cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compliance Regimes and Barriers to Behavioral Change

Existing research on compliance failures by individuals and businesses focuses primarily on information and incentive problems. This article develops a comprehensive framework for analyzing barriers to compliance, giving particular attention to resource and autonomy barriers, heterogeneity of the target population, multiple barriers to compliance, and problems that arise when a complex and ongoing set of actions is require to be “in compliance.” How governments react to compliance failures is heavily influenced by the social construction and political power of target populations. The propositions developed in the article are tested against the cases of the Swedish individual account pension system and welfare reform in the United States.
Asymptotically near-optimal blind estimation of multipath CDMA channels

In this paper, correlation matching techniques are applied to estimate multipath code division multiple access (CDMA) channels. We arrange unknown multipath parameters for each of J active users in a vector. Then, the output correlation matrix is parameterized by J unknown rank one matrices, with each one formulated from the corresponding channel vector. This correlation matrix is further compared with its sample average. The resulting error can be first minimized to obtain unbiased estimates of J unknown rank one matrices in closed forms. Thus, our estimator for each channel vector is derived by singular value decomposition (SVD) on the associated rank one matrix within a scalar ambiguity. It turns out that the performance of our estimator can be improved by introducing an asymptotically optimal weighting matrix in our cost function. This weighting matrix can be estimated directly from data samples only with a small penalty on the asymptotic performance. The asymptotic covariance of our estimator is also derived and can be compared with the Cramer-Rao lower bound, both in closed forms. Simulation results show the applicability of the proposed methods and consistency with our theoretical analysis.
Using reinforcement learning to introduce artificial intelligence in the CS curriculum

There are many interesting topics in artificial intelligence that would be useful to stimulate student interest at various levels of the computer science curriculum. They can also be used to illustrate some basic concepts of computer science, such as arrays. One such topic is reinforcement learning - teaching a computer program how to play a game or traverse an environment using a system of rewards and punishments. There are reinforcement learning projects that can be used at all levels of the computer science curriculum. This paper describes a few examples of reinforcement learning and how they might be used.
Peer-peer interaction among infants and toddlers with extensive daycare experience

Abstract Peer-peer interaction among 10–21- and 24–30-month-olds with extensive daycare experience was studied. Thirteen pairs of familiar agemates were formed, and each dyad was observed in a playpen with toys at their daycare center. Adult preparation and various constraints to peer-peer interaction were minimized. The nine behavioral measures included nonsocial, marginally social, and social play categories. The results revealed equivalent amounts of nonsocial behavior for both age groups, and marginally social behavior was not the dominant play activity at either age. Compared with the younger group, the older children engaged in less marginally social activity, more positive social behavior overall, and more sustained sociable interchanges. Neither age group had high levels of antisocial behavior, but the younger children tended to display more than the older. Support was found for the view that marginally social activity functions as a bridge from nonsocial to social behavior.
Calcium Dynamics and Homeostasis in Breast Cancer Oncogenesis

Secretory Pathway Ca2+-ATPases are P-type ATPases comprising 2 isoforms, SPCA1 and SPCA2 that localize to the Golgi and to vesicular compartments. They sequester Ca2+ into stores for protein processing, modification and sorting, and regulate basal cytosolic levels. The two isoforms play distinct roles in breast cancer: SPCA2 expression is greatly amplified in luminal subtypes but has a lower expression in basal subtypes, with opposite expression patterns for SPCA1. Previously, we showed that SPCA2, but not SPCA1, interacts with the Ca2+ channel Orai1 to initiate store-independent Ca2+ entry, which promotes tumorigenesis. We sought to understand the roles of SPCA1 and SPCA2 in breast cancer and how they correlate with the different subtypes. We present analysis of patient survival and microarray data for both SPCA1 and SPCA2 expression, and evaluate isoform-specific roles in two different breast cancer cell lines, which represent the luminal (MCF7) and the basal (MDA-MB-231) subtypes. Using knockdown and overexpression approaches, we have correlated Ca2+ dynamics with cell proliferation, tumorsphere formation, and plasma membrane trafficking of a cell adhesion protein critical for tumorigenesis, E-cadherin. From these studies, we found that SPCA2 and not SPCA1 promotes oncogenesis by regulating E-cadherin in luminal mammary tumors and that SPCA2 down regulation may be critical for metastasis in both subtypes.
Accuracy of Proofreading with Zero Energy Cost

Abstract Accuracy of biological discrimination at the molecular level is known in some systems to involve kinetic proofreading mechanisms. Hopfield and Ninio were the first to propose simple specific kinetic mechanisms for such proofreading and to demonstrate that an energy cost accompanies their improvement in accuracy. Savageau and Freter subsequently derived the explicit cost-accuracy relationship for a broad class of proofreading mechanisms, including the conventional Hopfield-Ninio mechanism just referred to. In other systems, the presence of proofreading mechanisms is in question because the diagnostic features of conventional kinetic proofreading are absent. However, Hopfield has recently proposed an alternative “energy-relay” mechanism, which lacks the characteristic features of conventional proofreading and yet is capable of improving accuracy. In this paper, I use the general cost-accuracy relationship that we have previously derived to examine the energy cost and accuracy of proofreading mechanisms involving an energy relay. The principal findings are the following. First, such mechanisms improve accuracy with a zero cost of proofreading , when “proofreading cost,” defined as the cost due specifically to proofreading, is separated from the costs of putting material through the system. Second, the basic energy-relay mechanism discussed by Hopfield has only a modest improvement in accuracy, but a comparable improvement by a conventional proofreading mechanism would have a cost of about 0·0352 (moles ATP per mole of total product output). Third, accuracy can be increased somewhat if multiple stages of conventional kinetic proofreading precede the energy-relay mechanism. The cost for this improvement is zero while a comparable increase in accuracy achieved by conventional proofreading alone has a cost of about 0·0385. Finally, I propose an alternative arrangement of energy-relay mechanisms that is capable of increasing accuracy still further. The maximum accuracy achieved by this scheme at zero energy cost is comparable to that achieved by an infinite expenditure of energy in a single stage of conventional proofreading.
Modeling of cell culture processes

Models of cell processes can be particularly useful in simulating, optimizing and controlling cell culture systems. Models reported in the literature are of various degrees of biological structure and mathematical complexity and describe cell growth, death, metabolism, and product formation, alone or in combination with each other. This paper reviews these modeling efforts, discusses their results, potential and limitations, and identifies areas where future modeling studies may be especially valuable.
Subunit stoichiometry of the Kir1.1 channel in proton-dependent gating.

Kir1.1 channel regulates membrane potential and K+ secretion in renal tubular cells. This channel is gated by intracellular protons, in which a lysine residue (Lys80) plays a critical role. Mutation of the Lys80 to a methionine (K80M) disrupts pH-dependent channel gating. To understand how an individual subunit in a tetrameric channel is involved in pH-dependent channel gating, we performed these studies by introducing K80M-disrupted subunits to tandem tetrameric channels. The pH sensitivity was studied in whole-cell voltage clamp and inside-out patches. Homomeric tetramers of the wild-type (wt) and K80M-disrupted channels showed a pH sensitivity almost identical to that of their monomeric counterparts. In heteromeric tetramers and dimers, pH sensitivity was a function of the number of wt subunits. Recruitment of the first single wt subunit shifts the pKa greatly, whereas additions of any extra wt subunit had smaller effects. Single-channel analysis revealed that the tetrameric channel with two or more wt subunits showed one substate conductance at ∼40% of the full conductance, suggesting that four subunits act as two pairs. However, three and four substates of conductance were seen in the tetrameric wt-3K80M and 4K80M channels. Acidic pH increased long-time closures when there were two or more wt subunits. Disruption of more than two subunits led to flicking activity with appearance of a new opening event and loss of the long period of closures. Interestingly, the channel with two wt subunits at diagonal and adjacent configurations showed the same pH sensitivity, substate conductance, and long-time closure. These results thus suggest that one functional subunit is sufficient to act in the pH-dependent gating of the Kir1.1 channel, the channel sensitivity to pH increases with additional subunits, the full pH sensitivity requires contributions of all four subunits, and two subunits may be coordinated in functional dimers of either trans or cis configuration.
Employer Differences in Upper-Body Musculoskeletal Disorders and Pain Among Immigrant Latino Poultry Processing Workers

Between-employer differences in working conditions may lead to variable injury rates. The objective of this paper is to assess the difference in the prevalence of epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and low back pain among immigrant Latino poultry workers at plants of three different employers. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study among 286 poultry processing workers. Community-based sampling was used to recruit participants in western North Carolina. Rotator cuff syndrome (26.7%) and low back pain (27.9%) were more prevalent among employees of one specific employer. Multivariate analysis showed significant associations of low back pain and rotator cuff syndrome with age, task performed in the processing line, and employer. Employer is a major predictor of musculoskeletal disorders and pain. Line speed and work pace may account for these differences and provide an opportunity for regulation and intervention to protect the health of workers.
Association between chemotherapy and cognitive impairments in a large cohort of patients with colorectal cancer

No population-based study has been conducted on the relationship between chemotherapy and the risk of cognitive impairments in patients with colorectal cancer. This study aimed to determine this association in a large population-based cohort of patients. We studied 72,374 men and women who were diagnosed with stages I-III colorectal cancer at age ≥ 65 years from 1991 through 2002 from 16 regions in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program who were free of cognitive impairments at baseline with up to 17 years of follow-up and also studied 15,921 matched cohorts based on the propensity of receiving chemotherapy. The cumulative incidence of drug-induced dementia at 5 years was 16.2 cases per 1,000 persons for the chemotherapy group and 12.4 cases per 1,000 persons for the no chemotherapy group. Overall, patients who received chemotherapy were 24% significantly more likely to develop drug-induced dementia compared to those without chemotherapy after adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics (hazard ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.47). The significantly increased risk was only observed in those without mood disorder who received chemotherapy in the entire cohort (1.26, 1.06-1.50) and in the matched cohort (1.29, 1.04-1.59). The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or other dementias was significantly lower in patients receiving chemotherapy compared to those without chemotherapy regardless of mood disorder status. In conclusion, there was a significant association between chemotherapy and the risk of developing drug-induced dementia in patients with colorectal cancer without mood disorder, but chemotherapy was associated with a decreased risk of other dementias.
Generalized Boltzmann formalism for oscillating neutrinos

In the standard approaches to neutrino transport in the simulation of core-collapse supernovas, one will often start from the classical Boltzmann equation for the neutrino's spatial, temporal, and spectral evolution. For each neutrino species, and its antiparticle, the classical density in phase space, or the associated specific intensity, will be calculated as a function of time. The neutrino radiation is coupled to matter by source and sink terms on the 'right-hand side' of the transport equation and together with the equations of hydrodynamics this set of coupled partial differential equations for classical densities describes, in principle, the evolution of core collapse and explosion. However, with the possibility of neutrino oscillations between species, a purely quantum-physical effect, how to generalize this set of Boltzmann equations for classical quantities to reflect oscillation physics has not been clear. To date, the formalisms developed have retained the character of quantum operator physics involving complex quantities and have not been suitable for easy incorporation into standard supernova codes. In this paper, we derive generalized Boltzmann equations for quasiclassical, real-valued phase-space densities that retain all the standard oscillation phenomenology, including the matter-enhanced resonant flavor conversion (Mikheev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect), neutrino self-interactions, and the interplay between decohering matter couplingmore » and flavor oscillations. With this formalism, any code(s) that can now handle the solution of the classical Boltzmann or transport equation can easily be generalized to include neutrino oscillations in a quantum-physically consistent fashion.« less
Abstract 1084: Comprehensive genomic analysis of murine small cell lung carcinoma uncovers recurrent Pten alterations that drive tumor progression and alter tumor genome evolution.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is a highly lethal tumor for which few targetable genetic alterations have been identified. SCLC is tightly associated with an extended history of tobacco use, and recent DNA sequencing studies have revealed highly mutated SCLC cancer genomes. Interestingly, two studies analyzing the human SCLC genome report distinct sets of putative driver mutations, highlighting the challenge of identifying functional events in highly mutated cancers. In the absence of environmental mutagens, a previously established genetically engineered mouse model of SCLC initiated by combined loss of Trp53 and Rb1 recapitulates the salient clinical features of human SCLC including tumor histologic progression and frequent distant metastases. This model has been shown to acquire DNA copy number alterations shared with human SCLC, suggesting that cross-species cancer genomics may identify a subset of driver events in human cancers. In order to characterize the spectrum of acquired events in murine SCLC and identify evolutionarily conserved drivers of SCLC progression, we define the somatic genome and transcriptome of a large panel of murine SCLC at single nucleotide resolution using exome, genome and RNA sequencing. We uncover complex subclonality in primary murine SCLC tumors and detect evidence for clonal selection during metastatic spread. As expected in the absence of environmental mutagens, we demonstrate a low somatic mutation frequency in murine SCLC. Using integrative genomic analyses we uncover alterations in chromatin remodeling enzymes and identify Pten as a critical tumor suppressor in this model. Engineered Pten deletion in murine SCLC dramatically accelerates tumorigenesis and fundamentally alters the genomic evolution of these tumors. This work represents the first large-scale comprehensive genomic characterization of a genetically engineered mouse cancer model at single nucleotide resolution, has implications for the nature of tumor evolution in mouse cancer models and identifies a potential therapeutic target in a subset of human SCLC. Citation Format: David G. McFadden, Thales Papagiannakopoulos, Kristian Cibulskis, Chip Stewart, Scott Carter, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Arjun Bhutkar, Carrie Sougnez, Alison Dooley, Erica Shefler, Eric Lander, Stacey Gabriel, Gad Getz, Tyler Jacks. Comprehensive genomic analysis of murine small cell lung carcinoma uncovers recurrent Pten alterations that drive tumor progression and alter tumor genome evolution. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1084. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1084
Microenvironment-Based Protein Function Analysis by Random Forest

Machine learning-based prediction of protein functions plays a key role in bioinformatics and pharmaceutical research, facilitating swift discovery of new drugs in high-throughput settings. This paper presents an adaptation of Random Forest to the structure-based protein function prediction. Our system represents protein's 3D physicochemical structural information in microenvironment descriptors whose spatial resolution is much finer than other sequence-based protein descriptors. We prepare our datasets for seven active sites from five protein function classes by using multiple public data banks and train Random Forest classifiers to identify these seven function models in proteins. This paper presents two experiment studies: 1) a 5-fold stratified cross-validation for comparing Random Forest with Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machine and 2) systematic comparison of Random Forest's two variable importance measures. Promising results of these studies demonstrate a potential for Random Forest to improve the accuracy of the current protein function assays.
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Inborn Errors of Metabolism: Incorporation of Genomic and Metabolomic Analysis into Therapeutics and Prevention

Inborn errors of metabolism may present as a spectrum ranging from neonatal lethality to non-specific symptoms. Neuropsychiatric manifestations have been identified in three groups: those presenting as emergencies, those with chronic fluctuating symptoms, and those associated with mental retardation. Milder central nervous system specific inborn errors of metabolism may also present later in life with isolated psychiatric symptoms. Inborn errors of metabolism presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms are described with illustrative case examples. Metabolomic and genomic approaches to identification and treatment are described.
Micro-, Meso- and Macro-Texture and Fatigue Crack Roughness in Al-Li 2090 T8E41

The use of synchrotron polychromatic x-ray microbeams in the transmission geometry is described for mapping grain orientation as a function of position and for relating this microtexture to the formation of large asperities on fatigue crack surfaces in Al-Li 2090 T8E41. In common with the centers of rolled plates of many aluminum alloys, Al-Li 2090 T8E41 has a sharp average texture or macrotexture different from that in the outer portions of the plate. The geometry of large asperities in Al-Li 2090 has been related to this macrotexture, and the resulting roughness-induced crack closure is recognized to be responsible for the very low crack propagation rates in certain plate orientations. This report focuses on why asperities form at certain positions and why the crack remains relatively planar elsewhere. The microtexture (i.e., the grain-to-grain orientation variation) seems to be organized into a specific type of mesotexture: multiple adjacent grains have nearly identical orientations and form substantial volumes of near-single-crystal material. Transitions between differently oriented near-singlecrystal volumes or between a near-single- crystal region and more randomly oriented grains appear to bound asperities.
Effect of population associations and reduced penetrance on observed and expected genotype frequencies in a simple genetic model: application to HLA and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Summary The observed and Hardy-Weinberg-expected frequencies for (HLA) marker heterozygotes in a disease population are calculated where it is assumed that the disease is caused by either homozygosity or heterozygosity (with reduced pentrance) for a disease susceptibility allele at a disease locus, that allele being positively associated with both of the relevant alleles at the marker locus (the single susceptibility allele model of Svejgaard & Ryder, 1981). It is shown that the observed frequency is always less than or equal to the H-W expectation, with the (observed/expected) ratio decreasing as the degree of dominance increases.
Exotic Viral Diseases: A Global Guide

Exotic Viral Diseases: A Global Guide by Berger et al. is a small, soft-cover, 252-page handbook organized by disease or disease group. It addresses 55 viral pathogens, including a few broad groupings, such as “New World hantaviruses.” Because of increasing travel, which is eroding geographic barriers to disease transmission, and because of the emergence and reemergence of uncommon infectious diseases, frontline clinicians are increasingly more likely to encounter patients with exotic viral infections. The arrival of West Nile virus and monkeypox virus in North America demonstrates the potential for importation of unusual viral pathogens. An 8-page overview of the assessment and evaluation of febrile viral syndromes precedes a series of four tables listing syndrome complexes, animal reservoirs, infectious vectors, and routes of infection. The tables are followed by sections describing each pathogen in alphabetical order. Each section includes common and generic designations for the virus, reservoirs, vectors, modes of transmission, incubation periods, “clinical hints,” “typical therapy,” and geographic distribution of the disease. Concise subsections provide general information, describe the clinical presentation and course of the illnesses, and recommend diagnostic procedures and laboratory biosafety levels. Sections end with a list of additional reading, ranging from 3 to 22 citations, including journal articles, book chapters, and electronic citations. In addition to the tables noted above, 10 charts are distributed throughout the sections, demonstrating disease incidence during recent decades. The book is indexed and has a 10-page appendix of drugs and vaccines and a 5-page appendix of diagnostic tests. It has no illustrations. An accompanying mini-CD ROM contains the same material as the printed edition. Though the handbook’s coverage of topics is superficial, its format makes this a useful quick reference, for example, as a reminder for clinicians assembling differential diagnosis lists for a febrile viral syndrome. The vector and syndrome tables are handy, and the disease descriptions contain sufficient information for preliminary consideration. However, this is not an exhaustive guide for clinical care and, as pointed out by the authors, does not obviate consultation of a more substantial reference or an expert in the management of a specific disease. Limited attention is given to isolation and infection-control recommendations. The CD ROM is a convenient feature, for example, for field use; however, more informative disks that accompany larger virology texts would probably have greater utility in such a setting.
Cell proliferation after laser photocoagulation in primate retina. An autoradiographic study.

• Argon blue-green laser and krypton red laser (KRL) photocoagulation were applied to primate retinas at intervals ranging from two to 23 days before the animals were killed. An injection of tritiated thymidine was given intravitreally three days before death. Argon bluegreen laser photocoagulation induced cell proliferation in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium seven days after treatment, with quiescence at 23 days. Krypton red laser photocoagulation induced similar cell proliferation not only in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium but also around choroidal vessels and in the stroma of the choroid. Peak thymidine uptake occurred seven days after KRL treatment. There was less uptake at two and 11 days and no uptake at 23 days. Thymidine uptake in the retina and choroid also was detected with low levels of KRL treatment. True cell hyperplasia (cell division) occurred after laser treatment; only KRL treatment induced cellular reaction in the choroid.
Boundary determination of material parameters from electromagnetic boundary information

Consider the following inverse problem. From electromagnetic information obtainable at the boundary of a body, can one determine material parameters, and their normal derivatives, at the boundary of the body? In this paper we answer this question in two physically distinct situations. The first is when the relationship between the electromagnetic fields depends on the conductivity, the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of the body, and these parameters together with their normal derivatives are shown to be recoverable at the boundary. The second is when the constitutive relations for the fields are altered so as to further take into account the chirality of the body. We also show how a layer-stripping algorithm may be derived to estimate the unknown parameters near the boundary in both situations. The approach is to calculate an explicit asymptotic expansion for the symbol of a boundary operator which is assumed to be known (from boundary measurements); this expansion is shown in each case to determine the unknown parameters at the boundary.
Influences of Forest and Rangeland Management on Salmonid Fishes and their Habitats

(1992). Influences of Forest and Rangeland Management on Salmonid Fishes and their Habitats. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society: Vol. 121, No. 4, pp. 555-556.
Temperature dependence of the x-ray and neutron diffraction from a metallic glass

Abstract The amorphous alloy Be 0.4 Ti 0.5 Zr 0.1 has one of the largest negative temperature coefficients of resistivity known in a metallic glass and thus presents a demanding test case for any theory that would explain this phenomenon. By measuring the temperature dependence of the x-ray and neutron diffraction profiles we have attempted to test the extended Ziman theory for the resistivity of amorphous metals. The observed change in the structure factor is large enough to explain the observed resistivity data in terms of this theory.
Oxygen uptake by Trypanosoma lewisi—Complex cells. IV. “E” and “Sp” isolates

The “E” (England), “Sp” (Singapore) and prototype “L” isolates of Trypanosoma lewisi were comparatively examined with reference to endogenous rates of oxygen consumption, oxygen uptake rates with glucose, and rat-serum substrates, respiratory behaviour, metabolic capacity and metabolic efficiency. Endogenous glucose and serum QO2, values all followed a rising pattern to a crisis at about day 12 after inoculation whence they declined. A ranking of L > E > Sp established for endogenous activity obtained also for utilization of glucose and serum except that it was of a higher order. The prototype was the superior cell on analysis of comparative respiratory behaviour. A greater metabolic capacity of the “Sp” cell was observed. Both “E” and “Sp” cells were metabolically more efficient than the “L” with glucose as substrate, and the latter superior in serum utilization.
The St. Jude valve. Thrombolysis as the first line of therapy for cardiac valve thrombosis.

BACKGROUNDThrombolytic therapy is a promising alternative to valve replacement in the management of prosthetic valve thrombosis. We sought to determine the short- and long-term results of treating thrombosed St. Jude heart valves with thrombolytic therapy as the primary treatment modality.METHODS AND RESULTSBetween March 1978 and December 1991, 988 patients underwent implantation of St. Jude prosthetic valves at our medical center, and all patients with thrombosed valves were identified prospectively. During this period, 17 patients (13 women; mean age, 66.8 +/- 19.0 years) developed prosthetic valve thrombosis (11 aortic, six mitral). In six patients, Coumadin was stopped in preparation for elective surgery. The clinical presentation was congestive heart failure in 13, syncope and fatigue in two, and a cerebrovascular accident in one; one patient was asymptomatic. The average duration of symptoms was 11.7 +/- 12.0 days (range, 1-45 days). Anticoagulation was subtherapeutic in all but one patient at the t...
Tim Gorringe, A Theology of the Built Environment

(2004). Tim Gorringe, A Theology of the Built Environment. Political Theology: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 249-250.
The origin of the nitrogen atom in the thiazole ring of thiamine in Escherichia coli

Abstract Methods are described for the isolation and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of the 4-methyl-5-β-hydroxyethyl thiazole moiety of thiamine in microbial cells. Using these methods, it was determined that in Escherichia coli the nitrogen atom in the thiazole ring of thiamine is derived solely from l -tyrosine.
Phase Equilibria in the Ternary Fused-Salt System LiF-BeF2,-UF4

The phase diagram for the ternary fused-salt system LiF-BeF2-UF4 was determined from 300°C to the liquidus by differential thermal analysis, thermal-gradient quenching studies, and high-temperature filtration techniques. The samples prepared by quenching were examined by polarized-light microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The experimental methods are described. The primary-phase fields for the compounds LiF, 7LiF·6UF4, LiF·4UF4, and UF4 covered most of the liquidus surface. Small areas of the liquidus surface were covered by the compounds BeF2, 2LiF·BeF2, and 4LiF·UF4. The compound 4LiF·UF4, which was stable at the binary liquidus temperature, decomposed in the ternary system when the liquidus temperature decreased below 480°C. No ternary compounds or solid solutions were observed. Two ternary eutectics were found. The first, containing 48 mole % LiF, 51.5 mole % BeF2, and 0.5 mole % UF4, melted at 350°C. The second, containing 69.5 mole % LiF, 22.5 mole % BeF2, and 8 mole % UF4, melted at 427°C.
The influence of rotor speed on the sedimentation behavior in sucrose gradients of high molecular weight DNA's

Abstract Anomalous sedimentation behavior has been observed for high molecular weight duplex DNA's in sucrose gradients. The sedimentation rate of DNA's having molecular weights of 10 8 or higher is influenced by high centrifugal fields. The change in the sucrose sedimentation coefficient due to this effect, S RPM suc - S 0 suc , is equal to 1 × 10 −48 M 3.65 ( The anomalous behavior is not influenced by DNA concentration at sufficiently low concentrations. Because of the smallness of the coefficient this effect has not been previously detected for DNA's the size of T2 or smaller at rotor speeds below 40000 RPM. For example, the relative sedimentation coefficient of T2 DNA at 65 000 RPM is only 9% less than at 10000 RPM. However, the sedimentation profile of heterogeneous high molecular weight [(100 – 350) × 10 6 ] E. coli DNA is severely altered even at moderate rotor speeds (37000 RPM). Therefore, it seems advisable to use low rotor speeds when sedimenting high molecular weight DNA's.
Silicon content of the parasporal crystal of several crystalliferous bacteria.

Abstract The presence of silicon in the parasporal crystals of several isolates of crystalliferous bacteria is reported. Quantitative analyses of the crystals revealed 3–4 percent of their dry weight to be silicon. The importance of this element to the chemistry of the crystals is discussed.
A 7 µm mini-beam improves diffraction data from small or imperfect crystals of macromolecules

A simple apparatus for achieving beam sizes in the range 5-10 μm on a synchrotron beamline was implemented in combination with a small 125 x 25 μm focus. The resulting beam had sufficient flux for crystallographic data collection from samples smaller than 10 x 10 x 10 μm. Sample data were collected representing three different scenarios: (i) a complete 2.0 data set from a single strongly diffracting microcrystal, (ii) a complete and redundant 1.94 A data set obtained by merging data from six microcrystals and (iii) a complete 2.24 A data set from a needle-shaped crystal with less than 12 x 10 μm cross-section and average diffracting power. The resulting data were of high quality, leading to well refined structures with good electron-density maps. The signal-to-noise ratios for data collected from small crystals with the mini-beam were significantly higher than for equivalent data collected from the same crystal with a 125 x 25 μm beam. Relative to this large beam, use of the mini-beam also resulted in lower refined crystal mosaicities. The mini-beam proved to be advantageous for inhomogeneous large crystals, where better ordered regions could be selected by the smaller beam.
Tapeworms and seizures--treatment and prevention.

It may come as a surprise that a lowly tapeworm is responsible for as many as 10 percent of cases in which a patient presents with seizures to an emergency room in a large urban hospital in New Mex...
A long-range planning model for large capital expenditures: An application to ambulance allocation

Abstract A nonlinear programming model for ambulance addition is proposed and demonstrated. The model is appropriate for use in long-range planning for urban regions where fixed and operating costs for facilities are high and a minimal service level criterion must be met. The approach is unique in that it allows planners to “time phase” ambulance allocation over a 5–10 yr planning horizon while explicitly considering total cost and minimal service level criteria. The model is solved using a PASCAL program which runs on a microcomputer. The simplicity of the formulation and the solution technique are unique among previously reported ambulance planning/allocation models. The utility and flexibility of the model for emergence medical service (EMS) planners is demonstrated using some typical planning scenarios. The results show the model to be an efficient, flexible tool for long-range planning.
The Loss of Retinoblastoma Gene in Association with c-myc and Transforming Growth Factor-beta 1 Gene Expression in Human Bladder Cancer

AbstractPurpose: We investigate the roles and possible interactions of the retinoblastoma, transforming growth factor-beta 1 and c-myc genes in bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: The expression of these 3 genes was examined in 38 biopsy specimens of human bladder cancer by immunohistochemical analysis or Northern blotting.Results: Loss of the retinoblastoma protein expression was most significantly correlated with high grade cancer. Over expression of c-myc or expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 was less associated with tumor grade or stage, although c-myc over expression defined stage Ta against other stage tumors, since no stage Ta lesions had increased c-myc expression. Finally, loss of retinoblastoma gene function did not correlate with either c-myc or transforming growth factor-beta 1 expression.Conclusions: These results further support that retinoblastoma gene inactivation is an important factor in the progression of bladder cancer, and suggest that transforming growth factor-beta 1 ...
Compatible suboptimal controllers for fixed linear plants

Many optimal control problems generally lead to solutions that require complete state feedback for their implementation. For many practical applications, however, not all states are available for direct measurement. The use of an auxiliary dynamic feedback system, such as an observer, is one approach to the design of a controller that generates an asymptotic estimate of the desired optimal control input. However, a simpler design is desirable and is often possible by means of the theory of compatible suboptimal controllers presented in this paper.
Size effect in parabolic GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum wells.

We report the results of experimental and theoretical studies of the electron mobility in remotely doped, quasi-three-dimensional GaAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As parabolic wells. We show that the electron mobility in such structures is strongly reduced by a size effect due to nonspecular scattering of electrons from rough walls confining the electron gas. The roughness of the walls results from random fluctuations of the remote-ionized-impurity concentration and/or the alloy composition. Incorporation of the size effect allows for a quantitative description of the electron mobility in these parabolic wells.
Fragrance material review on iso-methyl-beta-ionone.

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of iso-methyl-β-ionone when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
Search for Axion-like Particles from the Sun in an Underground Negative-Ion TPC

Axion-like particles produced in the sun with masses in the keV range have been proposed to explain several long-standing anomalies in astrophysical X-ray observations. The gravitationally bound massive axions could be observed decaying to two X-ray photons in an instrumented underground detector volume. We propose to use a 1.5m 3 Negative-Ion TPC instrumented with GEM/Micromegas pad readout to perform a sensitive search for keV range axions. The sensitivity of the proposed experiment will be five orders of magnitude below existing limits after one year of running.
TAKING INVENTORY: Identifying Assessment Activities

Those embarking on development of an assessment program are encouraged to identify assessment activities already being undertaken. Although this is excellent advice, it is not as simple as it sounds, particularly on larger campuses, and the method of identifying current assessment initiatives is usually not addressed. This paper presents a method whereby a simple survey was used to help educate the campus about outcomes assessment while identifying assessment activities already being undertaken. The results of the survey are discussed, although the focus is on the process, content, and application of the survey.
PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING OF CANCERS

Nuclear medicine has had a longstanding role in the imaging evaluation of patients with cancers. Although the anatomic information supplied by the cross sectional imaging methods of CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have largely supplanted historical nuclear scans such as the sulfur colloid liver scan and the brain scan, newer nuclear medicine techniques with new radiotracers, new and improved imaging devices and newer computer-based image processing algorithms have led to an increasing role of nuclear medicine methods. The role of nuclear medicine is expanding from diagnosis alone to therapy, with specifically targeted radioactivity. Although a full discussion of therapy is beyond the scope of this article, the use of nuclear medicine scans to plan treatment is becoming increasingly routine at centers that see large numbers of cancer patients. The basic principle of nuclear medicine imaging in cancer diagnosis is to identify a physiologic alteration in cancers that is different quantitatively or qualitatively between cancers and normal tissues. With an appropriate radionuclide tag of a tracer molecule, it can then be possible to detect the physiologic alteration by scanning the patient with a camera that is very sensitive to gamma rays. Radionuclides that emit one or more gamma ray per radionuclide decay are called single photon emitters, although radionuclides that emit a positron during decay are called positron emitters. The cameras used to detect the two types of decay differ and are referred to as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) gamma cameras or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cameras. Regardless of the camera, nuclear medicine scans are generally more sensitive to the early physiological alterations in cancer and generally more sensitive than anatomic methods. Although nuclear medicine methods have provided less anatomic information than CT or MR imaging, the newer cross-sectional methods are providing more precise anatomy than ever before, along with unique physiological information. This article will briefly update the reader on the diverse array of nuclear medicine tests that are available now for cancer imaging. This article is particularly timely as of early 1998 because Medicare has agreed to begin paying for PET scans in patients with lung cancer or suspected lung cancer, and many of the other tests described already are reimbursed by Medicare and other carriers. Therefore, many of the tests discussed have made their way from the research setting into clinical practice. Nearly every hospital in the United States with nuclear medicine capabilities can do SPECT imaging and can use the radiotracers described in this article. A much smaller portion of hospitals currently have PET imaging equipment available. This situation is changing, however, as more hospitals purchase cameras that do PET imaging, and as smaller hospitals align themselves with larger centers offering more complex technologies.
Eosinophilia Following Treatment of Patients with Schistosomiasis Mansoni and Bancroft's Filariasis

Eosinophilia is frequently observed after treatment of patients with infections due to parasitic helminths. For definition of the characteristics and causes of post-treatment eosinophilic responses, 47 patients with Bancroft's filariasis, who were treated with diethylcarbamazine, and eight patients with schistosomiasis mansoni, who were treated with niridazole, were studied. After therapy for eight days, both groups developed significant (P less than 0.05) increases in their levels of eosinophilia, which peaked in two to four weeks. Maximal levels averaged two and one-half to three time the levels before treatment. Before therapy the number of circulating eosinophils was unrelated to intensity of infection in both groups, but after treatment, when the same relationship was examined in the larger group (the patients with filariasis), the degree of post-treatment eosinophilia was significantly correlated with the patients' worm burdens before treatment (r = 0.727; P less than 0.001). Thus, treatment of helminthic infections can provide a unique opportunity for studying eosinophil responses of humans to graded doses of antigen and has shown that acute responses are determined quantitatively by the amount of antigen initially presented to the host.
Continuing metformin throughout pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome appears to safely reduce first-trimester spontaneous abortion : a pilot study

Abstract Objective: To determine whether metformin would safely reduce the rate of first-trimester spontaneous abortion without teratogenicity in 19 women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design: Prospective pilot study. Setting: Outpatient. Patient(s): Twenty-two previously oligoamenorrheic, nondiabetic women with PCOS; 125 women with PCOS who were not currently pregnant and who had ≥1 previous pregnancy while they were not receiving metformin. Intervention(s): Metformin, 1.5–2.55 g/day, throughout pregnancy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Rates of first-trimester spontaneous abortion and teratogenicity. Result(s): Before metformin, 10 women had 22 previous pregnancies with 16 first-trimester spontaneous abortions (73%). While receiving metformin, these 10 women had 6 normal live births (60%), 1 spontaneous abortion (10%), and 3 normal ongoing pregnancies (30%) (all ≥13 weeks; median gestation, 23 weeks). Among women receiving metformin, including those with live births and normal pregnancy for at least the first trimester, 1 of 10 (10%) had first-trimester spontaneous abortion compared with 73% in 22 previous pregnancies without metformin ( P r =0.65, P =.04). Conclusion(s): Metformin therapy throughout pregnancy in women with PCOS reduces the otherwise high rate of first-trimester spontaneous abortion seen among women not receiving metformin and does not appear to be teratogenic.
Acoustic energy absorption in Ni–Mn–Ga/polymer composites

Abstract Composites of Ni–Mn–Ga particles in a polyurethane (PU) matrix are known to show up to 70% energy absorption under quasi-static mechanical loading. Reported here are results showing that the large mechanical energy absorption in Ni–Mn–Ga/PU composites persists up to at least 1 kHz and exceeds that in each of these control samples of pure PU, as well as in Fe 2 (Tb 1/3 Dy 2/3 ) particles in epoxy, and single crystal Ni–Mn–Ga. The transmitted acoustic amplitude decreases linearly with increase in frequency, consistent with the theory, and at 1 kHz it is 0.7 V in the Ni–Mn–Ga single crystal, 0.65 V in pure PU, 0.45 in the Fe 2 (Tb 1/3 Dy 2/3 )/PU composites and 0.25 V in Ni–Mn–Ga/PU composites.
Rapid analytical technique for the assessment of cell metabolic activity in marine microalgae.

A standard method for the assessment of cell viability has been developed for marine phytoplankton using an inexpensive stain, fluorescein diacetate (FDA), at .75 p.M for 10 min. A flow cytometer was used as the fluorescence detector, providing an assessment of viability for each individual particle. Cell size and chlorophyll fluorescence per cell were assessed simultaneously, permitting an assignment of viability to specific subpopulations, thus increasing the power of the technique. A reasonable correspondence between FDA mean fluorescence intensity per cell and an independent metabolic indicator, photosynthetic capacity measured by 14C, was found. Both FDA mean fluorescence intensity and photosynthetic capacity vary as a function of cell volume. Recovery after extended periods of darkness indicate that cells that are FDA negative may not be dead, but merely quiescent or inactive. Key terms: Fluorescein diacetate, cell viability, flow cytometry
Numerical simulation of uranium in-situ mining

Abstract A concise mathematical description of the uranium alkaline leaching process, applicable to two major types of low-grade ores: uraninite and pitchblende, is presented. The resultant multispecies system of coupled reactive transport operators is subsequently solved using the collocation methods under isothermal conditions. The described one-dimensional simulator has been subjected to a wide range of numerical conditions which are constructed to represent currently simulated straight-tube porous medium experiments. Concentration profiles of all species pertinent to the reaction mechanism are plotted. The effects of leach solution quality, initial and transport conditions on the leached product are examined. We also study the influence of the Boltzmann rate constant on the iteration scheme. Conclusions drawn from these quantitative results form a proper basis for both theoretical and future studies of the in-situ mining problem. Furthermore the analysis has offered new insight into the simultaneous interact ions between the basic processes of convection, hydrodynamic dispersion, erosion or deposition, and reaction within a general multispecies system.