cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying optical interconnects to the 3-D computer: a performance evaluation

Two methods for fault diagnosis on a class of rearrangeable networks using the same fault model for blocking multistage networks are developed. The first method uses minimal two-bit test vectors and uniform switch settings in two phases to detect and locate a fault. In most cases, the number of tests needed is independent of the network size. The second method uses (n + 1)-bit test vectors and nonuniform switch settings in two test phases. Speedup of the process is obtained in many cases. Again, the number of tests needed is independent of the network size in most cases. A combination of these two methods is proposed to achieve greater efficiency.
Charge delocalization in proton channels, I: the aquaporin channels and proton blockage.

The explicit contribution to the free energy barrier and proton conductance from the delocalized nature of the excess proton is examined in aquaporin channels using an accurate all-atom molecular dynamics computer simulation model. In particular, the channel permeation free energy profiles are calculated and compared for both a delocalized (fully Grotthuss shuttling) proton and a classical (nonshuttling) hydronium ion along two aquaporin channels, Aqp1 and GlpF. To elucidate the effects of the bipolar field thought to arise from two α-helical macrodipoles on proton blockage, free energy profiles were also calculated for computational mutants of the two channels where the bipolar field was eliminated by artificially discharging the backbone atoms. Comparison of the free energy profiles between the proton and hydronium cases indicates that the magnitude of the free energy barrier and position of the barrier peak for the fully delocalized and shuttling proton are somewhat different from the case of the (localized) classical hydronium. The proton conductance through the two aquaporin channels is also estimated using Poisson-Nernst-Planck theory for both the Grotthuss shuttling excess proton and the classical hydronium cation.
Mobilization of beryllium in the sedimentary column at convergent margins

Studies of Be distributions in subduction zone sediments will help to understand questions regarding the enrichments of cosmogenic Be-10 in arc volcanic rocks. Analyses of Be-10 and Be-9 in sediments of Ocean Drilling Program Site 808, Nankai Trough and Be-9 in porewaters of Site 808 and Sites 671 and 672, Barbados ridge complex, show significant decreases in solid phase Be-10 and large increases of porewater Be-9 at the location of the decollement zone and below or at potential flow conduits. These data imply the potential mobilization of Be during pore fluid expulsion upon sediment burial. Experiments involving reaction between a decollement sediment and a synthetic NaCl-CaCl2 solution at elevated pressure and temperatures were conducted in an attempt to mimic early subduction zone processes. The results demonstrate that Be is mobilized under elevated pressure and temperature with a strong pH dependence. The Be mobilization provides an explanation of Be-10 enrichment in arc volcanic rocks and supports the argument of the importance of the fluid processes in subduction zones at convergent margins.
Indications for therapeutic plasma exchange at a university hospital and a regional blood center.

The AABB guidelines for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) are divided into four categories: I. TPE is "standard and acceptable therapy," II. "generally accepted," III. "insufficient evidence to evaluate efficacy," and IV. "data suggest no therapeutic efficacy." Since little is known about the implementation of these guidelines, and since the indications for TPE may vary, depending upon an institution's patient mix, this study reviewed the indications and their categories for two co-located institutions. A retrospective review of the indications for all patients undergoing TPE from January 1, 1994 to December 31,1997 at Emory University Hospital (EUH), a tertiary-care teaching hospital, and the American Red Cross (ARC), a regional blood center, using AABB criteria (ASFA criteria used when not rated [NR] by AABB) was conducted. Categories I/II represented 75% and 88% of cases (EUH and ARC, respectively), while Categories III/IV/NR (NR as used below is "not rated" by both AABB and ASFA criteria; n is number of patients) were 25% and 12% of indications, respectively (P =0.002). Cases at EUH (n=101) were I, 62%; II, 13%; III, 3%; IV, 13%; and NR, 9%. Cases at ARC (n=359) were I, 77%; II, 11%; III, 9%; IV, 0%; and NR, 3% (P<0.001). No Category IV patients underwent TPE at ARC (13% at EUH). Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was the most common indication for TPE at both centers. The majority of the procedures were "appropriate" (Categories III/); several disorders ( approximately 10%) for which TPE was utilized at both centers were NR by both AABB and ASFA guidelines. Indications for TPE may differ, depending on the type of requesting institution. Physicians requesting TPE for patients with disorders in Categories III/IV/NR should be more strongly encouraged to enter their patients into controlled trials to best evaluate the efficacy of TPE in inadequately-studied clinical situations. This might best be accomplished at university hospitals, where requests for Category III/IV/NR may be higher. A need exists for periodic updating of the AABB guidelines to include those diseases for which new information is available with regard to the potential therapeutic role of TPE.
Photoacoustic image reconstruction using the pseudoinverse of the system matrix with the potential for real-time imaging

We discuss a method for using the pseudoinverse of the system matrix to perform photoacoustic image reconstruction. In our method, the regularization levels are set and the pseudoinverse matrices are calculated just once for all possible objects, so the reconstruction step consists only of a matrix-vector multiplication, which is very fast. We expect this method to work well in photoacoustic imaging because the dominant noise mechanism is usually transducer thermal noise, which is object independent. We find that this reconstruction method offers improvements in ideal observer signal-to-noise ratio, resolution, and the length of streak artifacts compared to standard filtered backprojection.
Autonomous Expressionism: a framework for installation directed Network Arts

Digital media has blurred the distinction between creator-centric and experiencer-centric artwork. From online photo collections to remixed videos, the use of new media in digital art conflate the role of creator and experiencer, often leaving the installation itself to make critical decisions, which steer the performance. This article presents The Imagination Environment, an art installation serving as a reflector of popular culture by fusing TV and movies with photos found online. The installation embodies Autonomous Expressionism as a framework of network artwork based in theory and psychology, from the models of art consumption by Kandinsky to the interaction models of Csikszentmihalyi. In Autonomous Expressionism, the roles of the creator is secondary to that of online communities and it is the codification of this model that catalyses new ideas and foster creative collaboration across disciplines.
Probing single-chain magnets in a family of linear chain compounds constructed by magnetically anisotropic metal-ions and cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate analogues.

Five new metal-carboxylate chain-based laminated compounds, namely, ∞2[FeII(e,e-trans-1,2-chdc)] (3) (1,2-chdc = cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate), ∞2[NiII(μ-OH2)(e,a-cis-1,2-chdc)] (4), ∞2[CoII(μ-OH2)(1,2-chedc)] (5) (1,2-chedc = cyclohex-1-ene-1,2-dicarboxylate), ∞2[Co5II(μ3-OH)2(OH2)2(1,2-chedc)4] (6), and ∞2[CoII(4-Me-1,2-chdc)] (7) (4-Me-1,2-chdc = trans-4-methylcyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate) have been hydrothermally synthesized. In these series of magnetic chain-based compounds, 3 and 7 have the same dimeric paddle-wheel M(II)-carboxylate chain as the previously reported compound, ∞2[CoII(trans-1,2-chdc)] (2). However, compound 3 does not behave as a single-chain magnet (SCM) but simply an alternating ferro-antiferro magnetic chain. Compound 4 has the cis conformation of 1,2-chdc ligand, which leads to a uniform aqua-carboxylate-bridged Ni(II) chain. Such a Ni—O chain exhibits strong antiferromagnetic interactions, leading to a diamagnetic ground state. Compound 5 features a corner-sharing triangular c...
Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Variation, Filaggrin Loss of Function, and the Persistence of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the skin that is most often seen in childhood1. The development of AD has been associated with genetic polymorphisms, skin barrier dysfunction, environmental exposures, and host immune dysregulation2;3. Conceptually, the pathophysiology of AD may be due to a child’s sensitization to specific environmental or food allergens in association with skin barrier dysfunction, which is hypothesized to result from defects in the production of filaggrin protein (FLG), a key constituent of the granular cell layer3. In 2006, loss-of-function mutations in the FLG gene were shown to be associated with AD4–6. Ultimately, FLG proteolysis results in the creation of natural moisturizing factors that are part of the skin barrier. Animal models have shown that a defect in the production of FLG creates a more porous skin surface resulting in epi-cutaneous sensitization to environmental allergens, activating the host immune system, thereby resulting in local inflammation, pruritus, and visible skin lesions7. In 2010 Gao et al reported an association between thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and AD as well as a decreased susceptibility to an infectious inflammatory complication of atopic dermatitis called eczema herpeticum8;9. TSLP promotes the differentiation of naive T- cells into T helper type 2 (TH2) cells, a cell type associated with and thought to be pathogenic in atopic diseases10;11. Increased expression of TSLP has been strongly associated with AD as well as other allergic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergy9;11–14. Furthermore, a report by Beck et al revealed that those who developed eczema herpeticum had more severe AD as well as biomarkers consistent with increased allergic inflammation15. This leads to our hypothesis that genetic variations that result in increased or decreased TSLP activity could be associated with either more severe or milder skin disease. More specifically, alterations in the activity of TSLP should directly influence the association between FLG and AD persistence. As noted, FLG mutations result in skin barrier dysfunction and are associated with an increased risk of developing AD and persistence of skin symptoms4;16;17. Since TSLP acts to promote TH2 cell responses, it is conceivable that those with diminished TSLP expression, even in the setting of skin barrier dysfunction due to a FLG loss-of-function mutation, would be less likely to exhibit active symptoms of AD. The goal of this study was to first evaluate the association between TSLP variation and the persistence of skin symptoms of AD and then to determine if TSLP variation alters the known association between FLG loss-of-function mutations and the persistence of AD.
Gross Private Capital Flows to Emerging Markets: Can the Global Financial Cycle Be Tamed?

This paper assesses empirically the key drivers of private capital flows to a large sample of emerging market economies in the last decade. It analyzes the effect of the global financial cycle, measured by the VIX, on capital flows and investigates the role of fundamentals and country characteristics in mitigating or amplifying its effect. Using interaction models, we find the effect of the VIX to be non-linear. For low levels of the VIX, capital flows are driven by fundamental factors. During periods of stress, the VIX becomes the dominant driver of capital flows while other determinants, with the exception of interest rate differentials, lose statistical significance. Our results also suggest that the effect of global financial conditions on gross private capital flows increases with the host country’s level of financial sector development. Finally, our results imply that countries cannot fully insulate themselves from global financial shocks, unless creating a fragmented global financial system.
Influence of inelastic seismic response modeling on regional loss estimation

This study investigates the implications of the use of alternative damage prediction methodologies to correlate ground shaking intensity to socio-economic losses in regional seismic loss analyses. In particular two methodologies are investigated: the over-damped Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM), and a modified version of a Parameterized Fragility Method (PFM) based on dynamic nonlinear analysis to reflect the generalized effects of degradation in hysteretic response. Investigations include comparisons of a variety of structural systems first assuming full hysteresis to minimize the discrepancies in modeling approaches, as well as parametric variations in ground motion intensity and degradation effects. The study culminates with an investigation of the influence of the application of each methodology on regional loss estimates, using a seismic risk analysis performed for the state of South Carolina as a case study, by comparing seismic loss estimates obtained using the over-damped CSM with estimates obtained by application of a modified PFM (MPFM). It is shown that the estimates obtained from the two methodologies are different, and that the over-damped CSM displays increased sensitivity to key analysis parameters relative to the MPFM method both in terms of displacement demands and estimated socio-economic losses.
An overlooked series of gas phase diatomic metal oxide ions that are long-lived.

Although the “Golden” years of spectroscopy and the major studies on ionization processes now are behind us, as with many branches of science, much yet remains to be gleaned from such topics that is both full of interest and of significance to present day research. Presented here is one such overlooked example, an observation that relates to both these fields. An analysis is presented for the periodic table concerning the gas-phase thermochemical nature of MO+ and MO2+ ions. Unexpectedly, a pattern of 18 elements has been identified that exhibit the potential for having long-lived MO+ ions. Normally such molecular ions are expected to decay extremely rapidly by dissociative recombination with electrons, but in particular, 12 of this group behave not like molecules but rather as atomic ions. These are the diatomic oxide ions of Sc, Y, La, Zr, Hf, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Gd, Tb, and Th. In the gas phase, they decay by much slower three-body recombination channels. As may be noted, these elements are located in the ...
Current Status of Understanding Quasi-Permanent Fields Associated with Earthquakes

Many of the basic concepts relating to displacement fields associated with earthquakes were lucidly described by H.F. Reid in his discussion of the mechanism of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, originally published in 1910 and recently republished [Reid, 1969]. His presentation is a natural beginning point for a modern discussion.
Cross-linked enzyme crystals of fructose diphosphate aldolase: Development as a biocatalyst for synthesis

Abstract Crystals of rabbit muscle aldolase were grown from 45% saturated ammonium sulfate solutions and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to produce a biocatalyst that has stability for months, can be reisolated and reused, and has excellent solvent stability. This catalyst showed excellent reactivity with non-natural substrates.
Graphene nanoplatelet paper as a light-weight composite with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and good gas barrier properties

Abstract Paper forms (i.e. thin free-standing films) of carbon-based materials have received increasing attention. Here we present a novel approach to fabricating a binder free, self-standing flexible paper consisting of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs). It is found that the electrical conductivity of the GNP paper can be as high as 2200 S cm−1 and the thermal conductivity reaches 313 W m−1 K−1. Both thermoset and thermoplastic matrices were used to impregnate the porous GNP paper and an extremely high tensile modulus was attained. Even with 30 vol.% polymer, the GNP paper composite can still exhibit ∼700 S cm−1 electrical conductivity thanks to the highly continuous GNP network formed in the paper making process. The impregnated GNP paper was also investigated as a component in carbon fiber composite. It is found that when inserted into a layered laminate composite construction, gas permeability can be severely reduced and electrical and thermal conductivity can be greatly enhanced.
Wavelength-Modulation Spectra of Some Semiconductors

Wavelength-modulation spectra of GaAs, GaSb, InAs, InSb, Ge, and Si at 5,80, and 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are presented. The spectral range extends from 1.75 to 6.0 eV. The results are compared with electroreflectance and thermoreflectance data. New structures are found in the spectra of all crystals. With the help of existing band structures of these crystals, all the reflectivity peaks can be consistently assigned to proper critical transitions between the valence and the conduction bands. Values of spin-orbit splittings at several symmetry points can be calculated. Temperature effects on the band spectra are discussed.
Acoustoelastic evaluation of arbitrary plane residual stress states in non-homogeneous, anisotropic plates

Abstract In this paper it is shown that relative ultrasonic velocity measurements can be used to determine the difference of normal stress components (T22 − T11) in non-homogeneous, anisotropic plates containing arbitrary residual stress states. It has previously been demonstrated that measurements with horizontally polarized shear waves (SH-waves) can be used to determine (T22 − T11) unambiguously in plates with unknown material property variations. However, previously the theory relating the velocity of SH-waves to stress and material anisotropy was limited to the case where the principal directions of stress are parallel to the axes of material symmetry. In this paper, we remove this restriction by extending the theory. We also suggest possible experimental procedures for validating the new theory.
Promoting Axon Regeneration in the Adult CNS by Modulation of the PTEN/mTOR Pathway

The failure of axons to regenerate is a major obstacle for functional recovery after central nervous system (CNS) injury. Removing extracellular inhibitory molecules results in limited axon regeneration in vivo. To test for the role of intrinsic impediments to axon regrowth, we analyzed cell growth control genes using a virus-assisted in vivo conditional knockout approach. Deletion of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), a negative regulator of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, in adult retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) promotes robust axon regeneration after optic nerve injury. In wild-type adult mice, the mTOR activity was suppressed and new protein synthesis was impaired in axotomized RGCs, which may contribute to the regeneration failure. Reactivating this pathway by conditional knockout of tuberous sclerosis complex 1, another negative regulator of the mTOR pathway, also leads to axon regeneration. Thus, our results suggest the manipulation of intrinsic growth control pathways as a therapeutic approach to promote axon regeneration after CNS injury.
Atypical hyperplasia, proliferative fibrocystic change, and exogenous hormone use.

Abstract Background. The association between breast cancer development and exogenous hormone use (EHU) is suggested by indirect clinical evidence. We undertook this study to better define the relationship that EHU has with proliferative fibrocystic change (PFC) and atypical hyperplasia (AH). Methods. Women diagnosed with AH without associated carcinoma from January 1990 to December 1999 were compared with control subjects who underwent breast biopsy procedures during the same interval and who were diagnosed with either a proliferative fibrocystic change (PFC) or a nonproliferative fibrocystic change (NPFC). EHU was defined as the use of estrogen or progesterone taken together or separately within 3 months of biopsy. Results. EHU was significantly higher in patients with AH compared with women with NPFC (P =.01). This observation was also significant if all proliferative change (both AH and PFC) was compared with NPFC (P =.03); it was not significant when PFC alone was compared with NPFC. No significant difference in EHU was demonstrated between women with AH and those with PFC. Conclusions. There is strong association between AH and EHU. These results support the theory that a continuum exists between hyperplasia and carcinoma and that EHU may influence the transition from one to the other in an undefined subset of women. We encourage our patients with AH to discontinue EHU. (Surgery 2001;130:732-7.)
THE ANALYTICS OF TAX EFFECTS IN DISCOUNT BOND VALUATION

This paper discusses the analytics of tax effects in discount bond valuation. The author illustrates that bond value is a simple linear function of the tax rate on interest income, whereas bond value is concave to the capital gains tax rate. The author also analyzes how changes in tax rates interact with yield changes to affect bond valuation and how tax rates interact with maturity to determine the depth of bond discount.
Dietary Patterns and Risk of Death and Progression to ESRD in Individuals With CKD: A Cohort Study

Background Nutrition is linked strongly with health outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies have examined relationships between dietary patterns and health outcomes in persons with CKD. Study Design Observational cohort study. Setting & Participants 3,972 participants with CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate 2 or albumin-creatinine ratio ≥ 30mg/g at baseline) from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a prospective cohort study of 30,239 black and white adults at least 45 years of age. Predictors 5 empirically derived dietary patterns identified by factor analysis: "convenience" (Chinese and Mexican foods, pizza, and other mixed dishes), "plant-based" (fruits and vegetables), "sweets/fats" (sugary foods), "Southern" (fried foods, organ meats, and sweetened beverages), and "alcohol/salads" (alcohol, green-leafy vegetables, and salad dressing). Outcomes All-cause mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Results 816 deaths and 141 ESRD events were observed over approximately 6 years of follow-up. There were no statistically significant associations of convenience, sweets/fats, or alcohol/salads pattern scores with all-cause mortality after multivariable adjustment. In Cox regression models adjusted for sociodemographic factors, energy intake, comorbid conditions, and baseline kidney function, higher plant-based pattern scores (indicating greater consistency with the pattern) were associated with lower risk of mortality (HR comparing fourth to first quartile, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.97), whereas higher Southern pattern scores were associated with greater risk of mortality (HR comparing fourth to first quartile, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.19-1.92). There were no associations of dietary patterns with incident ESRD in multivariable-adjusted models. Limitations Missing dietary pattern data, potential residual confounding from lifestyle factors. Conclusions A Southern dietary pattern rich in processed and fried foods was associated independently with mortality in persons with CKD. In contrast, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appeared to be protective.
The Avatar as a Methodological Tool for the Embodied Exploration of Virtual Environments

In his article "The Avatar as a Methodological Tool for an Embodied Exploration of Virtual Environments" Kris Pint proposes a theoretical framework for the analysis of environments which cannot be entered physically because they are fictional, inaccessible, or destroyed. As phenomenology has already emphasized, the analysis of space has to take into account the bodily involvement of the researcher. Pint introduces the notion of the avatar to compensate for the impossibility of actually accessing the aforementioned spaces. Borrowed from game design, the avatar allows us to include this bodily aspect in the exploration of virtual environments, without neglecting the specific characteristics of an immersion in a virtual space. The aim is to make the avatar operational as a research tool by combining Roland Barthes's use of fantasy in his theory of reading with a reinterpretation of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's notions of the conceptual persona and the aesthetic figure. To illustrate this research method, Pint uses a number of avatars related to the fantasy of not-belonging to explore the virtual environments of modernist architecture, literature, and
Positron lifetimes in solid and liquid metals

Abstract The observed changes of positron lifetimes in Na and Ga on melting are at variance with the predictions of the free electron gas model. They appear to be determined by the increase in vacancy concentration on melting.
Prediction of a deterministic melting transition of two-ion crystals in a Paul trap

With the help of detailed molecular-dynamics calculations we prove the existence of an instability region I embedded in the single-ion Mathieu stability region M of Paul-trap control parameters a and q. Two-ion crystals do not exist in I. A two-ion crystal created outside of I can be dragged into I by an adiabatic change of a and q. A deterministic order-chaos transition occurs at the point of entry into I. This type of melting transition does not depend on the presence of laser noise and occurs even in the absence of collisions with rest-gas atoms. The prediction can be checked with existing experimental setups.
Hypnosis, depth perception and schizophrenia.

Summary.-A series of experiments with a single S on the effects of posthypnotically altered perception on behavior suggests a relation berween a schizophrenic-like condition and loss of depth perception, and a psychedelic state with enhanced depth perception. These changes were not observed with blurred vision or enhanced visual clarity. Altho~igh perception has been frequently studied as an indicator of personality, the role of perception in producing personality change has rarely been considered in any systematic way. The development of projective techniques ,and the data relating perceptual experiences to needs, values and drives result from considering the effect of personality on perception. Perceptual isolation studies linking sensory deprivation to personality change (Kubzansky, 1961) provide the main source of data on the effect of perception on personality. Perceptual isolation studies deal primarily in restrictions of quantity of sensory input and require elaborate and artificial experimental situations which preclude observation in a naturalistic setting. Resultant personality changes can only be examined after the fact and the stress is more on the environment than on the perceiver. In contrast, hypnotism allows control of single sensory modalities and the observation of behavior in a more natutal setting. The use of hypnotism in this way was first suggested by Leuba (1941). Fogel and Hoffer ( 1962) and Aaronson ( 1964) have shown a relationship between hypnotically induced perceptual changes, personality change and mood. The present study is an attempt to explicate further the use of hypnotism as a technique for studying the effect of perception on personality. As disorders in space perception have been reported under the influence of psychotomimetic drugs (Savage, 1955), it was hypothesized that to the extent that this disorder is intrinsic to the psychosis-producing effects of these drugs, alteration in space perception in an hypnotic S should produce behavioral change in a schizoid direction. These changes should not be produced by simple alterations in visual acuity.
Designing a distributed access control processor for network services on the Web

The service oriented architecture (SOA) is gaining more momentum with the advent of network services on the Web. A programmable and machine accessible Web is the vision of many,and might represent a step towards the semantic Web. However, security is a crucial requirement for the serious usage and adoption of the Web services technology. This paper enumerates design goals for an access control model for Web services. It then introduces an abstract general model for Web services components, along with formal definitions and notation that can be used as a basis to design an access control processor independent of a particular Web service implementation. It follows the design of a distributed access control processor built upon this general model for Web services, along with implementation guidelines and examples. Main goals for a general authorization framework are identified, and design spaces enumerated.
Occupied and Unoccupied Orbitals of C60 and C70 Probed with C 1s Emission and Absorption

The full spectrum of occupied and unoccupied σ and Π orbitals is presented for solid C60, C70, and graphite, using C1s emission and absorption spectroscopy. There are significant differences between C60 and C70, and even larger changes relative to their infinite analog graphite C∞. A comparison is made with photoemission and inverse photoemission results, along with first principles quasiparticle calculations.
Effects of buspirone and the dopamine D3 receptor compound PG619 on cocaine and methamphetamine self-administration in rhesus monkeys using a food-drug choice paradigm.

The dopamine (DA) D2 and D3 receptors have been associated with cocaine abuse. A recent study with the D3 receptor (D3R) partial agonist PG619 found that it attenuated cocaine-induced reinstatement and the D2-like receptor antagonist buspirone has shown positive outcomes in two studies of cocaine abuse in monkeys. However, a recent clinical trial indicated that buspirone did not improve abstinence in treatment-seeking cocaine abusers. The objective of the study was to examine PG619 and buspirone under a food-drug choice paradigm in order to better model the clinical findings. In addition, we extended the characterization of both compounds to include methamphetamine (MA) self-administration (SA). Six adult male rhesus monkeys were trained to respond under a concurrent food (1.0-g pellets) and drug (0.01–0.3 mg/kg/injection cocaine or MA) choice paradigm in which complete SA dose-response curves were determined each session (N = 3/group). Monkeys received 5 days of treatment with either PG619 (0.1–3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) or buspirone (0.01–1.0 mg/kg, i.m.). In a follow-up study, the SA doses were reduced (0.003–0.1 mg/kg/injection) to increase reinforcement frequency and buspirone was retested. PG619 did not affect cocaine or MA choice, while buspirone increased low-dose cocaine choice. Changing the SA doses increased the number of reinforcers received each session, but buspirone did not decrease drug choice. Consistent with clinical findings, these results do not support the use of buspirone for psychostimulant abuse and suggest that food-drug choice paradigms may have greater predictive validity than the use of other schedules of reinforcement.
High-power, NH3 arcjet cathode lifetime evaluation experiments and plans

Preliminary experimental investigations were conducted to evaluate the effects of a modified cathode shape on ammonia arcjet engine performance. The experiments were conducted with a contoured nozzle arcjet in a fully-instrumented facility which included a thrust stand. The modified cathode tip had a reduced diameter and more acute conical tip with respect to the baseline cathode design. A uniform 15 percent decrease in arc voltage was demonstrated over a mass flow range of 0.175 to 0.350 g/s. A 4 percent improvement in thrust efficiency was noted at 22.0 kW. Plans for future cathode testing are discussed with the aim of developing a long-life, high-performance arcjet cathode.
Chickens in the City: Yes, in My Backyard

It might be a neighbor, a relative, a friend, or a coworker who has them. If you haven't heard about it already, you will soon. The trend is here and growing. Chickens in your backyard? In the city...
Design and Implementation of Noble Metal Nanoparticle Cluster Arrays for Plasmon Enhanced Biosensing

Nanoparticle cluster arrays (NCAs) are a class of electromagnetic materials that comprise chemically defined nanoparticles assembled into clusters of defined size in an extended deterministic arrangement. NCAs are fabricated through integration of chemically synthesized building blocks into predefined patterns using a hybrid top-down/bottom-up fabrication approach that overcomes some of the limitations of conventional top-down fabrication methods with regard to minimum available feature size and structural complexity. NCAs can sustain near-field interactions between nanoparticles within individual clusters as well as between entire neighboring clusters. The availability of near-field interactions on multiple length scales, together with the ability to further enhance the coupled plasmon modes through photonic modes in carefully designed array morphologies, leads to a multiscale cascade electromagnetic field enhancement throughout the array. This feature article introduces the design and fabrication fundam...
Understanding Suicide Attempts by Adolescent Hispanic Females

This article presents integrative model to aid clinicians in understanding suicide attempts by adolescent Hispanic females. On the basis of knowledge accumulated through clinical and research experience, the model describes a convergence of sociocultural, familial, developmental, and psychological factors that include considerations of family and parental functioning; adolescent female development; and the relationships of fathers, mothers, and daughters.
Social resource characteristics and adolescent substance abuse relapse

Abstract Social environment features have been implicated in the addiction relapse process. The present study examined social resource network characteristics of adolescent substance abusers to determine whether the alcohol/drug use, perceived similarity and/or perceived support of individuals in the social resource network was associated with drug use outcome. Perceived similarity to one's social network emerged as an important moderator of whether the social network provides support to remain abstinent or elevates risk for relapse. Increased perceived support predicted continued post‐treatment abstinence when recovering teens perceived their social resource network as similar to themselves. Conversely, post‐treatment relapse was most likely when recovering teens perceived themselves as similar to a social resource network comprised of using and/or abusing individuals.
Findings and implications of a correlation analysis of the closed and the open birth intervals.

A correlation analysis of data on four fertility variables viz. closed birth interval, open birth interval, age and parity, collected in a survey of about 2,000 married women in the reproductive ages in rural India, is carried out in order to study the interrelationships among these variables. Two hypotheses are formulated governing the relationship of the closed and open birth intervals with the fecundability distribution of fertile women, and Parity Progression Ratios which are largely influenced by the proportion of women becoming sterile after each parity. The data lend support to the hypothesis that while the closed intervals are influenced mainly by the distribution of fecundability of women of non-zero fecundability, the open birth intervals are influenced mainly by Parity Progression Ratios or the proportion of women becoming secondarily sterile after each parity. The analysis suggests that we can use the mean open intervals of women classified by parity as indices of fertility, and such an index is comparable to the index of average age of women of given parity. In areas where it is difficult to ascertain the correct age of women this might be of practical value.
Organic oligomers in aqueous environments

A series of water reducible oligomers were prepared with varying polarities, solubilizer content, and molecular weights. Their behaviors upon reduction in water were observed and compared to each other. Molecular weight and polarity are both shown as important factors in the reduction behavior.
Simultaneous approximation and Birkhoff interpolation II: The periodic case

We continue [6] by studying the simultaneous approximation of a realvalued function and its derivatives on the unit circle K. In order to do this, we will need a theorem giving sufficient conditions for the solvability of the Birkhoff interpolation problem in the periodic case. Let C,(K) be the space of i-times continuously differentiable real-valued functions defined on the unit circle K. Zf I(. 11 denotes the uniform norm on C(K), then
A Deubiquitinating Enzyme Encoded by HSV-1 Belongs to a Family of Cysteine Proteases that Is Conserved across the Family Herpesviridae

We have discovered a ubiquitin (Ub)-specific cysteine protease encoded within the N-terminal approximately 500 residues of the UL36 gene product, the largest (3164 aa) tegument protein of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Enzymatic activity of this fragment, UL36USP, is detectable only after cleavage of UL36USP from full-length UL36 and occurs late during viral replication. UL36USP bears no homology to known deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) or Ub binding proteins. Sequence alignment of the large tegument proteins across the family Herpesviridae indicates conservation of key catalytic residues amongst these viruses. Recombinant UL36USP exhibits hydrolytic activity toward Ub-AMC and ubiquitinated branched peptides in vitro. In addition, recombinant UL36USP can cleave polyUb chains and appears to be specific for Lys48 linkages. Mutation of the active site cysteine residue (Cys65) to alanine abolishes this enzymatic activity. The lack of homology between UL36USP and eukaryotic DUBs makes this new family of herpesvirus ubiquitin-specific proteases attractive targets for selective inhibition.
Calculation of Space Charge Effects in Beam Transport

Methods of calculating space charge effects which are presently available have as their basis the assumption of uniform charge density over the beam cross section. In design of a high intensity beam transport system, it is important to know how sensitive parameters of the design are to this assumption. This question has been investigated by propagating phase plots along the beam axis for space charge fields from both a uniform charge density and a charge density obeying a normal distribution. Normalization was such that the field from the uniform density was a least-squares fit to the field from the charge density of normal distribution. Results of computations for 20 mA of 3.0 MeV protons indicate that while the phase plot showed considerable distortion from effects of the normal charge density, parameters of the plot which effect design of a transport system were not changed appreciably. From these calculations it seems that unless close matching of an acceptance phase plot is imperative, design of a transport system is relatively insensitive to charge distribution in the beam.
Spontaneous rupture of uterus in fourth month of pregnancy

Abstract A case is presented of spontaneous rupture of the uterus in the fourth month of pregnancy. This rupture took place in the region of the right cornu at the site of a salpingectomy performed sixteen months previous. The corpus luteum was seen in the right ovary. It is interesting to observe that in this case pregnancy occurred by migration of the ovum from the right ovary to the left tube.
Optimal simulations between mesh-connected arrays of processors

Let G and H be two mesh-connected arrays of processors, where G=glxg':!.X· .. xg, • H=h(x.h2x· .. Md.. and g 1· .. gr~ I" . hd. We consider the problem of simulating G by H. and we characterize in terms of the gi'S and h j ' s the best possible simulation by giving such a simulation and proving its optimality in the worst-case sense. We also establish the same bound on the average cost of encoding the edges of G as dis· tinCt paths in H .
Properties of the genome in experimental hepatomas: variations in the composition of chromatin.

Abstract The chromosomal proteins of two rapidly growing and poorly differentiated Morris hepatomas were compared with those of liver from normal and tumor bearing animals. While the total quantity of histone associated with DNA in all tumor and liver chromatin preparations studied were similar, tumor chromatin contained an increased quantity of nonhistone chromosomal proteins. Variations in specific classes of histones and nonhistone chromosomal proteins associated with the genome of the two tumors, host liver and liver of tumor bearing animals were observed.
Intranasal beclomethasone as an adjunct to treatment of chronic middle ear effusion.

Background Following otitis media, 10% to 50% of children develop residual middle ear effusion with concurrent hearing loss and potential cognitive, behavioral, and language impairment. Prophylactic antibiotics and tympanostomy tubes are currently recommended treatments for chronic middle ear effusion. Objective In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of chronic middle ear effusion, we assessed the effectiveness of topical intranasal beclomethasone as an adjunct to prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Methods Sixty-one children, aged 3 to 11 years with persistent middle ear effusion greater than 3 months, were randomized into three treatment groups: (1) prophylactic antibiotics, (2) prophylactic antibiotics plus intranasal beclomethasone (336 micrograms/day); and (3) prophylactic antibiotics plus intranasal placebo. Patients were evaluated with aerollergen skin tests at entry; and tympanogram, otoscopic examination, and symptom questionnaire at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results While middle ear pressures, otoscopic examinations, and symptom scores were improved for each treatment group over 12 weeks of therapy, the beclomethasone plus antibiotics group improved all three measures more rapidly than the antibiotics-alone and placebo nasal spray plus antibiotics group over the first 8 weeks. Only the beclomethasone group significantly improved left (P = .004) and right (P = .01) middle ear pressures over 12 weeks. Resolution of chronic middle ear effusions was more frequent in the beclomethasone group (P Conclusions We conclude that intranasal beclomethasone may be a useful adjunct to prophylactic antibiotic treatment of chronic middle ear effusion.
Low concentrations of fatty acids can inhibit calcium efflux from sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

Abstract A low concentration of oleic acid (2 μM) can promote calcium uptake by skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles when the fatty acid is added to an ongoing calcium uptake reaction carried out at pH 6.8 in 120 mM KCl, 5 mM MgATP and 50 mM phosphate. This effect, which occurred when more than 95% of the added oleic acid became associated with the vesicles, is due primarily to marked inhibition of calcium efflux. The ability of low concentrations of free fatty acids to reduce the calcium permeability of these membranes supports the hypothesis that accumulation of lipid substances may influence cardiac function in pathological states such as myocardial ischemia.
Faunal burrows as indicators of paleo-vegetation in eastern Washington, USA

Abstract The Palouse loess deposits in the Pacific Northwestern United States contain buried paleosols with distinctive biological fabrics. The Washtucna Soil, formed 40,000–15,000 yr ago during the last full glacial, contains up to 90% by volume distinctive cylindrical pedotubules that are 1–2 cm in diameter formed by burrowing fauna. The overlying post-glacial loess and modern surface soils that support perennial grasslands lack these cylindrical burrows. We investigated the paleoecological significance of the burrows. Observations of several types of burrowing fauna under native vegetation indicated that nymphs of cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae) are responsible for cylindrical, back-filled burrows that match those in the Washtucna Soil. We measured the abundance of active cicada burrows in soils in four native vegetation zones (Soil sites), establishing that cicada burrows comprise 19% of the rooting zone volume in sagebrush steppe, but just 1–3% of the rooting zone volume in bunchgrass steppe, meadow steppe and coniferous forest. This suggests strongly that abundant cicada burrows in paleosols are a proxy for the geographic extent of plant communities that contained sagebrush. To assay the activity of cicada nymphs through time, we measured burrowed volume by depth from the soil surface down through the Washtucna Soil (i.e. from the present to ca. 40,000 yr bp ) at five stratigraphic research sites (Paleosol sites). Cicada-burrowed volume is generally less than 5% in the rooting zone of the surface soils and throughout Holocene loess, but is up to 94% in the rooting zone of the Washtucna Soil at Paleosol sites that currently support bunchgrass steppe outside the present-day sagebrush steppe zone. Cicada host preferences in vegetation zones today suggest that sagebrush was the dominant shrub as the Washtucna Soil formed. From this reconstruction, combined with information from studies of pollen and plant opal, we infer that periglacial steppe plant communities dominated by sagebrush spread, from 40,000 to 15,000 yr bp , into areas of the Columbia Plateau that support bunchgrass steppe, meadow steppe, and even some coniferous forest today. Trace fossils of soil fauna in paleosols are indicators of fluctuations in biological activity in response to climatic changes of the Quaternary Period in Palouse loess deposits.
Androgens inhibit the formation of catechol estrogens by estrogen 2-hydroxylase present in rat liver microsomal preparations.

Abstract The inhibition of estrogen 2-hydroxylase by androgens was demonstrated in screening assays and has been further investigated under initial velocity conditions. The ability of testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone to block the conversion of estradiol to 2-hydroxyestradiol by male rat liver microsomal preparations was determined using two radiotracer methods—the conversion of [4-14C]estradiol to [4-14C]2-hydroxyestradiol and the release of 3H2O from [2-3H]estradiol. The apparent Ki's for the androgens ranged from 12.0 to 14.0 μM, with the apparent Km, for the substrate estradiol in these assays of 2.08 μM. Multiple inhibition studies with the androgens and 2-bromoestradiol, an effective estrogen inhibitor, in male rat liver microsomes resulted in Dixon plots consisting of a series of nonparallel, intersecting lines. Thus, the androgens and 2-bromoestradiol are non-exclusive inhibitors, i.e. the binding of one compound to the enzyme does not interfere with the binding of the other. These interactions of androgens suggest that the steroid hormonal environment be considered in the examination of the physiological role(s) of the estrogen 2-hydroxylase and the catechol estrogen products.
Under What Conditions Do Long Work Hours Affect Psychological Distress?: A Study of Full-time and Reduced-hours Female Doctors

In a random sample of 98 full-time and reduced-hours female doctors in dual-earner couples with at least one child younger than 14, the authors ask whether objective work hours or perceived job dem...