cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microphysical Effects of Wintertime Cloud Seeding with Silver Iodide over the Rocky Mountains. Part III: Observations over the Grand Mesa, Colorado

Abstract During March 1986, several airborne and ground-based silver iodide (AgI) seeding experiments were conducted over the Grand Mesa, Colorado, during a three-day period of northerly flow and shallow orographic cloud. While little natural snowfall was observed during these experiments, supercooled liquid water formed over the windward slopes and evaporated to the lee of the mesa of many hours. Seeding-induced microphysical changes coincident with the AgI plumes were found in all eight experiments, (including two that employed ground-based seeding) by aircraft sampling about 500 m above the mesa top. Precipitation rates estimated from ice particle images at light levels suggested increases within the seeded volumes in all but one experiment. Surface precipitation increases were observed in three aircraft seeding experiments and one ground-based seeding experiment that coincided with the passage of AgI plumes aloft. Surface observations were not possible during the other ground-based seeding experiment,...
A Kernel System for information system development, evolution, and operation

We believe that the current boundaries and distinctions between operating systems, data base management systems (both “host language” and “self-contained”), programming language processors (both interpretive and compiled), programming support systems (library management, testing, and integration services), instructional systems, and certain other generalized data processing services, can and should be eliminated. That is, we believe that all these seemingly separate functions, which are currently separate for historical reasons as much as any other, can and should be addressed by a single integrated (but subsettable) “Kernel System”.We also believe that with the proper system architecture and implementation techniques (e.g., top-down and structured programming) and with the wholesale elimination of duplicated functions, a Kernel System can be built that would address the sum total of these functions and, at the same time, remain comparable in size and complexity to a typical self-contained data base management system alone. Further, such a structured Kernel System would be much better able to support the development, continued evolution, and operation of both itself and its applications.
Quantification of Left Ventricular Parameters Obtained by Automated Software for 64-Slice Multidetector Computed Tomography and Comparison with Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The dataset obtained with 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) for coronary artery evaluation can be used to calculate important left ventricular (LV) volumetric parameters. We compared LV parameters derived by new, commercially available, fully automated software for MDCT (Syngo Circulation, Siemens, Germany) to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as a reference standard. Twenty patients underwent CMR after completing a clinically indicated MDCT. Ejection fraction (EF), end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), stroke volume (SV), and myocardial mass (MM) for MDCT were obtained using automated software and were compared to CMR measurements, with papillary muscles (PMs) included in, or excluded from, the blood pool. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Bland-Altman method were used to determine agreement between methods. When PMs were included in the blood pool, the correlation was excellent for EF (r = 0.92, p < 0.001), ESV (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), and EDV (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). When PMs were excluded from CMR, correlation was still very good for EF (r = 0.89, p < 0.001), ESV (r = 0.82, p < 0.001), and EDV (r = 0.82, p < 0.001). MDCT values for SV and MM showed a good correlation compared to both CMR methods. When PMs were included, the correlation was good for SV (r = 0.70, p < 0.001), and MM (r = 0.70, p < 0.001); when they were excluded, the correlation was less robust but still significant for SV (r = 0.71, p < 0.001) and MM (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). In conclusion, EF, ESV, and EDV obtained by MDCT using simple, automated software correlated very well with CMR; SV and MM showed good correlation. Automated analysis of volumetric parameters by MDCT can be reliably utilized for clinical purposes.
What Do Nongovernmental Organizations Do

Nongovernmental organizations are one group of players who are active in the efforts of international development and increasing the welfare of poor people in poor countries. Nongovernmental organizations are largely staffed by altruistic employees and volunteers working towards ideological, rather than financial, ends. Their founders are often intense, creative individuals who sometimes come up with a new product to deliver or a better way to deliver existing goods and services. They are funded by donors, many of them poor or anonymous. Yet these attributes should not be unfamiliar to economists. Development NGOs, like domestic nonprofits, can be understood in the framework of not-for-profit contracting. It is easy to conjure up a glowing vision of how the efforts of NGOs could focus on problem solving without getting bogged down in corruption or bureaucracy. But the strengths of the NGO model have some corresponding weaknesses -- in agenda setting, decision making, and resource allocation. We highlight three factors in explaining the increased presence of NGOs in the last few decades: a trend towards more outsourcing of government services; new ventures by would-be not-for-profit "entrepreneurs"; and the increasing professionalization of existing NGOs.
Effect of environment on the scale formed on oxide dispersion strengthened FeCrAl at 1050°C and 1100°C

AbstractThe surface scale formed on specimens of a commercial oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloy (PM2000) exposed for 1 and 500 h at 1050°C in dry O2, Air+10%H2O and Ar+10%H2O consisted of a two-layer α-Al2O3 structure with a columnar grain inner layer and a finer grain outer layer. The alumina scales formed in Air+10%H2O and Ar+10%H2O were slightly more than half of the thickness of the scale formed in dry O2. The same two-layer structure was also observed after exposure for 500 h at 1100°C in dry O2 and 50%CO2+50%H2O. The alumina scales formed in both atmospheres were similar in thickness. Oxides rich in Y and Ti at the gas – scale interface grew in size and number with time in each case. Using analytical transmission electron microscopy, alumina grain boundary segregation of both Y and Ti was evident near the gas interface but only Y segregation was detected near the metal interface. This difference was attributed to Ti depletion in the adjacent metal and the rapid outward flux of the sma...
A hierarchical framework for logical composition of web services

Automatically composing Web services to form processes in the context of service-oriented architectures has attracted significant research. Prevalent approaches for automatically composing Web services predominantly utilize planning techniques to achieve the composition. However, classical planning based approaches face the following challenges: (i) difficulty in modeling the uncertainty of Web service invocations, (ii) inability to optimize the composition using non-functional parameters, and (iii) difficulty in scaling efficiently to large compositions. In order to address these issues, we present a hierarchical framework for logically composing Web services, which we call Haley. In comparison to classical planners, Haley utilizes decision-theoretic planning that is able to model and reason with the uncertainty inherent in Web service invocations and provides an expected cost-based optimization. Haley uses symbolic planning techniques that operate directly on first-order logic based representations of the state space to obtain the compositions. Consequently, it supports automated elicitation of the corresponding planning problem from Web service descriptions and produces a domain representation that is more compact than that of classical planners. Furthermore, it promotes scalability by exploiting the natural hierarchy found in real-world processes. Due to the limitations of the existing approaches and the complexity of the Web service composition problem, few implemented tools exist, although many approaches have been proposed in the literature. We have implemented Haley and provided a comprehensive tool suite for composing Web services. The suite operates on Web services described using well-known languages such as SAWSDL. It provides process designers with an intuitive interface to specify composition requirements, goals and a hierarchical decomposition if available, and automatically generates BPEL compositions while hiding the complexity of the planning and of BPEL from users.
Hydrodynamics of Oscillating Disks in Viscous Fluids: Density and Viscosity of Normal Fluid in Pure He 4 from 1.2°K to the Lambda Point

A new study has been made of the viscous component in liquid He II, using the experimental method of Andronikashvili. The hydrodynamic equations for disks oscillating in a viscous medium have been derived from first principles in a form amenable to experimental test of the necessary approximations. Associated studies with several ordinary liquids have yielded an empirical constant for the liquid dragged by the disk corner. The final semiempirical equations of motion appear to provide a significantly better approximation than those previously published. The new formulas have been applied to a combined study of density and viscosity of pure ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ liquid from 1.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K to the lambda point, 2.1735\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Refinements in experimental technique include larger oscillating systems, improved temperature regulation and measurement, and precision chronometry. The theoretical roton temperature dependence of Landau and of Feynman provides a good description of the density between 1.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 2.0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The empirical value of the roton excitation energy is found to be $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{k}=10.60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K. Detailed investigation in the region of the lambda point shows an accelerated rise in the normal fluid density above 2.0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K; the temperature derivative of density tends toward infinity at ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. Our data confirm the measurements made earlier by Andronikashvili over the entire temperature range. At temperatures below 1.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K the torsion pendulum results lie significantly lower than those derived from second sound and specific heat data. Viscosities of the normal fluid are in substantial agreement with the earlier results of Andronikashvili and with the viscometer values of Heikkila and Hallett down to 1.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Discrepancies between the oscillating disk and viscometer data below 1.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K have not been resolved. The temperature dependence of the viscosity near the lambda point indicates that ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ is a point of strong singularity for both viscosity and normal fluid density.
Infant habituation criteria: I. A Monte Carlo study of the 50 % decrement criterion

The statistics of the 50% decrement habituation criterion (.5DC) were investigated using Monte Carlo techniques. The bias. variability. and false alarm rate of this criterion were influenced by the amount of error in fixation times. The results preclude the use of trials to criterion as an index of rate of habituation. habituation rate criterion error
Continuous treatment with the D2 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole decreases D2 dopamine receptors, D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA and proenkephalin messenger RNA, and increases mu opioid receptors in mouse striatum

Dopamine-mediated behaviors and certain biochemical and molecular events associated with these behaviors were examined following continuous infusion of the D1 dopamine agonist SKF38393 or the D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole into mice for six days. SKF38393 produced a transient grooming behavior while quinpirole initially induced stereotypy, which was followed by an increased locomotor behavior. Continuous infusion of quinpirole caused a significant down-regulation of striatal D2 dopamine receptors without significantly changing the density of D1 receptors. This was accompanied by a decrease in the level of D2 receptor messenger RNA in striatum as measured by Northern analysis. The down-regulation of dopamine receptors was selective for D2 dopamine receptors, since treatment with SKF38393 had no significant effects on either D1 or D2 dopamine receptors, nor did it alter the messenger RNAs for the D1 and D2 receptors. Continuous treatment with quinpirole resulted in a significant increase in striatal mu opioid receptor levels without significant changing delta opioid receptors. This treatment also induced a significant decrease in proenkephalin messenger RNA in striatum. Taken together, these results suggest that the down-regulation of D2 dopamine receptor and D2 receptor messenger RNA is the result of the persistent stimulation of D2 receptors and that the up-regulation of mu opioid receptors may be a compensatory response to a decreased biosynthesis of enkephalin. They suggest further that the biochemical and molecular changes that take place in dopaminergic and enkephalinergic systems following continuous treatment with dopamine agonists may underlie the mechanisms by which certain dopamine-mediated behaviors occur.
Responses by Pacific Halibut to Air Exposure: Lack of Correspondence among Plasma Constituents and Mortality

Abstract Age-1 and age-2 Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis were exposed to a range of times in air (0–60 min) and air temperatures (10°C or 16°C) that simulated conditions on deck after capture to test for correspondence among responses in plasma constituents and mortality. Pacific halibut mortality generally did not correspond with cortisol, glucose, sodium, and potassium since the maximum observed plasma concentrations were reached after exposure to 30 min in air, while significant mortality occurred only after exposure to 40 min in air for age-1 fish and 60 min in air for age-2 fish. Predicting mortality in discarded Pacific halibut using these plasma constituents does not appear to be feasible. Lactate concentrations corresponded with mortality in age-1 fish exposed to 16°C and may be useful predictors of discard mortality under a limited set of fishing conditions.
Diagramming Duration : Bergsonian Multiplicity and Chaos Theory

Cet article retrace les efforts menes par Bergson dans son « Introduction a la metaphysique », afin de decouvrir une facon de representer, par le langage, sa notion de « duree reelle », entendue comme une multiplicite continue. L’auteur suggere que les images graphiques generees par ordinateur afin de representer la theorie du chaos en offrent la possibilite, avant de developper les consequences conceptuelles et theoriques que cette correlation entraine.
The gallbladder of the electric ray Torpedo marmorata Risso displays excrescent cholecystocytes with merocrine and apocrine-like secretions.

The gallbladder of Torpedo marmorata exhibits a mucosal surface layer of simple columnar epithelium with very tall cholecystocytes. The apical domain of each cell has few microvilli, but many mucous vesicles that are secreted by exocytosis at the cell apices. The apical regions may also elongate and undergo self-excision while shedding mucus and cell debris into the gallbladder lumen in a manner similar to that described in mammals as a result of sex steroid treatment to induce gallstones and to that found in the cholecystitis associated with cholelithiasis. Numerous small mitochondria, spherical to elongated, are distributed throughout the cells, while the nuclei are often located in the lower third of each cell. In the lower part of the cholecystocytes, large and very densely contrasted lysosomes can be found. All cells are tightly joined by junctional complexes, including long, highly contrasted desmosomes. The fibromuscular layer is made of a loose stroma with a limited muscular component and a poor blood supply. Large diameter blood vessels can only be found in the subserosal layer. It is hypothesized that the obligatorily carnivorous diet of this ureotelic fish has resulted in the evolution of a gallbladder ultrastructure resembling that found in cholecystitis but without the associated cholelithiasis. Anat Rec, 296:79–95, 2013. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Magnetic resonance imaging of biological specimens by electron paramagnetic resonance of nitroxide spin labels

Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging was demonstrated on two plant species, Apium graveolens and Coleus blumei. This was accomplished by soaking stems of these plants in the paramagnetic nitroxide imaging agent 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl. The experiments were accomplished at L-band frequency (1.4 to 1.9 gigahertz) with single-turn, flat-loop surface coils. One-dimensional imaging spectra were diagnostic of capillary structure and long-term stability.
Applications of adaptive feature-specific imaging

Feature-specific imaging (FSI) refers to any imaging system that directly measures linear projections of an object irradiance distribution. Numerous reports of FSI (also called compressive imaging) using static projections can be found in the literature. In this paper we will present adaptive methods of FSI suitable for the applications of (a) image reconstruction and (b) target detection. Adaptive FSI for image reconstruction is based on Principal Component and Hadamard features. The adaptive algorithm employs an updated training set in order to determine the optimal projection vector after each measurement. Adaptive FSI for detection is based on a sequential hypothesis testing framework. The probability of each hypothesis is updated after each measurement and in turn defines a new optimal projection vector. Both of these new adaptive methods will be compared with static FSI. Adaptive FSI for detection will also be compared with conventional imaging.
PHYTOACCUMULATION OF ANTIMICROBIALS BY HYDROPONIC CUCURBITA PEPO

Consumer use of antimicrobial-containing products continuously introduces triclocarban and triclosan into the environment. Triclocarban and triclosan adversely affect plants and animals and have the potential to affect human health. Research examined the phytoaccumulation of triclocarban and triclosan by pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo cultivar Howden) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo cultivar Gold Rush) grown hydroponically. Pumpkin and zucchini were grown in nutrient solution spiked with 0.315 μg/mL triclocarban and 0.289 μg/mL triclosan for two months. Concentrations of triclocarban and triclosan in nutrient solutions were monitored weekly. At the end of the trial, roots and shoots were analyzed for triclocarban and triclosan. Research demonstrated that pumpkin and zucchini accumulated triclocarban and triclosan. Root accumulation factors were 1.78 and 0.64 and translocation factors were 0.001 and 0.082 for triclocarban and triclosan, respectively. The results of this experiment were compared with a previous soil ...
Motorsports Involvement Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Childhood ADHD

Although children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for impulsive, health-endangering behavior, few studies have examined nonsubstance, use-related risk-taking behaviors. This study examined whether adolescents and young adults with ADHD histories were more likely than those without ADHD histories to report frequent engagement in motorsports, a collection of risky driving-related activities associated with elevated rates of physical injury. Path analyses tested whether persistent impulsivity, comorbid conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder (CD/ASP), and heavy alcohol use mediated this association. Analyses also explored whether frequent motorsporting was associated with unsafe and alcohol-influenced driving. Two hundred twenty-one adolescent and young adult males (16-25 years old) diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and 139 demographically similar males without ADHD histories reported their motorsports involvement. Persistent impulsivity, CD/ASP, heavy drinking, and hazardous driving were also measured in adolescence/young adulthood. Adolescents and young adults with ADHD histories were more likely to report frequent motorsports involvement than those without childhood ADHD. Impulsivity, CD/ASP, and heavy drinking partially mediated this association, such that individuals with ADHD histories, who had persistent impulsivity or CD/ASP diagnoses, were more likely to engage in heavy drinking, which was positively associated with frequent motorsporting. Motorsports involvement was associated with more unsafe and alcohol-influenced driving, and this association was more often found among those with, than without, ADHD histories. Adolescents and young adults with ADHD histories, especially those with persisting impulsivity, comorbid CD/ASP and heavy drinking tendencies, are more likely to engage in motorsports, which may heighten risk of injury.
From Arm's Length to Intrusion: Rawls's "Law of Peoples" and the Challenge of Stability

The "law of peoples" that Rawls articulates for the intersocietal context and that he claims to be acceptable to liberal as well as hierarchical societies is unacceptable to the latter as he describes them. An adjustment to his argument allows for an account of hierarchical societies' acceptance of his principles, but it also reveals how controversial these remain to them. It turns out that what is needed is for the advocates of the law of peoples to intrude and intervene in hierarchical societies' internal ethical and philosophical debates, thereby helping forge the overlapping consensus that would render Rawls's principles acceptable across cultural divides.
Evidence of hydrothermal activity on Marsili Seamount, Tyrrhenian Basin

Abstract Video transects along the crest of Marsili Seamount, Tyrrhenian Basin revealed the presence of an extensive hydrothermal mineral deposit emplaced by a convection current system.
Surgical anatomy of endoscope-assisted approaches to common aneurysm sites.

BACKGROUND The endoscope is being introduced as an adjuvant to improve visualization of certain areas in open cranial surgery. OBJECTIVE To describe the endoscopic anatomy of common aneurysm sites and to compare it with the microsurgical anatomy. METHODS Pterional, anterior interhemispheric, and subtemporal approaches to the most common aneurysm sites were examined in cadaveric heads under the surgical microscope and with the endoscope. RESULTS The endoscopic view, particularly with the angled endoscopes, provides a significant improvement compared with the microscopic view, especially for poorly visualized sites such as the medial aspect of the supraclinoid carotid artery and its branches, the area below the anterior perforated substance and optic tract, and the carotid and basilar bifurcations. The endoscope aided in the early visualization of perforating branches at each aneurysm site except the middle cerebral artery. Small-diameter optics (2.7 mm) provided greater space for dissection and less potential for tissue damage in narrow places, whereas the larger 4-mm diameter optics provided better visualization and less panoramic distortion. The positioning of the endoscope for each aneurysm site is reviewed. CONCLUSION The endoscope provides views that complement or improve the microscopic view at each aneurysm site except the middle cerebral artery. Endoscopy training and a thorough knowledge of endoscopic vascular anatomy are essential to safely introduce endoscopic assistance in vascular surgery.
CaV1.2 β-subunit coordinates CaMKII-triggered cardiomyocyte death and afterdepolarizations

Excessive activation of calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) causes arrhythmias and heart failure, but the cellular mechanisms for CaMKII-targeted proteins causing disordered cell membrane excitability and myocardial dysfunction remain uncertain. Failing human cardiomyocytes exhibit increased CaMKII and voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (CaV1.2) activity, and enhanced expression of a specific CaV1.2 β-subunit protein isoform (β2a). We recently identified CaV1.2 β2a residues critical for CaMKII phosphorylation (Thr 498) and binding (Leu 493), suggesting the hypothesis that these amino acids are crucial for cardiomyopathic consequences of CaMKII signaling. Here we show WT β2a expression causes cellular Ca2+ overload, arrhythmia-triggering cell membrane potential oscillations called early afterdepolarizations (EADs), and premature death in paced adult rabbit ventricular myocytes. Prevention of intracellular Ca2+ release by ryanodine or global cellular CaMKII inhibition reduced EADs and improved cell survival to control levels in WT β2a-expressing ventricular myocytes. In contrast, expression of β2a T498A or L493A mutants mimicked the protective effects of ryanodine or global cellular CaMKII inhibition by reducing Ca2+ entry through CaV1.2 and inhibiting EADs. Furthermore, CaV1.2 currents recorded from cells overexpressing CaMKII phosphorylation- or binding-incompetent β2a subunits were incapable of entering a CaMKII-dependent high-activity gating mode (mode 2), indicating that β2a Thr 498 and Leu 493 are required for CaV1.2 activation by CaMKII in native cells. These data show that CaMKII binding and phosphorylation sites on β2a are concise but pivotal components of a molecular and biophysical and mechanism for EADs and impaired survival in adult cardiomyocytes.
Physical symptom disorder: a simpler diagnostic category for somatization-spectrum conditions

Abstract Objective To propose a simpler, more empiric, and patient-centered category for classifying physical symptoms that are “etiologically neutral,” that is, not reliant on the assumption that symptoms that is poorly explained from a medical standpoint must de facto be psychological in origin. Methods Theoretical analysis, narrative review, and proposal. Results Studies have revealed several limitations in the current classification of somatoform disorders, including the poor reliability of lifetime symptom recall, the difficulty in adjudicating physical versus psychological explanations, and the stigma in assigning patients with medically unexplained symptoms to an Axis I psychiatric disorder. Physical symptom disorder (PSD) is proposed as a diagnostic category that would reside on Axis III (rather than Axis I) and replace somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, and pain disorder. PSD would consist of one or more physical symptoms currently present, not fully explainable by another medical or psychiatric disorder (with the exception of functional somatic syndromes), causing functional impairment. Duration must be at least 6 months, and severity could be graded as mild, moderate, or severe using a 15-symptom checklist (PHQ-15). Finally, the type of symptoms or symptom syndromes present in the patient could be specified. Conclusions PSD should be considered as a simpler and more inclusive diagnosis to replace several somatoform diagnoses currently in use.
Effect of factors other than pathologic status on responsiveness of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic periodontitis.

Studies were designed to assess factors other than pathologic status of the cell donor which affect the blastogenic responsiveness in vitro of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMs) from normal donors and patients with periodontitis. Cultures were established and activated using phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA) or homogenates of Actinomyces viscosus (AVIS), a gram-positive plaque microorganism, and Fusobacterium nucleatum (FUSO), a gram-negative plaque microorganism. Activation was assessed by measuring the incorporation of labeled precursor into DNA. The effects of incubation time, vessel shape, cell concentration, prostaglandin E2 and indomethacin on blastogenic responsiveness were studied. Blastogenic responsiveness became maximal after 5 to 8 days' activation with the bacterial substances, and after 3 days' activation with PHA. Radioactivity incorporated by cultures in microtest wells with flat, round and conical bottoms was 5.9, 7.8 and 10.6 × 103 cpm, respectively. Cultures of cells from all of the pat...
Measurements of Radioisotopes in Blood Applied to Determinations of the True Hematocrit.

SummarySimplified methods for sample preparation for use in estimation of I131, Ca45, and Na22 in blood and plasma are described. These methods will permit the administration of minimum amounts of I131 labeled plasma proteins in studies of blood and plasma volumes. The degree of plasma trapping in the centrifuged hematocrit was determined from measurements of I131 labeled albumin and Ca45 concentrations in equal volumes of whole blood and plasma. With normal human and dog blood 7-9% of the packed cell column in the hematocrit tube is plasma. The amount of plasma trapped decreases with decreasing cell column height. The practical implications of the last observation are mentioned.
Direct measurement of organic sulphur in coal

Abstract A method of direct determination of the organic sulphur content of coal has been developed using the transmission electron microscope. An electron beam is focussed on a thinned section of coal and X-rays emitted from the elements in the volume irradiated by the electrons are measured by X-ray emission spectroscopic methods. Both the characteristic K α line of sulphur and the bremsstrahlung from the material in the irradiated volume are detected by a solid-state detector. An analytical method has been developed which uses these two measurements for a direct determination of the organic sulphur concentration. Minerals can easily be avoided since they are plainly seen by conventional electron microscope techniques. Several measurements of the organic sulphur concentration in coals have been made; they agree with the conventional chemical values reported for these coals. Of most importance, though, is the use of this technique to detect spatial variations of sulphur over small distances within the coal maceral.
Inorganic and Nutritional Aspects of Cancer: A Conference Report*

Abstract The Inaugural Conference of the International Association of Bioinorganic Scientists (I.A.B.S.) was devoted entirely to inorganic and nutritional aspects of cancer. The reports of twenty-five invited speakers indicate that this area of cancer research has already produced major advances and that further signifi- cant progress may be expected to occur in the near future.
Maximizing Sparse Matrix-Vector Product Performance on RISC Based MIMD Computers

The matrix?vector product kernel can represent most of the computation in a gradient iterative solver. Thus, an efficient solver requires that the matrix?vector product kernel be fast. We show that standard approaches with Fortran or C may not deliver good performance and present a strategy involving managing the cache to improve the performance. As an example, using this approach we demonstrate that it is possible to achieve 2.5 times better performance over a Fortran implementation with an assembly coded kernel on an Intel i860. These issues are of general interest for all computer architectures but are particularly important for users of MIMD computers to achieve a useful fraction of the advertised peak performance of these machines.
Immersive Simulation Education: A Novel Approach to Pandemic Preparedness and Response

Pandemic management involves strategic and tactical concepts rarely experienced with other disasters. To comprehend the enormity of these tasks and experience the critical decision-making required, local public health and other stakeholders participate in tabletop and functional exercises. Students in Master of Public Health (MPH) programs not only rarely experience this educational format, but also are seldom afforded substantive time to appreciate the critical decision making that is unique to pandemics. An immersive semester-long simulation exercise was created to educate graduate public health students about pandemics. Students in a MPH course were divided into groups representing county health departments. During the semester, students collaborated and completed incident command training, received audio lectures, and materials concerning an imminent pandemic. The students then participated in the 2.5-hr facilitated tabletop exercises in the classroom. A survey was developed to assess their perceptions of the experience. Most students felt more knowledgeable afterward and thought that this training style was innovative, entertaining, educational, and recommended it to fellow students and colleagues. The students believed that delivering a tabletop exercise in this fashion was educational and entertaining. It gave the students a better appreciation of the role of public health in managing the complexities associated with pandemics.
Stability of the Solar Latitudinal Differential Rotation Inferred from Helioseismic Data

We revisit the hydrodynamical stability problem posed by the observed solar latitudinal differential rotation. Specifically, we carry out stability analyses on a spherical shell for solar-like two-dimensional inviscid shear flow profiles of the form ν = s0 - s2μ2 - s4μ4, where μ is the sine of latitude. We find that stability is remarkably sensitive to the magnitude of the μ4 term. This allows us to reconcile apparently conflicting results found in the published literature. We then use latitudinal differential rotation profiles extracted from various helioseismic inversions of the solar internal rotation and investigate their stability as a function of depth from the base of the tachocline to the top of the convective envelope. In all cases considered, we find that the latitudinal differential rotation in the tachocline is stable while that in the bulk of the convective envelope is unstable. Under the assumption that the instability is not impeded by finite Reynolds number or three-dimensional effects not accounted for in our analysis, we speculate on possible observable consequences of the occurrence of the instability in the top half of the convective envelope.
COST-EFFECTIVE PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION, OPERATIVE TREATMENT, AND POSTOPERATIVE FOLLOW-UP IN THE BREAST CANCER PATIENT

Although medical criteria based on retrospective and prospective studies form the basic foundation for the strategies enunciated in this article, efficiency in management and cost effectiveness follow because of the simplification that has been found to be appropriate by analyzing reports over the past decade and using common sense. In addition, the realization of the effectiveness of mammographic screening programs should encourage all surgeons to promote and practice yearly mammographic screening in appropriately aged women. At present, this means women between the ages of 50 and 75, but there is increasing evidence that women between the ages of 40 and 49 may benefit. A compromise would suggest women over 45 years of age as appropriate, recognizing the controversy now raging over the effectiveness of screening in women 40 to 49 years old. Wide appreciation of the major gains in breast cancer detection by use of mammographic screening programs needs to be emphasized. We have predicted that within a decade the median maximum diameter of all invasive breast cancer in the United States will be only 1 cm if mammographic screening programs are widespread. If this occurs, there would be extraordinary gains in reduced patient morbidity and cost savings and undoubtedly changes will occur in the previously unyielding age-adjusted mortality rate. The goal of entirely outpatient management in the vast majority of breast cancer patients can be achieved by such mammographic screening as well as by the adaptation of induction chemotherapy and breast conservation in the majority of advanced primary breast cancer patients that still appear.
Diagenetic sulfate reduction in marine sediments

Abstract The importance of interstitial pore water as a vehicle for transport of dissolved ions between sediment at depth and the overlying ocean reservoir may be overestimated. The major cause of this overestimation is the assumption that the rate of ionic diffusion through the sediment is of a similar magnitude to the rate of reaction occurring within the sediment column. Examples are given to indicate that the above assumption may not be correct, at least for diagenetic sulfate reduction. Closed-system modeling, although approximate, is shown to be consistent, both qualitatively and isotopically, with measured changes that are observed for several sedimentary environments.
Gramicidin induced ion transport in brain mitochondria preparations.

— —(1) Gramicidin at low concentrations induces an uptake of K+ and Na+ in brain mitochondria in a manner similar to that observed with liver mitochondria. (2) The cation uptake is energy dependent, and is accompanied by an ejection of H+ ions and a slight increase in respiration in the absence of added permeant anion. (3) The cation uptake and hydrogen ion release are both inhibited by agents which inhibit electron transport. Barbiturates and chlorpromazine inhibit the transport phenomenon by inhibiting electron transport. (4) In the presence of permeant anions (phosphate and acetate) respiration is stimulated quite significantly. (5) At high gramicidin concentrations there is a release of Na+ and K+ from the mitochondria and uptake of H+. There is also a cyclic reduction-oxidation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides, which is believed to be due to the release from the mitochondria of the reduced dinucleotides followed by their subsequent oxidation. (6) The effect of high gramicidin on the mitochondrial nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotides and cation distribution is irreversible and is not blocked by individual inhibitors of respiration and of phosphorylation, but is prevented by prior addition of a mixture of these inhibitors. (7) Gramicidin is therefore believed to have a bimodal function; one on the mitochondrial membrane per se, and the other on the energy dependent ion accumulation apparatus. (8) A model of induced mitochondrial ion accumulation is presented.
Covalent Modification of DNA Regulates Memory Formation

DNA methylation is a covalent chemical modification of DNA catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). DNA methylation is associated with transcriptional silencing and has been studied extensively as a lifelong molecular information storage mechanism put in place during development. Here we report that DNMT gene expression is upregulated in the adult rat hippocampus following contextual fear conditioning and that DNMT inhibition blocks memory formation. In addition, fear conditioning is associated with rapid methylation and transcriptional silencing of the memory suppressor gene PP1 and demethylation and transcriptional activation of the synaptic plasticity gene reelin, indicating both methyltransferase and demethylase activity during consolidation. DNMT inhibition prevents the PP1 methylation increase, resulting in aberrant transcription of the gene during the memory-consolidation period. These results demonstrate that DNA methylation is dynamically regulated in the adult nervous system and that this cellular mechanism is a crucial step in memory formation.
Corning® 384 Well Low Volume Microplate Performance in Miniaturized Assays

In response to the ever-increasing demand for microplates that facilitate assay miniaturization without compromising assay integrity, Corning's new 384 well Low Volume (384 LV) microplates were evaluated using a homogenous, fluorescence polarization protease assay. Fluorescently labeled casein substrate was incubated over time with dilutions of protease at working volumes that range from 1 to 20 μL and reagent concentrations that range from 0.125 to 50 pg/μL. Four types of plates were evaluated:Corning 384 well LV black medium bindCorning 384 well LV black non-binding surface (NBS™)Corning 1536 well black medium bindCompetitor 384 well small volumeProtease activity was detected as a decrease in polarized fluorescence resulting from substrate degradation over time. Following assay miniaturization to 20 μL working volumes and protease concentration reduction from 25 to 0.25 pg/μL, Corning 384 well LV medium bind and NBS coated assay plates maintained superior signal to noise ratios compared to competitor's ...
Mutational Analysis of the T4 Gp59 Helicase Loader Reveals Its Sites for Interaction with Helicase, Single-stranded Binding Protein, and DNA *

Efficient DNA replication involves coordinated interactions among DNA polymerase, multiple factors, and the DNA. From bacteriophage T4 to eukaryotes, these factors include a helicase to unwind the DNA ahead of the replication fork, a single-stranded binding protein (SSB) to bind to the ssDNA on the lagging strand, and a helicase loader that associates with the fork, helicase, and SSB. The previously reported structure of the helicase loader in the T4 system, gene product (gp)59, has revealed an N-terminal domain, which shares structural homology with the high mobility group (HMG) proteins from eukaryotic organisms. Modeling of this structure with fork DNA has suggested that the HMG-like domain could bind to the duplex DNA ahead of the fork, whereas the C-terminal portion of gp59 would provide the docking sites for helicase (T4 gp41), SSB (T4 gp32), and the ssDNA fork arms. To test this model, we have used random and targeted mutagenesis to generate mutations throughout gp59. We have assayed the ability of the mutant proteins to bind to fork, primed fork, and ssDNAs, to interact with SSB, to stimulate helicase activity, and to function in leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis. Our results provide strong biochemical support for the role of the N-terminal gp59 HMG motif in fork binding and the interaction of the C-terminal portion of gp59 with helicase and SSB. Our results also suggest that processive replication may involve the switching of gp59 between its interactions with helicase and SSB.
Secrecy and International Relations

This article analyzes the question of information control and how it influences the conduct and the study of international relations. Three theories are advanced as possible explanations for secrecy: The first, the External Threat explanation, suggests that government secrecy is designed to protect sensitive information from external enemies. The second explanation, the Bureaucratic Politics explanation, views secrecy as a relatively unsystematic process that results from the (collectively) irrational features in any government bureaucracy. The third explanation, the Internal Threat approach, argues that government officials use secrecy to mislead the populations of their own countries. These three explanations are applied to a case study of US information policy with regard to the Congo Crisis of 1960-1. The article concludes that the Congo case tends to support the Internal Threat explanation of secrecy.
Model for End-stage Liver Disease

Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, initially developed to predict survival following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was subsequently found to be accurate predictor of mortality amongst patents with end-stage liver disease. Since 2002, MELD score using 3 objective variables (serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, and institutional normalized ratio) has been used worldwide for listing and transplanting patients with end-stage liver disease allowing transplanting sicker patients first irrespective of the wait time on the list. MELD score has also been shown to be accurate predictor of survival amongst patients with alcoholic hepatitis, following variceal hemorrhage, infections in cirrhosis, after surgery in patients with cirrhosis including liver resection, trauma, and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Although, MELD score is closest to the ideal score, there are some limitations including its inaccuracy in predicting survival in 15–20% cases. Over the last decade, many efforts have been made to further improve and refine MELD score. Until, a better score is developed, liver allocation would continue based on the currently used MELD score.
Prospective enterprise-level molecular genotyping of a cohort of cancer patients

Ongoing cancer genome characterization studies continue to elucidate the spectrum of genomic abnormalities that drive many cancers, and in the clinical arena assessment of the driver genetic alterations in patients is playing an increasingly important diagnostic and/or prognostic role for many cancer types. However, the landscape of genomic abnormalities is still unknown for less common cancers, and the influence of specific genotypes on clinical behavior is often still unclear. To address some of these deficiencies, we developed Profile, a prospective cohort study to obtain genomic information on all patients at a large tertiary care medical center for cancer-related care. We enrolled patients with any cancer diagnosis, and, for each patient (unselected for cancer site or type) we applied mass spectrometric genotyping (OncoMap) of 471 common recurrent mutations in 41 cancer-related genes. We report the results of the first 5000 patients, of which 26% exhibited potentially actionable somatic mutations. These observations indicate the utility of genotyping in advancing the field of precision oncology.
Differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in teleost leukocytes by environmental metals

Abstract Binding antigen triggers multiple signaling pathways that determine whether vertebrate leukocytes will grow, arrest or die. We hypothesize that environmental stressors can alter the balance among these pathways, in particular the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (MAPKs). Teleost peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) possess at least one MAPK, the extracellular-related kinase pathway (ERK), which correlates with cell growth. Pb, Al, Cr (VI), and U activated ERKs in PBL of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus , and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus , as measured in western blots with anti-activated ERK. Most of the metals that activated ERKs did not suppress cell growth (IC50>100 μM). In contrast, Pb inhibited cell growth (IC 50 =10 μM). Pb may suppress another MAPK, Jun Kinase, which is associated with mammalian stress responses. These studies suggest that profiles of individual contaminant effects on cell signaling may predict interactive effects of metal mixtures on the vertebrate immune system. (DOE Cooperative Agreement DE-FC02-98CH10902.)
Segmenting Anglers Using Their Consumptive Orientation Profiles

We examined the practical utility of segmenting visitors to a popular southeastern angling destination using their consumptive orientation profiles. Our analysis identified four segments that varied in terms of their consumptive orientation: Lots ‘o Fish who were most concerned about catching many fish; Bigguns who expressed the strongest preference for catching big fish; Nothin’ who indicated that catching no fish was okay; and Keepers who expressed the strongest need to keep the fish caught. We then explored variation among the identified segments in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics, their motivations for angling, their involvement with angling (i.e., behavioral and social-psychological) and their attitudes and behaviors related to the angling destination. Statistically significant variations were observed across the identified segments on most of our indicators. These findings add to previous literature showing that anglers' desire to catch fish is related to other managerially relevant ...
Calculation of the time-development function for proton inelastic scattering near isobaric analogue resonances☆

Abstract The time-development functions of nuclear reactions which can be measured by crystal blocking experiments are calculated in a realistic case of proton inelastic scattering near isobaric analogue resonances, using a recently developed statistical theory of nuclear reactions. The changes of the time-development functions on and off resonances are found to be appreciable enough to be detected by experiments. It is also pointed out that this type of investigation gives a new test of the statistical theory.