cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Allelic Deletion Mapping of Putative Tumor Suppressor Genes on 17q in Sporadic Ovarian Cancer

Objectives: 1) To study whether the same or different chromosome 17q genes may be involved in the oncogenesis of familial and sporadic ovarian malignancies. 2) To localize the candidate gene in the sporadic ovarian cancers. Methods (Study design): Using DNA extracted from ovarian tumors and corresponding peripheral leukocyte, we examined the status of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 12 loci spanning chromosome 17q12–q25 by Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. Results: Comparison of the extent of LOH among 25 epithelial ovarian tumors showing allele loss at one or more loci on 17q, the smallest overlapping region of allelic deletion is between D17S579 and GIP, with a genetic distance of approximate 2cM. Conclusions: From our allelic deletion analysis of chromosome 17q loci, it indicates that there are more than one ovarian cancer candidate genes on chromosome 17q.
Perinatal events and intraventricular/subependymal hemorrhage in the very low-birth weight infant.

Intraventricular/subependymal hemorrhage (IVH/SEH) in the very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, ⩽ 1,500 g) infant is a both common and potentially devastating event. Bleeding occurs in approximately 40% of VLBW infants, with major hemorrhaging occurring in up to half of these infants [1,2]. Bleeding usually occurs in the first 3 days after birth. Major hemorrhages have been associated with abnormal neurologic outcome in at least 50% of affected infants [2–5].
Stability relations in the Al2O3-SiO2 system calculated from solubilities in the Al2O3-Na3AlF6 system

Abstract The solubilities of andalusite, kyanite, sillimanite, mullite, tridymite and quartz are measured in liquids of the Al2O3-SiO2-Na3AlF6 system at 1010 and 800°C. It is shown that the Gibbs free energy of solid phases in the Al2O3SiO2- system can be simply related to the activity of silica in the liquid with which they are in equilibrium. When aSiO2 is calculated according to the model of Temkin for fused salts the free energy relations in calories are as follows. At 1010°C; sillimanite → andalusite, ΔG = 75; sillimanite → 1 3 (mullite + tridymit), ΔG = 345; sillimanite → corundum + tridymite, ΔG = 1273. At 800°C; sillimanite → andalusite, ΔG = 24; sillimanite → 1 3 (mullite + quartz), ΔG = 598; sillimanite → kyanite, ΔG = 1293; sillimanitemanite → corundum + quartz, ΔG = 1341. A pressure-temperature phase equilibrium diagram is calculated for the solid portion of the Al2O3-SiO2 system which gives a triple point, andalusitekyanite-sillimanite at approximately 410°C, 2400 bars. The PH2O-T equilibrium curve for the reaction muscovite + quartz ⇆ K-feldspar + sillimanite + H2O is found to lie approximately 60–80°C below the curve for the simple breakdown of muscovite.
A comparison of three carbon models

Abstract Steady-state values of three global carbon models with randomly varied rate coefficients indicate that: (1) mean values are not strictly comparable between models due to differences in formulations, but importance values determined by canonical analysis indicate that steady-state values are most dependent on the largest pool of carbon in the model; (2) for compartments with high turnover rates, a 10–20% coefficients of variation on individual rate flux coefficients can lead to a 250% coefficient of variation on steady-state values; (3) when rate coefficients are varied at 20% of their average value the model predictions range from a 1 in 6 to a 1 in 19 chance that the atmospheric CO 2 concentration will change by as much as a factor of 2. The true values of carbon transfers and the variabilities associated with time and space must be understood if the development and predictions of realistic models are to be reliable.
Activity patterns of several enzymes of liver, adipose tissue, and mammary gland of virgin, pregnant, and lactating mice.

SummaryGlucose-ATP phosphotransferases (glucokinase and hexokinase), glucose-6-PO4 dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, and citrate-cleavage enzyme were assayed in the 100,000 × g supernatant fraction (Fraction III) of liver, inguinal fat pads cleared of mammary gland tissue, abdominal adipose tissue, and mammary gland excised from virgin, pregnant, and lactating mice of the C3H strain. In addition, the activity of glucose-ATP phosphotransferases in the 350 × g supernatant fraction (Fraction I) and that associated with mitochondria of these same tissues was measured. Mitochondria isolated from adipose tissue contained only a small quantity of glucose-ATP phosphotransferase activity. No evidence for such activity was detected in mitochondria isolated from livers of lactating mice. Mitochondria from the mammary glands of lactating mice contributed more than 60% of the total glucose-ATP phosphotransferase activity of the cell, whereas those from virgin and pregnant mice contributed less than 17%.The specific activit...
Aristotle and Headless Clones

Cloned organisms can be genetically altered so that they do not exhibit higher brain functioning. This form of therapeutic cloning allows for genetically identical organs and tissues to be harvested from the clone for the use of the organism that is cloned. “Spare parts” cloning promises many opportunities for future medical advances. What is the ontological and ethical status of spare parts, headless clones? This paper attempts to answer this question from the perspective of Aristotle’s view of the soul. Aristotle’s metaphysics as applied to his view of biological essences generates an ethic that can contribute to moral reasoning regarding the use of headless spare parts clones. The task of this paper is to show the implications that Aristotle’s view of the soul, if it is true, would have on the ethics of headless, spare parts cloning.
Effect of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Wrapping on Concrete Chloride Penetration and Concrete Cover

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapping on chloride penetration in concrete and the possible associated effects on concrete clear cover requirements. FRP wrapping used to retrofit concrete structures offers a high resistance to chemical solutions. This study established levels of chloride penetration in carbon- and glass-based FRP-wrapped concrete specimens through a saline ponding test, based on ASTM C1543 and ASTM C1152 procedures. The specimens were exposed to a sodium chloride solution for 6 weeks, at the end of which powder samples were collected from various depths to determine the level of chloride penetration. Results indicated that both types of FRP wrapping resulted in significant reductions in chloride penetration in the concrete. The decrease in chloride content was maximum (22%) near the surface and decreased with penetration depth. The American Concrete Institute 318 building code allows for a reduction of required concrete covers ...
Intraocular Injection of Silicone Oil For Experimental Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

We evaluated the effect of intraocular silicone oil as an internal tamponade on an animal model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Lensectomy and vitrectomy were performed on two groups of pigmented rabbits. Twenty-five rabbit eyes then had 1,000 centistokes' viscosity silicone oil injected into the vitreous cavity; 20 control eyes received balanced salt solution. Fourteen days later, each eye was injected with homologous fibroblasts (ten eyes with 100,000 cells, 25 eyes with 250,000 cells, and ten eyes with 750,000 cells). All membranes that developed after the cell injections in both experimental and control eyes produced traction retinal detachment. The character of the membranes formed and the timing of the traction retinal detachment were the same for both groups. In an active phase of experimental proliferation, the internal tamponade of silicone oil is insufficient to keep the retina in place.
Ontology of fractures

Fractures are fundamental structures in the Earth's crust and they can impact many societal and industrial activities including oil and gas exploration and production, aquifer management, CO2 sequestration, waste isolation, the stabilization of engineering structures, and assessing natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides). Therefore, an ontology which organizes the concepts of fractures could help facilitate a sound education within, and communication among, the highly diverse professional and academic community interested in the problems cited above. We developed a process-based ontology that makes explicit specifications about fractures, their properties, and the deformation mechanisms which lead to their formation and evolution. Our ontology emphasizes the relationships among concepts such as the factors that influence the mechanism(s) responsible for the formation and evolution of specific fracture types. Our ontology is a valuable resource with a potential to applications in a number of fields utilizing recent advances in Information Technology, specifically for digital data and information in computers, grids, and Web services.
Colonization of Yankauer suction catheters with pathogenic organisms

Oral suction devices may be fomites for nosocomial infections. This study was designed to evaluate the rate of contamination of Yankauer suction catheters. Among the 20 catheters tested, 16 (80%) yielded cultures for pathogens. Seven (35%) were colonized with multiple pathogens. Among the organisms encountered included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). These devices should be handled and stored with appropriate care.
Brines and evaporites: analogs for Martian life

Data from recent Mars missions suggest that Mars almost certainly had abundant liquid water on its surface at some time in the past. As a result, Mars has emerged as a key solar system target that could have harbored some form of life in the past, and which could perhaps still possess remnants of life in brine-containing permafrost. As Mars lost its atmosphere it became cold and dry. Any remaining water on the surface may have formed saline brine pockets within the permafrost. These brine pockets may either be an “oasis” for an extant Martian biota, or the last refuge of an extinct Martian biota. Eventually, these brine pockets would have dried to form evaporites. Evaporites are deposits that result from the evaporation of saline water, which on earth represent primarily halite (NaCl), gypsum, (CaSO42H2O), and anhydrite (CaSO4). Evaporites that contain bacterial and algal assemblages exist on earth today and are well known in the fossil record. The most likely organism type to survive in a brine or evaporite on earth is a halophile. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of microbes to survive in frozen evaporites. Washed mid-log phase and stationary phase cultures of Haloarcula-G (a species isolated by us during a previous study) and Halobacterium salinarum were either suspended in brine (25% NaCl solution), dried, and then exposed to −20 or −80 °C. For comparison, cultures of Deinococcus radiodurans, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas fluorescens were treated similarly, except they were resuspended in 0.5% NaCl solution. Also, to mimic a brine pocket samples of washed mid-log phase cells of each organism were placed in an aqueous solution of 25% NaCl, or in their respective nutrient medium containing 25% NaCl. Periodically, samples of the cells were removed and tested for survival. Data from these experiments suggest that halophiles survive better than non-halophiles under low temperature conditions. These observations would suggest that halophiles might survive in evaporites contained in permafrost.
Optimizing Ship Berthing

Abstract : Ship berthing plans reserve a location for inbound U.S. Navy surface vessels prior to their port entrance, or reassign ships once in port to allow them to complete, in a timely manner, reprovisioning, repair, maintenance, training, and certification tests prior to redeploying for future operational commitments. Each ship requires different services when in port, such as shore power, crane, ordnance, and fuel. Unfortunately, not all services are offered at all piers, and berth shifting is disruptive and expensive: A port operations scheduler strives to reduce unnecessary berth shifts. We present an optimization model for berth planning and demonstrate it for Norfolk Naval Station, which exhibits all the richness of berthing problem:. the Navy faces.
Traumatic Death in the Workplace: Why Should Human Resource Development Care?

The consequences of the traumatic death of an organizational member can have several effects on the organization, work groups, and individuals. Loss, grief, and bereavement for such an event often negatively interfere with the organization’s effectiveness, obstruct interpersonal relationships, and increase negative cognitive responses. An increased understanding of loss, grief, and bereavement can help HRD professionals to prepare organizations for traumatic death, assist their members with the bereavement process and, therefore, get on with their work.
TURBULENT FLOW IN WAVY PIPES.

A primarily experimental investigation was undertaken to determine the internal structure of steady, quasi-uniform, non-separated, axisymmetric flows in circular pipes with sinusoidal wall profiles. The quantities measured include radial and longitudinal distributions of mean velocity, pressure, and total head; the Reynolds shear stress and all three components of turbulence velocity; and boundary shear stress and pressure. Two different wall-wave steepnesses were investigated, and a constant Reynolds number of 1·13 × 105 (based on the average pipe diameter) was maintained in most experiments. The boundary shear stress was found to be shifted upstream relative to the boundary wave, whereas the wall pressure is shifted slightly downstream. The turbulence measurements revealed that there is a central core extending over some 60% of the pipe radius in which the turbulence quantities are constant along the pipe. Near the boundary, however, the turbulence velocities and stress vary periodically along the boundary waves. The longitudinal component of mean velocity was found to be distributed radially according to the power law, but with an exponent that varies along each wave; a simple analytical model is constructed to predict the variation of the exponent. It was not found possible to relate the local boundary shear stress to just the local flow characteristics, since the convective or ‘history’ effects play a significant role in its determination. An empirical formula is derived relating the local boundary shear stress to the local velocity distribution and the first two derivatives of the boundary profile.
Analysis of surface irrigation systems with WinSRFR—Example application

WinSRFR is an integrated software package for analyzing surface irrigation systems. Software functionalities and technical features are described in a companion article. This article documents an example application. The analyzed field is a graded basin (close-ended border) irrigation system. The event analysis tools of WinSRFR are used first to evaluate performance of the irrigation system and estimate its infiltration and hydraulic roughness properties. Performance contours in the Operations Analysis World are then used to optimize irrigation system inflow rate and cutoff time. The adequacy of the existing design is examined with the performance contours provided in the Physical Design World. Hydraulic and practical constraints are considered in finding an optimal operation or design solution. Finally, sensitivity analyses are used to demonstrate the robustness of the solutions.
Bronchodilator Effects of Caffeine in Coffee: A Dose-Response Study of Asthmatic Subjects

Although caffeine is a universal drug and has multiple pharmacologic and physiologic actions in man, there are surprisingly few objective data about its effect on pulmonary function. We conducted a short-term, double-blind, randomized crossover study in nine asthmatic adults who ingested decaffeinated coffee containing varying amounts of added caffeine (mean of 0.2, 2.5, 5.6, and 7.2 mg/kg of body weight) on different days. The subjects also ingested decaffeinated coffee and aminophylline (200 mg) on a separate day of study. Baseline and post-drug determinations of serum levels of caffeine and theophylline, forced expired volume and flow, specific airway conductance (Gaw/Vl), vital signs, and reported symptoms were obtained. Peak increases in serum caffeine concentrations (mean, 12.4 µg/ml±1.5 μg/ml) occurred 45 minutes following the highest dose of caffeine (7.2 mg/kg), whereas the peak theophylline level (mean 3.8 µg/ml±0.4 μg/ml) occurred 90 minutes following oral administration of aminophylline (mean theophylline, 2.6 mg/kg). Comparable peak increases in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), the forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the forced vital capacity (FEF25-75%), and Gaw/Vl occurred at 120 minutes following aminophylline and the highest dose of caffeine, indicating that caffeine is an effective bronchodilator but is only 40 percent as active as an equivalent molar dose of theophylline. Regression analysis revealed statistically significant dose-response relationships between peak increases in serum caffeine concentrations and increases in FEV1, FEF25-75%, and Gaw/Vl from baseline values. These findings have diagnostic and therapeutic implications regarding the use of caffeine prior to tests of pulmonary function and as a dietary agent, alone or in combination with theophylline.
Cross-Ambiguity Function for a Linear FM Pulse Compression Radar

Three-dimensional computer plots of the cross-ambiguity function are developed in order to illustrate the discrimination against improperly coded signals in a pulse compression matched filter. The filter response envelope amplitude is plotted as a function of time and frequency offset for input signals mismatched in FM rate, pulsewidth, and timedomain amplitude weighting. Illustrative examples of the unnormalized cross-ambiguity diagram reveal the signal-to-interference ratio improvement of this filter in the presence of signals with no FM or reverse slope FM. The effect of Hamming weighting on the waveform response is also shown.
Hard X-ray photoemission with angular resolution and standing-wave excitation

Abstract Several aspects of hard X-ray photoemission that make use of angular resolution and/or standing-wave excitation are discussed. These include hard X-ray angle-resolved photoemission (HARPES) from valence levels, which has the capability of determining bulk electronic structure in a momentum-resolved way; hard X-ray photoelectron diffraction (HXPD), which shows promise for studying element-specific bulk atomic structure, including dopant site occupations; and standing wave studies of the composition and chemical states of buried layers and interfaces. Beyond this, standing wave photoemission can be used to derive element-specific densities of states. Some recent examples relevant to all of these aspects are discussed.
Comparative metabolism of the cysteine and homocysteine conjugates of propachlor by in situ perfused kidneys of rats.

1. 14C-Cysteinyl- and homocysteinylpropachlor were metabolized to their respective mercapturic acids by rat kidneys in situ. First-pass elimination of 14C in urine was 47·5% for the cysteine conjugate and 36% for the homocysteine conjugate.2. About half of the perfused 14C-labelled material isolated from urine from kidneys perfused with homocysteinylpropachlor was unchanged homocysteinylpropachlor and about half was the corresponding mercapturic acid. However, only the corresponding mercapturic acid and the S-oxide of this mercapturic acid (31·4% and 1·7% of the dose) were found in urine from kidneys perfused with cysteinylpropachlor, indicating that rat kidneys more efficiently acetylated the natural substrate, the cysteine conjugate.
Coordination of N-heterocyclic phosphine- and phosphenium-containing pincer ligands to copper(I): Evidence for reactive electrophilic metal–phosphenium intermediates

Abstract The coordination chemistry of a diphosphine pincer ligand incorporating an N-heterocyclic phosphenium cation (PPP+) and its halophosphine precursors [PP(X)P] has been explored using copper(I) reagents. In contrast to the P–X bond cleavage observed when other low valent transition metals are used, simple coordination compounds [PP(X)P]CuY (X = Y = Cl (1); X = Cl, Y = I (2); X = Y = I (3)) are formed when halophosphine precursors are treated with CuY starting materials. Exposure of the N-heterocyclic iodophosphine complex 3 to THF results in ring-opening insertion to form the alkoxyphosphine complex [PP(O-CH2CH2CH2CH2-I)P]CuI (4). Since this reaction does not occur with the chlorophosphine compounds 1 and 2, it is proposed that iodide dissociation exposes the electrophilic metal-bound phosphenium cation to allow THF coordination and subsequent ring-opening. The electrophilicity of the N-heterocyclic phosphenium is also apparent when the halide-free ligand precursor [PPP][BPh4] is employed: CuCl reacts with [PPP][BPh4] to form [PP(Ph)P]CuCl (5), the product of phenyl group abstraction from [BPh4]−. A similar arylphosphine product [PP(Mes)P]CuCl (6, Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) is obtained via transmetallation between [PP(Cl)P] and mesitylcopper(I). The isolation of complexes 4–6 provide indirect evidence for the formation of an electrophilic copper–phosphenium intermediate {[PPP]CuCl}+.
Jet quenching at intermediate RHIC energies

Abstract The final state energy loss of fast partons penetrating a longitudinally expanding quark–gluon plasma of effective gluon rapidity density d N g / d y = 650 – 800 is evaluated and incorporated together with the multiple initial state Cronin scattering in the lowest order perturbative QCD hadron production formalism. Predictions for the neutral pion attenuation in central Au + Au collisions at the intermediate RHIC energy of s NN = 62 GeV relative to the binary collision scaled p + p result are given. The quenching is found to be a factor of 2–3 with a moderate transverse momentum dependence and the attenuation of the away side di-hadron correlation function is estimated to be 3–5-fold.
Mutations in the TTDN1 gene are associated with a distinct trichothiodystrophy phenotype.

Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) is a rare multisystem disorder, characterized by sulfur-deficient hair with alternating dark and light “tiger tail” banding on polarized light microscopy. TTD is caused by mutations in DNA repair/transcription genes XPD, XPB or TTDA, and in TTDN1, a gene of unknown function. Although most of the TTD patients are photosensitive, patients with TTDN1 mutations were reported to be nonphotosensitive. We followed a cohort of 36 TTD patients from 2001 to 2013. We describe five patients from four families with defects in the TTDN1 gene: four had no photosensitivity, and one patient exhibited cutaneous burning. Deep phenotyping of our cohort revealed differences between the patients with and without TTDN1 mutations. Delayed bone age and seizure disorders were overrepresented in the TTDN1 group (P=0.009 and P=0.024, respectively), whereas some characteristic TTD clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were absent. The three oldest TTDN1 patients displayed autistic behaviors in contrast to the characteristic friendly, socially interactive personality in the other patients. DNA sequencing revealed deletion mutations in TTDN1 ranging in size from a single base pair to over 120 kb. These data identify a distinct phenotype relationship in TTD caused by TTDN1 mutations and suggest a different mechanism of disease.
5HT-2 mediation of acute behavioral effects of hallucinogens in rats.

In rats tested during their first exposure to a Behavioral Pattern Monitor chamber, acute injections of the 5HT-2 agonists mescaline, quipazine, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), or 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylamphetamine (DOET) produced an inhibition of locomotor and investigatory behavior during the first 30 min of the test session. This suppression of exploratory behavior was attenuated when rats were familiarized with the testing chamber prior to the administration of DOI. Hence, as previously observed with both LSD and DOM, 5HT-2 agonists appear to potentiate the normal neophobic reaction to a novel environment. The mixed 5HT-1 and 5HT-2 agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT) also produced a decrease in activity when animals were tested in the novel environment. However, as previously found with 5HT-1A agonists, this effect was unchanged when animals were tested in the familiar environment and may therefore reflect a generalized sedation. The receptor specificity of these differential effects of 5HT-1 and 5HT-2 agonists in this paradigm was tested by assessing the ability of selective 5HT-2 antagonists to block the effects of the agonists. A dose of the 5HT-2 antagonist ketanserin which had no effect by itself significantly reduced the behavioral effects of mescaline, DOM, and quipazine. Similarly, the selective 5HT-2 antagonist ritanserin blocked the effect of quipazine. In contrast, ketanserin had no significant effect on the suppression of activity produced by the 5HT-1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8OHDPAT). These results demonstrate that the behavioral effects of 5HT-1 and 5HT-2 agonists can be differentiated both phenomenologically and pharmacologically within a single paradigm. The findings provide further support for the hypothesis that the potentiation of neophobia produced by hallucinogens in rats is attributable to their agonist actions at 5HT-2 receptors.
Disease Due to the Mycobacterium avium Complex in Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Diagnosis and Susceptibility Testing

Because the symptoms and laboratory abnormalities associated with disseminated disease due to the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are nonspecific, diagnosis requires recovery of the orgaanism from blood or other normally sterile body sites. Isolation of MAC by conventional mycobacterial culture on tubed solid medium generally takes 3-4 weeks. This interval can be decreased to 5-12 days with the radiometric BACTEC TB system and to 12-19 days with Septi-Chek AFB. For diagnosis of MAC bacteremia, blood is inoculated directly into a BACTEC TB 13A blood culture vial. For quantitative cultures, blood is collected in an Isolator lysis-centrifugation tube, and the sediment of the processed sample is inoculated onto agar plates
Persistent HIV-related stigma among an outpatient US clinic population.

Despite advancements in the public’s understanding of HIV infection, stigma towards individuals living with HIV persists. Stigma has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including diminished engagement in care, poor medication adherence, and increased participation in HIV transmission risk behaviors. We evaluated the level of perceived stigma and its relationship to other psychosocial and medical factors among a sample of 201 individuals with HIV engaged in care. The Reece Stigma Scale was utilized to determine the level of felt stigma experienced by participants, with stigma scores ranging from 0 (no perceived stigma) to 45 (high perceived stigma). The overall mean stigma score was 21.7 (SD 8.7, range 9–45). In univariate analysis, stigma scores were higher among women, African Americans, younger participants, and individuals with less education. Higher stigma scores were also found among individuals who reported having fair to poor overall health, moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, and those with a current diagnosis of alcohol dependence, GAD, agoraphobia, pain disorder, and current smokers (p < 0.05 for all). After controlling for significant factors in univariate analyses, higher stigma scores were independently associated with individuals with anxiety symptoms (p< 0.001) and heterosexual individuals (p < 0.05). These analyses highlight that stigma persists among individuals with HIV and may play an important role in HIV care. The relationship between psychiatric disorders and psychosocial factors highlights an opportunity to develop interventions that will reduce both stigma and these common comorbidities.
Element nonlinearity effects on local and global stability

Abstract In the modelling of elastomeric structures, soft composites, tires, etc., generally large deformations and significant localized material nonlinearity are encountered. During the solution of finite element models of such structure, indefinite stiffness characteristics are often encountered. Such behavior may be an outgrowth of a variety of factors, i.e. real physics, model degeneracies, boundary conditions,etc. This paper revisits various causal factors effecting definiteness. These considerations will help in modifying and relaxing some of the current convergence requirements on the global stiffness. This in turn, will result in a solution of more realistic models with potentially significant savings in CPU time.
The domains of slow bacterial growth

Commonly used culture systems, e.g., batch culture and the chemostat, work poorly for defining the behavior of slowly growing bacteria, i.e., cultures with mass doubling times, tD, longer than 10-12 h. This has slowed the process of understanding how bacteria behave at the longer tD's that embrace most of their existence. Culture systems are identified that give useful access to these longer doubling times. When these slow-growth systems are used with nutrient-limited populations, it is found that cellular concentrations of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate, the main effector of the stringent response, commence rising above basal levels at tD's longer than 12 h until, at a tD of 60-70 h, the level is reached that causes the interdiction of protein and ribosome synthesis characteristic of the response. The abrupt onset of the stringent response in eubacteria at a particular tD, corresponding to a specific rate of nutrient uptake, makes oft-used growth equations that do not account for this onset, e.g., those of Monod or Pirt, poor descriptors of slow growth. A serious imbalance between lateral and transverse wall formation rates which, unless corrected, would lead to abnormal cell division can be inferred to develop at tD's longer than 10-12 h. The necessary correction may be supplied by the effects of increased levels of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate on transverse wall synthesis.
Quantitative analysis of angle-resolved scattering properties of ovarian tissue using optical coherence tomography

Angle-resolved optical scattering properties of ovarian tissue, on different optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging planes, were quantitatively measured by fitting the compounded OCT A-lines into a single scattering model. Higher cross correlation value of angle-resolved scattering coefficients between different OCT imaging planes was found in normal ovaries than was present in malignant ovaries. The mean cross correlation coefficient (MCC) was introduced in this pilot study to characterize and differentiate normal, n=6 , and malignant, n=4 , ovaries. A specificity of 100 percent and a sensitivity of 100 percent were achieved by setting MCC threshold at 0.6. Collagen properties, within the OCT imaging penetration depth, were also qualitatively studied in terms of their content, structure and directivity. The homogeneous three-dimensional collagen fiber network, observed in the normal ovary, effectively explains the stronger cross correlation of angle-resolved scattering properties on different imaging planes while the heterogeneity, observed in the malignant ovary, suggests a weaker correlation.
Disentangling the Influences of Leaders' Relational Embeddedness on Interorganizational Exchange

Drawing on the concept of relational embeddedness and the associated mechanisms of mutual understanding, trust, and commitment, we examine how leaders' prior exchange experiences influence the likelihood of subsequent interorganizational exchange. We begin to develop a microlevel model of organization-level relations that accounts for nodal multiplexity. In data on baseball player trades, we found that individual leaders' ties affected exchanges less than did an organization's other ties. The sharing of exchange experiences by organizations and their current leaders increased the influences of those experiences on exchange behavior. Thus, leaders have more influence within their organizational contexts than in isolation.
Analyzing an inventory system with multiple reorder points and periodic replenishment

Abstract This paper investigates multiple reorder point, periodic replenishment systems similar to those utilized on board some U.S. naval vessels for Selected Item Management (SIM). This inventory system is of interest since it involves both regular and priority replenishment, three reorder points, and cyclical restocking of regular orders. A simulation model is developed to study the impact of demand distribution, cycle time, priority order leadtime, and the quantity of units ordered on the performance of the system. It is found that the frequency of service and days without shortages performance measures can be maximized by setting the reorder points at equal intervals between the zero level and the high level. Also, a power approximation model is presented that estimates the high level that will lead to a desired percent days without shortage percentage.
Influent Water Quality Affects Performance of Passive Treatment Systems for Acid Mine Drainage

Passive treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) relies on biological, geochemical, and gravitational processes to neutralize acidity. Published design guidelines use sizing ‘rules of thumb’ based on AMD loadings at design flows. Using average performance data for 82 treatment systems, we used regression modeling to investigate the influence of influent net acidity and water loading on alkalinity generation by five treatment system types. Alkalinity generation increases with influent net acidity loading for all system types. Influent net acidity loading can be deconstructed into concentration and water loading components. In bivariate models, water loading was a predictor of alkalinity generation for all five system types but net acidity was significant only for vertical flow systems (VFs). In multivariate models using both components as performance predictors, both influenced alkalinity generation. These relationships were strongest for anaerobic wetlands (AWs), VFs, and open limestone channels; anoxic limestone drains and limestone leach beds demonstrated these influences less consistently. These results reflect the geochemical mechanisms governing the performance of limestone-based passive treatment system: solubility of limestone decreases as dissolved reaction products and pH increase.
More on “bizarre images in artificial memory”

The present experiment attempted to determine if the directed use of imagery in sentences was necessary for the high recall level of Ss in a study by Briggs, Hawkins, & Crovitz (1970). Three groups of 20 Ss each were used: I (same as Crovitz’s group), S (heard the same sentences without reference to using pictures/images), and R (heard the critical word twice). No significant advantage accrued to the I condition in recall relative to S. Moreover, S was more like R than I both in terms of the reported usage of imagery and the number of words recalled correctly for which an image was reported. These similarities and differences suggest that the extent to which I and S use the same coding process, e.g., visual imagery, does differ.
In electrospray ionization, how much pull does an ion need to escape its droplet prison ?

This article assumes that (1) that solute ions from a charged droplet are formed by field-assisted desorption, (2) that the charges on such a droplet are equidistantly spaced in a uniform array on the droplet surface, and (3) that the distance between charges on an evaporated ion cannot be less than the distance between charges on the droplet surface when that ion desorbed. These assumptions, together with mass spectral data for poly(ethylene glycols) and available information on the structure of their electrospray ions, allow us to determine that intercharge distance and thus the magnitude of the droplet surface field when those ions desorbed. Values of this desorption field for methanol-water droplets are 2.66, 1.55, and 1.46 V/nm for the smallest oligomer ions having respectively 2, 3 and 6 charges (Na+).
Sculpin hybrid zones: natural laboratories for the early stages of speciation.

Firmly rooted as we are in the genomic era, it can seem incredible that as recently as 1974, Lewontin declared, 'we know virtually nothing about the genetic changes that occur in species formation'. To the contrary, we now know the genetic architecture of phenotypic differences and reproductive isolation between species for many diverse groups of plants, animals, and fungi. In recent years, detailed genetic analyses have produced a small but growing list of genes that cause reproductive isolation, several of which appear to have diverged by natural selection. Yet, a full accounting of the speciation process requires that we understand the reproductive and ecological properties of natural populations as they begin to diverge genetically, as well as the dynamics of newly evolved barriers to gene flow. One promising approach to this problem is the study of natural hybrid zones, where gene exchange between divergent populations can produce recombinant genotypes in situ. In such individuals, genomic variation might be shaped by introgression at universally adaptive or neutral loci, even as regions associated with local adaptation or reproductive isolation remain divergent. In Nolte et al. (2009) , the authors take advantage of two independent, recently formed hybrid zones between sculpin species to investigate genome-wide patterns of reproductive isolation. Using a recently developed genomic clines method, the authors identify marker loci that are associated with isolation, and those that show evidence for adaptive introgression. Remarkably, Nolte et al. (2009) find little similarity between the two hybrid zones in patterns of introgression, a fact that might reflect genetic variation within species or heterogeneous natural selection. In either case, their study system has the potential to provide insight into the early stages of speciation.
The Ergonomics of Dishonesty The Effect of Incidental Posture on Stealing, Cheating, and Traffic Violations

Research in environmental sciences has found that the ergonomic design of human-made environments influences thought, feeling, and action. In the research reported here, we examined the impact of physical environments on dishonest behavior. In four studies, we tested whether certain bodily configurations-or postures-incidentally imposed by the environment led to increases in dishonest behavior. The first three experiments showed that individuals who assumed expansive postures (either consciously or inadvertently) were more likely to steal money, cheat on a test, and commit traffic violations in a driving simulation. Results suggested that participants' self-reported sense of power mediated the link between postural expansiveness and dishonesty. Study 4 revealed that automobiles with more expansive driver's seats were more likely to be illegally parked on New York City streets. Taken together, the results suggest that, first, environments that expand the body can inadvertently lead people to feel more powerful, and second, these feelings of power can cause dishonest behavior.
Priming of Immunological Memory by Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Children Unresponsive to 23-Valent Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) is of limited immunogenicity in infants and immunocompromised patients. Our prospective randomized controlled trial investigated whether priming with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) induced specific immunological memory in previously nonresponders to PPV. Of a total of 33 children (2 to 18 years) with polysaccharide-specific immunodeficiency (PSI), group A (n = 16) received two doses of 7-valent PCV in a 4- to 6-week interval, and a booster dose of 23-valent PPV after one year. Group B (n = 17) received two doses of PPV in a 1-year interval exclusively. Specific antibody concentrations for serotypes 4, 5, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F were determined (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) before and at 7 and 28 days after administration of the PPV booster and compared to an opsonophagocytosis assay. Of group A, 64 to 100% had antibody concentrations of ≥1 μg/ml on day 28 after the booster versus 25 to 94% of group B. Group A had significantly higher antibody concentrations for all PCV-containing serotypes already on day 7, indicating early memory response. Antibody concentrations were in accordance with functional opsonic activity, although opsonic titers varied among individuals. Pneumococcal vaccination was well tolerated. The incidence of airway infections was reduced after priming with PCV (10/year for group A versus 15/year for group B). Following a PPV booster, even patients primarily not responding to PPV showed a rapid and more pronounced memory response after priming with PCV.
Replication fork stalling by bulky DNA damage: localization at active origins and checkpoint modulation

The integrity of the genome is threatened by DNA damage that blocks the progression of replication forks. Little is known about the genomic locations of replication fork stalling, and its determinants and consequences in vivo. Here we show that bulky DNA damaging agents induce localized fork stalling at yeast replication origins, and that localized stalling is dependent on proximal origin activity and is modulated by the intra-S-phase checkpoint. Fork stalling preceded the formation of sister chromatid junctions required for bypassing DNA damage. Despite DNA adduct formation, localized fork stalling was abrogated at an origin inactivated by a point mutation and prominent stalling was not detected at naturally-inactive origins in the replicon. The intra-S-phase checkpoint contributed to the high-level of fork stalling at early origins, while checkpoint inactivation led to initiation, localized stalling and chromatid joining at a late origin. Our results indicate that replication forks initially encountering a bulky DNA adduct exhibit a dual nature of stalling: a checkpoint-independent arrest that triggers sister chromatid junction formation, as well as a checkpoint-enhanced arrest at early origins that accompanies the repression of late origin firing. We propose that the initial checkpoint-enhanced arrest reflects events that facilitate fork resolution at subsequent lesions.
Blood Bank Inventory Control

Essentially, blood banks are facilities which procure, store, process, and dispense blood. To operate effectively in the face of both random supply and random demand, sizable buffer stocks of blood are maintained. The resulting inventory control problem is an extremely complex one for several reasons: 1 both supply and demand are random; 2 approximately 50 percent of all bloods demanded, “crossmatched,” and held for a particular patient are eventually found not to be required for that patient; 3 blood is perishable, the present legal lifetime being 21 days in most areas; and 4 each blood bank typically interacts with a number of other banks. This paper presents a framework for the analysis of the whole blood inventory problem at the individual hospital as well as at the regional level, presents a realistic model of blood inventories for both the individual and regional cases, and analyzes the effects of several alternative inventory policies.
Is there a role for incomplete resection in the management of retroperitoneal liposarcomas

Complete surgical resection is the most effective modality for the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas. Previous studies of all types of retroperitoneal sarcomas have not shown a survival benefit of incomplete resection over no resection. Because death often occurs as a result of local progression in retroperitoneal liposarcomas (RPLS), it is possible that incomplete resection may be beneficial in this histologic type. In this study we have sought to determine the clinical outcomes in patients with incompletely resected and unresected RPLS with the aim of defining patients who may benefit from palliative resection. From a prospective clinical database 55 patients with incompletely resected (n = 43) or unresected (n = 12) RPLS were identified between 1982 and 1999. Statistical analyses were performed using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier estimates with disease-specific survival as the primary end point. Variables studied included age, gender, recurrent versus primary disease, tumor grade, and tumor size. The patient population consisted of 34 men and 21 women with a mean age of 61 +/- 14 (SD) years. The median time to death was 10 months (range 1 to 83 months) with a median followup of 12 months (range 1 to 60 months) for survivors. Partial resection was an independent factor for increased survival as compared with exploration or biopsy only (median survival 26 versus 4 months, p < 0.0001). Of patients who received incomplete resections, locally recurrent presentation (n = 19) versus primary disease (n = 24) was a negative prognostic variable (median survival 17 versus 46 months, p = 0.009). Successful palliation of symptoms was achieved in 24 of 32 patients (75%) with preoperative symptoms. In select patients with unresectable RPLS, incomplete surgical resection can provide prolongation in survival and successful symptom palliation. Most likely to benefit are those patients presenting with primary tumors, suggesting that surgical resection should be attempted in the majority of patients.
Cooperative transmission in wireless multi-hop ad hoc networks using opportunistic large arrays (OLA)

We propose a network flooding algorithm for wireless ad hoc networks based on a pure physical layer design. The idea is to let the nodes in the network act as asynchronous relays to a specific leader, generating an avalanche of signals which we call opportunistic large array (OLA). The accumulation of power in the medium coming from the interfering signals constructs a signal space for each receiver node that can be acquired through training or blindly. The acquisition of the signal space allows the leader to flood the network without higher layer intervention. Compared to other approaches that are based on the network layer and use point-to-point links to flood the network, we show that the proposed flooding algorithm achieves higher efficiency in the end-to-end delay and has a higher delivery ratio due to the accumulation of energy. In fact, a major contribution of this paper is mapping the multiple-access network problem into a single user problem and then using signal processing techniques to solve it instead of networking algorithms.
Integrating Overlay and Social Networks for Seamless P2P Networking

In this paper we introduce social VPNs, a novel system architecture which leverages existing social networking infrastructures to enable ad-hoc VPNs which are self-configuring, self-managing, yet maintain security against untrusted parties. The key principles in our approach are: (1) self-configuring virtual network overlays enable seamless bi-directional IP-layer connectivity among parties linked by means of social connections; (2) social networking infrastructures greatly facilitate the establishment of trust relationships among parties, and these can be seamlessly integrated with existing public-key cryptography implementations to authenticate and encrypt traffic flows on overlay links end-to-end; and (3) knowledge of social connections can be used to improve the performance of overlay routing. This paper describes the architecture of such Social VPNs and a prototype implementation which integrates the Facebook API, IP-over-P2P virtual networks, and the IPsec security infrastructure in a virtual router. We demonstrate the ability of the prototype to support existing, unmodified TCP/IP applications while transparently dealing with the increasingly common case of users connected to the Internet through network address translators (NATs), and present qualitative and quantitative analysis of its functionality and performance.