critical component of the signaling pathway mediating calcium regulation of keratinocyte differentiation via its mobilization of intracellular calcium.
Impact of a Semi-Lagrangian and an Eulerian Dynamical Core on Climate Simulations

Abstract To assess the impact of dynamical formulation on climate simulations, a semi-Lagrangian and an Eulerian dynamical core have been used for 5-yr climate simulations with the same physical parameterizations. The comparison of the climate simulations is focused on various eddy statistics (the study of time-mean states from the simulations has been published in a previous paper). Significant differences between the two simulations are evident. Generally, the stationary eddy variances are stronger in the semi-Lagrangian simulation while the transient eddy variances are stronger in the Eulerian simulation. Compared to the data assimilated by the Goddard Earth Observing System data assimilation system, the semi-Lagrangian simulation is closer to the assimilation in many aspects than the Eulerian simulation, even though the Eulerian model was used in the data assimilation. The paper shows that rather than corrupting the ability to diagnose model performance with a parallel data assimilation, quantitative ...
Simultaneous population optimal design for pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic experiments

Multiple outputs or measurement types are commonly gathered in biological experiments. Often, these experiments are expensive (such as clinical drug trials) or require careful design to achieve the desired information content. Optimal experimental design protocols could help alleviate the cost and increase the accuracy of these experiments. In general, optimal design techniques ignore between-individual variability, but even work that incorporates it (population optimal design) has treated simultaneous multiple output experiments separately by computing the optimal design sequentially, first finding the optimal design for one output (eg, a pharmacokinetic [PK] measurement) and then determining the design for the second output (eg, a pharmacodynamic [PD] measurement). Theoretically, this procedure can lead to biased and imprecise results when the second model parameters are also included in the first model (as in PK-PD models). We present methods and tools for simultaneous population D-optimal experimental designs, which simultaneously compute the design of multiple output experiments, allowing for correlation between model parameters. We then apply these methods to simulated PK-PD experiments. We compare the new simultaneous designs to sequential designs that first compute the PK design, fix the PK parameters, and then compute the PD design in an experiment. We find that both population designs yield similar results in designs for low sample number experiments, with simultaneous designs being possibly superior in situations in which the number of samples is unevenly distributed between outputs. Simultaneous population D-optimality is a potentially useful tool in the emerging field of experimental design.
Incidence trends in the anatomic location of primary malignant brain tumors in the United States: 1992-2006.

Background This study sought to determine incidence trends of the anatomical origin of primary malignant brain tumors. Methods Incidence data for histologically confirmed brain tumors were obtained from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program (LAC), the California Cancer Registry (CCR), and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for 1992 to 2006. Age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) and annual percent changes (APC) were calculated by histologic subtypes and anatomic subsites. Statistical analyses were performed using the SEER*Stat analytic software and SAS statistical software. Results Increased AAIRs of frontal (APC +2.4% to +3.0%, P ≤ 0.001) and temporal (APC +1.3% to +2.3%, P ≤ 0.027) lobe glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors were observed across all registries, accompanied by decreased AAIRs in overlapping region GBMs (−2.0% to −2.8% APC, P ≤ 0.015). The AAIRs of GBMs in the parietal and occipital lobes remained stable. The AAIR of cerebellar GBMs increased according to CCR (APC +11.9%, P P ≤ 0.034). Low-grade and anaplastic astrocytomas demonstrated decreased AAIRs in the majority of brain regions. Conclusions Data from 3 major cancer registries demonstrate increased incidences of GBMs in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and cerebellum, despite decreased incidences in other brain regions. Although this may represent an effect of diagnostic bias, the incidence of both large and small tumors increased in these regions. The cause of these observed trends is unknown.
Direct Imaging of Lysozyme Adsorption onto Mica by Atomic Force Microscopy

The adsorption dynamics of hen-egg-white lysozyme onto muscovite mica is followed using in situ tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) in aqueous solution. Under stagnant conditions and at a bulk concentration of 2 μg/mL, lysozyme clusters were imaged on mica several minutes after exposure to the protein solution. Force−volume imaging confirmed the existence of different tip−surface interaction forces corresponding to areas of bare mica and areas covered with a single layer of adsorbed protein. 14C-labeled lysozyme was used to determine the mass of protein adsorbed. This information, in conjunction with the AFM images of the submonolayers, reveals that lysozyme, once adsorbed, diffuses on a time scale of minutes or less on the surface and forms clusters consisting of about five molecules. In contrast, at a protein concentration of 5 μg/mL in the AFM cell, surface coverage increases uniformly until a complete monolayer is established after 2 h. Once the initial protein monolayer is established, additio...
Dynamical calculations for RHEED from a partially-ordered Cu3Au(111) surface

A multislice formalism of Cowley and Moodie [Acta Cryst. 10 (1957) 609] with a recently developed edge patching method has been applied to the RHEED analyses on the order-disorder transition of the Cu3Au(111) surfaces. The results give the RI−S relation as RI = 0.4S2.224 (RI — ratio of reflection intensities, S — long-range orde By combining the RI−T relation experimentally observable by RHEED with the simulated RI−S relation, the needed S−T relation for the transition can be resolved in a straightforward way. The results confirm what was suggested by the experiments [Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 237 (1993) 517]: the intensities of the RHEED superstructure reflections from ordering of the Cu and Au is more than 90% sensitive to the outer monolayer alone, thus making RHEED valuable for studies of surface order. The results of the analyses on the attenuation of elastically scattered electrons inside crystal in RHEED are useful to RHEED-related surface analytical techniques: AES, REEL, EDS and RHEED-TRAXS. The investigation on the errors resulting from potential sampling has shown that choosing proper sampling rates in all three dimensions is important to the multislice simulation of RHEED.
Counterexamples to randić's conjecture on distance degree sequences for trees

As counterexamples to a conjecture of Randic, pairs of nonisomorphic trees with the same collections of distance degree sequences are presented.
Novel cyclic analogs of angiotensin II with cyclization between positions 5 and 7: conformational and biological implications.

To study the conformational features of molecular recognition of angiotensin II (Asp1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-Val/Ile5-His6-Pro7-Phe8, AII), the synthesis and biological testing of several cyclic analogs of AII cyclized between positions 5 and 7 have been performed. The synthesized analogs were Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Cys5-His6-Pen7)-Phe8 (3), Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Asp5-His6-Apt7)-Phe8 (4), Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Glu5-His6-Apt7)-Phe8 (5), Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Cys5-His6-Mpt7)-Phe8 (6), Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Cys5-His6-Mpc7)-Phe8 (7), Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Hcy5-His6-Mpt7)-Phe8 (8), and Sar1-Arg2-Val3-Tyr4-cyclo(Hcy5-His6-Mpc7)-Phe8 (9), where Apt stands for 4-amino-trans-proline, and Mpt and Mpc for 4-mercapto-trans- and -cis-prolines, respectively. Compound (9) showed good affinity at AT-1 receptors, namely a KD = 20 nM. In functional assays, it showed the characteristics of a weak partial agonist with a relative affinity of 0.26% of that for AII and an intrinsic efficacy, αE, of 0.42. Molecula...
Turnover, Transfer, Absenteeism: An interdependent Perspective

While there is a rich tradition of research addressing turnover, transfer, and absenteeism as singular phenomenon, there has been relatively little attention to the various associations among these employee behaviors. We provide rationale and a model that turnover/transfer/absenteeism are interdependent phenomena. Specifically, we argue that levels of employee turnover can be markedly altered by attention to transfer and absenteeism policies within the organization.
Effects of manganese and other divalent cations on calcium uptake and catecholamine secretion by primary cultures of bovine adrenal medulla cells.

Abstract Primary cultures of bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells were used to examine the effect of replacing divalent cations in the extracellular media on secretion. When calcium was replaced by manganese, nicotine-stimulated secretion was delayed in onset for 3 to 5 minutes, but continued for approximately 60 minutes. In contrast, calcium-supported secretion began immediately on stimulation and plateaued by 10 minutes. 54 Mn 2+ uptake occurred on stimulation but at a lower rate than 45 Ca 2+ uptake. There was no delay of 54 Mn 2+ uptake upon stimulation and 54 Mn 2+ uptake was considerably prolonged compared to 45 Ca 2+ uptake. Replacement of calcium with strontium gave results similar to those with calcium, and, in addition, strontium was able to bring about secretion by itself in a manner similar to barium. Inhibition experiments showed that the potency for inhibiting calcium uptake was Cd 2+ >Mn 2+ >Ca 2+ >Sr 2+ .
Seeding of Corneal Wounds by Epithelial Cell Transfer from Micropatterned PDMS Contact Lenses

Persistent corneal wounds result from numerous eye disorders, and to date, available treatments often fail to accelerate reepithelialization, the key initial step in wound healing. To speed reepithelialization, we explored a cell-transfer transplant method utilizing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) contact lenses to deliver epithelial cells derived from limbal explants directly within a corneal wound. Human primary epithelial cells and an immortalized corneal epithelial cell line (HCE-SV40) grew well on PDMS contact lenses and their morphology and growth rates where similar to cells grown on tissue culture polystyrene. To initially study cell transfer from PDMS, HCE-SV40 cells were seeded onto PDMS with or without micropatterned posts. After a day in culture, HCE-SV40 cells attached to the unpatterned PDMS uniformly, whereas on micropatterned PDMS they appeared to attach primarily between posts. The cell-covered PDMS contacts were then placed cell-side down onto tissue culture plastic and, after 1, 2, or 3 days, the PDMS contact was removed and the transferred cells were trypsinized and counted. Micropatterned PDMS contact lenses with 100-microm-diameter posts and a post height of 40 microm transferred three times as many cells as unpatterned PDMS. Cell transfer to a wounded cornea was tested in a pig cornea organ culture model de-epithelialized by alkali treatment. Post micropatterned PDMS contact lenses were seeded with labeled HCE-SV40 cells at a density 50,000 cells/cm2 and applied to the wounded pig corneas. After 24, 48, or 96 h of application, PDMS contact lenses were removed, corneas fixed with formaldehyde, and sectioned. After 48 h, epithelial cells transferred from post micropatterned contact lenses to provide 35% epithelial coverage of denuded pig corneas; after 96 h coverage was 65%. We conclude that cell transfer from epithelial-coated PDMS contact lenses micropatterned with posts provides a promising approach to reepithelialize corneal surfaces.
Pancreatic insufficiency and Ménétrier's disease

A patient with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and hypoalbuminemic edema was shown also to have a protein-losing gastropathy secondary to giant hypertrophic gastritis (Menetrier's disease). Despite continuation of excessive gastric protein loss, the manifestations of hypoproteinemia were reversed by oral pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. We speculate that impaired intraluminal proteolysis exaggerated the consequences of gastric protein loss.
A new quantum mechanical channel mobility model for Si MOSFET's

A new model is presented for the transverse field-dependent mobility in MOSFET's. It is based on the diffuse scattering of electrons at the Si-SiO 2 interface in the narrow inversion layer, due to the uncertainty principle related momentum, of the electrons in induced quantum levels. Our calculations for unstressed material yield µ ≈ F-αwith α ≈ 0.67 at high fields. For stressed material α falls to less than 0.2. Combining this channel mobility with bulk phonon scattering gives an excellent fit to a large body of data. Process-induced stress may account for the wide range in µ and α reported in the literature.
A comparison of winter mercury accumulation at forested and no-canopy sites measured with different snow sampling techniques

Abstract Atmospheric mercury (Hg) is delivered to ecosystems via rain, snow, cloud/fog, and dry deposition. The importance of snow, especially snow that has passed through the forest canopy (throughfall), in delivering Hg to terrestrial ecosystems has received little attention in the literature. The snowpack is a dynamic system that links atmospheric deposition and ecosystem cycling through deposition and emission of deposited Hg. To examine the magnitude of Hg delivery via snowfall, and to illuminate processes affecting Hg flux to catchments during winter (cold season), Hg in snow in no-canopy areas and under forest canopies measured with four collection methods were compared: (1) Hg in wet precipitation as measured by the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) for the site in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, (2) event throughfall (collected after snowfall cessation for accumulations of >8 cm), (3) season-long throughfall collected using the same apparatus for event sampling but deployed for the entire cold season, and (4) snowpack sampling. Estimates (mean ± SE) of Hg deposition using these methods during the 91-day cold season in 2004–2005 at conifer sites showed that season-long throughfall Hg flux (1.80 μg/m2)
Long pulse laser driven shock wave loading for dynamic materials experiments

ABSTRACT We present two laser driven shock wave loading techniques utilizing long pulse lasers, laser-launched yer plateand conned laser ablation, and their applications to shock physics. The full width at half maximum of the drivelaser pulse ranges from 100 ns to 10 µ s, and its energy, from 10 J to 1000 J. The drive pulse is smoothed witha holographic optical element to achieve spatial homogeneity in loading. We characterize the yer plate duringight and dynamically loaded target with temporally and spatially resolved diagnostics. The long durationand high energy of the drive pulse allow for shockles s acceleration of thick yer plates with 8 mm diameterand 0.1 2 mm thickness. With transient imaging displa cement interferometry and lin e-imaging velocimetry, wedemonstrate that the planarity (bow and tilt) of the loading is within 2  7 mrad (with an average of 4 ± 1mrad),similar to that in conventional techniques including gas gun loading. Plasma heating of target is negligible inparticular when a plasma shield is adopted. For yer plate loading, supported shock waves can be achieved.Temporal shaping of the drive pulse in conned laser ablation enables exible loading, e.g., quasi-isentropic,Taylor-wave, and o- Hugoniot loading. These dynamic loading techniques using long pulse lasers (0.1 10 µ s)along with short pulse lasers (1 10 ns) can be an accurate, versatile and ec ient complement to conventionalshock wave loading for investigating such dynamic responses of materials as Hugoniot elastic limit, plasticity,spall, shock roughness, equation of state, phase transition, and metallurgical characteristics of shock-recoveredsamples, in a wide range of strain rates and pressures at meso- and macroscopic scales.Keywords: long pulse laser, shock waves, yer plate, conned ablation, planarity, o- Hugoniot, quasi-isentropic
A unified modeling of NBTI and hot carrier injection for MOSFET reliability

A unified theory of negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and hot carrier injection (HCI) induced interface trap generation is developed to simultaneously explain the time-exponents of both phenomena. Characteristic time-dependence of interface trap generation (/spl Delta/N/sub IT/ /spl sim/ t/sup n/) due to NBTI (/spl sim/t/sup 0.25/) and HCI (/spl sim/ t/sup 0.5/) degradation are shown. Our model not only agrees with the experimental exponents and provides insight into dynamic behavior of the degradation processes for planar MOSFETs, but also predicts possible reliability concerns for the future-generation of surround-gate device geometries. The unified R-D model described in this paper successfully captures, for the first time, the geometry-dependence of trap generation and unifies HCI and NBTI. Significant achievements are: (i) agreement with the experimental data; (ii) realistic lifetime projection; and (iii) predictions of higher degradation rate for future generation of surround gate devices.
Quality control in the year 2000

‘Just-in-time’ production is a prerequisite for a company to meet the challenges of competition. Manufacturing cycles have been so successfully optimized that release time now has become a significant factor. A vision for a major quality-control (QC) contribution to profitability in this decade seems to be the just-in-time release. Benefits will go beyond cost savings for lower inventory. The earlier detection of problems will reduce rejections and scrap. In addition, problem analysis and problem-solving will be easier. To achieve just-in-time release, advanced automated systems like robots will become the workhorses in QC for high volume pharmaceutical production. The requirements for these systems are extremely high in terms of quality, reliability and ruggedness. Crucial for the success might be advances in use of microelectronics for error checks, system recording, trouble shooting, etc. as well as creative new approaches (for example the use of redundant assay systems).
Unsteady MHD free-convection flows with time-dependent heating in a rotating medium

Unsteady free-convection flows near an infinite vertical plate in a rotating medium in the presence of a constant transverse magnetic field are investigated under an arbitrary time-dependent heating of the plate. By using the Laplace transform technique, the Green's function of the problem is determined and exact solutions are obtained for special cases of the time-dependent heating effect. The thermal influence on skin friction at the plate and the displacement thickness of the boundary layer are determined, and the structure of the thermal wave trains is discussed.
Viability by MRI or PET Would Have Changed the Results of the STICH Trial

The Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial found that viability assessment did not identify patients with a survival advantage from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) compared to medical therapy. STICH viability testing was performed with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging, dobutamine echocardiography, or both. There has been controversy regarding the strength of the conclusions, and whether newer technologies such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) or position emission tomography imaging (PET) would have changed the results. Improvements in medical therapy for heart failure over the past decade have led to decreased incremental benefit of revascularization therapy over medical therapy alone, as demonstrated by primary STICH findings. Although weaknesses in study design and performance limit generalizability, likely more precise techniques such as CMR or PET were needed to discern the smaller incremental survival benefit that may be afforded with CABG compared to medical therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Characterization of U(VI)-carbonato ternary complexes on hematite: EXAFS and electrophoretic mobility measurements

We have measured U(VI) adsorption on hematite using EXAFS spectroscopy and electrophoresis under conditions relevant to surface waters and aquifers (0.01 to 10 μM dissolved uranium concentrations, in equilibrium with air, pH 4.5 to 8.5). Both techniques suggest the existence of anionic U(VI)-carbonato ternary complexes. Fits to EXAFS spectra indicate that U(VI) is simultaneously coordinated to surface FeO6 octahedra and carbonate (or bicarbonate) ligands in bidentate fashions, leading to the conclusion that the ternary complexes have an inner-sphere metal bridging (hematite-U(VI)-carbonato) structure. Greater than or equal to 50% of adsorbed U(VI) was comprised of monomeric hematite-U(VI)-carbonato ternary complexes, even at pH 4.5. Multimeric U(VI) species were observed at pH ≥ 6.5 and aqueous U(VI) concentrations approximately an order of magnitude more dilute than the solubility of crystalline β-UO2(OH)2. Based on structural constraints, these complexes were interpreted as dimeric hematite-U(VI)-carbonato ternary complexes. These results suggest that Fe-oxide-U(VI)-carbonato complexes are likely to be important transport-limiting species in oxic aquifers throughout a wide range of pH values.
Alloying studies in U1 − xThxPd2Al3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1)

Measurements of the temperature and concentration dependence of the magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity for U1 − xThxPd2Al3 are presented. The magnetic susceptibility data scale with the concentration of U ions are large regions of x and T. The electrical resistivity shows a smooth evolution from the Kondo lattice regime to the single-ion Kondo behavior as Th concentration x is increased. A lack of saturation in resistivity in the samples with x = 0.8 and 0.6, and a logarithmic divergence in χ(T) at low temperatures makes the U1 − xThxPd2Al3 system a good candidate for a two-channel Kondo effect.
Epicuticular waxes from Agropyron dasystachyum, agropyron riparium and Agropyron elongatum☆

Abstract Epicuticular waxes from whole plants of Agropyron dasystachyum var. psammophylum, A. riparium and A. elongatum contain hydrocarbons (5–8 %), long chain esters (12–15%) and free acids (2–5%). The major esters are C34C56 esters derived from C16C30 acids and alcohols (1-hexacosanol is the major alcohol) but C31, C33 and C35 esters (3–11%) are also present. The latter esters are C18 and C20 acid esters of C13 and C15 2-alkanols. A. dasystachyum wax contains 2% free alcohols, that of A. riparium contains 17% and that of A. elongatum 11% (1-hexacosanol is the major alcohol in each). Diesters (2%), C8C12 diols esterified by (E)-2-alkenoic acids, are present in A. riparium wax. Hentriacontane-14,16-dione is present: 29% in A. dasystachyum wax and 32% in A. riparium wax, but only 5% in A. elongatum wax. 25-Oxohentriacontane-14,16-dione forms 14% of A. dasystachyum wax and 27% of A. elongatum wax but the oxo β-diketones of A. riparium wax (5%) consist of both 10-oxo- and 25-oxohentriacontane-14,16-diones in the ratio 4:1. Hydroxy β-diketones of the waxes are 25- and 26-hydroxyhentriacontane-14,16-diones; in A. dasystachyum (20%) the ratio is 3:1, in A. elongatum (20%) the ratio is 9:1 but in A. riparium (5%) it is ca 1:2. The configuration of the hydroxyl group in the 26-hydroxy β-diketone is opposite to that in the 25-hydroxy derivative. The unusual composition of the oxygenated β-diketones of A. riparium confirms that this species should be regarded as separate from A. dasystachyum. Wax from A. elongatum also contains 4-hydroxy-25-oxohentriacontane-14,16-dione (4%) and an unusual oxo-β-ketol, 18-hydroxy-7,16-hentriacontanedione (2%), both these components are probably derived biosynthetically from the 25-oxo β-diketone which is the major component of this wax. Syntheses of racemic 18-hydroxy-7,16-hentriacontanedione and of a model β-ketol, 12-hydroxy-10-pentacosanone, are described.
Heme from Alzheimer's brain inhibits muscarinic receptor binding via thiyl radical generation

An endogenous inhibitor (< 3500 Da) of antagonist binding to the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) has been reported to be elevated 3-fold in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. This endogenous inhibitor was found to require the presence of reducing agents such as reduced glutathione (GSH) for optimal activity. In the presence of GSH, the inhibitor was shown to generate thiyl radicals which irreversibly inhibited the mAChR. We now report that the inhibitor contains free heme, a well-established source of oxidative stress capable of generating free radicals and causing neurotoxicity. While FeSO4, microperoxidase and hemin all inhibited antagonist binding to the mAChR, only hemin shared the inhibitor's requirement for GSH. Both the free radical scavengers Trolox and Mn2+, and the metal chelator, EDTA, blocked the activity of the endogenous AD inhibitor and of hemin. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) markedly reduced the activity of both the endogenous AD inhibitor and hemin, indicating that the endogenous inhibitor contains heme. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed the presence of free heme and heme fragments in fractions of the endogenous AD inhibitor. The antioxidants estrogen, vitamin E and vitamin C all protected the mAChR from irreversible inhibition by the endogenous inhibitor or hemin. These antioxidants may function to protect the integrity of the mAChR in vivo and may have therapeutic potential in AD where free heme could be a source of oxidative stress.
Classification rules that include neutral zones and their application to microbial community profiling

We extend the classical one-dimensional Bayes binary classifier to create a new classification rule that has a region of neutrality to account for cases where the implied weight of evidence is too weak for a confident classification. Our proposed rule allows a “No Prediction” when the observation is too ambiguous to have confidence in a definite prediction. The motivation for making “No Prediction” is that in our microbial community profiling application, a wrong prediction can be worse than making no prediction at all. On the other hand, too many “No Predictions” have adverse implications as well. Consequently, our proposed rule incorporates this trade-off using a cost structure that weighs the penalty for not making a definite prediction against the penalty for making an incorrect definite prediction. We demonstrate that our proposed rule outperforms a naive neutral-zone rule that has been routinely used in biological applications similar to ours.
PROROCENTRUM LEVIS, A NEW BENTHIC SPECIES (DINOPHYCEAE)FROM A MANGROVE ISLAND, TWIN CAYS, BELIZE

As part of a long-term study of benthic dinoflagellates from the Belizean barrier reef system, we report a new species: Prorocentrum levis M. A. Faust, Kibler, Vandersea, P. A. Tester et Litaker sp. nov. P. levis cells are oval in valve view and range in size from 40 to 44 lm long and 37 to 40 lm wide. Each valve surface is smooth, with 221–238 valve pores and 99–130 marginal pores. These pores are uniformly small and range in diameter from 0.13 to 0.19 lm. Asexual reproduction in P. levis is atypical, occurring within a hyaline envelope, and produces long branching chains of adherent cells. A phylogenetic analysis of SSU rDNA indicated that of the Prorocentrum species sequenced so far, P. levis was most closely related to P. concavum. P. levis produces okadaic acid and dinophysis toxin-2 (DTX2). Further, SEM observations and SSU rDNA sequence for P. belizeanum M. A. Faust, which was isolated at the same time, are also presented
Effects of post-training d -amphetamine on acquisition of an appetitive autoshaped lever press response in rats

This experiment examined the effect of post-training d-amphetamine on retention in an appetitive autoshaping conditioning situation. Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats were first given ten autoshaping trials, followed by either three or four additional sessions of 50 trials (70 s intertrial interval) on which the conditioned stimulus (the extension of an illuminated Plexiglas lever for 10 s) and unconditioned stimulus (a 45 mg food pellet), were paired. d-Amphetamine (1 or 2 mg/kg) or saline was administered IP either immediately or 2 h following training. Rats injected with 1 mg/kg d-amphetamine immediately after the first training session made significantly more responses during the conditioned stimulus presentation on the following daily session of 50 trials. Thus, the amphetamine-treated rats acquired the lever press response faster than those given only saline. The amphetamine effects were time dependent: no significant effects were found if the injection was delayed until 2 h following training. These results agree with the findings of other instrumental aversive facilitation studies and suggest that d-amphetamine may enhance retention of the classically conditioned components of autoshaping.
Building a paperless office with document image processing system

The DIP (document image processing) system, and its configurations and functions are described, and the standards issue facing the DIP system is discussed. DIP involves scanning and electronically storing documents so they can be retrieved and used without requiring paper copies or file cabinets. DIP systems are most useful when integrated into a local area network that provides shared access to devices such as laser printers, scanners, and optical disks. >
Youth recall and TriTrac accelerometer estimates of physical activity levels.

ABSTRACTCRADOCK, A. L., J. L. WIECHA, K. E. PETERSON, A. M. SOBOL, G. A. COLDITZ, and S. L. GORTMAKER. Youth Recall and TriTrac Accelerometer Estimates of Physical Activity Levels. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 525–532, 2004.PurposeTo examine significance of missing data and describe
Elementary School Teachers' Sense of Efficacy for Character Education

In this study, the authors describe the efficacy beliefs of practicing elementary school teachers regarding character education. The Character Education Efficacy Belief Instrument, developed and validated by the authors, was completed by a sample of 254 elementary school teachers in a large midwestern suburban school district. The results suggest that elementary school teachers feel efficacious about most aspects of character education and that teachers who earned their undergraduate degrees from private, religiously affiliated universities have a greater sense of efficacy for character education. Further research into the nature and effectiveness of programs that exist in private, religiously affiliated institutions may suggest methods for developing teachers' abilities to provide character education in schools.
A Numerical Study of Unsteady Natural Convection in a Rectangular Enclosure: The Effect of Compressibility

A two-dimensional, mathematical model is adopted to investigate the development of buoyancy driven circulation patterns and temperature contours inside a rectangular enclosure filled with a compressible fluid (Pr=1.0). One of the vertical walls of the enclosure is kept at a higher temperature then the opposing vertical wall. The top and the bottom of the enclosure are assumed insulated. The physics based mathematical model for this problem consists of conservation of mass, momentum (two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations) and energy equations for the enclosed fluid subjected to appropriate boundary conditions. The working fluid is assumed to be compressible through a simple ideal gas relation. The governing equations are discretized using second order accurate central differencing for spatial derivatives and first order forward finite differencing for time derivatives where the computation domain is represented by a uniform orthogonal mesh. The resulting nonlinear equations are then linearized using Newton’s linearization method. The set of algebraic equations that result from this process are then put into a matrix form and solved using a Coupled Modified Strongly Implicit Procedure (CMSIP) for the unknowns (primitive variables) of the problem. A numerical experiment is carried out for a benchmark case (driven cavity flow) to verify the accuracy of the proposed solution procedure. Numerical experiments are then carried out using the proposed compressible flow model to simulate the development of the buoyancy driven circulation patterns for Rayleigh numbers between 103 and 105 . Finally, an attempt is made to determine the effect of compressibility of the working fluid by comparing the results of the proposed model to that of models that use incompressible flow assumptions together with Boussinesq approximation.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Developments in rapidly solidified Nd-Fe-B Permanent Magnets

Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets have made a significant impact on the manufacturers and users of permanent magnets. The magnetically isotropic powdered materials manufactured by the rapid solidification process can be made into bonded magnets by a variety of techniques. Alternatively, the powdered materials can be consolidated by hot deformation techniques to produce high energy product anisotropic magnets. The developments concerning isotropic and anisotropic powders and anisotropic magnets are discussed.
Probing the role of the vancomycin e-ring aryl chloride: selective divergent synthesis and evaluation of alternatively substituted E-ring analogues.

The selective functionalization of vancomycin aglycon derivatives through conversion of the E-ring aryl chloride to a reactive boronic acid and its use in the synthesis of a systematic series of vancomycin E-ring analogues are described. The series was used to examine the E-ring chloride impact in binding d-Ala-d-Ala and on antimicrobial activity. In contrast to the reduced activity of the unsubstituted E-ring derivatives, hydrophobic and relatively nonpolar substituents approach or match the chloro-substituted vancomycin and were insensitive to the electronic character of the substituent (e.g., Cl vs CN/OMe), whereas highly polar substituents fail to provide the enhancements. Moreover, the active permethylated vancomycin aglycon derivatives exhibit VanB VRE antimicrobial activity at levels that approach (typically within 2-fold) their activity against sensitive bacteria. The robust borylation reaction also enabled the functionalization of a minimally protected vancomycin aglycon (N-Boc-vancomycin aglycon...
Interfacial Strength Between Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes and Copper Material: Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Due to their promising mechanical and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have the potential to be employed in many nano/microelectronic applications e.g., through silicon vias (TSVs), interconnects, transistors, etc. In particular, use of CNT bundles inside annular cylinders of copper (Cu) as TSV is proposed in this study. To evaluate mechanical integrity of CNT-Cu composite material, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the interface between CNT and Cu is conducted. Different arrangements of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been studied at interface of a Cu slab. Pullout forces have been applied to a SWCNT while Cu is spatially fixed. This study is repeated for several different cases where multiple CNT strands are interfaced with Cu slab. The results show similar behavior of the pull-out-displacement curves. After pull-out force reaches a maximum value, it oscillates around an average force with descending amplitude until the strand/s is/are completely pulled-out. A linear relationship between pull-out forces and the number of CNT strands was observed. Second order interaction effect was found to be negligible when multiple layers of CNTs were studied at the interface of Cu. C–Cu van der Waals (vdW) interaction was found to be much stronger than C–C vdW's interactions. Embedded length has no significance on the average pull-out force. However, the amplitude of oscillations increases as the length of CNTs increases. As expected when one end of CNT strand was fixed, owing to its extraordinary strength, large amount of force was required to pull it out. Finally, an analytical relationship is proposed to determine the interfacial shear strength between Cu and CNT bundle.
Environmental Quality in Offices

Environmental quality in offices , Environmental quality in offices , کتابخانه دیجیتالی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی و خدمات درمانی شهید بهشتی
Integrating Real-Time AI Techniques in Adaptive Intelligent Agents

Abstract Adaptive intelligent agents pursue multiple goals in dynamic, complex, uncertain environments. Illustrative applications include medical monitoring agents, autonomous robots, and animated actors. Real-time considerations include hard and soft deadlines, as well as more qualitative constraints. There are no bounded-time algorithms for such applications. Agents must construct goal-seeking behavior opportunistically out of component behaviors triggered at runtime. In contrast to conventional real-time systems, an agent's real-time effectiveness cannot be guaranteed by a single provably optimal technique. Instead, it must emerge from interactions among multiple heuristic techniques at architectur, cognition, and control levels.
Ethnography, Comparison, and Changing Times

This article, based on Levy's Distinguished Lecture at the 2001 meeting of the Societyfor Psychological Anthropology, summarizes his views on how the psychologies of actors and the communityforms and structures in which they are embedded, dancers and their dances, are mutually constituted. In particu- lar, he contrasts two distinct communities where he did field re- search: Piri, a small village in French Polynesia; and Bhaktapur, a religious city in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, suggesting that the particular cultures of these two places give rise to different forms of public life and childrearing, resulting in differing kinds of learning during childhood and ultimately in distinctive expe- riences of the self. (Levy, Polynesia, Nepal, religion, childrearing, self, psychological anthropology)
Technology adoption and institutional change in the United States senate: an analysis of web site content

This poster examines data gathered from the official websites of the US Senate to examine whether technology enhances online representative functions.
Electric Fields and Ion Currents of a ±400 kV HVDC Test Line

In a continuing program to characterize the electrical environment in the vicinity of high voltage dc transmission lines, the ground level electric fields and ion current densities produced by a bipolar test line with a 2 x 3.82cm conductor bundle energized at ±400 kV have been measured at the High Voltage Transmission Research Facility in Lenox, MA (Project UHV). The results reported are for six different combinations of pole spacing and minimum height above ground. The conductor bundle is similar to the conductor bundle used on the CPA-UPA HVDC transmission line in North Dakota and Minnesota. Measurements were made over a six month period from June to December, 1981. Data is reported for different weather conditions; Fair weather, Fog, Rain, Frost and Snow. A seasonal dependence is observed for the Fair weather electric fields and ion current densities. The effect of pole spacing and line height is discussed.
Well-Being After the Virginia Tech Mass Murder The Relative Effectiveness of Face-to-Face and Virtual Interactions in Providing Support to Survivors

Acts of mass violence such as terrorist attacks or school shootings victimize more than those directly involved. Witness to these acts and members of the attacked community are at risk for increase...
Characterization and identification of partially correlated persistent scatterers for InSAR remote sensing

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is an effective tool for measuring temporal changes in the Earth's surface and producing high accuracy, wide coverage images of crustal deformation fields. Decorrelation due to spatial and temporal baseline is a major limiting factor in estimating the deformation signal, but may be ameliorated by using persistent scatterer (PS) techniques. Phase unwrapping and subsequent deformation estimation on the spatially sparse PS network depend largely on the accurate selection of PS pixels and the density of the network. Many additional pixels can be added to the PS list if we are able to identify those in which a dominant scatterer exhibits partial, rather than complete, correlation across all radar scenes. In this work, we discuss and compare statistical methods to model, characterize, and select partially correlated PS pixels.
Lessons from the front line

We live in troubled times. Increased opposition reliance on explosive devices, the widespread use of individual and vehicular body armour, and the improved survival of combat casualties have created many complex musculoskeletal injuries in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Explosive mechanisms of injury account for 75% of all musculoskeletal combat casualties. Throughout all the echelons of care medical staff practice consistent treatment strategies of damage control orthopaedics including tourniquets, antibiotics, external fixation, selective amputations and vacuum-assisted closure. Complications, particularly infection and heterotopic ossification, remain frequent, and re-operations are common. Meanwhile, non-combat musculoskeletal casualties are three times more frequent than those derived from combat and account for nearly 50% of all musculoskeletal casualties requiring evacuation from the combat zone.