cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of DNA adduct formation and riddelliine-induced liver tumorigenesis in F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice[Cancer Lett. 193 (2003) 119–125]

Riddelliine is a naturally occurring pyrrolizidine alkaloid that induces liver hemangiosarcomas in male and female F344 rats and male B6C3F1 mice. We previously reported that eight dehydroretronecine (DHR)-derived DNA adducts were formed in liver DNA of rats treated with riddelliine. In order to examine the relationship between DNA adduct levels and the incidence of hemangiosarcomas, we have measured DHR-derived DNA adduct levels in purified rat and mouse liver endothelial cells, the cells of origin for the hemangiosarcomas. F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice were treated by gavage 5 days per week for 2 weeks with riddelliine at 1.0 mg/kg for rats and 3.0 mg/kg for mice. One, 3, 7, and 28 days after the last dose, liver parenchymal and endothelial cell fractions were isolated, and the quantities of DHR-derived DNA adducts were determined by 32P-postlabeling/HPLC. The DHR-derived DNA adduct levels in the endothelial cells were significantly greater than in the parenchymal cells. The DNA adduct levels in rat endothelial cells were greater than in the mouse endothelial cells. These results indicate that the levels of riddelliine-induced DNA adducts in specific populations of liver cells correlate with the preferential induction of liver hemangiosarcomas by riddelliine.
Human Rights, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Future of Development Cooperation

Summary This paper examines the distinct approaches to poverty contained in the human rights movement and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). MDG advocates and many in the human rights community assert that the goals are consistent with, and indeed a means of operationalizing, human rights standards and principles. This paper finds fundamental differences in the two initiatives’ conceptual approaches to poverty reduction, in the policy recommendations they support on key social policy issues, and in the social actors they have been able to mobilize. The research is based on documentary research, and on an examination of 40 development NGOs and social movements.
Defect chemistry of undoped La2CuO4

Abstract La2CuO4 is an oxygen-excess, p-type material over the range 700–900°C and 10−2–105 Pa of oxygen. The major defects are interstitial oxygen and holes. The enthalpy of oxidation is near zero, and the hole mobility increases slightly with decreasing temperature, characteristic of band conduction. The preference for oxygen-excess nonstoichiometry is attributed to the presence of an interstitial site that is of adequate size for an oxide ion, to local charge and stress imbalances in the La2CuO4 lattice that favor the presence of holes in the CuO planes, and to large, negatively charged oxygen interstitials in the NaCl layers of the intergrowth structure.
Sex differences in the orientation of body image.

Summary This study examined Erikson's formulation of contrasting psychosexual modes in males and females through the configuration used in the drawing of a tree. It is suggested that an open configuration in the drawing of the foliage expresses the projection of body image in an intrusive mode, while a closed configuration expresses an inclusive mode. In a general sample, males drew open trees while females tended to draw closed trees. A second sample of Ss was preselected for the strong presence or absence of intrusive characteristics, and their results used as a validity test of the inference made from the configuration of the tree. In this sample, intrusively-oriented Ss drew open trees, irrespective of sex, while the nonintrusively-oriented Ss performance was similar to the general sample.
Photoperiod Modulates Torpor and Food Intake in Siberian Hamsters Challenged With Metabolic Inhibitors

Abstract Siberian hamsters, Phodopus sungorus , exposed to a short photoperiod (SP) were challenged with 2-deoxy- d -glucose (2DG), which disrupts glycolysis and induces torpor in animals maintained in long photoperiods (LP), or mercaptoacetate (MA), which disrupts fatty acid oxidation. SP decreased rather than facilitated the induction of torpor by 2DG; decreased torpor in response to 2DG coincided with onset of spontaneous torpor in SP hamsters. In contrast, MA induced hypothermia in hamsters kept in SP but not LP, but did not induce full torpor. We conclude that short day lengths do not induce spontaneous torpor by increasing responsiveness to glucose availability; instead, responsiveness to glucoprivation is, if anything, blunted in SP. The occurrence of spontaneous torpor may be unrelated to concurrent metabolic fuel availability. Although 2DG and MA had different effects on thermoregulation in short vs. long day lengths, each treatment decreased 24-h food intake in hamsters in both photoperiods.
The Cyclooctatriene-η2-ynyl Potassium Zwitterionic Radical: Evidence for a Potassium Organometallic

Low-temperature (−120 °C) dehydrohalogenation of bromocyclooctatetraene (BrC8H7) with either sodium or potassium tert-butoxide followed by alkali metal reduction was used to generate the anion radical of [8]annulyne (C8H6•-) in tetrahydrofuran. EPR analysis at −120 °C reveals an extraordinarily large metal splitting when K or Cs (aK of 0.214 G and aCs of 3.26 G) serves as the reducing agent. The large aM is due to the metal cation interacting with the p-orbitals, within the alkyne moiety, that are in the plane of the ring system. The ionic radius of K+ is 1.33 A, which is larger than the B3LYP predicted distance between carbons 1 and 2 (1.23 A). However, the ionic radius of Na+ is only 0.95 A, and it is too small to simultaneously interact with both p-orbitals. Hence, no aM is observed when Na (ordinarily aNa ≫ aK) or Li serves as the reducing agent. After the addition of 18-crown-6 to either the K or the Cs reduced system, two anion radicals are present. One is the system where the 18-crown-6 encapsulate...
Mission science on the first international microgravity laboratory

Abstract The First International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) with its international payloads dedicated to life sciences and microgravity science research was conducted from January 22 to 30, 1992. The primary objective of the IML mission was to conduct science and technology investigations that require the low-gravity environment of space. As a cooperative effort which involved more than 200 scientists from 14 countries, coordination of science was a major activity. Science priorities which satisfied both life science and microgravity science mission goals were balanced within and among payload elements depending upon available mission resources such as time and crew availability. The scientific results to date have been excellent and show the benefits of experimentation on Spacelab.
Antimicrobial Peptides: A Review of How Peptide Structure Impacts Antimicrobial Activity

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been discovered in insects, mammals, reptiles, and plants to protect against microbial infection. Many of these peptides have been isolated and studied exhaustively to decipher the molecular mechanisms that impart protection against infectious bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms are still being debated within the scientific community but valuable clues have been obtained through structure/function relationship studies1. Biophysical studies have revealed that cecropins, isolated from insects and pigs, exhibit random structure in solution but undergo a conformational change to an amphipathic α-helix upon interaction with a membrane surface2. The lack of secondary structure in solution results in an extremely durable peptide able to survive exposure to high temperatures, organic solvents and incorporation into fibers and films without compromising antibacterial activity. Studies to better understand the antimicrobial action of cecropins and other AMPs have provided insight into the importance of peptide sequence and structure in antimicrobial activities. Therefore, enhancing our knowledge of how peptide structure imparts function may result in customized peptide sequences tailored for specific applications such as targeted cell delivery systems, novel antibiotics and food preservation additives. This review will summarize the current state of knowledge with respect to cell binding and antimicrobial activity of AMPs focusing primarily upon cecropins.
Standardization Frameworks in Services Offshoring: The Relationship between Process Implementation Thoroughness, Task Complexity, and Performance Improvement

Prior research has characterized the adoption of technical and process standards as a multi-stage effort ranging from the initial implementation through institutionalization. However, the relationships between these adoption stages have not been examined significantly. In this study I analyze performance data from a large service provider that has implemented a process standardization framework for services off shoring. I evaluate the extent to which process standardization influences service delivery performance, and how the effect of standardization differs based on the implementation duration of each new process and the complexity of the task for which the process is implemented. The results indicate that longer implementation durations are associated with greater performance improvement. Performance on complex tasks also increases to a greater extent after standardization than performance on simple tasks. Contrary to expectations, performance on complex tasks improves to a greater extent following shorter implementation durations than after longer durations.
On the role of topology in autonomously coping with failures in content dissemination systems

Content dissemination systems comprise a large number of nodes that organize themselves into different topologies. In this paper, we explore the role of topologies in autonomously coping with failures. The topologies we consider are based on regular, random, small-world, and power law graphs. Connections within these topologies can account for network proximity and are suitable for real-time communications. We explore specific attributes of a topology that contribute to its failure resiliency. The metrics that we use to profile this resilience include: communication path lengths, network partitions, migration of workloads, and the impact on system throughput. This research will allow designers to choose topologies or configure metrics for a specific topology to achieve their performance objectives.
Perfusion trails with a collagen‐immobilized enzyme in an extracorporeal reactor: Activity, stability, and biocompatibility

This paper is concerned with the evaluation of the in vivo performance characteristics of reconstituted bovine collagen as an insoluble carrier matrix fro therapeutic enzymes. The enzyme that was chosen as a model for this evaluation was E. coli L-asparaginase, which has been widely investigated as a soluble chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia in humans (Oettgen et al., Cancer Res., 27, 2619, 1967 ; Beard et al., Brit. Med. J., 1, 191, 1970; Ohmuma et al., Cancer Res., 30, 2297, 1970). The results presented here were obtained from perfusion trials with a collagen-asparaginase reactor incorporated into an extracorporeal circuit attached to the vascular systems of healthy mongrel dogs. A series of 1-2 hr perfusions were conducted with a single collagen-asparaginase membrane over a period of 4 months. Serum asparagine levels were reduced by more than 98% after 15-30 min perfusion time. Red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and fibrinogen values remained constant during each perfusion. An average decrease of 48% in white blood cell (WBC) and 24% in platelet levels was observed, but these values began to rise slowly even before cessation of the perfusion. No serious toxic or antigenic reactions or mechanical or clotting difficulties were observed. In vitro activity, when assayed between perfusions, remained constant over a period of 4 months of intermittent use and storage. The potential advantages of collagen-enzyme complexes for the administration of therapeutic enzymes is discussed.
The replacement of Fick's laws by a formulation involving semidifferentiation

Summary The mathematical operation of semidifferentiation enables the concentration of an electroactive species at the surface of an electrode to be related straightforwardly to the faradaic current density. This relationship holds irrespective of the degree of reversibility of the electrode reaction and is not restricted to diffusion-controlled situations. This concept provides an improved starting point for the prediction of voltammetric relationships, compared with the classical Fick's law approach, in that only one additional condition (representing the electrical signal applied to the cell) is needed to characterize the experiment. This contrasts with the classical approach in which a number of simultaneous partial differential equations need to be solved. In addition, as illustrated in the examples cited, the greater simplicity of the new approach permits a generalization of voltammetric concepts and suggests improved experimental techniques. Specifically, we have uncovered a novel method of elucidating electrochemical kinetics.
Bees Have Rules

Honey bees frequently dance with some view of the sky, orienting themselves to the sun or natural patterns of polarized skylight. Three new conventions have been discovered in the dance language which are used in these circumstances to eliminate potential ambiguity in the dance message.
Molecular orbital study of the interaction of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide with copper (100)

Abstract A molecular orbital study is made of the structures and energy levels of CO and CO 2 on Cu(100). The importance of self-consistency is discussed. CO is found to occupy fourfold indentations, in agreement with the semiempirical results of Doyden and Ertl. The C-surface distance is 1.0 A and the CO bond stretches less than 0.1 A. Large models of the surface show convergence of the electronic structure with four CO molecules on a twelve Cu atom cluster model of the surface. At coverages up to c(2 × 2) half monolayer, calculated energy levels match Demuth and Eastman's phase I photoemission spectrum. Phase II, as observed by them, has no analog in the calculations. No evidence is found for CO deviating from perpendicular to the surface when tightly bound. CO 2 is found to adsorb more weakly to the surface. This molecule rests in a μ bridging position, bonded through mixing of Cu d with CO 2 π ∗ orbitals. It bends, with an angle of 120°, which is significantly similar to 122° for the 1 B 2 excited state of free CO 2 , which has an electron promoted to the π ∗ orbital. On the basis of this molecular orbital study, extrapolations to Ni and Zn surfaces and OCS, CS 2 , CSe 2 and CTe 2 are made.
Subsurface examination of a foliar biofilm using scanning electron- and focused-ion-beam microscopy

The dual beam scanning electron microscope, equipped with both a focused ion- and scanning electron-beam (FIB SEM) is a novel tool for the exploration of the subsurface structure of biological tissues. The FIB can remove a predetermined amount of material from a selected site to allow for subsurface exploration and when coupled with SEM or scanning ion-beam microscopy (SIM) could be suitable to examine the subsurface structure of bacterial biofilms on the leaf surface. The suitability of chemical and cryofixation was examined for use with the FIB SEM to examine bacterial biofilms on leaf surfaces. The biological control agent, Burkholderia pyroccinia FP62, that rapidly colonizes the leaf surface and forms biofilms, was inoculated onto geranium leaves and incubated in a greenhouse for 7 or 14 days. Cryofixation was not suitable for examination of leaf biofilms because it created a frozen layer over the leaf surface that cracked when exposed to the electron beam and the protective cap required for FIB milling could not be accurately deposited. With chemically fixed samples, it was possible to precisely FIB mill a single cross section (5μm) or sequential cross sections from a single site without any damage to the surrounding surface. Biofilms, 7 days post-inoculation (DPI), were composed of 2-5 bacterial cell layers while biofilms 14 DPI ranged from 5 to greater than 30 cell layers. Empty spaces between bacteria cells in the subsurface structure were observed in biofilms 7- and 14-DPI. Sequential cross sections inferred that the empty spaces were often continuous between FP62 cells and could possibly make up a network of channels throughout the biofilm. FIB SEM was a useful tool to observe the subsurface composition of a foliar biofilm.
A Dinâmica Produtiva Recente da Metrópole Paulista: Das Perspectivas Pós-Industriais à Consolidação do Espaço Industrial de Serviços*

The central scope of this article is to prove, in theoretical and empirical terms, that industry is still at the center of the socioeconomic changes experienced by Greater Metropolitan Sao Paulo (GMSP) and the surrounding territory in recent years. We will thus highlight evidence that the industrial sectors of GMSP provide the basis for the trends toward territorial reorganization of production in the State of Sao Paulo. Our objective is to demonstrate that notions of a purported post-industrial metropolis and the shift of industrial development to the interior of the State seriously hinder an adequate understanding of the role potentially played by Metropolitan industrial chains in positive development agendas.
Science, Politics and Networks: Shibukawa Harumi and the Birth of the New Almanac in Seventeenth-century Japan

SummaryIn 1684, during the Edo period (1603–1868), the imperial court of Japan passed a reform act that resulted in a new almanac called the Jokyo almanac. This was the first reform in more than eight hundred years, and marked a departure from the past practice of adopting almanacs from China. Yet, the reform was complicated, and it was achieved after decades through the efforts of Shibukawa Harumi (1639–1715). How was the reform accomplished, and why was it significant? In this study, I will focus on Harumi's role in the reform. I propose to examine the reform as the culmination of a process deeply linked to Harumi's political connections and his intellectual growth especially in the field of calendrical sciences. I will show that this approach of looking at the reform by analyzing different aspects of Harumi's life has implications for understanding trends in society in seventeenth-century Japan. First, despite the ban on Christianity, intellectuals like Harumi assimilated European sciences in unique wa...
SU-C-BRCD-05: A Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Approach for Craniospinal Irradiation (CSI) with Proton Therapy (PT)

Purpose: In this paper, we report an FMEA approach on CSI at the IU Health Proton Therapy Center. Methods: A process map in proton CSI is developed. Each process consists of a number of sub‐processes. For each sub‐process, possible failures that may affect the process are identified and their respective Risk Priority Number (RPN) are calculated based on their severities (S), likelihood of occurrence (O) and probability of being detected (D), following the TG100 guidelines. Failures that most adversely impact the treatment are identified and quality assurance procedures to safeguard these most serious failures are developed. Attention is also given to certain failures which have low RPN but which may have dire consequence if it occurs in a treatment. Results: Ten intermediate processes involved in the CSI are identified. The number of sub‐processes within each intermediate process varies, from as few as one to as many as 11. For the ten processes in PTCSI, there are total of 66 sub‐processes, 139 failure modes and 561 causes of failures. 6/10 processes have failures with RPN=300. Examples of failures with such large RPN values are errors in administering anesthesia, in‐correct patient setup for image guidance, problems in the handling of apertures and compensators, etc. Conclusions: The implementation of FMEA in CSI (or any treatments) is a team effort. Significant efforts are involved in setting up process trees, failure modes, estimating the RPN values for each cause of failures, etc. However, once a FMEA is properly aligned, it is relatively easy to identify the most critical factors that require special attentions or QA to ensure safe execution of the processes. A learning curve to implement FMEA in any radiation oncology department should be expected given the different analysis practice from traditional QA approaches.
Knowledge management: a cookbook for beginners

Knowledge Management is a necessary and integral part of an effective and successful support organization, yet it is also a buzzword that is perhaps over-hyped and over-used. How can a support operation initiate a KM project in a manner that will bring them up to speed quickly, efficiently and at a low cost, while still positioning them to take advantage of current and future trends in the industry? This paper will explore the lessons learned by one organization, the Center for Information Technology (CIT) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CIT initiated a KM project in 1996, building a Knowledge Base that now contains over 10,000 discrete knowledge objects. The paper’s focus will not be on hardware, software, bits or bytes, but rather we will look at what steps an organization can take to build a successful KM initiative from the ground up. These lessons can be applied to any organization regardless of their technical infrastructure already in place.
Federal do not call registry is here to stay: What's next for direct marketing regulation?

In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission established a national do not call registry for commercial telemarketing. In 2004, a federal appeals court upheld the validity of the registry. This article explains the history of the regulation and analyzes the court's opinion. The article discusses the impact of the opinion on other direct marketing regulations, such as e-mail solicitation, wireless advertising messages, data privacy protection, and nonprofit solicitation.
Response of Large Power Systems to Cyclic Load Variations

A method is presented for finding the response of a large power system to cyclic load variations. The waveform of the load variation is represented as a Fourier series. The power system is represented by a set of first-order, linear differential equations. These are solved to give the response of the system to each harmonic component, and the results combined to give the total response. Results from a sample problem are given as an example.
Volatile Elements in Apollo 16 Samples: Possible Evidence for Outgassing of the Moon

Several Apollo 16 breccias, including one containing goethite, are strikingly enriched in volatile elements such as bromine, cadmium, germanium, antimony, thallium, and zinc. Similar but smaller enrichments are found in all highland soils. It appears that volcanic processes took place in the lunar highlands, involving the release of volatiles including water. The lunar thallium/uranium ratio is 2 x 10-(4) of the cosmic ratio, which suggests that the moon's original water content could not have exceeded the equivalent of a layer 22 meters deep. The cataclastic anorthosites at the Apollo 16 site may represent deep ejecta from the Nectaris basin.
Aspects of validity and reliability of the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE) in assessment of psychiatric patients

The validity and reliability of the NCSE were assessed on a sample of 192 psychiatric patients from a county general hospital with a mean age of 33.5 years and mean education of 12 years. The analyses revealed that demographic and general health factors need to be taken into consideration in interpreting the NCSE results. Predictive accuracy of the screening items for subsequent performance on metric items across different scales ranged from good to poor. A comparison of success versus failure on the screen for Construction scale with scores on metric items for this scale revealed a high number of false negative errors made using the screening item. Administration of both screen and metric items on this scale for all patients was recommended. Indices of internal consistency of the Orientation scale were adequate. A factor analysis on the scale scores extracted two factors. The second factor identified a subset of scales which assess the patients' functional capacity in dealing with the demands of everyday environment. Test-retest reliability of the NCSE assessed on a subsample of 28 subjects, was high for 7 scales, whereas low stability was demonstrated by Construction, Memory and Calculation scales (r = .79, .52 and .81, respectively). Practice effect and fluctuating attention might contribute to the low stability of these scales. These modifications in the test administration procedure would improve the accuracy of assessment of cognitive deficits in psychiatric patients.
Glycotripod amphiphiles for solubilization and stabilization of a membrane-protein superassembly: importance of branching in the hydrophilic portion.

Intrinsic membrane proteins must usually be extracted from the native membrane with the aid of synthetic amphiphiles and then stabilized in a soluble form before detailed structural and functional characterization is possible. We describe new amphiphiles with unusual architectures that are useful for extraction and stabilization of photosynthetic protein superassemblies from bacterial membranes. Our results suggest that incorporating branch points in both the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions can lead to favorable amphiphile behavior.
Interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein levels in patients with acute allergic reactions: an emergency department-based study

Background Elevations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been described in drug-induced anaphylaxis. Although IL-6 is well known to stimulate an acute phase response, profiling acute phase protein levels, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), has, to our knowledge, never been performed in patients with acute allergic reactions. Objective To examine the pattern of IL-6 and CRP levels in patients with acute allergic reactions and to relate these to relevant clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods Plasma CRP and serum IL-6 levels were determined in 85 adult emergency department patients. These patients had been previously studied with questionnaires, physical examinations, and histamine/tryptase levels. Clinical and historical features were related to CRP and IL-6 levels. CRP and IL-6 levels were also examined for relationships with histamine and tryptase levels. Results CRP and IL-6 levels were significantly correlated with one another in the study patients (Spearman ρ = 0.36, P = 0.0008). Similar to histamine levels, IL-6 levels were significantly correlated with the extent of erythema manifested by the study patients. The extent of erythema was independently predicted by both IL-6 and histamine levels. Histamine levels were negatively correlated with CRP levels (Spearman ρ = −0.32, P = 0.003). Unlike histamine levels, IL-6 and CRP did not show significant relationships with the extent or presence of urticaria/angioedema or the presence of wheezing. IL-6 levels were correlated with the duration of symptoms before serologic sampling. An inverse correlation was observed between IL-6 levels and mean arterial blood pressure. Multivariate modeling showed significant independent effects from mean arterial pressure, duration of symptoms, erythema extent, and age in predicting IL-6 levels. Tryptase levels were higher in patients whose IL-6 levels were >20 pg/mL. Conclusions CRP and IL-6 levels are not simple surrogate markers for histamine or tryptase release by mast cells or basophils in acute allergic reactions. Increasing IL-6 levels relate to greater erythema extent, lower mean arterial blood pressure, and a longer duration of symptoms. It would be interesting to speculate that CRP and IL-6 increases characterize a late-phase response in immediate hypersensitivity reactions. In this perspective, the inverse relationship between CRP and histamine levels could be explained. As histamine levels are waning, CRP levels are increasing. Timed studies for histamine and CRP/IL-6 levels in allergic reactions are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
A wave-mechanical model of incoherent quasielastic scattering in complex systems.

Quasielastic incoherent neutron scattering (QENS) is an important tool for the exploration of the dynamics of complex systems such as biomolecules, liquids, and glasses. The dynamics is reflected in the energy spectra of the scattered neutrons. Conventionally these spectra are decomposed into a narrow elastic line and a broad quasielastic band. The band is interpreted as being caused by Doppler broadening due to spatial motion of the target molecules. We propose a quantum-mechanical model in which there is no separate elastic line. The quasielastic band is composed of sharp lines with twice the natural line width, shifted from the center by a random walk of the protein in the free-energy landscape of the target molecule. The walk is driven by vibrations and by external fluctuations. We first explore the model with the Mossbauer effect. In the subsequent application to QENS we treat the incoming neutron as a de Broglie wave packet. While the wave packet passes the protons in the protein and the hydration shell it exchanges energy with the protein during the passage time of about 100 ns. The energy exchange broadens the ensemble spectrum. Because the exchange involves the free-energy landscape of the protein, the QENS not only provides insight into the protein dynamics, but it may also illuminate the free-energy landscape of the protein–solvent system.
MRI detection of myocardial perfusion defects due to coronary artery stenosis with MS-325.

Purpose To assess the value of an intravascular, albumin-targeted contrast agent, MS-325, in visualizing myocardial ischemia with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods Left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis was created in 19 pigs using a closed-chest modified angioplasty technique. Myocardial ischemia was detected by first-pass, contrast-enhanced MRI at peak dipyridamole stress and was compared to Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Regional coronary blood flow was determined using microspheres. Results Inducible myocardial ischemia with >40% reduction in stress myocardial blood flow was created in eight animals. An MRI defect, classified as ≥75% reduction in peak myocardial signal intensity in the affected territory, was detected in 92.3% of these animals. In the presence of mild coronary stenosis, there was uniform enhancement with MRI and tracer uptake by SPECT. Concordance of MRI and SPECT for detecting perfusion defects was 85%. Conclusion The pattern of prolonged and persistent MR hypoenhancement of the ischemic myocardial bed using MS-325, which is retained primarily in the vascular bed due to its albumin-binding properties, facilitates the detection of myocardial perfusion defects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;15:149–158. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bird brains: the evolution of scientific misconduct.

H ardly a week goes by without a new revelation of scientific fraud, plagiarism, or conflict of interest appearing in Science or Nature, Newsweek or Time. Is there really an epidemic of immoral investigators out there? Is the pressure to publish and the lack of supervision causing some amoral individuals to bend the rules more often? Or is the issue largely illusory, a result of heightened scrutiny of the moral majority in response to a few notorious transgressions? In attempts to forestall the threatened epidemic, the National Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Council of Biology Editors and the American Bar Association have all held symposia on the ethical conduct of science’; the Department of Health and Human Services,2 the Institute of Medicine,3 and the Association of American Universities4 have begun to issue guidelines for ethical conduct; a prominent journal editor has called for a formal audit of the scientific literature5; and a member of Congress is considering the introduction of federal legislation.6 Is all this activity necessary? To answer this question, I will propose a simple theoretical model for the evolution of scientific misconduct, and will thereby show that well-intentioned efforts to control the epidemic could actually serve to spread it. The model is based on one first proposed by Maynard Smith to explain the evolution of aggressive behavior in animals,’ and my description closely parallels that of Dawkins.8 The model assumes that individual members of the population are competitors for some common resource. In nature (the jungle, not the journal) this resource might be the food necessary to one’s survival or the sexual partners necessary to the survival of one’s genes. In science (again, not the journal) the resource might be the research funds, facilities, publications, and prestige necessary to the survival of one’s ideas (including one’s ideas about the best way to promote those ideas). Let us begin with the simplest possible jungle, in which there are only 2 strategies for survival: dove and hawk. Doves engage in long periods of empirical ob-
The incidence of psychoses and other mental abnormalities in the families of recovered and deteriorated schizophrenic patients

A comparison of the familial abnormalities in two comparable groups of 50 recovered and 50 deteriorated schizophrenic patients, exhibiting initially similar clinical pictures, gave the following results: 1. The incidence of familial functional psychoses is 40 per cent in both of these groups combined, 44 per cent in the recovered group, and 36 per cent in the deteriorated group. 2. The porportion between familial manic-depressive disease and schizophrenia is nearly five to one in the recovered and approximately the reverse, one to five, in the deteriorated group. Corresponding are the figures concerning the prognostic outcome of these psychoses. 3. The distribution among the different degrees of familial relationship confirms the generally accepted dominance of manic-depressive disease and the more frequent appearance of schizophrenia in the collateral lines. 4. The highest incidence of familial schizophrenia occurs among the catatonics of the deteriorated group, while there is no schizophrenic taint among the relatives of the “revised” group of recovered catatonic patients. 5. None of the manic-depressive patients among the relatives of the recovered group actually belong to the manic-depressive nucleus. 6. Among the manic-depressive relatives of the recovered group, there are several whose clinical pictures remind one strongly of the corresponding atypical types in the recovered schizophrenic group.
Neurogenic erectile dysfunction.

Penile erection is a neurovascular event modulated by psyche and hormones. Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been classified as psychogenic, arteriogenic, neurogenic, endocrinologic, and cavernosal, based on the organs that are involved in penile erection. Among these types, neurogenic ED may be the most common, probably because a deficiency of neurotrasmitters is the final common pathway in many diseases and conditions. This review discusses the physiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of erectile function and dysfunction, as well as strategies for future research.
Relative Abundance and Seasonal Distribution of the Major Hymenopterous Parasites of the Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann , on Loblolly Pine

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence of hymenopterous parasites of the southern pine beetle ( Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.) were studied in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) stands located in southeastern and western Louisiana. The 6 most abundant parasites were: Roptrocerus eccoptogastri (Ratz.)–65% of total complex, Coeloides pissodis (Ash.)–10%, Dendrosoter sulcatus Mues.–8%, Spathius pallidus Ash.–7%, Heydenia unica (Cook and Davis)–7%, and Dinotiscus (= Cecidostiba ) dendroctoni (Ash.)–3%. Parasite abundance peaked between Apr.-June and remained at low levels from Dec. to Mar. Parasite populations within trees differed little between areas of opposing site conditions and geographic location. The relationship between host and parasite populations and bark thickness of loblolly pine, host egg gallery length (number of beetle eggs) and site differences at 2 ecologically different areas were also investigated. Bark thickness significantly affected populations of the parasitic species that oviposit through the bark but did not influence populations of R. eccoptogastri which enter host galleries and oviposit through host egg niche plugs.
Discrimination and detection thresholds: the effect of observer criterion on the spatial properties of chromatic and achromatic mechanisms.

Abstract Spectral sensitivity functions were determined for structured test targets presented on a white background field. Data obtained for threshold detection of the targets are consistent with results obtained from previous studies which used unstructured test fields showing functions, with three maxima, dependent on opponent colour mechanisms. Data obtained from threshold discrimination measurements show a marked reduction in the blue sensitivity when 1° test targets are used. This effect decreases significantly when larger targets are used. A change of the observer's criterion can significantly alter the relative contributions of the achromatic and chromatic channels at threshold.
Does donating blood for the first time during a national emergency create a better commitment to donating again

Background and Objectives Emergency situations often elicit a generous response from the public. This occurred after attacks on the US on September 11, 2001 when many new blood donors lined up to donate. This study was performed to compare return rates for first time donors (FTD) after September 11th, 2001 to FTD during a comparable period in 2000. Materials and Methods A total of 3315 allogeneic whole blood donations from FTD at a regional blood centre were collected between September 11th and 30th, 2001. Subsequent donations by the FTD before March 31, 2002 were reviewed. This (test) group was compared to 1279 FTD (control group) donating during the same time period in September 2000 and to their return rate in the subsequent 6 months. Results Following September 11, 2001, 1087/3315 (32·8%) FTD returned by March 31, 2002. This return rate was similar to the control group [427/1279 (33·4%)]. The deferral rate during the donor screening process for the control group was significantly higher than the deferral rate for the September 11–30, 2001 group (P < 0·01). The odds of an individual FTD returning increased with age, and the chance of a female donor returning was 1·13 times higher than a male (P = 0·06). There was a carryover effect after September 11, 2001 too. Conclusion A national emergency, September 11, 2001, inspired people to donate blood for the first time. However, the proportion of return donations amongst them was not increased. Females and males in certain age groups were more likely to become repeat donors due to the residual effect of September 11, 2001. Additional efforts are needed to retain eligible FTD in donor pools.
Mechanisms of suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by intravenous administration of myelin basic protein: role of regulatory spleen cells.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) can be downregulated by intravenous (iv) administration of myelin basic protein (MBP). In this report we show that downregulation of EAE by two 500-μg doses of MBP administered iv before immunization was associated with reduced encephalitogenicity of both spleen and lymph node cells (day 12 postimmunization) in adoptive transfer studies. However, efficient downregulation of EAE by two 500-μg iv doses of MBP on days 10 and 11 after active immunization (at the time of disease onset) was associated with no significant change in the encephalitogenicity of lymph node cells, but a complete abrogation of the ability of spleen cells (both at day 12 postimmunization) to transfer EAE compared to controls. Furthermore, coculture of spleen cells from rats tolerized by iv MBP on days 10 and 11 after active immunization with MBP with MBP-reactive T cells resulted in a decreased ability of the spleen T cells to transfer EAE compared to effector cells in monoculture. In contrast, coculture of MBP-reactive T cells with spleen cells from rats tolerized by iv MBP on days 14 and 7 before active immunization resulted in increased disease in recipient rats. These results suggest that reversal of clinical EAE by iv injection of MBP at the time of disease onset is due at least in part to a T cell control mechanism located in the spleen and suggest the presence of splenocyte regulatory cells that can suppress the ability of encephalitogenic T cells to induce EAE.
The ION Chromatograhic Determination of Cr(III)-Cr(VI) Using an EDTA ELUANT

Abstract Recent work in our laboratory has involved the use of ethylene diaminete traacetic acid as an eluant for the ion chromatographic determination of transition metals. We have continued this investigation into the use of EDTA by developing a potential method for the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VT) in the same solution at the ppm level. The method involves the separation of the species as anions—the monovalent Cr(III)-EDTA anion and the divalent dichromate ion—followed by the detection of the species using a variable wavelength UV detector. The detection limits are approximately 2 ppm and the precision and stability of the system are within 6% RSD over the course of a working day. The linear operating range is in excess of two orders of magnitude.
Reliability of spike timing in neocortical neurons

It is not known whether the variability of neural activity in the cerebral cortex carries information or reflects noisy underlying mechanisms. In an examination of the reliability of spike generation using recordings from neurons in rat neocortical slices, the precision of spike timing was found to depend on stimulus transients. Constant stimuli led to imprecise spike trains, whereas stimuli with fluctuations resembling synaptic activity produced spike trains with timing reproducible to less than 1 millisecond. These data suggest a low intrinsic noise level in spike generation, which could allow cortical neurons to accurately transform synaptic input into spike sequences, supporting a possible role for spike timing in the processing of cortical information by the neocortex.
In the Future: Learning Will Reshape Our World at Work, at Home, and at School

Earning and learning go hand-in-hand. In a business environment that is constantly growing and changing due to new innovations, advanced technology and market conditions, organizations must find new ways to enable rapid responses to the needs of their customers and the marketplace. This means having an adequately-educated workforce that will not only respond to evolving issues, but even foresee upcoming trends and proactively pursue these arising challenges. Businesses that understand how learning can enhance productivity, enable development of employee potential, and empower employees and teams to innovate will be the businesses that profit well into the future.
Practical and Intrinsic Predictability of Severe and Convective Weather at the Mesoscales

AbstractThis study explores both the practical and intrinsic predictability of severe convective weather at the mesoscales using convection-permitting ensemble simulations of a squall line and bow echo event during the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) Experiment (BAMEX) on 9–10 June 2003. Although most ensemble members—initialized with realistic initial condition uncertainties smaller than the NCEP Global Forecast System Final Analysis (GFS FNL) using an ensemble Kalman filter—forecast broad areas of severe convection, there is a large variability of forecast performance among different members, highlighting the limit of practical predictability. In general, the best-performing members tend to have a stronger upper-level trough and associated surface low, producing a more conducive environment for strong long-lived squall lines and bow echoes, once triggered. The divergence in development is a combination of a dislocation of the upper-level trough, surface low with corresponding marginal env...
Network modeling of the intraparticle convection and diffusion of molecules in porous particles packed in a chromatographic column

A pore network model (cubic lattice network) is constructed to represent the porous structure in a column packed with porous chromatographic particles. Expressions are developed and used to determine, through the utilization of the pore network model, the intraparticle interstitial fluid velocity and pore diffusivity of a solute as the pore connectivity, nT, of the porous medium is varied from 2.6 to 6.0. The results show that the intraparticle interstitial velocity and the pore diffusivity increase significantly as the value of the pore connectivity, nT, increases, and clearly indicate that the pore connectivity, nT, plays a key role in determining the mass transport properties of a porous medium and, therefore, it is an extremely important parameter in the characterization and construction of porous particles. Furthermore, the results show that the intraparticle interstitial fluid velocity, vp,i, is many times larger than the diffusion velocity, vDA, of the solute within the porous medium, and the ratio vp,i/vDA increases significantly as the pore connectivity, nT, increases. The results of this work indicate that the pore network model could allow one, for a given porous medium, solute and interstitial column fluid velocity, to determine the values of the intraparticle interstitial fluid velocity, vp,i, and pore diffusivity, Dp, of the solute in an a priori manner. The values of vp,i and Dp could then be employed in the macroscopic models that describe the dynamic behavior of chromatographic separations in columns packed with porous particles.
Birefringent torque sensor for motors

Birefringent optical materials can be used to convert mechanical strain into fringe patterns of optical intensity which have typically been used to measure surface stains or stresses. In this paper a system will be described that uses a photoelastic transducer, linear sensor array, and neural network image processing to estimate the load torque for stationary and rotating motor shafts up to 1500 rpm. A photoelastic polymer coupling is attached to the shaft, and illuminated by polarized light. As the shaft torque varies the photoelastic plastic coupling experiences torsional strain. This results in a corresponding 2D fringe pattern when viewed through an optical polarizer. The strain that causes this observed pattern in a complex function of the applied torque applied to the shaft. A neural network is trained with the fringe patterns corresponding to calibrated load torques as measured by a laboratory strain gauge torque sensor. Experimental results show that the neural network torque estimator can accurately estimate the applied torque for both static and rotating shafts.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Design acceleration of embedded RF inductors on a multilayer flip chip package substrate

The electrical performance and the design challenges associated with radio frequency inductors on advanced multilayer package substrates are evaluated. First, new macro-models are developed and can be used to optimize the performance of RF components under process design rules constraints. Then, a novel scalable compact model that utilizes only frequency independent RLC components is introduced. This model is able to represent non linear frequency dependent effects such as skin effect and internal inductance. This compact model is validated using on-package measurements and also used to design a simple RF low pass filter.