cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oscillatory conductance in a double-bend quantum dot device

We have successfully observed negative differential conductance in an electrostatically confined double-bend quantum dot device at low temperatures under different source-drain bias conditions. The structure fabricated on a modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs layer consists of a zero-dimensional (0D) submicrometre dot that is connected to wide source and drain regions via one-dimensional (1D) leads. By changing the external gate voltage, the size of the dot and 1D leads can be altered. Conductance oscillations have been observed for temperatures as high as 7 K. To our knowledge such oscillations have not previously been reported in similar laterally confined quantum dot devices at such high temperatures.
Successive Lorentz transformations of the electromagnetic field

A velocity-orientation formalism to deal with compositions of successive Lorentz transformations, emphasizing analogies shared by Lorentz and Galilean transformations, has recently been developed. The emphasis in the present article is on the convenience of using the velocity-orientation formalism by resolving a paradox in the study of successive Lorentz transformations of the electromagnetic field that was recently raised by Mocanu. The paradox encountered by Mocanu results from the omission of the Thomas rotation (or, precession) which is involved in the composition of two Lorentz transformations with corresponding noncollinear velocity parameters. By resolving this paradox, we expose (i) the central role that the Thomas rotation plays in special relativity, (ii) the need to consider in special relativity orientations in addition to velocities between inertial frames, and (iii) the power and elegance of the novel velocity-orientation formalism. A similar paradox in STR that Mocanu pointed out, also resulting from the omission of the Thomas rotation, has been resolved in a previous communication.
Beyond media imperialism: Assymetrical interdependence and cultural proximity

This paper analyzes some of the controversies in the literature on media imperialism by drawing on two revised concepts: the idea of assymetrical interdependence as a more precise and complex way to frame the imperialism issues, and the idea of audiences actively searching for cultural proximity in cultural goods, as a way to reincorporate the role of audiences in the media imperialism debate. The focus is on limits imposed by dependence, growth in cultural industries, technological change, and reconceptualization of an active audience that is divided by class. The study focuses on television flows vs. national television production, on the primary case of Brazil, and on institutional and audience‐centered evidence.
Künstler poetic Travel Narrative: Self-Narration and the Writing Process in George Bilgere's Cordell

(2008). Kunstler poetic Travel Narrative: Self-Narration and the Writing Process in George Bilgere's Cordell. The Explicator: Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 19-22.
The promise of a cognitive perspective on jury deliberation.

Despite much psychological research regarding jury decision making, surprisingly little is known about the deliberation process that gives rise to jury verdicts. We review classic jury decision-making research regarding the importance of deliberation and more recent research, investigating deliberation and hung juries, that challenges the view that deliberation does not have an important impact on verdicts. We advocate greater attention to potential cognitive processes during deliberation that might explain the transition between predeliberation preferences and a jury’s ultimate verdict. We then review cognitive work in the group context generally, and the jury context specifically, illustrating the promise of a cognitive perspective on jury deliberation. Finally, we identify cognitive phenomena likely to be particularly valuable in illuminating deliberation behavior.
The numerical solution of fifth-order boundary value problemsby the decomposition method

In this paper we present a fast and accurate numerical scheme for the solution of fifth-order boundary value problems with two-point boundary conditions. The Adomian decomposition method and a modified form of this method are applied to construct the numerical solution. The new approach provides the solution in the form of a rapidly convergent series and not at grid points. Two numerical illustrations are given to show the pertinent features of technique.
Anomalous Defects and Dynamic Failure of Armor Ceramics

The ballistic performance of state-of-the-art silicon carbide armor material can exhibit a fairly wide variability in certain test configurations, which, it is proposed, may be due to the presence of large (>0.1 mm), rare defects, termed, herein, “anomalous” defects. SiC rubble resulting from ballistic tests was examined, as were quasi-static test samples. Ballistic fragment fracture surfaces revealed large carbonaceous defects that seemed to affect fracture path and mode. Low-strength biaxial flexure samples demonstrated similar defects (>0.1 mm) as failure origins. Carbonaceous defects similar in appearance but smaller in size were also found at the fracture origins of SiC bend bars. Frequently, alumina inclusions were found within the carbonaceous discontinuities. These alumina inclusions may cause the graphitic regions to form during sintering. The random distribution of such large, rare carbonaceous discontinuities from sample-to-sample, as well as batch-to-batch variability, may explain high ballistic variability for SiC armor ceramics.
Simplified administration of aerosolized drugs to small animals using metered dose inhalers

Abstract Rationale Animal studies involving administration of aerosolized drugs are complicated by the difficulties of generating and delivering the aerosol to the lungs effectively and reproducibly. A method utilizing a metered dose inhaler (MDI) would allow simplification and standardization of aerosol dosing. Methods 18 adult BN rats were sensitized to ragweed. A spacer chamber was modified with a latex face mask that allowed insertion of an awake rat's nose and mouth into the chamber opposite the MDI. After MDI actuation, rats breathed either placebo or fluticasone 220 aerosol from the chamber for 60s, once daily X7d prior to and 1d after aerosolized ragweed challenge. Others were treated with s.c. dexamethasone X3d for comparison. Body and thymus weights were indicators of systemic steroid effect, and lung volumes, forced expiratory maneuvers and BAL cells were indicators of pulmonary allergic responses at 48h after allergen challenge. Results Fluticasone MDI treatment caused body weight loss and thymus weight loss compared with placebo treatment, indicating sufficient pulmonary delivery to obtain systemic effects. Body weight loss was greater with systemic dexamethasone treatment. Fluticasone also protected the rats from pulmonary allergic responses, with preservation of total lung capacity, FEV 0.2 and FVC, and reduced BAL inflammatory cells, compared with placebo treatment (p 0.2 and BAL eosinophils, and both the fluticasone and dexamethasone groups showed small within-group variability. Conclusion This method of administering MDI aerosols to rats is simple, effective, and reproducible.
Importance of Transmural Pressure and Lung Volume in Evaluating Drug Effect on Pulmonary Vascular Tone

The effect of norepinephrine (NE) on pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was studied in 11 thoracotomized dogs. Comparisons between the test and control states were made at corresponding average intravascular pressures in the pulmonary vascular bed and at the same airway pressure. A significant increase in PVR ( P > 0.01) suggesting active vasoconstriction was found during NE administration.
Groups with the minimum condition on insoluble subgroups

The class of soluble groups of derived length at most d is denoted by \(\frak S_d\). The class of groups consisting of all trivial groups and all non-\(\frak S_d\)-groups is denoted by \(\overline {\frak S_d}\). In this paper we obtain the structure of locally graded groups with the minimum condition on \(\overline {\frak S_d}\)-subgroups.
Biogeographic variation in behavioral and morphological responses to predation risk

The expression of prey antipredator defenses is often related to ambient consumer pressure, and prey express greater defenses under intense consumer pressure. Predation is generally greater at lower latitudes, and antipredator defenses often display a biogeographic pattern. Predation pressure may also vary significantly between habitats within latitudes, making biogeographic patterns difficult to distinguish. Furthermore, invasive predators may also influence the expression of prey defenses in ecological time. The purpose of this study was to determine how these factors influence the strength of antipredator responses. To assess patterns in prey antipredator defenses based upon geographic range (north vs. south), habitat type (wave-protected vs. wave-exposed shores), and invasive predators, we examined how native rock (Cancer irroratus) and invasive green (Carcinus maenas) crab predators influence the behavioral and morphological defenses of dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) prey from habitats that differ in wave exposure across an ~230 km range within the Gulf of Maine. The expression of behavioral and morphological antipredatory responses varied according to wave exposure, geographic location, and predator species. Dogwhelks from areas with an established history with green crabs exhibited the largest behavioral and morphological antipredator responses to green crabs. Dogwhelk behavioral responses to rock crabs did not vary between habitats or geographic regions, although morphological responses were greater further south where predation pressure was greatest. These findings suggest that dogwhelk responses to invasive and native predators vary according to geographic location and habitat, and are strongly affected by ambient predation pressure due to the invasion history of an exotic predator.
Perceptions of chest pain differ by race.

Abstract Background African American patients are less likely to receive thrombolytic therapy and coronary revascularization than are white patients. Delay and clinical presentation may be keys to understanding differences in care. Objective To determine how symptom recognition and perception influence clinical presentation as a function of race, we characterized symptoms and care-seeking behavior in African American and white patients seen in the ED with chest pain. Methods The prospective study was conducted from April 1999 to September 1999 among patients who were seen in the ED and were admitted or observed in the ED Chest Pain Unit (n = 215). Interviews were conducted within 48 hours with a structured set of questions. Results Thirty-one percent of white patients and 8.9% of African American patients were admitted with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction ( P =.001). African American patients were as likely as white patients to report "typical" objective symptoms but were more likely to attribute their symptoms to a gastrointestinal source rather than a cardiac source ( P =.05). Of those patients with the final diagnosis of myocardial infarction (n = 45), 61% of African American patients attributed symptoms to a gastrointestinal source and 11% to a cardiac source, versus 26% and 33%, respectively, for white patients. The median prehospital delay for African American patients was 263 minutes (interquartile range, 120 to 756 minutes), similar to the 247 minutes for white patients (interquartile range, 101 to 825 minutes, P =.72), despite African American patients (80%) being more likely than white patients (66%) to perceive their symptoms as severe/life-threatening at onset ( P =.05). Conclusion Racial differences in symptom perception exist. Although the proportion of objectively defined typical symptoms were similar, self-attribution was more often noncardiac in African American patients than in white patients. Self-attribution, in addition to objective clinical findings, is likely to influence caregiver diagnostic approaches and therefore therapeutic approaches, and merits further study. (Am Heart J 2002;144:51-9.)
CPS K 843 Radiation-induced crosslinking: Effect on structure of polyethylene

Branched polyethylene irradiated (0–400 Mrad) with a Co60 source at room temperature under vacuum was studied by density, wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS) measurements. The radiation effects on the structure of bulk, branched polyethylene are quite similar to those observed by others on single crystals or oriented preparations. These effects include changes in bulk densityϱ, crystallinity(wc orvc) and¯d100 and¯d200 spacings as a function of irradiation. A decrease in crystallinity is seen to begin at radiation dose ≈100 Mrad whereas lattice expansion indicating onset of an orthorhombic-hexagonal transition can begin as low as 10 Mrads. The decrease in crystallinity can be attributed to additional lattice distortions primarily introduced by the crosslinks occurring at the lateral grain boundaries, while lattice expansion can be associated with the same crosslinking mechanism which begins at the defects both within the crystals as well as those outside the crystals at the lateral grain boundaries. Strong evidence for a primary crosslinking-at-the-defects mechanism has also come fromϱc andϱa data obtained in this study as a function of radiation dose. The same data have also led to an excellent correspondence between the measured density crystallinityvc and the measured WAXS crystallinitywc. Without consideration of the effects of crosslinks onϱc andϱa one would have obtained a divergence of the two crystallinities, especially at radiation doses greater than 100 Mrads.
Primary Breast Carcinoma of the Vulva: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract Background. In 1872, Hartung was the first to describe the case of a fully formed mammary gland arising in the left labium majora of a 30-year-old woman. Since Hartung's initial report, 38 additional cases of ectopic vulvar breast tissue have been described. This case report describes the rare occurrence of primary mammary adenocarcinoma arising within the vulva. Case. A 64-year-old G4P4 white female presented with a 4-year history of a 2 × 1 cm firm, indurated, raised lesion of the left lateral mons. A wide local excision with ipsilateral inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy was performed. Given histological findings characteristic of both invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma, in conjunction with the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors within the tumor, a diagnosis of infiltrating adenocarcinoma arising within ectopic breast tissue was made. Conclusions. Thirty-nine reported cases of ectopic breast tissue arising within the vulva have been reported in the world literature. Though the diagnosis of primary breast carcinoma arising within the vulva is based primarily upon histologic pattern, estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity provide supporting evidence. Given the rarity of this condition, guidelines for therapy are unavailable; we therefore suggest looking to the current management of breast cancer in order to establish a sensible approach.
Grazing scattering of fast C+60 ions from an Al(001) surface under axial surface channeling

Abstract 10 keV C 60 + clusters are scattered from a clean and flat Al(0 0 1) surface under a grazing angle of incidence. The angular distributions of clusters are observed as function of the azimuthal angle of rotation of the target close to the 〈1 1 0〉 direction in the surface plane. For sufficiently small impact energies with respect to the motion along the surface normal, fractions of fragmented clusters are small, and projectiles are specularly reflected from the topmost layer of surface atoms. For a slight detuning of the azimuthal angle of incidence with respect to the 〈1 1 0〉 direction, scattered C60 clusters show a characteristic azimuthal deflection in the opposite direction to the sense of rotation of the target surface. The data are analyzed in terms of computer simulations based on classical trajectories calculated from an effective interaction potential for C 60 + clusters in front of the surface.
PuReMD-GPU: A reactive molecular dynamics simulation package for GPUs

Abstract We present an efficient and highly accurate GP-GPU implementation of our community code, PuReMD, for reactive molecular dynamics simulations using the ReaxFF force field. PuReMD and its incorporation into LAMMPS (Reax/C) is used by a large number of research groups worldwide for simulating diverse systems ranging from biomembranes to explosives (RDX) at atomistic level of detail. The sub-femtosecond time-steps associated with ReaxFF strongly motivate significant improvements to per-timestep simulation time through effective use of GPUs. This paper presents, in detail, the design and implementation of PuReMD-GPU, which enables ReaxFF simulations on GPUs, as well as various performance optimization techniques we developed to obtain high performance on state-of-the-art hardware. Comprehensive experiments on model systems (bulk water and amorphous silica) are presented to quantify the performance improvements achieved by PuReMD-GPU and to verify its accuracy. In particular, our experiments show up to 16× improvement in runtime compared to our highly optimized CPU-only single-core ReaxFF implementation. PuReMD-GPU is a unique production code, and is currently available on request from the authors.
Radiation Effects in Crystalline Oxide Host Phases for the Immobilization of Actinides

Radiation effects from alpha-decay events in crystalline oxides, which are proposed for the immobilization of actinides, often lead to amorphization, macroscopic swelling and order-of-magnitude increases in dissolution rates for all of the phases currently under consideration. However, the results of systematic experimental studies using short-lived actinides and ion-beam irradiations, studies of radiation effects in U- and Th-bearing minerals, and the development of new models of the damage process over the past 20 years have lead to a substantial increase in the understanding of the processes of damage accumulation in apatite, zircon, perovskite, zirconolite, and pyrochlore/fluorite structures. This fundamental scientific understanding now provides a basis for the selection of nuclear waste forms based on their predicted performance in a radiation field. One of the recent successes of these studies has been the discovery of a class of radiation-resistant pyrochlore/fluorite structures that can serve as highly durable, radiation-resistant host phases for the immobilization of actinides.
IDENTIFICATION OF ALTRO-HEPTULOSE AND L-THREITOL AS PRODUCTS OF MESO-ERYTHRITOL OXIDATION BY ACETOBACTER SUBOXYDANS.

Abstract In addition to the main product l -erythrulose, altro -heptulose and l -threitol were found in medium in which meso -erythritol was undergoing oxidation by Acetobacter suboxydans . These compounds were isolated by paper chromatography and identified by their dibenzylidene derivatives. It was established that threitol had the l -configuration by measuring the optical rotation. Another compound present in the medium appeared to be heptulose phosphate by its chromatographic behavior. The formation of altro -heptulose was not detected when sorbitol ( d -glucitol), ribitol (adonitol), d -mannitol, d -ribose, or l -erythrulose were used as substrates. No heptulose formation was observed when meso -erythritol was oxidized by Acetobacter xylinium . C 14 studies revealed that the three compounds detected in the medium were derived from meso -erythritol. Some possible biochemical pathways by which these compounds might be synthesized are discussed. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of the synthesis in vivo of this heptulose and of l -threitol by Acetobacter suboxydans .
The structure and mechanical properties of fine diameter Al-1pct Si wire

The structure and mechanical properties of fine diameter Al-1pct Si alloy wires have been investigated. The mechanical behavior of wires as received from the vendor was found to vary greatly depending on the size and distribution of the silicon and on the strain rate of deformation. The ductility was found to increase with decreasing silicon particle size. In addition, wires with the finest silicon particle size (several hundred angstroms) were found to have a large increase in ductility over the strain rate range of 3 to 8 × 10−4 per sec. In this range these wires exhibited large yield drops followed by serrated yielding. Aging the wires at 200° to 450°C resulted in loss of strength and ductility.
The Natural History of Nitrogen Fixation

In recent years, our understanding of biological nitrogen fixation has been bolstered by a diverse array of scientific techniques. Still, the origin and extant distribution of nitrogen fixation has been perplexing from a phylogenetic perspective, largely because of factors that confound molecular phylogeny such as sequence divergence, paralogy, and horizontal gene transfer. Here, we make use of 110 publicly available complete genome sequences to understand how the core components of nitrogenase, including NifH, NifD, NifK, NifE, and NifN proteins, have evolved. These genes are universal in nitrogen fixing organisms-typically found within highly conserved operons-and, overall, have remarkably congruent phylogenetic histories. Additional clues to the early origins of this system are available from two distinct clades of nitrogenase paralogs: a group composed of genes essential to photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis and a group of uncharacterized genes present in methanogens and in some photosynthetic bacteria. We explore the complex genetic history of the nitrogenase family, which is replete with gene duplication, recruitment, fusion, and horizontal gene transfer and discuss these events in light of the hypothesized presence of nitrogenase in the last common ancestor of modern organisms, as well as the additional possibility that nitrogen fixation might have evolved later, perhaps in methanogenic archaea, and was subsequently transferred into the bacterial domain.
Reconceptualizing Technology Integration to Meet the Necessity of Transformation

Our society can no longer afford a labor-intensive model of education that uses expensive human resources inefficiently; this is a permanent sea change that has already happened in many other service sectors of our economy. To meet this challenge, we must reconceptualize technology integration not as automating conventional classroom processes - or even as innovating within the structure of industrial era schools - but instead as bridging to ways of teaching/learning so different that integration is no longer an accurate description. The U.S. Department of Education's 2010 National Educational Technology Plan presents an affordable, transformational vision for 21 st century education, infusing technology into every aspect of learning in school and out. In classrooms, Digital Teaching Platforms (DTP) seem a promising, scalable approach for attaining personalized instruction with large class sizes. Researchers in learning technologies should develop design-based innovations that support various aspects of the Plan and are practical at scale. Our society can no longer afford a labor-intensive model of education that uses expensive human resources inefficiently; this is a permanent sea change that has already happened in many other service sectors of our economy. To meet this challenge, we must reconceptualize technology integration not as automating conventional classroom processes – or even as innovating within the structure of industrial era schools – but instead as bridging to ways of teaching/learning so different that integration is no longer an accurate description. The U.S. Department of Education’s 2010 National Educational Technology Plan presents an affordable, transformational vision for 21 st century education, infusing technology into every aspect of learning in school and out. In classrooms, Digital Teaching Platforms (DTP) seem a promising, scalable approach for attaining personalized instruction with large class sizes. Researchers in learning technologies should develop design-based innovations that support various aspects of the Plan and are practical at scale.
Phase coverage of Venus during the 1975 apparition

Day-night contrasts in the equatorial infrared (8- to 14-micrometers) flux from Venus were observed in digital images obtained during the 1975 apparition. A systematic increase in 8- to 14-micrometers flux associated with the emergence of the atmosphere from daylight into evening was observed and is shown to exhibit significant day-to-day variability. The data also show that the daytime side of the morning terminator is warmer than the dark side, but this night-day asymmetry is systematically smaller than the day-night brightening seen in the Venus evening.
Analyzing the effect of an integrate and fire encoder and decoder in feedback

The human motor system has often been studied as a feedback control problem, but the integration of binary neuronal encoding in these formulations has been largely overlooked. Neuronal encoding has, however, been studied in open loop, with efforts directed towards the perfect reconstruction of the encoded signal, which requires an infinite number of spikes. Here, we study a dynamic neuronal encoding model in the finite time setting and i) provide explicit conditions for the well-posedness and stability of the encoder embedded in a feedback loop, and ii) develop a method for the reconstruction of the reference signal if we have access to a finite number of spikes as samples of the error signal in closed loop. Moreover, we show that if the reference signal is bandlimited and in the polynomially weighted L 2 space, then it can be approximately reconstructed with an error that decreases polynomially in T when we have access to all the spikes in [−T, T].
Mystories About Alternative Discourses in a Qualitative Inquiry Seminar

This autoethnographic text reports on an investigation that infused academic, personal, and popular culture discourses in a graduate-level qualitative inquiry seminar. Gregory Ulmer’s mystory schol...
A psychological assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome/chronic epstein-barr virus patients

Abstract Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), the current name for a malady most recently known as Chronic Epstein Barr Virus (CEBV), is a medical puzzle that now is a focus of intense research interest. Although the literature is sparse and studies are either anecdotal or based on small samples, psychological and psychiatric symtoms are frequently reported for patients with symptoms suggestive of CFS/CEBV. Cognitive impairment in this population has been frequently noted but has also received little systematic attention in CFS/CEBV research. Consequently, the aim of this study was twofold: (1) to broaden understanding of the psychological aspects of CFS/CEBV, including cognition, and (2) to place this understanding on a firmer empirical basis by use of a more comprehensive battery and a larger sample than typifies previous research. Twenty-four subjects exhibiting both serological profile and clinical symptomatology indicative of CEBV/CFS infection were investigated. Multiple measures were employed to tap per...
The Cohesin Complex: A Platform for Checkpoint Activation and DNA Repair?

Summary In mitosis, the cohesin complex contributes to DNA damage checkpoint activation and repair, presumably by keeping sister chromatids linked to provide a template for repair. A recent study illustrates that this complex plays a similar role during meiosis, even though the preferred partner for meiotic DNA repair is the homologous chromosome.
Predictors for quality of life improvement after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB)

Abstract Introduction: This study assesses impact of patient demographics and co-morbidities on quality of life (QOL) improvement after LGB. Methods: 279 LGB were performed between 11/2000 and 2/2004. Quality of life (QOL) follow-up was completed in 162 patients (142 female, 20 male; mean age 42 yrs.) using Short-Form-36 (SF-36). Using multivariate linear regression analysis, patients' demographics and co-morbidities were run against SF-36 change to look for predictors of major QOL improvement. Results: Body Mass Index (BMI) decreased significantly at 3-months (48 ± 5 to 38 ± 5, P Conclusions: Significant weight loss is achieved as early as 3 months after LGB causing substantial improvement in QOL in more than 95% of patients. This occurs regardless of patient age, sex, race, or comorbidities.
Development of the Apollo launch escape system.

This paper outlines the development of the Apollo launch escape system (LES) from the formulation of the basic system requirements through tests. A brief review of previous escape systems is presented to provide a frame of reference for the Apollo effort. The LES requirements are divided into those associated with pad abort, abort in the high dynamic pressure region, and abort at high altitudes where the absence of aerodynamic stability causes escape vehicle tumbling. A description of the major launch escape system elements is given together with a review of system operation. Dynamic analysis of the system characteristics necessitated the development of sophisticated digital computer programs, and an extensive wind-tunnel program was necessary to define the aerodynamic characteristics of the launch escape vehicle over a wide range of Mach numbers.
Autoregulation by glucose of hepatic glucose balance: Permissive effect of insulin

To study the pathways involved and the effect of insulin on the autoregulation of hepatic glucose balance, isolated hepatocytes from normal, diabetic and treated diabetic rats were incubated with varying concentrations of glucose (100-400 mg/dl) with and without pyruvate (10 mM). New glucose production or utilization was calculated from the change in media glucose concentrations before and after incubation, new glycogenolysis by the change in tissue glycogen levels before and after incubation, net glycolysis by following the incorporation of glucose-C14 into lactate C14 and gluconeogenesis by the difference in glucose production in the presence and absence of pyruvate. Hepatocytes from control and insulin-treated animals manifested autoregulation of glucose balance. Glucose modulated the glycogen and glycolytic pathways but did not affect gluconeogenesis. In hepatocytes from diabetic rats, there was no autoregulation, tissue glycogen was unmeasurable both before and after incubation, glycolysis was markedly curtailed and gluconeogenesis was increased. It may be concluded that (1) glucose autoregulates its own production or utilization by modulating the glycogen and glycolytic pathways, (2) autoregulation is lost in severe diabetes leading to fasting hyperglycemia, and (3) insulin has a permissive effect on the autoregulation of glucose balance by maintaining the rate-limiting enzymes, glycogen synthase and glucokinase, so that glucose can exert its effect on these pathways.
Asymmetric route to the hydroindolone core of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids employing chiral bicyclic lactams

Abstract The asymmetric synthesis of the hydroindolone core ( 5 ) of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids employing chiral bicyclic lactams is described. The vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters were assembled via an addition of lactam 14 enolate to acrolein.
Myeloid sarcoma is associated with superior event-free survival and overall survival compared with acute myeloid leukemia.

Background It is unknown whether patients with nonleukemic myeloid sarcoma (MS) and those with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have similar responses to anti-AML treatment. We addressed this question by matching MS patients with analogous AML patients and comparing their clinical outcomes.
Single-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry for the Detection and Identification of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants

Single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) was used for the real-time detection of liquid nerve agent simulants. A total of 1000 dual-polarity time-of-flight mass spectra were obtained for micrometer-sized single particles each of dimethyl methyl phosphonate, diethyl ethyl phosphonate, diethyl phosphoramidate, and diethyl phthalate using laser fluences between 0.58 and 7.83 nJ/μm2, and mass spectral variation with laser fluence was studied. The mass spectra obtained allowed identification of single particles of the chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants at each laser fluence used although lower laser fluences allowed more facile identification. SPAMS is presented as a promising real-time detection system for the presence of CWAs.
Assessment of N-methylformamide (NMF) administered orally on a three times weekly schedule: a phase I study

This phase I study was conducted to reevaluate the dose-limiting toxicities, maximum tolerated (MTD) and recommended phase II doses of oral NMF administered on a three times weekly schedule for 4 out of every 6 weeks. This schedule was based on the observation that prolonged administration of NMF was associated with the most efficacious antitumor activity in preclinical studies. Phase II trials that employed a starting dose of 800 mg/m2, determined in a previous phase I trial, were suspended because of frequent and severe toxicities. In the current study, a symptom complex characterized by nausea, vomiting, and malaise was the dose-limiting toxicity of oral NMF administered on this schedule. Other toxicities included hepatic enzyme elevations, mild myelosuppression, and worsening of preexistent toxic peripheral neuropathies. Of interest, three patients who were asymptomatic prior to treatment, rapidly developed symptoms of increased intracranial pressure after starting NMF; and, computerized tomographic brain scans revealed metastatic tumors with significant peritumoral edema. NMF was well tolerated at 600 mg/m2, however, an abrupt increase in toxicity resulted when the dose was increased to 700 mg/m2. Although NMF peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) and areas under the plasma disappearance curves (AUC) differed between the 600 and 700 mg/m2 dose levels, these differences were not striking, and similar NMF plasma concentrations and exposures were well tolerated during intravenous trials. Based on this study, the recommended phase II dose for oral NMF administered three times weekly for 4 of 6 weeks was 600 mg/m2. Cmaxs and AUCs at this dose were significantly lower than those that were demonstrated to induce cytotoxicity, and differentiating, chemosensitizing, and radiosensitizing effects in preclinical studies suggesting that further clinical evaluations of NMF may not be warranted.
The rostral migratory stream plays a key role in intranasal delivery of drugs into the CNS.

Background The blood brain barrier (BBB) is impermeable to most drugs, impeding the establishment of novel neuroprotective therapies and strategies for many neurological diseases. Intranasal administration offers an alternative path for efficient drug delivery into the CNS. So far, the anatomical structures discussed to be involved in the transport of intranasally administered drugs into the CNS include the trigeminal nerve, olfactory nerve and the rostral migratory stream (RMS), but the relative contributions are debated.
Laboratory model of a planetary eastward jet

The concentration of eastward planetary currents into strong wavy jets is a major feature of the atmospheric general circulation (for example, the jet stream) and of oceanic currents (for example, the Gulf Stream east of Cape Hatteras). These strongly nonlinear jets are, however, not well understood. Here we describe experiments in which we have produced similar jets in a rotating annulus with mechanical forcing: the Coriolis force acting on fluid pumped radially inward from a ring of sources to a ring of sinks results in a strong eastward jet. For a wide range of parameters the jet has a robust wavy shape, as shown in Fig. 1. The wave velocity and wavelength of these Rossby waves are accounted for by simple scaling arguments. Experiments with dye injected into the fluid show that the jet acts as a barrier to tracer transport (see Fig. 1e), much as the southern polar night jet may act as a barrier to the transport of ozone from lower latitudes into the polar region1. Our observations are insensitive to the details of the arrangement of the sinks and sources.
Ethnic Variation in the Association Between Family Structures and Practices on Child Outcomes at 36 Months: Results From Early Head Start

Research Findings: This study analyzed data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study (EHSRES) to examine whether the association between family structural characteristics (maternal education, number of parents, employment status, and number of children), parenting practices (sensitive and negative parenting, cognitively stimulating home environment, authoritarian parenting), and children's outcomes (receptive language, cognitive development, and problem behaviors) differ across ethnicity. A sample of 2,777 low-income families included 39% European Americans/Whites, 36% African Americans, and 25% Hispanics. Results indicated ethnic differences in some family structural characteristics, parenting practices, and child outcomes. With the exception of employment status, there was limited evidence that ethnic differences in family structural characteristics were related to differences in child outcomes. Though there were also ethnic differences in parenting practices, there was no evidence that e...
Zeeman splitting of excitons in GaP(Bi)

Abstract We report the Zeeman splitting in fields up to 90 kGauss of the recombination radiation from excitons bound to neutral Bi impurities in GaP. The spectra are isotropic at high fields and yield g 1 = 1.8 ± 0.05 for the electron and g 2 = 0.61±0.05 for the hole.
Thermal Cycling of Thermal Control Paints on Carbon-Carbon and Carbon-Polyimide Composites

Carbon-carbon composites and carbon-polyimide composites are being considered for space radiator applications owing to their light weight and high thermal conductivity. For those radiator applications where sunlight will impinge on the surface, it will be necessary to apply a white thermal control paint to minimize solar absorptance and enhance infrared emittance. Several currently available white thermal control paints were applied to candidate carbon-carbon and carbon-polyimide composites and were subjected to vacuum thermal cycling in the range of -100 C to +277 C. The optical properties of solar absorptance and infrared emittance were evaluated before and after thermal cycling. In addition, adhesion of the paints was evaluated utilizing a tape test. The test matrix included three composites: resin-derived carbon-carbon and vapor infiltrated carbon-carbon, both reinforced with pitch-based P-120 graphite fibers, and a polyimide composite reinforced with T-650 carbon fibers, and three commercially available white thermal control paints: AZ-93, Z-93-C55, and YB-71P.
menstruation and the power of Yurok women: methods in cultural reconstruction

Consideration of Yurok Indian women's attitudes towards menstruation and of the ritual observances surrounding it enhance our understanding of the position of women in Yurok society and of the aboriginal role of menstruation in the temporal structuring of village life. This paper exemplifies a methodology for investigating this and other topics incompletely reported in received ethnographies of now much-changed cultures. The specific ethnographic case to which this methodology is applied, viewed in light of current biological research, generates general hypotheses for testing in viable hunter-gatherer societies, [gender, menstruation, methodology, time, Yurok Indians]
Pheromone Response in Yeast: Association of Bem1p with Proteins of the MAP Kinase Cascade and Actin

Haploid cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae respond to mating pheromones with polarized growth toward the mating partner. This morphological response requires the function of the cell polarity establishment protein Bem1p. Immunochemical and two-hybrid protein interaction assays revealed that Bem1p interacts with two components of the pheromone-responsive mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade, Ste20p and Ste5p, as well as with actin. Mutants of Bem1p that are associated with defective pheromone-induced polarized morphogenesis interacted with Ste5p and actin but not with Ste20p. Thus, the association of Bem1p with Ste20p and Ste5p may contribute to the conveyance of spatial information that regulates polarized rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton during yeast mating.
Antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria of oral and upper respiratory origin

Over the past 20 years, antibiotic resistance has increased in virtually every species of bacteria examined. In this paper, the main mechanisms of antibiotic resistance currently known for antibiotics used for treatment of disease caused by oral and upper respiratory bacteria will be reviewed, with an emphasis on the most commonly used antibiotics. The possible role that mercury, which is released from silver amalgams, plays in the oral/respiratory bacterial ecology is also discussed, as it relates to possible selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
The role of parental alcohol consumption on driving under the influence of alcohol: Results from a longitudinal, nationally representative sample

Abstract Purpose Many studies have examined the role of peer and parental alcohol use on drinking behaviors among adolescents. Few studies, however, have examined parental influences on driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. The current study uses data from a longitudinal study to examine the role of parental alcohol use during adolescence on the risk for DUI among young adult men and women. Methods Data were derived from 9559 adolescents and young adults who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Waves I and III. Survey logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between multilevel risk and protective factors and self-reported DUI. Analyses were stratified by gender and frequency of parental alcohol consumption to understand the role of parental alcohol use on risk for DUI among their youth. Results Risk and protective factors for DUI were very similar among men and women. Parental alcohol use significantly predicted DUI among women (OR = 1.39, p p p p Conclusions Findings suggest remarkable similarities in risk and protective factors for DUI across gender groups. For men and women, parental alcohol consumption was a risk factor for DUI. Peers’ alcohol use predicted DUI only when parents did not use alcohol.
Development of Chemical Index as a Measure of In-Stream Water Quality in Response to Land-Use and Land Cover Changes

Water pollution in response to accelerated land-use/land cover changes has drawn concerns because of public health and environmental impacts. The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of land use/land cover changes, seasonal, and location on water quality of streams within the Wheeler Lake Watershed basin in northern Alabama. Temporal water samples from 18 sheppard streams were randomly collected in 2000 and 2001, processed and analyzed for pH, and total nitrogen (TN), dissolved (Dp), particulate (Pp) and total phosphorus (Tp), dissolved oxygen (DO) and soluble lead (Pb) concentration, employing standard methods of analysis. The data were normalized and integrated into a simple index (WQCIndex) to evaluate stream water quality. Results showed that the urban proportion of the total watershed basin had increased from 2.9 to 14.7% with an associated loss of agricultural (8.9%) and wetland (4.8%) covers from 1992 to 2000. A change in land-use/land covers in association with seasonal and location variation significantly affected stream water quality. Total nitrogen concentration in stream water had a peak during the summer at 34% above the annual mean. While both Pp and Tp concentrations peaking during the summer at 24% above the annual mean and about 25% below the annual mean during spring, the DO concentrations were 46% above the annual mean during the fall and 18 to 26% below annual mean during summer. The WQCIndex had responded very seasonal and showed significant identical trends, with 21% degradation in water quality during the summer above the annual mean and improvement during the spring at 20% above the annual mean. Upstream water had a significantly greater Pp and Tp (21 to 28%) concentration than at down- and middle streams water. Location and seasonal variations had significant interactive effects on Pp, Tp and DO concentration of stream water. Total amount of seasonal rainfall significantly accounted 99.6% of the variations in WQCIndex. Increasing seasonal mean relative humidity, air and soil temperature, evaporation and solar radiation had positive relationship with the variations in WQCIndex. Among the water quality parameters, both Pp and Tp were correlated (r 2 = 0.998∗*∗) to each other, and accounted for more than 80% variability of the WQCIndex. Highly significant positive linear relationship between Pp and Tp concentration suggested that 99.8% of the P in stream water is in Pp form which probably transported with sediments in surface runoff. In other words, Pp is the main pollutant responsible for degradation of stream water quality in the Wheeler lake basin. Routine measurement of either Pp or Tp concentration could be used as sensitive and early indicator of temporal changes in stream water quality even when the other parameters changed negligibly or remain unchanged.
Dieting Practices and Eating Behaviors of Elderly Women

Abstract 167 community dwelling elderly women (60-97y; X=74y, SD=8y) were interviewed to determine current and previous dieting practices, as well as current eating behaviors. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the restraint subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire were used, not for diagnostic purposes, but for identification of dieting attitudes and behaviors in these elderly women. Selected anthropometric, dietary and demographic data were also obtained. Subjects were primarily Caucasian (86%); 11 % Hispanic; 4% other. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.6±.5.9kg/m 2 ; 49% of subjects had BMI > 27. Mean waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was 0.84±0.07; 64% of subjects had WHR>0.80. Although 60% of subjects were unhappy with their present weight (on average, 7.7kg (17 lb) above "goal weight"), only 33% felt pressured to maintain a certain weight. The mean score on the 21-item restraint subscale was 7.4. ±4.8 (range: 0-19), indicating a low level of congnitive dietary restraint among most of these subjects. Ten percent of subjects who completed the restraint subscale scored ≥.15, indicating a high degree of conscious restraint in this small subgroup. Approximately 50% of subjects currently limit junk food intake and 54% often or always purchase low/no fat versions of commercial foods. Frequency of dieting for weight loss, as measured on a scale from "never" to "very often", increased in these subjects from the second to fifth decade of life. Exercise was the most common approach for reaching or maintaining body weight (39%); fewer than 20% of subjects counted calories or reported current or prior use of specific diets such as low calorie, low fat or commercial diet plans. Fewer than 5% reported use of laxatives or purging as a weight control approach. In conclusion, this group of elderly women exhibited a high rate of abdominal obesity and, although frequently dissatisfied with their current weight, did not view themselves as actually dieting to lose weight. A majority had modified food purchasing and activity habits but most subjects were unlikely to have consciously restrained their eating habits in an effort to lose weight. Although unhealthy dieting practices and disordered eating behaviors are usually associated with young females, dietitians working with elderly female clients should assess the degree to which dieting practices and eating behaviors impact food choices and, potentially, nutrient intake.