cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The response of plasma human growth hormone to insulin and ethanol-induced hypoglycemia in two patients with “isolated adrenocorticotropic defect”

Abstract Plasma levels of human growth hormone (HGH) were examined after overnight fast and during hypoglycemic challenge in 2 patients who fulfilled the clinical criteria for “isolated” defects in the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Fasting concentrations of HGH were normal in both patients and normal elevations of HGH occurred during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Comparable rises of HGH did not occur when hypoglycemia was produced with ethanol infusions after overnight fast. In 1 normal volunteer, induction of hypoglycemia with ethanol after 3 day fast attentuated the elevated HGH level of starvation. The findings with insulin hypoglycemia constitute the first demonstration that normal growth hormone activity may be preserved in the syndrome of “isolated adrenocorticotropic defect.” The HGH responses to ethanol hypoglycemia in the 2 patients and the normal volunteer suggest that all hypoglycemias need not elicit equal stimulation of HGH.
The Far-Ultraviolet Spectrum of TW Hydrae. I. Observations of H2 Fluorescence

We observed the classical T Tauri star TW Hya with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) using the E140M grating, from 1150 to 1700 A, with the E230M grating, from 2200 to 2900 A, and with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer from 900 to 1180 A. Emission in 146 Lyman-band H2 lines, representing 19 progressions, dominates the spectral region from 1250 to 1650 A. The total H2 emission line flux is 1.94 × 10-12 ergs cm-2 s-1, which corresponds to 1.90 × 10-4 L☉ at TW Hya's distance of 56 pc. A broad stellar Lyα line photoexcites the H2 from excited rovibrational levels of the ground electronic state to excited electronic states. The C II λ1335 doublet, C III λ1175 multiplet, and C IV λ1550 doublet also electronically excite H2. The velocity shift of the H2 lines is consistent with the photospheric radial velocity of TW Hya, and the emission is not spatially extended beyond the 005 resolution of HST. The H2 lines have an intrinsic FWHM of 11.91 ± 0.16 km s-1. One H2 line is significantly weaker than predicted by this model because of C II wind absorption. We also do not observe any H2 absorption against the stellar Lyα profile. From these results we conclude that the H2 emission is more consistent with an origin in a disk rather than in an outflow or circumstellar shell. We also analyze the hot accretion region lines (e.g., C IV, Si IV, O VI) of TW Hya, which are formed at the accretion shock, and discuss some reasons why Si lines appear significantly weaker than other TR region lines.
Choline acetyltransferase activity and total protein content in selected optic areas of the rat after complete light-deprivation during CNS development.

Choline acetyltransferase (acetyl-CoA: choline O-acetyltransferase, I.U.B. 2.3.1.6) activity and total protein content in visual and extra-visual areas were compared in normal Long-Evans rats and in rats subjected to complete light-deprivation for 21 days from birth. The enzyme activity and the protein content in the superior colliculi, lateral geniculate bodies and visual cortex, as well as in the sensory-motor cortex, hypothalamus, brain stem and cerebellum, were measured in both mothers and progeny. By means of a radiochemical technique modified in this laboratory, a significant decline of ChAc activity was observed in the lateral geniculate bodies and superior colliculi, with no significant decline in the visual cortex of the experimental progeny. Total protein content, measured colorimetrically, was significantly decreased in the superior colliculi of the progeny. The biochemical data obtained from all other brain areas in the experimental animals (progeny and mothers) and controls demonstrated no marked differences. The enzymic alterations observed in the cholinergic system of progeny after complete light-deprivation during this critical period of CNS development can be specifically correlated with decreased functional maturation of the visual system. If it is accepted that ACh is a neuro-transmitter in some parts of the visual pathway, the data presented here suggest that complete light-deprivation from birth to 21 days of age in the rat has an effect on a biochemical system involved in synaptic transmission.
INTEGRATED DIAGNOSIS AND CONTROL FOR HYBRID DYNAMIC SYSTEMS

In this paper we present an approach for combined fault diagnosis and reconfigurable control structure for a general class of hybrid systems. In this approach a plant is modeled using an extended version of bond graphs, namely hybrid bond graph, where discrete mode transitions are represented as binary switch junctions. A hybrid observer has been developed that uses this model to track the system behavior within and across modes. Two complementary approaches are used for fault detection and isolation. The first diagnoser is based on hybrid models and uses the hybrid observer, qualitative reasoning techniques, and real-time parameter estimation. The other diagnoser is based an
Feedback cancellation in hearing aids: results from a computer simulation

Feedback cancellation in hearing aids involves estimating the feedback signal and subtracting it from the microphone input signal. The feedback-cancellation system described updates the estimated feedback path whenever changes are detected in the feedback behavior. When a change is detected, the normal hearing-aid processing is interrupted, a pseudorandom probe signal is injected into the system, and a set of filter coefficients is adjusted to give an estimate of the feedback path. The hearing aid is then returned to normal operation with the feedback-cancellation filter as part of the system. Two approaches are investigated for computing the filter coefficients: a least-mean square (LMS) adaptive filter and a Wiener filter. Test results are presented for a computer simulation of an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid. The simulation results indicate that more than 10 dB of cancellation can be obtained and that the Wiener filter is more effective in the presence of strong interference. >
Biomass cofiring: economics, policy and opportunities.

Abstract The US Department of Energy (DOE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and utilities are evaluating, testing and applying technology that can give a new, and potentially profitable, mission to existing coal-fired power plants. The oldest of all fuels, wood, and the old original fuel of the industrial revolution, coal, are key to this move to a new mission. Technical issues that can lead to doubt about, or outright rejection of, wood (or biomass) cofiring are, in fact, being resolved through testing and experience. DOE, EPRI and utilities have joined to cosponsor tests in full-sized boilers and design/cost/supply studies related to these tests. Economic calculations, based on the measured performance and on cost estimates confirmed in purchases for the tests, are presented in this paper. The technical feasibility is proved. The constraints are identified. So far, the profits are in the future. Policy changes that produce stronger economic incentives could make profit possible today, and enable this low-cost form of renewable power to be deployed. But, without the policy, or market, change, the economic barrier is a strong one, when biomass cofiring must compete with low-cost coal at low fuel cost and with low-capital-cost gas turbine combined cycle power plants. The economics would not be a barrier at all if biomass cofiring were in competition against moderate-velocity wind power or solar PV power.
Evolution of the Sequence Ontology terms and relationships

The Sequence Ontology is undergoing reform to meet the standards of the OBO Foundry. Here we report some of the incremental changes and improvements made to SO. We also propose new relationships to better define the mereological, spatial and temporal aspects of biological sequence.
Urine Biomarkers Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) Have Different Patterns in Heart Failure Exacerbation

Individuals with acute heart failure exacerbation often experience a deterioration in renal function. We sought to determine whether this deterioration is ischemic in nature and detectable by sensitive urine biomarkers neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1). We measured serial biomarker levels and evaluated the associations of these biomarkers with renal recovery in a cohort of hospitalized patients with acute heart failure exacerbation.
Enhanced magnetic interaction of surface-magnetoplasmon polaritons

We introduce the concept of short- and long-range surface magnetoplasmon polariton (SMP) modes which propagate along a thin metal film imbedded between two identical magnetic semiconductors and interact with an externally applied magnetic field. The external magnetic field is shown to destroy the spatial symmetry of the interaction, resulting in a dramatic decrease of the range of the long-range mode. We present the dispersion-equation and the optical electric and magnetic fields of the modes in the presence of the external magnetic field, and discuss the physics that gives rise to the enhanced interaction.
Image understanding architecture: a status report

ABSTRACT The Image Understanding Architecture (IUA) effort is now entering a new phase. The second generation IUA prototypes are nearingcompletion and our experience with the hardware, extensive software simulations, and additional research are guiding the development of a new generation of the IUA. Furthermore, the primary contractors have been selected for a Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) award to develop a commercial, off-the-shelf implementation of the new A for dual-use embeddedapplications. Thus, the IUA effort is in the process of making the transition from a research and development project to being acommercially available vision accelerator.IUA development is currently taking place at three sites (Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, Amerinex Artificial IntelligenceInc., and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst). This TRP consortium plans to form a new company to take over all aspectsof IUA development and production. This article summarizes the previous efforts, describes the current status of the effort, expandsbriefly upon some of the basic research that is supporting the next generation IUA, and concludes with a section describing theefforts that will be undertaken in developing the next generation.Keywords: image understanding, computer architecture, parallel processing, heterogeneous, reconfigurable
The effect of laser spot shapes on polar-direct-drive implosions on the National Ignition Facility

Ongoing polar-direct-drive (PDD) implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [J. D. Lindl and E. I. Moses, Phys. Plasmas 18, 050901 (2011)] use existing NIF hardware, including indirect-drive phase plates. This limits the performance achievable in these implosions. Spot shapes are identified that significantly improve the uniformity of PDD NIF implosions; outer surface deviation is reduced by a factor of 7 at the end of the laser pulse and hot-spot distortion is reduced by a factor of 2 when the shell has converged by a factor of ∼10. As a result, the neutron yield increases by approximately a factor of 2. This set of laser spot shapes is a combination of circular and elliptical spots, along with elliptical spot shapes modulated by an additional higher-intensity ellipse offset from the center of the beam. This combination is motivated in this paper. It is also found that this improved implosion uniformity is obtained independent of the heat conduction model. This work indicates that significant improvement in performance can be obtained robustly with the proposed spot shapes.
Protein overproduction for organic chemists

Abstract In this review we present the principles behind protein overexpression in bacteria, emphasizing how this biosynthetic system can be manipulated to generate large quantities of proteins for study. In addition to the classical (molecular biological) methods for constructing protein-overproducing bacterial, we discuss our recently developed (chemical/enzymatic) method, the Expression-Cassette Polymerase Chain Reaction (ECPCR). The chemicaVenzymatic transformation of an unexpressable to an expressable gene afforded by ECPCR can routinely be carried out in the experimental organic chemistry laboratory, hence, ECPCR offers a convenient point of entry for chemists interested in macromolecular science.
Dipole Moment of Condensing Monomers: A New Parameter Controlling the Ion-Induced Nucleation

Many chemically active, hazardous, and toxic substances have a high dipole moment, and they interact strongly with the charged particles and molecular ion clusters. A new nucleation model considering the contribution of the dipole-charge interaction to the ion-induced nucleation rates is developed, with the dipole moment of the condensing monomers as a new parameter. It is shown that in the polar vapors the influence of the dipole-charge interaction on the nucleation rates may be much stronger than the Thomson effect. The new model is an extension of the classical ion-induced nucleation theory, and can explain the deviation between the experimental data and the predictions of the classical ion-induced nucleation theory.
CT in the evaluation of patients on ECMO due to acute respiratory failure

Background. In patients with acute severe respiratory failure (ARF) treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) the radiological evaluation has until now almost exclusively relied on bedside radiography and US. At St. Goran/Karolinska ECMO centre CT has become a routine complement to bedside examinations. Objective. To review retrospectively the frequency, indications and findings on CT of patients with ARF on ECMO and to evaluate the risk of complications associated with transportation for CT examinations. Materials and methods. One hundred twelve neonates, children and adults were treated with ECMO from May 1994 to January 2001. Forty-six per cent of these patients had CT examinations on one or more occasions during ECMO, giving a total number of 238 examination sites on 104 occasions. All CT examinations were performed in the Paediatric Radiology Department and included a 10-min transport using a mobile ECMO system. Results. CT was more often performed in older patients and in patients with long ECMO runs. The main indications were suspected complications of ECMO and/or the underlying disease or a delay in clinical improvement. In 57% of the CT occasions, significant findings affecting treatment were revealed. There were no complications associated with the examinations or transport. Conclusions. CT is safe and useful in evaluation of patients with ARF during ECMO.
Image Processing And Pattern Recognition With Applications To Marine Biological Images

Erosion and dilation of images were compared with other edge detection techniques on a variety of marine organisms. Under certain conditions the erosion and dilation technique gave better results. The critical problem resolved by our approach was low contrast imaging of randomly oriented objects that displayed random variations due to appendages that frequently appearred with marine biological samples. A multicomputer system was developed to perform image processing and morphological feature extraction on large number of samples. Emphasis was given to system reliability and expandability, allowing for performance at a reduced rate when one or more computers malfunctioned. The system currently operates with seven computers but can be expanded to contain up to seventeen. Classification accuracy on zooplankton samples from New England coastal waters was approximately 92%.
Tests of market models: heteroskedasticity or misspecification?

Abstract This paper investigates the nature and the incidence of heteroskedasticity and misspecification in the market models by utilizing tests that are generally applicable. The results show that heteroskedasticity appears more frequently than misspecification even though both are serious problems. The evidence also indicates that the use of a quadratic market model or equally weighted market returns may lead to a smaller percentage of heteroskedastic cases but that, in general, this advantage has to be offset against an increase in the occurrence of specification errors. Small firms and January returns are also observed to produce a higher incidence of both heteroskedasticity and misspecification.
Analytical Model for FRP-and-Steel-Confined Circular Concrete Columns in Compression

Providing additional confinement by external fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapping is one of the most common and effective techniques for the retrofit of existing reinforced concrete columns. Over the past 2 decades, researchers have made much progress on the development of constitutive models to describe the behavior of FRP-confined circular concrete sections in compression. However, only recently have a few models been published representing the first attempts to develop a constitutive model for circular concrete columns in compression confined by both external FRP wraps and internal transverse steel. A critical review and evaluation of existing FRP-and-steel-confined concrete constitutive models highlights the need for a more robust model. This paper presents the development of a new FRP-and-steel-confined concrete in compression constitutive model for circular sections based on the passive-confinement approach. A new lateral-to-axial strain relationship and failure surface function are developed. Through a comparison with published experimental data, the accuracy of the proposed model is demonstrated.
An Alternative Mechanism for Melatonin’s Protective Effects on Metal Ion Toxicity – Modulation of pro-/anti-apoptotic Proteins

Abstract Our objective was: Does Melatonin protect against cisplatin (Pt(II)) toxicity by a mechanism that is not free radical based? We used, flow cytometry, cell-viability, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence, to determine the following: Cisplatin induced apoptosis is reversed by melatonin at physiological concentrations by localization of Bcl-2 and down regulation of Bax, besides reduction of oxidative stress. Vignesh Shanmugam*, Amro Wafi, Elizabeth Varghese and Dietrich Busselberg, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Cold storage effects on maternal and progeny quality of Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)

This study determined the effects of cold storage on the survival, development and reproduction of the mymarid wasp, Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). Following storage of the immature parasitoids within host eggs of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) under a daily fluctuating temperature for up to 50 d, the quality of the parental and F1 generations was assessed by examining several reproductive and developmental parameters indicating fitness. Immature wasps were stored for 20 d within the host without reducing their subsequent survival, development or progeny fitness parameters. After 30 d of storage, survival declined, post-storage developmental time was extended, and the fecundity of the adult females decreased. Storage for 40 d severely damaged G. ashmeadi, because it not only yielded a 12% survival rate, 44% female sterility and increased the proportion of progeny males by 155%, but it also reduced parasitism and fecundity by 70% and 73%, respectively. No wasps emerged after 50 d of storage. Cold storage affected the emergence pattern of the parental but not the F1 and F2 generations. Parental emergence was extended and the pattern displayed two additional peaks after the initial onset. Analysis of several demographic parameters for the parental and F1 generations further confirmed that the quality of the adult parents declined after they had been stored as immatures for 30 d. The detrimental effects caused by cold storage of the parental generation do not extend to the F1 generation. Our results indicate that short-term cold storage of G. ashmeadi within its host could be used for maintaining and accumulating these parasitoids during mass propagation for release in a control program.
Student Recognition of Some Spanish-English Cognates

Author's Summary— An experiment to test the ability of high school students to recognize Spanish-English cognates shows that the average student who has not studied Spanish can recognize about seven hundred fifty Spanish words. Writers of texts often assume too great a knowledge of English vocabulary on the part of younger students. Deceptive cognates present a problem to the beginner.
Electron-nuclear double resonance spectroscopic evidence for a hydroxo-bridge nucleophile involved in catalysis by a dinuclear hydrolase

Despite the current availability of several crystal structures of purple acid phosphatases, to date there is no direct evidence for solvent-derived ligands occupying terminal positions in the activ...
Nuclear magnetic resonance in tantalum metal

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance of Ta181 has been observed in tantalum metal. The sample was a stack of high purity foil which was degassed and annealed. No resonance was observed in tantalum metal powder.
The "no-dissection" technique is safe for reoperative aortic valve replacement with a patent left internal thoracic artery graft.

Objective Management of a patent left internal thoracic artery graft during reoperation is controversial. The "no-dissection" technique avoids dissection and clamping of the left internal thoracic artery graft, and myocardial protection is achieved using adjunctive systemic hypothermia and hyperkalemia. We compared the postoperative outcomes after isolated reoperative aortic valve replacement in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting with a patent left internal thoracic artery graft using a no-dissection technique with the outcomes of patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting without a left internal thoracic artery graft. Methods The outcomes were analyzed for patients who underwent isolated reoperative aortic valve replacement with previous coronary artery bypass grafting from January 1, 2002, to June, 30, 2011. Patency of the left internal thoracic artery was confirmed using either coronary angiography or computed tomography angiography. The patent left internal thoracic artery group did not undergo dissection or clamping of the left internal thoracic artery graft, and myocardial protection was obtained using systemic hypothermia and hyperkalemia. The no left internal thoracic artery group underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with previous coronary artery bypass grafting but had no left internal thoracic artery graft. Results A total 174 patients were identified for the patent left internal thoracic artery group and 26 for the no left internal thoracic artery group. The perfusion and crossclamp times were similar. No differences were seen between the 2 groups in operative mortality (6.9% vs 7.7%, P = 1.00). The complication rates were similar, and the peak creatine kinase-MB values within 24 hours of surgery were not significantly different between the 2 groups (median, 27.4 vs 29 μ/mL; P = .72). Conclusions Reoperative aortic valve replacement in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting and a patent left internal thoracic artery graft can be performed safely without dissection or clamping of the left internal thoracic artery using systemic hyperkalemia and hypothermia. We believe this method prevents unnecessary injury during dissection of the left internal thoracic artery graft.
A system for quantitative analysis of associative learning. Part 2. Real-time software for MS-DOS microcomputers

Abstract Microcomputer software was designed and used to control the timing and delivery of sensory stimuli and to acquire and analyze behavioral data during classical conditioning experiments. The software package runs under DOS 4.x through 6.x (earlier versions run under DOS 3.x) on PC AT-compatible microcomputers coupled with appropriate interface hardware (see Thompson et al., 1994). The software controls timed delivery of up to 8 conditional stimuli. It can collect behavioral data from 2 subjects simultaneously performing the same task (e.g., eyeblink responses) or from a single subject performing 2 different tasks (e.g., both eyeblink and conditional discrimination tasks), permitting its use in a number of experimental paradigms. Digital timing signals are adjustable for different stimulus output systems. Behavior is continuously monitored onscreen, ensuring consistent measurement across trials. Real-time performance measures of the presence or absence of conditioned responses allow coordination with external events (e.g., serum sampling, drug delivery, or single-unit recording). Quantitative measures are generated both for each trial and for complete sessions. Records are stored to disk and can be printed or merged for statistical analyses. Data can be archived on standard media, and internal software utilities translate files for export to PC and Macintosh™ programs. This system and the hardware described in the preceding paper combine ease of use with extremely replicable behavioral measurements across trials, sessions, subjects, cohorts, and studies.
Cell signaling in yeast sporulation

Gametogenesis is essential for the propagation of all sexually reproducing organisms and consists of halving the chromosome number through meiosis, and the subsequent packaging of the haploid products into gametes. Meiosis and gamete formation must be tightly coupled to ensure the formation of viable progeny; perturbations result in infertility, inviability, and birth defects. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sexual reproduction occurs via sporulation and is similar in many respects to gametogenesis in mammals. An increasing number of conserved signaling molecules have been shown to be essential for yeast sporulation; recent studies reveal molecular insights into how these molecules regulate this intricate differentiation program.
Determination of structural constraint within the HIV proteome through analysis of amino acid microenvironments

Methods Using publicly available crystal structures from the Protein Databank (PDB), we performed a systematic analysis of the local microenvironment of every amino acid within the HIV Proteome for which structural data was available (65.8%). Structural constraint parameters included involvement in protein secondary structure, relative solvent accessibility, and involvement of amino acid side chains in intermolecular interactions (Van der Waals bonds, hydrogen bonding, salt bridges, disulfide bridges, pi-pi bonds, and pi-cation bonds). Calculations of these constraints were carried out using validated methods of protein structure analysis and distance geometry, with weighted values cumulatively summed to provide a constraint score for every amino acid.
Oregon Versus Ashcroft: Pain Relief, Physician‐Assisted Suicide, and the Controlled Substances Act

University of California, Sacramento, California Objective. Late in 2001, the State of Oregon filed suit against Attorney General John Ashcroft, seeking to halt his recent directive that physicians who comply with the Oregon Death with Dignity Act by writing a lethal prescription for a controlled substance should be prosecuted for violating the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This special article reviews the history of the series of challenges to the Oregon Act since its initial adoption in 1994, with particular consideration of the arguments on both sides of Oregon v. Ashcroft and the disposition of the case by the district court. Design. The article utilizes an historical review of the Oregon Act, including legal and political challenges to it, as well as discussion of the 3 years of data on the experience with legalized physician-assisted suicide in Oregon, and analysis of the legal issues in the current litigation. Conclusions. The federal district court concluded that the Attorney General’s interpretation of certain provisions of the CSA so as to preclude the writing of a lethal prescription where otherwise permitted by state law as a legitimate medical practice was inconsistent with the CSA and, therefore, beyond the scope of his authority. The Oregon Act will continue in force while the Attorney General’s appeal of the district court ruling is considered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Shape Memory RGD-Containing Networks: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application in Cell Culture

Hydrogels have found wide application in tissue engineering and cell mechanobiology research due to their tunable, and often biomimetic, biochemical and biomechanical properties. Although it has been known for more than a decade that hydrogels can be designed to exhibit shape memory functionality—the ability to change from one defined shape to another when triggered by a defined stimulus—shape memory hydrogels have not previously been exploited in tissue engineering or mechanobiology research. Here we report the development of a biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel with tailored shape memory as well as desirable mechanical property for soft-tissue applications. A shape memory hydrogel was synthesized by photopolymerization of PCL3k diacry-lates together with acrylate-PEG2k-GRGDS in the presence of a crosslinker, tetrathiol, and photoinitiator, DMPA, through thiol-ene chemistry. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were carried out to examine the thermal, mechanical and shape memory properties of the hydrogel in dry and wet states. Cell culture studies were performed to characterize material cytocompatibility. We found that the PCL phase was crystalline in the hydrogel, providing an excellent, reproducible shape memory effect. The transition temperature (shape memory “trigger”) was tuned to fall between room and body temperature. Both cell attachment and proliferation studies revealed that the presentation of GRGDS molecules in the hydrogel facilitated fibroblasts adhesion and spreading on the hydrogel surface. This hydrogel, tailored to exhibit shape memory behavior in the cell culture compatible temperature range, should provide new opportunities for “smart” shape-changing scaffolds and substrates for application in tissue engineering and investigation of cell mechanobiology.
Sequiterpenes from Ageratina tomentella

Abstract An investigation of Ageratina tomentella yielded, besides the two known sesquiterpene lactones hiyodorilactone C acetate and 5″-desoxy-3- epi -4″-hydroxyprovincialin, two new sesquiterpenes, 11,13-dehydro-8β-tigloyloxy-eleman-12-oic acid and 8- epi -8-[5′-(4″-hydroxytigloyloxy)-tigloyloxy]-rupicolin A. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.
GaAs-based metal-insulator-semiconductor structures with low interface traps using molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition

Abstract The performance of GaAs-based field-effect transistors (FETs) in switching and power applications can be enhanced substantially by employing a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure. Attempts thus far have fallen short due to large interface trap concentrations, frequency dispersion, and hysteresis. By taking advantage of an in-situ process approach, we successfully gated insulator — GaAs structures with excellent interfacial properties. The structures utilize a Si interface layer or a composite Si/Ge layer grown on GaAs followed by a Si 3 N 4 dielectric layer, all using a III–V molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system connected by an ultrahigh vacuum transfer tube to an adjacent electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. This pseudo-in-situ feature in concert with recently implemented vacuum connected scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) allows investigations of the essential interface layers. High/low frequency capacitance-voltage, conductance versus frequency, and metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) were used for a comprehensive characterization of the n-type MIS structures. From the stringent conductance measurements, interface state densities in the high 10 10 eV −1 cm −2 have been obtained. The hysteresis is about 150 mV for a field swing of +4 to −4 MV/cm. The frequency dispersion is nearly zero except near inversion where its value is about 100 mV. Self aligned gate depletion mode MISFETs having 3 μm gate lengths exhibited transconductances of 169 mS/mm for the pseudomorphic InGaAs channels and about 100–140 mS/mm for GaAs channels.
John Dunlop and the Quest for Consensus

The article presents a review of the book “Dispute Resolution: Negotiation and Consensus Building,” by John T. Dunlop.
An Overview of Bidirectional Promoters

A promoter is a region of DNA to which RNA polymerase binds in the presence of transcription factors; the RNA polymerase then transcribes the DNA in the 5' to 3' direction. Two genes that are transcribed in opposite directions, and for which their 5' ends are within 1000 base pairs of each other are said to be in a head-to-head configuration. The significance of this configuration is that since the promoter region lies upstream of the 5' end of the corresponding gene, it is likely that the promoter regions for the two genes lie in the region between the 5' ends; such a region is called a bidirectional promoter region. Bidirectional promoters are interesting because they aid in localizing promoter regions, and also suggest the possibility of co-regulation of the genes that bound the bidirectional promoter. In this talk we discuss the history of bidirectional promoter research, and broad scope of current research in this area, including recent work that suggests that certain cancer genes are enriched in bidirectional promoters, and also discuss a method for feature-based classification of human bidirectional promoters.
Conserved male-specific cuticular hydrocarbon patterns in the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus brunneus

Cuticular hydrocarbons have been identified as the source of sex-recognition signals for many insects, but for social insects, specifically ants, cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of males are often ignored. This study reports male-specific cuticular hydrocarbon patterns for the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus brunneus. Analysis of samples from four Florida populations demonstrated that male-specific overabundance of four hydrocarbons is conserved across populations despite population-level divergence of the remainder of the profile. In addition, hydrocarbon patterns unique to adult males were not present on the cuticle of final instar male larvae, indicating that male-specific profiles arise late in development. The pattern of an abundant subset of conserved cuticular hydrocarbons characteristic of males across divergent populations was compared to earlier findings of the conservation of fertility signals of females across these same populations.
Striatal function in relation to negative symptoms in schizophrenia

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that motivational aspects of executive functioning, which may be disrupted in schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms, are mediated in part by the striatum. Negative symptoms have been linked to impaired recruitment of both the striatum and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Here we tested the hypothesis that negative symptoms are associated primarily with striatal dysfunction, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).MethodWorking-memory load-dependent activation and gray matter volumes of the striatum and DLPFC were measured using a region-of-interest (ROI) approach, in 147 schizophrenia patients and 160 healthy controls. In addition to testing for a linear relationships between striatal function and negative symptoms, we chose a second, categorical analytic strategy in which we compared three demographically and behaviorally matched subgroups: patients with a high burden of negative symptoms, patients with minimal negative symptoms, and healthy subjects.ResultsThere were no differences in striatal response magnitudes between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, but right DLPFC activity was higher in patients than in controls. Negative symptoms were inversely associated with striatal, but not DLPFC, activity. In addition, patients with a high burden of negative symptoms exhibited significantly lower bilateral striatal, but not DLPFC, activation than schizophrenia patients with minimal negative symptoms. Working memory performance, antipsychotic exposure and changes in gray matter volumes did not account for these differences.ConclusionsThese data provide further evidence for a robust association between negative symptoms and diminished striatal activity. Future work will determine whether low striatal activity in schizophrenia patients could serve as a reliable biomarker for negative symptoms.
Needle thoracostomy fails to detect a fatal tension pneumothorax

Needle thoracostomy is an emergency procedure used to both diagnose and initially treat a tension pneumothorax. We report a case of fatal tension penumothorax in an intubated patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that was missed by this technique. A tension pneumothorax involving only the right middle and lower lobes was found at autopsy. The autopsy also suggested that needle thoracostomy was misleading because it sampled air from a noncommunicating bulla in the right upper lobe rather than from the pleural space. Tension physiology can exist with only localized collapse of a lung, and diagnostic needle thoracostomy can be falsely negative. When tension pneumothorax is strongly suspected, if empiric thoracentesis does not vent air under pressure, subsequent tube thoracostomy is indicated.
Erythropoietin administration during primary treatment for locally advanced cervical carcinoma is associated with poor response to radiation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of recombinant erythropoietin (r-EPO) during treatment for locally invasive carcinoma of the cervix affects recurrence rates, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Retrospective analysis of outcomes of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with radiation and concurrent chemotherapy between January 1997 and July 2004 was performed. Recurrence rates, disease-free survival, and overall survival were calculated using SPSS statistical software. Throughout P
The ICSI Summarization System at TAC 2008.

The ICSI multi-document summarization system relies on a general framework that casts summarization as a global optimization problem with an integer linear programming solution. Our primary submission, a simple sentence extractor with an n-gram frequency heuristic, gives results at least as good as any reported on the non-update part of the main task. Our secondary submission adds compressed sentence alternatives, achieving high ROUGE scores but lower manual scores. We also observe that an oracle version of our sentence extractor is nearly a direct optimization of ROUGE. We show oracle results for the TAC data set and discuss their significance. Finally, we provide a detailed analysis of the linguistic quality of our two systems, suggesting specifically where improvements might be most useful.
Multimedia Enhancing Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities

This article includes an introduction to the terminology and different types of formats of current multimedia technologies. Integration opportunities and challenges for using multimedia for students with learning disabilities are discussed in the framework of learning environments. Multimedia used as a demonstration station, learning research station, and creation station offers teachers and students possibilities for enchancing the teaching-learning environment.
Investigation Into the Relationship Between Microstrip Patch Width and Efficiency

The equation W = lambda/radic(2(epsivr + 1)), which determines the best length for an efficient slot radiator, is frequently used to determine the best width for patch antenna efficiency. Even though no proof exists that efficient slot radiators yield the most efficient patch antenna, this equation is still widely used in patch antenna design. The goal of this investigation is to determine if patch antennas designed using the above-mentioned equation are indeed most efficient. This is achieved by means of a parametric study incorporating both simulation and measurement. Finally, it is shown that efficiency is affected by both patch width and probe location and the aforementioned equation does not determine the best width for efficiency.
WHY HEDGE? SOME EVIDENCE FROM OIL AND GAS PRODUCERS

Despite the prevalence of corporate risk management, there are no widely accepted explanations for why companies hedge or how shareholders benefit from hedging. This article provides some evidence on these issues by reporting the results of a study of the risk management policies of 100 oil and gas producers from 1992 to 1994. The first notable finding is the considerable variety of the hedging policies of the oil and gas producers. For example, in 1993 slightly more than half of the companies did not hedge, while a quarter of the firms in the sample hedged more than 28′ of their production, and some firms hedged almost 100′. The second main finding was that the extent of hedging was related to a variety of factors, largely those related to financing costs. In particular, companies with higher leverage—and thus presumably facing greater difficulties in accessing the capital markets—tended to hedge a larger fraction of their output than firms with lower leverage ratios. This result is consistent with the idea that corporations manage risks to help ensure they have sufficient capital to finance their investment opportunities and to reduce the likelihood that low oil and gas prices will push them into financial distress. Under either of these interpretations, financial theory would suggest that corporate hedging increases shareholder value. Whether it actually does so is a matter for future research.
Illuminating the Other Road: The Role of Voice in IT Turnover

Hirschman's 1970 framework of exit, voice, and loyalty provides the foundation for adding "voice" to the IT turnover picture. For dissatisfied employees, voice is an alternative to exit; by definition, voice is any attempt to change rather than escape from a dissatisfying situation. The management literature on voice is applied to develop a model of exit and voice for dissatisfied IT professionals. This model augments prior IT research models by bringing voice and its antecedents into the picture. Directions for future research and implications for practice are provided.
Primary palatoplasty using bipedicle flaps (modified von Langenbeck technique).

Cleft lip and palate is considered to be the most common facial birth defect worldwide. Attempts to repair these deformities date back to the sixteenth century. In 1552, Jacques Houllier proposed that the cleft edges be sutured together, but his operation was unsuccessful. Nearly 200 years later, LeMonnier, a French dentist, successfully completed the repair of a cleft velum. It was not until 1816, however, that the first successful closure of a cleft palate was performed by Carl Ferdinand von Graefe in Germany. An interesting approach was attempted in 1826 by Johan Fredrick Dieffenbach, closing the hard palate and the soft palate. The technique consisted of passing wire through the medial aspect of the cleft, followed by lateral incisions to osteotomize the junction of the palatal bones and the alveolar process; finally, the wires were twisted to close the defect. Unfortunately, this technique had frequent wound breakdowns with subsequent fistula formation. In the eighteenth century a German surgeon, Bernard Rudolph Conrad von Langenbeck, recognized the potential of periosteum to produce bone. von Langenbeck suggested that inclusion of the periosteum of the palatal bones might produce a stable cleft palate repair. It was not until 1861 that the first cleft palate closures with predictable outcomes were described with a technique that included the use of mucoperiosteal flaps. As a reaction to this, J.B. Hulke, a surgeon at King’s College of London, claimed that the repair described by von Langenbeck was already used in England. Nevertheless, von Langenbeck published a detailed description of
Enhancement of chlorophyll a production in Gulf Stream surface seawater by synthetic versus natural rain

Rainwater concentrations of either ammonium or nitrate were sufficient to stimulate chlorophyll a (chl a) production in bioassay experiments using Gulf Stream surface water collected off North Carolina during the summer of 1991. Previous studies primarily examined inshore waters and did not address the impact of rainwater ammonium. An increase in chl a occurred within 1 d of the addition of synthetic rainwater (2 or 5% rainwater, 98 or 95% seawater) containing up to 10 μM ammonium; this increase was followed by a decrease in chl a the following day. A similar response to nitrate addition (5% addition of 20 μM nitrate rain) was observed. In separate experiments, natural rainwater having nitrate and ammonium concentrations less than those in the experimental synthetic rain yielded a greater chl a response than synthetic rain when added at similar dilutions (0.5 to 5.0% rain). The maximum dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration in the enriched seawater in these bioassays was 1.8 μM; prior to enrichment the maximum was < 0.4 μM. Bioassay experiments begun 2 d after a major storm event (sustained NE winds with gusts to 13 m s-1 and ca. 390 μmol m-2 inorganic nitrogen deposition from rain) showed a chl a increase in response to addition of natural rainwater, but not to synthetic rainwater with similar dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration. These results suggest that phytoplankton stimulants, in addition to nitrate and ammonium, exist in natural rain but not in the synthetic rain used in these experiments.
Effects of NaCl, pH and Ca2+ on autolysis of isolated tomato fruit cell walls

Cell walls isolated from ripening tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rutgers) fruit released pectic polymers when incubated under conditions that allow activity of wall-bound polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15). Autolysis was optimally stimulated by 150–300 mM NaCl at either pH 2.5 or 4.5. This stimulation was negated by exposure to pH 6.5 or higher and by pretreatment of walls with boiling 80% ethanol. Five mM CaCl2 did not affect autolysis at pH 2.5, but significantly inhibited at pH 4.5 or higher. Inclusion of 1 M NaCl at selected steps in the extraction scheme did not inhibit subsequent autolysis of isolated walls. Exposure of isolated walls to 1 M NaCl at pH 2.5–8.5 also did not inhibit autolytic activity compared to walls that received no ionic treatment. These data support the concept that cell wall hydrolysis during tomato fruit softening is regulated by pH, Ca2+ levels and ionic strength of the apoplast.
ARE ALL LATINAS THE SAME? PERCEIVED BREAST CANCER SCREENING BARRIERS AND FACILITATIVE CONDITIONS

In this article, we examine perceived breast cancer screening barriers and facilitative conditions for immigrant women from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, and South America (N = 58). Focus...