cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A subtype-selective, use-dependent inhibitor of native AMPA receptors

AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isooxazole) receptors (AMPARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that play central roles in the mammalian brain, mediating fast excitatory synaptic transmission and underlying several forms of synaptic plasticity. Two subtypes of AMPARs are primarily coexpressed at excitatory synapses in adult animals (GluR1/2 and GluR2/3 receptors). Efforts to distinguish between the potentially distinct roles these receptor subtypes play at synapses have been hampered by the absence of a subtype-selective AMPAR antagonist. Here we show that the polyamine philanthotoxin-7,4 (PhTx-74) is a subtype-selective AMPAR antagonist, inhibiting GluR1/2, but not GluR2/3 receptors, use-dependently. The molecular basis for the observed selectivity and a highly efficient synthesis of this remarkable toxin are also presented. PhTx-74 provides the first a means of directly monitoring subtype-specific changes in the composition of AMPARs at native synapses, including during hippocampal long-term potentia...
Survival and growth of white bass Morone chrysops reared at different salinities

.— Juvenile white bass Morone chrysops (age 158 d, 110.4 mm total length) were reared at salinity levels of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 parts per thousand (ppt). Fish (10/tank) were stocked in 64-L tanks with four replicates/treatment (N= 40heatment) and fed a pelleted feed daily. Fish were sampled semimonthly for 70 d. Fish reared at salinities of 12 ppt and below were significantly (P≤ 0.05) larger (mean = 151.5 mm total length; range 146.8–155.7 mm) than fish reared at salinities of 16 and 20 ppt (mean 133.7 mm total length; range 131.5–135.8 mm) after 70 d. Survival was also higher (P≤ 0.05) among fish reared at salinities of 12 ppt or lower (mean 85.6%; range 77.5%–92.5%) compared to those reared at the two highest salinities (42.5% survival at 16 ppt; 5.0% survival at 20 ppt). Thus, although typically found in freshwater habitats, white bass can survive and grow in brackish water.
The Darwin reading notebooks (1838-1860).

The Handlist of Darwin Papers at the Unihersity Library, Cambridge' includes three items identified as "reading notebooks." These are items # 119, # 120, and # 128. Items # 119 and # 128 are chronological listings of both books Darwin actually read and books Darwin only intended to read. Item # 120 is an alphabetical catalogue of some of the same books. The purpose of this paper is to provide a transcription of the chronological listings of books Darwin indicates he actually read, as given in items # 1 19 and # 128. The alphabetical catalogue, since it merely repeats entries in the chronological notebooks, has not been reproduced here, although, as noted below, it was useful in transcribing items # 119 and # 128.
Nitric oxide trapping of the tyrosyl radical-chemistry and biochemistry.

The quenching of the Y(D) tyrosyl radical in photosystem II by nitric oxide was reported to result from the formation of a weak tyrosyl radical-nitric oxide complex. This radical/radical reaction is expected to generate an electron spin resonance (ESR)-silent nitrosocyclohexadienone species that can reversibly regenerate the tyrosyl radical and nitric oxide or undergo rearrangement to form 3-nitrosotyrosine. It has been proposed that 3-nitrosotyrosine can be oxidized by one electron to form the tyrosine iminoxyl radical (>C=N-O.). This proposal was put forth as a result of ESR detection of the iminoxyl radical intermediate when photosystem II was exposed to nitric oxide. Although the detection of the iminoxyl radical in photosystem II strongly suggested a mechanism involving 3-nitrosotyrosine, the iminoxyl radical ESR spectrum was not unequivocally identified as originating from tyrosine. Subsequently, non-protein L-tyrosine iminoxyl radical was generated by two methods: (1) peroxidase oxidation of synthetic 3-nitroso-N-acetyl-L-tyrosine; and (2) peroxidase oxidation of free L-tyrosine in the presence of nitric oxide. The determination of protein nitrotyrosine content has become a frequently used technique for the detection of nitrosative tissue damage. Protein nitration has been suggested to be a final product of the production of highly reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates (e.g. peroxynitrite) formed in reactions between nitric oxide (NO.) and oxygen-derived species such as superoxide. The enzyme prostaglandin H synthase-2 also forms a tyrosyl radical during its enzymatic catalysis of prostaglandin formation. In the presence of the NO.-generator diethylamine nonoate, the tyrosyl radical of prostaglandin H synthase-2 also changes to that of an iminoxyl radical. Western blot analysis of prostaglandin H synthase-2 after exposure to the NO.-generator revealed nitrotyrosine formation. The results provide a mechanism for nitric oxide-dependent tyrosine nitration that does not require formation of more highly reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates such as peroxynitrite or nitrogen dioxide.
Incommensurate phase in Ba2TiSi2O8

Abstract Transmission electron microscope examination of Ba2TiSi2O8 has revealed a new incommensurate phase. The incommensurate reflections occur along 〈100〉, and in the h k 1 2 level. At elevated temperatures the incommensurate reflections disappear; it is suggested that the property anomalies previously reported in this material at 160°C are due to the onset of the incommensuration. Differences and similarities with other related compounds are discussed.
The effect of gastroenterology training on the efficiency and cost of care provided to patients with diverticulitis.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: National trends emphasize the need for cost- efficient medical care with no diminution in quality. The most appropriate role for various physician groups has yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of medical care provided by family practitioners (FPs), internists (IMs), and gastroenterologists (GIs) for acute diverticulitis. METHODS: All medicare hospitalizations from 1990 to 1993 in Illinois caused by acute diverticulitis, with FPs, IMs, or GIs as the primary attending physician, were included in the study. RESULTS: The primary attending physician was an FP in 1019 cases, an IM in 2535 cases, and a GI in 163 cases. The age and sex distributions were similar. The length of stay was significantly shorter (P
Influenza B virus model of Reye's syndrome in mice: the effect of aspirin

Aspirin is a possible cofactor with influenza B virus in Reye's syndrome. In an attempt to determine whether single or multiple doses of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) alter mortality in an influenza B virus mouse model of Reye's syndrome, either ASA (300 to 667 mg/kg) or saline was given intraperitoneally to 3-week-old Balb/c mice. Two hours later, one median lethal dose (LD50) of influenza B/Lee virus was given intravenously. Mortality was not significantly increased by the single ASA dose. Blood ASA levels rose as high as 68 mg/dl. The average ASA blood levels in mice 12 hours after receiving the virus plus 667 mg/kg ASA was 22.6 mg/dl, which was significantly higher than the 3.4 mg/dl for mice who received saline plus ASA. No significant increase in mortality occurred in mice given 67 mg/kg ASA twice daily for 7 days and one LD50 dose of virus on day 4. We conclude that a single dose of ASA at up to half the median lethal dose or multiple doses of ASA do not significantly increase mortality in this influenza virus model of Reye's syndrome. However, influenza B virus infection appears to interfere with ASA metabolism.
Integrating population health into a general surgical residency curriculum.

Abstract The once disparate fields of public health and medicine are slowly converging and reintegrating. Public health principles of community interventions and partnerships to effect better population health are included in the curricula of more medical schools. For graduate medical education, the specialties of internal medicine, family medicine, and preventive medicine are intuitively obvious population health partners, whereas surgeons have been relatively silent in this area. Despite the fact that many common surgical diseases are directly attributable to preventable causes, including cancer, trauma, and obesity, surgical residents receive little formal population health education. However, surgeons have always been and are increasingly active within the public health sphere. Examples of surgical population health initiatives include trauma systems development and improvement, research on disparities, and global health initiatives, including disaster relief. This article describes a single institution experience utilizing modest curriculum changes, increased global health opportunities, and direct service learning to help integrate population health principles into a general surgical residency program.
Conveyor of live germs

The discovery of possible traces of life in a Martian meteorite [McKay et al., 1996] calls to mind a 100-year-old dispute between Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) and the Nobel Prize winning Swedish scientist, Svante August Arrhenius. Both scientists believed that life on our planet was brought from another planet, rather than having originated from inorganic matter here on Earth. However, the two scientists had very different ideas about the mechanism through which this life would be transported. Lord Kelvin believed that life was brought to Earth by "countless seed-bearing meteoritic stones" that could be produced through collisions between other inhabited planets in diferent parts of our galaxy [Thomson, 1871]. Svante Arrhenius agued that "The carbon found in meteorites has never exhibited any trace of organic structure," and if in fact meteorites are the "conveyor of life germs," those germs would be burned up in the atmosphere of the planet on which they descended [Arrhenius, 1908].
The Design and Selection of Evaluation Studies A User-Oriented Framework and Its Assessment

User involvement in the design and selection of evaluation studies is a widely advocated strategy for increasing their use. In this paper a particular structure (the "user-oriented framework") for guiding such involvement is described . In addition, some tentative propositions are offered concerning the viability of this framework (and, more generally, user involvement in study design and selection). Finally, other strategies are identified that might be employed in conjunction with the user-oriented framework in order to increase its viability in certain contexts
The use of strategy support models

Computer‐based modelling is something with which many retailers are now familiar, especially simulation modelling, financial modelling, and decision support modelling. The writer argues that these models are largely tools to help solve important, clearly‐defined, operational business problems. But, he says, there is a vast range of broad, complex, “fuzzy” problems which are less operational than strategic. These are the problems which can be tackled by the use of strategy support modelling.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation

Fresh osteochondral allografting is a reconstructive technique with a long clinical history. In fresh allografting, diseased or damaged articular cartilage is replaced with living mature hyaline cartilage from a suitable donor. The bony portion of the allograft serves as an attachment vehicle or to reconstruct associated osseous defects. Fresh allografts can be used for a wide spectrum of pathology, ranging from focal chondral lesions to posttraumatic arthrosis. The surgical technique involves fashioning the allograft to fit into a prepared recipient site. Outcomes of fresh allografting for focal femoral condyle lesions are 75–90% successful while results in salvage situations range from 50–75% successful at follow-up intervals from 2 to 15 years. Many unique clinical issues associated with fresh osteochondral allografting require further investigation, but clinical success supports the use of fresh allografts as a cartilage repair technique.
Post-convergence automatic differentiation of iterative schemes

A new approach for performing automatic differentiation (AD) of computer codes that embody an iterative procedure, based on differentiating a single additional iteration upon achieving convergence, is described and implemented. This post-convergence automatic differentiation (PAD) technique results in better accuracy of the computed derivatives, as it eliminates part of the derivatives convergence error, and a large reduction in execution time, especially when many iterations are required to achieve convergence. In addition, it provides a way to compute derivatives of the converged solution without having to repeat the entire iterative process every time new parameters are considered. These advantages are demonstrated and the PAD technique is validated via a set of three linear and nonlinear codes used to solve neutron transport and fluid flow problems. The PAD technique reduces the execution time over direct AD by a factor of up to 30 and improves the accuracy of the derivatives by up to two orders of magnitude. The PAD technique`s biggest disadvantage lies in the necessity to compute the iterative map`s Jacobian, which for large problems can be prohibitive. Methods are discussed to alleviate this difficulty.
Sustained Removal of Uranium From Contaminated Groundwater Following Stimulation of Dissimilatory Metal Reduction

Previous field studies on in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater in an aquifer in Rifle, Colorado identified two distinct phases following the addition of acetate to stimulate microbial respiration. In phase I, Geobacter species are the predominant organisms, Fe(III) is reduced, and microbial reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) removes uranium from the groundwater. In phase II, Fe(III) is depleted, sulfate is reduced, and sulfate-reducing bacteria predominate. Long-term monitoring revealed an unexpected third phase during which U(VI) removal continues even after acetate additions are stopped. All three of these phases were successfully reproduced in flow-through sediment columns. When sediments from the third phase were heat sterilized, the capacity for U(VI) removal was lost. In the live sediments U(VI) removed from the groundwater was recovered as U(VI) in the sediments. This contrasts to the recovery of U(IV) in sediments resulting from the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) during the Fe(III) reduction phase in acetate-amended sediments. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences in the sediments in which U(VI) was being adsorbed indicated that members of the Firmicutes were the predominant organisms whereas no Firmicutes sequences were detected in background sediments which did not have the capacity to sorb U(VI), suggesting that the U(VI) adsorption might be due to the presence of these living organisms or at least their intact cell components. This unexpected enhanced adsorption of U(VI) onto sediments following the stimulation of microbial growth in the subsurface may potentially enhance the cost effectiveness of in situ uranium bioremediation.
Conversion of the human 5-HT1Dβ serotonin receptor to the rat 5-HT1b ligand-binding phenotype by Thr355 ASN site directed mutagenesis

Abstract The human 5-HT 1Ds serotonin receptor and its rat homolog (also called the 5-HT 1B receptor) share 93% amino acid identity, yet display markedly different pharmacological specificities. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences among these and other recently cloned receptors suggested that this phenotypic difference might be attributable to a single human threonine 355 /rat asparagine 351 amino acid difference in the putative seventh membrane spanning regions. We now report that Thr 355 Asn mutagenesis of the human S-HT 1Ds receptor alters the binding characteristics of the recombinant receptor in [ 3 H]5-HT binding assays to a profile very similar to that of the rat S-HT 1B binding site. These results confirm that this single amino acid difference is responsible for the majority of the known pharmacological discrepancies between human and rat observed for 5-HT 1Ds (S-HT 1B ) receptors.
Teaching “Straight” Gay and Lesbian History

The importance of offering a lesbian and gay American history course was initially im pressed upon me in 1986. A newly minted Ph.D., I was teaching my very first class: a U.S. history survey at San Francisco State University (sfsu). The course required each student to review a book of his or her choice on any topic in U.S. history. One student chose John D'Emilio's Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940?1970 from my list of suggested titles and wrote a thoughtful, enthusiastic review.1 At the bottom of the review was a handwritten note: "Thanks for recommending this book. As a gay man, I didn't know I had a history." Didn't know he had a history?! My fellow historians will share my sense of dismay and my determination to remedy this unthinkable state of affairs. I have always included the history of gay men and lesbians in my various classes, not as a sop to "political correctness" and not because it is an amusing/interesting "add on" to "real" history, but because it is a vital component of a more complete understanding of American political, economic, social, legal, military, and religious history. For example, my courses that focus on the twentieth century include the significant role that the cam paign against homosexuals played in McCarthy-era persecutions; in "U.S. Historical Ge ography" (which examines the role physical geography has played in the development of the United States), we study how and why the coastal cities of New York and San Fran cisco emerged as major centers of homophile populations; in women's history courses we examine the controversy and contributions lesbians brought to various feminist move ments.
Atypical and typical (idiopathic) slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Reconfirmation of the age-weight test and description of the height and age-height tests.

Background: The age-weight test was described to aid the clinician in defining demographic predictors of an atypical slipped capital femoral epiphysis. We wished to retest the accuracy and applicability of the age-weight test and height differences in children with atypical and typical slipped capit
Response to the Journal of School Choice's Special Section on “Private Religious Protestant and Catholic Education in North America: Contributions and Concerns”

In this article, the author addresses many of the key points in each of the special section articles to which he responded. He observes that they are all very important pieces of research in that they clearly add important information to the existing body of research. The author notes that the articles provide insight on school climate in faith-based schools, addressing race and identity, appreciating the principal's sense of calling in these schools, and addressing how believers being raised in Christian and public schools prepared them in different ways. He also asserts that Christian schools need to return to their main calling, which is to help young people develop into Christ-like human beings in their minds and hearts.
An Automated Approach to Process Optimisation, Parameter Setting, and Robustness Testing

The design, development, and application of a robotic platform are described for use in organic synthesis. Two novel plant reactor mimics and peripheral modules have been designed and integrated with a Zymark XP Track Robot allowing a wide scope of chemistries. Throughput limitations of two reactors were resolved by incorporating automated self-draining/self-cleaning modules into the system to allow continuous operation. Control software was written in-house, allowing simple, high-quality, and reproducible control. The application of this instrument to process optimisation coupled with statistical experimental design (DOE) and parameter setting is illustrated with two examples.
Floral development and morphology of Vochysiaceae. I. The structure of the gynoecium.

Vochysiaceae are divided into two tribes on the basis of ovary structure (superior trilocular or inferior unilocular). The superior trilocular ovary has been considered basal in the family, and the term ‘‘pseudomonomerous’’ was used to indicate the presumed evolutionary derivation of the unilocular condition from the trilocular. However, recent evidence that Vochysiaceae are Myrtalean suggests that the superior ovary may be secondarily derived. In addition, published figures cast doubt on the interpretation of the putatively unilocular ovaries. To understand these features, floral ontogeny and anatomy were examined using scanning electron microscopy and serial sectioning. In all taxa examined, the ovary develops in an epigynous fashion, on a concave floral apex, supporting the hypothesis that the superior ovary is secondarily derived. Subsequent to initiation of the ovary, differential growth results in ovaries that are superior, inferior, or partly inferior in different genera. Sections of floral buds of the two unilocular genera, Erisma and Erismadelphus, show aborted locules in the latter but not in the former. The application of the term ‘‘pseudomonomerous’’ to both genera obscures this significant difference. The position of the placenta in the truly unilocular genus varies among species, suggesting a character transformation series from multilocular through intermediates to truly unilocular.
Lightweight tracing for wireless sensor networks debugging

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are being increasingly deployed in the real world to monitor the environment and large industrial infrastructures. The extreme resource constraints inherent to WSNs, the in situ deployment in harsh environments and the lack of run-time support tools make debugging and maintaining WSN applications very challenging. In particular, run-time debugging tools are required to detect and diagnose complex run-time faults such as race-conditions, which occur due to unexpected interaction with the real-world environment. The ability to repeatedly reproduce the failure by replaying the execution from the trace of events that took place can play a crucial role in debugging such faults. Obtaining such a trace is made difficult due to tight resource constraints. In this paper, we propose a lightweight tracing tool for WSNs which uses a novel control flow tracing and encoding scheme to generate a highly compressed control-flow trace. In addition to the construction of the trace, our tracing tool supports storing the trace in non-volatile memory and querying interface that allows base station to retrieve the trace when needed. We show the effectiveness of our tracing tool through a case-study and illustrate its low overhead through measurements.
Trade-offs in skillacquisition and time allocation among juvenile chacma baboons.

We hypothesize that juvenile baboons are less efficient foragers than adult baboons owing to their small size, lower level of knowledge and skill, and/or lesser ability to maintain access to resources. We predict that as resources are more difficult to extract, juvenile baboons will demonstrate lower efficiency than adults will because of their lower levels of experience. In addition, we hypothesize that juvenile baboons will be more likely to allocate foraging time to easier-to-extract resources owing to their greater efficiency in acquiring those resources.
Cyclicity and Paleo-Environmental Dynamics of a 1.9 Ga Passive-Margin Carbonate Terrace, Wopmay Orogen, N.W.T.: ABSTRACT

The 1.90-1.89 billion year old Rocknest Formation in the Northwest Territories is a west-facing, passive-margin carbonate terrace in the foreland of Wopmay orogen. Initial outbuilding of an accretionary stromatolite rim over downslope facies was followed by upbuilding of the rim, local backstepping of the rim, and terminal subduction-related drowning of the entire shelf. The rim was flanked to the west by deep-water slope rhythmite and breccia, and on the east by a carbonate-shoal complex, separating the ocean from a broad (100-200 km wide) lagoon with a siliciclastic eastern shoreline. Concurrently, the shoal complex underwent repeated eastward expansion over the lagoon to form about 150 shoaling-upward cycles (1.25 m thick), consisting of carbonate tidal-flat tufa that verlies storm-dominated, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic lagoonal facies. Correlation of cycles for over 200 km parallel with and 100 km across depositional strike shows that cycle boundaries abut facies boundaries, indicating that complete shoaling of the lagoon to sea level was not required to induce the next submergence increment, suggesting an allocyclic rather than autocyclic mechanism. Radiometric constraints bracket cycle periodicity between 25,000-40,000 yr/cycle. These values are within the range of known earth orbital cycles (periods at 19,000, 23,000, 41,000, and 100,000 yr), the likely cause of Pleistocene glacio-eustatic sea level oscillations, and possibly Rocknest cyclicity. Rocknest cycles can be modeled using period and amplitude of sea level oscillation, and subsidence an sedimentation rates as variables. Resulting computer-generated cyclic stratigraphies are compared to actual Rocknest cyclic stratigraphy in order to constrain variables responsible for cycle development. End_of_Article - Last_Page 260------------
The frequency of occurrence, types, and characteristics of visual field defects in acquired brain injury: a retrospective analysis.

Abstract Background The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of visual field defects in a sample of visually symptomatic, ambulatory outpatients who have acquired brain injury (ABI), either traumatic brain injury (TBI) or cerebral vascular accident (CVA). Methods The medical records of 220 individuals with TBI (n=160) or CVA (n=60) were reviewed retrospectively. This was determined by a computer-based query spanning the years 2000 through 2003. The individuals' records were reviewed to determine the frequency of targeted visual field defects that were classified as scattered, restricted, homonymous, nonhomonymous, and visual neglect. The altitudinal and lateral characteristics of these defects were also determined. Results In the total ABI sample of 220, some 102 (46.36%) individuals had 1 of the targeted defects diagnosed. These defects were present in 62 (38.75%) of the TBI subgroup and in 40 (66.67%) of the CVA subgroup. The most frequent defects in the TBI group were scattered (58.06%) followed by homonymous (22.58%). In the CVA group, the most numerous were homonymous (47.5%), with scattered and nonhomonymous accounting for 20% each. Conclusion The uniqueness of the current study is that it reports the frequency of occurrence of specified visual field defects in the total ABI sample and in the TBI and CVA subgroups. This enabled comparisons with other studies that generally have reported on just 1 of these groupings. The current results are in accord with most of the other studies that are reviewed. The findings of this study should alert the reader to the high frequency of occurrence of visual field defects in the ABI population, and make the reader aware of the adverse effects they can have on quality of life and rehabilitation.
A Non-Equilibrium Sediment Transport Model for Coastal Inlets and Navigation Channels

Abstract This paper presents a depth-averaged sediment transport model with emphasis on morphodynamic processes near coastal inlets and navigation channels. The model solves the depth-averaged two-dimensional non-equilibrium transport equation of total-load sediment, considering bed-material hiding and exposure, avalanching and sediment transport over hard bottoms. The model is coupled with a depth-averaged circulation model and a spectral wave transformation model. Predicted bed changes are compared with measurements for two laboratory experiments of channel infilling and in a field study at Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island, NY. The results indicate that the model is capable of predicting the general trends of morphology change and provides a useful tool for engineering applications such as coastal sediment management, navigation channel maintenance, and beach erosion protection.
Assessing the measurement properties of neighborhood scales: from psychometrics to ecometrics

Most studies examining the relation between residential environment and health have used census-derived measures of neighborhood socioeconomic position (SEP). There is a need to identify specific features of neighborhoods relevant to disease risk, but few measures of these features exist, and their measurement properties are understudied. In this paper, the authors 1) develop measures (scales) of neighborhood environment that are important in cardiovascular disease risk, 2) assess the psychometric and ecometric properties of these measures, and 3) examine individual- and neighborhood-level predictors of these measures. In 2004, data on neighborhood conditions were collected from a telephone survey of 5,988 residents at three US study sites (Baltimore, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; and New York, New York). Information collected covered seven dimensions of neighborhood environment (aesthetic quality, walking environment, availability of healthy foods, safety, violence, social cohesion, and activities with neighbors). Neighborhoods were defined as census tracts or census clusters. Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.73 to 0.83, with test-retest reliabilities of 0.60-0.88. Intraneighborhood correlations were 0.28-0.51, and neighborhood reliabilities were 0.64-0.78 for census tracts for most scales. The neighborhood scales were strongly associated with neighborhood SEP but also provided information distinct from neighborhood SEP. These results illustrate a methodological approach for assessing the measurement properties of neighborhood-level constructs and show that these constructs can be measured reliably.
Fitness-guided path exploration in dynamic symbolic execution

Dynamic symbolic execution is a structural testing technique that systematically explores feasible paths of the program under test by running the program with different test inputs to improve code coverage. To address the space-explosion issue in path exploration, we propose a novel approach called Fitnex, a search strategy that uses state-dependent fitness values (computed through a fitness function) to guide path exploration. The fitness function measures how close an already discovered feasible path is to a particular test target (e.g., covering a not-yet-covered branch). Our new fitness-guided search strategy is integrated with other strategies that are effective for exploration problems where the fitness heuristic fails. We implemented the new approach in Pex, an automated structural testing tool developed at Microsoft Research. We evaluated our new approach by comparing it with existing search strategies. The empirical results show that our approach is effective since it consistently achieves high code coverage faster than existing search strategies.
Differences in acute toxicity test results of three reference toxicants on Daphnia at two temperatures

Ten 48-h static acute toxicity tests were conducted with Daphnia magna Straus and Daphnia pulex Leydig with each of the three reference toxicants — sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium pentachlorophenate (NaPCP), and cadmium (Cd) (as CdCl2) — at 20 and 26°C to investigate the effect of temperature on test results at the temperature extremes usually encountered during field studies. The mean 48-h LC50 value for SDS with Daphnia pulex at 26°C was lower (10.2 mg/L) than at 20°C (12.6 mg/L), but the difference was not significant (α = 0.05). For Daphnia magna the mean LC50 was significantly (α = 0.05) lower at 26°C (10.8 mg/L) than at 20°C (13.5 mg/L). Sensitivity of either species to NaPCP was not significantly different (α = 0.05) at the two temperatures. The data show a fourfold increase in sensitivity to Cd at the higher temperature with Daphnia magna (mean LC50 = 0.038 mg/L at 20°C and 0.009 mg/L at 26°C) and a sevenfold increase with Daphnia pulex (mean LC50 = 0.042 mg/L at 20°C and 0.006 mg/L at 26°C). These data indicate that toxicity tests conducted at 20 and 26°C may give significantly different results with Daphnia. Because test precision, control survival, and the likelihood of obtaining valid tests are better at 20°C, that temperature is recommended for acute toxicity tests with Daphnia.
Dietary supplements and stroke.

In the past, phenylpropanolamine (dl-norephedrine, an ephedrine alkaloid) was a common ingredient in appetite suppressants and cough and cold medicines. It has been associated with hypertension 1 and is an independent risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke in women. 2 Dietary supplements with ephedra alkaloids are also associated with cardiovascular and central nervous system adverse events. 3 A 36-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. She was diagnosed with a migraine and was discharged with a prescription for promethazine. She later returned still complaining of headache and was referred to an outpatient clinic without emergency department evaluation. She was admitted from this clinic to the hospital for rehydration. On admission, noncontrast computed tomography of the head showed infarction of the posterior two thirds of the medial aspect of the right cerebellar hemisphere with adjacent localized mass effect. The next day, an acute stroke was confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging: fluid-attenuated inversion recovery axial images revealed increased signal in the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) territory (A), and diffusion-weighted axial images showed increased signal consistent with restricted diffusion, which is indicative of acute ischemia (B). Cerebral angiography showed occlusion of the right PICA (C) and bilateral vertebral artery dissections (D). An extensive thrombophilia work-up revealed no evidence of a coagulation disorder. The patient had no risk factors for or family history of stroke. A urine drug screen confirmed the presence of ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. After these findings were discussed, the patient’s husband brought in a bottle of the patient’s “diet and energy pills,” which listed ephedrine group alkaloids as one of the ingredients. Ephedrine alkaloid ingestion with resulting hypertension and subsequent vertebral artery dissection may be the mechanism of massive stroke in this otherwise healthy young woman. It is important to consider dietary supplement ingestion when evaluating young patients with unexpected stroke or myocardial infarction.
Femtosecond studies of electron photodetachment from an iodide ion in solution: The trapped electron

Abstract We have performed femtosecond studies of electron photodetachment from a simple halide ion in aqueous solution. After photoexcitation, the electron is trapped in the deep potential well formed by the orientational polarization of the water molecules around the anion. This trapped state of the electron is a precursor of the wet electron and in the case of an aqueous iodide ion has a strong absorption in the visible. We hypothesize that the electron recombines with the neutral halogen atom or crosses onto the potential surface of the wet electron by a non-adiabatic electron transfer process. We find that analogous to the case of photoionization of a neutral water molecule, the wet to solvated electron transition in the vicinity of the halogen atom can be described as two-state in character.
Implantable RF-coiled chip packaging

In this paper, we present an embedded chip integration technology that utilizes silicon housings and flexible parylene radio frequency (RF) coils. As a demonstration of this technology, a flexible parylene RF coil has been integrated with an RF identification (RFID) chip. The coil has an inductance of 16 muH, with two layers of metal completely encapsulated in parylene-C. The functionality of the embedded chip is verified using an RFID reader module. Accelerated-lifetime soak testing has been performed in saline, and the results show that the silicon chip is well protected and the lifetime of our parylene-encapsulated RF coil at 37degC is more than 20 years.
PGS and PLUCGS-two new matrix solution techniques for general circuit simulation

Two techniques for general circuit simulation, an intelligent, partial Gauss-Seidel scheme (PGS) and a preconditioned conjugate-gradient scheme (PLUCGS), are described. Both techniques are robust and accurate for bipolar and MOS analog and digital circuits. PGS is a novel combination of direct solution, using LU factorization, and iterative solution, using Gauss-Seidel relaxation. The method converges faster and more reliably than Gauss-Seidel, while taking a comparable amount of execution time per iteration. Solution speeds up to 6 times faster than direct methods have been demonstrated and higher grains are anticipated for larger circuits. The second method, PLUCGS, uses a partial LU factorization as a preconditioner; a vectorized implementation on a CONVEX C-240 computer is 5-7 times faster than the direct solution method with only one-fourth the memory requirements. >
Methods to improve cardiac gene therapy expression

Gene therapy strategies are becoming a valuable approach for the treatment of heart failure. Some trials are ongoing and others are being organized. Vascular access in clinical experimentation is still the chosen modality of delivery, but many other approaches are in research and development. A successful gene therapy strategy involves not only the choice of the right vector and gene, but also the correct delivery strategy that allows for transduction of the highest percentage of cardiomyocytes, limited spilling of virus into other organs and the possibility to correlate the amount of injected virus to the rate of the expression within the cardiac tissue. The authors will first concentrate on clarifying what the barriers are that the virus has to overcome in order to reach the nuclei of the target organs and methodologies that have been tested to improve the range of expression.
Phytoplankton response to nutrient enrichment in an urbanized estuary: Apparent inhibition of primary production by overeutrophication

Phytoplankton response to nutrients was examined with a 26-yr database from the Delaware Estuary. Biomassnormalized primary production did not increase linearly with increasing nutrient concentrations and instead showed saturation at comparatively low nutrient concentrations and decreased at high concentrations. To separate the effects of light availability and temperature on primary production from those of other environmental variables, we developed an empirical model of areal primary production. The model equation was obtained for the entire dataset and the effect of the residual variables was expressed as correction factors of observed primary production to the model estimates. The model accounted for 67% of variability of observed primary production overall, indicating that production of the estuary was mainly controlled by light availability and temperature. In contrast, a similar model applied to a Chesapeake Bay database had shown a poorer fit, indicating consistent light limitation in the Delaware Estuary and varying strengths of light and nutrient limitation in the Chesapeake Bay. The relationships between nutrients and correction factors for the Delaware Estuary showed that the model underestimates primary production at low and mid nutrient concentrations and overestimates it at high concentrations. The model fit and correction factors for five regions of the estuary indicate a high-nutrient, low-growth situation in the Delaware Estuary because of varying influences of light limitation, proportions of nutrients, and probably toxic contaminants in areas with large anthropogenic inputs—including high nutrients.
Dual constrained single machine sequencing to minimize total weighted completion time

We study a single-machine sequencing problem with both release dates and deadlines to minimize the total weighted completion time. We propose a branch-and-bound algorithm for this problem. The algorithm exploits an effective lower bound and a dynamic programming dominance technique. As a byproduct of the lower bound, we have developed a new algorithm for the generalized isotonic regression problem; the algorithm can also be used as an O(nlogn)-time timetabling routine in earliness-tardiness scheduling. Extensive computational experiments indicate that the proposed branch-and-bound algorithm competes favorably with a dynamic programming procedure. Note to Practitioners-Real-life production systems usually involve multiple machines and resources. The configurations of such systems may be complex and subject to change over time. Therefore, model-based solution approaches, which aim to solve scheduling problems for specific configurations, will inevitably run into difficulties. By contrast, decomposition methods are much more expressive and extensible. The single-machine problem and its solution procedure studied in this paper will prove useful to a decomposition method that decomposes multiple-machine, multiple-resource scheduling problems into a number of single-machine problems. The total weighted completion time objective is relevant to production environments where inventory levels and manufacturing cycle times are key concerns. Future research can be pursued along two directions. First, it seems to be necessary to further generalize the problem to consider also negative job weights. Second, the solution procedure developed here is ready to be incorporated into a machine-oriented decomposition method such as the shifting bottleneck procedure.
Effect of fire on survival and growth of Acer rubrum and Quercus seedlings

Abstract Controlled ground fires had a significant effect on survival and growth of 1- to 2-year-old seedlings of Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra and Quercus alba. In addition, although not statistically significant, seedling survival of fire was higher at lower than at higher fuel loading levels. Seedlings of Q. rubra survived fire better than those of A. rubrum. This superior survival was associated with a greater rate of resprouting in Quercus after fire in the spring, but not after an autumn fire. Starch concentrations in roots fluctuated seasonally in all species, reaching minimum levels in May. Seedlings of both Quercus species maintained higher root starch levels and greater seasonal stability in starch levels than A. rubrum seedlings: results that may have contributed to the superior resprouting capacity of Quercus seedlings after spring fire. However, starch reserves could not account for differences in autumn fire survival, as starch concentrations in this season were high and roughly equivalent in all species, and there was little subsequent resprouting observed in surviving seedlings of any species. The lower rate of resprouting in A. rubrum seedlings may be attributable to some combination of morphological constraints and lack of starch reserves. Carbon allocation patterns of Quercus seedlings apparently favored maintenance of high root starch levels while carbon allocation of A. rubrum seedlings apparently favored rapid growth.
Visual reasoning for information retrieval from very large databases

When the database grows larger and larger, the user no longer knows what is in the database and nor does the user know clearly what should be retrieved. How to get at the data becomes a central problem for very large databases. We suggest an approach based upon data visualization and visual reasoning. The idea is to transform the data objects and present sample data objects in a visual space. The user can then incrementally formulate the information retrieval request in the visual space. By combining data visualization, visual query, visual examples and visual clues, we hope to come up with better ways for formulating and modifying a user's query. A prototype system using the Visual Language Compiler and the VisualNet is then described.
Performance test case generation for microprocessors

We describe a systematic methodology for generating performance test cases for current generation microprocessors. Such rest cases are used for: (a) validating the expected pipeline flow behavior and timing; and, (b) detecting and diagnosing performance bugs in the design. We cite examples of application to a real, superscalar processor in pre- and post-silicon stages of development.
Molecular prognostic testing and individualized patient care in uveal melanoma.

Purpose To critically assess the status of molecular prognostic testing and its use for individualized patient care in uveal melanoma. Design Perspective, literature review, evidence assessment, and commentary. Methods Evaluation of selected articles from the literature and the authors' clinical and laboratory studies. Results The most accurate molecular tests for predicting metastatic death in patients with uveal melanoma currently involve automated techniques for assessing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) copy number alterations and gene expression profiling. Most tests reported in the literature to date do not provide adequate scientific and statistical validation to be used outside of an ethically supervised investigational environment. Conclusions Many cytogenetic and molecular prognostic tests for uveal melanoma have been reported, yet few have reached the standards required for routine clinical testing. Clinicians must understand the statistical and scientific limitations of the tests they are using, and appropriate ethical oversight is essential until such time that validated testing instruments are available that are performed in a standardized clinical testing environment. Well-controlled prospective studies are necessary to identify the most accurate, widely accessible, and affordable tests for routine clinical use.
Scaling of the irreversibility line with superconducting transition temperature in oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ

We report AC susceptibility and resistivity measurements of the vortex motion in single crystal YBa_2Cu_3O_(7−δ), with δ ~ 0.62. The superconducting transition temperature was varied from 7 K to 17 K by altering the oxygen vacancy ordering in the chains. We find that both the slope of the irreversibility line and its extrapolated zero temperature value scale linearly with T_c, providing strong evidence for the intrinsic nature of the irreversibility line. Moreover, the reduced magnetic field scale of oxygen deficient crystals allows us to obtain new results at previously inaccessible reduced temperatures, well below T_c.
The commercialization of clinical genetics: an analysis of interrelations between academic centers and for-profit clinical genetics diagnostics companies.

The field of clinical genetics has undergone substantial commercialization, including the development of genetics diagnostics companies. Numerous for-profit corporations now offer genetic diagnostic services; until recently, these clinical services were provided almost exclusively through academic, not-for-profit medical centers. Some of these for-profit corporations have business and/or research relationships with academia. An evaluation of the interconnections between academia and the clinical genetics industry is an important first step in analyzing the risks and benefits of commercialization. We analyzed the personnel and business affiliations of 19 major U.S. for-profit clinical genetics diagnostics companies with universities, academic medical centers, and the scientific and medical genetics communities in a 2-year period, 1991–1992. We noted extensive connections between the for-profit sector and academia. At least 17% of high-ranking personnel and 85% of consultants for the companies had one or more academic ties. At least 68% of the companies had one or more business agreements with at least one university or academic medical center. These results raise many issues regarding the delivery of genetic medicine and the structure and function of academic medical genetics centers.