cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural formula of uraninite

Abstract A revised structural formula for uraninite, nominally UO 2 , is presented:(U 1−x−y−z 4+ U x 6+ REE y 3+ M z 2+ )O 2+x−(0.5y)−z , which emphasizes the role of cationic substitutions. This formula clarifies the relationship between structural properties (e.g., unit cell parameters), oxidation state (U 6+ /U 4+ ratio), and phase transformations with increasing concentrations of excess oxygen. The formula demonstrates that the amount of excess oxygen required to compensate for increased positive charge due to U 6+ is less than suggested by the amount of U 6+ alone. This may increase the stability field of uraninite under oxidizing conditions relative to synthetic UO 2+ x .
N-Methyl transferase of Streptomyces erythraeus that confers resistance to the macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B antibiotics: amino acid sequence and its homology to cognate R-factor enzymes from pathogenic bacilli and cocci.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of a structural gene ermE for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) N6-amino adenine N-methyl transferase (NMT) of Streptomyces erythraeus, cloned by Thompson et al. [Gene 20 (1982) 51–62], has been determined. The NMT amino acid (aa) sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence contains extensive homology to aa sequences of cognate NMTs specified by: (1) plasmid pE194 from Staphylococcus aureus, 30% G + C, ermC; (2) plasmid pAM77 from Streptococcus sanguis, 43% G + C; as well as to (3) a chromosomal determinant from Bacillus licheniformis 759,46% G + C, ermD, cloned m a recombinant plasmid pBD90. These findings suggest that all four NMT structural genes could have evolved from a common progenitor sequence despite the wide range of % G + C of the erm genes reflecting their current respective hosts. Comparison of the four NMT sequences with respect to localized hydrophobicity averaged over a moving window of 11 aa indicates that the common features of localized hydrophobicity that characterize the C-terminal portion of the ermE and ermD proteins are distinguishable from a contrasting pattern of hydrophobicity that characterizes the ermC and pAM77-coded proteins.
Prognostication Based on Resistance-Spectroscopy for High Reliability Electronics Under Shock-Impact

Leading indicators of failure have been developed based on high-frequency characteristics, and system-transfer function derived from resistance spectroscopy measurements during shock and vibration. The technique is intended for condition monitoring in high reliability applications where the knowledge of impending failure is critical and the risks in terms of loss-of-functionality are too high to bear. Previously, resistance spectroscopy measurements [Constable 1992, Lizzul 1994, Prassana 1995] have been used during thermal cycling tests to monitor damage progression due to thermo-mechanical stresses. The development of resistance spectroscopy based damage pre-cursors for prognostication under shock and vibration is new. In this paper, the high-frequency characteristics, and system transfer function based on resistance spectroscopy measurements have been correlated with the damage progression in electronics during shock and vibration. Packages being examined include ceramic area-array packages. Second level interconnect technologies examined include copper-reinforced solder column, SAC305 solder ball, and 90Pb10Sn high-lead solder ball. Assemblies have been subjected to 1500g, 0.5 ms pulse [JESD-B2111]. Continuity has been monitored in-situ during the shock test for identification of part-failure. Resistance spectroscopy based damage pre-cursors have been correlated with the optically measured transient strain based feature vectors. High speed cameras have been used to capture the transient strain histories during shock-impact. Statistical pattern recognition techniques have been used to identify damage initiation and progression and determine the statistical significance in variance between healthy and damaged assemblies. Models for healthy and damaged packages have been developed based on package characteristics. Data presented shows that high-frequency characteristics and system-transfer characteristics based on resistance spectroscopy measurements can be used for condition-monitoring, damage initiation and progression in electronic systems. A positive prognostic distance has been demonstrated for each of the interconnect technologies tested.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Overview of management of atrial fibrillation in symptomatic elderly patients: pharmacologic therapy versus AV node ablation.

Abstract Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm affecting the upper chambers of the heart in which uncoordinated electrical depolarizations lead to ineffective contractions. Approximately five million patients in the US have atrial fibrillation, and this number is expected to double to 10 million over the next 30 years. Advancing age is a major risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation; new cases of atrial fibrillation are diagnosed in men over age 80 at the rate of 2% per year. Although several drugs are available for management of atrial fibrillation, the efficacy of these drugs may be limited in elderly patients. In this review, we provide an overview of management of atrial fibrillation, with special emphasis on pharmacologic therapy versus arteriovenous (AV) node ablation in symptomatic elderly patients.
GLUT1 expression in tissue and (18)F-FDG uptake.

For staging of cancer patients, 18F-FDG PET imaging has been applied for about a decade. It is generally accepted that imaging the metabolic activity of tumor tissue provides more sensitive and more specific information about the extent of disease than morphologic or anatomic imaging alone. The
Fate of inhaled fly ash in hamsters.

Abstract To determine pulmonary deposition, translocation, and clearance of inhaled fly ash, hamsters received a single 95-min nose-only exposure to neutron-activated fly ash. Over a period of 99 days postexposure, the hamsters were sacrificed in groups of six animals. Lungs, liver, kidneys, decapitated and skinned carcass, pelt, head, gastrointestinal tract, urine, and feces were collected for analysis of the radionuclide tracers 46 Sc, 59 Fe, and 60 Co by γ-ray spectrometry. The fly ash burden estimates as determined by the radionuclides 46 Sc and 59 Fe are in good agreement for the majority of samples analyzed. Such close agreement indicates fly ash particulate levels in the lungs, carcass, head, pelt, GI tract, and feces rather than leached radionuclides. Relative to the 46 Sc and 59 Fe-based estimates, fly ash deposition estimates obtained with the isotope 60 Co were appreciably lower for the lungs and appreciably higher for one or more sacrifice times for carcass, liver, head, pelt, and urine samples. This indicates that 60 Co (and thus the element cobalt) selectively leached from fly ash deposited in the deep lung, translocated to other sites, and was excreted in the urine. An estimated average of 63 μg fly ash, or 2 to 3% of the inhaled fly ash, was initially retained in the respiratory tract. The estimated biological half-times of the fly ash were 2.6 and 34.5 days, probably for the airways and for the deep lung, respectively. After 99 days, the mean lung burden had decreased to about 10% of its initial value.
Contrast-enhanced coronary MRA.

Coronary angiography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long been a goal for bringing cardiac MRI into clinical use for diagnosis of coronary artery disease. In this paper, the fundamental problems of respiratory and cardiac motion, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio are discussed in reference to implications for coronary imaging strategies. Various methods that have been proposed to improve signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in MR coronary imaging are presented with an emphasis on the role of T1-shortening contrast agents, both extracellular and intravascular. Although much progress has been made in recent years in techniques for imaging the coronary arteries, ultimate clinical success remains unproved. Success will depend on synergistic developments in MR acquisition techniques, respiratory compensation methods, post-processing techniques, and contrast agents to develop a workable solution for reliable coronary imaging across a wide range of patients. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:703-708.
Academic Characteristics of Early Adolescents with Higher Levels of Life Satisfaction

Research related to students’ global life satisfaction and their academic and behavioral functioning has yielded varying findings. Some researchers have suggested the possibility that very high levels of life satisfaction may yield decrements in productivity (Oishi et al. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 346–360 2007). Middle school students (N = 917) were surveyed regarding their global life satisfaction, school engagement, and academic performance. We evaluated whether the associations were best characterized linearly or non-linearly (i.e., quadratic) to clarify the associations between life satisfaction and the various academic performance variables. Differing from the findings of Oishi et al., our findings failed to reveal support for the hypothesis of a negative quadratic relation between life satisfaction and most of the academic or student engagement outcomes we examined. To the contrary, statistically significant, positive linear relations were observed between life satisfaction and GPA, math standardized test scores as well as cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement. A linear relation was not observed between life satisfaction and English Language Arts standardized test scores. Consistent with previous research, these findings provide further support that higher levels of life satisfaction are related to higher levels of student engagement and academic performance in early adolescents. Furthermore, the results are consistent with efforts to expand education reforms to incorporate goals related to increasing students’ well-being as well as their academic success.
Sample size and power for McNemar's test with clustered data

McNemar's test is used to compare the distribution of two paired binary random variables. When the data are clustered adjustment is needed to ensure that it is still a valid test. This article presents two approximations for calculating the power and sample size for the adjusted McNemar's test for clustered data, working with a particular adjustment. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of these approximations. The method is also applied to the design of a study involving positron emission tomography in detecting metastatic colorectal cancer and sensitivity of sample size computations to the design parameters are explored in this context.
Immersion tin: its chemistry metallurgy, and application in electronic packaging technology

The surfaces in copper-plated through-holes in printed circuit boards for complex electronic packaging can be made solderable by immersion deposition of tin. The properties of the prepared surfaces vary from those of "white immersion tin," which is easily wetted by molten tin solder, to those of "gray immersion tin," which is nearly nonwettable. The wettability affects the electrical contact between the printed circuit board and the modules on it. In this paper, the rate law for tin deposition in the tin immersion plating bath is studied. Certain effects of chemical composition of the plating bath upon the character of the tin layer are investigated and the effects of thermal annealing of the plated surface upon the composition of the tin layer are determined. The differences in composition of white and gray immersion tin surface coatings are revealed by X-ray diffraction Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Solderability tests on Sn, Cu, Cu 3 Sn, and immersion tin surfaces are included.
The transfer characteristic of a linear phase detector when its input signal-noise ratio is small

Phase detectors having sawtooth-type transfer characteristics are superior in some respects to those having cosine-type transfer characteristics. However, the superiority exists only for large input signal-noise ratios. It is shown that for small SNR, the sawtooth characteristic degenerates into a cosine characteristic.
The potential impact of needle biopsy on surgery for thyroid nodules.

Current techniques with fine and cutting needle biopsies permit greatly improved selection of patients with thyroid nodules for operation. A diagnosis of definite or probable carcinoma was confirmed in 95% of 76 patients, and the addition of the category of indeterminate cellular nodule resulted in an overall frequency of carcinoma in 86%. Therefore, the frequency of operations for benign thyroid nodules was dramatically decreased. Critical for the use of needle biopsy of the thyroid is experience in obtaining an adequate and representative sample of the nodule, as well as in cytologic and histologic interpretation of the tissue. Results of needle biopsy of thyroid nodules should be correlated with clinical findings even though the latter criteria provide a much less accurate index of the need of operation. The frequency of carcinoma in patients selected for operation can be increased from the 15% to 30% experienced in the past to a level of approximately 85% by needle biopsy. Thyroid nodules that are recognized as cellular by needle biopsy, but in which carcinoma cannot be ruled out should be treated surgically. Improved selectivity for operation for thyroid nodules has not yet significantly reduced the total number of patients undergoing operation in our practice. Some thyroid nodules that would have been treated nonoperatively in the past are now recognized as needing surgery. Operative eradication of nodules that have been considered clinically benign and managed as such in the past, but which are now recognized as being actual or possible carcinoma by needle biopsy conceivably will reduce the frequency of anaplastic or invasive carcinoma in the future. Falsenegative results have been recognized in 1% or less of patients. A preoperative diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma by needle biopsy permits an immediate, definitive surgical procedure, and changes the operative approach for such patients. Needle biopsy of thyroid nodules can reduce procrastination in making a decision for a surgical or medical approach to the management of thyroid nodules.
Education and Economic Growth

This paper constructs a neoclassical life-cycle growth model which allows for investment not only in tangible capital but in education. We consider an economy in which individuals live for two periods, devoting a fraction of time to schooling in the first period while working full time in the second. Each person has a utility function dependent on education as well as present and future consumption. He chooses the amount of schooling and the rate of saving so as to maximize utility. Based on these individual decisions and the production function, we derive the aggregate demand for and supply of labour functions. The shortrun and long-run equilibrium conditions are then analysed, and the implications for economic policy are considered. This paper extends and generalizes the works of Becker [2], Ben Porath [3], Diamond [5], Oniki [11], Razin [12], Schultz [15], Weiss [16] and others. The life-cycle growth model of Diamond [5] ignores the investment in human capital. The studies of the demand for education by Oniki [11] and Weiss [16] neglect the saving-consumption decisions, while that of Ben Porath [3] uses only a partial equilibrium framework. Razin [12] constructs a continuous general equilibrium model; however, his assumption that individual households have an infinite horizon implies that the utility and ability obtained through education can be bequeathed by one generation to the other; moreover, education involves no direct cost. These two assumptions have obscured the policy implications of his model.
Designing robots in the wild: in situ prototype evaluation for a break management robot

As robots move into everyday environments, we need to understand both the social and the technical constraints and affordances for human-robot interaction. We use in situ evaluation of partially functioning prototypes to inform the design of robotic technologies that fit their intended contexts of use and illustrate this method through a case study of iteratively designing a desktop robot for break management in a computerized office. After an initial exploratory study of the office as context of use, we used comparative semi-controlled evaluations of multiple design alternatives to explore how different robot characteristics, specifically embodiment and social interactivity, are perceived by users and affect their break taking. We found evaluating simple prototypes with varying levels of functionality, even when not robust or "complete," provides opportunities for including users in the design process and for identifying emergent factors that impact robot use. Our case study provides insights into the challenges and best practices for performing iterative prototyping and in situ evaluations of robots, which can inform future development of contextually appropriate robotic technologies.
Colony growth responses of the Caribbean octocoral, Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, to harvesting

. Colonies of the branching Caribbean gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae were subjected to partial mortality at 2 sites in the Bahamas to study how colony growth responds to disturbances such as harvesting, grazing, and storm damage. Colonies were clipped so that either 4 branches or 10 branches remained. Growth rates of branches were then monitored over 1 year and compared with nearby unclipped colonies. No significant differences were found between branch extension rates among the 3 treatments. Extension rates of newly formed branches were significantly greater in all treatments than among branches present at the start of the experiment. Per capita branching rates were greater on the more severely clipped colonies and were smallest on control colonies. The absolute number of branches that became mother branches did not differ among treatments. Colonies clipped so that 4 and 10 branches remained had the same average number of mother branches per colony, and there was no significant difference between treatments in the average number of new branches formed on the colonies. Per capita branching rates were significantly different among treatments only because the relative proportion of branches that became mother branches was higher in colonies with four branches than in treatments with more initial branches. Total growth (cumulative growth on all branches) was not significantly different between the 2 clipped treatments. Many of the control colonies suffered extensive damage, which may have obscured the comparison of clipped and unclipped treatments; however, within the range of these clipping treatments, differing levels of partial mortality did not lead to different recovery rates. The lack of treatment effects is particularly relevant to assessing the effects of harvest techniques on the recovery and productivity of harvested, naturally occurring, colonies.
The effects of urea fertilization on carbon sequestration in Douglas-fir plantations of the coastal Pacific Northwest

Abstract If long-term carbon (C) sequestration can be quantifiably attributed to forest plantation nitrogen (N) fertilization, the net C credits could be used to offset the rising cost of fertilization and C released during the production, transportation, and application of N fertilizer and the effect of NO x volatilized after application. The purpose of our study was to determine the net change in C sequestration following N fertilization of second-growth Douglas-fir ( Psuedotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) plantations in the Pacific Northwest. The C content of the trees, understory vegetation, forest floor, and mineral soil was quantified at age 26–33 at five sites, each with a fertilized plot that received a total of 896–1120 kg N ha − 1 as urea over 16 years paired with an unfertilized control plot. Tree biomass was estimated using biometric equations and by subtracting the difference between treatment and control at the year of site establishment from the difference between treatment and control final measurement. Understory vegetation on the fertilized plots contained significantly more C than on the control plots (0.2 Mg C ha − 1 , S.D. 0.2). Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased C sequestered per tree by 2.2 Mg C ha − 1 (S.D. 1.8), but there was no significant increase in C sequestered in trees per plot. No significant change was found in forest floor, A horizon, and subsoil C contents due to fertilization. These results indicate that, while there is a greater amount of C stored per tree after fertilization, there was more difficulty in accessing C sequestration in forest plantations due to tree mortality and assumed soil variability between plots.
A peroxide-induced zinc uptake system plays an important role in protection against oxidative stress in Bacillus subtilis.

In Bacillus subtilis, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) induces expression of the PerR regulon including catalase (KatA), alkyl hydroperoxide reductase and the DNA-binding protein MrgA. We have identified the P-type metal-transporting ATPase ZosA (formerly YkvW) as an additional member of the perR regulon. Expression of zosA is induced by H 2 O 2 and repressed by the PerR metailoregulatory protein, which binds to two Per boxes in the promoter region. Physiological studies implicate ZosA in Zn(II) uptake. ZosA functions together with two Zur-regulated uptake systems and one known efflux system to maintain Zn(II) homeostasis. ZosA is the major pathway for zinc uptake in cells growing with micromolar levels of Zn(II) that are known to repress the two Zur-regulated transporters. A perR mutant is sensitive to high levels of zinc, and this sensitivity is partially suppressed by a zosA mutation. ZosA is important for resistance to both H 2 O 2 and the thiol-oxidizing agent diamide. This suggests that increased intracellular Zn(II) may protect thiols from oxidation. In contrast, catalase is critical for H 2 O 2 resistance but does not contribute significantly to diamide resistance. Growth of cells with elevated zinc significantly increases resistance to high concentrations of H 2 O 2 , and this effect requires ZosA. Our results indicate that peroxide stress leads to the upregulation of a dedicated Zn(II) uptake system that plays an important role in H 2 O 2 and disulphide stress resistance.
Meniscus root avulsion.

Root tears of the menisci were underappreciated as a clinical entity until a case report by Pagnani and coworkers, who described a medial meniscal root tear in a young thlete. This case and others in subsequent reports were managed by partial eniscectomy because they were felt to be irreparable or degenerative in origin or ecause techniques for repair had not yet been described. At the same time, as repair techniques began to appear in the literature, basic science, radiologic, and biomechanical studies supported the rational for doing so. There are now several ase series that report the clinical, radiologic, and second-look arthroscopic results of eniscal root repair. The majority of the available literature pertains to medial meniscal root tears, but there are some reports regarding lateral meniscal root tears. This article, like other reviews, summarizes what is currently known about his condition with emphasis on the medial meniscal root, but most of the concepts eem applicable to the lateral meniscus as well. Current consensus is that eniscal root tears should be clinically recognized, and strong consideration should e given to surgical repair in selected cases by utilizing 1 of several reported echniques designed to anatomically restore the root, maximize meniscal function, nd preserve the heath of the knee joint.
Mechanistic Studies of Hydrogen Evolution in Aqueous Solution Catalyzed by a Tertpyridine–Amine Cobalt Complex

The ability of cobalt-based transition metal complexes to catalyze electrochemical proton reduction to produce molecular hydrogen has resulted in a large number of mechanistic studies involving various cobalt complexes. While the basic mechanism of proton reduction promoted by cobalt species is well-understood, the reactivity of certain reaction intermediates, such as CoI and CoIII–H, is still relatively unknown owing to their transient nature, especially in aqueous media. In this work we investigate the properties of intermediates produced during catalytic proton reduction in aqueous solutions promoted by the [(DPA-Bpy)Co(OH2)]n+ (DPA-Bpy = N,N-bis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-2,20-bipyridine-6-methanamine) complex ([Co(L)(OH2)]n+ where L is the pentadentate DPA-Bpy ligand or [Co(OH2)]n+ as a shorthand). Experimental results based on transient pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis methods, together with electrochemical studies and supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that, while...
Countercurrent Distribution of Milk Fat Triglycerides

Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of countercurrent distribution to the separation of milk fat triglycerides. Of the solvent systems tested, the most satisfactory was a 12:7:5 mixture of pentane, 2-nitropropane, and nitromethane. The distributions were followed gravimetrically and by determination of iodine values and saponification equivalents of selected fractions or groups of fractions. The fractionation was influenced by degree of unsaturation and molecular weight of the triglycerides. Although useful separations were obtained with 100 stages, better resolution was achieved by applying the technique to samples previously separated from milk fat by crystallization from pentane at low temperatures. The +4° C. precipitate and −53° C. filtrate were fractionated by countercurrent distribution, and the fatty acids in selected fractions were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and gas-liquid chromatography. Evidence was obtained that there is some degree of selectivity of fatty acids during the formation of milk fat. From the analysis of the +4° C. precipitate, the evidence seems clear-cut that a small amount of tripalmitin is present in addition to dipalmitostearin and dipalmitomyristin. In the −53° C. filtrate, the monoethenoid acids are associated with the higher molecular weight saturated acids, whereas the polyethenoid acids are associated with the lower molecular weight saturated acids.
Wavepacket Propagation in the Determination of Microscopic Eigenenergies: I: The Spectral Method

Examining the relationship between chemical structure and dynamics should be fundamental to the undergraduate study of microscopic systems. With this in mind wavepacket propagation, which is traditionally used in application to dynamical problems, is used here as the foundation for determining eigenenergies. The system is propagated in space and time from an initial wavepacket as in a traditional dynamical study. We then proceed to determine eigenenergies from the appearance of resonances in a spectrum of energies that is generated from the spatial projection of the wavepacket onto the initial wavepacket. Application of the spectral method is made to a classic electronic structure problem; resonances are observed at energies which match the known energy structure of the problem. Finally, the relevance of wavepacket propagation to the elucidation of structure and dynamics at the undergraduate level is discussed.
Magnetoencephalographic and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Evidence of Regional Functional Abnormality in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is a recognized epilepsy syndrome which is successfully treated with mesial temporal lobe resection. However, recent studies suggest that mTLE is more than a “focal” disease process. The objective of our study was to determine the presence and extent of functional abnormalities outside of a defined structural abnormality in epilepsy patients with mTLE. We used a prospective age-matched controlled design to study eight consecutive patients with MTS who were undergoing epilepsy surgery evaluation. Magnetoencephalography was used to localize the sources of electromagnetic abnormality. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) measured integrated peak areas for N-acetyl compounds (NAA) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) to determine regions of metabolic abnormality. All eight subjects had predominant electromagnetic abnormality in the temporal lobe ipsilateral to the MTS. All eight subjects had lower NAA/Cho ratios in the region of electromagnetic abnormality when compared to the homologous contralateral region (P < 0.001). Four subjects had predominant MEG spiking outside the mesial temporal region. Surgery-free outcome for the group with neuroimaging abnormalities outside of the medial temporal lobe is 50%. The region of maximal electromagnetic abnormality is outside the hippocampus in some patients with mTLE. These regions also demonstrate functional abnormalities. Our findings support the concept that mTLE is a more diffuse process than the hippocampal structural abnormality, which may impact surgical outcome.
Speed and Space within a NAFTA Corridor

At present there is a resurgence of interest in the city as nexus and metaphor within conceptualizations of globalization. Debates concern the city, community, and neighborhood as units of study and the use of such terms to link spaces to race or ethnicity and then to social conditions. Within the United States there is an additional propensity by some to view certain cities as entirely distinct from others within the country and from those outside of it. However, this author is among those who consider urban-suburban units to be less helpful in representing current relations among groups of people than linkages among possibly distant sprawls and business districts. Speed of contact from this viewpoint alters configurations and expands an interest in the exchanges that cross borders, time zones, and hemispheres. Within the Americas in particular, deregulated north-south connections entrench certain avenues and cause new ones to be built for increased transactions and speed. This article is a condensed exp...
Mononuclear Cell Recruitment, Granuloma Assembly, and Response to Treatment in Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis: Intracellular Adhesion Molecule 1-Dependent and -Independent Regulation

ABSTRACT In experimental visceral leishmaniasis, acquired resistance to intracellular Leishmania donovani is Th1 cell cytokine dependent and largely mediated by gamma interferon (IFN-γ); the same response also permits conventional antimony (Sb) chemotherapy to express its leishmanicidal effect. Since the influxing blood monocyte (which utilizes endothelial cell ICAM-1 for adhesion and tissue entry) is a primary effector target cell for this cytokine mechanism, we tested the monocyte9s role in host responsiveness to chemotherapy in mice with ICAM-1 gene disruptions. Mutant animals failed to develop any early granulomatous tissue response in the liver, initially supported high-level visceral parasite replication, and showed no killing after Sb treatment; the leishmanicidal response to a directly acting, alternative chemotherapeutic probe, amphotericin B, was intact. However, mutant mice proceeded to express a compensatory, ICAM-1-independent response leading to mononuclear cell influx and granuloma assembly, control over visceral infection, and the capacity to respond to Sb. Together, these results point to the recruitment of emigrant monocytes and mononuclear cell granuloma formation, mediated by ICAM-1-dependent and -independent pathways, as critical determinants of host responsiveness to conventional antileishmanial chemotherapy.
Lies, Lyres, and Laughter: Surplus Potential in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes

As students and scholars read the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, they often notice that it does not quite fi t with the other longer hymns. Alongside the sadness of Demeter and the powerful might of Apollo, we fia baby god who steals and lies his way into membership in the Olympian community. Whereas many scholars acknowledge the presence of humor within the hymn, few have attempted to address the role that laughter plays in its narrative. 2 At four key moments in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, we observe Hermes, Apollo, and Zeus laugh in response to unexpected events. Though most archaic Greek laughter is understood in terms of mockery and derision, it is the goal of this paper to demonstrate how the laughter in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes acknowledges splits in the perceived unity 1 I follow West 2003 for the text of the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. All translations of the Greek are my own. 2 Van Herwerden 1907.181 sees the hymn as “insigne hoc priscae impietatis documentum.” Schmid and Stahlin 1929 see the hymn as co-opting Homeric seriousness in order to play with it, but then go on to discuss it in terms of religious importance, where the laughter takes away from moral potential. Allen, Halliday, and Sikes 1936 see the humor of the hymn as part of a national spirit that also produced Old Comedy, but then move on to its serious aspects. Sowa 1984 points to specifi c moments of humor, but apart from the idea that humor arises from an exaggeration of the Wunderkind motif, there is little discussion about why laughter should be a part of the hymn. Clay 1989 and Johnston 2002 and 2003 acknowledge that there is humor, but then discuss the Olympian community and performance contexts respectively. The major exceptions to this trend are Bielohlawek 1930, where the analysis of humor is primarily a function of the hymn’s focus on the Kindheitsmotiv, and Szepes 1980, where the analysis largely focuses on humor as a result of anachronistic events if we understand the hymn as composed at a time when merchants had acquired equal standing with aristocrats.
Dose Titration of Sarafloxacin (A-56620) against Edwardsiella ictaluri Infection in Channel Catfish

Abstract Two dose-titration studies were performed with sarafloxacin (A-56620) on channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus infected with Edwardsiella ictaluri. Fish were infected with E. ictaluri by water-bath exposure and subsequently fed rations for 5 d to equal 0, 2, 6, 10, or 14 mg sarafloxacin/kg body weight per day. In trial I, mortality was significantly reduced from 69% for fish receiving no medication to 17% for those receiving 10 or 14 mg sarafloxacin/kg per day (P ≤ 0.01). In trial II, mortality was reduced from 33% of the nonmedicated infected group to 5 and 10% offish receiving 10 and 14 mg sarafloxacin/kg per day, respectively. Fish receiving 2 or 6 mg sarafloxacin/kg per day had intermediate mortality rates.
Effect of 4-N-benzyldemethylrifampicin and of radiation therapy on Rauscher viral leukemia in vivo.

Studies were carried out to evaluate the therapeutic effects of 4-N-Benzyldemethylrifampicin (AF/ABP) and of radiation on the survival of mice infected with Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV). To assess this effect two parameters were employed. These were (a) the percentage of animals surviving 6 months after infection, and (b) the average survival time of the animals which died. The results indicate that administration of the drug shortly after virus resulted in a marked increase in the number of survivors, but without any lengthening of survival time among the animals which died of the leukemia. Administration of the drug 14 days after virus had no beneficial effect on either survival time or number of survivors. The effect of radiation 14 days after virus infection significantly increased the survival time, but did not materially affect the ultimate number of survivors at 6 months after the virus infection. Combined employment of radiation and the drug 14 days after viral infection did not show any significant improvement over the use of radiation alone. Reduction of viral leukemia-related splenomegaly was also noted following both radiation treatment and drug treatment. However, no significant correlation could be drawn between this reduction in splenomegaly and the survival time or the number of survivors.
The relative amplitudes of mantle heterogeneity in P velocity, S velocity and density from free-oscillation data

Splitting functions retrieved from spectra of the free oscillations are sensitive to the lateral variations in P velocity (α), S velocity (β), and density (ρ) simultaneously. In this study they are used to constrain the values of the ratios d ln α/d ln β and d ln ρ/d ln α for the lower mantle. Assuming that the upper mantle structure is obtainable from model M84A (this is not a crucial assumption as experiments indicate), the optimal value of d ln α/d ln β inferred from the modal data is 0.44 and d ln α/d ln β lies in the interval (0.39, 0.60) with 75 per cent confidence, strongly discriminating against the value (0.8) often used. The constraints on density structure of the current data are insufficient to yield new definitive results. The analysis demonstrates, however, that the value of d ln ρ/d ln α could be estimated from a larger set of modal data.
Was Phanerozoic reef history controlled by the distribution of non-enzymatically secreted reef carbonates (microbial carbonate and biologically induced cement)?

Throughout most of the Phanerozoic, reef rigidity resulted as much, or more, from early lithification by microbial carbonates and biologically induced cements (non-enzymatic carbonates) than from biological encrustation of, or by, large, enzymatically secreted metazoan skeletons. Reef framework is divided into four categories: (1) skeletal metazoan; (2) non-skeletal microbialite (stromatolite and thrombolite); (3) calcimicrobe; and (4) biocementstone, in which small or delicate organisms serve as scaffolds for rigid cement crusts. The last three categories are dominated by non-enzymatic carbonates. Skeletal framework and non-skeletal microbialite framework were the most abundant framework types through the Phanerozoic. The composition and abundance of skeletal framework was controlled largely by mass extinction events, but most reefs consisted of both microbialite and skeletal organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship. Microbialite framework was abundant throughout the Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic, but declined after the Jurassic. Calcimicrobe framework was important during the Cambrian-Early Ordovician and Devonian and biocementstone framework was important from the late Mississippian to the Late Triassic. The Phanerozoic history of reefs does not correlate well with the stratigraphic distribution of large, skeletal 'reef builders', or with a variety of physicochemical parameters, including sea-level history, Wilson Cycle or global climate cycles. Because non-enzymatic carbonates result from induction by non-obligate calcifiers, and not enzymatic precipitation by obligate calcifiers, the distribution of these carbonates was controlled to a larger extent by temporal changes in physicochemical parameters affecting the saturation state of sea water with respect to carbonate minerals. Changes in pCO, Ca/Mg ratios, cation concentrations and temperature may have affected the abundance of non-enzymatic carbonates and, hence, reefs, independently from the effects of these same parameters and mass extinction events on skeletal reef biota. The decline in abundance of reefal microbialite and absence of calcimicrobe and biocementstone reef framework after the Jurassic may be a result of relatively low saturation states of sea water owing to increased removal and sequestration of finite marine carbonate resources by calcareous plankton since the Jurassic. Reef history is difficult to correlate with temporal changes in specific global parameters because these parameters affect skeletal biota and biologically induced carbonate precipitation independently. Hence, reef history was regulated not just by skeletal reef biota, but by parameters governing non-enzymatic carbonates.
Distributed state representation for tracking problems in sensor networks

This paper investigates the problem of designing decentralized representations to support monitoring and inferences in sensor networks. State-space models of physical phenomena such as those arising from tracking multiple interacting targets, while commonly used in signal processing and control, suffer from the curse of dimensionality as the number of phenomena of interest increases. Furthermore, mapping an inference algorithm onto a distributed sensor network must appropriately allocate scarce sensing and communication resources. We address the state-space explosion problem by developing a distributed state-space model that switches between factored and joint state spaces as appropriate. We develop a collaborative group abstraction as a mechanism to effectively support the information flow within and across subspaces of the state-space model, which can be efficiently supported in a communication-constrained network. The approach has been implemented and demonstrated in a simulation of tracking multiple interacting targets.
The value of early CT in complicated childhood pneumonia.

Objective. To investigate the value of CT in complicated childhood pneumonia and its role in early intervention when chest radiography (CXR) is non-contributory. Materials and methods. Forty-two immunocompetent children, aged 1–11 years, admitted for community-acquired pneumonia from October 1997 to September 1999, had 42 contrast-enhanced CT scans and frontal chest radiographs on the same day, which were assessed independently. CT was performed when the patient remained unwell and the CXR images showed failure of resolution despite 7–10 days of antibiotics and/or drainage with urokinase therapy. Results. Compared to CT, CXR revealed suboptimal accuracy rates of lobar involvement (84%), chest tube placement (73%), fluid loculation (42%), abscess formation (40%) and bronchopleural fistulae (33%). It could not assess parenchymal or pleural complications such as cavitary necrosis, early abscess formation, empyemas or pericardial effusions. On the basis of the CT findings and poor clinical progress, 16 patients underwent surgical intervention with the aid of video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS). The CT features correlated well with surgical findings. Ten cases required pleural decortication while six with destructive or necrotic lung lesions had surgical resection. Debridement was difficult when the pleura had become thick and fibrotic. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the offending organism in 81% of cases. The right side was affected in 67% of cases. Conclusions. In complicated childhood pneumonia, CT is far superior to CXR in revealing pleural and parenchymal complications, which may require early surgical intervention.
Composition of leukemic cell populations in AKR leukemia and effects of chemotherapy.

Abstract With the use of a cell sedimentation technique at 1 g, the cytokinetic behavior of leukemic cells from the thymuses of mice with spontaneous AKR leukemia was determined. It was demonstrated that small sized cells were derived from the rapidly-proliferating larger sized cells and appeared to be in a prolonged G 1 or resting phase. However, from serial observations of 3 H-TdR specific activities and radioautography, these small cells appeared to be constantly renewed, and a significant fraction of these cells were subsequently observed as labeled non-viable cells. This continual transition of cells between compartments may represent one of the major modes of cell death, i.e. age related within the tumor cell population. The relatively high resistance of small cells to various cytotoxic agents was demonstrated.
Mining soil databases for landscape-scale patterns in the abundance and size distribution of hillslope rock fragments

Landscape-scale variation in rock fragments on soil-mantled hillslopes is poorly understood, despite the potential importance of rock fragments in soil weathering and coarse sediment supply to river networks. We explored the utility of soil survey databases for data mining, with the goals of identifying landscape-scale patterns in the abundance and size distribution of rock fragments (diameter D > 2 mm) and potential controls on grain size production. We focus on data from three regions: the Hawaiian Islands, and the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, where elevation transects span a range of environmental conditions. We selected pedons from pits dug on hillslopes with active soil production and transport. For the 27 pedons selected, we constructed depth-averaged grain size distributions and calculated the mass fraction of rock fragments (FRF) and the median rock fragment grain size (D50RF). We also categorized as bimodal, size distributions with a clear ‘breakpoint’ between fine and coarse modes. Several strong patterns emerge from the data. We find rock fragments in 85% of the pedons, primarily in distinct coarse modes within bimodal size distributions. Values of FRF and D50RF are strongly correlated, although the best-fit power law scaling between FRF and D50RF differs between the warmer Hawaiian, and colder Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain sites. We also find a regional contrast in the variation in FRF with elevation; FRF declines with elevation in Hawaii, but increases in the mainland sites. Although this contrast could be an artifact of variable lithology, precipitation may influence many patterns in the data. Lower mean-annual precipitation correlates with higher FRF, dominantly bimodal distributions and surface enrichment in the vertical distribution of rock fragments. These observations may be useful in refining models of coarse sediment supply to rivers, and suggest opportunities for future work to test mechanistic hypotheses for rock fragment production on soil-mantled hillslopes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Titrating and evaluating multi-drug regimens within subjects.

The dosing of combination therapies is commonly undertaken empirically by practising physicians, and a coherent algorithm to approach the problem of combination dosing is currently lacking. Current methods of evaluating multiple drug combinations in clinical trials fail to provide information regarding the location of more effective doses when the combination is not found to differ from the standard, even though the absence of a difference does not necessarily mean the new combination is ineffective. Moreover, in studies where the new combination is found more effective, often a large proportion of the study participants obtain no benefit from the trial. Even with early stopping rules, the time these subjects spend on inferior treatments can have lasting detrimental effects, leading to problems with patient enrolment and adherence to study protocol. This paper describes an evolutionary operation (EVOP) direct-search procedure to titrate combination doses within individual patients. The Nelder-Mead simplex direct-search algorithm is used to titrate combinations of drugs within individual subjects. Desirability functions are utilized to define the main response of interest and additional responses or constraints. Statistical methodology for determining whether the titrated treatment combination has resulted in an improvement in subject response and for evaluating for therapeutic synergism is developed. Inferences can then be made about the efficacy of the combination or about the individual drugs that comprise the combination. The advantages of this approach include affording every patient the potential to benefit from the combination under study and permitting the consideration of multiple endpoints simultaneously.