cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANALYSIS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN AMNIOTIC FLUID SAMPLES FROM SMOKERS AND NONSMOKERS

Previous studies from this laboratory have focused on the characterization of blood protein adducts formed in utero as a result of maternal smoking during pregnancy. These biological samples, obtained during the third trimester of pregnancy, at delivery, have clearly shown a correlation between maternal smoking histories and exposure of the fetus to tobacco smoke carcinogens, including 4-aminobiphenyl and benzo(a)pyrene. In the present study, we examined exposure of the fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy to various environmental carcinogens, particularly those found in tobacco smoke. Amniotic fluid samples were obtained from women undergoing routine amniocentesis between 16 and 20 weeks gestational age. Amniotic fluid, produced by the fetal lungs and kidneys, is an important part of pregnancy and fetal development and this fluid surrounds the fetus throughout pregnancy. In these studies, samples of amniotic fluid were obtained from nonsmokers as well as 0.5 pack per day smokers, 1.0 pack per da...
Pilot decision making during landing point designation

Predicting astronaut performance when choosing where to land on the Moon, or the landing point designation task, is difficult. Human judgment and decision making for this application is not well-characterized. To address this knowledge deficiency, an experiment was designed to replicate the landing point designation task in both ideal and poor landing conditions. Fifteen helicopter pilots were observed to use one of two strategy types, with both strategies resulting in equatable performance. Regardless of strategy use, terrain contrast conditions were observed to have a significant impact on the selection of safe landing sites. Other aspects of performance, such as task completion time, were unaffected by terrain contrast. Pilots were also observed to be influenced by multiple terrain factors. Researchers noted twenty different types of actions stemming from nine categories of scenario cues. When these cue---action relationships are used in conjunction with pilots' evaluation criteria and a known strategy, models can be developed to predict decision making.
Control of diuresis in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti: Evidence for similar mechanisms in the male and female

Abstract This study was undertaken to determine whether males of the mosquito Aedes aegypti have diuretic mechanisms similar to the female, even though males do not take blood meals and, therefore would not seem to require mechanisms for rapid diuresis. In particular, the effects of secretagogues extracted from female and male mosquito heads on the Malpighian tubules of both sexes were tested. Male Malpighian tubules are considerably smaller than female tubules and they secrete Na, Cl and water in vitro at 1 6 the rates of female tubules. However, the concentrations of Na, K and Cl are similar in fluid secreted by female and male tubules. The female head extract significantly increases Na, Cl and water secretion in tubules of both sexes. Likewise, the male head extract significantly increases Na, Cl and water secretion in tubules of both sexes. K secretion by female tubules increases after treatment with female extract but decreases after treatment with male extract. K secretion by male tubules is not affected by female or male extracts. Female and male head extracts also share the same effects on transepithelial voltage and resistance across isolated perfused Malpighian tubules. Cyclic AMP, a known stimulator of Na, Cl and water secretion in female Malpighian tubules also significantly increases Na, Cl and water secretion in male tubules. Therefore, Malpighian tubules of the male and female mosquitoes appear to have similar ion transport mechanisms for NaCl and fluid secretion as well as similar diuretic hormones and receptors. Only quantitative differences exist between secretion of Na, Cl and water in the male and female mosquito, reflecting the larger NaCl and fluid loads consumed by the female.
An evaluation of a GaAlAs diode laser as a source for absorption measurements in the ICP

Le processus de selection d'une diode operant a 811,53 nm, pour mesurer l'absorption de la population 4s de Ar, est decrit. La diode selectionnee a ete utilisee dans quelques mesures d'absorption exploratoires dans un plasma couple inductivement
The generation and composition of partial melts in the earth's mantle

Abstract A set of equations is presented which combines the constraints of fluid dynamics and multicomponent phase equilibrium to provide a unified description of partial melting in the earth's mantle. The equations are applied to a one-dimensional model for pressure-release melting of a simplified mantle material, which contains only two chemical components exhibiting either (a) complete solid solution or (b) a binary eutectic. In both cases, melting occurs over a range of depths. The unmelted crystalline residue (“matrix”) is modeled as a saturated porous medium, through which the melt can migrate because of its differential buoyancy. Since melt interacts continuously with the matrix during ascent, melting occurs by equilibrium rather than fractional fusion. This equilibrium fusion is not the same as batch fusion, however, since material elements are quickly dispersed by migration of melt relative to the matrix. To a first approximation, the temperature profiles (adiabats) in the partially molten zone are independent of melt migration. The slope of the adiabats varies in inverse proportion to the number of degrees of freedom which characterizes the melting. Melting of a complete solid solution occurs along a “wet” adiabat whose slope is controlled by absorption of latent heat. Melting of a eutectic system occurs along a steeper “univariant” adiabat until one solid phase is exhausted, and subsequently along a wet adiabat. The velocity of melt migration can exceed the mantle upwelling velocity by an order of magnitude or more. The volume fraction of melt present is always less than the fraction of the material which has melted, and is unlikely to exceed a few percent. For a wide range of initial conditions, melting of a eutectic system produces erupted melts having constant major element composition and widely varying trace element composition. This result may provide a partial explanation for the characteristic major- and LIL-element patterns observed in MORB. Liquid compositional paths during pressure-release melting cannot be determined from isobaric sections of phase diagrams, and can only be calculated by solving the energy equation subject to the appropriate depth-dependent phase equilibrium constraints.
Neuropsychometric correlates of the Mini-Mental State Examination: preliminary data.

The present study investigated the neuropsychometric correlates of the Mini-Mental State Examination. 12 consecutive neurological referrals were administered the Mini-Mental State Examination, the ...
A Statistical Analysis of ARQ Protocols Operating in a Nonindependent Error Environment

In this paper the behavior of the Stop and Wait and Go Back- N error detection and retransmission (ARQ) protocols in an environment characterized by nonrandom errors are studied. Analytic models are developed for the case that the error process is modeled as a Markovian process. These models may be used to predict performance measures such as expected queue length and expected delay for the case of the Stop and Wait protocol and the Go Back- N protocol when N is very large. The models can also be used to determine maximum throughputs for both protocols. The results of these models are compared with simulation results for the Selective Repeat ARQ protocol.
Hepatocyte cell cycle transitions during the age-related development of type I hepatic adenomas in the genetically predisposed C3H mouse

Normal aging in the mammalian liver is associated with the progressive establishment of a predominant G1Q (quiescent G1) substate in the diploid hepatocyte population and a marked reduction in the cycling G1 compartment (G1A and G1B stage cells) (Higgins, Age 8:122–126, 1985). The C3H mouse, however, exhibits a genetic predisposition to the development of age-related proliferative lesions (adenomas) in the liver. Multiparameter flow cytometric computer models of the cell division cycle of normal young, normal old, and adenoma-derived liver cells were constructed using data obtained from acridine orange-based cytochemical measurements of hepatocyte RNA and DNA content. Compared to normal hepatocytes from young and age-matched old animals, liver cells derived from hepatic adenomas were characterized by an increased growth fraction (% cells involved in DNA synthesis), an increase in the proportion of cells in the immediate pre-DNA synthetic (G1B) phase of the cell cycle, and, most dramatically, the complete absence of a cytochemically-defined G1Q substate. Identical results were obtained by contour mapping of the RNA and DNA content of the isolated nuclear fraction of normal and adenomatous liver cells. Particularly evident was the fact that adenomas generally were comprised of a hepatocyte population with a predominantly tetraplold DNA content. The combined analyses on both intact hepatocytes and isolated nuclei clearly indicated that the G1 compartment of adenomatous hepatocytes in aged C3H mice consists solely of liver cells of the G1A and G1B phenotypes. In contrast, the uninvolved distal normal liver tissue in adenoma-bearing mice exhibited a predominant G1Q condition in the diploid hepatocyte complement as is characteristic of normal aging in this organ. Cell cycle distributions in adenomas, thus, appear to reflect the proliferative potential of such lesions.
Alpha—The Positive Side of Risk: Daring to be Different

Two books that offer fundamental information on new ways of evaluating or determining the probability of unexpected investment performance (Alpha) of traditional and alternative funds (Ben Warwick, Searching for Alpha: The Quest for Exceptional Investment Performance [John Wiley and Sons, 2000] and Alpha—The Positive Side of Risk: Daring To Be Different collection of readings [Investor Press, 1996]).
Prostate cancer biomarker discovery using high performance mass spectral serum profiling

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the most widely used serum biomarker for early detection of prostate cancer (PCA). Nevertheless, PSA level can be falsely elevated due to prostatic enlargement, inflammation or infection, which limits the PSA test specificity. The objective of this study is to use a machine learning approach for the analysis of mass spectrometry data to discover more reliable biomarkers that distinguish PCA from benign specimens. Serum samples from 179 prostate cancer patients and 74 benign patients were analyzed. These samples were processed using ProXPRESSION(TM) Biomarker Enrichment Kits (PerkinElmer). Mass spectra were acquired using a prOTOF(TM) 2000 matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization orthogonal time-of-flight (MALDI-O-TOF) mass spectrometer. In this study, we search for potential biomarkers using our feature selection method, the Extended Markov Blanket (EMB). From the new marker selection algorithm, a panel of 26 peaks achieved an accuracy of 80.7%, a sensitivity of 83.5%, a specificity of 74.4%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 87.9%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 68.2%. On the other hand, when PSA alone was used (with a cutoff of 4.0ng/ml), a sensitivity of 66.7%, a specificity of 53.6%, a PPV of 73.5%, and a NPV of 45.4% were obtained.
Continued Sampling: Using Data Aware Feedback and Control for Peptide Conformational Search

Sampling till completion is a new framework for conformational search that uses a coupled feedback between running computational dynamics and a large database. By using this feedback we can get improved convergence as well as more efficient sampling. We have applied this concept to sampling of peptide degrees of freedom and the first part of our presentation will highlight the challenges in making this idea work by addressing both hardware and software issues. This includes our efforts to create rapid query evaluations and our use of coupled CPU and GPU systems. The second part of our presentation will focus on the nature of the efficiency gains and how the concept may be helpful for sampling within the Onsager-Machlup framework for understanding conformational transitions. This enables us to view certain degrees of freedom as more important for the transitions than others and ties into dynamic importance sampling and effective transfer entropy approaches.
Clutch size in an obligately siblicidal parasitoid wasp

Abstract Insect parasitoids can be grouped by their pattern of brood production: ‘gregarious’ parasitoids can produce multiple offspring per host, but ‘solitary’ parasitoids can produce only a single offspring per host because their larval stages engage in lethal contest competition to monopolize the host resource. Theoretical and empirical studies have largely overlooked the possibility that solitary parasitoids may lay clutches of more than a single egg, leading to obligate siblicide. When this possibility has been recognized at all, it has been treated under the rubric of self-superparasitism (in which a parasitoid deposits eggs on the same host during two or more distinct host encounters). It is argued here, however, that multiple-egg clutches and self-superparasitism are fundamentally different behaviour patterns, entailing different potential costs and benefits. These differences are linked to variation in age structure within broods (self-superparasitism can produce mixed-age offspring within broods) and host quality assessment problems that are specific to self-superparasitism (during a second encounter, the parasitoid may not be able to assess its prior oviposition behaviour on the host). Clutch size was investigated in a solitary parasitoid wasp,Comperiella bifasciata(Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), that commonly produces multiple-egg clutches. Clutch size varied in response to aspects of the environment that were likely to shape the costs and benefits of multiple-egg clutches: larger clutches were produced when the parasitoid (1) had no contact with high-quality hosts and (2) experienced a high density of conspecific female parasitoids. Two types of costs are associated with depositing multiple-egg clutches: the opportunity cost of the extra egg(s) and the direct cost of the time required to deposit them. Multiple-egg clutches may represent a conditional strategy that increases reproductive success. A review of the literature shows that multiple-egg clutches are a widespread feature of the reproductive behaviour of solitary parasitoids.
Mast cells in innate and adaptive immunity to infection

In June 2009, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation (DAIT), sponsored a workshop entitled Mast Cells in Innate and Adaptive Immunity. International experts in mast cell biology discussed recent advances in the field and future areas of research aimed at advancing our understanding of the importance of mast cells in shaping nonallergic, adaptive immunity to infection.
Postharvest heat treatment of red ginger flowers as a possible alternative to chemical insecticidal dip.

Abstract A postharvest treatment in hot water at 49 °C for 12 to 15 min eliminated > 95% of ants, banana aphids and mealybugs infesting red ginger flowers, Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum. In a ‘systems-approach’ to quarantine security, preharvest chlorpyrifos applications combined with either a postharvest hot-water immersion at 49 °C for 12 min or 5-min insecticidal dip in a combination of fluvalinate 2.0 flowable (F) and insecticidal soap eliminated all pests, including aphids, mealybugs, thrips, soft scales, and ants. Phytotoxicity resulting from hot-water treatment was characterized by bract necrosis and shortened vase life. Flowers were more susceptible to heat injury if harvested during periods of high rainfall. Conditioning flowers in hot air at 39 °C for 2 h before hot-water treatment eliminated phytotoxicity.
Profiles of elemental concentrations in Precambrian paleosols on basaltic and granitic parent materials

Abstract Profiles of elemental concentrations are interpreted for four Precambrian paleosols, two developed on basalt and two on granodiorite. All four paleosols appear to be the erosional remnants of originally thick soil-saprolite regoliths. The granitic paleosols are in South Africa where they underlie the 2.9-3.0 Ga Pongola Supergroup and the 2.8-2.9 Ga Dominion Reef Conglomerate. One of the basaltic paleosols also occurs in South Africa where it caps the Ventersdorp Basalt and underlies the 2.3 Ga Black Reef Quartzite. The other basaltic paleosol underlies sandstone of the 2.7 Ga Timiskaming Group in the Abitibi belt of the Canadian Shield. All four paleosols exhibit pronounced upward loss of sodium but no consistent loss of the heavier alkali elements, rubidium and cesium. Iron decreases upward above iron-rich basaltic parent rocks but there is no consistent loss of iron above iron-poor granitic parents. The rare-earth elements are less fractionated than during intensive modern weathering. Uranium locally has been fractionated from thorium, possibly due to oxidative dissolution during Precambrian weathering.
Synthesis of structurally diverse bis-peptide oligomers

We have developed second-generation monomers 1 and 2 and improved conditions for rapidly and simultaneously closing multiple diketopiperazines on solid support. These new conditions involve either the microwave heating of a suspension of solid-supported amino-tetrafluoropropyl esters in acetic acid/triethylamine catalyst solution or continuous flow of catalyst solution through the resin, heated in a flow cell apparatus. We demonstrate that the new monomers 1 and 2 can be combined with the new conditions easily to synthesize previously inaccessible hetero and homo spiro ladder oligomers 3 and 4 and others.
Low-temperature studies of encapsulated proteins.

Water-soluble proteins encapsulated within reverse micelles may be studied under a variety of conditions, including low temperature and a wide range of buffer conditions. Direct high-resolution detection of information relating to protein folding intermediates and pathways can be monitored by low-temperature solution NMR. Ubiquitin encapsulated within AOT reverse micelles was studied using multidimensional multinuclear solution NMR to determine the relationship between protein structure, temperature, and ionic strength. Ubiquitin resonances were monitored by 15N HSQC NMR experiments at varying temperatures and salt concentrations. Our results indicate that the structure of the encapsulated protein at low temperature experiences perturbation arising from two major influences, which are reverse micelle−protein interactions and low-temperature effects (e.g., cold denaturation). These two effects are impossible to distinguish under conditions of low ionic strength. Elevated concentrations of nondenaturing sal...
Clinical correlates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related immunosuppression

Opportunistic infections and cancers, collectively referred to as opportunistic diseases (OD), occur with increasing frequency as HIV-related immunosuppression advances. Knowledge of an individual's degree of immunosuppression, as measured by his or her CD4 cell count, will assist a clinician in constructing a differential diagnosis to account for a given clinical presentation. Likewise, the correlation of an individual's immunosuppression with their symptoms will enable a radiologist to assist a clinician in determining which radiological studies are most likely to lead to a diagnosis.
Relationships Between Social-Emotional Intelligence and Sexual Risk Behaviors in Adolescent Girls

Social-emotional intelligence (SEI) has been linked with a number of health behaviors in adolescent populations. However, little is known about the influence of SEI on sexual behavior. This study examined associations between three indicators of SEI (intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, stress management skills) and adolescent girls’ sexual risk behaviors. Data come from a cross-sectional sample of sexually active adolescent girls (ages 13 to 17 years) at high risk for pregnancy (N = 253), recruited from health care clinics in a Midwest metropolitan area during 2007 and 2008. Results of multivariable regression models controlling for participants’ age and race/ethnicity indicated that each aspect of SEI was related to distinct sexual risk behaviors. Specifically, girls with greater intrapersonal skills had significantly fewer male sex partners in the past six months (b = −0.16). Participants with greater interpersonal skills reported earlier communication with their sexual partner about sexual risk...
Age-related changes in the biomolecular mechanisms of clvarial osteoblast biology affect fibroblast growth factor-2 signaling and osteogenesis

The ability of immature animals to orchestrate successful calvarial ossification has been well described. This capacity is markedly attenuated in mature animals and humans greater than 2 years of age. Few studies have investigated biological differences between juvenile and adult osteoblasts that mediate successful osteogenesis. To identify possible mechanisms for this clinical observation, we investigated cellular and molecular differences between primary osteoblasts derived from juvenile (2-day-old) and adult (60-day-old) rat calvaria. Data demonstrated that juvenile osteoblasts contain a subpopulation of less differentiated cells as observed by spindle-like morphology and decreased osteocalcin production. Juvenile, compared with adult, osteoblasts showed increased proliferation and adhesion. Furthermore, following rhFGF-2 stimulation juvenile osteoblasts increased expression of collagen Iα1 (5-fold), osteopontin (13-fold), and osteocalcin (16-fold), compared with relatively unchanged adult osteoblasts. Additionally, juvenile osteoblasts organized and produced more matrix proteins and formed 41-fold more bone nodules. Alternatively, adult osteoblasts produced more FGF-2 and preferentially translated the high molecular weight (22 kDa) form. Although adult osteoblasts transcribed more FGF-R1 and juvenile osteoblasts transcribed more FGF-R2 at baseline levels, juvenile osteoblasts translated more FGF-R1 and -R2 and showed increased phosphorylation. Collectively, these findings begin to explain why juvenile, but not adult, osteoblasts successfully heal calvarial defects.
SU‐FF‐I‐39: A Computer Simulation Platform for the Optimization of Breast Tomosynthesis System

Purpose: In breast tomosynthesis there are tradeoffs between optimization of resolution, noise and acquisition speed with a given glandular dose. Our purpose is to provide a simulation platform to investigate any plausible configuration for a tomosynthesis system, and find an optimal combination of these parameters. Method and Materials: Simulated projections of a slanted thin tungsten wire placed in different object planes are modified according to a detector'sMTF (binned or not binned). In addition, the focal spot blur (FSB), which depends on the location of the wire, the system geometry, the source‐detector movement speed and exposure time, is also incorporated into the projections. Then a maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm is used for 3D reconstruction. The in‐plane and in‐depth MTF were determined. To evaluate the noise performance, simulated noiseless projections of calcification and tumor in uniform breast tissue were modified with real detector's NPS and for a given detector noise and dose. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the reconstructed images is calculated with different configurations, e.g. view number and angle, pixel binning and FSB. Results: The FSB is determined by the exposure time of each view at a fixed gantry travel speed. For SID = 65cm and exposure time ≤ 80ms per view, the 2×2 binning causes more degradation for the in‐plane resolution than the FSB and reconstruction blur. The in‐depth resolution can be improved by increasing the number of views and the span of view angle. However the SNR will be degraded because with the lower exposure per view (total dose constant), the detector performance is degraded by electronic noise. Conclusion: Many design parameters need to be considered for optimizing a tomosynthesis system. We provide a simulation platform to predict system performance with different configurations in advance. It will be helpful for practical implementation of breast tomosynthesis.
Free-space board-to-board optical interconnections

In computing, trends toward parallel processing, multiprocessor computers, higher operating speeds, and larger as well as denser very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits have provided an impetus for the development of advanced interconnection technology. Optical interconnections have been of interest at all levels in digital computers for applications between mainframes, modules, boards, chips, and even points within a chip. Optical interconnections are viewed both as a technology to be used in conjunction with electrical interconnections and electronic logic circuits and as an enabling technology for optical computers. These interconnections are expected to provide advantages in situations that require high speed, high interconnection density, high connectivity, and long distance. This paper is a review of Lincoln Laboratory work on free-space board-to-board optical interconnections.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement of composite interface failure by quantitative AE

In this paper we report on the study of composite interface failure processes using quantitative acoustic emission (AE) measurements. The destruction of model composite specimens is studied in order to isolate the constituent interactions. A number of previous fiber pullout studies of composite interface failure have relied on fiber force and displacement data to elucidate fiber/matrix properties. In our study, we use ultrasonic waves that emanate from the failure region to determine the forces that are released as the interface fails. We avoid assuming a specific model for the micro-processes; rather, the forces are determined directly from the acoustic emission signal detected at a distance from the source.
Initial experience with a multielectrode catheter equipped with the single-axis sensor technology for high-density electroanatomical mapping in a swine model.

Utility of Single-Axis Sensor Technology in High-Density Electroanatomical Mapping. Introduction: Magnetic-based electroanatomical mapping systems are widely used during catheter ablation. Currently, the size of the sensor incorporated in the catheter to allow its localization is large, prohibiting the placement of more than one sensor on any single catheter. As a result, multielectrode catheters cannot be tracked by the magnetic-based mapping systems. Single-axis sensors (SAS) are new generation sensors that are significantly smaller in size. The small size of these new sensors allows the placement of more than one sensor on each catheter, allowing the tracking of multielectrode catheters. The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of creating high-density magnetic electroanatomical maps using a new generation multielectrode catheter equipped with the SAS technology. Methods and Results: Anatomical reconstruction of cardiac chambers and the aorta, together with activation mapping of the right atrium during both sinus rhythm and pacing-induced premature atrial contractions (PACs), were performed in 5 swine using both a conventional mapping catheter and the novel multielectrode catheter equipped with SAS. The multielectrode mapping provided a detailed definition of cardiac anatomy while requiring shorter acquisition times. In addition, mapping of PACs origin was significantly faster using the multielectrode catheter. Conclusion: The novel multielectrode catheter equipped with the SAS technology can be used in combination with magnetic electroanatomical mapping systems to generate high-density anatomical reconstructions and activation maps. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 1403-1407, December 2010)
Spaces of Surveillance: Indexicality and Solicitation on the Internet.

This article investigates the significance of the index in the process of, first, mapping and formatting the sites, spaces and words on the Internet and, second, diagnosing, tracking and soliciting users. Unlike the back‐of‐book or even hypertextual index that points to or references information to be found in a larger text, the author argues that some of the Internet's indexes actually facilitate a movement through space to other sites and pages. It is further argued that this process of jumping into other spaces’ increasingly commercial domains, facilitated by indexical technologies known as robots or spiders, often leads to the solicitation of users’ demographic and psychographic information. Lastly, it is noted that such indexical technologies are increasingly being called upon by commercial interests to automate the process of solicitation whereby the mere entry or “jump” into a site on the Internet triggers the accumulation of a user's demographic and psychographic data.
Relative effects of enthalpy and entropy on the phase stability of equiatomic high-entropy alloys

Abstract High configurational entropies have been hypothesized to stabilize solid solutions in equiatomic, multi-element alloys which have attracted much attention recently as “high-entropy” alloys with potentially interesting properties. To evaluate the usefulness of configurational entropy as a predictor of single-phase (solid solution) stability, we prepared five new equiatomic, quinary alloys by replacing individual elements one at a time in a CoCrFeMnNi alloy that was previously shown to be single-phase [1] . An implicit assumption here is that, if any one element is replaced by another, while keeping the total number of elements constant, the configurational entropy of the alloy is unchanged; therefore, the new alloys should also be single-phase. Additionally, the substitute elements that we chose, Ti for Co, Mo or V for Cr, V for Fe, and Cu for Ni, had the same room temperature crystal structure and comparable size/electronegativity as the elements being replaced to maximize solid solubility consistent with the Hume–Rothery rules. For comparison, the base CoCrFeMnNi alloy was also prepared. After three-day anneals at elevated temperatures, multiple phases were observed in all but the base CoCrFeMnNi alloy, suggesting that, by itself, configurational entropy is generally not able to override the competing driving forces that also govern phase stability. Thermodynamic analyses were carried out for each of the constituent binaries in the investigated alloys (Co–Cr, Fe–Ni, Mo–Mn, etc.). Our experimental results combined with the thermodynamic analyses suggest that, in general, enthalpy and non-configurational entropy have greater influences on phase stability in equiatomic, multi-component alloys. Only when the alloy microstructure is a single-phase, approximately ideal solid solution does the contribution of configurational entropy to the total Gibbs free energy become dominant. Thus, high configurational entropy provides a way to rationalize, after the fact, why a solid solution forms (if it forms), but it is not a useful a priori predictor of which of the so-called high-entropy alloys will form thermodynamically stable single-phase solid solutions.
A 45 Å equatorial long period in dry dragline silk of Nephila clavipes

A small-angle peak has been found by X-ray scattering measurements on the dry dragline silk of Nephila clavipes. The weak peak, located on the equatorial axis, yields a long period of approximately 45 A. Probably it corresponds to the lateral spacing of the crystals and is determined kinetically during the formation of the nanofibers.
Control of multiproduct bulk server diffusion/oxidation processes. Part 2: multiple servers

We investigate how knowledge of future arrivals can be used to control bulk server diffusion and oxidation processes in semiconductor manufacturing to reduce the average waiting time of lots. While past research has dealt with the control of bulk server queueing systems, only a few studies have addressed the use of knowledge of future arrivals, and those studies were limited to a single server system. We extend prior strategies for the single product-single server case to a multiple product-multiple server case, and devise a control strategy that is tested through the use of simulation. The performance of the new policy is compared to that of the optimal control strategy ignoring future arrivals (i.e., a Minimum Batch Size strategy). Results indicate that the new strategy performs well under a wide variety of circumstances. To demonstrate the control strategy performance in a realistic setting, a detailed simulation model of the diffusion area of an existing wafer fab was developed. The model was run with several start rates and the results compared to those from a Minimum Batch Size strategy. Results indicate that the new strategy performs well over a wide range of start rates.
Graphical comparison of resemblance measures in phytosociology

A simple graphical method, COREM, is described for the comparison of quantitative resemblance measures. The basis of the method is the ordered comparison case series (OCCAS) composed of releve pairs ranked in decreasing order of similarity. For a given OCCAS, values of given resemblance functions are calculated and plotted in COREM.
Impairment of reovirus mRNA 'cap' methylation in interferon-treated mouse L929 cells.

Reovirus mRNAs synthesized in vitro by the virionassociated enzyme have a 5′ ‘cap 1’ structure (m7G(5′)ppp(5′)GmpCp …). However, about one third to one half of the reovirus mRNAs formed in mouse L929 cells have a 5′ ‘cap 2’ structure (m7G(5′)ppp(5′)GmpCmp …) and the rest have a 5′ ‘cap 1’ structure. The finding that virus mRNA ‘cap’ methylation is impaired in extracts of interferon-treated cells prompted us to study the effect of interferon on virus mRNA ‘cap’ methylation in vivo. Using labeling with [3H]-guanosine and dual labeling with [3H]methionine and [14C]uridine we compared the 5′ structures of reovirus mRNAs accumulating between 5 and 11 h after infection in: L929 cells treated with 390 to 2600 U/ml of a partially purified mouse interferon preparation and untreated L929 cells. The treatment resulted in a 70 to 98% decrease in the 24 h virus yield and in a 50 to 55% decrease in the label accumulated in virus mRNAs. The ‘capping’ of virus mRNAs and the methylation of their 5′ terminal and adjacent G residues were not diminished in interferon-treated cells. However, the percent of ‘cap 2’ termini was 36 to 47% lower in virus mRNAs from interferon-treated cells than in virus mRNAs from control cells. The interferon treatment did not result in the appearance of additional methylated nucleotides in the virus mRNAs.
READYMADE - MADE READY: THE TREATMENT OF MARCEL DUCHAMP’S WHY NOT SNEEZE ROSE SÉLAVY?

During the move of New York’s Museum of Modern Art to temporary facilities in 2002, conservators examined the museum’s 1964 copy of Marcel Duchamp’s readymade, Why Not Sneeze Rose Selavy?. They discovered several conservation problems, including missing components, paint losses and, most surprisingly, the almost complete fading of Duchamp’s inscription. The signature is of great importance to the work, both historically and conceptually, and its loss and the other damages needed to be addressed. After examining the history and significance of the work, this paper describes its treatment, in which education of the public, rather than physical intervention, functions to restore the signature. In explaining the rationale of the treatment, Duchamp’s views on the role of the spectator in artistic production come into consideration. Finally, the paper discusses how the condition and treatment of Why Not Sneeze ... ? illuminate the evolving role of conservation in the present-day museum.
Renal leiomyosarcoma: Plea for aggressive therapy

Abstract We report a case of renal leiomyosarcoma arising from the renal pelvis with immunohistochemical confirmation of the diagnosis. Treatment was extirpative surgery for both primary and metastatic lung lesions as well as adjunctive radiation and chemotherapy. This patient remains disease free twelve months following treatment.
Graphene nanoribbons elicit cell specific uptake and delivery via activation of epidermal growth factor receptor enhanced by human papillomavirus E5 protein

Ligands such as peptides, antibodies or other epitopes bind and activate specific cell receptors, and are employed for targeted cellular delivery of pharmaceuticals such as drugs, genes and imaging agents. Herein, we show that oxidized graphene nanoribbons, non-covalently functionalized with PEG-DSPE (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N[amino(polyethyleneglycol)]) (O-GNR-PEG-DSPE) activate epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs). This activation generates a predominantly dynamin-dependent macropinocytosis-like response, and results in significant O-GNR-PEG-DSPE uptake into cells with high EGFR expression. Cells with an integrated human papillomavirus (HPV) genome also show increased uptake due to the modulation of the activated EGFR by the viral protein E5. We demonstrate that this cell specific uptake of O-GNR-PEG-DSPE can be exploited to achieve significantly enhanced drug efficacies even in drug resistant cells. These results have implications for the development of active targeting and delivery agents without ligand functionalization for use in the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies that overexpress EGFR or mediated by HPV.
Vocational Preferences of Incarcerated Males

The Vocational Preference Inventory (1) was orally administered to 94 incarcerated male volunteers to determine if this inventory was a legitimate instrument to use in research with male populations in prisons. Holland (1) has indicated that random responses to the inventory can be due to uncooperativeness and chat there are three rules which can be observed to help in depicting random profiles: Infrequency Scale raw scores in the range of 7 to 11; 7 or more scales with raw scores falling between 4 and 10; and Acquiescence Scale scores in the range of 12 to 20. Analysis of the inmates' profiles indicate that 67 inmates (71.28%) had Infrequency Scale scores in the range of 7 ro 11, 29 inmates (30.85%) had 7 or more raw scores falling between 4 and 10, and 35 inmates (37.23%) had Acquiescence Scale scores in the range of 12 to 20. Holland (1) cites random profiles as possibly being due to uncooperative behavior. It is logical to expect inmates to view prison as punishment and, consequently, for uncooperative behaviors to be present in a passive aggressive manner such as not genuinely participating in research. Further, inmates may also be suspicious of the inventory in that they may feel the results in some way could be used against them even if anonymicy is promised.
Smart drug discovery leveraging innovative technologies and predictive knowledge

By building on the successes of the past and leveraging both innovative technologies and predictive knowledge, scientists can develop smarter ways to create a molecular armamentarium of chemical and biological medicines.
The Effects of Pitch Interval on Brainwave Amplitudes

Results of analyses from the electroencephalogram (EEG), recorded at the F8-T4 position on the scalp while testing the pitch discrimination ability of fourteen musically trained university students, showed that the EEG amplitude decreased as pitch intervals became smaller. There was no change in the EEG amplitude when comparison pitches were at intervals of a whole step higher or lower from the reference pitch, but change did occur when the interval was diminished to a quarter step. Within the forty-five-second period, during which the reference pitch was to be remembered, no difference was found between the EEG taken in the early seconds of testing as compared with the later part of the test span. Deviations in alpha, theta, and beta frequency bands were more prominent than those in the gamma and delta bands.
Properties of Broiler Myofibril Gels Containing Emulsified Lipids

Abstract The effect of emulsified lipids on broiler myofibril gelation was determined by measuring the strength and water-holding ability of gels made from composite myofibrils and lipids. White (breast) and red (leg) myofibrils were prepared from four randomized batches (replicates) of broilers. Myofibrils were suspended in .6 M NaCl, pH 6.0 and mixed with four types of emulsions (canola oil, safflower oil, lard, and milk fat) each at 0, 2, 5, 7.5, or 10% fat levels. Gels were induced by heating the mixtures from 10 to 70 C. Breast myofibril gel strength increased significantly (P .05) by vegetable oils. Addition of ≥ 5% fats or oils significantly reinforced leg myofibril gels, with fats generally showing a greater (P
Relationships between antiparkinson medication nonadherence, regimen modifications, and healthcare utilization and expenditures

Abstract Objectives To examine 1) the effect of prior antiparkinson drug (APD) nonadherence on subsequent APD regimen modifications; and 2) the influence of modifications on healthcare utilization and costs by patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods This retrospective cohort study included 7052 PD patients with ≥2 APD prescriptions who initiated a modification of APD regimens in 2007. Modification was assessed as changing from one APD to another and/or adding a new APD to an existing regimen. Nonadherence was measured using Medication Possession Ratio Results Initiation of APD modifications in any given month was higher among patients who were nonadherent to APDs in the preceding month (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.23), compared to their adherent counterparts. Modifications significantly predicted higher risk of all-cause and PD-related hospitalizations (adjusted relative risk [RR] = 1.22 and 1.83, respectively), home health agency utilization (RR = 1.18 and 1.52), and use of physician services (RR = 1.14 and 1.41), as well as higher total all-cause healthcare expenditures (mean = $1064) in any given 3-month interval. Conclusions Prior nonadherence to APDs might influence initiation of APD modification. APD modifications were associated with increased health care utilization and expenditures, with the caveats that indications of modifications and disease severity may still play roles. Prescribers should consider patients' medication adherence when changing APD regimens to lower the costs of medical services.
Only One of the Two Annotated Lactococcus lactis fabG Genes Encodes a Functional β-Ketoacyl−Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase†

The small genome of the Gram-positive bacterium Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis IL1403 contains two genes that encode proteins annotated as homologues of Escherichia coli beta-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase. E. coli fabG encodes beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase, the enzyme responsible for the first reductive step of the fatty acid synthetic cycle. Both of the L. lactis genes are adjacent to (and predicted to be cotranscribed with) other genes that encode proteins having homology to known fatty acid synthetic enzymes. Such relationships have often been used to strengthen annotations based on sequence alignments. Annotation in the case of beta-ketoacyl-ACP reductase is particularly problematic because the protein is a member of a vast protein family, the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family. The recent isolation of an E. coli fabG mutant strain encoding a conditionally active beta-ketoacyl-ACP reductase allowed physiological and biochemical testing of the putative L. lactishomologues. We report that expression of only one of the two L. lactis proteins (that annotated as FabG1) allows growth of the E. coli fabG strain under nonpermissive conditions and restores in vitro fatty acid synthetic ability to extracts of the mutant strain. Therefore, like E. coli, L. lactis has a single beta-ketoacyl-ACP reductase active with substrates of all fatty acid chain lengths. The second protein (annotated as FabG2), although inactive in fatty acid synthesis both in vivo and in vitro, was highly active in reduction of the model substrate, beta-ketobutyryl-CoA. As expected from work on the E. coli enzyme, the FabG1 beta-ketobutyryl-CoA reductase activity was inhibited by ACP (which blocks access to the active site) whereas the activity of FabG2 was unaffected by the presence of ACP. These results seem to be an example of a gene duplication event followed by divergence of one copy of the gene to encode a protein having a new function.
Overweight trajectories and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents.

Objectives Few studies have investigated overweight trajectories and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents. We conducted analyses with data from the multisite Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD).
Farms, fires, and forestry: Disturbance legacies in the soils of the Northwest Wisconsin (USA) Sand Plain

We studied the long-term effects of disturbance within the Northwest Wisconsin (USA) Sand Plain (NWSP), an ecoregion that is characterized by very sandy soil and an active disturbance history that includes fire, agriculture and industrial forestry, largely clearcut logging of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and aspen (Populus spp.). Open ‘‘barrens’’ communities on this landscape were formerly maintained by fire, and are a high conservation priority. Hill’s Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) can also dominate forest canopies, while blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), and sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) are common shrub species. We structured a field sampling design with a spatial-temporal database built from historic airphotos (1938 and 1997) and fire records to examine whether soil organic matter and nutrients vary with disturbance history in the nonforest habitats of the sand plain. We sampled soils along 83 transects,
Reactivity of recombinant and mutant vanadium bromoperoxidase from the red alga Corallina officinalis

Abstract Vanadium bromoperoxidase (VBPO) from the marine red alga Corallina officinalis has been cloned and heterologously expressed in Esherichia coli. The sequence for the full-length cDNA of VBPO from C. officinalis is reported. Steady state kinetic analyses of monochlorodimedone bromination reveals the recombinant enzyme behaves similarly to native VBPO from the alga. The kinetic parameters ( K m Br− =1.2 mM, K m H 2 O 2 =17.0 μM) at the optimal pH 6.5 for recombinant VBPO are similar to reported values for enzyme purified from the alga. The first site-directed mutagenesis experiment on VBPO is reported. Mutation of a conserved active site histidine residue to alanine (H480A) results in the loss of the ability to efficiently oxidize bromide, but retains the ability to oxidize iodide. Kinetic parameters ( K m I− =33 mM, K m H 2 O 2 =200 μM) for iodoperoxidase activity were determined for mutant H480A. The presence of conserved consensus sequences for the active sites of VBPO from marine sources shows its usefulness in obtaining recombinant forms of VBPO. Furthermore, mutagenesis of the conserved extra-histidine residue shows the importance of this residue in the oxidation of halides by hydrogen peroxide.