cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy for measuring uranium isotopes in femtosecond laser ablation

We present the first two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy measurements of uranium isotopes in femtosecond laser ablation plasmas. A new method of signal normalization is presented to reduce noise in absorption-based measurements of laser ablation.
Scattering of a Semidiurnal Barotropic Kelvin Wave into Internal Waves over Wide Continental Shelves

AbstractIn boundary areas of the World Ocean, a semidiurnal tide propagates in the form of a Kelvin wave mode trapped by the coastline. Over wide continental shelves, the semidiurnal tide is no longer a pure Kelvin wave but attains features of a zero-mode edge wave. As a result, the wave structure and the alongshore energy flux concentrate over the continental shelf and slope topography and become very sensitive to the variations of shelf geometry. When a semidiurnal Kelvin wave encounters alongshore changes of the shelf width, its energy scatters into other wave modes, including internal waves. A particularly strong scattering occurs on wide shelves, where Kelvin wave structure undergoes significant modifications over short alongshore distances. These dynamics are studied using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). This study found that when the alongshore energy flux in the Kelvin wave mode converges on the shelf, the offshore wave radiation occurs through barotropic waves, while for the divergent ...
USArray Imaging of Continental Crust in the Conterminous United States

The thickness and bulk composition of continental crust provide important constraints on the evolution and dynamics of continents. Crustal mineralogy and thickness both may influence gravity anomalies, topographic elevation and lithospheric strength, but prior to the inception of EarthScope's USArray, seismic measurements of crustal thickness and properties useful for inferring lithology are sparse. Here we improve upon a previously-published methodology for joint inversion of Bouguer gravity anomalies and seismic receiver functions by using parameter-space stacking of cross-correlations of modeled synthetic and observed receiver functions instead of standard H-κ amplitude stacking. The new method is applied to estimation of thickness and bulk seismic velocity ratio, vP/vS, of continental crust in the conterminous United States using USArray and other broadband network data. Crustal thickness variations are reasonably consistent with those found in other studies and show interesting relationships to the history of North American continental formation. Seismic velocity ratios derived in this study are more robust than in other analyses, and hint at large-scale variations in composition of continental crust. To interpret the results, we model the pressure/temperature-dependent thermodynamics of mineral formation for various crustal chemistries, with and without volatile constituents. Our results suggest that hydration lowers bulk crustal vP/vS and density, and releases heat in the shallow crust but absorbs heat in the lowermost crust (where plagioclase breaks down to pyroxene and garnet, resulting in higher seismic velocity). Hence, vP/vS variations may provide a useful proxy for hydration state in the crust.
4-(1,4-Dimethoxy-2-naphthyl)-4-hydroxycyclohexanone and its ethylene ketal

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the solid state is reported for the title compound and its ethylene ketal. The title compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group, \(P\bar 1\) with a = 9.590(3), b = 9.620(3), c = 9.844(2) A, α = 97.67(2), β = 105.25(2), γ = 115.47(2), and Z = 2. The ethylene ketal crystallizes in the monoclinic space group, P21/c, with a = 7.230(2), b = 22.639(3), c = 10.839(2) A, β = 101.47(2), and Z = 4. The intramolecular hydrogen bond length of 1.79 A is the same for the ketone and ketal, but the O—H---O valence angle is 144° for the ketone and 165° for the ketal.
Extent of Groin Dissection for Melanoma

Issues and controversies relevant to the extent of groin dissection that should be performed in patients with malignant melanoma are reviewed. Published reports of patients undergoing groin dissection are summarized, with a focus on the extent of nodal involvement and the extent of operation performed. A mathematical model to predict the impact of elective deep groin dissection on the survival of melanoma patients with clinically negative deep pelvic nodes is presented. A policy of selective deep groin dissection for patients with clinically positive deep pelvic nodes as well as for those with clinically occult but at high risk for histologically positive pelvic nodes is advocated.
An Assessment of Sentencing Disparities among American Indians within the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Federal Circuit Courts

In a fair and equitable criminal justice system, one’s race should not influence their sentencing outcomes. Research studies conducted in the United States often report evidence that ethnic minorit...
Structural Basis of Dot1L Stimulation by Histone H2B Lysine 120 Ubiquitination

The essential histone H3 lysine 79 methyltransferase Dot1L regulates transcription and genomic stability and is deregulated in leukemia. The activity of Dot1L is stimulated by mono-ubiquitination of histone H2B on lysine 120 (H2BK120Ub); however, the detailed mechanism is not understood. We report cryo-EM structures of human Dot1L bound to (1) H2BK120Ub and (2) unmodified nucleosome substrates at 3.5 A and 4.9 A, respectively. Comparison of both structures, complemented with biochemical experiments, provides critical insights into the mechanism of Dot1L stimulation by H2BK120Ub. Both structures show Dot1L binding to the same extended surface of the histone octamer. In yeast, this surface is used by silencing proteins involved in heterochromatin formation, explaining the mechanism of their competition with Dot1. These results provide a strong foundation for understanding conserved crosstalk between histone modifications found at actively transcribed genes and offer a general model of how ubiquitin might regulate the activity of chromatin enzymes.
Seroepidemiology of measles in Beijing, China: a cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of measles and identify the high risk of measles infection in the general population of Beijing. A total of 2144 subjects aged 0–76 years old ...
Heparan sulfate proteoglycan, integrin, and syndecan-4 are mechanosensors mediating cyclic strain-modulated endothelial gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells

It is widely believed that the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into viable endothelial cells (ECs) for use in vascular tissue engineering can be enhanced by mechanical forces. In our previous work, we reported that shear stress enhanced important EC functional genes on a CD31+ /CD45- cell population derived from mouse ESC committed to the EC lineage. In the present study, in contrast to the effects of shear stress on this cell population, we observed that cyclic strain significantly reduced the expression of EC-specific marker genes (vWF, VE-cadherin, and PECAM-1), tight junction protein genes (ZO-1, OCLD, and CLD5), and vasoactive genes (eNOS and ET1), while it did not alter the expression of COX2. Taken together, these studies indicate that only shear stress, not cyclic strain, is a useful mechanical stimulus for enhancing the properties of CD31+ /CD45- cells for use as EC in vascular tissue engineering. To begin examining the mechanisms controlling cyclic strain-induced suppression of gene expression in CD31+ /CD45- cells, we depleted the heparan sulfate (HS) component of the glycocalyx, blocked integrins, and silenced the HS proteoglycan syndecan-4 in separate experiments. All of these treatments resulted in the reversal of cyclic strain-induced gene suppression. The current study and our previous work provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that balance the influence of cyclic strain and shear stress in endothelial cells.
Structure Learning of H-Colorings

We study the following structure learning problem for H-colorings. For a fixed (and known) constraint graph H with q colors, given access to uniformly random H-colorings of an unknown graph G=(V,E), how many samples are required to learn the edges of G? We give a characterization of the constraint graphs H for which the problem is identifiable for every G and show that there are identifiable constraint graphs for which one cannot hope to learn every graph G efficiently. We provide refined results for the case of proper vertex q-colorings of graphs of maximum degree d. In particular, we prove that in the tree uniqueness region (i.e., when q≤ d), the problem is identifiable and we can learn G in poly(d,q)× O(n2 log n) time. In the tree non-uniqueness region (i.e., when q≤ d), we show that the problem is not identifiable and thus G cannot be learned. Moreover, when q ≤ d - √d + Θ (1), we establish that even learning an equivalent graph (any graph with the same set of H-colorings) is computationally hard—sample complexity is exponential in n in the worst case. We further explore the connection between the efficiency/hardness of the structure learning problem and the uniqueness/non-uniqueness phase transition for general H-colorings and prove that under a well-known uniqueness condition in statistical physics, we can learn G in poly(d,q)× O(n2 log n) time.
Influence of Hydrogen Bonding and Ionicity of Protic Ionic Liquids on Lubricating Steel–Steel and Steel–Aluminum Contacts: Potential Ecofriendly Lubricants and Additives

Three ecofriendly protic ionic liquids (PILs), 2-hydroxyethylammonium 2-ethylhexanoate, 2-hydroxymethylammonium 2-ethylhexanoate, and 2-hydroxydimethylammonium 2-ethylhexanoate, with different extents of hydrogen bonding and ionicities, were synthesized and examined as neat lubricants and lubricant additives to a mineral oil (MO) under steel/steel and steel/aluminum contacts. The stability of each PIL–MO blend was observed and correlated to their individual structural features; their physicochemical and tribological properties were investigated and compared to a commercial mineral oil-based lubricant. The addition of any PIL to the mineral oil improved lubricity in steel/steel contact. In aluminum/steel contact, the PILs were studied as neat lubricants and additives showing different effects. The PIL with lower extent of hydrogen bonding but higher ionicity presented poor friction and led to higher wear as neat lubricant. However, as additive, this PIL prevented the intense tribo-corrosion reactions and generated a stable lubrication film that reduced friction; and was capable to form a protective layer on aluminum surface to avoid severe wear.
40 years of Luhmann's legacy in the Anglophone academic community: a quantitative content analysis of Luhmannian research

The current study presents the longitudinal overview of 40 years of Luhmannian research in the Anglophone academic community by employing a quantitative content analysis. As the first study of this...
Challenges characterizing N deposition to high elevation protected areas: A case study integrating instrument, simulated, and lichen inventory datasets for the Devils Postpile National Monument and surrounding region, USA

Abstract Excess N deposition is a common stressor of ecological health. Sensitive biota, including many lichens, respond to small differences in atmospheric N deposition. For lands with a conservation mandate, obtaining sufficient N data to evaluate risks is a challenge, especially in Mediterranean or arid landscapes. Managers in the Western U.S. commonly use epiphytic (“tree-dwelling”) lichens to supplement N assessments, although options for higher elevations lacking epiphytes are poorly developed. Managers instead rely on broad-scale air quality simulations like the Total Deposition Model (TDEP). The Sierra Nevada Range is an example where anthropogenic N reaches mid-to-high elevation protected areas but managers lack tools for monitoring at ecologically relevant spatial-scales. Our main goals were to demonstrate how well-studied epiphytic bioindicators can supplement N assessments and recommend saxicolous (“rock-dwelling”) candidates for similar development to improve coverage in higher elevations. As a case study, we characterized N deposition at a small (323 ha) protected area, Devils Postpile National Monument (DEPO), by integrating data from TDEP, air instruments, and assays of %N in the epiphyte Letharia vulpina. We used the regional N threshold associated with detrimental effects to epiphytic lichen communities, 2.9 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in throughfall (i.e. under a tree canopy), as a provisional critical load (CL) for indicating areas at risk of ecological impacts. Results clearly showed the need for empirical, diverse, and finer-scaled information, even for an area as small as DEPO. Importantly, simulations from TDEP overestimated dry deposition of oxidized N, making total N estimates nearly twice measured values (6.0 vs 3.03 – 3.66 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively). While small, our L. vulpina dataset (n = 5) from the Monument indicated highly variable N in throughfall (1.7 – 4.44 kg N ha−1 yr−1), with small-scale drivers, like proximity to the river canyon and the Central Valley, tipping the scale towards CL exceedance. Regional L. vulpina assays (n = 355) showed a distinct north-to-south gradient in California where N deposition at DEPO was highly similar to the nearby protected area, Yosemite National Park, where ecological impacts of excess N are well-documented. To expand N bio-monitoring into higher elevation areas, we recommend vetting five widespread saxicolous species, Rhizoplaca melanophthalma, Umbilicaria phaea, U. polaris, Xanthoparmelia coloradoensis, and X. cumberlandia.
PD-1 checkpoint blockade disrupts CD4 T cell regulated adaptive B cell tolerance to foreign antigens

Adaptive B cell immunity to environmental antigens must be regulated by multiple CD4 T cell dependent tolerance mechanisms. Using integrated single cell strategies, we demonstrate that acute PD-1 blockade induces extensive and selective local anti-inflammatory IgG1 plasma cell (PC) differentiation. Expansion of pre-existing IgG1 germinal center (GC) B cell and enhanced GC programming without memory B cell involvement reveals an isotype-specific GC checkpoint that blocks steady-state IgG1 antibody maturation. While there was no adjuvant impact on immunization, acute PD-1 checkpoint blockade exaggerates anti-commensal IgG1 antibody production, alters microbiome composition and exerts its action in a CD4 T cell dependent manner. These findings reveal a PD-1 controlled adaptive B cell tolerance checkpoint that selectively constrains maturation of pre-existing anti-inflammatory antibodies to prevent over-reaction to steady-state foreign antigens. In BriefPD-1 controls an adaptive B cell tolerance checkpoint in steady-state germinal centers to inhibit the maturation and production of IgG1 antibody with pre-existing foreign specificities. Highlights- Acute PD-1 blockade induces extensive IgG1 PC differentiation at homeostasis - PD-1 blockade releases an IgG1 GC B cell checkpoint that drives expansion and PC formation - No adjuvant effect on foreign antigen but expansion of pre-existing IgG1 specificities to non-self - PD-1 exerts CD4 T cell dependent tolerance in the GC to restrict IgG1 maturation to non-self Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/447979v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (44K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@152cc7forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@efaaa1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@ab3dd7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6925fd_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Sustainable, Scalable Professional Development in Early Mathematics: Strategies, Evaluation, and Tools

Young children in many US classrooms have limited opportunities to learn mathematics because their teachers are not well-prepared. The TRIAD model’s professional development has shown large significant effects on early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practice, as well as these teachers’ positive effects on children from low-resource communities, especially children with minority racial backgrounds. At the core of TRIAD are research-validated learning trajectories (LTs). We describe the professional development (PD) strategies we used, including an online tool, the “Learning and Teaching with Learning Trajectories” application (LearningTrajectories.org) that was central to the PD. We discuss the importance of LTs, then TRIAD’s use of LTs as the core of the approach to PD, and end with the empirical evidence supporting the efficacy and equity of this approach in mathematics teacher education.
Does Happiness Pay? An Exploration Based on Panel Data from Russia

Well-being research has supported the common sense view that income, health, and other factors affect happiness. We use panel data from Russia to assess the reverse causation — that happiness itself affects income, health, and other factors. We find that people who had higher “residual happiness” in 1995 – people who were happier after correcting for the usual determinants of well-being – made more money and were in better health in a survey 5 years later. Psychologists attribute a large part of well-being to factors such as self-esteem and optimism. The same factors appear to influence individuals’ wealth and health.
TurboBC: A Memory Efficient and Scalable GPU Based Betweenness Centrality Algorithm in the Language of Linear Algebra

Betweenness centrality (BC) is a shortest path centrality metric used to measure the influence of individual vertices or edges on huge graphs that are used for modeling and analysis of human brain, omics data, or social networks. The application of the BC algorithm to modern graphs must deal with the size of the graphs, as well with highly irregular data-access patterns. These challenges are particularly important when the BC algorithm is implemented on Graphics Processing Units (GPU), due to the limited global memory of these processors, as well as the decrease in performance due to the load unbalance resulting from processing irregular data structures. In this paper, we present the first GPU based linear-algebraic formulation and implementation of BC, called TurboBC, a set of memory efficient BC algorithms that exhibits good performance and high scalability on unweighted, undirected or directed sparse graphs of arbitrary structure. Our experiments demonstrate that our TurboBC algorithms obtain more than 18 GTEPs and an average speedup of 31.9x over the sequential version of the BC algorithm, and are on average 1.7x and 2.2x faster than the state-of-the-art algorithms implemented on the high performance, GPU-based, gunrock, and CPU-based, ligra libraries, respectively. These experiments also show that by minimizing their memory footprint, the TurboBC algorithms are able to compute the BC of relatively big graphs, for which the gunrock algorithms ran out of memory.
Current practices in mental health sensing

The ubiquity of smartphones and wearables makes it an attractive option to passively study human behavior. We explore the current practices of using passive sensing devices to assess mental health and wellbeing, including the limitations and future directions.
Martensitic Nucleation—Revisited

Some recent findings concerning heterogeneous martensitic nucleation are highlighted in this memorial tribute to Professor Zenji Nishiyama. It is now possible, with appropriate experimental observations, to express the distributions of nucleation-defect potencies (or equivalently, the activation energies) of both preexisting and autocatalytically-generated defects. Based on this treatment, the full course of a martensitic transformation on cooling or on isothermal holding can be derived
Chapter 6. Cotransmitters in the CNS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the examples of the coexistence of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). One of the most extensively studied cotransmitter relationships is that of dopamine (DA) with peptides related to cholecystokinin (CCK), a 33 amino acid peptide originally isolated from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where it induces pancreatic enzyme secretion. CCK is present in high concentrations in many brain regions, primarily as a sulfated octapeptide (CCK8). Using indirect immunofluorescence histochemistry together with retrograde tracing of fluorescent dyes, CCKB was shown to coexist with DA in the cell bodies and nerve terminals of a subpopulation of mesencephalic neurons. Thus, CCK may have a role in both the etiology and treatment of schizophrenia that could be related to its coexistence with DA. Norepinephrine (NE) has long been known to coexist with somatostatin in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and with enkephalin in the PNS, CNS (locus coeruleus), and the adrenal medulla. Coexistence has also been demonstrated in the mammalian PNS and CNS with avian- and bovine-pancreatic polypeptide-like material. An area of substantial research has been the investigation of the coexistence of serotonin (5-HT) with substance P (SP) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) both in the peripheral and central nervous systems. As with other classic neurotransmitters, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been shown t o coexist with other transmitters and neuropeptides in single neurons. Investigations of the regional localization of peptides have demonstrated a wide distribution of numerous peptides in the CNS with substantial overlap in regions, such as the pituitary and the hypothalamus. The ubiquitous distribution of peptides both in the peripheral and the central nervous systems and their potential implication in neurological diseases may provide opportunities in future drug research for the selective regulation of peptide-modulated neurons.
Pharmacodynamics of weekly intravenous methylene-tetrahydrofolate/5-fluorouracil on formic acid, RBC folate, and homocysteine levels in patients with metastatic colon cancer

3988 Use of 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate ([6R,S]-5,10-methylene-tetrahydropteroyl-monoglutamate, CH 2 FH 4 ) for promotion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolite fluorodeoxyuridylate inhibition of thymidylate synthase has been promising for parameters of efficacy in solid tumors, with less toxicity than by use of leucovorin (Cancer J 10: 266-273, 1997). CH 2 FH 4 in dilute aqueous solution potentially could form formaldehyde (CHO) intermediates through kinetic dissociation of the methyene unit (J Biol Chem 241: 5851-5878, 1966). Formation of CHO in vivo could be toxic, as in methanol metabolism. Direct assay of CHO in biologic sources is obviated by the complexity of CHO hydrates as well as cryptogenic CHO in covalent forms. However, a marker for CHO toxicity is its end-metabolite, formic acid. Addition of CH 2 FH 4 (CoFactor ™), 60 mg/m 2 , bolus i.v., to i.v. weekly 5-FU, 450 mg/m 2 , was carried out in Phase II trial in colon cancer patients as initial treatment of metastatic disease. Urinary formic acid levels were determined by ion chromatography at baseline, and at 2, 6, and 24 h after 5-FU/ CH 2 FH 4 , in the first 16 patients. This was repeated weekly for 6 weeks of the first cycle. Clinical markers related to CH 2 FH 4 metabolism also included blood levels of B12, homocysteine, and RBC folate. Normal urinary formic acid levels are 5 μg/mL (range, 0 - 12). Baseline pre-dose formic acid values of the first 16 patients on weekly 5-FU/ CH 2 FH 4 showed a mean of 3.7 μg/mL (SD 6.14) and median value of 2.0 μg/mL (range, 0 - 26). The average value at 2 h was 2.0 (SD 1.32) and at 24 h, 1.7 μg/mL (median 1.9 and 2.0 respectively, range 0 - 5.3 for 2 h, 0 - 3.0 for 24 h). Baseline pre-dose RBC folate levels (by methotrexate competition) were 585, 573, and 442 ng/mL in the first three patients of study. Sustained increases to 1689, 1334, and 862 ng/mL, respectively, after weekly 5-FU/ CH 2 FH 4 were noted. Further RBC folate data will be presented. Results of homocysteine levels in serum in 24 patients are available. Baseline mean pre-dose levels were 9.55 (SD 2.71) μM, with no change at week 2 or later post-dosing, 9.75 (SD 2.25) μM. However, one patient with a baseline homocysteine value of 14.2 showed a drop to 4.3 μM. In conclusion, the metabolism of i.v. CH 2 FH 4 at 60 mg/m 2 , which results in marked RBC folate pool expansion, not only results in no immediate or delayed formic acid excretion, but may be associated with a decrease in urinary formate. This is consistent with the established use of reduced folates for treatment of methanol/CHO toxicity. CH 2 FH 4 may bind additional moles of CHO, or this may occur through FH 4 its major metabolite (Cancer Invest 16:447-455, 1998).
Health policy in poor countries : weak links in the chain

There is an apparent consensus that the correct health policy in developing countries is public provision of a mix of preventive and simple curative services through low level health workers and facilities. But the strength of this consensus on the primary health care paradigm is in sharp contrast to either the strength of its analytical foundations or its mixed record in practice. Filmer, Hammer, and Pritchett show how the recent empirical and theoretical literature on health policy sheds light on the disappointing experience with the implementation of primary health care. They emphasize the evidence on two weak links between government spending on health and improvements in health status. First, the capability of developing country governments to provide effective services varies widely-so health spending, even on the right services, may lead to little actual provision of services. Second, the net impact of government provision of health services depends on the severity of market failures. Evidence suggests these are the least severe for relatively inexpensive curative services, which often absorb the bulk of primary health care budgets. Government policy in health can more usefully focus directly on mitigating market failures in traditional public health activities and, in more developed settings, failures in the markets for risk mitigation. Addressing poverty requires consideration of a much broader set of policies which may-or may not-include provision of health services. This paper - a product of Poverty and Human Resources, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to investigate efficacy in the social sectors. The study was funded by the Bank's Research Support Budget under the research project Primary Health Care: A Critical Examination (RPO 680-29). The authors may be contacted at dfilmer@worldbank.org or jhammer@worldbank.org.
Immunobiological Characterizations of Tumor-associated Fetal Antigens

Abstract Tumor-associated fetal antigens (TAFA) are antigenic in syngeneic NZB rats and are immunogenic in 3-methylcholanthrene-induced (MCA) tumor-immune animals. Antibody-complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests demonstrated fetal specificities in serum from multiparous, MCA tumor-immune (but not MCA tumor bearer), and Moloney sarcoma virus Soehner-Dmochowski strain (osteosarcoma) tumor-bearing rats. Quantitative absorptions revealed antibody specificity for TAFA I (low-molecular-weight basic glycoprotein) in tumor-immune animals. Fluorescent antibody tests of sagittal sections of 13- or 15-day NZB fetuses were conducted to determine the normal tissue distribution of the purified TAFA. TAFA I is found only in areas of chondrogenic ossification. Since TAFA I is found in both fibrosarcomas and osteosarcomas, dedifferentiation to common bone and connective tissue stem cell equivalents is suggested. The cell distribution of fetal antigens in embryonic and transformed cells was determined, and membrane, cytoplasmic, and nuclear localities were found. Using syngeneic sera, it was found that the specificities for fetal antigens regarding cell location of fluorescent antibody activity is dependent on whether the animal was immune to tumors (fibrosarcomas) or tumor bearing. Although all sera tested gave membrane fluorescence, only MCA and Moloney sarcoma virus Soehner-Dmochowski strain tumor-bearing serum produced nuclear fluorescence. Additional cocapping experiments revealed that TAFA I is physically associated with NZB histocompatibility antigens. These experiments demonstrate that TAFA may be important in the development of tumor immunity, that these antigens are present in the embryonic homologous stem cell, and that certain fetal antigens are physically associated with rat histocompatibility antigens.
Assessing electron heat flux dropouts as signatures of magnetic field line disconnection from the Sun

[1] Suprathermal electrons focused along magnetic field lines, called the strahl, carry heat flux away from the Sun. Various factors can cause heat flux dropouts (HFDs), including times when the strahl almost vanishes. HFDs are a necessary but insufficient condition for detecting magnetic flux disconnected from the Sun. To quantitatively assess the fraction of HFDs which might be due to disconnected fields, we use four years of suprathermal electron data from the Wind spacecraft to perform a comprehensive survey of heat flux dropouts with durations greater than an hour. Eliminating periods within interplanetary coronal mass ejections or containing counterstreaming electrons, we find that only ∼10% of HFDs have signatures consistent with disconnected flux.
Digital signal enchancement of the fetal electrocardiogram

Abstract The use of the fetal electrocardiogram as a diagnostic tool has been limited by the noise which obscures the low-voltage portions of the fetal complexes when they are recorded. Recently, coherent averaging techniques for fetal signal enhancement have shown promise. The current averaging schemes have significant drawbacks, however, and the research reported here is an attempt to overcome these. A new signal enhancement device is described that computes the average by giving more weight to the more recent complexes, thus permitting the observation of short-term anomalies in the fetal complex. The averaging process is “running” in that it does not require periodic resetting. A prototype of the device has been constructed and evaluated using actual abdominal recordings. The results indicate that this device can provide a continuously enhanced picture of the fetal complex to the medical researcher.
A Critique of Theory and Method in Social-Psychological Approaches to Legal Issues

The first purpose of this chapter is to examine several different theoretical approaches to legal issues. Although most of the discussion will focus on the work that has been carried out by social psychologists, many of the issues are relevant to other efforts in the psychology-law area. An examination of the relative merits of laboratory simulations and in situ research on legal decision-making constitutes the second purpose. Finally, an alternative theoretical/methodological approach to legal decisions—one that we favor—will be briefly presented.
Hydraulic conductivity of the High Plains Aquifer re-evaluated using surface drainage patterns

[1] The High Plains Aquifer (HPA), underlying parts of 8 states from South Dakota to Texas, is one of the largest fresh water aquifers in the world and accounts for 30% of the groundwater used for irrigation in the US. Determining the distribution of HPA's hydraulic conductivity (K) is critical for water management and addressing water quality issues. K is traditionally estimated from well pumping data coupled with computer modeling and is known to be highly variable, spanning several orders of magnitude for the same type of rock. Here we show that applying our innovative method of determining effective horizontal K to HPA (based on surface drainage patterns and a dynamic equilibrium assumption) produced results generally consistent with those from traditional methods but reveals much more detailed spatial variation. With the exception of a few places such as the Sand Hills area, our results also show for the first time (to the best of our knowledge) a distinct relationship between surface stream drainage density and subsurface aquifer K in a major aquifer system on a regional scale. Because aquifer particle size strongly controls K, our results can be used to study patterns of past sediment movement and deposition.
Apolipoprotein E4 allele and Alzheimer disease: Examination of Allelic association and effect on age at onset in both early‐and late‐onset cases

An increased frequency of the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele (APOE-4) has previously been associated with both late-onset sporadic and late-onset familial Alzheimer disease (AD) [Strittmatter et al. (1993) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90:1977–1981; Saunders et al. (1993a) Neurology 43:1467–1472]. To further investigate this association we genotyped affected individuals from 92 separate AD pedigrees including both early- and late-onset cases. An increased frequency of the APOE-4 allele was found only among the late-onset cases, both familial and sporadic, confirming the earlier reports. In addition, age at onset was significantly decreased in the APOE-4 homozygotes (in late onset families) compared to either APOE-4 heterozygotes or individuals not carrying an APOE-4 allele. We also observed a significantly decreased frequency of the APOE-2 allele in both the early-and late-onset familial cases. These results strengthen the argument for a direct role of APOE in susceptibility to AD. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dissipative materials as constitutive models for granular media

We show that a recently proposed continuum theory for purely-dissipative simple materials provides a convenient rheological framework for the description of yielding and flow of granular materials. The isotropic version encompasses a number of the special models which emerge from experimental observation and from the kinetic theory of Savage and co-workers. In the present work, grain-fluctuation energy is incorporated into the model, and we provide estimates for it, and for other important physical quantities, based on elementary microstructural considerations. With the picture of a system dominated by macroscopic deformation and microdissipation, we conclude that grain-energy estimates are insensitive to microstructural detail.
The uniqueness of a certain graph

Abstract It is shown that, if m ≥ 3, there exists exactly one connected graph having m + 2 vertices and automorphism group S m , the symmetric group of degree m . This theorem plays the central role in determining the least and greatest number of edges realizable by a connected graph having n vertices and automorphism group S m .
Presence of adherent cytotoxic cells and non-adherent natural killer cells in progressive and regressive Marek's disease tumors.

Abstract Marek's disease virus-induced progressive tumors and Marek's disease transplantable local regressive tumors were dispersed by treatment with collagenase and cells were examined in vitro for cytotoxic effector functions against target cells of tumor lines. Both types of tumors had adherent and non-adherent cytotoxic cells. The cytotoxicity of adherent cells was detected in an 18-hour but not in a 4-hour 51Cr-release assay. The adherent effector cells from progressive tumors were inactivated by pretreatment with carbonyl iron and carrageenan whereas the adherent effector cells from the regressive tumors were refractory to these treatments. In the progressive tumors, the 18-hour cytotoxic activity of cells of tumors and of spleens of tumor-bearing chickens was compared; the activity was higher in the tumor than in spleen. The non-adherent cell cytotoxicity detectable in a 4-hour 51Cr-release assay was associated with anti thymocyte serum-resistant natural killer cells. The incidence and levels of natural killer cell reactivity were greater in the regressive tumors than in the progressive tumors. In the regressive tumors, the natural cytotoxicity levels were higher in the tumor than in the spleen of tumor-bearing chickens. The differences in characteristics of adherent cytotoxic cells in virus-induced progressive tumors and transplantable regressive tumors and elevated levels of NK cells in regressive but not in progressive tumors may indicate a role for intratumoral immunity in tumor regression
The distribution and form of the endoplasmic reticulum during spermatogenesis in the crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus

The form and differentiation of the endoplasmic reticulum has been studied in the developing sperm of the crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus. Throughout development a relationship between the nuclear envelope and cytoplasmic portion of the endoplasmic reticulum has been shown to exist. Furthermore, large contributions of material from the nuclear envelope to extranuclear cytoplasmic systems has been noted in the development of early spermatids and nearly mature sperm.
Literature review of social support and caregiver burden, 1980 to 1995.

Purpose: To critique social support and caregiver burden studies for (a) explication of constructs, (b) associations between constructs, (c) statistical conclusion validity, and (d) generalizability. Social support moderates caregiver burden, yet studies using different conceptualizations raise questions about validity. Framework and Scope: Cooper's (1984) methodology for an integrated literature review was used to examine 50 studies (1980-1995) involving adult caregivers of older family members. Findings: Inadequate explication of social support, potential spuriousness and reverse causation, threats to statistical conclusion validity, and lack of generalizability were found. Conclusions and Implications: Progress has been made in caregiving and social support research, yet many problems remain. Future research should include multiple measures of support, controls for spuriousness and reverse causation, valid and reliable instruments, and samples of diverse populations.
all‐trans retinoic acid for treating germ cell tumors. In vitro activity and results of a phase II trial

BACKGROUND Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are characterized by a capacity to differentiate in vivo and in vitro. The authors' previous work highlighted the finding that retinoid-mediated GCT differentiation in vitro correlates with expression of the retinoic acid receptor-gamma. METHODS Six human GCT cell lines were studied to determine whether their growth and differentiation were linked to the retinoic acid response pathway. The maturation and growth inhibitory responses to all-trans retinoic acid (RA) were studied as well as the expression of retinoic acid receptor-gamma (RAR-gamma). The clinical antitumor activity of RA was studied in a Phase II trial of RA in patients with chemotherapy-refractory GCTs. RESULTS The RA response pathway was correlated with the control of growth and maturation in three of the six GCT cell lines studied. In one GCT cell line, RA induced RAR-gamma expression and terminal differentiation. In a second, there was high basal expression of RAR-gamma and poor basal proliferative potential. A third cell line showed a more mature basal phenotype than other cell lines studied and marked growth inhibition when treated with RA. Sixteen patients were treated with RA for an average of 7 weeks in the clinical trial. No complete or partial responses were noted. CONCLUSION A Phase II clinical trial of RA failed to show significant clinical antitumor activity in patients with chemotherapy-refractory GCTs. However in vitro data suggest that the control of growth and maturation in some GCT cell lines involve the RA signaling pathway. Further studies are warranted to define the role that other retinoids with receptor selectivity or more favorable pharmacologic properties may play in the maturation or antitumor responses of GCTs.
Prediction of Bending Strength of Long Bones From Measurements of Bending Stiffness and Bone Mineral Content

The relationship between fracture strength in bending, bending stiffness and bone mineral content for 56 fresh canine radii, ulnae and tibiae was determined from three- and four-point bending tests on a MTS testing machine and from measurements of bone mineral content at the fracture site using the Norland-Cameron Bone Mineral Analyzer. The high correlation of bending stiffness (0.962) and mineral content (0.901) with fracture bending moment permits estimates of fracture strength using current noninvasive methods of measuring stiffness and mineral content.
Static and dynamic spectroscopy of (Al,Ga)As/GaAs microdisk lasers with interface fluctuation quantum dots

We have studied the steady state and dynamic optical properties of semiconductor microdisk lasers whose active region contains interface fluctuation quantum dots in $\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}∕(\mathrm{Ga},\mathrm{Al})\mathrm{As}$ quantum wells. Steady-state measurements of the stimulated emission via whispering gallery modes yield a quality factor $Q\ensuremath{\sim}5600$ and a coupling constant $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.09$. The broad gain spectrum produces mode hopping between spectrally adjacent whispering gallery modes as a function of temperature and excitation power. Time- and energy-resolved photoluminescence measurements show that the emission rise and decay rates increase significantly with excitation power. Marked differences are observed between the radiative decay rates in processed and unprocessed samples.
Transfer RNA and Aminoacyl Transfer RNA in Developing Rats

The total transfer RNA (tRNA) level in the liver, kidney, skeletal muscle and heart muscle of developing rats was determined by purification using (3H)tRNA as an internal standard. Liver an
A distributed and iterative method for square root filtering in space-time estimation

Abstract We describe a distributed and iterative approach to perform the unitary transformations in the square root information filter implementation of the Kalman filter, providing an alternative to the common QR factorization-based approaches. The new approach is useful in approximate computation of filtered estimates for temporally evolving random fields defined by local interactions and observations. Using several examples motivated by computer vision applications, we demonstrate that near-optimal estimates can be computed for problems of practical importance using only a small number of iterations, which can be performed in a finely parallel manner over the spatial domain of the random field.
Coexpression of cytokeratins 7 and 20 confirms urothelial carcinoma presenting as an intrarenal tumor.

BACKGROUND The differentiation of epithelial tumors arising in the kidney (urothelial vs. renal cell carcinoma) sometimes can be difficult by clinical and radiologic studies. Because urothelial and renal epithelium express unique cytokeratin (CK) 7 and 20 profiles, the authors studied the utility of these markers to confirm the diagnosis of urothelial carcinomas that present clinically as kidney masses. METHODS Using commercially available monoclonal antibodies, paraffin section immunohistochemistry was used to examine two recent cases of urothelial carcinomas presenting as renal tumors. Tissues were stained for CK7 and CK20 and the expression compared between the tumor and benign tissue. RESULTS Both cases showed solid renal masses that clinically and radiographically could have been of renal cell origin, but subsequently were confirmed histologically to be extensive renal involvement by urothelial carcinoma. The tumors coexpressed both CK7 and CK20, which is the expected profile for carcinomas of urothelial but not renal origin. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study show that coexpression of CK7 and CK20 is a useful diagnostic aid in the differential diagnosis of epithelial kidney tumors of urothelial cell versus renal cell origin. Cancer 1999;86:2327–30. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Looking behind the "Average": How Are States Reporting Test Results.

How can the use of norm-referenced tests be changed to lead to more accurate reporting of results? What kinds of information should states and districts be using to contextualize their reports of test results?
Why the person sitting next to you hates limits to growth

Abstract Proponents of limits to growth continue to meet with widespread public resistance to the concept, a resistance that in part lies beneath or beyond the practical economic and political objections. In order to establish a “sustainable dialogue” the broad historical and psychological sources of public antipathy need to be understood. One such source may be found in our long-standing cultural adherence to belief in a providential world order and such of its diverse developments as laissez faire capitalism and Marxism. These have in common the peculiarly reassuring assumption that the major ordering forces of human social destiny lie beyond particular human calculation or design. The irrational threat that a planned sustainable society poses for most of Western humanity lies in the implication that the time has come for us to take full responsibility for our future, that we can no longer remain the children of a cosmic process or the secure beneficiaries of economic or social laws. The seriousness and depth of this intuitive antipathy to limits may be examined in several of our imagined futures, particularly the steady-state dystopias of Zamyatin, Huxley, and Orwell. These shrewd, satiric political and psychological prophecies provide clues that proponents of the sustainable society can use in developing a more balanced and effective advocacy. Additional suggestions for this follow.
Scaling RTL property checking using feasible path analysisand decomposition

Property checking at the Register Transfer Level (RTL) is a critical problem for verifying complex digital design. In this paper, we present a scalable solution for property checking at RTL. We check the properties of the form G(A=>X=tB), which means that once A is valid, B should be valid t cycles later. We introduce a decomposition strategy to scale high level bounded property checking. This decomposition strategy partitions the monolithic SMT based BMC problem into multiple smaller, independent subproblems. Every path in the RTL program is analyzed for feasibility/relevance using (a) a hybrid of concrete and symbolic execution and (b) property based pruning using the antecedent condition A. The partitions of the RTL source code that correspond to the feasible paths are then checked with respect to the property of interest using an SMT solver. We manage to prune a large percentage of the RTL design paths using feasibility check, such that the decomposed subproblems are small and easily verifiable.
Specificity of steroid binding in New World primate B95-8 cells with a vitamin D-resistant phenotype.

We recently described the existence of a competitive binding component in vitamin D-resistant New World primate cells that has a relatively low affinity (Kd, approximately 10(-8) M) but high capacity for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] compared to that possessed by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Here we show that this binding component is capable of binding a vitamin D3 metabolite other than 1,25-(OH)2D3 as well as steroid hormones structurally disparate from vitamin D3 sterols. We studied the binding of [3H]1,25-(OH)2D3 and [3H]25-hydroxyvitamin D3 ([3H]25OHD3) in extracts of the vitamin D-resistant marmoset lymphoblastic cell line B95-8 in the presence and absence of potential competitive ligands, including 25OHD3, 1,25-(OH)2D3, 17 beta-estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone, at concentrations ranging from 1-100 nM. Compared to extracts containing the authentic VDR, extracts of B95-8 cells bound 180% more 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 12-fold more 25OHD3 on a weight basis. The affinity of this binder for 2...