cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isotopic approaches for quantifying the rates of marine burial diagenesis

[1] Diagenetic reactions in marine sediments have the potential to alter geochemical proxy records and affect the global carbon cycle over tens of thousands to millions of years. This article describes advances in the use of Ca, Sr, and U series isotopes in constraining carbonate recrystallization and silicate dissolution rates in marine systems. We specifically focus on recent efforts that interpret isotope variability in marine pore fluids using reactive transport models of varying complexity. Such studies suggest that calcite recrystallization rates are significant over time scales <1 Myr, approaching exchange rates of 0.4–1 Myr −1 . Over longer time scales, isotopic data point to continued exchange between calcite and coexisting pore fluid, though at lower rates than in young sediments. Extrapolating these recrystallization rates over tens of millions of years, we quantify the extent to which geochemical climate proxies such as Mg/Ca in calcite can be altered diagenetically. In some cases, such diagenetic effects significantly affect the interpretation of long‐term climatic trends, as well as determinations of absolute paleotemperatures. Silicate dissolution rates in siliclastic marine sediments appear to be similar in magnitude to dissolution rates in terrestrial environments (10 −7 –10 −6 yr −1 ). Such estimates suggest that silicate weathering in marine sediments may play an important role in the carbon cycle, at least over time scales approaching 400–500 kyr.
The Chicago Skyway in Illinois: Implications of Local Initiative, Decentralized Control, and Independent Financing

The history of the Chicago Skyway in Illinois, from its inception in 1953 to its 99-year lease in 2005, is examined in this paper. As one of the last U.S. toll roads to be built before the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the skyway's administration reflects the decentralized and relatively flexible institutions of highway administration that prevailed at the time. Chicago officials were able to finance the skyway with revenue bonds to address an anticipated traffic crisis resulting from uncoordinated planning for the Indiana Toll Road. However, Chicago's independent initiative came with a lack of oversight and resulted in questionable design parameters, traffic projections, and financing. Skyway bonds went into default in 1963, and decades of financial shortfalls and deferred maintenance followed. In the 1990s, improved traffic and revenue allowed for debt retirement and physical rehabilitation. Its lease to an investment group led by Australia's Macquarie Bank indicated a new paradigm of decentralized h...
Pulmonary Complications in Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Recipients: Autopsy Findings

Study objective To describe the pulmonary findings at autopsy of blood and bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. Design Retrospective. Setting An academic medical center. Patients Seventy-one deceased adult BMT recipients. Interventions None. Measurements Antemortem and postmortem pulmonary findings. Results The transplants were allogeneic in 39 patients (55%), with a peripheral stem cell source in 43 patients (61%). Death occurred at a median of 1.30 months after transplant. Ninety-six pulmonary complications were noted in 63 patients (89%): 27 infectious (bacterial bronchopneumonia, n = 13; pulmonary aspergillosis, n = 11; cytomegalovirus pneumonia, n = 2; and Candida bronchopneumonia, n = 1) and 69 noninfectious (diffuse alveolar damage, n = 35; diffuse alveolar hemorrhage [DAH], n = 10; amyloidosis, n = 9; pulmonary embolism, n = 5; lymphoma/leukemia, n = 4; bronchiolitis obliterans, n = 2; bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, n = 1; pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, n = 1; aspiration pneumonia, n = 1; and acute and organizing pneumonia, n = 1). Twenty-seven of the 96 complications (28%) were diagnosed antemortem. Infectious complications were more likely to be diagnosed antemortem compared to noninfectious complications (48% vs 20%, p = 0.006). Six of the 13 patients with bronchopneumonia (46%), 5 of the 11 patients with pulmonary aspergillosis (45%), and 7 of the 8 patients with DAH (88%) at autopsy were not receiving treatment for these conditions at the time of death. Ten patients being treated for suspected pulmonary aspergillosis, 7 patients treated for suspected pulmonary cytomegalovirus infection, 22 patients treated for suspected bacterial pneumonia, 2 patients treated for suspected Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and 12 patients treated for DAH at the time of death had no evidence of these conditions at autopsy. The most common immediate cause of death was respiratory failure (n = 37, 52%). Conclusions Pulmonary complications, the majority not diagnosed antemortem, are the most common cause of death in BMT recipients. As the result of underdiagnosis, BMT recipients may not receive appropriate therapy for potentially treatable pulmonary complications.
Hydrops fetalis associated with Gaucher disease

Summary The rare association of hydro ps fetalis with acute neuropathic Gaucher disease, diagnosed at autopsy, is described. Mechanisms for the fetal edema in this case are discussed. Unusual medial calcification of the aorta was present; and although its etiology is unknown, a possible relationship to Gaucher disease is suggested.
TEXAS AUTOMATED BUOY SYSTEM: REAL-TIME CURRENTS FOR OIL SPILL RESPONSE

ABSTRACT If the question asked of the oil spill R&D community is, “What have you done for me lately?,” a solid answer is the Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS) and its contribution to the response effort in the 3000-barrel Buffalo Barge 292 oil spill. The TABS network consists of five automated buoys anchored off the Texas coast that report half-hourly current measurements every 6 hours under normal conditions and every 2 hours during spill events. Public access to TABS is provided via an easy-to-use Internet Web page. Because of TABS, trajectory modelers knew the offshore currents within minutes of the Buffalo Barge 292 spill and were able to continuously track the currents along the Texas coast over the next 24 days. TABS also provided the first indications of a critical current reversal during the spill that allowed planners and managers to confidently stand down response preparations (and their associated costs) in some areas while redirecting response resources to truly threatened sections of the coa...
Determining the polarity of the map of crosslinked interactions in Escherichia coli 16 S ribosomal RNA.

Abstract Hydroxymethyltrimethylpsoralen crosslinked 16 S rRNA from Escherichia coli has been R loop hybridized to two plasmid DNAs containing different sections of the 16 S ribosomal gene. It is possible to identify crosslinked features in the part of the RNA that is not complementary to the DNA. Crosslinked features can be aligned into a relative map of interactions. Crosslinked loops that correspond to features located, originally arbitrarily, in the left part of this map are seen in the 5′ half of the 16 S rRNA in one hybrid and loops that correspond to features in the right part of the map are seen in the 3′ two-thirds of the 16 S rRNA in the other hybrid. These results confirm the relative orientations of the crosslinked loops and establish that the left end of the map corresponds to the 5′ end of the molecule.
Palaeoclimate: East Antarctic retreat

The contribution of the East Antarctic ice sheet to the 120 m of sea-level rise since the Last Glacial Maximum is unclear. New terrestrial and marine data suggest the thinning of East Antarctic ice was responsible for only a metre of this rise.
Enantioselective β-Lactone Formation from Ketene and Aldehydes Catalyzed by a Chiral Oxazaborolidine

A novel catalytic system has been developed for the enantioselective synthesis of β-lactones from ketene and aldehydes.
Cobalt-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination with arylsulfonyl azides.

Cobalt complexes of porphyrins are effective catalysts for intramolecular C−H amination with arylsulfonyl azides. The cobalt-catalyzed process can proceed efficiently under mild and neutral conditions in low catalyst loading without the need of other reagents or additives, generating nitrogen gas as the only byproduct. The catalytic system can be applied to primary, secondary, and tertiary C−H bonds and is suitable for a broad range of arylsulfonyl azides, leading to high-yielding syntheses of various benzosultams.
Neutral and ionic emission from collisionally excited additives to an helium afterglow

Abstract Spatially separated emission from ionic and neutral molecules has been observed when N 2 , CO, CO 2 , N 2 O and other gases were added to a flowing helium afterglow. Emission from neutral molecules is probably the result of ion—electron recombination in the plasma of the afterglow. It was observed that neutral molecular emission was decreased when a magnetic field was applied near the glow.
Ultrasound as a diagnostic tool used by surgeons in pyloric stenosis.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to validate surgeon-performed abdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of pyloric stenosis, thus expediting diagnosis and management and increasing overall cost-effectiveness. Methods A surgical resident, after completing ultrasound courses offered by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, examined 30 consecutive patients with a suspected diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). Blinded regarding both clinical and radiographic findings, the resident scanned the pylorus in longitudinal and transverse axes. Positive ultrasonographic evidence of HPS was defined as muscle thickness of at least 4 mm and/or channel length of at least 16 mm. Surgeon and radiology measurements were compared using descriptive analyses and Student t test. Results There were 25 boys and 5 girls examined. Twenty-eight of 30 patients were found to have HPS. When ultrasound performed by the surgeon was compared with that of radiology, no false-negative or false-positive results were noted. The surgeon was diagnostically accurate in all cases, and there was no statistically significant difference between surgeon and radiology measurements with regard to pyloric muscle thickness ( P = .825, mean deviation=0.4 mm) or channel length ( P = .74, mean deviation=2.2 mm). Conclusion A surgeon with appropriate training in abdominal ultrasound can diagnose HPS with the same degree of accuracy as radiologists.
Genetic Ablation of Tau Mitigates Cognitive Impairment Induced by Type 1 Diabetes

Patients affected by diabetes show an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD). Similarly, patients with AD show impaired insulin function and glucose metabolism. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms connecting these two disorders are still not well understood. Herein, we investigated the microtubule-associated protein tau as a new link between AD and diabetes. To determine whether diabetes causes cognitive decline by a tau-dependent mechanism, we treated non-transgenic (Ntg) and tau-knockout mice with streptozotocin, causing type 1 diabetes-like disease (T1D). Interestingly, although induction of T1D in Ntg mice led to cellular and behavioral deficits, it did not do so in tau-knockout mice. Thus, data suggest that tau is a fundamental mediator of the induction of cognitive impairments in T1D. Tau dysregulation, which causes a reduction in synaptic protein levels, may be responsible for the cognitive decline observed in Ntg streptozotocin-treated mice. Concomitantly, we demonstrate the novel finding that depletion of endogenous tau mitigates behavioral impairment and synaptic deficits induced in T1D-like mice. Overall, our data reveal that tau is a key molecular factor responsible for the induction of cognitive deficits observed in T1D and represents a potential therapeutic target for diabetes and patients with AD.
On a paper by Reilly

Abstract The assertion made in a recent paper, that the spin-2 equations involving an auxilliary field suffer a loss of constraints in the presence of electromagnetic interactions, is shown to be incorrect.
A PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED PERIPHERAL BLOOD GENE EXPRESSION SCORE IS PRIMARILY INFLUENCED BY PLAQUE BURDEN, RATHER THAN ISCHEMIA, IN 371 PATIENTS FROM THE COMPASS MULTI-CENTER STUDY

Results: Mean age was 56 ±10; 52% were male. 195 (53%) patients had no plaque; of these 174 (47%) did not and 21 (6%) had ischemia. 176 (47%) patients had plaque; of these, 146 (39%) did not and 30 (8%) had ischemia. GES monotonically increased from no plaque/no ischemia to plaque/ischemia (p<0.001 by ANOVA) (Figure). In pairwise comparisons, GES did not significantly increase from no plaque/no ischemia to no plaque/ischemia and from plaque/no ischemia to plaque/ischemia, while it was significantly different in no-plaque vs. plaque patients (Figure). Regression analysis showed that the GES was more sensitive to plaque (9 point increase, p<0.001) than ischemia (3 point increase, p=0.028).
Temporal Electrostatic Instabilities in Inhomogeneous Plasmas

The parametric process where the electromagnetic wave drives two Langmuir oscillations near 2ω p can be shown to be temporally unstable even in inhomogeneous plasmas. The instability arises because of wave trapping which prevents the convection of wave energy out of the unstable region.
THE LS-ANTIGEN OF VACCINIA : II. ISOLATION OF A SINGLE SUBSTANCE CONTAINING BOTH L- AND S-ACTIVITY.

Virus-free filtrate, obtained from suspensions of vaccine virus-infected dermal pulp of rabbits and rich in the soluble substances of vaccinia, was shown to contain four distinct components in electrophoresis experiments. Electrophoretic and serological observations served as a guide in developing a method for separating these components from one another. This method depended upon changes in the solubilities of the components with alterations of pH. Three of the four components appeared to be serologically inert when tested with anti-vaccinia sera. All of the L- and S-activity was found to be associated with a single component which was electrically homogeneous at several values of pH and which was homogeneous in the ultracentrifuge. This single substance, designated as LS-antigen, precipitates in equal titers with optimal amounts of L- and of S-antibody and is completely removed from solution by absorption with either antibody. The LS-antigen of vaccinia appears to be a protein molecule with two antigenically distinct parts, L and S. Heating modifies the L-portion in such a manner that the substance no longer precipitates with L-antibody; this degraded antigen still combines with L-antibody, as is shown by inhibition tests, and still precipitates with S-antibody. Similarly, treatment with heat and dilute alkali modifies the S-portion of LS-antigen so that it combines but does not precipitate with S-antibody; and at the same time all recognizable immunological properties of the L-portion are destroyed.
Infertility in women with pemphigus vulgaris and other autoimmune diseases

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases may adversely affect reproductive function and could result in infertility. Objective: Our purpose was to describe nine young women with PV and infertility. Methods: A retrospective study was performed. Clinical characteristics, immunopathologic features, treatment, clinical course, and long-term follow-up were determined. Results: Eight of nine patients were unable to become pregnant. One patient became pregnant during a period of remission. In eight of the nine patients, the cause of infertility was ovarian. Anti-sperm antibodies were present in two of the patients. Conclusion: Some patients with PV may have infertility. No definitive conclusion about the frequency of infertility in these patients or its relation to PV can be drawn. However, these observations indirectly demonstrate that there may be important interactions between the immune and hormonal systems.
The Simons-Parr-Finlan modified Dunham expansion: a generalized potential model for the analysis of differential elastic molecular beam scattering cross sections

Abstract The Simons-Parr-Finlan (SPF) modification of the Dunham expansion (in powers of ( r − r e )/ r ) offers a unified and compact representation of all realistic, multiparameter potential models employed for interpreting angular distribution of elastic molecular beam scattering at thermal energies. SPF coefficients are tabulated for 13 different potential models used in the scattering analysis for 19 well-studied systems.
Bioavailability, biological activity and characterization of bound residues of diflubenzuron in wheat.

Abstract Wheat grain was treated with radiolabeled diflubenzuron at 100 ppm and stored for various periods; up to 6 months. The grain was surface washed, Soxhlet‐extracted with methanol, and the residues determined. A relative constant amount of bound residues (4%), i.e., non‐extractable radioactivity, was found 4 months after application and remained constant. More than 97% of the extractable radioactivity in the grain after 6 months was identified as diflubenzuron. When the bound residues were fed to rats, 47% of the administered dose was eliminated via the urine and the remainder via feces within 96 h. Diflubenzuron was the major component in the urine. Adding bound residues to housefly media resulted in a dose‐dependent mortality of housefly pupae. Bound residues were biologically active, preventing the emergence of adult houseflies. Supercritical fluid extraction of the bound residues extracted 922 and 96% of the radioactivity associated with grain and feces, respectively. Only diflubenzuron was pres...
NONLINEAR SEPARATED INVISCID-VISCOUS ANALYSIS OF OSCILLATING CASCADE AERODYNAMICS USING AN INVERSE INTEGRAL METHOD

A mathematical model is developed to analyze the unsteady flow through an harmonically oscillating cascade of airfoils, including separated flow. The model incorporates an inverse integral boundary layer solution with the time–marching Euler analysis NPHASE. An embedded composite grid formulation is incorporated, specifically a deforming C–grid embedded in a Cartesian H–grid, thereby simplifying grid generation. To reduce computational requirements, Fourier series unsteady periodic boundary conditions are implemented. The integral turbulent boundary layer model is closed with steady correlations adopted in a quasi–steady manner. To couple the inviscid and viscous solutions, the viscous effect is modeled in the unsteady Euler solution in a quasi–steady manner by a transpiration boundary condition. An isolated airfoil is used to compare the steady interaction model with experimental data. Then a flat plate cascade is used to verify the unsteady flow solver with linear theory predictions. An experimental unsteady aerodynamics data set of a loaded cascade with separated meanflow executing torsional oscillations compared favorably with the analysis. The code is then utilized to study the effect of flow separation on the unsteady aerodynamics.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
On the performance of traffic equalizers on heterogeneous communication links

Aggregating the bandwidth of multiple low-cost physical communication links to form a single, higher capacity logical link is a common and inexpensive approach to increasing network performance. Aggregating or bonding links has traditionally been used in relatively static settings such as LAN-WAN interconnection, where the component links to be aggregated were typically identical (e.g., multiple T1 links) with very similar communication characteristics. However the emergence of multi-homed hosts and diverse access technologies (e.g., cable modem, wireless DSL) compel us to study the performance of aggregating the bandwidth of increasingly heterogeneous links.In this paper we examine the end-to-end performance of a single TCP connection with packets transmitted over multiple heterogeneous links. We describe a testbed we constructed, present empirical results, and introduce a new Linux-based traffic scheduler called wTEQL that we have developed to optimize the performance of TCP over multiple heterogeneous communication links. Finally, we present a novel analytical approach based on linear systems theory to characterize the performance of TCP over an inverse multiplexed channel with WRR scheduling over heterogeneous links. We believe that our model is the first to demonstrate analytically how TCP throughput on two links with a poorly matched packet scheduling policy can fall below the achievable throughput of the slower of the two links when that link is used alone.1
A Biocultural Framework for Examining Maternal Cravings and Aversions among Pastoral Women in East Africa

Food preferences during pregnancy result from a complex set of biocultural interactions with important implications for maternal and child health. This article explores the social context of maternal food choice in marginal environments of East Africa. Biocultural data collected among Turkana and Datoga women living in Kenya and Tanzania indicate there is a significant social context to food choice that influences the types of food that women report craving and the food that is consumed. Our framework argues for a deeper understanding of how culture shapes food preferences and how marginalization can constrain access to favored and healthy foods.
Recent pricing patterns in British journal publishing

Abstract A study of the 1984 price lists of seventeen British journal publishers was performed to determine pricing patterns for subscriptions sent to American libraries. The study documents a pattern of overcharging due to the insistence of many publishers on establishing a fixed dollar subscription rate applying only to U.S. or North American libraries while not allowing these institutions to pay at a pound rate convertible at the time of payment. American libraries paid on the average 66.7% more for the 548 titles examined than did their counterparts in the UK, and paid 34% more than did other overseas libraries. In addition, a dollar / pound valuation was computed for individual titles, showing artificially established exchange rates as high as $3.20 to the pound. When individual per issue costs were computed, it was found that publishers charged an extra $3.53 per issue up to $17.26 per issue to service American library subscriptions. Such practices inhibit the dissemination of information and suggest that American libraries are subsidizing subscriptions in other parts of the world.
Glycogen‐rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast: A light and electron microscopic study

A glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma arose in the breast of a 49-year-old woman. Light microscopic examination of the neoplasm revealed both intraductal papillary growth and stromal invasion. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated neoplastic cells that contained massive quantities of nonmembrane-bound particulate glycogen and that formed numerous acini. Apically, these cells formed microvilli; laterally they formed tight junctions and desmosomes. Morphologic features of this neoplasm are similar to those of the fetal breast and to some other clear cell carcinomas arising elsewhere in the body.
Seepages, Contact Zones, and Amalgam: Internationalizing TESOL

TESOL Quarterly publishes brief commentaries on aspects of English language teaching. For this issue, the editor asked a teacher educator the following question: How has your experience as a global citizen informed your work in local contexts?
Associations among Insulin, Estrogen, and Fat Mass Gain over the Pubertal Transition in African-American and European-American Girls

Context: Age at menarche (AgeM) is earlier in African-American (AA) than in European-American (EA) girls. Neither the physiological cause nor the health implications of this difference are known. Objective: We tested the hypotheses that higher insulin among AA vs. EA precipitates an earlier elevation of estradiol (E2), an associated earlier AgeM, and greater gain in body fat. Setting: The study was conducted at a university research laboratory and General Clinical Research Center. Participants: Subjects were 137 girls (57 AA and 80 EA) aged 7–15 yr. Design: The study had a longitudinal design. Annual evaluations were conducted for body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) by iv glucose tolerance test, and reproductive-endocrine profile. Main Outcome Measures: Multiple linear regression modeling and mixed model analyses were used to identify independent predictors of AgeM and E2 concentration at menarche. Results: AgeM was significantly earlier in AA vs....
On the Use of Stemming for Concern Location and Bug Localization in Java

As the popularity of text-based source code search and analysis grows, the use of stemmers to strip suffixes has increased. Although widely investigated in the information retrieval community, the comparative effectiveness of stemmers in the domain of software is relatively unknown. In this paper, we investigate which of the well-known stemmers perform best in the domain of Java software for concern location and bug localization. For these two problems, we evaluate the use of stemming on over 500 search tasks for six different Java applications. Using MAP and Rank Measure, we conducted an overall qualitative study and a query-by-query quantitative study of the impact of stemming on retrieval effectiveness. As one might expect, our contribution demonstrates that how stemming affects retrieval performance is mediated by other factors, such as the use of tf-idf to filter commonly occurring terms and the precise nature of the queries. Specifically, we find that the extent to which stemming improves the retrieval performance relates to the degree of natural language content in a query.
Techniques of obtaining and preparing the porcine liver for experimental and clinical temporary ex vivo perfusion.

Summary Methods have been presented of porcine preoperative maintenance, induction and maintenance of anesthesia, intraoperative heparinization and hemodilution, prophylactic buffering prior to and during surgery along with the details of hepatectomy including hazards and rationales of the phases involved. These techniques have been utilized in 30 experimental preparations for isolated ex vivo perfusion studies and in 5 clinical perfusions. In the latter situations wherein the human-ex vivo perfused porcine liver is utilized as a possible therapeutic adjunct in the treatment of terminal hepatic failure, the avoidance of the initial phase of vasoconstriction secondary to an increase in transhepatic vascular resistance3,4 in the excised liver becomes of paramount importance in maintaining adequate flow rates to support prolonged ex vivo porcine hepatic viability.
African American Single Mothers Raising Sons: Implications for Family Therapy

Being raised by a single mother is one factor that has been suggested as contributing to the plight of African American males. Yet few studies have focused specifically on African American single mothers' experiences with raising sons. This qualitative study explored the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of African American single mothers in the raising of their sons? (2) What coping strategies do African American single mothers use in the raising of their sons? Two rounds of unstructured open-ended interviews were conducted with 11 African American single mothers of at least one son. Implications for family therapy based on the interviews are presented.
Sensitivity of a biogeography model to soil properties

Abstract This paper presents the changes in vegetation distribution and hydrological balance resulting from a change in soils input data to the biogeography model MAPSS ( Neilson, 1995 ). The model was run for the conterminous United States using three different sets of soil characteristics: (1) all soils were assumed to be sandy loam; (2) soils characteristics came from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) soils map of the world ( FAO, 1974–1979 ) and (3) soil characteristics came from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) National Soil Geographic (NATSGO) dataset. Resulting changes in vegetation distribution appear small on a country-wide basis, but large changes in simulated runoff in savannas, shrublands and deserts reflect the importance of using the best available soils dataset. In the state of Oregon, a 16% relative decrease in forest areal extent is accompanied by an 18% relative increase in shrubland when switching from FAO to NATSGO datasets. Conversely, forest cover increases by 24% while shrubland extent decreases by 14% when all Oregon soils are assumed to be sandy loam. MAPSS vegetation distribution projections were compared to Kuchler's potential vegetation map ( Kuchler, 1964 ). The generalization of all US soils to sandy loam soils decreases the similarity between MAPSS predictions and Kuchler's map and is clearly inappropriate. If the similarity between MAPSS projections and Kuchler's map does not clearly improve by using NATSGO rather than FAO soils data, NATSGO soil representation is more reliable and thus we recommend using it in the future.
Identification of153Lu β decay

Using an on-line mass separator the decay of153Lu was studied in64Zn bombardments of92Mo. The T1/2=0.9 ±0.2 s activity was assigned to the β decay of the (11/2−) isomer.
Cell for testing passive remote-sensing vapor detectors

There is a requirement for the controlled testing of passive infrared remote-sensing vapor detectors. The driving mechanism for the operation of these sensors is the small temperature difference ΔT that occurs between the target vapor and the background. Natural ΔT’s, ranging from a fraction of a degree Kelvin to 20 K or more, have to be duplicated in the laboratory with the vapor contained in a cell. It is shown that the windows of the cell nonlinearly affect the measurements. A proposal is made for a new type of vapor cell, the ectocell, which effectively eliminates the window problems for differential measurements.
Tm studies of a tertiary structure from the human hepatitis delta agent which functions in vitro as a ribozyme control element

Abstract Viroids and other circular subviral RNA pathogens, such as the hepatitis delta agent, use a rolling circle replication cycle requiring an intact circular RNA. However, many infectious RNAs have the potential to form self-cleavage structures, whose formation must be controlled in order to preserve the circular replication template. The native structure of delta RNA contains a highly conserved element of local tertiary structure which is composed of sequences partially overlapping those needed to form the self-cleavage motif. A bimolecular complex containing the tertiary structure can be made. We show that when it is part of this bimolecular complex the potential cleavage site is protected and is not cleaved by the delta ribozyme, demonstrating that the element of local tertiary structure can function as a ribozyme control element in vitro. Physical studies of the complex containing this element were carried out. The complex binds magnesium ions and is not readily dissociated by EDTA under the conditions tested; > 50% of the complexes remain following incubation in 1 mM EDTA at 60 degrees C for 81 min. The thermal stability of the complex is reduced in the presence of sodium ions. A DNA complex and a perfect RNA duplex studied in parallel showed a similar effect, but of lesser magnitude. The RNA complex melts at temperatures approximately 10 degrees C lower in buffers containing 0.5 mM MgCl2 and 100 mM NaCl than in buffers containing 0.5 mM MgCl2 with no NaCl (78.1 compared with 87.7 degrees C). The element of local tertiary structure in delta genomic RNA appears to be a molecular clamp whose stability is highly sensitive to ion concentration in the physiological range.
Sexual Dimorphism of Rat Liver Nuclear Proteins Regulatory Role Of Growth Hormone

Many genes are expressed in mammalian liver in a sexually dimorphic manner. DNA microarray analysis has shown that growth hormone (GH) and its sex-dependent pattern of pituitary secretion play a major role in establishing the sexually dimorphic patterns of liver gene expression. However, GH may exert effects on protein post-translational modification and nuclear localization that are not reflected at the mRNA level. To investigate these potential effects of GH, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by LC-MS/MS to: 1) identify rat liver nuclear proteins whose abundance or state of post-translational modification displays sex-dependent differences; and 2) determine the role of the plasma GH profile in establishing these differences. Nuclear extracts prepared from livers of individual male (n = 9) and female (n = 5) adult rats, and from males given GH by continuous infusion for 7 days to feminize liver gene expression (n = 5 rats), were resolved by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Image analysis of SYPRO Ruby-stained gels revealed 165 sexually dimorphic protein spots that differ in normalized volume between male and female groups by >1.5-fold at p 1.5-fold differences in abundance, with 60 of these GH-responsive spots being sexually dimorphic. Thus, GH plays an important role in establishing the sex-dependent differences in liver nuclear protein content. Twenty-eight of the sexually dimorphic and/or GH-regulated protein spots were identified by LC-MS/MS. Proteins identified include regucalcin, nuclear factor 45, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A3, D-like, and K, in addition to proteins such as GST, normally associated with cytosolic extracts but also reported to be localized in the nucleus.
Cloning and expression of the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene in pseudomonads: effects on cell growth

The gene (vgb) encoding the hemoglobin (VtHb) of Vitreoscilla sp. was cloned into a broad-host-range vector and stably transformed into Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Xanthomonas maltophilia. vgb was stably maintained and expressed in functional form in all three species. When growth of the P. aeruginosa and X. maltophilia transformants in Luria-Bertani medium was compared with that of each corresponding untransformed strain, the VtHb-producing strains reached slightly higher maximum viable cell numbers, had significantly increased viability after extebded times in culture, and, like E. coli that produces VtHb, had significantly lower respiration rates. The VtHb-producing strain of P. putida also reached a slightly higher maximum viable cell number than its corresponding untransformed strain, but was significantly less viable after extended times in culture and, unlike the case in E. coli, had a generally higher respiration rate than the untransformed strain. When growth was monitored by absorbance, the results were similar to those obtained with viable cell counts.
Experienced Middle School Science Teachers' Assessment Literacy: Investigating Knowledge of Students' Conceptions in Genetics and Ways to Shape Instruction

Using a framework of assessment literacy that included teachers’ view of learning, knowledge of assessment tools, and knowledge of assessment interpretation and action taking, this study explored the assessment literacy of five experienced middle school teachers. Multiple sources of data were: teachers’ predictions about students’ ideas, students’ written and verbal responses to assessment tasks, teacher background questionnaire, and a videotaped teacher focus group. We investigated middle school teachers’ predictions, interpretations, and recommended actions for formative assessment in genetics. Results documented a variety of ways that teachers would elicit students’ ideas in genetics, focusing on discussion strategies. Findings showed how well teachers predicted student conceptions compared to actual student conceptions. We also found that teachers mostly described general topics they would use to address students’ alternative conceptions. Less often, they explained specific content they would use to challenge ideas or pedagogical strategies for conceptual change. Teachers also discussed barriers to addressing ideas. Teacher professional development should provide more support in helping teachers close the formative assessment cycle by addressing conceptions that are elicited with assessments.
Trade, Infrastructure, and Roadways in Europe and Central Asia: New Empirical Evidence

Infrastructure quality is a crucial determinant of trade. To assess the importance of regional infrastructure externalities, we use detailed overland transit information from an original road network database. Gravity model simulations suggest that an ambitious but feasible road upgrade could increase trade by 50% over baseline, exceeding the expected gains from tariff reductions or trade facilitation programs of comparable scope. Cross-country spillovers due to overland transit are very large: total intraregional trade could be increased by 30% by upgrading roads in just three countries—Albania, Hungary and Romania. These results bolster the case for regional coordination of infrastructure investments.
Survival and integration rate of channel catfish and common carp embryos microinjected with DNA at various developmental stages

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, and common carp, Cyprinus carpio, were microinjected with DNA at early, intermediate or late one-cell stage, two-cell stage or four-cell stage to determine the most appropriate developmental stage for maximizing the production of transgenic individuals, a product of survival × integration rate. Survival (hatching rate) decreased (P 0.05, r= −0.52) survival in common carp and survival of microinjected common carp embryos was higher (P < 0.01) than survival for channel catfish embryos. Survival relative to non-microinjected controls was 88.9, 85.3, 91.5, 85.3, and 83.4% and integration rate was 8.3, 1.0, 0.0, 11.5 and 17% for early one-cell, intermediate one-cell, late one-cell, two-cell and four-cell stages, respectively, of common carp. The late one-cell and the two-cell stage were the most appropriate stages for maximizing production of transgenic channel catfish and common carp, respectively.
Optimization of a novel DC-link current modulated interface with 3-phase utility systems to minimize line current harmonics

A novel three-phase utility interface is discussed. The interface draws near-sinusoidal currents from the utility and provides a regulated DC output voltage. The performance of the system is optimized. Simulation results for a three-phase, 208 V (line-to-line), 3 kW system are presented. The sensitivity of the interface to unbalances in various system parameters is examined. Simulation results indicate that a total harmonic distortion in the line currents lower than 5% can be achieved by the interface. It is shown that there is minimal degradation of performance with changes in system parameters. >
Modeling the Capacitance-Voltage Characteristics of Organic Schottky Diode in the Forward Bias

In this work, an accurate capacitance-voltage (C-V) model of organic Schottky diode is proposed. By taking the interface trap of the Schottky barrier into account, the capacitance model was derived from the junction and interface capacitance as a function of operation voltage. The model successfully describes the turn-around capacitance characteristic of Al/poly(3-hexylphiophene)(P3HT)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)/IZO Schottky diode in the forward bias region. The simulated capacitances are in good agreement with our experimental data.
Building an ensemble of CD-DNN-HMM acoustic model using random forests of phonetic decision trees

We propose an RF-PDT+CD-DNN approach to generate an ensemble of context-dependent pre-trained deep neural networks (CD-DNNs) using random forests of phonetic decision trees (RF-PDTs) and constructing a CD-DNN-HMM-based ensemble acoustic model (EAM). We present evaluation results on the TIMIT dataset and a telemedicine automatic captioning dataset and demonstrate that the proposed RF-PDT+CD-DNN based EAM significantly outperforms the CD-DNN based single acoustic model (SAM) in phone and word recognition accuracies.
P02.02. Quality Improvement Study Suggesting the Value of Point-of-Care Documentation of Quality of Life Vital Signs in an Academic Integrative Health Center

Focus Area: Supporting Behavioral Change Rigorous quality improvement and outcome reporting within interdisciplinary academic integrative health centers (IHCs) is a realm requiring significant focus in an era of skyrocketing healthcare costs, especially in management of complex chronic illness. In one southeastern US academic IHC seeing primarily (>80%) patients with chronic pain, treatment modalities include yoga, physical therapy (PT), cognitive-based therapy (CBT), acupuncture, and group therapy. A random sample of returning patients at this IHC completed a paper survey querying the following: treatment length and modalities used as a patient at this IHC; current pain, fatigue, and anxiety levels (0–10); change in pain, fatigue, anxiety, and quality of life (−5, “much worse,” to 5, “much better”) since first visit to this IHC. Seventy-seven responses were collected. Mean and median scores were calculated for current pain (m=3.9, SD=2.6, M=4), fatigue (m=4.7, SD=3.0, M=4), anxiety (m=3.5, SD=2.7, M=3), as well as changes in QOL (m=2.8, SD=1.7, M=3), pain (m=2.4, SD=1.9, M=3), anxiety (m=2.4, SD=1.7, M=3), and fatigue (m=1.8, SD=1.7, M=3). Increasing time following treatment was associated with improved QOL (P=.045, r=0.232) as was an increasing number of services utilized (P=.021, r=0.263). Associated with these QOL changes were improved pain (P<.01, r=0.561), fatigue (P<.01, r=0.604), and anxiety (P<0.01, r=0.495) while more severe current pain (P=.002, r=−.347) and fatigue (P=.015, r=−0.277) upon survey completion inversely predicted QOL change. A two-tailed t-test revealed that patients finding PT useful reported improved QOL (P=.008), anxiety (P=.008), fatigue (P=.006), and pain (P=.003) compared to those not. Patients reporting acupuncture useful enjoyed lower anxiety (P=.016) and improved pain (P=.037) while those finding yoga useful reported improved anxiety (P=.005). Together, these data suggest the potential value of implementing a more robust, EMR-based, and consistent evaluation of different treatment modalities and QOL improvement housed within this interdisciplinary academic IHC for quality improvement of personalized, internally coordinated care.
Attentional processing in schizophrenia : Experimental induction of the crossover effect

A target group of 16 schizophrenics were compared with 48 college students on both the Rodnick and Shakow (1940) reaction time (RT) paradigm and a dual-task procedure designed to produce the early crossover effect innormals with a balanced order design. The dual-task procedure required subjects to perform a simple version of the continuous perfectionism task (CPT) during all of the preparatory intervals of the classical RT task. Analysis of the RT data showed significantly earlier RT crossover and greater RT slowing across groups on the dual-task procedure. As expected, schizophrenics were significantly slower and had significantly earlier crossover scores across tasks. A planned comparison showed that the experimentally induced early mean crossover of 8.01 sec found in the normal group on the dual-task procedure closely approximated, and was not significantly different from, the mean crossover of 8.36 sec for schizophrenics on the standard task. The increased RTs found in normals on the dual-task procedure never reached the pathological level of overall slowness shown by the schizophrenics. The results are viewed as compatible with both information processing theory and Shakow's (1962) loss of set explanation of schizophrenic attention deficit, and incompatible with Steffy and Galbraith's (1974) redundancy deficit theory. The findings suggest that separate neuropsychological mechanisms of cognitive preparatory attention and a more automatic vigilance form of attention may underlie the regular and irregular RT procedures of the traditional RT task.
Molecular biology of human melanoma development and progression

In the United States, Australia, Northern Europe, and Canada, malignant melanoma is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer, with the exception of lung cancer in women. Major advances have been made in the molecular biology and immunology of melanoma. These advances in basic science have led to more rational approaches to specifically targeting melanoma cells, with promising results in the clinic. An increased understanding of how melanoma spreads has led to more selective, less invasive surgical procedures that do not compromise patient health. Combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy are now available for patients with advanced melanoma that affect both the length and quality of the patients' lives. This review of the molecular biology of melanoma development and progression discusses the disease's etiology, molecular genetics, cell-surface antigens, experimental models, biological markers, and new forms of treatment. As we continue to learn more about malignant melanoma, we will be able to devise more specific and effective treatments that will give patients with this potentially deadly disease longer and more productive lives.
Down-regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis in corticolimbic circuits mediates social isolation-induced behavior in mice.

Allopregnanolone (ALLO), synthesized by pyramidal neurons, is a potent positive allosteric modulator of the action of GABA at GABAA receptors expressing specific neurosteroid binding sites. In the brain, ALLO is synthesized from progesterone by the sequential action of two enzymes: 5-reductase type I (5-RI) and 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3-HSD). In the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, these enzymes are colocalized in principal glutamatergic output neurons [Ago´s-Balboa RC, Pinna G, Zhubi A, Maloku E, Veldic M, Costa E, Guidotti A (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:14602–14607], but they are not detectable in GABAergic interneurons. Using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, this study compares 5-RI and 3-HSD mRNA brain expression levels in group housed and in socially isolated male mice for 4 weeks. In these socially isolated mice, the mRNA expression of 5-RI was dramatically decreased in hippocampal CA3 glutamatergic pyramidal neurons, dentate gyrus granule cells, glutamatergic neurons of the basolateral amygdala, and glutamatergic pyramidal neurons of layer V/VI frontal (prelimbic, infralimbic) cortex (FC). In contrast, 5-RI mRNA expression failed to change in CA1 pyramidal neurons, central amygdala neurons, pyramidal neurons of layer II/III FC, ventromedial thalamic nucleus neurons, and striatal medium spiny and reticular thalamic nucleus neurons. Importantly, 3-HSD mRNA expression was unchanged by protracted social isolation (Si). These data suggest that, in male mice, after 4 weeks of Si, the expression of 5-RI mRNA, which is the rate-limiting-step enzyme of ALLO biosynthesis, is specifically down-regulated in glutamatergic pyramidal neurons that converge on the amygdala from cortical and hippocampal regions. In socially isolated mice, this down-regulation may account for the appearance of behavioral disorders such as anxiety, aggression, and cognitive dysfunction. 5-reductase amygdala glutamatergic neurons allopregnanolone aggression