cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polysialylated N-Glycans Identified in Human Serum Through Combined Developments in Sample Preparation, Separations and Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

The N-glycan diversity of human serum glycoproteins, i.e., the human blood serum N-glycome, is both complex and constrained by the range of glycan structures potentially synthesizable by human glycosylation enzymes. The known glycome, however, has been further limited by methods of sample preparation, available analytical platforms, e.g., based upon electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and software tools for data analysis. In this report several improvements have been implemented in sample preparation and analysis to extend ESI-MS glycan characterization and to include polysialylated N-glycans. Sample preparation improvements included acidified, microwave-accelerated, PNGase F N-glycan release to promote lactonization, and sodium borohydride reduction, that were both optimized to improve quantitative yields and conserve the number of glycoforms detected. Two-stage desalting (during solid phase extraction and on the analytical column) increased sensitivity by reducing analyte signal division...
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Over-expression in the Forebrain Ameliorates Huntington’s Disease Phenotypes in Mice

Huntington's disease (HD), a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by relatively selective degeneration of striatal neurons, is caused by an expanded polyglutamine tract of the huntingtin (htt) protein. The htt mutation reduces levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the striatum, likely by inhibiting cortical BDNF gene expression and anterograde transport of BDNF from cortex to striatum. However, roles of the BDNF reduction in HD pathogenesis have not been established conclusively. We reasoned that increasing striatal BDNF through over-expression would slow progression of the disease if BDNF reduction plays a pivotal role in HD pathogenesis. We employed a Bdnf transgene driven by the promoter for the alpha subunit of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II to over-express BDNF in the forebrain of R6/1 mice which express a fragment of mutant htt with a 116-glutamine tract. The Bdnf transgene increased BDNF levels and TrkB signaling activity in the striatum, ameliorated motor dysfunction, and reversed brain weight loss in R6/1 mice. Furthermore, it normalized DARPP-32 expression of the 32 kDa dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, increased the number of enkephalin-containing boutons, and reduced formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions in the striatum of R6/1 mice. These results demonstrate crucial roles of reduced striatal BDNF in HD pathogenesis and suggest potential therapeutic values of BDNF to HD.
Reduction of triplet tetraphenyl-prophyrin dication by aryl amines and hydroquinones: Kinetics and primary radical yields

The photophysics and one-electron reduction of triplet tetraphenylporphyrin dication by homologous series of substituted triphenylamines and hydroquinones in acetone solution have been studied by nanosecond flash photolysis. Triplet yield is 0.3 and direct internal conversion from the singlet is a major decay pathway. Quenching rates (109 - 106 M-1; s-1) for reductants covering a range of ΔG0 0.4 V lead to reorganization energies λ 0.6 ±0.1 eV. Radical yields (0.38 for the amines) are remarkably constant for recombination free energies between 1.02 and 1.45 V. A rate-limiting step in the back reaction is suggested, involving spin-orbit relaxation of the primary radical pair.
The epidemiology of pulmonary function and COPD mortality in the multiple risk factor intervention trial.

The potential determinants of the changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality were evaluated using both the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) screenees, the longitudinal analysis of the participants, and the differences in special intervention (SI) and usual care (UC) groups. COPD was the underlying cause for only one third of all death certificates listing COPD. Small changes in classification will have a major impact on reported COPD death rates. Cigarette smoking is clearly the primary determinant of COPD mortality. Decreased pulmonary function is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality. Smoking cessation results in a slower rate of decline in pulmonary function over time, especially among heavy smokers. Careful evaluation of smoking cessation, including repeat chemical measures, suggest that the percentage of long-term quitters, especially among heavy smokers has been overestimated. The low percentage of quitters substantially reduced t...
Antidepressant-associated chronic irritable dysphoria (ACID) in STEP-BD patients

Abstract Background It has been proposed that antidepressants can induce a chronic, dysphoric, irritable state in bipolar patients (called ACID for antidepressant-associated chronic irritable dysphoria). This phenomenon has only been described in case series format, and has not been prospectively validated. Methods Prospective data from the first 1500 patients (62.7% with bipolar I, 30.1% with bipolar II, and 7.2% with NOS) treated in the STEP-BD database were examined and those who were euthymic for at least one month at study entry, subsequently developed a depressive episode, and were then followed for one year were identified. Outcome of those who received an antidepressant for this depressive episode (n = 27) was compared to those who did not (n = 56), with particular attention given to the presence of the proposed symptom triad of ACID, namely dysphoria, irritability, and middle insomnia. Results Patients treated with antidepressants were ten times more likely to develop ACID than those who were not (Hazard ratio = 9.95, CI = 1.103–89.717, P = 0.04). However, the hazard ratio dropped to 1.05 (P = 0.99) when corrected for significant covariates, notably past antidepressant-related manic switch and sex. Discussion This study does not support the existence of ACID as an independent phenomenon. Rather, ACID appears to be part of a broader spectrum of antidepressant treatment-emergent affective switches.
Irradiation creep by the climb-controlled glide mechanism in pulsed fusion reactors

Abstract The effects of irradiation pulsing on the enhanced climb-glide creep strain are analyzed. A variety of pulsed systems have been studied by adytically modeling the time-dependence of the bulk point-defect concentrations given by the rate theory. Equations for the creep strain are derived for Tokamak-type fusion reactors, pulsed accelerators and inertial confinement fusion reactors, including the effects of mutual point-defect recombination. The creep in pulsed fusion reactors is compared with the creep in systems subject to steady irradiation of equal total dose. It is found that point-defect concentration cycling (due to radiation pulsing) results in enhancement of the irradiation creep strain. In particular, a very large temperature-dependent enhancement is found for inertial confinement fusion reactors. The theoretical results are also compared with experimental data on deuteron irradiated nickel. Good agreement is obtained with the parameters used.
On positive-definiteness of inertial mass, nonpositive-definiteness of electromagnetic coupling and the mach principle from general relativity

A particular mapping between time-reversed spinor fields in a Riemannian space is shown to necessarily lead to the generally covariant form of the Dirac equation. Thederived field that plays the role of inertial mass in these equations is found to be a positive-definite function of the space-time co-ordinates. The imposition of gauge invariance on the spinor field equations, which is necessitated by the requirement to incorporate an equation of continuity in the formalism, is shown to lead to the necessary incorporation of a nonpositive-definite vector coupling term in the same field equations. The latter term is identified with the electromagnetic four-potential. It is then concluded from the derived structure of this formalism that gravitational forces can only be attractive while electromagnetic forces can be attractive or repulsive, in agreement with the experimental facts. The resultso btained are used in ana pplication to demonstrate that a finite neutrino mass would imply that it must also have a nonzero electromagnetic coupling with charged matter. It is shown that the mathematical results of this analysis of inertial mass are entirely compatible with the interpretation according to theMach principle.
Secretion of proteins by the fertilized mouse ovum

Abstract Fertilized one-cell mouse ova were injected with messenger RNA (mRNA) for chicken ovalbumin or rat albumin. The ova were labeled with [ 3 H]amino acids, and endogenous proteins as well as proteins in the culture medium were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Following injection of either message, ova were able to synthesize and secrete the appropriate protein. However, when the message for globin was injected, globin appeared only among the endogenous ovum proteins but was not secreted into the culture medium. The location of the secreted proteins, albumin and ovalbumin, on two-dimensional gels suggests that ova process the proteins before secretion by removing the amino-terminal signal sequence from rat albumin and glycosylating ovalbumin. Rat albumin may be exported into the culture medium more rapidly than ovalbumin. In addition, at least one endogenous ovum protein was secreted at the one-cell stage. The studies establish the ability of the newly fertilized mouse ovum to synthesize and secrete proteins from injected as well as endogenous messages.
Holographic instrument to measure small-angle scattering

A design concept has been developed for a holographic instrument to measure scattering and beam transmission properties of ocean waters. The holographic concept not only uniquely supports the measurement technique but allows for a possible compact expendable design. This holographic design measures the medium modulation transfer function (MTF) at specific spatial frequencies and uses these data to approximate the complete MTF with a spline blending technique. A sinusoidal bar pattern is imaged by diffraction optics as a two dimensional pattern through the water medium and tank faces onto a linear detector array and recorded as contrast loss. A Fourier-Bessel transform technique was used to retrieve the small angle scattering function in the angular region from 0.005 degree(s) to 0.5 degree(s). Monte Carlo simulations of the instrument with sample path lengths of 25 and 100 cm and Tongue of the Ocean water types are used to demonstrate performance. The instrument design hologram was constructed for an initial set of laboratory particle seeding experiments. Results were found to be consistent with those generated from model simulations using Mie calculated scattering functions for sample particle size distributions.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Online patient-helpers and physicians working together: a new partnership for high quality health care

Based on a presentation from the Millennium Festival of Medicine In January 1998 Karen Parles, a 38 year old librarian at a major New York art museum, learned that she had lung cancer. “My doctors told me it was incurable, that I had only a few months to live,” she recalls. “I'm a lifelong non-smoker, so the whole thing came as quite a shock. I was pretty overwhelmed at first. But as soon as I could, I went on to the internet, looking for information. And I asked all my friends to help. “I found a great support group for lung cancer, the Lung-Onc mailing list.1 The other patients on the list answered my questions, suggested useful sites, and gave me a lot of invaluable support. But even so, I had a hard time finding the information I needed. There was great stuff out there, but it was scattered across dozens of different sites. There was no comprehensive site that provided links to all the best online information for this disease.” Through a friend of a friend, Karen heard that a surgical team at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital was developing a new treatment for her type of cancer. “I went to Boston to see them and I was pretty impressed,” she says. “But having a lung removed by an unproved procedure still seemed pretty frightening, so I shared my fears with my Lung-Onc friends. I heard right back from eight or ten others who'd had a pneumonectomy. They assured me that I could do it and encouraged me to give it a shot. I was the twelfth patient to undergo the new treatment. That was nearly a year and a half ago, and so far, knock on wood, I'm doing fine.” Like many other patients who have used online …
Clinical features of stroke in migraine: a review

SYNOPSIS High resolution CT scanning in patients with post-traumatic head pain is superior to conventional radiography for detecting fractures and other lesions of the facial structures. This is an important consideration, since such lesions may be responsible for the post-traumatic pain. Direct axial and coronal scanning is adequate for diagnosis in most cases; multiplanar reconstructions can be done to obtain sagittal and other views. The radiation dose and cost of CT are comparable to those of conventional tomography.
Compressive tracking with 1000-element arrays: A framework for multi-Gbps mm wave cellular downlinks

We propose and demonstrate the feasibility of multi-Gbps cellular downlinks using the mm-wave band. The small wavelengths allows deployment of compact base station antenna arrays with a very large number (32×32) of elements, while a compressive approach to channel acquisition and tracking reduces overhead while simplifying hardware design (RF beamforming with four phases per antenna element). The base station array transmits multiple compressive (« 32 × 32) training beacons by choosing different sets of phases from 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° at random at each of the elements. Each mobile, equipped with a single antenna, reports the observations corresponding to the different beacons (e.g., on an existing LTE link at a lower frequency), allowing the array to estimate the angles of departure. We observe that tracking overhead can be reduced by exploiting the sparsity of the spatial channel to a given mobile (which allows parametric estimation of departure angles for the different paths), and the continuity in the user's mobility at microsecond timescales (for tracking the evolution of departure angles). We first illustrate the basic feasibility of such a system for realistic values of system parameters, including range of operation, user mobility and hardware constraints. We then propose a compressive channel tracking algorithm that exploits prior channel estimates to drastically reduce the number of beacons and demonstrate the efficacy of the system using simulations.
Hypercholesterolemia in children with Smith-Magenis syndrome: del (17) (p11.2p11.2).

Purpose: Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), a probable contiguous gene syndrome due to an interstitial deletion of chromosome 17 band p11.2, is associated with a distinct and complex phenotype, including physical, developmental, and neurobehavioral features. The majority of SMS patients are deleted for a common ∼ 4 Mb interval that includes the gene SREBF1, a transmembrane transcription factor that regulates the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and plays a crucial role in cholesterol homeostasis. A systematic study of fasting lipid profiles of patients with SMS was conducted to determine the frequency of cholesterol abnormalities. Methods: Fasting lipid profiles were examined in 49 children (27F/22M) between the ages of 0.6 years to 17.6 years (mean, 6.9 years) with a cytogenetically confirmed diagnosis of SMS. Observed values for serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were compared with published norms. The body mass index (BMI) was used as a measure of nutritional status. Results: Mean TC was significantly higher than published NHANES III pediatric norms (P < 0.0008). Overall 28 of 49 (57%) SMS subjects had lipid values greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender for at least one or more of the following: TC, TG, and/or LDL. Only 16 SMS subjects (32%) were within normal limits for all three of these variables. BMI values showed minimal positive correlation to SMS lipid values; however, no consistent effect was found. Thus BMI values alone do not explain the marked trend in increased TC, TG, and/or LDL observed in the SMS group. Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended lipid levels for children and adolescents, only one third of SMS subjects fall within normal range for TC and LDL; an additional one third each measure “borderline” or “high” for these values. Conclusion: Hypercholesterolemia is common in SMS and may serve as a useful early clinical biochemical marker of the syndrome.
Commercially available interactive video games in burn rehabilitation: therapeutic potential

Commercially available interactive video games (IVG) like the Nintendo Wii™ (NW) and PlayStation™II Eye Toy (PE) are increasingly used in the rehabilitation of patients with burn. Such games have gained popularity in burn rehabilitation because they encourage range of motion (ROM) while distracting from pain. However, IVGs were not originally designed for rehabilitation purposes but rather for entertainment and may lack specificity for achieving rehabilitative goals. Objectively evaluating the specific demands of IVGs in relation to common burn therapy goals will determine their true therapeutic benefit and guide their use in burn rehabilitation. Upper extremity (UE) motion of 24 normal children was measured using 3D motion analysis during play with the two types of IVGs most commonly described for use after burn: NW and PE. Data was analyzed using t-tests and One-way Analysis of Variance. Active range of motion for shoulder flexion and abduction during play with both PE and NW was within functional range, thus supporting the idea that IVGs offer activities with therapeutic potential to improve ROM. PE resulted in higher demands and longer duration of UE motion than NW, and therefore may be the preferred tool when UE ROM or muscular endurance are the goals of rehabilitation. When choosing a suitable IVG for application in rehabilitation, the user's impairment together with the therapeutic attributes of the IVG should be considered to optimize outcome.
DIPOLE MOMENTS OF DOG, MONKEY, AND LAMB HEARTS.

The magnitude and direction of the spatial dipole moments of hearts of a dog, monkey and lamb were obtained in vivo from, multiple potentials on the body surface. A comparison between peak dipole moment and body weight in mammals showed a definite relationship. A comparison with spatial vectors calculated from the equilateral tetrahedron system showed significant differences. Graphs of instantaneous potential distributions around the chest showed that bidipolar conditions existed at certain times and locations, but the distributions were mostly unidipolar. Frontal plane angles calculated from the Einthoven triangle were about 30° too high, on the average.
Cryogenic Infrared Grating Spectrometer

A liquid-helium-cooled Ebert-Fastie grating spectrometer for use in a sounding rocket is described. Twelve detectors and associated filters separate the 5–70-μm spectral range into twelve intervals, each of which is scanned as the grating is rotated. The instrument was launched into an aurora from Fort Churchill, Canada, but a cryogenic failure occurred early in the flight, and only a small amount of data was obtained.
Superficial Leiomyosarcoma Treated With Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Background. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare cutaneous malignancy with an infiltrative growth pattern and high risk of local recurrence (30–45%) with conventional wide excision. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) may offer an improved cure. Objective. To illustrate by case reports the spectrum of clinical presentation of this rare neoplasm and management with MMS. Methods. The outcomes of three cases of LMS treated by Mohs micrographic are described and compared with other cases in the medical literature. Results. Three cases of LMS were excised using MMS. Two cutaneous tumors located on the trunk and arm were easily removed and have not recurred. The third tumor on the leg of an immunosuppressed patient demonstrated deep soft-tissue invasion that developed subsequent cutaneous metastases but no recurrence adjacent to the primary site. The patient remains disease free at 36 months after amputation below the knee. A total of 15 cases of LMS treated by MMS are reported in the literature, including these cases, with an aggregate recurrence rate of 13%. Conclusions. The overall cure rate of leiomyosarcoma treated by MMS is 87%, which compares favorably to wide excision and offers the advantage of tissue sparing. Immunosuppression may promote aggressive tumor behavior. Deeply invasive tumors may result in cutaneous or distant metastases regardless of the method of excision.
Investigation of the microporous structure of clays and pillared clays by 129Xe NMR

Abstract 129 Xe NMR spectroscopy of xenon gas adsorbed in clays and pillared clays has been used to glean information on the interlayer gallery height of clays before and after pillaring. Two clay minerals were studied, a Ca2+-montmorillonite and Bentonite L. The NMR results indicate that the effective interlamellar spacing of the montmorillonite increased from 5.4 to 8.0 A after pillaring with aluminum polyoxohydroxy Keggin cations. These data are consistent with X-ray powder diffraction results, which show a corresponding increase in gallery height from 5.6 to 8.4 A.
Future shock from a black perspective

(1981). Future shock from a black perspective. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 20, Leadership for the Twenty-first Century, pp. 237-244.
Continuous precipitation of monosized particles with a packed bed crystallizer

Abstract Dispersion models have been developed for the packed bed crystallizer which account for either single point nucleation or multipoint nucleation. Decrea the dispersion number for both the single point and the multipoint nucleation models decreases the geometric standard deviation of the particle size di At all dispersion numbers the multipoint model gives larger geometric standard deviations. Experiments were performed with various reactor geometries a rates using the hydrolysis of titanium tetraethoxide in ethanol solution. The experimental data are best fit by the multipoint nucleation model.
Preliminary assessment for global warming potential of leading contributory gases from a 40-in. LCD flat-screen television

As liquid crystal display (LCD) flat-screen televisions increase in popularity, their potential contribution to global warming has received wide attention. This study presents global warming impacts resulting from the life cycle assessment (LCA) of LCD flat-screen televisions for key global warming contributors from the “cradle-to-gate” and use stages of the product’s life cycle. The emissions from nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2), are not monitored in the Kyoto Protocol. Emissions in the cradle-to-gate and use stages were modeled in this study according to their GWP (kg CO2 equivalent), focusing and analyzing the most significant source of NF3 emissions. NF3 is used during the manufacturing process of LCDs to clean the vacuum chambers. In this study, a system diagram of the cradle-to-gate stage and use stage of a 40-in. LCD television was proposed using the software package Gabi®, particularly investigating NF3 to determine its possible effects on global warming based on a typical LCA. The energy inputs in the use stage of the LCD flat-screen television resulted in major global warming impacts, while the contribution of GWP resulting from NF3 was trivial. However, as energy efficiency continuously improves over time, the GWP resulting from NF3 may become significant. Findings in this study allow industry to focus on those critical stages of the production life cycle that most directly affect global warming while permitting government agencies to enact proper regulations to help decrease CO2 equivalent emissions. The preliminary assessment of our LCA also offers manufacturers the ability to determine the largest sources of greenhouse gases and their connection in the life cycle analysis of a product. This extension may help guide legislation and industrial management in the future. For further decision making, an in-depth sensitivity analysis may be needed to strengthen the results.
PRMT7 Is a Member of the Protein Arginine Methyltransferase Family with a Distinct Substrate Specificity

We have identified a mammalian arginine N-methyltransferase, PRMT7, that can catalyze the formation of ω-N^G-monomethylarginine in peptides. This protein is encoded by a gene on human chromosome 16q22.1 (human locus AK001502). We expressed a full-length human cDNA construct in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein. We found that GST-tagged PRMT7 catalyzes the S-adenosyl-[methyl-^3H]-L-methionine-dependent methylation of the synthetic peptide GGPGGRGGPGG-NH_2 (R1). The radiolabeled peptide was purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography and acid hydrolyzed to free amino acids. When the hydrolyzed products were separated by high-resolution cation-exchange chromatography, we were able to detect one tritiated species which co-migrated with an ω-N^G-monomethylarginine standard. Surprisingly, GST-PRMT7 was not able to catalyze the in vitro methylation of a GST-fibrillarin (amino acids 1–148) fusion protein (GST-GAR), a methyl-accepting substrate for the previously characterized PRMT1, PRMT3, PRMT4, PRMT5, and PRMT6 enzymes. Nor was it able to methylate myelin basic protein or histone H2A, in vitro substrates of PRMT5. This specificity distinguishes PRMT7 from all of the other known arginine methyltransferases. An additional unique feature of PRMT7 is that it seems to have arisen from a gene duplication event and contains two putative AdoMet-binding motifs. To see if both motifs were necessary for activity, each putative domain was expressed as a GST-fusion and tested for activity with peptides R1 and R2 (acetyl-GGRGG-NH_2). These truncated proteins were enzymatically inactive, suggesting that both domains are required for functionality.
Structure-activity relationship of genotoxic polycyclic aromatic nitro compounds: further evidence for the importance of hydrophobicity and molecular orbital energies in genetic toxicity.

A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) has been formulated for 15 polycyclic aromatic nitro compounds acting on E. coli PQ37. Upon damage of DNA by these substances [beta]-galactosidase is induced and can be easily assayed colorimetrically, hence, this is a short-term test for mutagenicity. The QSAR (log SOSIP = 1.07 log P - 1.57 e[sub LUMO] - 6.41) is strikingly similar to that found earlier with nitroaromatics acting in the Ames test (TA100) and differs significantly for that found using TA98 organisms. The QSAR brings out in a unique manner the underlying similarity in the two test systems. 24 refs., 2 tabs.
Emerging technologies for in situ measurement of soil carbon

Carbon sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere is critical to mitigating the in- creasing anthropogenic CO2 content of the atmosphere. However, improved efficiency of methods for soil C measurement is important to better estimate terrestrial C inventories and fluxes at a regional and global scale. Laboratory based measurement of soil C involves inten- sive, time consuming, and costly methodology that limits applicability for large land areas. Recently, research efforts have focused on measuring soil C in situ using a variety of methods. These methods include Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and remote sensing. Basic fundamen- tals of each of these in situ methods for soil C determination are presented, and the differences among the methods and their relative advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Petrologic and 40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints on the middle to late Paleozoic thermotectonic history of the southern Connecticut Valley zone, New England Appalachians

New 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data from The Straits Schist and interlayered formations in the southernmost Connecticut Valley zone of the northern Appalachian orogen, together with published 40 Ar/ 39 Ar and U-Pb data, are used to account for relatively rapid Devonian (post-Acadian) cooling of gneisses and schists near the Waterbury dome and slower Devonian through Permian cooling in structurally higher schists south of the dome. Metamorphic hornblende 40 Ar/ 39 Ar cooling ages range from 374 Ma 10 km south of the Waterbury dome to 324 Ma 15 to 40 km south of the dome. Muscovite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar cooling ages also decrease to the south, from 318 to 254 Ma. The ages from the southernmost Connecticut Valley zone are as much as 50 and 100 m.y. younger than hornblende and muscovite, respectively, from the Waterbury dome. The difference in cooling histories between the Waterbury dome and southern Connecticut Valley zone is interpreted to be a result of relatively slower cooling in the southern Connecticut Valley zone following Acadian metamorphism and/or a static Pennsylvanian (Alleghanian) thermal event that reset the muscovite K/Ar system, promoted growth of fine-grained monazite, and resulted in partial melting of the crust beneath the southern Connecticut Valley zone. Such a thermal event would have been contemporaneous with Alleghanian orogenesis in Appalachian terranes in southeastern New England, but the mechanism for generating a Pennsylvanian thermal pulse is still unknown.
Fault modeling and testing generation for sample-and-hold circuits

The author presents the first comprehensive study of fault modeling of the class of sample-and-hold circuits frequently used in mixed analog/digital signal processors. The faults under study consist of catastrophic faults and out-of-specification faults. Even if the faults are restricted to the passive components and MOS switches (i.e. the operational amplifiers are assumed fault-free), the effects of these faults are quite complex, especially the out-of-specification faults. For example, an incorrect value of the resistor R/sub on/ of an MOS switch and an incorrect value of the capacitor in some cases have the same faulty manifestations at the output, and may be thought of as equivalent faults. The concept of fault equivalence is validated for analog circuits. The results show that various types of faults are distinguishable, thus reducing the size of the analog fault dictionary used in further diagnosis. >
Hopf bifurcation of the unsteady regularized driven cavity flow

Abstract A numerical simulation of the unsteady incompressible flow in the unit cavity is performed by using a Chebyshev-Tau approximation for the space variables. The high accuracy of the spectral methods and the condensed distribution of the Chebyshev-collocation points near the boundary enable us to obtain reliable results for high Reynolds numbers with a moderate number of modes. It is found that the flow converges to a stationary state for Reynolds numbers (Re) up to 10,000; for Reynolds numbers larger than a critical value 10,000
ARROW: An Efficient Traffic Scheduling Algorithm for IEEE 802.11e HCCA

In this paper we present a novel traffic scheduling algorithm for IEEE 802.11e, referred to as ARROW (adaptive resource reservation over WLANs), which aims at providing improved performance for the support of multimedia traffic. The novel characteristic of this algorithm, compared to previous proposals, is that it performs channel allocations based on the actual traffic buffered in the various mobile stations, i.e., on the exact transmission requirements. This feature renders ARROW ideal for variable bit rate traffic. However, an enhancement is also presented that improves ARROW performance under constant bit rate traffic. The ARROW algorithm and its enhancement are discussed and evaluated against two other schedulers found in the open technical literature, namely the simple scheduler and SETT-EDD. Results from a detailed simulation model verify that ARROW provides much better channel utilization and considerably improved performance, in terms of mean delay and packet loss
THE NATURE OF X-RAY EMISSION AND MASS DISTRIBUTIONS IN TWO EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

We present spectral analysis of ASCA observations of the early-type galaxies NGC 720 (E4) and NGC 1332 (E7/S0) with emphasis on constraining the relative contribution to the X-ray emission from hot gas and the integrated emission from X-ray binaries. Single-temperature spectral models yield poor fits to the spectrum (χred2~3) over the ~0.5-5 keV energy range. Two-temperature models significantly improve the spectral fits (χred2~1.5) and have soft-component temperatures and subsolar abundances consistent with previous ROSAT single-temperature models (Tsoft ~ 0.6 keV, abundances ~0.1) and hard-component temperatures (Thard 3 keV) consistent with those expected from a discrete component. The soft component dominates the emission in both galaxies, especially in the 0.4-2.4 keV band used in previous ROSAT studies: flux ratios are Fhard/Fsoft = 0.19(0.16-0.45) for NGC 720 (2 σ) and Fhard/Fsoft = 0.31(0.24-0.55) for NGC 1332 (90%). Combining these spectral results with ROSAT data we updated constraints on the mass distributions for NGC 720 and NGC 1332. For NGC 720, which yields the more precise constraints, the ellipticity of the intrinsic shape of the mass is slightly reduced (Δmass ≈ 0.05) when the discrete component is added, mass ~ 0.4-0.6 (90%). The estimates for the total mass increase with increasing discrete flux, and we find that models with Fhard/Fsoft = 0.45, the 2 σ upper limit, have masses that exceed by ~30%-50% those where Fhard/Fsoft = 0.
Protecting Biological Diversity: Roles and Responsibilities, edited by Catherine Potvin, Margaret Kraenzel, Gilles Seutin

Experiments in Consilience: Integrating Social and Scientific Responses to Save Endangered Species, edited by Frances R. Westley, Philip S. Miller The Future of the Wild: Radical Conservation for a Crowded World, by Jonathan S. Adams
Inter‐beat intervals of cardiac‐cell aggregates during exposure to 2.45 GHz CW, pulsed, and square‐wave‐modulated microwaves

Inter-beat intervals of aggregated cardiac cells from chicken embryos were studied during 190s exposures to 2.45 GHz microwaves in an open-ended coaxial device. Averaged specific-absorption rates (SARs) and modulation conditions were 1.2-86.9 W/kg continuous-wave (CW), 1.2-12.2 W/kg pulse modulation (PW, duty cycle [approximately] 11%), and 12.0-43.5 W/kg square-wave modulation (duty cycle = 50%). The inter-beat interval decreased during microwave exposures at 42.0 W/kg and higher when CW or square-wave modulation was used, which is consistent with established effects of elevated temperatures. However, increases in the inter-beat interval after PW exposures at 8.4-12.2 W/kg, are not consistent with simple thermal effects. Analysis of variance indicated that SAR, modulation, and the modulation-SAR interaction were all significant factors in altering the interbeat interval. The latter two factors indicated that the cardiac cells were affected by athermal as well as thermal effects of microwave exposure.
Nature of Technology: Implications for design, development, and enactment of technological tools in school science classrooms

This position paper provides a theory-based explanation informed by philosophy of technology (PoT) of the recurrent documented patterns often associated with attempts to enact technology-supported, inquiry-based approaches in precollege science classrooms. Understandings derived from the history of technological development in other domains (e.g. medicine, transportation, and warfare) reveal numerous parallels that help to explain these recurrent patterns. Historical analyses of major technologies reveal a conglomerate of factors that interact to produce benefits, as well as intended and unintended consequences. On a macro-scale, PoT facilitates understandings of how technologies interact and are impacted by individuals, society, institutions, economy, politics, and culture. At the micro-level, and most relevant to science education, PoT engages the inherent nature of technology along a number of key dimensions: role of culture and values, notions of technological progression, technology as part of system...
Empiric treatment of minimally abnormal papanicolaou smears with 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel with no treatment in patients who have had a minimally abnormal Papanicolaou smear. METHODS One hundred forty-five patients whose initial Papanicolaou smears were limited by inflammation or benign cellular changes, reactive cellular changes, or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance that did not favor a neoplastic process were randomized to 5 days of treatment with 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel or to a control group receiving no treatment. Papanicolaou smears were repeated after 3 to 4 months. RESULTS Cytologic findings of the follow-up Papanicolaou smears were normal in 61 of 114 (54%) of patients. Sixty-two percent (n = 37) of the Papanicolaou smears in the control group converted to normal on follow-up, whereas 44% (n = 24) of the Papanicolaou smears in the treatment group converted to normal (P = .07). Only one follow-up Papanicolaou smear worsened to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. In no subgroup was treatment effective. CONCLUSIONS Empiric treatment for an asymptomatic, minimally abnormal Papanicolaou smear with 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel before a repeated cytologic examination did not improve the rate of reversion to normal cytologic findings.
Interaction of activated carbon with dissolved oxygen

The sorption of dissolved oxygen on activated carbon was characterized with manometric and packed column apparatus. All carbons tested, granular and powdered, virgin and reactivated, sorbed 150 to 600 μmole of oxygen/g after run times up to 1 700 hr., but sitll not at equilibrium. The rate data generally conform to a model of sorption limited by intraparticle diffusion. Carboxylic acid groups increase by about 200 μeq/g as a result of dissolved oxygen sorption, which can account for at least 10 to 50% of the oxygen sorbed. Also, about 5% of the sorbed oxygen can be eluted into deoxygenated water.
The Seattle Commons

This study looks in depth at the politics, planning, and policymaking involved in the attempt to create a new “urban village” close to downtown Seattle. Beginning in 1991 with a small group of citizens who shared a vision of a major in-city park, the Seattle Commons project gradually became transformed, as result of different interests and political agendas, into an urban village with a major park at its core. This study analyzes these competing interests, the public private leadership roles, the process of organization-building, and the marshaling of opposition that characterized the Commons planning effort during its initial years.
Advances on Improving Automation in Developer Testing

Abstract Developer testing, a common step in software development, involves generating desirable test inputs and checking the behavior of the program unit under test during the execution of the test inputs. Existing developer testing tools include various techniques to address challenges of generating desirable test inputs and checking the behavior of the program unit under test (referred to as test oracles). In this chapter, we present an overview of techniques implemented in these testing tools to address challenges in improving automation in developer testing. In particular, we focus on a recent state-of-the-art technique, called symbolic execution for test inputs. We briefly describe symbolic execution and discuss various challenges (along with the techniques developed to address those challenges) in generating test inputs automatically. For test inputs, the techniques presented in our chapter are summarized from two main aspects: test efficiency (e.g., with a focus on cost) and test effectiveness (e.g., with a focus on benefit). We conclude this chapter by presenting a new frontier, called cooperative developer testing, that is orthogonal to previous techniques and involves synergistic cooperation between humans and tools for effectively generating desirable test inputs.
Wind-wave transformations in an elongated bay

Abstract In order to determine wave transformations in an elongated bay, a numerical solution was used to interpret yearlong records of bottom pressure and wind velocity obtained at the mouth and head of Concepcion Bay, on the Gulf of California side of the Baja California peninsula. Observed wind waves were predominantly produced by southeastward winds in the winter and north–northwestward winds in the summer. Typical mean wave periods at the bay entrance were between 3 and 5 s. In contrast, the waves at the head of the bay had predominant periods
Randomized Clinical Trials in Periodontology: Ethical Considerations

Abstract Ethical justification for starting a clinical trial requires at the outset an accurate statement of "no difference" regarding the two or more agents to be compared. This may be expressed as "theoretical equipoise" (no data to support the superiority of one of the agents) or, preferably, as "clinical equipoise" (there are insufficient data to resolve controversy among experts as to which is superior). This presents a problem when a placebo control is proposed, particularly when the outcome measure entails irreversible loss of function; preliminary data often suggest the superiority of the "active agent." Informed consent should ordinarily include the fact that treatment assignments will be accomplished by a process of randomization and, in the case of double-blind designs, that neither the subject nor the investigator will know the subject's treatment assignment until the end of the trial. In general, clinical trials should be monitored by data and safety monitoring boards that have access to unbl...
Rewriting Longus: A Naturalized Daphnis and Chloe in Renaissance Spain

"Whereas the Greek works of Theocritus, Longus and of minor Greek pastoral authors were ironic, distanced, and amusing, the works of Virgil and his many centuries of Western European followers were serious, subjective, and melancholy. Nowhere is that difference more obvious than in the Renaissance translations/adaptations of Longus’s Daphnis and Chloe. A case in point is that work’s translation/adaptation by the minor sixteenth-century Spanish humanist Damasio de Frias, who transformed a witty and ironic Hellenistic work into a fully Virgilian Renaissance pastoral."
Banking on Entrepreneurs: Wetlands, Mitigation Banking, and Takings

Part I of this article provides a background on wetland mitigation requirements. It then examines the two prinicipal pressures on wetland regulatory programs: the failure of mitigation and the emergence of the private property rights movement. Part II analyzes the concept of wetland mitigation banking and considers the advantages of this type of system. The article further explains how wetland mitigation banking might alleviate concerns related to mitigation failure and takings. Part III explores specific provisions of current regulatory requirements for mitigation banks under federal and state programs. Part IV identifies reasons why the current programs do not encourage entrepeneurial banks and recommends ways to increase certainty, reduce excessive burdens, and eliminate unnecessary and unfair competition.
Practices for Parent Participation in Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education

The authors examined the extent to which practices for parent participation in early intervention/ early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) programs. The role of parents in the EI/ECSE is important and supported through the literature. The changing traditional family picture in the classrooms, the importance of evolving laws and regulations and recommended practices regarding parent participation are highlighted. The conceptual framework is based on the children, parents, and practitioners’ outcomes. Strategies to promote family involveme nt provided a direct way to understand how early childhood education programs influence family participation. Practices to promote family participation are discussed. Key Words: parent participation, early intervention, early childhood special education, strategies.
Action of Bacterial Toxins on Tumors. VI. Protection Against Tumor Hemorrhage Following Heterologous Immunization.

SummaryMice immunized with endotoxin preparations of Shigella paradysenteriœ Flexner, Salmonella typhimurium and Rhodospirillum rubrum were found to have been protected against the induction of hemorrhage in implanted tumors.Protection by immunization was found to be about as effective against the induction of tumor hemorrhage when the heterologous organisms were used as when the homologous were used. This finding supports our earlier hypothesis that a common antigenic toxic component is characteristic of gram-negative bacteria generally.
Novel Imaging-based Biomarkers for Melanoma Diagnosis Using Coherent Raman Scattering Microscopy

We report for the first time using a coherent Raman scattering (CRS) microscopy system to non-invasively visualize pheomelanin inside the skin , which has shown great potential to aid in early detection of melanoma precursors.
CMB lensing bispectrum from nonlinear growth of the large scale structure

We discuss detectability of the nonlinear growth of the large-scale structure in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing. The lensing signals involved in the CMB fluctuations have been measured from multiple CMB experiments, such as Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), Planck, POLARBEAR, and South Pole Telescope (SPT). The reconstructed CMB lensing signals are useful to constrain cosmology via their angular power spectrum, while detectability and cosmological application of their bispectrum induced by the nonlinear evolution are not well studied. Extending the analytic estimate of the galaxy lensing bispectrum presented by Takada and Jain (2004) to the CMB case, we show that even near term CMB experiments such as Advanced ACT, Simons Array and SPT3G could detect the CMB lensing bispectrum induced by the nonlinear growth of the large-scale structure. In the case of the CMB Stage-IV, we find that the lensing bispectrum is detectable at $\ensuremath{\gtrsim}50\ensuremath{\sigma}$ statistical significance. This precisely measured lensing bispectrum has rich cosmological information, and could be used to constrain cosmology, e.g., the sum of the neutrino masses and the dark-energy properties.
Elevation of serum gonadotropins establishes the diagnosis of anorchism in prepubertal boys with bilateral cryptorchidism.

AbstractOf more than 500 boys with bilateral cryptorchidism who presented during a 10-year period 28 prepubertal patients less than 11 years old who had no palpable testes after human chorionic gonadotropin therapy were studied to assess the ability of serum gonadotropin levels to identify patients with anorchism. Of the boys 21 had a normal testosterone response to human chorionic gonadotropin therapy and all of them had testes at exploration. The serum luteinizing hormone levels ranged from 2 to 6mIU per ml., with a mean of 3.7mIU per ml., and the serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels ranged from 1.6 to 6.2mIU per ml., with a mean of 3.7mIU per ml. Seven patients showed no testosterone response to human chorionic gonadotropin and all but 1 underwent exploration, at which time no testes were found. Of these 7 patients 6 had elevated gonadotropin levels that averaged 3 standard deviations above the mean. For comparison, 2 pubertal patients with nonpalpable gonads and 3 castrated prepubertal boys also ...