cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of Load Rating Procedure for Railroad Flatcar Bridges through Use of Field Instrumentation. I: Data Collection and Analysis

Because of budget constraints, many state and county highway agencies are often forced to develop innovative and economical replacement strategies for deteriorated bridges. One such option is to use a retired railroad flatcar (RRFC) for a bridge superstructure. Many states have found RRFCs to be successful and economical alternatives to more traditional structural systems. Although the performance of RRFCs has been satisfactory, there is little to no guidance in the AASHTO specifications for load rating these structures. Such inexperience has led some to take overly conservative approaches when rating these bridges. This paper, the first of two companion papers, presents the use of field instrumentation and controlled load testing on seven RRFC bridges located in Indiana. Stress data were used to gain an understanding of the in situ response of these structures, including global bending, secondary bending, and lateral load distribution. Proposed load rating guidelines presented in the second companion paper were developed using data from these load tests as well as other data found in the literature.
Interceptive orthodontic treatment improves malocclusions over no treatment, but does not produce finished-quality results.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Effectiveness of interceptive orthodontic treatment in reducing malocclusions. King GJ, Brudvik P. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2010;137:18-25. Reviewer Anne-Marie Bollen, DDS, MS, PhD Purpose/Question The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of interceptive treatment. Source of Funding National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR grant #U54DE14254) Type of Study/Design A retrospective cohort study Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Gas Flow in Microchannels: An Experimental Study

In this paper preliminary results are presented for gas flow velocity measurements in microscale via Image Correlation Velocimetry (ICV). Nitrogen flow in a microchannel of square 500 μm × 500 μm cross section was studies for Reynolds numbers in the range of 50 to 180. The flow was seeded with acetone vapor to obtain Laser Induced Fluorescence images that are subsequently used for ICV analysis. Controlled gas flow is produced in the test cell and associated flow loop. Pressures at the channel entrance and exit are measured, as well as, gas mass flow rate. These measurements allow gas flow velocity estimation for comparison with ICV measurements. Measurements in the parameter range studied so far agree well with conventional scale correlations for square channel flows.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Total parenteral nutrition and cancer clinical trials

Twenty-eight prospective randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating the use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in cancer patients were identified through a search of major indexing sources. The data were pooled across studies to increase the ability to detect therapeutic effects. The impact of publication bias and the quality of reporting each trial were used to critically assess the conclusions drawn from the pooled analysis. The authors conclude that TPN may be useful when used preoperatively in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer. It appears to be beneficial in reducing major surgical complications (pooled P = 0.01) and operative mortality (pooled P = 0.02). No statistically significant benefit from TPN could be demonstrated in survival, treatment tolerance, treatment toxicity, or tumor response in patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. An increase in the risk of developing an infection in chemotherapy patients given TPN (pooled P less than 0.0001) underscores the importance of demonstrating significant benefits in randomized trials before TPN is used routinely in these patients.
Prolonged treatment with recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I in children with growth hormone insensitivity syndrome--a clinical research center study. GHIS Collaborative Group

Eight children with GH insensitivity syndrome, five with GH receptor deficiency (Laron syndrome) and three with growth-attenuating antibodies to GH, were treated with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) for 24 months (one was treated for 36 months). Their ages at the beginning of therapy ranged from 2-11 yr. The dose of IGF-I ranged between 80-120 micrograms/kg, given sc twice daily. During the first year of treatment, height velocity (HV) improved in each patient (mean pretreatment HV, 4.0 cm/yr; mean of first year, 9.3 cm/yr). HV declined by 33% during the second year (mean HV, 6.2 cm/yr). The third year HV of the one patient so treated was approximately the same as that in the second year. The mean SD score HV before therapy was -2.4 and improved to +3.8 and +0.5 after 1 and 2 yr of therapy, respectively. Increased HV was accompanied by weight gain. IGF-I-related hypoglycemia occurred infrequently and only early in treatment. No adverse changes in biochemical profile were observed. Bone age did not advance more rapidly than chronological age (mean change in bone age, 2.1 yr; mean change in chronological age, 2.2 yr). The growth of the spleen and kidneys (determined by ultrasound) was rapid in the first year of therapy. In the second year, spleen growth slowed to a normal rate in most patients. Kidney growth, however, remained relatively rapid. These results indicate that IGF-I stimulates statural growth for at least 2 yr and confirms that this peptide has the capacity to act through endocrine mechanisms. Prolonged treatment of GH insensitivity syndrome patients shows promise. The stimulation of growth by IGF-I treatment over years needs to be documented, and patients need to be monitored for side-effects.
Pharmacotherapy of borderline disorders.

Abstract Borderline patients are among the most difficult to treat, presenting a wide range of affective and cognitive symptoms, impulsive, and self-destructive behaviors. Despite the magnitude and severity of the clinical problems they present, there is no generally accepted “treatment of choice”. Pharmacotherapy is widely used with no systematic proof of efficacy for any class of drugs. There are no controlled drug studies of criteria-defined borderline patients in the literature. Two chart reviews are presented which compare the efficacy of pharmacotherapy with medication-free management of criteria defined borderline inpatients. In a selected group of research participants, pharmacotherapy was associated with superior clinical outcomes compared to medication free management. A similar trend was noted for randomly chosen borderline patients included in a time-limited survey. Differences in outcome between neuroleptic and antidepressant treatment could not be demonstrated. Some patients clearly benefit from each of the medication conditions while a few improved from hospital treatment alone. Clinical trials are needed to establish the efficacy of pharmacotherapy and provide guidelines for prescription in borderline disorders.
Adaptive location management scheme for global personal communications

A major issue for achieving seamless universal personal communications is efficient location tracking of a multitude of mobile terminals. The approach in which each mobile registers in relatively small location areas may not be adequate for global personal communications because a very large number of mobile terminals with a broad range of terminal mobilities may generate excessive location updating traffic. As an alternative, the authors present an efficient multilayer mobility management scheme that is especially suitable for hierarchical cellular structures. The scheme accounts for past as well as present terminal mobilities and dynamically changes the hierarchical level of the location area to which a mobile terminal registers. In a system that contains both a terrestrial segment and a satellite segment, highly mobile terminals such as aircraft will tend to register at the highest level where location areas are formed by spotbeams. Low mobility terminals such as pedestrians will tend to register at the lowest level where location areas are formed by microcells or clusters of microcells. An additional feature of the scheme is that the required signalling traffic for location updating is distributed evenly to all stations at each level of the system. An analytical model is developed to determine the required location updating supervisory traffic of the proposed scheme. Example performance characteristics are presented. The proposed scheme can track large numbers of terminals with a broad range of mobility.
A Single-Blind Evaluation of Thiothixene with Outpatient Schizophrenic Children.

The results of a single-blind study assessing the effectiveness of thiothixene in a group of severely ill, outpatient schizophrenic children are presented with details pertaining to procedure and side effects. The subjects, 17 boys and one girl, ranged in age from 5 to 13 years. Thiothixene proved effective in all of the 18 schizophrenic children, as indicated by the psychiatrist's global impressions. Further evaluation of behavioral change, using a 23-item psychiatric rating scale, indicated significant improvement in motor activity, stereotyped behavior, coordination, sleeping, affect, exploratory behavior, concentration, eating habits, and range of communication. Despite relatively high dosages (10 to 24 mg per day) few side effects were noted during the course of the treatment period. It is suggested that thiothixene is a safe and effective antipsychotic agent for the treatment of schizophrenic children on an outpatient basis.
An optimal parallel algorithm for sorting multisets

We consider the problem of sorting n numbers that contain only k distinct values. We present a randomized arbitrary CRCW PRAM algorithm that runs in O(log n) time using (n log k)log n processors. The same algorithm runs in O((log n)log log n) time with a total work of O(n (log k)1 + e) for any fixed e < 0. All the stated bounds hold with high probability.
New horizons for primary intracerebral hemorrhage treatment: Experience from preclinical studies

Abstract Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains a major medical problem, for which there is no effective treatment. However, extensive experimental and clinical research carried out in recent years has brought to light new exciting ideas for novel potential treatments. First, it was well documented that the management of hypertension helps to prevent new and recurrent ICH. Also, development of new guidelines for management of hypertension after the onset of the ICH may help in more effective ICH treatment. Existing contemporary data collected from preclinical studies indicates that ICH–induced inflammation represents a key factor leading to secondary brain damage, suggesting that some anti–inflammatory approaches can be used to treat hemorrhagic stroke. In this article, beyond discussing implications related to hypertension, we will summarize important (but not all) new discoveries connecting the role of inflammation to ICH pathology. Selected aspects of inflammatory response including the role of cytokin...
Using the Intel MPI benchmarks (IMB) to evaluate MPI implementations on an Infiniband Nehalem Linux cluster

According to Moore's Law, computer speeds are expected to double approximately every 2 years. But with the current challenges that computer manufacturers are facing to double speeds of individual processors, due to various reasons, i.e., processor temperatures; multiprocessor architectures have become more popular nowadays. Eventually, this has led to an increased interest in standards for writing parallel applications. The Message Passing Interface (MPI) has become the de facto standard for writing applications to run on such systems. Our growing needs for the latest high performance computing solutions in Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil producing company, has given us the opportunity to evaluate three of the most commonly used MPI implementations, MVAPICH2, Open MPI, and Intel MPI on Intel's latest Nehalem processor. In this paper, we describe our test bed environment along with the evaluations that we did using some of the Intel MPI Benchmarks (IMB). We discuss the results in terms of bandwidth speed, execution time, and scalability when running on up to 512 processors on an Infiniband Nehalem Linux cluster with 64 nodes using the three implementations of MPI. We finally state our conclusions, recommendations, and future work.
Determination of acids, bases, metal ions and redox species by peak width measurement flow injection analysis with potentiometric, conductometric, fluorometric and spectrophotometric detection

Determination of Acids, Bases, Metal Ions and Redox Species by Peak Width Measurement Flow Injection Analysis with Potentiometric, Conductometric, Fluorometric and Spectrophotometric Detection Conductometric and potentiometric detection for acids/bases, fluorometric detection for Al3+ (aqueous morin carrier), spectrophotometric detection for Fe3+ (KSCN carrier), for H+ (IO3- + I-carrier), for Fe2+ (K3[Fe(CN)6] carrier), for Cu2+ (pyrocatechol violet carrier), for H2O2 (I− carrier) and for Na2S2O3 (I3- carrier) have been employed to investigate the peak width measurement FIA method. Calibration plots over a large concentration range may be constructed by means of a few dispersion measurements, yielding excellent precision.
LABORATORY STUDIES ON GLYCERIN AS A SUPPLEMENT IN WATER–SOLUBLE HERBICIDAL SPRAYS

WATER-SOLUBLE herbicides such as arsenicals and ammonium sulfamate, applied as sprays, have shown considerable promise for eradication of noxious vegetation. However, results with sprays have been highly variable and, due to the high concentrations of herbicide required, relatively expensive. In order to increase the effectiveness of herbicidal sprays, the following laboratory studies were undertaken during the winter season of 1943-44, to determine the factors that promote transfer of sprayed herbicides from the leaves to the base of the stem. PROCEDURE.-The tests were conducted on potgrown plants about 6 inches tall which could be easily manipulated so as to expose them to different conditions and treatments. The results given in this report were obtained with Coleus blumei Benth. and Cuphea platycentra Lem., two common house plants. The two species appeared to react similarly, so that the principles determined in this investigation may be applicable to a number of species. Two methods of application were used in the study. In the one, referred to as tip-injection, the solution of poison was placed in a small vial which was so suspended that the tip of the plant could be dipped into the liquid. This method, although not a practical field technique, indicated experimentally the action of the poison in penetrating and being conducted downward through the stem when the foliage was in continuous contact with the herbicide solution. In the second technique, referred to as leaf application, the solution was applied with a camel's hair brush to the upper leaves. This method was analogous to spraying of sprouts in the field. The solutions dried on the surface of the leaf within a short time, usually 10 to 15 minutes. For the leaf application technique, a commercial sodium lauryl sulfate mixture was added to the herbicide solutions at a rate of 0.12 per cent to serve as a wetting agent.
New approach to the maneuvering and control of flexible multibody systems

A mathematical formulation capable of treating the problem of maneuvering and control of flexible multibody systems is developed. The formulation is based on equations of motion in terms of quasicoordina tes derived independently for the individual substructures and on a consistent kinematical synthesis causing the substructures to act as a single structure. A perturbation approach permits the separation of the nonlinear high-dimensional system of equations into a zero-order, low-dimensional problem for the rigid-body maneuvering and a first-order, high-dimensional, time-varying problem for the elastic motions and the perturbations from the rigid-body motions. The formulation lends itself to ready computer implementation. A numerical example involving a three-beam system demonstrates the effectiveness of the new algorithm. OR a number of years there has been a persistent interest in the dynamics of flexible multibody systems. This type of system is encountered in flexible robots, rotorcraft, and spacecraft. Equations of motion for flexible multibody systems have been derived by a variety of approaches. 1'9 Recently, the interest has broadened so as to include maneuvering and control. This narrows the choice of formulations significantly, as the formulation must be consistent with the control task. A set of equations of motion suited for the control task can be formulated by means of Lagrangian equations for flexible bodies in terms of quasicoordina tes.10 The advantage of this approach is that it yields equations in terms of body axes, which are the same axes as those used to express control forces and torques. In using the approach of Ref. 10 to derive equations of motion for a chain of flexible multibody systems, it is convenient to adopt a kinematic procedure permitting the expression of the velocity vector of a nominal point in a typical body in terms of the velocity vector of the preceding body in the chain. The resulting differential equations are nonlinear and hybrid,11 where the term "hybrid" implies that the equations for the rigid-body translations and rotations are ordinary differential equations and those for the elastic motions are partial differential equations. Because maneuvering and control design in terms of hybrid equations is not feasible, the partial differential equations must be transformed into sets of ordinary differential equations by means of a discretizationin-space procedure, such as the finite element method12 or a Rayleigh-Ritz-based substructure synthesis.13 The resulting formulation consists of a high-order set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. A common approach to control design requires the solution of a two-point boundary-value problem. However, this is not feasible for high-order systems; hence, a different approach is advisable. The nonlinearity enters into the differential equations through the rigid-body motions. Indeed, the elastic motions tend to be small. In view of this, it appears natural to conceive of a perturbation approach whereby the rigid-body motions
Growth arrest of Epstein–Barr virus immortalized B lymphocytes by adenovirus-delivered ribozymes

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with several human diseases that involve unrestricted proliferation of B lymphocytes. EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) is expressed in all EBV-infected cells and plays an essential role in persistence of the EBV genome. EBNA-1 has also been reported to have oncogenic potential. As an approach for treating EBV infections, we examined the capacity of EBNA-1 ribozymes delivered by recombinant adenoviruses to suppress EBNA-1 expression and to block virus-induced B cell proliferation. In contrast to primary B cells, EBV-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines expressed αv integrins, the adenovirus internalization receptors, and were also susceptible to adenovirus-mediated gene delivery. Adenovirus delivery of a specific ribozyme (RZ1) to lymphoblastoid cell lines, suppressed EBNA-1 mRNA and protein expression, significantly reduced the number of EBV genomes, and nearly abolished cell proliferation in low serum. Adenovirus delivery of RZ1 also prevented EBV infection of an established EBV-negative B cell line. These studies demonstrate the potential use of adenovirus-encoded ribozymes to treat EBV-induced lymphoproliferative disorders.
The Influence of Glycerol Equilibration Time on the Metabolism, Motility and Fertility of Frozen Chicken Spermatozoa

Abstract SUCCESS with freezing to −79°C. as a means of in vitro preservation of chicken spermatozoa has been limited. Shaffner (1942) obtained 25 % fertility from chicken spermatozoa that were partially dehydrated with a sugar solution prior to freezing; however, embryonic development did not proceed for more than 10 to 15 hours. The motility of chicken spermatozoa was protected during freezing and thawing by the addition of 15% glycerol (Polge et al., 1949) but fertility was nil with either frozen or non-frozen glycerolized semen when the semen was deposited in the vagina (Smith and Polge, 1950; Polge, 1951; Allen and Bobr, 1955). However, some fertility was produced in 61% of the hens when the glycerol was removed by slow dialysis (Polge, 1951). In contrast, when the glycerolized semen was deposited in the uterus, 73% and 25% fertility was obtained with non-frozen (Allen and Bobr, 1955) and frozen (Allen, 1958) semen, respectively…
Small Vestibular Schwannomas With No Hearing: Comparison of Functional Outcomes in Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Microsurgery

Objectives: To date, numerous studies have compared functional outcomes between stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and microsurgery (MS) in the treatment of vestibular schwannomas (VS). However, most of them involve tumors of difference sizes, radiation dosages, and surgical approaches. Few have systematically compared issues of dysequilibrium. By studying only patients with small tumors and no hearing, we sought to minimize confounding variables. Study Design: A retrospective chart review and telephone questionnaire. Methods: From 1998–2006, 31 patients with small (<1.5 cm) VS and nonserviceable hearing (American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery [AAO-HNS] Class C or D) were treated at our institution. Twenty-two were available for follow-up and telephone questionnaire, including the University of California Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire (UCLA-DQ). Twelve underwent SRS and 10 underwent MS. All MS patients underwent the translabyrinthine approach to their tumors. Outcomes measurements included tumor control, facial nerve function, tinnitus, trigeminal function, and imbalance. Results: Patients undergoing SRS had comparable rates of tumor control, facial nerve function, tinnitus, and trigeminal function to MS patients. However, SRS did result in statistically significantly worse long-term imbalance when compared with MS patients. Detailed comparisons of the two modalities are made. Conclusions: In our study population, patients with small tumors and no serviceable hearing, these data suggest that MS results in comparable minimal morbidity with SRS, though posttreatment dysequilibrium is significantly decreased. While the authors recommend translabyrinthine resection of small VS with no hearing in patients able to tolerate surgery, the need for further prospective investigation is clear.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Homologous Analogs of Anticonvulsant 5-Substituted 3,3-Diethyl-4,5-Dighdro-2(3H)-Furanones

Anticonvulsant 4,5 dihydro-3,3-dialkyl-2(3H)-furanones act at sites on the GABAA receptor complex. Novel 5-substituted esters and homologous ester and amido derivatives of 4,5 dihydro-3,3-diethyl-2(3H)-furanone were synthesized and evaluated for anticonvulsant activity in rodents and for affinity to a site on the GABAA receptor complex ([3H]TBOB). The data suggest that the esters and the homologs prepared are devoid of anticonvulsant activity. The compounds reported herein are not promising anticonvulsants but are useful in directing future studies involving novel anticonvulsant lactones.
1-butyl isocyanate from aqueous Benlate® formulations

Benomyl, or methyl 1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate, is the active ingredient of the fungicide Benlate®. Benomyl in Benlate® decomposed in water at 24±1°C. Using N2 as purging gas, 1-butyl isocyanate was collected from the vapor phase of the aqueous formulations (1.2 g/L) by XAD-2 cartridges, identified and quantitatively estimated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Both the dry flowable (DF) and the wettable powder (WP) formulations showed 1-butyl isocyanate production. The presence of this highly reactive compound warrants additional research to solve the question of possible phytotoxicity of Benlate®.
A further study of P430: a possible primary electron acceptor of photosystem I.

Abstract The nature of P430, which is represented by an absorption change observed in isolated photosystem-I particles, has further been investigated using spinach subchloroplast particles: (1) The kinetic relationship has been established between three components involved in an artificial cyclic electron flow: (2) The recovery (reoxidation) of P430 was a pseudo-first-order reaction with respect to the artificial acceptors, e.g., methyl viologen and safranine T. (3) The back flow of electrons was a direct reduction of the photooxidized P700 by the photoreduced P430. (4) The quantum yield and effective wavelengths for P430 photoreduction were identical with those for P700 photooxidation. The results further support P430 as the primary electron acceptor of photosystem I in green plant photosynthesis.
Characterization of the aldehyde reactive probe reaction with AP-sites in DNA: influence of AP-lyase on adduct stability

Alkoxyamines react with the open-chain aldehyde form of AP-sites in DNA to produce open-chain aldehyde oximes. Here we characterize the effect of AP-site cleavage by yeast AP-endonuclease 1 (APN1) or T4 pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylase/AP-lyase (T4 Pdg) on the efficiency and stability of the alkoxyamine aldehyde reactive probe (ARP) condensation reaction with AP-sites. The results indicate that (1) reaction of ARP with the open-chain aldehyde equilibrium form of the AP-site was less efficient than with the 3'-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde produced by T4 Pdg; (2) the dRP moiety was least reactive with ARP; (3) both the AP-site and 3'-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde were stable with regard to reaction with ARP over a 30-min incubation period at 37 degrees C; and (4) ARP adducted to the open-chain aldehyde form of the AP-site could be replaced by methoxyamine, but the 3'-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde ARP oxime was stable against methoxyamine attack.
Thin anodic oxides formed on GaAs in aqueous solutions

Thin (0–250 A) anodic oxides were formed on p‐GaAs (100) in aqueous solutions (borate buffer, pH 8.4 and 0.3 M NH4H2PO4, pH 4.4). The thickness, composition, and electrochemical behavior were characterized by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, ellipsometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In borate buffer, oxide growth results in a two‐layer structure with an outer As2O3‐rich layer and ion transfer is mainly diffusion controlled. From the potential dependence of the film thickness a growth rate of 25 A/V was determined. Due to the formation of a Ga‐phosphate precursor layer in NH4H2PO4, films grow under field control which results in a time dependence of oxide thickness and composition. Under pseudosteady state conditions a growth rate of 28 A/V was obtained. Films formed in NH4H2PO4 have, except for the outer phosphate layer, a fairly uniform composition in depth with a significant enrichment of Ga2O3, and show a 40 times higher specific charge transfer resista...
Leadership and attachment theory

Comments on the six articles contained in the special issue of the American Psychologist (January 2007) devoted to leadership, written by W. Bennis; S. J. Zaccaro; V. H. Vroom and A. G. Yago; B. J. Avolio; R. J. Sternberg; and R. J. Hackman and R. Wageman. The current authors opine that the inclusion of attachment theory in the study of leadership could strengthen leadership theories as a whole.
Differential effects of stress-induced adrenal function on components of the herpes simplex virus-specific memory cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated in a murine model system that psychological stress, applied in the form of physical restraint, suppresses both the activation of splenic-derived, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific memory cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLm) to the lytic phenotype and the production of cytokines associated with CTL activation and function. In the studies described herein, we investigated the hypothesis that an adrenal-dependent event is responsible, either in whole or in part, for these observations. While adrenalectomy was shown to abrogate stress-induced suppression of both HSV-specific CTLm activation and the production of IL-6 and IFN- γ , the reduction in splenic cellularity associated with restraint stress remained. In addition, a role for adrenal function in the regulation of splenic cellularity and IFN- γ production in non-stressed mice was observed. Together, these results indicate that both adrenal-dependent and adrenal-independent events, operative under both baseline and stress conditions, mediate control of the memory component of the cellular immune response to HSV infection. Overall, these studies provide insight into the mechanisms by which psychological stress modulates immune responsiveness to viral pathogens.
Thinking Rocks, Living Stones: Reflections on Chinese Lithophilia

Chinese culture is distinguished among the world’s other great traditions by the depth and intensity of its love for rock and stone. This enduring passion manifests itself both in the art of garden...
Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma in the substantia nigra of hemiparkinsonian nonhuman primates

Objective: To characterize the distribution of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) in the substantia nigra of normal and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6–tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated hemiparkinsonian monkeys, in order to validate PPAR-gamma as a target for neuroprotection. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of PPAR-gamma expression was performed in the substantia nigra and other select brain regions of fifteen rhesus monkeys including controls (n = 3), hemiparkinsonian necropsied after 3 (n = 5) or 12 (n = 3) months after MPTP, and animals who received MPTP+5 mg/kg of the PPAR-gamma agonist pioglitazone (n = 4). Results: PPAR-gamma expression was prominent in the subthalamic nucleus, oculomotor nucleus, ventral tegmental nucleus, and to a lesser extent, in the putamen; 3 or 12 months after MPTP, only the lesioned putamen had increased PPAR-gamma. Stereological cell quantification in normal subjects showed that approximately 50% of neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (S...
Statistical theories of Langmuir turbulence. II - Subsonic to sonic transition

The subsonic limit of the quadratic direct interaction approximation (DIA) applied to the Zakharov equations is compared with the cubic DIA applied to the nonlinear Schroedinger equation, which is the subsonic limit of the Zakharov equations. Comparisons with Monte Carlo simulations of a truncated system show that the first theory more accurately describes the regime of stationary turbulence, while the second theory more accurately describes the subsonic evolution of the modulational instability. The weak turbulence limits of the two theories describe the sonic and subsonic regimes, respectively. The addition of vertex corrections to the DIA leads to a hybrid weak turbulence theory that smoothly interpolates between the sonic and subsonic regimes.
L-system representation of speciation in the red algal genus Dipterosiphonia(Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae)

A form of string rewriting systems, known as L-systems, are used to model the branching patterns of the red algal genus Dipterosiphonia(Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae). L-systems provide a method of producing character strings from a set of production rules similar to those in grammars that have been used to study both natural and computer languages. They can be used to produce realistic looking computer graphic images of plants and have been utilized to describe branching patterns of inflorescences. We show that a set of production rules that describe the branching topology of typical Dipterosiphoniaspecies can be modified in a minor way to obtain a set of rules describing the “reversed” branching pattern of D. reversa. An analysis of the L-system models for these species provides a plausible explanation for the mutation in the typical Dipterosiphoniabranching pattern from which D. reversawas derived.
Understanding digital library adoption: a use diffusion approach

With the growth in operational digital libraries, the need for automatic methods capable of characterizing adoption and use has grown. We describe a computational methodology for producing two, inter-related, user typologies based on use diffusion. Use diffusion theory views technology adoption as a process that can lead to widely different patterns of use across a given population of potential users; these models use measures of frequency and variety to characterize and describe these usage patterns. The methodology uses computational techniques such as clickstream entropy and clustering to produce both coarse-grained and fine-grained user typologies. A case study demonstrates the utility and applicability of the method: it is used to understand how middle and high school science teachers participating in an academic year-long field trial adopted and integrated digital library resources into their instructional planning and teaching. The resulting fine-grained user typology identified five different types of teacher-users, including "interactive resource specialists" and "community seeker specialists" This typology was validated through comparison with qualitative and quantitative data collected using traditional educational field research methods.
THE EFFECT OF VOLUME OVERLOADED STATE ON THE TRANSMURAL DISPERSION OF REPOLARIZATION IN A FAILING HEART

Volume overloaded state is suspected of increasing the risk of ventricular arrhythmias in congestive heart failure (CHF). The T peak to T end interval (Tpe) as measured on the surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is presumed to represent global dispersion of ventricular repolarization and has been shown
Density Functional Characterization of the Visible-Light Absorption in Substitutional C-Anion- and C-Cation-Doped TiO2

The structural and electronic properties of two possible substitutional carbon-doped structures of anatase and rutile TiO2 [i.e., C for O (C@O)- and C for Ti (C@Ti)-doped TiO2] were studied by performing first-principle density functional theory calculations. In C-doped TiO2 with C@O, the band gap changes slightly, but the doped carbon introduces spin-polarized gap states of C 2p orbital in character. Thus, the associated electron excitations among the valence band, the conduction band, and the gap states explain the various visible-light absorption thresholds observed for C anion-doped TiO2. For C-doped anatase and rutile TiO2 with C@Ti, the doped C atom does not induce spin-polarized states. For C-doped anatase TiO2 with C@Ti, the optical absorption energy is reduced by about 0.18 eV, and the C dopant forms a linear O−C−O unit with short C−O distance resembling carbon dioxide, which is consistent with experiment. In C-doped rutile TiO2 with C@Ti, C-doping reduces the optical absorption energy by about 0...
The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence

Modern history of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence is reviewed. The history of radio searches is discussed, as well as the major advances that have occurred in radio searches and prospects for new instruments and search strategies. Recent recognition that searches for optical and infrared signals make sense, and the reasons for this are described, as well as the equipment and special detection methods used in optical searches. The long-range future of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) is discussed in the context of the history of rapid change, on the cosmic and even the human time scale, of the paradigms guiding SETI searches. This suggests that SETI searches be conducted with a very open mind.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of moist snuff in humans

INTERVENTION Four brands of moist snuff and a non-tobacco mint snuff were tested. Subjects reported to the laboratory for five experimental sessions. After baseline measurement of dependent variables, each subject placed 2 g of one of the brands of snuff (or one Skoal Bandits pouch) between the cheek and gum for 30 minutes. The subjects remained in the experimental laboratory for an additional 60 minutes. SUBJECTS Ten volunteers who were daily users of smokeless tobacco. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Plasma nicotine concentration, cardiovascular effects, and subjective effects. RESULTS Large amounts of nicotine were delivered rapidly to the bloodstream. The amount of nicotine absorbed and the rate of absorption were related to the pH of the snuff product in aqueous suspension. Cardiovascular and subjective effects were related to the amount of nicotine absorbed. CONCLUSIONS Snuff products are capable of rapidly delivering high doses of nicotine, which can lead to dependence. Long-term use of snuff can lead to a number of adverse health effects including oral cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and gingival diseases. For these reasons, it is important that the public health community considers oral snuff use as a burden on public health in the same way that cigarette smoking is recognised.
Rural Licensed Tobacco Merchants’ Smoking Status and the Sale of Tobacco to Youth

The purpose of this study was to compare the sale of tobacco to youth between smoking and nonsmoking merchants in a rural county. Licensed tobacco merchants were mailed surveys regarding their personal smoking status, and the returned surveys (75.9 %, N=44) were matched with tobacco compliance results which indicated if the business sold tobacco to youth during a county compliance check. Merchants who smoked tended to sell tobacco products to youth more often than those who did not smoke chi-square (2, n=41) 6.66, p=0.036. This finding suggests the need to focus on smoking status of merchants as a prevention strategy for youth tobacco use.
This shrew is a jumping mouse (Mammalia, Dipodidae): Sorex dichrurus Rafinesque 1833 is a synonym of Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann 1780)

Abstract Constantine S. Rafinesque described Sorex dichrurus as a shrew in 1833, based on a specimen he found in a proprietary museum near Niagara Falls on the New York/Ontario border. The name subsequently has been ignored by the scientific community. By describing this specimen as a shrew and ascribing it to the genus Sorex, Rafinesque clearly indicated that his species should be considered a member of the taxonomic family now recognized as the Soricidae (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla). Yet, the description of the animal, and its comparison to “Gerbillus,” clearly identify it as a dipodid rodent, specifically Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780); S. dichrurus should be treated as a junior subjective synonym of that taxon. Based on its type locality of Goat Island, New York, this name is also a junior synonym of the subspecies Z. hudsonius canadensis (Davies, 1798).
New Insights Into the Pathogenesis of Renal Calculi

The pathophysiology of the various forms of urinary stone disease remains a complex topic. Epidemiologic research and the study of urine and serum chemistries have created an abundance of data to help drive the formulation of pathophysiologic theories. This article addresses the associations of urinary stone disease with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and other disease states. Findings regarding the impact of dietary calcium and the formation of Randall's plaques are also explored and their implications discussed. Finally, further avenues of research are explored, including genetic analyses and the use of animal models of urinary stone disease.
Tolerance of White Leghorn Hens to Iron in Drinking Water

Abstract Although a number of extension publications and magazine articles state tolerance levels for iron in poultry water supplies, there appears to be a paucity of scientific literature containing supporting data. The standard of 0.3 ppm is often recommended and is based on preventing taste and staining problems for humans. At the other end of the spectrum is a publication that says there is no evidence that iron will cause problems with poultry. Three experiments, each lasting 28 d, were conducted with caged laying hens in an attempt to determine if iron toxicity could be a real problem. Treatment levels for the three studies were, respectively, 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, or 8 ppm iron in Experiment 1; 0, 4, 8, 16, or 24 ppm in Experiment 2, and 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, or 500 ppm during Experiment 3 from ferrous sulfate added to drinking water. It appears from these studies that the laying hen’s tolerance for iron in drinking water was somewhere between 24 and 100 ppm and that performance should not be adversely affected by the practical iron levels found in poultry water supplies.
Analyzing the Interaction of ADF/Cofilin with Actin through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Actin is a cytoskeletal protein found in all eukaryotic cells. It is involved in cellular motility and cytokinesis and is essential for processes such as defense against microorganisms and for cancer cells to spread as metastases. Actin binds ATP in physiological conditions and hydrolyzes it to ADP after polymerizing into microfilaments. ADF/cofilin is one of the key actin-binding proteins and is required for the rapid actin turnover necessary in cell motility. It functions by taking advantage of the ATP/ADP gradient in actin filaments by associating with the older parts of actin filaments to depolymerize filaments by binding with 100 fold higher affinity to ADP-actin than to ATP-actin. ADF/cofilin also binds monomeric ADP-actin more strongly than ATP-actin and inhibits nucleotide exchange. However, the structural mechanisms for these processes are a mystery as a crystal structure is not available for the actin-cofilin complex. Yet, ADF/cofilin binds actin through an ADF homology (ADF-H) domain, which is also found in other actin-binding proteins, such as twinfilin, and a structure of the complex of ATP-actin with the C-terminal ADF-H domain of twinfilin was recently determined. We are using the crystal structure of the actin-Twf-C complex to simulate the interaction of ADF/cofilin with ADP-actin and ATP-actin through molecular dynamics simulations and to examine conformational changes that may explain the mechanisms for ADF/cofilin inhibition of nucleotide exchange as well as the stronger affinity for ADP-actin. Thus far we have run a 2 ns simulation of the Twf-C-actin complex with ATP. Surprisingly, in this simulation the adenine ring of ATP underwent a large ring flip even though in simulations of monomeric ATP-actin the ATP is extremely stable. This result was unexpected since a similar ring flip was previously seen in ADP-Arp3 (actin-related protein 3), but in this case the nucleotide was being released. Experimentally, however, ADF/cofilin prevents nucleotide release. It may be possible that the ATP is actually going into a more stable conformation. We are working on running the simulation for a longer time as well as replacing ADP into the complex. Analyzing ADF/cofilin’s contributions to cell motility through computational biology may help us understand its roles in apoptosis and several diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Age and malignant melanoma: comparison of variables in different age-groups.

Variables were compared in patients with clinical stage I superficial spreading melanoma who had been divided into three age-groups. The study included 736 consecutive patients who were prospectively entered into the data base of the Melanoma Cooperative Group of New York University Medical Center. Compared with the younger patients (
Simulating coupled carbon and nitrogen dynamics following mountain pine beetle outbreaks in the western United States

[1] Insect outbreaks are major ecosystem disturbances, affecting a similar area as forest fires annually across North America. Tree mortality caused by bark beetle outbreaks alters carbon cycling in the first several years following the disturbance by reducing stand-level primary production and by increasing the amount of dead organic matter available for decomposition. The few studies of biogeochemical cycling following outbreaks have shown a range of impacts from small responses of net carbon fluxes in the first several years after a severe outbreak to large forest areas that are sources of carbon to the atmosphere for decades. To gain more understanding about causes of this range of responses, we used an ecosystem model to assess impacts of different bark beetle outbreak conditions on coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling. We modified the Community Land Model with prognostic carbon and nitrogen to include prescribed bark beetle outbreaks. We then compared control simulations (without a bark beetle outbreak) to simulations with various levels of mortality severity, durations of outbreak, and snagfall dynamics to quantify the range of carbon flux responses and recovery rates of net ecosystem productivity to a range of realistic outbreak conditions. Our simulations illustrate that, given the large variability in bark beetle outbreak conditions, a wide range of responses in carbon and nitrogen dynamics can occur. The fraction of trees killed, delay in snagfall, snagfall rate, and management decisions about harvesting killed trees will have major impacts on postoutbreak carbon fluxes for several decades and postoutbreak carbon stocks up to 100 years.
Taking the next step in moore's law: Designs turn to enable next technology node

Moore's Law is an expression of the path that semiconductor vendors have taken to achieve competitive advantage relative to their peers and their past. A new class of challenges threatens the ability of logic vendors to gain competitive advantage by migrating to 45 nm, 32 nm, and below. Achieving the required time to market with economically acceptable yield levels and maintaining them in volume production has become a daunting task in the most advanced technology nodes. One of the primary reasons is the relative increase in process variability in each generation. In the older technology generations, manufacturing yield loss was dominated by random defects. This situation started to change rapidly at the 130 nm technology node in which product layout systematic effects became more critical. More recently, due to challenging product performance requirements and increased process variability, parametric yield losses have become significant as well.
Finite-element analysis of a quartz digital accelerometer

A detailed three-dimensional (3-D) finite-element analysis of a quartz digital accelerometer (QDA) is carried out to understand and determine the temperature behavior of the entire heterogeneous sensor consisting of quartz resonant elements, polyimide bonding material, and beryllium copper spacers. Of particular interest is the identification of factors that can degrade the temperature stability of the QDA's output frequency. The calculated temperature dependence of a double-ended tuning fork (DETF) is reported and shown to be in good agreement with measured data. This relation differs from that calculated for a tine and demonstrates the influence of the end boundary conditions. Calculated results for the full QDA include: (1) natural frequencies and mode shapes, (2) the shift in the QDA's output frequency with acceleration level, and (3) the shift in the QDA's output frequency with temperature. The effect of varying the thickness of the adhesive bonds between the DETFs and the spacers is examined. These results suggest that variations in bond thickness can generate temperature dependent residual assembly stresses that degrade the thermal stability of the QDA's output frequency. >