cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
5-HT 2B Receptor in Cardiopulmonary Disease

Cardiopulmonary disease is driven by a plethora of factors, some well characterized and others still undiscovered. The 5-HT2B serotonin receptor (5-HT2BR) is one such factor that has gained attention and contributed to the understanding of disease development. 5-HT2BR is present throughout the cardiopulmonary system, most notably in cardiac valves, lung tissue, and the myocardium. Persistent activation of the receptor contributes to disease onset, initially reported following administration of anti-obesity compounds whose metabolites were potent 5-HT2BR agonists. These patients had increased incidences of valve disease as well as pulmonary arterial hypertension. The 5-HT2BR is also integral to normal cardiac development, and there is evidence describing the impact of 5-HT2BR activation inducing cardiac hypertrophy. The body of research highlights the importance of serotonergic signaling, specifically through 5-HT2BR, in the development of cardiopulmonary disease and merits consideration into investigating the therapeutic potential manipulating 5-HT2BR signaling.
Accessible Carbon on the Moon

Carbon is one of the most essential elements to support a sustained human presence in space, and more immediately, several large-scale methalox-based transport systems will begin operating in the near future. This raises the question of whether indigenous carbon on the Moon is abundant and concentrated to the extent where it could be used as a viable resource including as propellant. Here, I assess potential sources of lunar carbon based on previous work focused on polar water ice. A simplified model is used to estimate the temperature-dependent Carbon Content of Ices at the lunar poles, and this is combined with remote sensing data to estimate the total amount of carbon and generate a Carbon Favorability Index that highlights promising deposits for future ground-based prospecting. Hotspots in the index maps are identified, and nearby staging areas are analyzed using quantitative models of trafficability and solar irradiance. Overall, the Moon is extremely poor in carbon sources compared to more abundant and readily accessible options at Mars. However, a handful of polar regions may contain appreciable amounts of subsurface carbon-bearing ices that could serve as a rich source in the near term, but would be easily exhausted on longer timescales. Four of those regions were found to have safe nearby staging areas with equatorial-like illumination at a modest height above the surface. Any one of these sites could yield enough C, H and O to produce propellant for hundreds of refuelings of a large spacecraft. Other potential lunar carbon sources including bulk regolith and pyroclastic glasses are less viable due to their low carbon concentrations.
Therapeutic drug dosing prediction using adaptive models and artificial neural networks

Using process control approaches, pharmacokinetic models are developed. All models presented are based on the one-compartment model. These neural network-based and adaptive versions of linear, nonlinear, and time-dependent models are tested on data sets collected from hemodialysis patients receiving anti-coagulant heparin during treatment. Results show that increased model complexity ensures improved quality of identification, while it decreases the initial quality of estimation.
Pattern matching in RNA structures

RNA plays key roles in many biological processes, and its functiondepends largely on its three-dimensional structure. We describe a comparativeapproach to learning biologically important RNA structures, including thosethat are not the predicted minimum free energy (MFE) structure. Our approachidentifies the greatest conserved structure(s) in a set of RNA sequences, even inthe presence of sequences that have no conserved features. We convert RNAstructures to a graph representation (XIOS RNA graph) that includes pseudoknots,and mutually exclusive structures, thereby simultaneously representingensembles of RNA structures. By modifying existing algorithms for maximalsubgraph isomorphism, we can identify the similar portions of the graphs andintegrate this with MFE structure prediction tools to identify biologically relevantnear-MFE conserved structures.
From Confrontation to Congruence: The Potential Role of Payments in Lieu of Taxes in the Economic Development Conversation

This study uses survey and interview methodologies to gain an understanding of the scope of payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) in Illinois municipalities. While the number of PILOTs in this setting is consistent with previous studies, less revenue is generated. We find that while PILOTs can generate revenue, greater potential lies in their ability to broaden the economic development discussion, expanding stakeholder involvement and increasing the potential for collaboration. Drawing upon a proposed economic development model, we present recommendations to encourage participation in economic development efforts by nonprofit organizations, which may otherwise have inherent incentives to resist PILOTs.
Immune Subdominant Antigens as Vaccine Candidates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Unlike most pathogens, many of the immunodominant epitopes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis are under purifying selection. This startling finding suggests that M. tuberculosis may gain an evolutionary advantage by focusing the human immune response against selected proteins. Although the implications of this to vaccine development are incompletely understood, it has been suggested that inducing strong Th1 responses against Ags that are only weakly recognized during natural infection may circumvent this evasion strategy and increase vaccine efficacy. To test the hypothesis that subdominant and/or weak M. tuberculosis Ags are viable vaccine candidates and to avoid complications because of differential immunodominance hierarchies in humans and experimental animals, we defined the immunodominance hierarchy of 84 recombinant M. tuberculosis proteins in experimentally infected mice. We then combined a subset of these dominant or subdominant Ags with a Th1 augmenting adjuvant, glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant in stable emulsion, to assess their immunogenicity in M. tuberculosis– naive animals and protective efficacy as measured by a reduction in lung M. tuberculosis burden of infected animals after prophylactic vaccination. We observed little correlation between immunodominance during primary M. tuberculosis infection and vaccine efficacy, confirming the hypothesis that subdominant and weakly antigenic M. tuberculosis proteins are viable vaccine candidates. Finally, we developed two fusion proteins based on strongly protective subdominant fusion proteins. When paired with the glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant in stable emulsion, these fusion proteins elicited robust Th1 responses and limited pulmonary M. tuberculosis for at least 6 wk postinfection with a single immunization. These findings expand the potential pool of M. tuberculosis proteins that can be considered as vaccine Ag candidates.
Efficacy of freshly mixed coumaphos suspensions adjusted to various pH levels for treatment of cattle infested with Boophilus annulatus (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae)☆

Abstract Reductive dechlorination of coumaphos results in the formation of a highly toxic material, potasan, but lower pH (≤ 5.5) of the liquid containing coumaphos may eliminate this degradation process. However, the effects of lower pH on the rapid settling of coumaphos particles and on the efficacy of the pesticide are not known. Three suspensions were made from a freshly mixed stock solution of a flowable formulation of coumaphos at 0.125% active ingredient at pH values of 6.7, 5.5, and 4.5. Coumaphos particles were observed to remain well suspended in all pH treatments before, during, and for up to 1 h after applications were made on tick infested cattle, suggesting that there was no break in any of the coumaphos suspensions. Likewise, observations on the behavior of each of the animals (both treated and untreated) appeared to be similar and uniform across all groups, suggesting that the lowering of the pH would not cause any noticeable adverse reaction in the treated animals. Data obtained from the coumaphos suspensions at each of the three pH treatments (pH 6.7, 5.5, and 4.5) against Boophilus annulatus (Say) resulted in control of the index of reproduction (IR) that ranged from 94.4 to 96.5%, indicating that pH had little effect on the efficacy of the acaricide. Results also indicated that the pH of coumaphos suspensions had little effect on engorgement weights (range 270–280 mg), egg mass weights (range 88–100 mg), or percent hatch of eggs (range 57–71%) of females that survived the treatments. Therefore, we concluded that coumaphos suspensions with a pH as low as 4.5 would have no observable adverse effect on the rapid settling of coumaphos particles in suspension, cause no noticeable adverse reactions in treated animals, and remain highly efficacious against B. annulatus .
Effect of selected phytochemicals and apple extracts on NF-kappaB activation in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a transcription factor, which plays an important role in inflammation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immunity in eukaryotes. In cancer cells, NF-κB induces resista...
Voluntary waterintoxication in a normal child

Summary Voluntary water intoxication in a non-psychiatricpatient is a rare occurrence. Such a case is reported of a 9 1/2-year-old boy who developed a severe toothache and allowed his pain mechanism to become dominant to his thirst regulatory mechanism; in addition, secretion of antidiuretic hormone was probably increased secondary to pain and the use of an opiate. Our patient was treated with a hypertonic saline infusion and subsequently fully recovered.
Lithiated tolunitriles: Preparation and reactions

Metalation of m-tolunitrile has been achieved by means of lithium dimethylamide and lithium diisopropylamide in THF/HMPA to afford a new, synthetically useful organometallic reagent. o-Tolunitrile and the p-isomer also react with such bases to give the corresponding lithiated derivatives. Each of the lithiotolunitriles readily undergoes condensations with various electrophiles.
Hodgkin's Disease and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in an HIV Positive Patient

The occurrence of HIV associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a well recognized event. HIV associated Hodgkin's disease (HD) has also been observed. A unique patient with both entities is described. The patient was a 29 year old homosexual male who developed clinical IIA nodular sclerosis HD in 1985. He was HIV + with CD4/CD8 = 0.2 and his sister had HD 20 years earlier. He received MOPP and had a complete response. In October 1988 he developed weight loss with an abdominal mass and biopsy revealed diffuse small non-cleaved NHL, with bone marrow involvement. This was his first AIDS associated illness. Probes identified clonally rearranged DNA fragments in the J region of IgH chains and clonal rearrangements in the c-myc gene were also observed but EBV sequences could not be demonstrated. He was treated with m-BACOD but died in March 1989. His course was not complicated by opportunistic infection. Possible etiologies for the HD include his HIV status or shared sibling environment. The development of the...
CD4+ and CD8+ cells accumulate in the brains of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis

To test the hypothesis that CD4+ T lymphocytes accumulate in brains of end-stage acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, we examined T-lymphocyte subsets in the CA1, CA3, and CA4 regions of the hippocampus of AIDS patients with (n = 10) and without (n = 11) human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis (HIVE) plus controls (n = 7). HIV p24 antigen was common in monocytic cells and rare in activated/memory CD45RO+ lymphocytes. Hippocampal activated/memory CD45RO+ T lymphocytes significantly increased (P < .001) in seven of the eight hippocampal subregions with hippocampal HIVE (1.14 ± 1.4 T cells/high-power field [hpf]), but AIDS hippocampus without HIVE were similar to controls (0.03 ± 0.07 T cells/hpf and 0.03 ± 0.09 T cells/hpf, respectively). CD45RO+ and CD3+ lymphocytes were similar in numbers and distribution, whereas CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were weakly immunoreactive and less frequent. All four lymphocyte subtypes were present in perivascular spaces and microglial nodules of HIVE, and had direct contact with neurons. Monocytes, microglia, and multinucleated giant cells were immunoreactive for CD4 in AIDS cases with hippocampal HIVE but microglia in remaining AIDS cases and controls were CD4−. CD68+ macrophages significantly increased in hippocampus of HIVE patients (P < .05) and were predominately perivascular in the absence of local HIVE. These studies show that CD4+ T lymphocytes, as well as CD8+ T lymphocytes, participate in the local inflammatory response of HIVE in end-stage AIDS patients, and suggest that their recruitment requires local HIV infection. The perineuronal location of CD4+ cells provides the potential for lymphocyte-mediated neuronal injury or trans-receptor-mediated neuronal infection.
Makran of Iran and Pakistan as an active arc system

The character of convergence along the Arabian-Iranian plate boundary changes radically eastward from the Zagros ranges to the Makran region. This appears to be due to collision of continental crust on the west in contrast to subduction of oceanic crust on the east. The Makran ranges display progressively older and more highly deformed sedimentary units northward from the coast, together with an increase in elevation of the ranges. North of the Makran ranges are large subsiding basins, flanked to the north by active volcanoes. Published geologic data as well as Landsat images indicate that the Makran is a large sedimentary prism accreted during the Cenozoic. Almost all the characteristics of accretionary prisms observed in well-studied arcs can be identified or inferred in the Makran, which, however, is unique in its degree of exposure. These circumstances lead to a better understanding of Makran geology and of the mechanics of island arcs hi general.
SGTA Recognizes a Noncanonical Ubiquitin-like Domain in the Bag6-Ubl4A-Trc35 Complex to Promote Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation

Elimination of aberrantly folded polypeptides from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) system promotes cell survival under stress conditions. This quality control mechanism requires movement of misfolded proteins across the ER membrane for targeting to the cytosolic proteasome, a process facilitated by a "holdase" complex, consisting of Bag6 and the cofactors Ubl4A and Trc35. This multiprotein complex also participates in several other protein quality control processes. Here, we report SGTA as a component of the Bag6 system, which cooperates with Bag6 to channel dislocated ERAD substrates that are prone to aggregation. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biochemical assays, we demonstrate that SGTA contains a noncanonical ubiquitin-like-binding domain that interacts specifically with an unconventional ubiquitin-like protein/domain in Ubl4A at least in part via electrostatics. This interaction helps recruit SGTA to Bag6, enhances substrate loading to Bag6, and thus prevents the formation of nondegradable protein aggregates in ERAD.
Modelling the determinants of swing ratio and bias in US House elections 1850–1980

Abstract Electoral data for the US Congress for the period 1850 to 1980 are analyzed. We distinguish two important features of the seats-votes relationship that are often confounded: swing ratio and partisan bias. The swing ratio and electoral bias are shown to be a product of the shape of the constituency partisan distribution (CPD). We confirm earlier research showing that the decline in the congressional swing ratio noted by Tufte (1973) and Calvert and Ferejohn (1984) among others can largely be attributed to a reduction in the number of competitive House seats which has been ongoing for at least 70 years and has, for the entire country, exhibited a near straight-line decline in moving average over virtually the entire period. But, following Gudgin and Taylor (1979), we also show that the swing ratio is responsive to the kurtosis of the distribution of Democratic vote share across congressional districts. Finally, we show that partisan bias is responsive to the skewness of this distribution.
The Development of Temporal Metamemory

In two studies of knowledge about the properties and processes of memory for the times of past events, 178 children from 5 through 13 years of age and 40 adults answered questions about how they would remember times on different scales, how temporal memory is affected by retention interval, and the usefulness of different methods. The adults showed quite accurate knowledge about the main properties of memory for time and the processes that underlie it. Different properties and processes were first understood at ages ranging from 8 years to 12 years or later. Knowledge of the roles of reconstruction and impressions of temporal distances appear well after children use them to remember the times of events.
Identification of a new physically induced urticaria: cold-induced cholinergic urticaria

Four patients with symptoms suggestive of either cold urticaria or a combination of cold and cholinergic urticaria were studied. However, all patients were negative to an ice-cube test or cold-immersion test and had no urticaria after exercise in a warm environment. When each patient was seated in a cold room (4 degree C) for 5 to 15 min, generalized urticaria appeared, consisting of puncture wheals and surrounding erythema as seen in cholinergic urticaria. Two patients had weakly positive methacholine skin tests and the other two had completely negative tests. When serial venous blood samples were obtained to test for mediator release, three of four patients had evidence of histamine release and the time course was similar to that previously reported for patients with cholinergic urticaria. These four cases represent a new syndrome with features suggestive of cold and/or cholinergic urticaria, but the results of all the tests usually utilized to diagnose these conditions were negative. We have called this disorder cold-induced cholinergic urticaria to indicate that it is cold dependent and visually indistinguishable from cholinergic urticaria.
Stop and listen to the people: an enhanced approach to cancer cluster investigations.

Cancer cluster investigations need to address the disconnect between traditional public health approaches and human needs. Cancer cluster investigations often magnify fear and uncertainty because they rarely find a definitive environmental cause. Traditional approaches emphasize population-level data analysis and undervalue active listening. Because few studies have explored active listening in cancer cluster investigations, we conducted a descriptive oral history case study of a Frederick, Maryland, investigation. We interviewed 12 community members and 9 public health professionals about the investigation of a perceived cancer cluster. Many believed it was linked to environmental contamination at Fort Detrick, a local US Army base. We propose enhanced active listening that seeks out peoples’ perspectives, validates their concerns, and engages them in the investigative process.
SU-FF-I-51: Relative Dynamic Range Evaluation for Image Chain and PACS Station Displays

Current display performance evaluation in digital radiography use station resident digital test patterns allowing comparison with measured values. However, these techniques require the use of special tools (A photometer and vendor loaded resident patterns) which may not be consistent; can be time intensive; and give little information about the performance of the rest of the imaging chain. This study describes the construction and use of an experimental phantom designed to visually evaluate the relative dynamic range of multiple components in the imaging chain and across multiple (vendor independent) displays. The results of exposure technique testing and evaluation of the phantom as a QA component for image quality tests will be discussed.
Vapour Pressures and Triple Point of Neon and the Influence of Impurities on These Properties

Vapour pressure versus temperature relationships were obtained for solid and liquid natural Ne in the temperature range of 20 K < T < 27.1 K. The effect of various impurities was also investigated and it was found that N2, in particular, has a noticeable influence upon the triple and the boiling points of Ne. The results are compared with other published data and some explanation for disagreements is given.
Computer Modeling of Factors that Affect the Minimum Safety Distance Required for Radiofrequency Ablation Near Adjacent Nontarget Structures

Purpose To use computer modeling of radiofrequency (RF) ablation to evaluate the effects of (i) composition and varying perfusion of intervening tissue and (ii) electrode orientation and type on the required distance to avoid heating damage of adjacent nontarget structures. Materials and Methods Systematic three-dimensional finite-element computer simulation of RF heating (6–20 minutes) was performed (3,128 simulations). The distance (5–25 mm) between the electrode and the potentially injured structure and tissue composition as layers of tumor/soft tissue, fat, and/or fluid was varied (thermal conductivity, 0.46, 0.23, and 0.7 W/m-°C; electrical conductivity, 0.5, 0.1, and 1 S/m, respectively). Varying perfusion (0–5 kg/m 3 -s), electrode orientation (parallel or perpendicular), and electrode type (ie, noncooled and internally cooled 3-cm single or 2.5-cm cluster) were also studied. The time required to reach various temperatures (eg, the time to reach 50°C designated as t50) and the distances at which the temperatures occurred and the distances required to avoid threshold temperatures at the margin of adjacent structures were compared. Results In all cases, increasing the amount of intervening fat increased t50 compared with tumor/soft tissue and/or fluid. With no perfusion, 9 mm of fat or 14 mm of tumor/soft tissue or fluid was required for perpendicular insertion (internally cooled single electrode) to prevent a temperature of 50°C with 12 minutes of heating, compared with 12 mm of fat or 23 mm of tumor/soft tissue or fluid for parallel insertion. Less intervening fat was needed for noncooled electrodes ( 13 mm) for an RF application of 20 minutes. Finally, the amount of intervening tissue required to prevent damage also decreased linearly with increasing perfusion for each tissue and electrode ( r 2 = 0.74 for parallel; r 2 = 0.98 for perpendicular). Conclusions In the computer model described in the present study, thermal and perfusion characteristics between the electrode and adjacent nontarget structures (specifically the presence of fat) and the electrode characteristics themselves (including parallel versus perpendicular insertion) have been shown to affect the minimum safe distance required for the prevention of thermal injury.
Association of Variants in PPARγ2, IGF2BP2, and KCNQ1 with a Susceptibility to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Korean Population

Purpose Patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been reported to exhibit the same genetic susceptibility as that observed in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent polymorphism studies have shown that several genes are related to T2DM and GDM. The aim of this study was to examine whether certain candidate genes, previously shown to be associated with T2DM, also offer a specific genetic predisposition to GDM.
Design relationships for Iron-core filter chokes

WHEN FILTER CHOKES are designed for use in d-c power supplies, it frequently becomes necessary to make an estimate of the physical size of the choke, once the electrical ratings have been determined. The electrical ratings usually considered are the inductance, the d-c resistance, and the maximum allowable d-c current. Several fundamental relationships between these ratings and choke size are made. The relationships that result from the following analysis not only can be used for estimating the space requirements of a choke from a knowledge of the electrical ratings, but also point out interesting interrelationships of the electrical ratings.
Treatment-Related Adverse Events and Outcome in a Clinical Trial of Fluoxetine for Major Depressive Disorder

Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), particularly those that occur early on, may increase the likelihood for premature discontinuation of antidepressants. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between TRAEs and outcome in depressed outpatients enrolled in an 8-week, 20 mg, open trial of fluoxetine. A total of 384 patients (54.7% women, mean age 39.9 +/- 10.5 years) were enrolled in the trial. Study visits occurred at baseline and every other week. Somatic complaints were assessed during each study visit. Somatic complaints that, in the opinion of the evaluating physician, were probably related or related to treatment with fluoxetine were entered in the analysis as TRAEs. We then tested whether 1) developing at least one TRAE, 2) developing at least one moderate or severe TRAE, 3) the number of TRAEs reported during the entire trial, or 4) the number of TRAEs reported during each 2-week interval predicted whether patients would respond to fluoxetine, or prematurely discontinue treatment. None of the above scores predicted whether patients responded to or prematurely discontinued the trial. These findings failed to reveal any relationship between side effects and treatment outcome for patients with MDD enrolled in an 8-week, 20 mg, fixed dose, open trial of fluoxetine.
Corrigendum to “The distribution of m4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the islands of Calleja and striatum of rats and cynomolgus monkeys” [J. Chem. Neuroanat. 28 (2004) 107–116]

Fig. 7. Images of near adjacent sections through islands of Calleja in the monkey stained for m4-like immunoreactivity (left hand column, panels A and A0) and cresyl violet (panels B and B0). Panels A and B display the insula magna, and it can be seen that m4 staining occupies the cell-sparse core of the island. Panels A0 and B0 show an ordinary island in which the granule cells form a sheet closely applied to the pial surface of the brain (panel B0). In this case, a region of intense m4-like staining is present immediately internal to the granule cell component of the island. Scale bar = 200 mm.
Calculation of time constants for intracellular diffusion in whole cell patch clamp configuration

We present a simplified model to identify and analyze the important variables governing the diffusion of substances from pipettes into canine cardiac Purkinje cells in the whole cell patch clamp configuration. We show that diffusion of substances through the pipette is the major barrier for equilibration of the pipette and cellular contents. We solve numerically the one-dimensional diffusion equation for different pipette geometries, and we derive a simple analytic equation which allows one to estimate the time necessary to reach the steady state of intracellular concentration. The time constant of the transient to steady state is given by a pipette geometric factor times the cell volume divided by the diffusion coefficient of the substance of interest. The geometric factor is shown to be given by the ratio of pipette resistance to the resistivity of the filling solution. Additionally from our modeling, we concluded that pipette perfusion at distances greater than 20 microns from the pipette tip would not substantially reduce the time necessary to achieve the steady state.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics in Organ Transplant Patients

Diseases of the liver, kidney and heart influence the pharmacokinetics of several drugs. Organ transplantation is an accepted therapeutic option for the treatment of several disease states associated with these organs. Recently, there has been an increase in both graft and patient survival after transplantation of the liver, heart, kidney and bone marrow. Such patients normally receive a wide range of drugs, and optimisation of drug therapy requires a thorough understanding of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these drugs in transplant patients. However, only limited studies have been carried out to characterise drug kinetics in these situations. Available information indicates that drug kinetics cannot be considered normal in transplant patients. Drug absorption generally appears to be similar to that in healthy subjects. The plasma protein binding of drugs that primarily bind to albumin increases after transplantation, but remains lower than that observed in healthy subjects. While the binding of certain basic drugs may increase after transplantation due to an increase in the concentration of α1-acid glycoprotein, a lower albumin concentration may mask this effect. Oxidative and conjugative metabolism as measured by the kinetics of antipyrine (phenazone) and paracetamol (acetaminophen) is normal, while the metabolism of steroids may be impaired. Serum creatinine does not appear to be a good indicator of the Junctional status of the kidney in transplant patients. It is also important to realise that there will be time-dependent changes in several kinetic parameters of drugs due to improvement in the physiological function from that associated with the disease state to that of the normal state. Individualisation and close monitoring of drug therapy is necessary in transplant patients.
Organization of the vomeronasal organ in a plethodontid salamander

Salamanders in the family Plethodontidae show a unique behavior (nose-tapping) and have unique structures (nasolabial grooves) that may be used specifically to convey chemicals to the vomeronasal organ. The nasal structure of Plethodon cinereus was studied to determine if there is enhanced development of the vomeronasal organ compared with other salamander families that would correlate with use of these unique features. The vomeronasal organ in salamanders is found in a ventrolateral diverticulum of each main olfactory organ. P. cinereus has a more anteriorly placed vomeronasal organ within the diverticulum, and the posterior limit of each nasolabial groove is adjacent to the anterior limit of the vomeronasal organs. This suggests that the grooves deliver chemicals preferentially to the vomeronasal organs instead of to the main olfactory organs. In addition, the vomeronasal sensory epithelium is thickest anteriorly and is at its thinnest at about the level corresponding to the location of the vomeronasal organ in other salamander families. These adaptations suggest a specific mechanism of odorant delivery to the vomeronasal organ in plethodontid salamanders not found in other salamander families.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL SEPARATION OF NUCLEIC ACID BASES ON CELLULOSE LAYERS.

THIN-LAYER chromatography on cellulose layers has been shown to be an effective method for separation and quantitative determination of nucleic acid bases, nucleosides and nucleotides1–5 which has considerable advantages over paper chromatography. Keck and Hagen5 recently reported a one-dimensional thin-layer chromatographic separation of the four major bases of RNA and DNA. The present communication describes a two-dimensional procedure which in this laboratory has proved useful for separating more complex mixtures of nucleic acid bases.
A note on hash linking

In current machine designs, a machine address gives the user direct access to a single piece of information, namely the contents of that machine word. This note is based on the observation that it is often useful to associate additional information, with some (relatively few) address locations determined at run time, without the necessity of preallocating the storage at all possible such addresses. That is, it can be useful to have an effective extra bit, field, or address in some words without every word having to contain a bit (or bits) to mark this as a special case. The key idea is that this extra associated information can be found by a table search. Although it could be found by any search technique (e.g. linear, binary sorted, etc.), we suggest that an appropriate low overhead mechanism is to use hash search on a table in which the key is the address of the cell to be augmented.
Point transformations and the many body problem

Abstract An investigation is made of possible uses of many dimensional coordinate transformations in the quantum many-body problem. The transformed Hamiltonian is quadratic in the momenta with a space dependent metric. The original potential energy undergoes alteration and an additional “metric” potential energy appears. A relatively complete analysis of the transformed original potential is made, and the coordinate transformation can be used to suppress undesirable features of the original potential. For bosons one can attempt to directly map a complete set of noninteracting states onto approximate eigenstates of the system with interactions. Contact is made with a theory of weakly interacting bosons. In the general case it emerges that a given transformation uniquely fixes all the spatial correlation functions, which can be explicity computed. The extended point transform can then be used as a link between diverse experimental quantities. The full use of the transformation to compute from first principles requires adequate approximations to the Jacobian and the inverse transform. These problems are not studied.
How likely is Buffon's ring toss to intersect a planar Cantor set?

Abstract In Bateman and Volberg (2008) [1] , it was shown that the n-th partial 1/4 Cantor in the plane set decays in Favard length no faster than C log n n . In Bond and Volberg (2008) [2] , the so-called circular Favard length of the same set is studied, and the same estimate is shown to persist when the circle has radius r ⩾ C n . By considering characteristic functions, the result of Bond and Volberg (2008) [2] naturally leads to a conjecture which (if true) would imply the sharpness of the L log log L boundedness of the circular maximal operator proved by Seeger, Tao and Wright (2005) [3] .
Stability routines for expert system permit application review of hazardous waste surface impoundment dikes

Abstract Expert system compatible diagnostic algorithms are presented for evaluating the slope stability and foundation bearing capacity of proposed hazardous waste surface impoundment dikes. The algorithms capitalize upon conservative assumptions to minimize information requirements and to rapidly provide an easily interpreted measure of design quality. Results are presented to demonstrate that, although these algorithms have been tailored to the specialized requirements automated regulatory review, they perform very well when compared to more conventional and far more extensive analysis software.
Intravascular ultrasound identification of calcified intraluminal lesions misdiagnosed as thrombi by coronary angiography.

Accurate identification of coronary atherosclerotic plaque composition is important for optimum patient management and transcatheter therapy. In particular, the presence ofthrombus typically leads to protracted hospitalization, intravenous or intracoronary thrombolysis, prolonged systemic anticoagulation, and the use oftranscatheter devices designed to remove thrombi. Furthermore, thrombi may be implicated in poor outcome after transcatheter therapy. Intraluminal filling defects are believed to be the most specific angiographic markers of thrombus. We report three patients with intracoronary filling defects initially diagnosed as thrombus; however, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging showed that these filling defects represented calcified nodules. IVUS studies were performed with one of two commercially available systems. The first (Cardiovascular Imaging Systems Inc./InterTherapy Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.) incorporated a single element 25-MHz transducer and an angled mirror mounted on the tip of a flexible shaft that was rotated at 1800 rpm within a 3.9F short monorail polyethylene imaging sheath to form planar cross-sectional images in real time. The second (Cardiovascular Imaging Systems) incorporated a single element 30-MHz beveled transducer within either a 2.9F long monorail imaging catheter having a common distal lumen design (the distal lumen alternatively accommodates the imaging core or the guide wire, but not both) or within a 3.2F short monorail imaging catheter. With both systems the imaging catheter was advanced 5 to 10 mm beyond the target lesion and the transducer was withdrawn automatically at 0.5 mm/sec within the imaging sheath to perform the imaging sequence. IVUS studies were recorded on ~-inch high resolution s-VHS tape for offiine analysis. Patient 1. A 78-year-old white man with a history of pneumoconiosis, gastrectomy for stomach cancer, congestive heart failure from dilated cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease was seen for progressive angina. A
Satellite observations of the Texas Current

Abstract The Texas Current is a transient, nearshore element of shelf circulation in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico that can arise and be modified in response to riverine, estuarine, oceanic and atmospheric forcing. Nearly a 600 km reach along the inner Texas shelf is affected by the Current's physical processes. AVHRR imagery and satellite-tracked drifters provide observations of Texas Current realizations. Analyses relate each forcing mechanism with recurrent coastal flow patterns. The Current's response and the evolution of associated spatial and temporal variability imply its potential as a primary agent for advective redistribution and turbulent mixing on the inner shelf.
Generation of fractal structures by negative pressure rupturing of SiO2 glass

Abstract Recently there have been several studies of the dynamics of fractal structures utilizing SiO2 in low-density gel and ‘smoke’ forms (1,2). It is found that over a range of densities, down to a twentieth of the density of silica glass, mechanically stable structures can be formed whose characteristics satisfy the criteria of fractal structures and whose range of self-similarity increases with decreasing density. In this work we test the possibility of producing the fractal low-density silica aggregates by catastrophically rupturing a condensed amorphous silica phase utilizing the methods of molecular dynamics computer simulation. The isotropic expansion causes bond angle opening without rupture up to a tensile limit of −70 kbar. Beyond this point (instability or spinodal) the structure ruptures in a very specific way, viz., by developing a self similar void structure which can be well described by a fractal dimension changing linearly with density. The structure maintains the preferred bond distances and coordination numbers, but permits the density to change by formation of internal surface at a minimum cost in energy. Down to a threshold density, the resulting structures span the simulation box and form a continuous network by sharing oxygens between the basic SiO4 tetrahedra but gradually lose connectivity in higher dimensions. An analysis of the density correlation functions shows the structures to have fractal dimensions. The bond stretching vibrations and the density of states are monitored over a range of densities. The simulated density of states is interpreted by reference to theoretical studies of fracton dynamics (1,2) in aggregates near the percolation threshold and compared with data obtained from neutron and light scattering on the experimental low-density amorphous silicas (1) of the aerogel type.
Solution Structure of Calmodulin Bound to the Binding Domain of the HIV-1 Matrix Protein

Subcellular distribution of calmodulin (CaM) in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected cells is distinct from that observed in uninfected cells. CaM co-localizes and interacts with the HIV-1 Gag protein in the cytosol of infected cells. Although it has been shown that binding of Gag to CaM is mediated by the matrix (MA) domain, the structural details of this interaction are not known. We have recently shown that binding of CaM to MA induces a conformational change that triggers myristate exposure, and that the CaM-binding domain of MA is confined to a region spanning residues 8–43 (MA-(8–43)). Here, we present the NMR structure of CaM bound to MA-(8–43). Our data revealed that MA-(8–43), which contains a novel CaM-binding motif, binds to CaM in an antiparallel mode with the N-terminal helix (α1) anchored to the CaM C-terminal lobe, and the C-terminal helix (α2) of MA-(8–43) bound to the N-terminal lobe of CaM. The CaM protein preserves a semiextended conformation. Binding of MA-(8–43) to CaM is mediated by numerous hydrophobic interactions and stabilized by favorable electrostatic contacts. Our structural data are consistent with the findings that CaM induces unfolding of the MA protein to have access to helices α1 and α2. It is noteworthy that several MA residues involved in CaM binding have been previously implicated in membrane binding, envelope incorporation, and particle production. The present findings may ultimately help in identification of the functional role of CaM in HIV-1 replication.
Cholesterol biosynthesis in human fetal liver and adrenal.

Abstract Hepatic and adrenal cholesterol biosynthesis were investigated in the human fetus in vitro by measuring the incorporation of acetate-2-14C into cholesterol by slices of liver and adrenals from the same fetus. To differentiate neutral lipids from cholesterol biosynthesis, the radioactivity was measured in the nonsaponifiable neutral lipid fraction and in cholesterol isolated and purified as its crystalline 5,6-dibromo-derivative. Expressed in mμmoles acetate incorporated/hr/g tissue into neutral lipids (n.l.) and cholesterol, the values were: fetus I (11 wk. old), liver (84.4), 49.1; adrenals (48.8), 9.3; fetus II (14 wk. old), liver (91.3), 47.3; adrenals (15.6), 5.5, respectively. Liver and adrenal cholesterogenesis was inhibited by a specific inhibitor [ trans -1,4- bis (2-chlorobenzylaminomethyl)cyclohexane dihydrochloride = AY-9944] of 7-dehydrocholesterol Δ7-reductase. This finding provided (indirect) evidence that 7-dehydrocholesterol is an obligatory intermediate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol in both of these organs. The percent incorporation of acetate into cholesterol in the human fetal liver was greater than that in any other tissue previously reported.
The Wiener lemma and cocycles

We give a sufficient and necessary condition for a function with its values in the unit circle to be a multiplicative coboundary. This theorem generalizes the following result of Veech [1]. Let T: T _ T be a rotation of the unit circle T by an irrational angle 0. Let F: T T be a measurable function. Then F is a multiplicative coboundary iff F (x)F(Tx)---F(T'-1x))dp(x) 1, as IlnIf ?0, T where I InOI is the distance of nO from integers and u is the Haar measure. Let T: (X, E,u) -(X, E,u) be a measure preserving automorphism which is ergodic. Let F: X -+ T be a measurable function. We call F a coboundary mod A if there is a function g: X -T and A E T such that F(x) = Ag(x)/g(Tx) a.e. For every integer n > 0, let Fn(x) = F(x)F(Tx) ... F(Tn-lx). For n 0 such that the set {n E Z: IFn (x) f (Tnx) f (x) d (x) > 6} has positive upper density. PROOF. This theorem is an easy corollary of Wiener's Theorem. Let U: L2(X,I ,E) -, LI(XIEl be a unitary operator defined as follows: Uf (x) = F(x)f (Tx). Then the condition of being a coboundary mod A is equivalent to the existence of g E L2(X, , ,u) such that Ug = Ag. In fact, if such g exists then Ig o TI = lgl and by ergodicity the modulus of g is constant a.e., so we can assume that it is equal to 1. Received by the editors November 2, 1987. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Remssion). Primary 58F11.
Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe mental disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 1.6{%} in the US population, although the identified obsessive-compulsive spectrum may affect up to 10{%} of the US population. Furthermore, OCD is a chronic, profoundly disabling illness that impacts negatively on the academic, occupational, social and family patients’ functioning as well as on their families’ lives. Indeed, OCD is tenth in the World Bank’s and WHO’s ten leading causes of disability ranking.
Use of LC-MS/MS to cross-validate a radioimmunoassay for the fibrinogen receptor antagonist, Aggrastat (tirofiban hydrochloride) in human plasma

A method based on LC-MS/MS was developed for the determination of the fibrinogen-receptor antagonist Aggrastat in human plasma. The drug is isolated from plasma by liquid extraction and converted into its N-trifluoroacetyl derivative prior to analysis by HPLC with atmospheric pressure negative chemical ionization MS/MS detection. A structural analog is used as the internal standard and the lower quantifiable limit of the assay is 0.4 ng ml-1 with a relative standard deviation of 7%. This assay was used to cross-validate the existing immunoassay by analysis of plasma from patients receiving the drug. The specificity of the immunoassay was thereby confirmed.
Ethical Concerns With Refugee Research

The number of refugees and internally displaced people is rising every minute worldwide. Furthermore, new categories of refugees, such as climate refugees or nuclear refugees, are adding to the traditional groups of natural disaster and war refugees. Implementing research with this complicated group poses numerous ethical issues for researchers. In this article, the author categorizes refugee groups and presents different concerns and obstacles that may arise during research with diverse communities of refugees. The author discusses ways to cope with sensitive areas of study and examines several options of ethically interviewing refugees, cooperating with host community leaders, trusted members of the society, gatekeepers, and translators.
The Structure and Proton Transport Mechanisms in the Superprotonic Phase of CsH2PO4: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study

Anhydrous proton conducting materials have attracted a burst of interest in recent years because of their potential application in fuel cells. However, a detailed microscopic picture of proton transport mechanisms has not been fully established. To gain a deeper understanding of such materials, the superprotonic phase of cesium dihydrogen phosphate (CDP), CsH2PO4, was studied using Car-Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics (CPAIMD) simulations. Unlike previous classical molecular dynamics studies of related systems, such as CsHSO4, proton transfer is explicitly included in the present CPAIMD simulations. A detailed analysis of structural, dynamical and spectroscopic properties of CDP is reported. The cubic structure of the system is dynamically disordered as seen from the broad Cs−Cs and Cs−P radial distribution functions (RDF), but the fluctuations in the hydrogen bond distances (from the O−O RDF) are much smaller than those of the Cs−Cs and Cs−P RDFs. The orientations of PO4 groups are disordered as w...
Price elasticities of demand for curative health care with control for sample selectivity on endogenous illness: An analysis for Sri Lanka

Estimation of demand for health care with samples of only the ill may bias estimates. Additionally, the lack of exogenous information, especially distance, about the alternative care providers causes omitted variable problems. This paper alleviates both problems through geographic mapping of facility information to individuals, combined with joint estimation of illness (health production) and health care demand. The joint estimation full sample demand results are compared to those from one equation estimation for only the ill sample. The results indicate that the selectivity problem is significant, but that for this sample the magnitude of the bias on the price coefficient is small. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.