cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is biological productivity enhanced at the New England shelfbreak front

[1] A two-dimensional (cross-shelf) numerical model of the mean seasonal circulation offshore of southern New England predicts upwelling at the shelfbreak front. Expected ramifications of this upwelling include enhancement of nutrient supply, phytoplankton biomass, and productivity. However, seasonal climatologies of chlorophyll based on both in situ data and satellite observations show no mean enhancement at the front. We investigate this apparent discrepancy with a four-component planktonic ecosystem model coupled to the two-dimensional physical model. Nutrient fields are restored to climatological values at depth, and upper ocean values evolve freely according to physical and biological forcing. Vertical diffusivity is based on seasonally averaged surface and bottom mixed layer depths compiled from in situ observations. The model reproduces the general pattern of the observed cross-shelf and seasonal variations of the chlorophyll distribution. It predicts a local enhancement of phytoplankton productivity at the shelfbreak in spring and summer as a result of the persistently upwelled nutrient-rich slope water. In the model, zooplankton grazing prevents accumulation of phytoplankton biomass at the site of the upwelling. The predicted enhancement of primary productivity (but not phytoplankton biomass) at the shelfbreak constitutes a hypothesis that could be tested in the future with suitable measurements from regional long-term observatories, such as the Ocean Observatories Initiative Pioneer Array.
Lyapunov function normalization for controlled switching of hybrid systems

We consider tools for control of switched nonlinear systems using Lyapunov function-based techniques. We focus our efforts on those switched nonlinear systems that admit a single equilibrium point that is common to all subsystems, and have stability properties encoded in Lyapunov functions for each subsystem. We develop techniques by which independent Lyapunov functions can be normalized so that switching surfaces are implicitly generated and switches guarantee some level of system performance, including stability and state convergence.
Learning through computational creativity

Improving learning and achievement in introductory computer science by incorporating creative thinking into the curriculum.
Geriatric Conditions Develop in Middle-Aged Adults with Diabetes

BACKGROUND Geriatric conditions, collections of symptoms common in older adults and not necessarily associated with a specific disease, increase in prevalence with advancing age. These conditions are important contributors to the complex health status of older adults. Diabetes mellitus is known to co-occur with geriatric conditions in older adults and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some conditions.
The Kinetic Energy of the Large-Scale Atmospheric Motion in Wavenumber-Frequency Space: I. Northern Hemisphere.

Abstract The wavenumber-frequency spectra of the kinetic energy of the zonal and meridional components of the motion at 100, 200 and 500 mb, at 20, 40, 60 and 8ON, show a definite spectral domain of wave activities in the atmosphere. In middle latitudes, the spectral domain is oriented from a region of low wavenumbers and low frequencies to a region of high wavenumbers and negative frequencies designated for waves moving from west to east. In high latitudes, the domain of wave activities is confined to a region of low wavenumbers and low frequencies. In low latitudes, however, there exist two domains, one similar to that in the middle latitude and the other occurring in a narrow band centered near zero frequency in the medium wavenumber range. The frequency spectra of the kinetic energy of the zonal motion show similar distributions at all levels and seasons, and are approximately proportional to the minus first power of the frequency in low latitudes but are proportional to the minus second power of the ...
Gallbladder dyskinesia in chronic acalculous cholecystitis.

To test the hypothesis that there is an early stage of cholesterol gallstone formation in man characterized by symptoms of chronic cholecystitis, poor gallbladder emptying, and biliary cholesterol crystals, we studied cholecystokinin-stimulated gallbladder emptying by DISIDA scintigraphy and examined bile for cholesterol crystals in symptomatic patients with normal oral cholecystography and gallbladder sonography. Of 36 patients studied, 16 had biliary cholesterol crystals; their mean 30-min gallbladder ejection fraction was 25.9±14.8%. Among the 20 patients without crystals, the mean ejection fraction was 60.3±23.3%. Fifteen patients, 11 with crystals and four without, had cholecystectomy because of persistent symptoms. All with crystals preoperatively and three without had chronic cholecystitis histologically. One patient without crystals had normal histology. We conclude that poor gallbladder contractility, well-established as an etiologic factor in animal models of cholesterol cholelithiasis, is now linked to acalculous cholecystitis, an early stage of human cholesterol cholelithiasis.
The morquio syndrome: Neuropathologyxs and biochemistry

The activity of N-acetyl galactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase was studied for the first time in the liver and brain of a patient with a clinically typical case of Morquio syndrome with keratosulfaturia. As has been demonstrated in the fibroblasts of patients with this syndrome, this enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in both organs. Neuropathological examination revealed moderately swollen neurons containing PAS-positive, coarse globular inclusions in the cerebral cortex, Ammon's horn, basal ganglia, and thalamic nuclei. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions consisted of stacked, straight or loose, wavy membranes of various lengths, often associated with pale or moderately electron dense homogeneous “lipid droplets.” These ultrastructural features of the inclusions were closely similar to the granulomembranous bodies of Hurler syndrome and the inclusions described in type B of the Sanfilippo syndrome. Unlike those mucopolysaccharidoses, however, no abnormalities were found in the gangliosides in the brain of the patient with Morquio syndrome.
Changes in internal tempo and effects on the learning and remembering of event durations

How changes in internal tempo may influence the learning and remembering of event durations were investigated in 4 experiments. In the first 2 experiments, stress or relaxation was induced in subjects after they had learned a set of environmental sounds. When unexpectedly asked to recognize (Experiment 1) or reproduce (Experiment 2) the sounds' durations, results indicated that relative to a control group, subjects in the stress condition misremembered the time spans as shorter than their actual duration, whereas the opposite pattern of results tended to occur in the relaxation group. Experiments 3 and 4 further revealed that changes in internal tempo also influence those event rates to which one is most attuned
Infant‐feeding practices and childhood stature in three ethnic groups

Inconsistencies in the literature on the relationship of infant feeding practices to stature were explored in a tri-ethnic sample of 3- or 4-year-old children. Measures of child stature, maternal stature, child age, type of infant milk-feeding, time of introduction of high fat and high carbohydrate foods, and social characteristics were analyzed with multivariate statistical techniques. No statistically significant bivariate or more complex relationships were detected between the modes of infant-feeding and child stature. The best-fitting regression equation accounted for 61% of the variance, revealing strong relationships with child age and maternal height, and weak relationships with child adiposity, gender, and ethnicity. The present results indicate that there is little likelihood that metabolic effects induced by methods of infant-feeding affect stature, at least among 3- or 4-year-old children.
Abstract 3391: Tie2 signaling regulates osteoclastogenesis and osteolytic bone invasion of breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Breast to bone metastasis is a common occurrence in the majority of patients with advanced breast cancer. The resultant metastases are incurable, are associated with bone destruction and high rates of morbidity. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of how metastatic tumor cells induce bone destruction is critically important. We previously reported that Tie2, a receptor tyrosine kinase, is significantly increased in human breast cancer tissues compared to normal and benign breast tumors, and regulates tumor angiogenesis. In this study, we identify a new function of Tie2 in osteoclastogenesis and osteolytic bone invasion of breast cancer. Tie2 is present in hematopoietic stem/precursor cells. Genetic deletion of Tie2 or neutralization of Tie2 function using soluble Tie2 receptor impaired osteoclastogenesis in an embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiation assay. In contrast, deletion of Tie2 has no effect on osteoblastogenesis. As monocyte has the potential to become osteoclast and Tie2 is present in certain population of monocyte, we isolated Tie2+ and Tie2- monocyte. We observed a dramatic reduction of osteoclastogenesis in Tie2- monocyte compared to Tie2+ and total monocyte. These data together reveal a direct role of Tie2 signaling in osteoclast differentiation. Consistently, neutralization of Tie2 activity in vivo significantly inhibited osteolytic bone invasion and tumor growth in a mammary tumor model, which correlated with a significant reduction of osteoclast and tumor angiogenesis. Collectively, these findings identify Tie2 a therapeutic target for controlling not only tumor angiogenesis, but also osteolytic bone metastasis. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3391.
The PH-20 Protein in Cynomolgus Macaque Spermatozoa: Identification of Two Different Forms Exhibiting Hyaluronidase Activity

In these experiments, we have characterized the bifunctional sperm protein PH-20 in macaque sperm and studied its hyaluronidase activity. Intact sperm were evaluated before the acrosome reaction (AR), and a soluble form of PH-20 released during acrosomal exocytosis was also investigated. Western blots of SDS-PAGE of acrosome-intact sperm extracts revealed a 64-kDa form of PH-20 was recognized by a polyclonal antibody (R-10) raised in rabbits against purified, recombinant cynomolgus macaque sperm PH-20. The soluble components released during the AR which were recognized by the R-10 antibody included both the 64-kDa form and a 53-kDa form of PH-20. An ELISA-like procedure for determining PH-20 hyaluronidase activity indicated that acrosome-intact sperm exhibited two peaks of hyaluronidase activity near pH 4 and > or = pH 7. The majority of enzyme activity in acrosome-intact sperm extracts occurred at neutral pH, while the soluble hyaluronidase activity released at the AR was predominantly acid-active. Hyaluronidase activity of PH-20 at different pH optima was investigated using hyaluronic acid substrate gel electrophoresis, and results indicated that the 64-kDa polypeptide had a broad range, with the majority of activity at neutral pH (pH 7). The 53-kDa polypeptide in sperm extracts only exhibited activity at acid pH (pH 4). The hyaluronidase activities of both enzymes could be inhibited by apigenin. The soluble PH-20 hyaluronidase activity released during the AR was primarily of the acid-active 53-kDa form. Fine structural localization of PH-20 using Fab fragments of R-10 IgG demonstrated that PH-20 was associated not only with sperm membranes, but also with the dispersing acrosomal contents. These data suggest that the more neutral-active form of PH-20 (64 kDa) is present on the plasma and inner acrosomal membranes and gives rise to the soluble acid-active form at the time of the AR. The generation of the soluble form of PH-20 may result from the action of acrosomal enzymes, which could include proteases, glycosidases, and phospholipases.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OPTICAL ATTENUATION AND BLACK CARBON CONCENTRATION FOR AMBIENT AND SOURCE PARTICLES

Abstract Light absorption provides the basis for a fast and nondestructive method for determining concentrations of black carbon (BC). The laser transmission technique measures the attenuation (ATN) of visible light as it passes through filter samples. We have measured [BC] and ATN simultaneously for a large number of solvent-extracted source and ambient particle samples, using temperature-programmed evolved gas analysis with continuous light attenuation measurement. For all data with ATN ≤ 200, ATN is directly proportional to [BC], with the proportionality constant = 25.4 ± 1.7 cm2μg−1. Because the relationship between ATN and [BC] does not depend on the origin of the carbonaceous particles, measurement of ATN alone can provide a good estimate of the black carbon concentration.
Moisture content determination in grain by measuring microwave parameters

A concept of moisture content determination from the measurement of the attenuation and phase shift of an electromagnetic wave transmitted through a layer of wet material is explored in the paper. Experimental results for wheat of 10 to 19% moisture content (wet basis) at temperatures from to C at the frequency of 16.8 GHz are used to illustrate the procedure which provides a density-independent and temperature-compensated moisture content determination.
Respiratory turbinates of canids and felids: a quantitative comparison

The respiratory turbinates of mammals are complex bony plates within the nasal chamber that are covered with moist epithelium and provide an extensive surface area for the exchange of heat and water. Given their functional importance, maxilloturbinate size and structure are expected to vary predictably among species adapted to different environments. Here the first quantitative analysis is provided of maxilloturbinate structure based on high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans of the skulls of eight canid and seven felid species. The key parameters examined were the density of the maxilloturbinate bones within the nasal chamber and how that density varied along the air pathway. In both canids and felids, total maxilloturbinate chamber volume and bone volume increased with body size, with canids having c. 1.5–2.0 times the volume of maxilloturbinate than felids of similar size. In all species, the volume of the maxilloturbinates varies from rostral to caudal, with the peak volume occurring approximately midway, close to where airway cross-sectional area is greatest. Interspecific differences among canids or felids in maxilloturbinate density were not consistent with adaptive explanations, i.e. the densest maxilloturbinates were not associated with species living in arid or cold habitats. Some of the observed variation in maxilloturbinate form might reflect a need for both low- and high-resistance pathways for airflow under alternative conditions.
Stroke: Haemorrhage risk after thrombolysis--the SEDAN score.

Despite the proven favourable risk–benefit ratio, thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke is perceived to carry a grave risk. A simple risk-rating system, the SEDAN score, allows clinicians to quantify elevated risk. Whether effective thrombolytic therapy should be withheld from any particular patient requires further study, including randomized trials of patients with elevated risk scores.
Deep crustal drilling, Texas Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast province provides an array of scientific dilemmas ranging from the origin of the gulf itself to the causes and effects of long-lasting circulation of hot, deep waters throughout the thick sedimentary section. The nature of the underlying crust and superjacent sediments and their contained waters; the precise timing of rifting; depositional history and diagenesis of the sedimentary sequence; fluid dynamics; geochemistry; hydrocarbon generation and migration; thermal history, including unusually high thermal gradient; and the fluid pressure regime in the deep sedimentary section are too poorly understood to permit quantitative analysis of processes that are of enormous scientific and practical importance. The area centered on DeWitt and Victoria counties, Texas, on the southeastern extension of the San Marcos arch, is probably the best location for a deep borehole to investigate these important phenomena and problems. The arch extends southeastward from exposed Grenville-age basement rocks of the Llano uplift and separates the deep South Texas and Houston embayment salt basins. Seaward of the Llano uplift, highly deformed and slightly metamorphosed rocks of the Ouachita-Marathon orogen have been intersected beneath Cretaceous sediments. The inferred edge of continental crust underlies an extensive Lower Cretaceous reef trend southeast of known Ouachita orogen rocks. Rapid thickening of Tertiary and possibly of Cretaceous sediments southeast of the shelf edge, together with geophysical indications of a relatively shallow Moho, suggests that “transitional continental crust” underlies sediments basinward of the inferred edge of continental crust. This transitional crust, the ultimate objective for a proposed deep well, could be rifted Grenville basement, buried rocks of the Ouachita trend, an island arc related to the Ouachita trend, or exotic continental basement related to a proto-South American continent. To achieve optimum results to guarantee adequate basement penetration, a borehole should be designed to penetrate a relatively thin succession of lower Mesozoic synrift, graben-fill sediments seaward of the shelf edge. Because of expected high temperatures and pressures, new technologies will need to be developed to successfully drill and test the well.
Corticosteroid regulation of IL-1 production may be responsible for deficient immune suppressor function during the metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis, the South African clawed toad.

Abstract Thymus immune suppressor function is deficient during the metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis , the South African clawed toad. Thymuses of antigen-activated metamorphic larvae were tested for restoration of suppressor function by co-culture with matched fragments of spleens from immunized, antibody-producing young adults. The inhibition of unusually high endogenous corticosteroid levels in metamorphic larvae with metyrapone restores suppressor function. Dexamethasone counteracts this effect. Since corticosteroids can inhibit clonal expansion of thymus-derived (T) immunocytes by affecting lymphokines in mammals, we tested recombinant DNA-produced human interleukin-1 (rIL-1) and interleukin-2 (rIL-2), and the lectin concanavalin A in vivo. All restore thymus suppressor function in metamorphosing larvae. When metyrapone, dexamethasone and rIL-2 are injected together into antigen-activated larvae their thymuses will suppress splenic antibody production. Moreover, since rIL-1 and rIL-2 are able to restore thymic suppression in antigen-activated metamorphic larvae, endogenous corticosteroid does not effect their function. The basis for the lack of suppressor function during metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis may be endogenous corticosteroid regulation of IL-1 production to create IL-2 deficiency, thereby inhibiting T cell clonal expansion.
Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in human prostatic tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are strongly linked to the pathogenesis of uterine cervical neoplasms, and have been implicated in other cancers of the female genital tract. In contrast, the association of HPV with the cancers of the male urogenital tract is less evident, except in anal and penile cancers. However, recent studies reporting the prevalence of HPV infections in human prostate cancers (60-100% HPV 16 positive vs. no infection of HPV) have raised controversies regarding the prevalence of HPV in benign and neoplastic human prostate. We investigated the prevalence of HPV infections in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostatic adenocarcinomas in 23 surgically resected prostates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify HPV 6b/11, 16, and 18 specific DNA sequences, using type specific HPV primers selected from the transforming gene E6-E7. The areas of PIN and cancer in 6 microns H&E stained tissue sections were identified, and respective areas of PIN and cancer were isolated from the adjacent serial sections and used for DNA amplification and HPV detection (Fig. 1). Our results demonstrated the presence of HPV 16 in three carcinomas (13%), using type specific primers in PCR amplified samples. We were not able to demonstrate the presence of other HPV types (HPV 6b/11 or HPV 18) in any of the samples using specific primers. Two of these prostates showed relatively strong positive signals by dot blot analysis, when hybridized with a 32P-labeled HPV 16 type specific oligonucleotide probe. One more sample showed weak positivity, when hybridized with a 32P-labeled HPV 16 type specific oligonucleotide probe. Subsequently, we have confirmed these results by Southern hybridization of the samples transferred to nylon membrane after agarose gel electrophoresis and detected by HPV 16 type specific oligonucleotide probe, using chemiluminescent assay. We, therefore, conclude that HPV infections of the prostate in general are not as common as has been previously claimed by other investigators.
β‐adrenergic stimulation of cellular K+ uptake in rat distal colon

We recently demonstrated that the ratio between colonic K + absorptive and K + secretive pathways was higher in infant than in adult rats. To test the hypothesis that hormones selectively affect these pathways during ontogeny we examined the effect of adrenergic agonists on cellular K + uptake in distal colon from infant (10-day-old) and adult (50-day-old) rats. Here we describe that adrenaline (10 -5 M) increased total and ouabain-insensitive 86 Rb uptake in both age groups, but it did not affect ouabain-sensitive 86 Rb uptake. This stimulation was more pronounced in adult than in infant rats. The effect of adrenaline was mediated via β-adrenergic receptors. Incubation in vitro with β-agonist, isoproterenol, stimulated SCH-28080-sensitive, i.e. H + ,K + -ATPase-dependent, 86 Rb uptake in adult but not in infant rats. The threshold dose of β-agonist was at 10 -7 M, and the maximal activation was observed at 10 -5 M. In vivo inhibition of β-adrenergic system with propranolol caused a significant decrease in H + ,K + -ATPase-dependent 86 Rb uptake in infant but not in adult colon. In conclusion, this study suggests that the higher colonic K + absorption in infant rats may be as a result of a selective β-adrenergic up-regulation leading to stimulation of the apical H + ,K + -ATPase.
Advances in UV sensitive visible blind GaN-based APDs

In this paper, we describe our current state-of-the-art process of making visible-blind APDs based on GaN. We have grown our material on both conventional sapphire and low dislocation density free-standing c- and m-plane GaN substrates. Leakage current, gain, and single photon detection efficiency (SPDE) of these APDs are compared. The spectral response and Geiger-mode photon counting performance of UV APDs are studied under low photon fluxes. Single photon detection capabilities with over 30% are demonstrated. We show how with pulse height discrimination the Geiger-mode operation conditions can be optimized for enhanced SPDE versus dark counts.
Studies on oyster cellular immunity

1. A system is available for the studyin vitro of phagocytosis and digestion of particles by oyster cells. 2. Red blood cells are phagocytized and degradedin vitro at least as quickly as they arein vivo. 3. Bacteria are phagocytized and most are digested intracellularly at rates comparable to those measuredin vivo; some viable bacteria may persist for many days. 4. In vitro studies of interactions between molluscan cells and biological particles may lead to a more complete understanding of invertebrate host-parasite relationships than studiesin vivo have permitted thus far.
THE PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION OF CHILDREN

In recent years our child psychiatry clinic has benefited greatly from growing educational responsibilities. In addition to its traditional training of residents in child psychiatry, it has increasingly participated in the clinical education of senior medical students and general psychiatric residents. This broad teaching experience, particularly with people not specializing in child psychiatry, has led our clinic staff to scrutinize both its teaching functions and its clinical work. Originally our educational function seemed simply to provide direct experience with children and their families as a clinical demonstration of growth and development of the human personality. For this purpose we often assigned the student or resident the task of conducting a diagnostic evaluation of a child referred to the clinic. However, in assisting beginners through the complexities of the evaluation procedure, we found ourselves becoming absorbed in a second, equally important, educational goal. This second goal we discovered to be the teaching of a scientific method of approach to clinical psychiatric problems. In the course of our teaching we came to realize that a well-conducted diagnostic evaluation of a child, in part because it usually must be a complex procedure, affords an excellent demonstration of the use of scientific method in clinical psychiatry. In turn, this discovery led us to clarify further our own conceptions concerning clinical methods in our work of evaluating children.
Regional and Individual Differences in Cutaneous Sensitivity to Chemical Irritants: Capsaicin and Menthol

AbstractRegional and individual differences in sensory irritation produced by capsaicin and l-menthol were assessed in two experiments. Thresholds for irritation were measured on the forearm and cheek using a psychophysical method that combines a bilateral, forced-choice detection task with an intensity scaling task. Experiment 1 showed that thresholds on the cheek were higher than on the forearm for both chemicals; on average, thresholds were much lower for capsaicin than for menthol; there were large individual differences in thresholds for both chemicals on both sites; and capsaicin and menthol produced different qualities of sensation. In contrast to earlier findings, capsaicin failed to produce itching on either site. Experiment 2 showed that itching could be evoked on the forearm, but not the face, when capsaicin was applied in a single dose rather than in an ascending concentrations series, as it had been in experiment 1. It was hypothesized that the absence of itching in experiment 1 was due to a ...
Manure Production by Broilers

Abstract Broilers produce large quantities of manure during their rearing period. This together with the material used for bedding constitutes a real disposal problem for many producers. How much manure is produced? Other than for estimates which vary widely, little attention has been given to amounts. Data in the literature are given for smaller birds or for longer rearing periods than are common on present-day broiler farms. An estimate of 621.4 kilograms of manure produced per 1,000 broilers was given by Parker et al. (1959). Hamm (1966) was cited as stating that in growing out 1,000 broilers to an average weight of 1,247 grams, more than 2,722 kilograms of litter will be produced. According to Pfost (1960) about 2,041 kilograms of dry droppings are produced per 1,000 birds in a ten-week rearing period. Rice (1960) listed 1,191 kilograms of manure (dry basis) as being produced by 1,000 broilers reared to ten . . .
Picosecond time scale solvent fluctuations and enzymatic regulation in hen egg white lysozyme ligand reactions

Experimental THz experiments on hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) with and without the ligand NAG 3 has revealed that the protein's solvent structure on the picosecond time scale is in integral part of the regulation mechanism of the enzyme. Our investigation into the low frequency dynamics of the protein has uncovered that the counterions in the solvent shell mediate the collective dynamics of both the water and the protein in the system. As a result, we find that the lysozyme fast dynamics is strongly influenced by fast water (H — bonding) dynamics. Both the activity and structure of the water change with addition of the ligand. Perhaps most intriguing is that we find that the long range correlation between distant parts of protein are broken with the addition of the inhibitor; which coincides with the disruption of energy dispersion in the solvent hydrogen bonding network.
Genital and Sphincter Behavior of the Male Infant

(1940). Genital and Sphincter Behavior of the Male Infant. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 95-136.
Simple Stochastic Games, Parity Games, Mean Payoff Games and Discounted Payoff Games Are All LP-Type Problems

We show that a Simple Stochastic Game (SSG) can be formulated as an LP-type problem. Using this formulation, and the known algorithm of Sharir and Welzl [SW] for LP-type problems, we obtain the first strongly subexponential solution for SSGs (a strongly subexponential algorithm has only been known for binary SSGs [L]). Using known reductions between various games, we achieve the first strongly subexponential solutions for Discounted and Mean Payoff Games. We also give alternative simple proofs for the best known upper bounds for Parity Games and binary SSGs. To the best of our knowledge, the LP-type framework has been used so far only in order to yield linear or close to linear time algorithms for various problems in computational geometry and location theory. Our approach demonstrates the applicability of the LP-type framework in other fields, and for achieving subexponential algorithms.
Dynamics of water and ions near DNA: comparison of simulation to time-resolved stokes-shift experiments.

Time-resolved Stokes-shift experiments measure the dynamics of biomolecules and of the perturbed solvent near them on subnanosecond time scales, but molecular dynamics simulations are needed to provide a clear interpretation of the results. Here we show that simulations using standard methods quantitatively reproduce the main features of TRSS experiments in DNA and provide a molecular assignment for the dynamics. The simulations reproduce the magnitude and unusual power-law dynamics of the Stokes shift seen in recent experiments [Andreatta, D., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 7270]. A polarization model is introduced to eliminate cross-correlations between the different components contributing to the signal. Using this model, well-defined contributions of the DNA, water, and counterion to the experimental signal are extracted. Water is found to have the largest contribution and to be responsible for the power-law dynamics. The counterions have a smaller, but non-negligible, contribution with a time co...
A Meta-Analysis of Competition in Field Experiments

A meta-analysis was conducted on field-competition experiments published in six journals over a 10-yr period. We analyzed the effects of competition on the biomass of organisms belonging to 93 species in a wide variety of habitats. Competition had a large effect overall, with a great deal of heterogeneity in that effect among organisms. There were large differences among trophic levels in competitive effects, but the relative magnitude of competition at different trophic levels was contrary to the predictions of ecological theory. Primary producers and carnivores displayed small to medium effects. In these two groups, interspecific effects did not differ from intraspecific effects, nor did effects differ in terrestrial versus aquatic habitats. The effects of competition on herbivores ranged from large effects on anurans and lotic arthropods, to medium effects on marine mollusks and echinoderms, to effects that were not statistically distinguishable from zero for terrestrial arthropods. Interspecific compe...
Isotope-selective photoionization spectroscopy of barium.

We demonstrate an experimental technique that selects the nuclear spin I=0 isotope $^{138}\mathrm{Ba}$ for spectroscopic measurements from a beam of natural barium containing seven stable isotopes. A cw dye laser is used to optically pump the I=3/2 isotopes $^{135}\mathrm{Ba}$ and $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}$ into the metastable 6s5d $^{1}$${\mathit{D}}_{2}$ and $^{3}$${\mathit{D}}_{1,2}$ levels via the 6s6p $^{1}$${\mathit{P}}_{1}$ excited state, leaving nearly pure $^{138}\mathrm{Ba}$ in the ground state. Photoionization spectra of the excited 5d6p $^{3}$${\mathit{D}}_{1}$ even isotope state recorded with optical pumping of $^{135}\mathrm{Ba}$ and $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}$ to the metastable levels are essentially devoid of forbidden features associated with the hyperfine interaction in the odd isotopes.
Mice lacking tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase plasminogen activator genes show attenuated matrix metalloproteases activity after sciatic nerve crush.

Plasminogen activators (PAs), tissue PA (tPA) and urokinase PA (uPA), have been shown to be induced in sensory neurons after sciatic nerve crush. These findings suggested that PAs facilitate peripheral nerve regeneration by digesting adhesive cell contacts and by activation of other proteases, thereby initiating a proteolytic cascade. Both tPA and uPA activate some matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), indirectly via plasminogen activation or directly, such as the uPA activation of MMP-2. In this study, we demonstrated, by using tPA and uPA knockout mice, that a lack of a plasminogen activator affected MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity after crushing of the sciatic nerve. These findings show that the PAs are important for MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity at the crush site.
Continuous flow PCB radiolysis with real-time assessment by gas chromatography.

Abstract We report the e-beam radiolysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a continuous flow system, and the development of remote, real-time detection using gas chromatography. Aroclor-containing transformer oil was recirculated through an irradiation cell irradiated with 13-MeV electrons, at a flow rate of approximately 0.1 L/min. The analytical equipment was protected from the beam by a 1.1-m concrete barrier. Data are presented showing the decrease in PCB concentration versus absorbed dose for pure transformer oil solution, and oil spiked with alkaline isopropanol to increase the PCB decomposition rate. Efficiency of PCB removal is expressed in terms of the dose constant, with units of reciprocal dose.
Simazine dealkylation in conjunction with citrus roots

Simazine (2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine) was metabolised by dealkylation in the presence of citrus tree roots growing in nutrient solution. Dehalogenation to hydroxysimazine was not observed. Removal of citrus roots from the solution caused dealkylation to cease. Dealkylation did not occur in the nutrient solution in the absence of roots.
Continuity of Depression During the Transition to Adulthood: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study of Young Women

ABSTRACT Objective To characterize the clinical course and psychosocial correlates of unipolar depression in late adolescent women and to examine the continuity in affective disturbance from adolescence of early adulthood during the post-high school transition. Method One hundred fifty-five women aged 17 or 18 years were recruited from 3 local public high schools and were followed at yearly intervals for 5 years for clinical and psychosocial outcomes. Results The 5-year incidence of first major depressive episode was 36.9%, and overall, 47% of the women had one or more episodes of major depression. Risk for recurrence was substantial, and those with onsets prior to the study were more likely to have depressive episodes during the post-high school period. The presence of nonaffective disorder also increased the risk for depression. Young women with major depression during the post-high school transition had more negative functional outcomes in school and intimate romantic relationships. Conclusions These results suggest that there is substantial continuity in affective disturbance from adolescence to adulthood. The risk for both new onset of depression and recurrence is remarkably high during late adolescence, and the risk continues throughout early adult years, accompanied by notable interpersonal dysfunction.
Impact of Adjuvant Treatment for Microscopic Residual Disease After Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Surgery

Background Incomplete resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) portends a dramatic decline in survival. Historically, postoperative radiation and chemotherapy have been offered to treat residual disease at the surgical margins, yet the efficacy is unknown. We examined the survival among incompletely resected NSCLC patients to identify the optimal response to positive NSCLC surgical margins. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was queried for surgically managed pathologic stage I–III NSCLC between 2003 and 2006 (n = 54,512). The prevalence, predictors, impact, and optimal treatment approaches to positive surgical margins were investigated. Results A positive surgical margin was identified in 3,102 NSCLC patients (5.7% of resections), including 1,688 with microscopically positive (R1) margins (3.1%). Compared with complete resections, patients with R1 resections had a worse 5-year survival; stage pI (62% vs 37%; p p p p = 0.05), stage pII (33% vs 21%; p = 0.0013), and stage pIII NSCLC (30% vs 12%; p p = 0.0399). Conclusions The administration of both chemotherapy and radiation is associated with an improved survival in patients with microscopically positive surgical margins, irrespective of stage. Further study is needed to clarify the optimal stage-specific adjuvant approach to incompletely resected NSCLC.
Discrete Variable Representation Implementation of the One-Electron Polarization Model.

A discrete variable representation (DVR) implementation of an one-electron polarization model (OPEM) for characterizing (H2O)n− clusters is described. For the (H2O)90− cluster, evaluation of the energy and gradient using a suitable DVR basis sets is about a 2 orders of magnitude faster than corresponding calculations using a Gaussian orbital basis set. The DVR version of the code has been parallelized using OpenMP to enable molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of large (H2O)n− clusters.
Differences between forward and reverse logistics in a retail environment

This paper compares and contrasts forward and reverse logistics in a retail environment, with the focus on the reverse flow of product. Many differences between forward and reverse flows of logistics systems are presented. The impact of these factors depends to some extent on the supply chain position of a firm. Unlike much reverse logistics research, which is written from the perspective of the firm which will remanufacture or refurbish the product in the reverse flow, we consider the issues from the perspective of the firm generating the reverse flow.
Surface Chemical Reactions Stimulated by Low Energy Electron Bombardment

A low energy, broad beam electron source was used to induce chemical reactions on surfaces. Electron beam energies were selected to maximize the emission of secondary electrons, for the purpose of determining if these low energy electrons contributed to the overall reaction. Room temperature silicon oxidation showed maximum terminal oxide thickness (35 A) at the primary electron energy that produced the maximum secondary electron flux (300 eV). XPS showed these films to be mostly sub-oxide in nature. Similar results were obtained in analogous experiments using tetraethoxysilane to deposit SiO 2 and using iron pentacarbonyl to deposit Fe. By increasing the incident angle of the electron beam to 70 degrees from the normal, the deposition yields of SiO 2 and Fe increased by 45% and 30%, respectively. This again was thought to be a result of secondary electron contributions, as the secondary yield increased by a factor of two upon tilting the beam.
Localization for Schrödinger Operators with Effective Barriers

Abstract Our goal is to show that large classes of Schrodinger operators H =− Δ + V in L 2 ( R d ) exhibit intervals of dense pure point spectrum, in any dimension d . We approach this by assuming that the potential V ( x ) coincides with a potential V 0 ( x ) of a “comparison operator” H 0 =− Δ + V 0 on a sequence of ring shaped (but nog necessarily spherical) regions U n , n =1, 2, … . For energies in the resolvent set ρ ( H 0 ) of H 0 the regions U n act as “effective barriers” in the sense of quantum mechanical scattering under the potential V . Under certain assumptions on the geometry of the U n and their complements we show that (i) σ ac ( H ( λ ))∩ ρ ( H 0 )=∅ for every λ ∈ R , and (ii) σ c ( H ( λ ))∩ ρ ( H 0 )=∅ for almost every λ ∈ R with respect to Lebesgue measure. Here σ ac and σ c denote the absolutely continuous and continuous spectrum, respectively, and H ( λ ) is a “local randomization” of H , i.e., H ( λ )= H + λW , where W is any continuous and compactly supported perturbation of fixed sign. Our assumptions leave plenty of room for examples where the spectrum of H fills entire spectral gaps of H 0 . This leads to intervals of dense pure point spectrum for H ( λ ). We also give an explicit decay estimate for eigenfunctions, thus establishing localization for H ( λ ) in arbitrary spectral gaps of H 0 .
Steroid-protein interactions. XXV. Binding of progesterone and cortisol in pregnancy sera; progesterone-binding globulin and uterine cytosol receptor in the pregnant guinea pig.

The question of the identity of the high-affinity binding sites for progesterone with those of the corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) was investigated in pregnancy serum of man, rabbit, rat and mouse. Chromatographic techniques failed to separate a potential progesterone-binding macromolecule from CBG in any of the sera. Competition studies with enriched fractions containing added [3H] progesterone and [14C] cortisol strongly bound to protein showed displacement of [3H] progesterone by an excess of unlabeled cortisol, and vice versa. It is concluded that CBG is the principal progesterone binder in the pregnancy sera investigated and that no other protein with high affinity for progesterone is present in significant quantity. In contrast, the progesterone-binding globulin (PBG) in the serum of the pregnant guinea pig is distinct from CBG and has been separated from it. The PBG differed from the uterine cytosol receptor for progesterone in its sedimentation coefficient (sucrose gradient centrifugation) and its molecular size (gel filtration). With both the uterine receptor and PBG, norethynodrel displaced radiolabeled progesterone from the specific binding sites. This is in contrast to analogous binding systems involving other steroid hormones and other species, where the synthetic hormonal agent interacts strongly with the receptor protein of the target tissue, but not with the high-affinity binder in the serum.
The monitoring of grain-boundary grooves in alumina

The geometry of grain-boundary grooves in polycrystalline alumina has been studied using a combination of visible-light microscopy (VLM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Samples were heat treated in air to induce thermal grooving. A VLM map was made from the central region of each sample. Profiles of grooves located within the VLM maps were measured using AFM. Using again VLM maps, the same regions were re-examined using AFM after an additional heat treatment. This approach allowed the geometries of grooves which formed at migrating grain boundaries to be directly compared with those at stationary boundaries. The groove profiles measured were asymmetric at migrating grain boundaries and more nearly symmetric at stationary grain boundaries.
Extending the applicability of the discrete dipole approximation for multi-scale features on surface

Abstract Many problems in science and engineering involve significant physical entities and processes that span a substantial range of dimensions. In the case of characterization of bacteria on growth media using light scattering the length scales of interest can be classified as micro-scale (single bacterium), macro-scale (bacterial colonies of more than 10 12 bacterium that have passed through the exponential growth phase and reached mm size), and the intermediate or meso-scale of several tens of hundreds of bacteria. Light scattering approaches, to be effective in determining physical properties such as morphology and material composition, must comprehend this spectrum of length scales. The discrete dipole approximation (DDA), a powerful modeling tool for rigorous 3-D vector scattering, has shown its capability to predict the light scattering from micro-scale objects. To be able to accommodate meso-scale objects, we need to extend the computational limits of the DDA method such that it could compute object sizes of 10 λ –30 λ characteristic dimension (i.e. volumes of 10 3 –10 4 cubic wavelengths). To accomplish this, an analysis of the DDA method was performed for meso-scale cases of interest especially in biological applications. Based on this study, we propose new Sommerfeld integration paths and a revised iterative algorithm that combine to provide substantial improvements in the size of the computational domain that can be modeled for a given convergence criterion.
Keap1 eye on the target: chemoprevention of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, causing nearly 600 000 deaths each year. Increased risk of HCC due to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and exposure to dietary aflatoxins is responsible for many of these deaths. Prevention strategies targeting HBV infection and aflatoxin exposure could dramatically impact the rates of HCC. Universal HBV vaccination programs have begun in some high-risk areas. Strategies to reduce aflatoxin contamination in food stores have also been implemented. However, complete elimination of aflatoxin contamination might not be possible. For this reason, chemoprevention strategies which alter aflatoxin disposition are a practical strategy to reduce the incidence of HCC in populations with high dietary aflatoxin exposure. The mechanisms of aflatoxin-induced hepatocarcinogenesis are well known. This knowledge provides the basis for evaluation of both exposures to aflatoxin, as well as modulation of aflatoxin disposition by chemopreventive agents. Products of aflatoxin DNA damage and toxicity as well as other metabolites can be used as biomarkers to evaluate modulation of aflatoxin disposition. Modulation of aflatoxin disposition can be achieved through induction of conjugating and cytoprotective enzymes. Many of these enzymes are regulated through Kelch ECH-associating protein 1 (Keap1)–NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)–antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling, making this pathway an important molecular target for chemoprevention. Rodent studies have identified several classes of chemopreventive agents which induce cytoprotective genes. These inducers include phenolic antioxidants, dithiolethiones, isothiocyanates, and triterpenoids. Furthermore, clinical interventions have shown that inducers of Keap1–Nrf2–ARE signaling increase cytoprotective enzyme expression, resulting in modulation of aflatoxin disposition. Much work remains to be done in order to take promising chemopreventive agents from preclinical evaluation to application in at-risk populations. However, appropriately designed clinical trials will aid in this process, which can have profound impact on the incidence of HCC.