cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roadmap for Security-as-a-Service CRAN in 5G Networks

Cellular networking has entered the paradigm of next generation networking, Software Defined Mobile Networking (SDMN) and Cloud Radio Access Networks (CRAN). This paradigm shift has compelled to improve future cellular networks by making them more efficient and smart. The improved, future cellular networks could have a profound impact on the commercial and research segments in terms of capital expenditure and operational expenditure by presenting a unified robust technology for data connectivity. In future, 5G cellular networks will be progressed with LTE that will facilitate this technological transformation. Future 5G demands reliance on more flexible and dynamic technologies such as static Radio Access Networks (RAN), otherwise resources will be depleting and will be unable to meet the surging demands including wireless transmission connectivity and providing an efficient network bandwidth. To address this problem, the paper presents a study exploring the amalgamation of Software Defined Network (SDN) and cloud computing achieve Cloud RAN or RAN-as-a-Service (RANaaS). This helps to overcome the problems associated with handling enormous matrix of connecting devices and nodes. This paper explores existing research geared towards the deployment of 5G networks through Remote Radio Heads (RRH) and Virtual Base Stations (VBSs) backed by SDN. Furthermore, this research survey is an effort to unearth the security implications and challenges of CRAN while adopting LTE and SDMN services in CRAN based 5G networks. The security challenges of conventional wireless networks are framed to emphasize on the need to migrate from traditional RAN to CRAN. Subsequently the possible mitigation techniques are also discussed. Furthermore, the role of SDN and its security artifacts are also explored to embed security within the CRAN architecture.
The Progenitor Mass of SN 2011dh from Stellar Populations Analysis

Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry, we characterize the age of the stellar association in the vicinity of supernova (SN) 2011dh and use it to infer the zero-age main sequence mass (M_{ZAMS}) of the progenitor star. We find two distinct and significant star formation events with ages of 29 and 13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}, respectively. These two bursts represent 18^{+4}_{-9}% (young) and 64^{+10}_{-14}% (old) of the total star formation in the last 50 Myrs. Adopting these fractions as probabilities suggests that the most probable M_{ZAMS} is 13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}. These results are most sensitive to the luminosity function along the well-understood main sequence and are less sensitive to uncertain late-stage stellar evolution. Therefore, they stand even if the progenitor suffered disruptive post-main-sequence evolution (e.g. eruptive mass loss or binary Roche-lobe overflow). Progenitor identification will help to further constrain the appropriate population. Even though pre-explosion images show a yellow supergiant (YSG) at the site of the SN, panchromatic SN light curves suggest a more compact star as the progenitor. In spite of this, our results suggest an association between the YSG and the SN. Not only was the star located at the SN site, but reinforcing an association, the star's bolometric luminosity is consistent with the final evolutionary stage of the 17 Myr old star burst. If the YSG disappears, then M_{ZAMS}=13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}, but if it persists, then our results allow the possibility that the progenitor was an unseen star of >29 M_{Sun}.
Aplysia Neurons as a Model of Alzheimer's Disease: Shared Genes and Differential Expression

Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the United States, development of therapeutics has proven difficult. Invertebrate alternatives to current mammalian AD models have been successfully employed to study the etiology of the molecular hallmarks of AD. The marine snail Aplysia californica offers a unique and underutilized system in which to study the physiological, behavioral, and molecular impacts of AD. Mapping of the Aplysia proteome to humans and cross-referencing with two databases of genes of interest in AD research identified 898 potential orthologs of interest in Aplysia. Included among these orthologs were alpha, beta and gamma secretases, amyloid-beta, and tau. Comparison of age-associated differential expression in Aplysia sensory neurons with that of late-onset AD in the frontal lobe identified 59 ortholog with concordant differential expression across data sets. The 21 concordantly upregulated genes suggested increased cellular stress and protein dyshomeostasis. The 47 concordantly downregulated genes included important components of diverse neuronal processes, including energy metabolism, mitochondrial homeostasis, synaptic signaling, Ca++ regulation, and cellular cargo transport. Compromised functions in these processes are known hallmarks of both human aging and AD, the ramifications of which are suggested to underpin cognitive declines in aging and neurodegenerative disease.
A PURE approach to constructive biology

In vitro protein synthesis using a mixture of purified components now offers the possibility of efficient production of labile products and more detailed study of the translation process.
Robust colorimetric assays for Dynamin's basal and stimulated GTPase activities

Dynamin, unlike many GTPase superfamily members, exhibits a relatively rapid basal rate of GTP hydrolysis that is not rate-limited by GTP binding or GDP dissociation. Also unique to dynamin GTPase family members is their ability to self-assemble into rings and helical stacks of rings either in solution or onto lipid templates. Self-assembly stimulates dynamin's GTPase activity by >100-fold. Given these robust rates of GTP hydrolysis compared to most GTPases, GTP hydrolysis by dynamin can be easily measured using a simple colorimetic assay to detect released phosphate. We describe this assay and report variations in assay conditions that have contributed to the wide range of reported values for dynamin's basal and assembly-stimulated rates of GTP hydrolysis.
Complexes with sulfur and selenium donors-III: Proton nuclear magnetic resonance study of the morpholine adducts of bis(0,0′-dialkyldithiophosphato)nickel(II) complexes☆

Abstract Electronic and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been employed to elucidate the nature of the adducts formed by morpholine with a number of bis(0,0′-dialkyldithiophosphato)nickel(II) complexes, Ni(S 2 P( OR ) 2 ) 2 ( R = ethyl, n -propyl, iso propyl, iso butyl, sec -butyl, cyclo hexyl, and 2-phenylethyl). Upfield NMR contact shifts of the -NH- proton were used to assign metal-nitrogen coordination by morpholine. The morpholine adducts exhibit properties consistent with a 5-coordinate (∼C 4 v ) geometry. NMR contact shifts and electron spin-nuclear spin coupling constants are tabulated and electron delocalization mechanisms are discussed.
Building bridges across subdisciplines in marine ecology

Ecology has evolved many subdisciplines whose members do not necessarily communicate regularly through attending the same meetings or reading and publishing in the same journals. As a result, explanations of ecological processes are often limited to a single factor, process, or group of organisms, and this limited approach may fail to provide the best understanding of how communities and ecosystems are assembled and function. Specifically, there is a need to bring together information on the interplay of top-down and bottom-up influences on complete communities consisting of both macroorganisms and microorganisms. A number of examples from the recent literature illustrate the problems encountered in achieving this goal. These include declining fish populations, estuarine eutrophication, the complex origin of a toxic dinoflagellate bloom, and the interactions of microorganisms and macrooorganisms in marine planktonic food webs.
A spectral multidomain penalty method model for the simulation of high Reynolds number localized incompressible stratified turbulence

A spectral multidomain penalty method model has been developed for the simulation of high Reynolds number localized stratified turbulence. This is the first time that a penalty method, with a particular focus on subdomain interface treatment, has been used with a multidomain scheme to simulate incompressible flows. The temporal discretization ensures maximum temporal accuracy by combining third order stiffly stable and backward differentiation schemes with a high-order boundary condition for the pressure. In the non-periodic vertical direction, a spectral multidomain discretization is used and its stability for under-resolved simulations at high Reynolds numbers is ensured through use of penalty techniques, spectral filtering and strong adaptive interfacial averaging. The penalty method is implemented in different formulations for both the explicit non-linear term advancement and the implicit treatment of the viscous terms. The multidomain model is validated by comparing results of simulations of the mid-to-late time stratified turbulent wake with non-zero net momentum to the corresponding laboratory data for a towed sphere. The model replicates correctly the characteristic vorticity and internal wave structure of the stratified wake and exhibits robust agreement with experiments in terms of the temporal power laws in the evolution of mean profile characteristic velocity and lengthscales.
Ballroom dancing and cervical radiculopathy: A case report

Dance injuries associated with cervical radiculopathy have not been described in the literature. This report describes the case of an international-style ballroom dancer who developed a cervical radiculopathy as a result of frequent lateral rotation and hyperextension of the cervical spine during dancing. The patient's symptoms and signs suggestive of a left C7 radiculopathy were confirmed and documented by both magnetic resonance imaging and electrodiagnostic testing. The patient was treated conservatively with activity modification, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and alternative medicine approaches, including herbs and acupuncture. Her neck pain and cervical radicular symptoms declined in severity, but continued even 4 1/2 months after the onset of her symptoms. She did not wish to try steroids either through an oral or epidural route and refused surgical intervention. This case report illustrates an unconventional manner in which a left cervical radiculopathy was clinically produced. The neck motions and positions of frequent hyperextension and lateral rotation demonstrated by this ballroom dancer simulated a pattern and sequence of movements that promoted the development of signs and symptoms of a left cervical radiculopathy.
Retinoic-acid-induced pattern completion in regenerating double anterior limbs of urodeles

The effects of retinoic acid on the regeneration of double anterior lower arms in the adult newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, were investigated. Normally, double anterior lower arms regenerate a hypomorphic, symmetrical pattern of structures, which are distally complete; and double anterior upper arms regenerate a hypomorphic, symmetrical but distally incomplete pattern of structures. In limbs with a normal anteroposterior axis, the major effect of retinoic acid is to alter the proximodistal (PD) positional value of cells local at the amputation level to a much more proximal value, thereby creating duplications in the regenerate of structures proximal to the amputation plane (Thoms and Stocum, '84). Therefore, we predicted that double anterior lower arms treated with retinoic acid would regenerate like double anterior upper arms. However, in a substantial number of cases, each half of these double anterior lower arms regenerated a limb that was complete in the anteroposterior (AP) axis, with asymmetry corresponding to the half of origin. In addition, these regenerates were serially duplicated in the PD axis. These results indicate that retinoic acid can posteriorize the positional value of midline cells, leading to restoration of normal AP pattern, when the set of posterior-half positional values is removed from the cross section of the limb.
Acute ethanol exposure inhibits insulin signaling in the liver.

Chronic ethanol consumption may produce hepatic injury and impair the ability of the liver to regenerate principally through its action on insulin signaling. These effects are mediated by insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) via the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase (MAPK/Erk) pathway and by survival signals through phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt). Because a protein phosphatase, phosphatase tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), has been reported to block insulin signaling through PI3K, we explored acute ethanol effects on signaling in the context of PTEN function. We measured upstream components of the insulin signal transduction pathway and Akt phosphorylation as an indicator of signaling through PI3K, including the generation of survival signals via glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and Bcl-2–associated death promoter (BAD). In addition, the physical association between PTEN and PI3K regulatory (p85α) and catalytic (p110α) subunits was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. In Huh-7 cells, there was no effect of acute ethanol exposure on tyrosyl phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, IRS-1, and the association of IRS-1 with PI3K. However, Akt phosphorylation was impaired. The association of PTEN with the PI3K p85α subunit was substantially increased and led to the inhibition of downstream insulin-mediated survival signals through Akt, GSK3β, and BAD; the ethanol effect was reversed by PTEN knockdown with small interfering RNA. These results were confirmed in the liver. Conclusion: Short-term ethanol exposure rapidly attenuates insulin signaling. The major cellular mechanism involves the increased association of PTEN with the PI3K p85α subunit, which results in reduced phospho-Akt formation and impaired downstream survival signaling. These findings may have relevance to acute toxic effects of ethanol on the liver. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
PAF, cytokines, toxic oxygen products and cell injury.

It is becoming increasing clear that injury to cells or tissues related to the inflammatory reaction can be ascribed to a complex array of mediators generated and released from activated phagocytes such as neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages. Furthermore, there is now accumulating evidence for cell-cell interactions which involve phagocytic cells and result in amplified damage at the cellular or tissue level. We will provide insights into mechanisms of injury to tissues or cells at two levels: in vivo lungs or dermal inflammatory reactions initiated by the local deposition of immune complexes and in vitro killing of endothelial cells by activated neutrophils.
A note on stochastic modeling of shunting inhibition

Stochastic modeling of a neuron with a shunting inhibition is considered. The shunting inhibition divides a neuron potential, and in this case, the neuron has a state-dependent noise. The effect of this state-dependency is discussed by means of a comparison with a subtractive inhibition which was treated in a previous paper. Attention is focused on the firing statistics of both inhibitions described by the first passage time of a neuron potential. These statistics differ depending on the reset value of the potential. This is due to the fact that the shunting inhibition is effective when the potential is close to a threshold. Numerical examples illustrating this effect are given.
High-performance liquid chromatography—fluorescence analysis for indomethacin and metabolites in biological fluids

Abstract A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography—fluorescence method is described for the quantitative analysis of indomethacin and its metabolites in urine. A modified version is also shown for the detection of indomethacin in plasma. The method consists of a single extraction of an acid-buffered plasma sample or single extractions of two buffered aliquots in parallel of urine using ethyl acetate, followed by evaporation of the organic phase. Indomethacin (I) and the metabolite desmethylindomethacin (DMI) were deacylated to their fluorescent products, deschlorobenzoylindomethacin (DBI) and desmethyldeschlorobenzoylindomethacin (DMBI), respectively, prior to chromatography. The chromatographic phase utilized a reversed-phase C12-bonded column with a solvent system comprised of either 22.5% or 26% acetonitrile in 0.25% acetic acid. The elution times for indomethacin metabolites ranged from 12–26 min. The total DBI (including deacylated I) and DMBI (including deacylated DMI) in the extract were each determined using fluorometric detection, with excitation at 288 nm and emission at 390 nm (370 nm cutoff filter). An internal standard of indole-3-propionic acid was used for quantitation. The lower limit of sensitivity for I in plasma was 25 ng/ml.
Affective and cognitive mediators of reactions to spatial invasions

Abstract At a crosswalk on a busy street, a confederate, sketching a drawing or not, stood close or far from a pedestrian for 10 sec before the street light indicated “Walk.” In the first study, pedestrians were given the opportunity to subsequently help this confederate or another accomplice by calling attention to a dropped pen. In the second study, crossing speeds were timed and pedestrians were asked to record their mood and reactions to “another pedestrian,” who happened to be the confederate. These studies tested and found evidence for both cognitive and arousal explanations of reactions to spatial invasions. Cognitive and attributional theories imply that characteristics of the invader are important mediators of reactions to the invasion. The close nonartist was judged to be more inappropriate, produced faster escape speeds, and was helped less than the close artist or the far confederates. Arousal explanations imply that any invasion produces a generalized reaction which would be unrelated to characteristics of the invader. The other accomplice was helped less when the subject had been invaded and this reduction in helping was unaffected by the artist manipulation. These findings suggest a general arousal response to any invasion with a subsequent reliance on cognitive interpretations.
Neural correlates of impulsivity factors in psychiatric patients and healthy volunteers: a voxel-based morphometry study

According to bottom-up/top-down models, impulsivity facets are represented across the cerebral cortex and subcortex. Hypothesized gray matter correlates of motor, attentional and non-planning impulsivity were examined in groups of 35 psychiatric patients characterized by self-control problems and 18 healthy volunteers. Among patients, a positive correlation was found between motor impulsivity and the right cerebellum, and a negative correlation emerged between attentional impulsivity and the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Among controls, attentional and motor impulsivity correlated negatively with the left superior temporal gyrus, while non-planning impulsivity correlated positively with the left OFC and lateral frontopolar cortex. Follow-up analyses revealed convergence in correlation patterns from patients to controls, but not vice versa. That pattern suggested broader neural representation of the trait in the healthy controls, who were less impulsive than the psychiatric patients.
Measurement and analysis of chirp for four-wave mixing

We have performed chirp measurements for four wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier using a CW pump signal and a pulsed probe signal. The FWM chirp, which depends on the chirp of the probe signal, pump power, and pump wavelength, has been measured. A calculation of the chirp under FWM has ben carried out. The results of the numerical simulation are in agreement with the experimental results.
Mixed Global and Local Assignment Algorithms for Quasi-Dynamic Local Truckload Trucking Operations with Strict Time Windows:

Examined are the trade-offs associated with local and global, but myopic, assignment heuristics for local truckload trucking operations such as those associated with drayage operations near intermodal facilities. These operations involve a combination of loads that are known at the beginning of the day and those that arrive dynamically throughout the day. Some of the dynamically arriving loads are revenue-generating moves, and others are trailer, chassis, or container repositioning moves. Because a significant fraction of the day's loads are known a priori, dispatchers would like to be able to construct schedules for the day and then to make minor changes to these schedules as the day progresses. The efficiency of an operation in which new loads are added to or appended to schedules constructed at the start of the day versus one in which the whole system is reoptimized several times during the day is examined. The reoptimization method does not seek to preserve current schedules, but the local optimizatio...
Sociobiology's relevance to modern society: commentary on two articles published here

Abstract This article looks at two articles recently published here, one by R. Hopcroft ["Sex, status, and reproductive success in the contemporary United States," Evolution and Human Behavior 27 (2006) 104–120] the second by M. Fieder and S. Huber ["The effects of sex and childlessness on reproductive effort in modern humans," Evolution and Human Behavior 28 (2007) 392–398]. They both report a positive relationship between male income and male fertility, which marks a real advancement in our knowledge. Hopcroft speculates at the end of her article that the father's status and female fertility will be positive, too. At this point, this will depend on her and others' reaction to the efforts of S. Huber, F. Bookstein, and M. Fiedler. (2010). Socioeconomic status, education, and reproduction in modern women: an evolutionary perspective. American Journal of Human Biology, 22, 578-587. M. Fieder and S. Huber. (2007). The effects of sex and childlessness on the association between status and reproductive output in modern society. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2, 392-398. are not explicit about this relationship; their closing lines just leave open the possibility that it might be positive. The conclusion is that sociobiology is not really relevant yet to the understanding of modern, industrial society, urban civilization in general, except to show us the various restraints imposed by inborn human nature.
Liquid Chromatograph Ic H/D Separation Factors For Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract Kline. Wise and May(1)(KWM)recently reported liquid chromatographic separation factors for seven different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) dissolved in crude oil VS. aminosilane or polymeric octyldecylsilane substrates. The deuterolabelled materials were deliberately in∼ected into the oil for use as internal standards. KWM advocate this method as a useful cslibrating technique for complicated mixtures. The purpose of the present note is to show that the KIJM results are consistent with predictions of the theory of isotope effects in condensed phases(2′3) and are therefore of more general interest. Interpretation of chromatographic data in the context of the theory furnishes information about the interaction of PAH's with column substrate in the dilute Henry's law standard state. The analysis should stimulate a wider use of the technique advocated by KWM by placing it into a proper thermodynamic framework, thereby permitting useful theoretical rationalizations.
Promotion of Peptide Antimicrobial Activity by Fatty Acid Conjugation

Three peptides, YGAA[KKAAKAA]2 (AKK), KLFKRHLKWKII (SC4), and YG[AKAKAAKA]2 (KAK), were conjugated with lauric acid and tested for the effect on their structure, antibacterial activity, and eukaryotic cell toxicity. The conjugated AKK and SC4 peptides showed increased antimicrobial activity relative to unconjugated peptides, but the conjugated KAK peptide did not. The circular dichroism spectrum of AKK showed a significantly larger increase in its α-helical content in the conjugated form than peptide KAK in a solution containing phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphotidylglycerol vesicles, which mimics bacterial membranes. The KAK and AKK peptides and their corresponding fatty acid conjugates showed little change in their structure in the presence of phosphatidylcholine vesicles, which mimic the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells. The hemolytic activity of the KAK and AKK peptides and conjugates was low. However, the SC4 fatty acid conjugate showed a large increase in hemolytic activity and a corresponding incre...
Participant-Observation in a County Jail

As part of an evaluation for a rehabilitative/reintegrative program, the author spent 52 days incarcerated in a Massachusetts County House of Corrections. During this period, the role and importance of informal networks and power structures became readily apparent, not only in terms of institutional management, but in terms of successful management of one's life while incarcerated. In order to facilitate institutional management, informal networks between administrators and inmates, staff and inmates, and among inmates were developed outside of the formal organizational context. To enhance one's position in the institution, it was beneficial for all participants to develop ties with this informal organizational structure.
Analysis of Substrate Specificity in CobT Homologs Reveals Widespread Preference for DMB, the Lower Axial Ligand of Vitamin B12

Cobamides such as vitamin B12 (cobalamin) are produced exclusively by prokaryotes and used by many other organisms as cofactors for diverse metabolic processes. Cobamides are cobalt-containing tetrapyrroles with upper and lower axial ligands. The structure of the lower ligand varies in cobamides produced by different bacteria. We investigated the biochemical basis of this structural variability by exploring the reactivity of homologs of CobT, the enzyme responsible for activating lower ligand bases for incorporation into cobamides. Our results show that CobT enzymes can activate a range of lower ligand substrates, and the majority of the enzymes tested preferentially attach 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB), the lower ligand of cobalamin. This suggests that many bacteria that synthesize cobamides other than cobalamin in pure culture may produce cobalamin in mixed communities by attaching DMB when it is available in the environment.
Electrical conductivity of (SN)x

Abstract Measurements of the b -axis conductivity of polymeric sulfur nitride (SN) x from 4.2–300K are reported for samples having different polymerization times. A general increase in the conductivity was found with longer polymerization times leading to room temperature conductivities 1200–3700 (Ω-cm) −1 and resistance ratios 50–205. The temperature dependence of the resistivity can be represented by Matthiessen's rule showing the intrinsic resistivity over a broad temperature range 15 T T 2 form which is discussed in terms of electron-electron scattering.
Photomophogenesis in the Blue‐green Alga Nostoc commune 584

The blue-green alga Nostoc commune 584 displays a photocontrolled developmental cycle similar to that described for N. muscorum A by Lazaroff and Vishniac (1961). In both species white fluorescent light acts at the same stage, ragulating the development of motile trichomes from sheathed aseriate colonies. However white light blocks this step in N. commune 584, whereas the formation of motile trichomes is promoted by white light in N. muscorum A. Light-grown (aseriate) cultures in N. commune 584 were used to determine the action spectra for photomorphogenesis. Green light (max 520 nm) inhbited aseriate colony breakage, and red light (max 640 nm) promoted colony breakage and the differentiation of motile trichomes. On a quantum basis green light was about 3 times more effective than red light. The morphogenetic effects of either red or green light were reversible by irradiation with the other color of light. Repeated photoreversibility was observed, and the algal culutres responded only to the color of the last irradiation in a sequence. An unidentified substance is excreted into the media of motile cultures of both N. commune 584 and N. muscorum A which promotes motility in non-motile cultures. The motility-promoting substances from both species are reciprocally active. Activity is lost when the media are autoclaved.
Controlled drug release from a novel liposomal delivery system. I. Investigation of transdermal potential

Abstract The in vitro release behavior of a novel liposome-based drug delivery device has been characterized. The system consists of a molded agarose matrix in which the model drug (progesterone) was dispersed either free or associated with one of four lipid formulations: egg-phosphatidylcholine (EPC) liposomes, EPC/cholesterol (2:1) liposomes, Intralipid® emulsion, and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes. Drug release rates from the devices into aqueous buffer were measured at 37° C. The free progesterone release rate decreased rapidly over 24 h with over 90% delivered. The liposomal patches, on the other hand, imposed apparent zero-order kinetics: for example, both the EPC and DPPC systems delivered their progesterone payloads at about 1%/h over 24 h. Further, the EPC and DPPC patches significantly slowed transdermal drug delivery across excised hairless mouse skin. The EPC device retarded throughput to one-half the control value, the DPPC system reduced the transport kinetics by an order of magnitude. The results support two hypotheses: (a) the liposomal-based reservoir system can modulate drug input via the skin, (b) the zero-order release of progesterone from liposomes is determined by slow interfacial transport out of the bilayer into the surrounding aqueous medium.
Indium Tris(alkylthiolate) Compounds

In[N-t-Bu(SiMe3)]3 reacts with RSH to give In(SR)3 (R = t-Bu, i-Pr). The tert-butyl derivative is formulated as the dimer [In(S-t-Bu)2(μ-S-t-Bu)]2 on the basis of NMR data, molecular weight determination, and its solubility. The limited solubility of the isopropylthiolate complex suggests that it is a polymer. [In(S-t-Bu)2(μ-S-t-Bu)]2 and [In(S-i-Pr)3]n react with pyridine and p-Me2Npy, respectively, to form In(S-t-Bu)3(py) and In(S-i-Pr)3(p-Me2Npy)2, which were characterized by X-ray crystallography. In(S-t-Bu)3(py) is trigonal pyramidal, and In(S-i-Pr)3(p-Me2Npy)2 is trigonal bipyramidal. In both structures the pyridine ligands occupy the apical positions. Crystal data are as follows: C17H32InNS3 at 223 K: P21/c (monoclinic), a = 10.1490(5) A, b = 24.3811(13) A, c = 18.8484(10) A, β = 104.8100(10)°, and Z = 8; C23H41N4S3In·CH2Cl2 at 223 K: P1 (triclinic), a = 10.620(1) A, b = 11.568(1) A, c = 14.892(2) A, α = 79.54(1)°, β = 75.88(1)°, γ = 66.08(1)°, and Z = 2.
The specificity and sulfhydryl sensitivity of the inositol transport system of the central nervous system.

— The transport of two cyclohexitol stereoisomers, myo-inositol (inositol) and scyllo-inositol (scyllitol), from blood into the CNS in vivo and into the choroid plexus in vitro was studied. In vitro, the uptake of [3H]scyllitol or [3H]inositol by choroid plexuses, isolated from rabbits and incubated in artificial CSF, was measured. Both scyllitol and inositol inhibited [3H]scyllitol or [3H]inositol accumulation by the choroid plexus. Inositol competitively inhibited [3H]scyllitol accumulation and both isomers had a comparable affinity (Kt= 0.1 mm) for the single cyclohexitol accumulation system. The other 6 stereoisomers tested had an order of magnitude less affinity for the cyclohexitol accumulation system of choroid plexus. Thiol reagents that penetrate cells inhibited inositol accumulation by choroid plexus more effectively than nonpenetrating thiol reagents. In vivo, in unanesthetized rabbits. the transport of unmetabolized [3H]inositol from blood into CSF, choroid plexus and brain was readily saturated by increasing the plasma levels of myo-inositol but not by the stereoisomer d-chiroinositol. Similarly, the transport of unmetabolized [3H]scyllitol into CSF, brain and choroid plexus was readily saturated by increasing the plasma levels of myo-inositol. Beside documenting the stereospecificity and thiol reagent sensitivity of the inositol transport mechanism of the choroid plexus, these results provide further evidence that the choroid plexus is a locus for cyclohexitol transport between blood and CSF. Moreover, they show that scyllitol, which, like inositol, is present at a higher concentration in brain than plasma, can be transported from blood into CSF and brain by the same system that transports inositol.
Involvement of the bcl-2 gene in human follicular lymphoma

Recombinant DNA probes were cloned for the areas flanking the breakpoint on chromosome 18 in cells from a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell type; cells of this line carry the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation. Two of the probes detected DNA rearrangements in approximately 60 percent of the cases of follicular lymphoma screened. In follicular lymphoma, most of the breakpoints in band q21 of chromosome 18 were clustered within a short stretch of DNA, approximately 2.1 kilobases in length. Chromosome 18-specific DNA probes for the areas flanking the breakpoints also detected RNA transcripts 6 kilobases in length in various cell types. The gene coding for these transcript (the bcl-2 gene) seems to be interrupted in most cases of follicular lymphomas carrying the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation.
Metabolism of Dehydroisoandrosterone and Androstenedione in Human Pulmonary Endothelial Cells in Culture

The capacity of endothelial cells from pulmonary arteries and veins to convert dehydroisoandrosterone (3β-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-one) and androstenedione to potent, biologically active steroids was investigated. The metabolites of [3H]dehydroisoandrosterone produced in pulmonary artery endothelial cells were androstenedione and 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol. The metabolites isolated from incubation of pulmonary arterial cells with [3H]androstenedione were testosterone, 5α-androstane-3,17-dione, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one), isoandrosterone (3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one), and androsterone. The products of [3H]androstenedione metabolism in human pulmonary venous cells were the same as those formed in arterial cells, and in addition, 5αandrostane-3α,17(β-diol and 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol were formed. The rates of metabolite formation from [3H] androstenedione in pulmonary arterial and venous endothelial cells were linear with incubation time up to 3 h. These findings suggest that the...
X-ray Standing Wave Studies of Minerals and Mineral Surfaces: Principles and Applications

With a penetration depth ranging from microns to millimeters, Angstrom-wavelength X-rays are an ideal probe for studying atomic-scale buried structures found in the natural environment, such as impurities in minerals and adsorbed ions at mineral-water interfaces. But this penetration depth also makes an X-ray beam inherently less useful as a spatially localized probe. Using the superposition of two coherently coupled X-ray beams, however, makes it possible to localize the X-ray intensity into interference fringes of an X-ray standing wave (XSW) field, as illustrated in Figure 1⇓, and thereby attain a spatially localized periodic probe with a length scale equivalent to the XSW period. The XSW period is Figure 1. Top: A standing wave field formed from the superposition of two traveling plane waves of wavelength λ and intersection angle (scattering angle) 2𝛉. The standing wave period is D as defined in Equation (1). Bottom: The two traveling planes waves are represented in reciprocal space by wave vectors K and K R . K = K R = 1/λ. The standing wave is defined by standing-wave vector Q defined in Equation (2). \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \[\mathit{D}\ =\ \frac{{\lambda}}{2\ sin\ {\theta}}\ =\ \frac{1}{\mathit{Q}}\] \end{document}(1) where λ is the X-ray wavelength and 2𝛉 is the scattering angle or angle separation between the two coherently coupled wave vectors K R and K . In reciprocal space, the scattering vector, or wave vector transfer, is defined as \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \[\mathbf{\mathit{Q}}\ =\ \mathbf{\mathit{K}}\_{\mathit{R}}\ {-}\ \mathbf{\mathit{K}}\_{0}\] \end{document}(2) Q is in the direction perpendicular to the equal-intensity planes of the XSW and has a magnitude that is the reciprocal of D . Thus, Q is also referred to as the standing wave vector. An X-ray standing wave can be used as an atom-specific probe via the photoelectric effect, which can be observed by photoelectron emission, fluorescence, or Auger electron emission. There are a number of mechanisms for generating an XSW. The simplest …
Evaluating commercial weight loss programmes: an evolution in outcomes research.

Summary The increasing prevalence of obesity has been mirrored by a parallel increase in the number of commercial weight loss programmes. Research evaluating these programmes is meagre, however, compared to the numbers treated. Reluctance of commercial weight loss programmes to meaningfully evaluate their weight loss efficacy may arise from fear that competitors will use the results against them. Evaluation of commercial weight loss programmes usually progresses from testimonials, often by famous people who were successful, to uncontrolled studies of past participants evaluated either by the programme itself or by an outside entity. The gold standard, however, is a scientifically rigorous, controlled study of the programme conducted by an independent entity. Such a study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, can gain credibility for a programme, as it did with Slim Fast, if the results are positive, or herald the end of the programme, as it was with Simeons human chorionic gonadotropin injection clinics. This review of the evolution of the evaluation process of commercial weight loss programmes leads us to conclude that consumers are likely to demand greater scientific rigour in the future, a change that will favour informed choice and discourage the practice of unrealistic advertising that raises false hopes.
SHP2 tyrosine phosphatase stimulates CEBPA gene expression to mediate cytokine-dependent granulopoiesis

G-CSF signals contribute to granulocyte lineage specification. We previously found that G-CSF induces SHP2 tyrosine phosphorylation and that chemical inhibition of SHP1/SHP2 reduces CFU-G and prevents G-CSF but not M-CSF activation of ERK. We now find that SHP2 shRNA knockdown in the 32Dcl3 granulocytic line reduces ERK activation, diminishes CEBPA protein and RNA expression and promoter histone acetylation, and inhibits granulopoiesis. Exogenous, shRNA-resistant SHP2 rescues these effects of SHP2 knockdown, exogenous C/EBPα rescues granulocytic markers, and exogenous RUNX1 rescues C/EBPα. 32Dcl3 lines with knockdown of ERK1 and ERK2 retain normal levels of C/EBPα and differentiate normally in G-CSF despite also having reduced proliferation. SHP2 knockdown reduces CEBPA levels in lineage-negative murine marrow cells cultured in TPO, Flt3 ligand, and SCF, without affecting the rate of cell expansion. On transfer to IL-3, IL-6, and SCF to induce myelopoiesis, levels of granulocytic RNAs are reduced and monocyte-specific RNAs are increased by SHP2 knockdown, and there is a reduction in the percentage of CFU-G that form in methylcellulose and of granulocytes that develop in liquid culture. In summary, SHP2 is required for induction of C/EBPα expression and granulopoiesis in response to G-CSF or other cytokines independent of SHP2-mediated ERK activation.
The Accuracy of the Area-Threshold Method: A Model-based Simulation Study

Abstract A Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to investigate the performance of the area-threshold method of estimating mean areas rainfall. The study uses a stochastic space-time model of rainfall as the true rainfall-field generator. Simple schemes of simulating radar observations of the simulated rainfall fields are employed. The schemes address both random and systematic components of the radar rainfall-estimation process. The results of the area-threshold method are compared to the results based on conventional averaging of radar-estimated point rainfall observations. The results demonstrate that when the exponent parameter in the Z–R relationship has small uncertainty (about ±10%), the conventional method works better than the area-threshold method. When the errors are higher (±20%), the area-threshold method with optimum threshold in the 5–10 mm h−1 range performs best. For even higher errors in the Z–R relationship, the area-threshold method with a low threshold provides the best performance.
Primary excision compared with re‐excision of extremity soft tissue sarcomas—is anything new?

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare and are commonly excised outside of a sarcoma center without appropriate preoperative planning. Studies have shown varying results in survival and outcome when comparing patients undergoing re-excision to patients undergoing a single, planned excision. Methods This retrospective study evaluated 278 patients treated for STS of the extremities between January 2000 and July 2006. One hundred seventy-two patients had a primary excision while 106 patients had a sarcoma re-excised. Survival curves for disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and local recurrence-free survival were calculated using competing risk analysis for both groups. Results After adjusting for high-risk variables, our results indicate that re-excision is a proxy for smaller, low-grade tumors which tend to have a better survival profile. Death due to sarcoma and distant metastases were correlated with high-grade and large tumors. The presence of positive microscopic margins was the strongest predictor of local recurrence (P < 0.05). Conclusions There were no differences in death, metastases, or local recurrence between the two groups after adjusting for high-risk variables. Survival advantages previously reported with STS re-excision serve as proxy for tumors that have a better survival profile. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 105:662–667. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Electromigration performance of electroless plated copper/Pd-silicide metallization

The electromigration reliability of Cu interconnects has been studied under DC, pulse-DC, and bipolar current stressing conditions. Electroless plating was used to selectively deposit Cu in oxide trenches by using Pd silicide as a catalytic layer at the bottom of the trenches to initiate copper deposition. The DC and pulse-DC lifetimes of Cu are found to be about two orders of magnitude longer than that of Al-2%Si at 275 degrees C, and about four orders of magnitude longer than that of Al-2%Si when extrapolated to room temperature. On the other hand, Cu AC lifetimes are found to be comparable to the AC lifetimes of Al-2%Si. The pulse-DC lifetime of copper interconnects follows the similar frequency and duty factor dependence as aluminium and the prediction of the vacancy relaxation model. >
Attitudes toward women as managers: sex versus culture

This paper examines attitudes toward women managers in Chile (n=194) and the USA (n=218) using the women as managers scale (WAMS) and a Spanish version of WAMS developed for this study. Across both cultures, two coherent measures were labeled “acceptance” and “ability”. No cultural differences in the acceptance of women as managers were discovered. The differences in acceptance were divided solely according to sex. There were differences in the perceived ability of women managers for both the sex and culture variables. The paper then compares the impact of the sex and culture variables. Results show that sex explained approximately three times more variance than culture. These findings can inform both the expatriate woman manager who is likely to encounter friction in interactions with males in many cultures and the human resource manager interested in improving the success of women managers working overseas.
The Effects of Regulatory Focus on Responding to and Avoiding Slips in a Longitudinal Study of Smoking Cessation

Promotion and prevention focus have been shown to uniquely predict the initiation and maintenance of behavior change, but the behavioral tasks underlying these effects have not been specified. We examined the effects of regulatory focus on how smokers responded to initial slips and whether smokers were able to avoid slips after initial cessation. After slipping, smokers higher versus lower in promotion focus were more likely to quit again, particularly if they were high in self-efficacy. Of participants quit for 2 months, smokers higher versus lower in prevention focus more consistently avoided slips, but only if they were high in self-efficacy. Implications for regulatory focus theory and behavior change theory are discussed.
The Persian Gulf War: Civilian war–related stress and the influence of age, religious faith, and war attitudes

This study examined the stress response of 86 civilian subjects at the onset of the Persian Gulf War. The Impact of Events Scale (IES) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to measure participants' subjective stress response and symptoms of psychological distress. Subjects also completed a demographic questionnaire that included questions that ranged from religious affiliation to approval of the war effort. The study describes war-related stress and the influence of age, religious faith, and attitudes about war on reported levels of stress. Results indicate measurable levels of war-related stress in this civilian population.