cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutations Affecting the Meiotic and Mitotic Divisions of the Early Caenorhabditis Elegans Embryo

We describe interactions between maternal-effect lethal mutations in four genes of Caenorhabditis elegans whose products appear to be involved in the meiotic and mitotic divisions of the one-cell embryo. Mitosis is disrupted by two dominant temperature-sensitive gain-of-function maternal-effect lethal mutations, mei-1(ct46) and mel-26(ct61), and by recessive loss-of-function maternal-effect lethal mutations of zyg-9. The phenotypic defects resulting from these mutations are similar. Doubly mutant combinations show a strong enhancement of the maternal-effect lethality under semipermissive conditions, suggesting that the mutant gene products interact. We isolated 15 dominant suppressors of the gain-of-function mutation mei-1(ct46). Thirteen of these suppressors are apparently intragenic, but 11 of them suppress in trans as well as cis. Two extragenic suppressors define a new gene, mei-2. The suppressor mutations in these two genes also result in recessive maternal-effect lethality, but with meiotic rather than mitotic defects. Surprisingly, most of these suppressors are also able to suppress mel-26(ct61) in addition to mei-1(ct46). The products of the four genes mei-1, mei-2, zyg-9 and mel-26 could be responsible for some of the specialized features that distinguish the meiotic from the mitotic divisions in the one-cell embryo.
Does learned helplessness induction by haloperidol involve serotonin mediation

Learned helplessness (LH) is a behavioral depression following inescapable stress. Helpless behavior was induced in naive rats by the dopamine D2 receptor blocker haloperidol (HDL) in a dose-dependent manner, with the greatest effects seen at 20 mg/kg (IP). Rats were tested 24 h after injection. Haloperidol (IP) increased release of serotonin (5-HT) in medial prefrontal cortex (MPC) as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Perfusion of HDL through the probe in MPC caused increased cortical 5-HT release, as did perfusion of both dopamine and the dopamine agonist apomorphine. Our previous work found that increased 5-HT release in MPC correlates with the development of LH. The present work suggests that increased DA release in MPC, known to occur with both inescapable stress and with HDL, may play a necessary but not sufficient role in the development of LH. Also, this suggests that increased DA activity in MPC leads to increased 5-HT release in MPC and to subsequent behavioral depression.
The melatonin hypothesis: electric power and breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a disease of modern life. As societies industrialize, risk increases, yet it is unclear which of the myriad changes coming with industrialization drives this increase. One importan...
Fast Food Intake: Longitudinal Trends during the Transition to Young Adulthood and Correlates of Intake

Abstract Purpose Frequent fast food intake is associated with poorer diet quality and greater weight gain. The aims of this study were to describe changes in fast food intake during the transition from middle adolescence to young adulthood, and to identify baseline correlates of this eating behavior in early young adulthood. Methods Data were drawn from Project EAT, a population-based, longitudinal study in Minnesota. Surveys were completed by 935 females and 751 males in high school classrooms at baseline (1998–1999; mean age=15.9 years) and by mail at follow-up (2003–2004; mean age=20.5 years). Results Frequent intake of fast food (≥3 times/week) was reported by 24% of males and 21% of females during adolescence. At follow-up, in early young adulthood the eating behavior increased among males (33%, p p = .16). Baseline snack frequency was positively associated with frequency of fast food intake at follow-up among both genders. Baseline peer support for healthy eating among males and both concern about health and self-efficacy for healthy eating among females were inversely related to follow-up fast food intake. Among females, baseline perceptions of time and taste barriers to healthy eating, lunch frequency, television viewing, and unhealthy food availability at home were also positively associated with follow-up fast food intake. Conclusions Interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of frequent fast food intake among adolescents and young adults. Health professionals should help young people identify convenient and healthful food choices for meals and snacks consumed away from home.
INVESTIGATION OF SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF CONGESTED FLOW

Recent German research has suggested that there may be two qualitatively different types of congested flow, referred to as "traffic jams" and "synchronized flow." The possible existence of synchronized flow raises a theoretical issue, since it is reported to be characterized by randomly sloped flow-density "transferences" (lines connecting adjacent points in the time series), and this may imply that there is no consistent wave direction in such flow. An analysis of flow-occupancy data from San Diego suggests that on the basis of the appearance of the data alone, two types of congested flow may be identified. These appear to be similar to, but not identical with, the two types reported in the German work; in particular, a region with positively sloped flow transferences was found. Further consideration of the data and the mechanics of congested flow suggests, however, that these two types of flow do not represent qualitatively different types of traffic behavior but rather are the result of random variatio...
Removal of Copper(II) from a Concentrated Sulphate Medium by Cloud Point Extraction Using an N,N′-Bis(salicylaldehyde)Ethylenediimine Di-Schiff Base Chelating Ligand

Various chelating ligands have been investigated for the cloud point extraction of several metal ions. However, limited studies on the use of the Schiff base ligands have been reported. In this work, cloud point extraction behavior of copper(II) with N,N′-bis(salicylaldehyde)Ethylenediimine Schiff base chelating ligand, (H2SALEN), was investigated in aqueous concentrated sulphate medium. The extraction process used is based on the formation of hydrophobic H2SALEN–copper(II) complexes that are solubilized in the micellar phase of a non-ionic surfactant, i.e. ethoxylated (9.5EO) tert-butylphenol. The copper(II) complexes are then extracted into the surfactant-rich phase above cloud point temperature. Different parameters affecting the extraction process of Cu(II), such as equilibrium pH, extractant concentration, and non-ionic surfactant concentration were explored. The extraction of Cu(II) was studied in the pH range of 2–11. The results obtained showed that it was profoundly influenced by the pH of the aqueous medium. The concentration factor, C f, of about 17 with extraction efficiency of E % ≈100 was achieved. The stoichiometry of the extracted complex of copper(II) was ascertained by the Yoe–Jones method to give a composition of 1:1 (Cu:H2L). The optimum conditions of the extraction-removal have been established as the following: (1) 1.86 × 10−3 mol/L ligand; (2) 3 wt% surfactant; (3) pH of 8 (4) 0.5 mol/L Na2SO4 and (5) temperature of 60 °C.
Automated System for Analytical Microbiology III: Computer Interpolation of Potency

Highly accurate photometric assays for antibiotic substances, such as those obtainable with a system composed of automated components, require an accurate method of obtaining potencies of samples. The usual manual interpolation of sample potencies from a standard dose-response line may introduce an error of several percent. Errors can come from the use of an inappropriate dose-response line and from the inability of the person interpolating to differentiate potencies with a resolution of less than 1%. A new dose-response line for manual interpolation of antibiotic potencies is described. Interpolations by means of a digital computer from that equation and from the relation log A versus C were both shown to reduce errors considerably. In addition, the computer may be put on-line and provide a typed report as soon as the last tube in an assay is processed.
Reproduction of White Perch: The Annual Gametogenic Cycle

Abstract Circulating levels of the sex steroid hormones testosterone (T) and 11-ketotestosterone in males, and 17β-estradiol (E2) and T in females, were measured at monthly intervals in white perch Morone americana for 1 year. The egg yolk precursor vitellogenin was also measured in female blood plasma. The gonadal status of individual fish was assessed through histological examination and measurement of gonadosomatic index (GSI), size-frequency distribution of oocytes, sperm index, spermatocrit, and spermiation response. A biphasic pattern of maturation was seen in both sexes. At the onset of vitellogenesis in females, blood plasma levels of E2 and T increased moderately in November and then increased again to maximal levels during the spawning season in April and early May. All stages of oocyte development were observed in mature females, indicating that the white perch is a multiple-clutch, group-synchronous spawner. In males, androgen levels and GSI increased early in the reproductive cycle during spe...
The Academic Quilting Bee

In medicine, the challenges faced by female faculty members who are attempting to achieve academic advancement have been well described. Various strategies have been proposed to increase academic productivity to aid the promotion of women in medicine. We propose an innovative collaboration strategy that encourages completion of an academic writing project. This strategy acknowledges the challenges inherent in achieving work–life balance and utilizes a collaborative work style with a group of peer physicians. The model is designed to encourage the completion and collation of independently prepared sections of an academic paper within a setting that emphasizes social networking and collaboration. This approach has many similarities to the construction of a quilt during a “quilting bee.”
NEW CRITERIA FOR THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF EMPHYSEMA AND COR PULMONALE.

Abstract 1.1. Pulmonary emphysema produces verticalization of the P axis and a posterior and superior displacement of the mean QRS axis with decreased voltage. Right ventricular overload may also cause verticalization of the P axis, but, on the other hand, produces anterior and rightward displacement of the middle and terminal QRS forces that results in rSr′ patterns or classic changes of right ventricular hypertrophy in precordial leads on the right side, and right axis deviation in limb leads. 2.2. Electrocardiographic criteria based on these changes are proposed to diagnose pulmonary emphysema with and without right ventricular hypertrophy, and to distinguish such patients from those with right ventricular hypertrophy without emphysema. 3.3. The proposed criteria clearly separated patients with emphysema from normal subjects and from patients with congenital heart disease with right atrial enlargement, right ventricular hypertrophy, or right bundle branch block. 4.4. In the series studied, these criteria proved to be as accurate in detecting pulmonary emphysema in the presence of right ventricular hypertrophy or conduction defects on the right side as in their absence. 5.5. Emphysema with superimposed right ventricular hypertrophy (cor pulmonale) is characterized by rsR′ patterns in precordial leads on the right side, or predominant R waves in these leads in addition to the changes of emphysema described in this report. It is probable that rSr′ patterns or slurred S waves in precordial leads on the right side in these patients may also represent superimposed early right ventricular hypertrophy. 6.6. Myocardial infarction may mimic or mask the changes produced by emphysema, and emphysema alone may mimic myocardial infarction; hence, the electrocardiographic diagnosis of emphysema is hazardous in the presence of electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial infarction. 7.7. In the absence of electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial infarction, definite low voltage (0.6 mv. or less in limb leads and Leads V 6 ) associated with a posteriorly and superiorly oriented QRS vector, and an axis of the P wave greater than +60 degrees in limb leads, is practically pathognomonic of emphysema. 8.8. This study has again emphasized the importance of distinguishing pulmonary emphysema alone from pulmonary emphysema with superimposed right ventricular hypertrophy. The term "cor pulmonale" should not be applied to emphysema, but rather to right ventricular hypertrophy that results from emphysema or any other pulmonary disease.
Effects of temporal variations between contingent and probabilistic noncontingent reinforcement

Pigeons were exposed to a fixed-interval schedule of contingent reinforcement (t = 120 sec). Subsequently, noncontingent reinforcement was added to the baseline schedule. Subjects received contingent reinforcement for the first keypeck in each interval and noncontingent reinforcement at a specified temporal locus in the interval. Subjects were exposed to different loci of noncontingent reinforcement (20, 60, and 100 sec) during different phases of the study, and the. probability of noncontingent reinforcement was systematically varied at each locus across sessions. Several subjects showed decreases in response rates as the probability of noncontingent reinforcement was increased. Other subjects either did not show systematic changes in rate or showed increases in rate with increases in noncontingent reinforcement probability. Changes in temporal separation between contingent and noncontingent reinforcement did not produce systematic differences in the relation between response rate and noncontingent reinforcement probability. Postreinforcement pauses after contingent and noncontingent reinforcement varied consistently with temporal location, but not with probability, of noncontingent reinforcement.
What Scale Affords Us: Sizing the World Up through Scale

In the 1990s, contemporary art's “global turn” was vividly demonstrated by artists whose works directly reflected upon their experiences of moving across vast geographical distances. Coinciding with a multidisciplinary crisis over globalization as expressed through different approaches to the question of scale, the ambivalence towards the global turn's expansionism was vividly taken up by the large number of Asian artists whose rise to international prominence was enabled by this “turn.” Artists like Suh Do-Ho, Naoya Hatakeyama, and Danh Vo engaged with scale not simply as metonymical reflections of the world, but as a means of responding to those systems, standards, and hierarchies whose own assumptions about scale were mobilized to put things in their proper, but not always rightful, place.
Perils of a modern Cassandra: Rhetorical aspects of public indifference to the population explosion

L'A. etudie le recours a la rhetorique en science politique comme moyen pour les scientifiques et les specialistes en sciences humaines de rendre l'opinion publique et les gouvernements conscients des grands problemes ecologiques, tels que la menace de surpopulation annoncee en vain par P. Ehrlich dans son ouvrage «The Population Bomb». L'A. s'attache a ce cas particulier afin de denoncer l'echec de ses strategies rhetoriques qui ne tiennent pas compte des convictions de l'auditoire ni de leur acceptation intellectuelle d'une idee
Extra-articular steroid injection: early patient response and the incidence of flare reaction.

Purpose To evaluate the timing of improvement after extra-articular steroid injection, the incidence of a postinjection pain flare (a delayed postinjection transient increase in pain), and the role of the injection acidity in the postinjection flare. Methods One hundred twenty-five patients with trigger finger (88 patients) or de Quervain's tenosynovitis (37 patients) were prospectively randomized in this double-blind study to receive either an injection of steroid, lidocaine, and bupivacaine alone (standard injection, acidic pH) or an injection of steroid, lidocaine, bupivacaine, and bicarbonate (balanced injection, neutral pH). All patients completed a visual analog scale for pain before and immediately after the injection, daily for 7 days, and then again at 6 weeks. A flare reaction was defined as an increase in the visual analog scale score by 2 or more points any time after the injection. Results All patients immediately responded to the steroid injection, but pain rebounded to preinjection levels by day 1. In both groups the pain then gradually declined over the course of 7 days. In the balanced group, 23 of the 68 patients had flare reactions. In the standard group, 18 of the 57 patients had flare reactions. The difference between groups was not significant. Conclusions Patients respond to extra-articular steroid injections with gradual improvement over the course of the first week. An increase in pain, or flare reaction, in the days following a steroid injection was noted in 33% of patients. A pH-balanced injection did not significantly decrease the risk of a flare reaction. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic I.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome after treatment with pegylated interferon α-2a and ribavirin

Pulmonary manifestations of interferon (IFN) use are a rare but well known complication seen with both standard and pegylated interferon α-2b (pegIFNα-2b) forms of the agent. These are generally of modest intensity and reversible. We report the first case of fulminant adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with pegylated interferon α-2a (pegIFNα-2a) and ribavirin use for hepatitis C, complicated by subsequent and ultimately fatal sepsis and multiorgan failure. Practicing gastroenterologists and intensivists alike need to be aware of the potential for serious pulmonary sequelae with the use of combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C viral (CHCV) infections.
Computer-assisted detection of prosthetic aortic heart valve dysfunction.

Abstract Computer-assisted analysis of phonocardiograms from 20 Starr-Edwards (SE)-1000 series prosthetic aortic valve patients is described. Six patients had a normal valve (implanted
Effect of the Water Spectrum on the Determination of Dissolved Ammonia, Urea, and Chloride Concentrations by Raman Spectroscopy:

The effect of large, changing concentrations of electrolytes on the behavior of the OH stretching band of water have been investigated with the aim of developing methods for compensating for spectral interferences when solute NH bands are made the basis for mixture analyses. With the use of urea and ammonium salts as analytes, it was found that changing electrolyte concentrations affect the shape of the water band but do not appreciably affect the shapes of either the ammonium ion or urea Raman lines. Chlorides, nitrates, and mixtures of these were used as electrolytes. The identity of the anion had a significant effect on the shape of the OH band. Two methods of compensation were used. One involved factor analyzing the spectra of a set of solutions that contained chlorides and nitrates that are Raman inactive in the vicinity of the OH stretching band. The principal abstract factors were used in place of a water reference for a least-squares mixture analysis. The other method was application of partial least-squares. In addition to urea and ammonium ion, the concentration of KCl and the ionic strength of the system can be determined in the partial least-squares approach with limits of detection better than 0.1 M.
A structure theorem for exponential and primitive functions a preliminary report

In this paper a generalization of the Risch Structure Theorem is reported. The generalization applies to fields F (t1,...,tn) where F is a differential field (in our applications F will be a finitely generated extension of Q, the field of rational numbers) and each ti is either algebraic over Fi-1 = F(t1,...,ti-1), is an exponential of an element in Fi-1, or is an integral of an element in Fi-1 If ti is an integral and can be expressed using logarithms, it must be so expressed for the generalized structure theorem to apply.
More homogeneous almost disjoint families

Consistently, there is an uncountable almost disjoint family \( \scr A \) on \( \scr w \) which generates a Boolean algebra isomorphic to each uncountable subalgebra. Inspection of the proof gives a pre-caliber \( \scr {w}_1\) iteration \( \mathbb{P} \star \mathbb{Q} \) for which \( \mid \vdash_{\mathbb{P}} \mathbb{Q}^2 \) is not ccc.
The human translation initiation multi-factor complex promotes methionyl-tRNAi binding to the 40S ribosomal subunit

The delivery of Met-tRNA(i) to the 40S ribosomal subunit is thought to occur by way of a ternary complex (TC) comprising eIF2, GTP and Met-tRNA(i). We have generated from purified human proteins a stable multifactor complex (MFC) comprising eIF1, eIF2, eIF3 and eIF5, similar to the MFC reported in yeast and plants. A human MFC free of the ribosome also is detected in HeLa cells and rabbit reticulocytes, indicating that it exists in vivo. In vitro, the MFC-GTP binds Met-tRNA(i) and delivers the tRNA to the ribosome at the same rate as the TC. However, MFC-GDP shows a greatly reduced affinity to Met-tRNA(i) compared to that for eIF2-GDP, suggesting that MFC components may play a role in the release of eIF2-GDP from the ribosome following AUG recognition. Since an MFC-Met-tRNA(i) complex is detected in cell lysates, it may be responsible for Met-tRNA(i)-40S ribosome binding in vivo, possibly together with the TC. However, the MFC protein components also bind individually to 40S ribosomes, creating the possibility that Met-tRNA(i) might bind directly to such 40S-factor complexes. Thus, three distinct pathways for Met-tRNA(i) delivery to the 40S ribosomal subunit are identified, but which one predominates in vivo remains to be elucidated.
Imaging: Window on the brain

Given the rapid advances in neuroimaging and brain mapping, it is no surprise that a whole host of new and burgeoning techniques are on the horizon as we enter the 21st century. This brief review focuses on methods that are just entering the clinical experience or are now being explored in a research setting but have the imminent potential for clinical use. A number of brain mapping techniques now allow the clinician to monitor disease progression and therapeutic effects in either the routine clinical setting or experimental clinical trials. A battery of methods are now available for the preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of patients with lesions in or near critical cortical areas or for targeting purposes when deep nuclei of the brain are potential sites of therapeutic ablation or electrophysiologic stimulation. The development of probabilistic atlases will soon provide a means of understanding normal variants of human brain structure and function and studying brain disorders and their treatment in an objective and quantifiable fashion. Techniques that are now on the horizon for imaging gene expression, neuronal excitivity, and connectivity are presented in their current stage of development. It is clear that brain mapping and neuroimaging will continue to be ever more important parts of clinical neuroscience and may ultimately serve as the bridge between the molecular and clinical domains of this field.
Use of Very High Water-Vapor Pressures to Evaluate Candidate Compositions for Environmental Barrier Coatings

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are used to protect Si-based ceramics from accelerated oxidation and volatilization in the presence of elevated water-vapor pressures at high temperatures and high gas velocities. Previously, an analysis based on mass flux of volatilized species has shown that operating at very high H2 O pressures can be used to compensate for the low gas velocities found in many laboratory exposure facilities so as to conduct first-stage screening of EBC compositions for volatility resistance. To test this prediction experimentally, a high-temperature furnace was modified to accommodate gas pressures of up to 20 atm and bulk specimens of barium-strontium aluminosilicate (BSAS), barium aluminosilicate (BAS), and strontium aluminosilicate (SAS), silica (SiO2 ), and silicon carbide (SiC) were exposed at 1250°C in 90% H2 O-10% air. This set of materials provided an adequate spread in susceptibility to volatilization to evaluate the proposed approach because BSAS, BAS, and SAS are significantly more volatilization resistant in water-bearing environments than SiO2 and Si-bearing ceramics (such as SiC) that form silica under these conditions. The gravimetric results provided clear trends in volatilization resistance. The three aluminosilicates exhibited similar kinetic behavior and had significantly lower rates of mass losses than the SiO2 and SiC. These findings provided the experimental proof-of-principle for using high-pressure, low-gas-velocity exposures for qualitative differentiation of degrees of volatilization resistance among different candidate materials being developed for EBC applications.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
A fast solution to NGS library preparation with low nanogram DNA input

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has significantly impacted human genetics, enabling a comprehensive characterization of the human genome as well as a better understanding of many genomic abnormalities. By delivering massive DNA sequences at unprecedented speed and cost, NGS promises to make personalized medicine a reality in the foreseeable future. To date, library construction with clinical samples has been a challenge, primarily due to the limited quantities of sample DNA available. Our objective here was to overcome this challenge by developing NEBNext® Ultra DNA Library Prep Kit, a fast library preparation method. Specifically, we streamlined the workflow utilizing novel NEBNext reagents and adaptors, including a new DNA polymerase that has been optimized to minimize GC bias. As a result of this work, we have developed a simple method for library construction from an amount of DNA as low as 5 ng, which can be used for both intact and fragmented DNA. Moreover, the workflow is compatible with multiple NGS platforms.
Defective polymorphonuclear leukocyte function in a human periodontal disease

HUMAN periodontal diseases are the major cause of adult tooth loss. One such disease, localised idiopathic juvenile periodontitis (IJP) affects young people and is unusually severe, with a rapid progression. Previous studies have shed little light on the unusual susceptibility of some patients to this rare condition. Similarly, destructive periodontal syndromes have been described in patients with polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) dysfunction. We have measured two parameters of neutrophil function, chemotaxis and phagocytosis, and found that patients with IJP have significantly decreased PMNL function compared with healthy control subjects, but monocyte function remains unaffected in IJP. Reduced PMNL functions may contribute to the unusual susceptibility of patients to IJP.
Vagus nerve stimulation and drug reduction

The authors prospectively assessed drug reduction and patient satisfaction in 21 patients using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for refractory epilepsy and compared results to a case-matched control group with a mean follow-up of 13.2 months. Significant antiepileptic drug (AED) reduction occurred in 9/21 (42.9%) of VNS patients averaging 0.43 AED/patient, with dose reduction in four patients (19.0%). For 12/21 (57.1%) patients not reducing AED, dose reduction occurred in 6/21 (28.6%). Drug and dose reduction of AED is possible in patients using VNS for refractory epilepsy without loss of seizure control and with improved patient satisfaction.
Two-dimensional power spectral density measurements of x-ray optics with the Micromap interferometric microscope

A procedure and software have been developed to transform the area distribution of the residual surface heights available from the measurement with the Micromap interferometric microscope into a two-dimensional (2D) power spectral density (PSD) distribution of the surface height. The procedure incorporates correction of one of the spectral distortions of the PSD measurement. The distortion appears as a shape difference between the tangential and sagittal PSD spectra deduced from the 2D PSD distribution for an isotropic surface. A detailed investigation of the origin of the anisotropy was performed, and a mathematical model was developed and used to correct the distortion. The correction employs a modulation transfer function (MTF) of the detector deduced analytically based on an experimentally confirmed assumption about the origin of the anisotropy due to the asymmetry of the read-out process of the instrument's CCD camera. The correction function has only one free parameter, the effective width of the gate-shaped apparatus function which is the same for both directions. The value of the parameter, equal to 1.35 pixels, was found while measuring the 2D PSD distribution of the instrument self-noise, independent of spatial frequency. The effectiveness of the developed procedure is demonstrated with a number of PSD measurementsmore » with different X-ray optics including mirrors and a grating.« less
Relations of sex and dialect to reduction

Abstract A set of phonetic studies based on analysis of the TIMIT speech database is presented which addresses topics relevant to the linguistic and speech recognition communities. First, the advantages and shortcomings of using TIMIT for linguistic research are considered, and a database methodological approach is outlined. Next, several small studies are presented which detail new results on the effect of speakers' sex and dialect region on pronunciation. The goal of this paper is to use the database to explore sex and dialect related variation thereby ascertaining differences which may merit further experimental study. This report concerns speaker-dependent effects on certain phonetic characteristics often involved in reduction such as speech rate, stop releases, flapping, central vowels, laryngeal state, syllabic consonants, and palatalization processes. Specifically, it is suggested that the phonetic characteristics found more commonly with male speakers are also those typical of reduction in speech.
Vacuum-ultraviolet absorption bands of trivalent lanthanides in La F 3

The ultraviolet absorption bands of trivalent rare earths in La${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ are located by the use of absorption and selective excitation spectra. These absorptions are quite strong arising from the electric dipole transition, which promotes a $4f$ electron from the rare-earth $4{f}^{n}$ shell to the $5d$ or some higher-lying orbital. The onsets of the $5d$ absorptions range from about 40 000 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for cerium to beyond 80 000 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for lutetium showing a general increase from cerium to gadolinium, a sudden drop from gadolinium to terbium, and another increase. The positions of the bands are compared with estimates by several workers of the $5d$ level position for trivalent free ions. In general the La${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ crystal field lowers and broadens the $5d$ level with respect to its freeion counterpart. For the simplest rare earth, cerium, the splitting caused by the La${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ crystal field is calculated using a point-charge model. Agreement with experiment is poor, so a two-parameter fit to the splitting is made which indicates that the point-charge model plus the approximation for the radial integrals involved overestimate the crystal-field perturbation on the $5d$ electron by roughly a factor of 3.
MO‐D‐T‐617‐07: Measurements of Surface Dose for 6MV and 10 MV X‐Ray Beams Using Micro‐MOSFET and Comparisons to Monte Carlo Skin Dose Calculations

Purpose: Accurate measurement of skindose in radiation therapy is of considerable clinical importance, especially in treating head‐and‐neck and breast cancers.MOSFETdosimeters have been introduced as a more efficient and easier‐to‐use alternative to TLD and radio‐chromic film for skindosemeasurement. However, existing data with standard‐size MOSFET suggest large differences from TLD or film measurements. We investigated the applications of a micro‐MOSFET for skindosemeasurements and studied the correlation between the measured surface dose by micro‐MOSFET and the skindose expected from a Monte Carlo calculation. Method and Materials: 1). Measurements were conducted for normally incident 6MV and 10MV beams onto a flat solid water phantom. MOSFET data were compared with both measurements using a parallel plate ion chamber and a MCdose calculation for the build‐up region. 2). Measurements of surface dose were conducted for 6MV oblique beams incident onto the surface of a semi‐cylindrical solid water phantom. Results were compared to a MC calculated dose in a skin layer extending 2mm down from the surface. Results: For normal beam incidence, depth dosesmeasured by micro‐MOSFET agree within 3% with parallel‐plate ion chamber data and MC calculation; In the build‐up region, comparison of MOSFET data with the MC calculation suggests that the MOSFET has a water‐equivalence thickness of ∼0.5mm. For oblique beams incident on the curved phantom, the micro‐MOSFET measurements correlate well with the MC calculated skindose for a 6 MV beam, with up to ∼ 6% differences depending on the positions of the MOSFET on the surface. Results from a 10 MV beam will also be presented. Conclusion: Preliminary results indicate that the measured surface dose with a micro‐MOSFET on a curved surface under a 6MV oblique beam irradiations provide a good approximation (within ∼ 6%) of the skindose.
Effects of Dietary Boron Supplementation on Broilers

Two experiments were conducted with a total of 432 broiler chicks to investigate the influence of supplementing different amounts of boron to practical corn-soybean meal diets. The birds were housed in batteries and had free access to feed and water. In Experiment 1, 144 1-day-old broiler chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 40, 80, or 120 ppm boron for 21 days. Female body weight was not influenced by the dietary treatments. However, males supplemented with 5 ppm boron were heavier and their tibias resisted more load than the control birds. Overall feed conversion was not influenced by boron. In Experiment 2, 288 1-day-old broiler chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 60, 120, 240, or 300 ppm boron for 22 days. Male and female body weights of the 300-ppm group were lower than those of the control birds. Percentage tibia ash was highest with 300 ppm boron. No significant differences were found in intestinal tract weight (grams of intestine per 100 g body weight) among treatments. Boron concentration in the breast muscle and liver increased as dietary concentration of boron increased. Data collected in these two experiments indicated that consumption of diets containing up to 240 ppm boron from hatch to 21 days of age was not detrimental to broiler performance. Data were not conclusive on the need for supplemental boron in broiler diets based on corn and soybean meal.
Calorimetric studies on the influence of N-methylated headgroups on the mixing behavior of diheptadecanoyl phosphatidylcholine with 1-behenoyl-2-lauroylphosphatidylcholine.

Recent studies of five different phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylcholine (PC/PC) systems indicate that binary mixtures of phosphatidylcholines in which one component has a normalized chain length difference (delta C/CL) in the range of 0.09–0.40 and the other a delta C/CL in the range of 0.42–0.57 exhibit the phase behavior of a eutectic system. Here, delta C is the effective chain-length difference between the two acyl chains, and CL is the effective length of the longer of the two acyl chains for the same lipid molecule in the gel state. In each mixture, gel phase immiscibility occurs over a wide compositional range due to the difference in the gel phase acyl chain packing properties of each component. Although the mixtures differ in the location of their eutectic horizontal, with respect to temperature, all have a similar eutectic point that occurs at a composition of approximately 40 mol percent of the component with the delta C/CL value in the range of 0.42–0.57. Here, we extend these studies by systematically modifying the headgroup of C(17):C(17)PC and then analyzing the mixing behavior of the modified lipid with C(22):C(12)PC using DSC. Progressive demethylation of the C(17):C(17)PC headgroup leads to an increase in gel phase immiscibility and a decrease in the amount of C(22):C(12)PC that comprises the eutectic composition. The temperature defining the location of the eutectic horizontal, however, remains virtually unchanged in all three phase diagrams. Our results suggest that the eutectic composition is influenced by changes in gel phase acyl chain packing that are dependent on headgroup-headgroup interactions. In contrast, the eutectic nature of the phase diagram and the location of its solidus line are properties of acyl chain interactions that are independent of phospholipid headgroup-headgroup interactions.
Abstract 4484: The dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, PI-103, demonstrates therapeutic efficacy in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The lack of effective systemic therapy is the major unresolved clinical problem in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS)/malignant fibrohistocytoma (MFH). Novel effective therapeutic approaches are crucially needed. Given the heterogeneity of UPS/MFH, identifying common molecular deregulations amenable to therapeutic targeting would be of major importance. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis, and is highly activated in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). However, not much is known about this pathway in UPS/MFH specifically. We sought to assess AKT/mTOR pathway expression and activation in human UPS/MFH specimens and to evaluate whether combined inhibition of this pathway affects the proliferation and survival of UPS/MFH cells. Materials and methods: A UPS/MFH tissue microarray (TMA) consisting of 180 primary UPS/MFH samples from patients who underwent complete surgical resection has been used to detect the expression of phospho-AKT. Human UPS/MFH primary cell strains/cell lines and murine undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma cell lines have been established to determine the pro-tumorigenic effects of PI3K/AKT/mTOR intracellular signaling and to evaluate the efficacy of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PI-103 on cell growth and survival. Results: Phospho-AKT was found to be commonly expressed in UPS/MFH. Enhanced pAKT expression levels inversely correlated with shorter 5-yr disease specific survival (DSS). Phosphorylation of AKT, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 were observed in a panel of human UPS/MFH primary cell strains/cell lines and murine UPS cell lines. PI-103 inhibited PI3/AKT/mTOR pathway signaling in UPS/MFH as observed by WB analysis resulting in marked decrease in tumor cell proliferation, enhanced G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and abrogated migration and invasion. Interestingly, PI103 treatment resulted in decreased expression and activation of the tyrosine kinase receptors EGFR and c-MET. This novel finding suggests that a feedback loop may exist between AKT/mTOR and tyrosine kinase receptor expression. Conclusions: PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is a common molecular deregulation in the heterogeneous group of UPS/MFH. The Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, PI-103, should be further be investigated for its anti-UPS/MFH effects. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4484. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4484
Peak-To-Average Power Ratio Reduction in OFDM Systems: A Survey And Taxonomy

The objective of this survey is to provide the readers and practitioners in the industry with a broader understanding of the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems and generate a taxonomy of the available solutions to mitigate the problem. Beginning with a description of OFDM systems, the survey describes the most commonly encountered impediment of OFDM systems, the PAPR problem and consequent impact on power amplifiers leading to nonlinear distortion. The survey clearly defines the metrics based on which the performance of PAPR reduction schemes can be evaluated. A taxonomy of PAPR reduction schemes classifies them into signal distortion, multiple signaling and probabilistic, and coding techniques with further classification within each category. We also provide complexity analyses for a few PAPR reduction methods to demonstrate the differences in complexity requirements between different methods. Moreover, the paper provides insights into the transmitted power constraint by showing the possibility of satisfying the constraint without added complexity by the use of companding transforms with suitably chosen companding parameters. The rapid growth in multimedia-based applications has triggered an insatiable thirst for high data rates and hence increased demand on OFDM-based wireless systems that can support high data rates and high mobility. As the data rates and mobility supported by the OFDM system increase, the number of subcarriers also increases, which in turn leads to high PAPR. As future OFDM-based systems may push the number of subcarriers up to meet the higher data rates and mobility demands, there will be also a need to mitigate the high PAPR that arises, which will likely spur new research activities. The authors believe that this survey will serve as a valuable pedagogical resource for understanding the current research contributions in the area of PAPR reduction in OFDM systems, the different techniques that are available for designers and their trade-offs towards developing more efficient and practical solutions, especially for future research in PAPR reduction schemes for high data rate OFDM systems.
Evaluation and revision of translation-mediated communication in a multilingual electronic meeting

This article examines how round-trip translations can be used to increase the accuracy of multilingual electronic meetings. An experiment was conducted in which five groups of students typed comments in English about the parking problem on campus and evaluated back translations to estimate forward translation accuracies from English to German and Spanish. Results showed that forward translations to German and Spanish met the groups’ minimum standards for comprehension. In addition, group members thought the meeting system was easy-to-use and useful, but they were unlikely to make comment revisions, even with poor understanding of back translations.
Boson Correlation Energies from Reduced Hamiltonian Interpolation

The ground-state energies of interacting bosons are computed beyond the mean-field approximation by a new method which we call reduced Hamiltonian interpolation (RHI). In this interpolation the $N$-particle Hamiltonian is represented through a sequence of $p$-particle expanded and reduced Hamiltonians that give upper and lower bounds on the true energy. A synthesis of ideas from $N$-representability and dimensional interpolation, the RHI interpolates over the number $p$ of quasiparticles (equivalent to spatial dimension) to calculate the $N$-particle energy as the mean of close upper and lower bounds. Application to bosons with harmonic interactions yields more than $99%$ of the correlation energy.
Two-Dimensional Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Correlation Spectroscopy Study of the Desorption Process of Water-Soaked Cotton Fibers

Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis was applied to characterize the attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectral intensity fluctuations of native cotton fibers with various water contents. Prior to 2D analysis, the spectra were leveled to zero at the peak intensity of 1800 cm(-1) and then were normalized at the peak intensity of 660 cm(-1) to subjectively correct the changes resulting from water diffusion in fibers and resultant density dilution. Next, a new spectral set was subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and two clusters of hydrated (≥13.3%) and dehydrated (<13.3%) fibers were obtained. Synchronous and asynchronous 2D correlation spectra from individual ATR spectral sets enhanced spectral resolution and provided insights about water-content-dependent intensity variations not readily accessible from one-dimensional ATR spectra. The 2D results revealed remarkable differences corresponding to water loss between the hydrated and dehydrated fibers. Of interest were that: (1) the intensity of the 1640 cm(-1) water band remains in a steady state for hydrated fibers but decreases for dehydrated fibers; (2) during the desorption process of adsorbed water, small and water-soluble carbonyl species (i.e., esters, acids, carboxylates, and proteins) begin to accumulate on the cotton surface, resulting in possible changes in the coloration and surface chemistry of native cotton fibers that were rained on prior to harvesting; (3) intensities of bands in the 1200 to 950 cm(-1) region exhibit a more apparent intensity increase than those in the 1500 to 1200 cm(-1) region, indicating the sensitivity of the 1200 to 950 cm(-1) infrared (IR) region to intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding in fiber celluloses; and (4) the 750 cm(-1) band, ascribed to the unstable I(α) phase in amorphous regions, might originate from the cellulose-water complex through hydrogen bonding.
As Good as It Gets? The Future of Medicare+Choice

�� Medicare+Choice is: (a) an attempt to rationalize the payment system for Medicare managed care plans by reducing the wide disparity in payment rates among urban and rural areas and addressing evidence of selection bias through risk adjustment; (b) part of an effort to extend the life of the Medicare trust fund by reducing Medicare payments to fee-for-service providers and managed care plans significantly; (c) an experiment designed to introduce new private-sector health plan choices to Medicare, such as preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and provider-sponsored organizations (PSOs); (d) all of the above; (e) none of the above. If you have difficulty with this quiz, you are not alone. The Medicare+ Choice program was perhaps the most-celebrated feature of the muchcelebrated Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA). With the enactment of Medicare+Choice, it seemed that the quest to modernize Medicare by offering beneficiaries new private sector choices had finally begun in earnest. The program was heralded by the Clinton administration and Republicans and Democrats in Congress alike as the kind of Medicare reform that they could all embrace. The managed care industry, while nervous about some features of the The opinions expressed in this essay are the author’s. This essay was prepared for the Council on the Economic Impact of Health System Change and presented in May 2001 at the Eighth Princeton Conference on the Future of Managed Care. The author wishes to thank Jason DeParle and Robert Berenson for helpful comments and suggestions.
Separation of Dns-amino acid amides by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the separation of Dns-amino acid amides. The separation is accomplished by reversed-phase chromatography on an Ultrasphere ODS column with a gradient program consisting of 5 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, and acetonitrile, and UV detection at 206, 254, or 275 nm. Seventeen Dns-amino acid amides were separated both from each other and from Dns-OH and Dns-NH2. In this system, most of the mono-Dns-amino acids, which are normally present in large excess in samples derived from biological sources, are clearly separated from the Dns-amino acid amides. In addition, the efficiency of two liquid distribution methods for the bulk separation of Dns-amino acid amides and Dns-amino acids was determined. The system described here is recommended for the identification of amino acid amides released enzymatically from amidated peptides.