cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
US 'Facts Available' Antidumping Decisions: An Empirical Analysis

This paper analyzes U.S. implementation of one aspect of antidumping reform agreed to in the Uruguay Round. In particular, evidence is consistent with the view that administrators have not fundamentally improved the application of "facts available" techniques, which is an important contributor to high antidumping margins on U.S. imports. The results suggest that the U.S. has lived up to the letter but not the spirit of one important antidumping reform in the Uruguay Round.
Cytotoxicity of local anesthetics and nonionic contrast agents on bovine intervertebral disc cells cultured in a three-dimensional culture system.

Abstract Background context Carragee et al. reported an accelerated progression of lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration after discography in a human trial. Local anesthetics and contrast agents have exhibited toxicity to cardiac, renal, and neuronal cells. We hypothesize that local anesthetics or contrast agents commonly injected into the disc space during discography may result in cytotoxicity in vitro. In this study, we compared the cytotoxicity of these agents, alone or in combination, using nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) cells in a three-dimensional (3D) culture system. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of local anesthetics and contrast agents on IVD cells to help guide their usage in future clinical practices. Study design Ours was an in vitro study to assess the cytotoxicity of local anesthetics and contrast agents commonly used in discography, using bovine NP and AF cells cultured in a 3D system. Methods Bovine NP and AF cells were isolated and encapsulated in alginate beads and cultured in media completed with serum and ascorbic acid. Beads were transferred to a 24-well plate and treated with local anesthetics, nonionic contrast agents, or with saline as a control for 2, 6, and 16 hours. Three different concentrations of local anesthetics, lidocaine and bupivacaine, were tested: 0.25%, 0.125%, and 0.0625%. Two different dilutions (1:2 or 1:4) of nonionic contras agents, iohexol and iopamidol, were tested. In a parallel study, beads were incubated with a combination of local anesthetics at equipotent concentrations and contrast agents for 6 hours. Cells were then examined with the LIVE/DEAD cell assay. Live cells (fluorescing green) and dead cells (fluorescing red) were visualized using fluorescent microscopy. The percentage of live cells after treatment was determined. Results More cell death was observed when NP and AF cells were incubated with anesthetics than contrast agents at the concentrations tested. When tested at equipotent concentrations, 0.125% bupivacaine (N=8) resulted in significantly more cell death than 0.5% lidocaine (N=6) in NP cells (p Conclusions Cell death was observed when AF and NP cells were incubated in a dose- and time-dependent manner with local anesthetics and contrast agents commonly used for discography. Relative toxicity of these compounds was noted in the order of bupivacaine, lidocaine, iopamidol, and iohexol. Future studies of the effects of these agents in organ culture or animal models are indicated to predict what happens in vivo.
Extraction of lumped‐element equivalent‐circuit models of microstrip discontinuities using the finite‐difference time‐domain method

This Letter presents a method for extracting the lumped-element equivalent-circuit models of microstrip discontinuities by using the finite-difference–time-domain (FDTD) method. The cascading properties of the ABCD matrix are used to de-embed the attachment lines, leading to the two-port matrix of the discontinuity section alone. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 33: 132–134, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10254
A note on growing binary trees

The class @? of binary search trees is studied. A leaf is a vertex of degree 0; @?"n is the subset of @? consisting of trees with n leaves. We grow trees in @?"n from @?"n - 1 thereby inducing a probability measure on @?"n. We will show that the expected value of the average leaf distance of t @? @?"n is asymptotic to log"2n as n -> ~.
Glycoprotein B of Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Has More than One Intracellular Conformation and Is Altered by Low pH

ABSTRACT The crystal structure of herpes simplex virus (HSV) gB identifies it as a class III fusion protein, and comparison with other such proteins suggests this is the postfusion rather than prefusion conformation, although this is not proven. Other class III proteins undergo a pH-dependent switch between pre- and postfusion conformations, and a low pH requirement for HSV entry into some cell types suggests that this may also be true for gB. Both gB and gH undergo structural changes at low pH, but there is debate about the extent and significance of the changes in gB, possibly due to the use of different soluble forms of the protein and different assays for antigenic changes. In this study, a complementary approach was taken, examining the conformations of full-length intracellular gB by quantitative confocal microscopy with a panel of 26 antibodies. Three conformations were distinguished, and low pH was found to be a major influence. Comparison with previous studies indicates that the intracellular conformation in low-pH environments may be the same as that of the soluble form known as s-gB at low pH. Interestingly, the antibodies whose binding was most affected by low pH both have neutralizing activity and consequently must block either the function of a neutral pH conformation or its switch from an inactive form to an activated form. If one of the intracellular conformations is the fusion-active form, another factor required for fusion is presumably absent from wherever that conformation is present in infected cells so that inappropriate fusion is avoided.
Practice patterns of surveillance endoscopy in a Veterans Affairs database of 29,504 patients with Barrett's esophagus.

Background Practice guidelines recommend surveillance endoscopy every 2 to 3 years among patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) to detect early neoplastic lesions. Although surveys report that >95% of gastroenterologists recommend or practice BE surveillance, the extent and patterns of surveillance in clinical practice are unknown. Objective To identify the extent and determinants of endoscopic surveillance among BE patients. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A total of 121 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide. Patients Veteran patients with BE diagnosed from 2003 to 2009, with follow-up through September 30, 2010. Intervention Not an interventional study. Main Outcome Measurements The proportions of patients with BE who received any EGD after the index BE EGD date. In the subgroup of patients with at least 6 years of follow-up, we also calculated proportions for regular (EGD during both 3-year intervals), irregular (EGD in only 1 interval), and no surveillance. We examined differences in demographics and clinical and facility factors among these groups in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Results We identified 29,504 patients with BE; 97% were men, 83% white, and their mean age was 61.8 years. During a 3.8-year median follow-up period, 45.4% of patients with BE received at least one EGD. Among the subgroup of 4499 patients with BE who had at least 6 years of follow-up, 23.0% had regular surveillance, and 26.7% had irregular surveillance. There was considerable facility-level variation in percentages with surveillance EGD across the 112 facilities and by geographic region of these facilities. Demographic and clinical factors did not explain these variations. Patients with at least one EGD were significantly more likely to be white; to be aged Limitations There might be misclassification of BE and surveillance EGD. Lack of pathology data on dysplasia, which dictates surveillance intervals. Conclusion Endoscopic surveillance for BE is considerably less commonly practiced in Veterans Affairs facilities than is self-reported by physicians. Although several clinical factors are associated with variations in surveillance, facility-level factors play a large role. The comparative effectiveness of the different practice-based surveillance patterns needs to be examined.
Fast Numerical Integrator for Stochastic Differential Equations with Nonstationary Multiplicative Noise

I. Introduction Whenever a chemical process may be described classically, the solution of Hamilton’s equations of motion formally provides all the necessary dynamical information. However, for very large systems, such a solution is not generally available. In such systems, reduced-dimensionalsprojectivesapproaches allow the problem to be tractable, though the dynamics will no longer be Hamiltonian. In the present work, a fast numerical algorithm is developed for the numerical integration of reduced-dimensional systems whose projected environment may include nonstationary responses in time or space. Specifically, the dynamics of a generalized variable x may be written in a multidimensional closed differential form,
Gabapentin versus tricyclic antidepressants for diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia: discrepancies between direct and indirect meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Background Previous systematic reviews concluded that tricyclics antidepressants are superior to gabapentin for neuropathic pain, but were based on indirect comparisons from placebo-controlled trials.
Theories of Optical Rotatory Power

By optical rotatory power is meant the property of a medium to rotate the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light that is transmitted through it. The first effect of this kind was discovered by Arago in 1811. He found that quartz had this property in the direction of the optical axis, the direction along with ordinary double refraction vanishes.
INACTIVATION KINETICS OF SALMONELLA DUBLIN BY PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD

Microbial inactivation kinetic models are needed to predict treatment dosage in food pasteurization processes. In this study, we determined inactivation kinetic models of Salmonella dublin in skim milk with a co-field flow high voltage pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment system. Electric field strength of 15-40 kV/cm, treatment time of 12-127 μs, medium temperatures of 10-50C were tested. A new inactivation kinetic model that combines the effect of treatment time to electric field strength or medium temperature was developed.
Constraints on the structure of the Himalaya from an analysis of gravity anomalies and a flexural model of the lithosphere

The intracontinental subduction of India beneath the Himalaya presents several similarities to that occurring at island arcs. We study one of those similarities by analyzing gravity anomalies across the Himalaya assuming that the topography is supported by the Indian elastic plate, flexed under the weight of both the overthrust mountains and the sediments in the Ganga Basin. We first examine in detail the effects of each of the following parameters on the configuration of the elastic plate and on the gravity anomalies: the flexural rigidity, the position of the northern end of the elastic plate (the amount of underthrusting of such a plate beneath the range), and the density contrasts between the crust and mantle and between the sediments and the crust. A plate with a constant flexural rigidity of about 0.7×1025 N m (between 0.2 and 2.0×1025 N m) allows a good fit to the data from the Lesser Himalaya and the Ganga Basin. Such a plate, however, cannot underthrust the entire Himalaya. Instead, the gravity anomalies show that the Moho steepens from only about 3° beneath the Lesser Himalaya to about 15° beneath the Greater Himalaya. This implies a smaller flexural rigidity beneath the Greater Himalaya (0.1 to 1.0×1023 N m) than beneath the Ganga Basin and the Lesser Himalaya. Even with a thin, weak plate beneath the Greater Himalaya, the weight of the mountains depresses the plate too much unless an additional force or moment is applied to the plate. The application of a bending moment/unit length to the end of the plate of about 0.6×1018 N m is adequate to elevate the Indian plate and to bring the calculated gravity anomalies in agreement with those observed. Both, the smaller flexural rigidity and the bending moment can be understood if we assume that part or all of the Indian crust has been detached from the lower lithosphere that underthrusts the Greater Himalaya. We study the tectonic implications of these results by means of a series of idealized balanced cross sections, from the collision to the present, that reproduce several important features of the geology of the Himalaya and predict an amount of eroded material comparable to that in the Ganga Basin and the Bay of Bengal. These cross sections include high-grade metamorphic rocks near the Main Central Thrust and a steeper dip of it there than in the Lesser Himalaya. They predict rapid uplift only in the Greater Himalaya and at the foot of the Lesser Himalaya.
Reciprocity and Social Order: What Do Experiments Tell us About the Failure of Economic Growth?

This paper makes three observations for policy-makers, interested in promoting economic growth, based on the experimental work done at the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science. First, safeguards must be put into place to protect impersonal exchange from our innate desire for personal exchange. Second, policy must take into account the heterogeneity of individual cognitive strategies that are observed in economics laboratories. Third, policy must be test-bedded in economic experiments where the status quo is modeled as an ecologically rational response to the economic environment and the proposed policy change occurs in an environment where individuals have access to a full repertoire of personal exchange behaviors.
Anterior cervical osteophyte dysphagia: manofluorographic and functional outcomes after surgery.

Background. Our aim was to investigate the clinical and manofluorographic findings of patients with anterior cervical osteophyte (ACO) dysphagia before and after surgery. Methods. Chart review including manofluorography (MFG) data of patients undergoing ACO removal was undertaken. Results. Thirteen patients underwent transcervical ACO removal over a 10-year period. A postoperative hematoma was the only surgical complication. Overall, there was a significant postoperative decrease in Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale (FOSS). MFG data showed an elevated preoperative intrabolus pressure gradient across the osteophyte (IB-Gra), 39.78 mm Hg, and IB-Gra significantly decreased to 19 mm Hg 6 months after surgery. Conclusion. Functional (FOSS) and objective MFG (IB-Gra) improvements occurred in patients who had ACO dysphagia and underwent surgery. These findings support high IB-Gra as a reliable objective indicator for surgical intervention for ACO dysphagia and IB-Gra as an appropriate parameter for follow-up after ACO removal. In selected patients, ACO removal by anterolateral-transcervical approach is a safe and highly effective treatment. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010
Dendrimer Analogues of Linear Molecules to Evaluate Energy and Charge-Transfer Properties

We have designed and synthesized difunctionalized dendrimers containing two donors in the periphery and an acceptor at the core to serve as scaffolds for comparison with linear analogues to investigate the advantage of dendritic scaffolds for energy and charge transfer. Comparison of these dendrimers with the fully decorated dendrimers provides information on the advantage of chromophore density in energy/charge transfer from periphery to the core.
Stability analysis of a jointed beam

A numerical step-by-step procedure, analogous to the ‘Initial Stress Method,’ is presented for the analysis of a single-layer jointed rock beam subjected to gravity loads and in-plane in situ formation pressure. The joints are permitted to open at locations where the flexural stresses exceed flexural strength. The material properties may be different for each rock block and joint. A detailed algorithm is given for the solution of the problem. The results of several analyses indicating the relative effects of initial formation pressure, transverse load, stiffness of the joint material, and joint spacing on the response of a jointed beam are presented. The convergence characteristics of the numerical procedure are included. The joint material is assumed to be ‘no-tension’ type. Both the geometric and material non-linear effects are considered.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of arylhydroxylamines after derivatization with methyl isocyanate

Abstract The quantitative analysis of micromolar levels of arylhydroxylamines in liver homogenates is described. The analyte is extracted from the biological medium with dichloromethane and then converted to the corresponding N-hydroxyurea by reaction with methyl isocyanate. The reaction product is stable both in the dry state and in solution. The derivatized mixture is separated by reversed-phase partition chromatography and teh hydroxylamine quantitated as the methylhydroxyurea by spectrophotometric monitoring of the column eluent at 254 nm. The method is specific for arylhydroxylamines in that the product is different from products formed by reaction of methyl isocyanate with alternate amine metabolites and metabonates.
A borax-chloramphenicol complex in aqueous solution.

A 1,2-complex between borax and chloramphenicol occurs in aqueous solution. The relative stabilities of simple aqueous solutions of chloramphenicol and the B.P.C. eye-drops are explained by the existence of this complex.
The effect of the united mine workers of America on the probability of severe injury in underground coal mines

This paper examines the efficacy of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in achieving safe working conditions by reducing the probability of severe injury. A detailed data base has been constructed for underground mines during the period 1986–1988. The results obtained fail to provide convincing evidence that the UMWA reduces the severity of injury, even though the UMWA has safety committees and inspectors in the mines where it is the bargaining agent. Further testing reveals that there is no significant difference in the probability of injury due to roof falls, haulage, and handling material, between union and nonunion mines.
A fluorogenic dye activated by S-nitrosothiols

Here we describe a coumarin-phosphine dye that undergoes activation of coumarin fluorescence upon reaction with S-nitrosothiols.
Management of community-acquired pneumonia in persons with spinal cord injury

Study design: Retrospective case series. Objectives: Respiratory disorders are the leading cause of death in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), but the epidemiology and medical management of pneumonia in persons with chronic SCI is not well characterized. We describe the clinical presentation of persons with SCI with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), characterize its management and compare practice to recommendations for CAP in the general population. Setting: Three United States Veterans Affairs Medical Centers with specialized SCI services. Methods: Chart abstraction was performed for all persons with chronic SCI seen at participating centers for treatment of CAP during a 2-year period. Collected data included presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory and imaging results, initial antibiotic therapy, secretion mobilization techniques, in-patient vs outpatient management, length of stay, and mortality. Results: In all, 41 persons with SCI received treatment for CAP during the study period. A total of 32 (78.0%) patients were admitted for treatment; two (4.8%) required intubation and mechanical ventilation. Initial antibiotic coverage met guideline recommendations for only half of inpatients and infrequently provided adequate antipseudomonal coverage. Microbiologic testing was performed on 26 cases (63.4%) and demonstrated a specific pathogen in only five cases (12.2% of total). Three cases (7.3%) died during treatment for CAP, and 16 (42.1%) of 38 CAP survivors died within a median follow-up of 3 years. Conclusion: The majority of chronic SCI patients who present to specialized SCI centers with CAP are admitted for treatment. Short-term mortality is comparable to CAP in the general population. Sponsorship: This research was supported by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Hands-on introduction to computer science at the freshman level

This paper details the creation of a hands-on introduction course that reflects the dramatic growth and diversity in computer science. Our aim was to enable students to get an end-to-end perspective on computer system design by building one. We report on a two-year exercise in using the Arduino platform to build a series of hands-on projects. We have used these projects in two course instances, and have obtained detailed student feedback, which we analyze and present in this paper. The instructions, code and videos developed are available open-source.
Vibration of thin, tensioned, helically wrapped plates

Abstract Free vibration analysis of a thin tensioned plate, wrapped around a cylindrical guide in a helical manner is presented. The system is a model of a thin, flexible web wrapped around a turn-bar. The equation of motion of the wrapped plate is derived by using the energy method and with the Kirchhoff–Love assumptions. The weak form of the equation of motion was obtained by the finite element method and the eigenvalue problem was solved numerically. The effects of parameters such as plate tension, guide radius, longitudinal and helical wrap angles, plate width, and the lengths of the non-wrapped segments were investigated. Eigenmodes with same mode numbers were observed in symmetric and anti-symmetric fashion about the center of the plate, for symmetrically wrapped plates. It was shown that the plate/shell boundary of the wrapped plate effectively acts like a support. For non-helically wrapped plates the free edges cause a frequency clustering of the lateral modes about the dominant longitudinal mode. The frequency clustering diminishes when helical wrap is introduced.
Intracranial teratoma associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum.

Several intracranial tumors are known to occur in conjunction with agenesis of the corpus callosum. We report the occurence of a teratoma with callosal agenesis, an association not previously described, and suggest that the tumor's ventral location may serve to differentiate it from other lesions.
Effect of scattering on cross-spectral purity of light

Abstract The concept of cross-spectral purity was introduced by Mandel in connection with the modulation of spectral distribution of optical fields in superposition experiments. It is now known that spectral distribution of light can also change on scattering. We investigate the effect of scattering on cross-spectral purity. We show that the purity is, in general, not preserved on scattering. We also discuss some conditions under which it can be preserved at certain pairs of points in the far-zone.
Practicing What We Preach: Creating Distance Education Models to Prepare Teachers for the Twenty-First Century.

Americans are urging a major transformation of the public schools. Many schools are responding by integrating technology throughout their whole structure. Pre‐service teacher education is not keepi...
Guns in the Balkans: controlling small arms and light weapons in seven Western Balkan countries

Violent conflict in the Western Balkans has been a significant problem for more than a decade. Addressing the problem of violence in the Western Balkans requires attention to the availability, circulation and control of weapons – particularly small arms and light weapons, which continue to cause the most significant problems. After a tremendous influx of armaments during the Balkan wars of the 1990s – as well as a significant proliferation of weapons made in Yugoslavia – a large amount of weaponry continues to exist in the region, and governments must struggle to develop and implement appropriate arms control measures in an effort to meet standards of western integration. This article analyses the extent to which the countries of the Western Balkans are addresssing their weapons issues and specifically to what extent they have successfully developed and implemented measures to control the movement of arms. The author finds that there is a significant gap between policy and practice as most countries have ...
CROSS SECTIONS FOR NONELASTIC INTERACTIONS OF 14-MEV NEUTRONS WITH VARIOUS ELEMENTS

The multiplication of neutrons by thin spherical shells of various materials surrounding a point source of 14-Mev neutrons has been measured. A special long counter was used whose energy response is independent of neutron energy over a range of energies from about 1 Mev to 14 Mev. The transmission of primary energy neutrons through the shells has been measured with a trans-stilbene detector and values of the inelastic collision cross sections have been derived. The quantity ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n,2n}+2{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n,3n}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$ is calculated, where ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n,2n}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n,3n}$ are the cross sections for ($n, 2n$) and ($n, 3n$) reactions and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$ is the sum of the cross sections of all processes which destroy a neutron. Upper and lower limits are derived for ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n,2n}$, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$, and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{is}}$ (inelastic scattering) for all materials investigated. For a number of materials specific values for the cross sections are obtained.
Advantages of laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal herniorrhaphy in the evaluation and management of inguinal hernias.

Abstract Background Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) herniorrhaphy provides an opportunity to definitively evaluate both inguinal areas without the need for additional dissection. We aimed to establish the rates and contributing patient factors to errors in the preoperative assessment. Methods A retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic TAPP herniorrhaphy at 2 tertiary-care centers. Preoperative history and physical examination were used to classify the presence of hernia as “definite,” “questionable,” or “negative.” Any discrepancies between preoperative and intraoperative findings were viewed as errors in preoperative assessment. Results Two hundred sixty-two patients underwent 328 laparoscopic TAPP hernia repairs. Of the 283 hernias diagnosed as “definite” preoperatively, 276 were confirmed at operation (97.8%). An additional 19 of 173 (11.0%) clinically unrecognized hernias were repaired at the time of surgery. Overall, our approach avoided unnecessary groin explorations and/or repairs in up to 16.4% patients and may have prevented inappropriate delays of herniorrhaphy in up to 19.8% of patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the clinical assessment of inguinal hernia were 94.5%, 80%, and 88.9%, respectively. Symptom and/or examination findings of inguinal mass were the only significant independent predictor of accuracy ( P Conclusion A high rate of discordance exists between the preoperative clinical assessment and true presence of inguinal hernias. Given the unique ability of laparoscopy to accurately evaluate the contralateral side and the limited added morbidity of bilateral repair, TAPP herniorrhaphy is beneficial in avoiding unnecessary explorations and allowing timely repairs in patients with occult inguinal hernias.
The Notch-Fatigue Behavior of an Aluminum Composite Reinforced Unidirectionally with Silicon Carbide Fiber:

The sequence of fatigue damage accumulation in silicon carbide fiber reinforced aluminum plates with circular holes and the essence of the notch endurance limit of this composite are analyzed. The affects of specimen size and hole aspect ratio on the fatigue life of these plates are discussed and rationalized. 6 references.
Radiosensitivity of mouse skin epithelial cell line established in serum-free culture: An alternative to animal use☆☆☆

Abstract A cultured line of murine skin epithelial cells was established to investigate the potential use of cultured cells as an alternative to animal use in radiation research. C3Hf/Sed newborn mouse skin cells have been successfully cultured in serum- and Ca 2+ -free medium with no terminal differentiation to keratinized cells. Presently, more than 25 passages have passed with no loss of stem cell capability. The radiosensitivity and repair of sublethal and potentially lethal radiation damages were investigated in this epithelial cell line. The population cell doubling time was 25 ± 2.9 hr at 37°C. The clonal growth of epithelial cells after irradiation was performed in the serum-free medium in the presence of lethally irradiated skin fibroblasts. Single dose survival curves of exponentially growing epithelial cells were investigated from the seventh to the twenty-third passages, and no significant changes in radiosensitivity and doubling time were found. The confluent epithelial cells also showed an identical sensitivity to radiation. The αβ ratios of survival curves fitted by the linear quadratic model were 6.1 ± 1.0 and 5.9 ± 1.3 Gy for cells in exponential and confluent phases, respectively. The survival curve of epithelial cells left in confluence for 8 hr after irradiation showed a smaller β value than that of cells plated immediately after irradiation with a resultant αβ ratio of 9.5 ± 3.8 Gy. This of ratio was identical to those found in many animal experiments, suggesting a potential use of this cell line as an alternative to animal use. The magnitude of repair of sublethal damage following 6 Gy was greater than that following 3.9 Gy. Survival curves were also obtained following twicea-day irradiations with no sign of rapid repopulation. These results are discussed by comparing with published in vivo and in vitro data.
Contractile arrest increases sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake and SERCA2 gene expression in cultured neonatal rat heart cells.

We developed protocols with intact cultured neonatal rat myocytes to directly evaluate the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-ATPase (or SERCA2), Na-Ca exchange (Na-CaX), and slow Ca transport systems (mitochondria and sarcolemmal Ca-ATPase). Spontaneously beating control cells were compared with cells cultured for 2 days in the presence of verapamil (verapamil-arrested cells, VA). Intracellular calcium (Cai) transients were measured by use of indo-1 during (1) spontaneous twitches, (2) contractures induced by rapid application of caffeine (CafC, with and without Nao), and (3) twitches induced by brief depolarizations with high [K]o solution (K-twitches). We also measured mRNA levels for the SR Ca-ATPase and Na-CaX in the same experimental preparations. The t1/2 for [Ca]i decline when both the SR Ca uptake and Na-CaX were prevented was the same for control and VA cells (approximately 20 seconds), indicating unaltered slow Ca transport systems. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the t1/2 of CafC when Na-CaX was the main mechanism responsible for [Ca]i decline (t1/2 approximately 1.5 seconds), indicating unaltered Na-CaX. Conversely, we found nearly a twofold increase in the rate of [Ca]i decline during K-twitches (control t1/2, 0.84 +/- 0.05 seconds; VA t1/2, 0.48 +/- 0.06 second; P < .001), indicating an increase in SR Ca-pumping activity in VA cells. This was also reflected by a 56% increase in the peak [Ca]i reached during CafC used to assess maximal SR Ca content (427 +/- 49 nmol/L in control versus 665 +/- 75 nmol/L in VA cells).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Identifying Technology Gaps in Hazardous Materials Operations

Our eventual goal is to design new decision support technologies to enhance understanding of fast-paced, uncertain hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response situations. Before developing improved technologies, we need to understand HAZMAT operations in practice as opposed to how it is presented in the manuals. To gain this understanding, we have been interviewing HAZMAT personnel and observing exercises. This paper presents an analysis of the communications that occurred among personnel, primarily in person or via radio, during three HAZMAT exercises (focusing on one day-long exercise in particular). This analysis allowed us to pinpoint problem areas that could potentially be addressed by decision support technologies. We provide our assessment of technology approaches that could aid the more serious problems we saw in our analysis.
Characterization of a new curtovirus, pepper yellow dwarf virus, from chile pepper and distribution in weed hosts in New Mexico

Over 4,950 asymptomatic weed samples from more than 20 weed species that are host plants for curtoviruses were collected from ten chile pepper fields in southern New Mexico (NM) during 2003, 2004 and 2005 to identify whether they were infected with curtoviruses and to determine which curtoviruses were distributed in the weed population. Polymerase chain reaction using primers designed to detect a portion of the coat protein (cp) gene were used to detect curtoviruses, and infected plants were further tested for specific curtoviruses using primers designed to detect to a portion of the replication-associated protein (rep) gene. Amplification of the cp gene was successful from 3.7, 1.17, and 1.9% of the weed samples in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. Seventy-three amplicons from those samples were sequenced and compared to well-characterized curtoviruses. Analysis of the rep nucleotide sequences showed that ~32.9% of the weed isolates tested were closely related to beet mild curly top virus (BMCTV). Approximately 12.4% were closely related to beet severe curly top virus (BSCTV). The rest of the weed isolates (54.7%), which shared a very high level of nucleotide sequence identity to each other, represent a new curtovirus species. Using eight primers designed for PCR, complete genomes of three curtoviruses isolated from chile pepper samples representing the three groups of curtoviruses in southern New Mexico were sequenced. Comparisons of whole sequences of the genomes revealed that the DG2SW171601 isolate (2,929 nucleotides) was nearly identical to BMCTV-W4 (~98% nucleotide sequence identity). The LRME27601 isolate (2,927 nucleotides) was most closely related to BSCTV (~92% nucleotide sequence identity). The LJN17601 isolate (2,959 nucleotides) shared only from 49.9 to 88.8% nucleotide sequence identity with other well-characterized curtoviruses. Based on the accepted cut-off of 89%, we propose that the LJN17601 isolate is a member of a new curtovirus species. Chile peppers infected with this virus in the field express chlorotic stunting symptoms, so we propose the name pepper yellow dwarf virus (PeYDV). This new curtovirus species may be the result of mutations in the genome and recombination between BMCTV-W4 and BSCTV.
Comparative effects of the administration of taraxein, d-LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin to human volunteers

Summary This study is a comparison of the effects induced in four nonpsychotic volunteer subjects with the administration of various psychotomimetic agents. Taraxein induced symptoms which the examiners considered to closely approximate those seen with endogenous schizophrenia. Following administration of taraxein, there was more dysphoria, blocking and thought deprivation displayed than with the other psychotomimetic compounds. Clear-cut secondary symptoms evolved with the administration of taraxein which were more typical of those seen in schizophrenic patients than the secondary symptoms induced by the other compounds. The changes induced with the administration of the other compounds were more typically toxic. Outstanding features were disturbances in sensory perception, particularly visual distortions, giddiness, and euphoria.
Effects of utility demand-side management programs on uncertainty

Abstract Electric utilities face a variety of uncertainties that complicate their long-term resource planning. These uncertainties include future economic and load growths, fuel prices, environmental and economic regulations, performance of existing power plants, cost and availability of purchased power, and the costs and performance of new demand and supply resources. As utilities increasingly turn to demand-side management (DSM) programs to provide resources, it becomes more important to analyze the interactions between these programs and the uncertainties facing utilities. This paper uses a dynamic planning model to quantify the uncertainty effects of supply-only vs DSM+supply resource portfolios. The analysis considers four sets of uncertainties: economic growth, fuel prices, the costs to build new power plants, and the costs to operate DSM programs. The two types of portfolios are tested against these four sets of uncertainties for the period 1990 to 2010. Sensitivity, scenario, and worst-case analysis methods are used. The sensitivity analyses show that the DSM+supply resource portfolio is less sensitive to unanticipated changes in economic growth, fuel prices, and power-plant construction costs than is the supply-only portfolio. The supply-only resource mix is better only with respect to uncertainties about the costs of DSM programs. The base-case analysis shows that including DSM programs in the utility's resource portfolio reduces the net present value of revenue requirements (NPV-RR) by $490 million. The scenario-analysis results show an additional $30 million (6%) in benefits associated with reduction in these uncertainties. In the worst-case analysis, the DSM+supply portfolio again reduces the cost penalty associated with guessing wrong for both cases, when the utility plans for high needs and learns it has low needs and vice versa.
Second messenger: increasing the visibility of minority viewpoints with a face-to-face collaboration tool

This paper introduces the application Second Messenger, a tool for supporting face-to-face meetings and discussions. Second Messenger uses a speech-recognition engine as an input method and outputs filtered keywords from the group's conversation onto an interactive display. The goal of this interface is to improve the quality of a group discussion by increasing the visibility of diverse viewpoints.
Discovery of novel targets for multi-epitope vaccines: Screening of HIV-1 genomes using association rule mining

Studies have shown that in the genome of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) regions responsible for interactions with the host's immune system, namely, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes tend to cluster together in relatively conserved regions. On the other hand, "epitope-less" regions or regions with relatively low density of epitopes tend to be more variable. However, very little is known about relationships among epitopes from different genes, in other words, whether particular epitopes from different genes would occur together in the same viral genome. To identify CTL epitopes in different genes that co-occur in HIV genomes, association rule mining was used. Using a set of 189 best-defined HIV-1 CTL/CD8+ epitopes from 9 different protein-coding genes, as described by Frahm, Linde & Brander (2007), we examined the complete genomic sequences of 62 reference HIV sequences (including 13 subtypes and sub-subtypes with approximately 4 representative sequences for each subtype or sub-subtype, and 18 circulating recombinant forms). The results showed that despite inclusion of recombinant sequences that would be expected to break-up associations of epitopes in different genes when two different genomes are recombined, there exist particular combinations of epitopes (epitope associations) that occur repeatedly across the world-wide population of HIV-1. For example, Pol epitope LFLDGIDKA is found to be significantly associated with epitopes GHQAAMQML and FLKEKGGL from Gag and Nef, respectively, and this association rule is observed even among circulating recombinant forms. We have identified CTL epitope combinations co-occurring in HIV-1 genomes including different subtypes and recombinant forms. Such co-occurrence has important implications for design of complex vaccines (multi-epitope vaccines) and/or drugs that would target multiple HIV-1 regions at once and, thus, may be expected to overcome challenges associated with viral escape.
"Onomatopoeia and Images": Preliminary Validity Study of a Test of Originality.

Onomatopoeia and Images is a test of originality for adults using word stimuli which include semantic and sound elements to evoke imaginative responses. Each of the equivalent forms of the test has...
Model-driven synthesis of SOA solutions

The current approach to the design, maintenance, and governance of service-oriented architecture (SOA) solutions has focused primarily on flow-driven assembly and orchestration of reusable service components. The practical application of this approach in creating industry solutions has been limited, because flow-driven assembly and orchestration models are too rigid and static to accommodate complex, real-world business processes. Furthermore, the approach assumes a rich, easily configured library of reusable service components when in fact the development, maintenance, and governance of these libraries is difficult. An alternative approach pioneered by the IBM Research Division, model-driven business transformation (MDBT), uses a model-driven software synthesis technology to automatically generate production-quality business service components from high-level business process models. In this paper, we present the business entity life cycle analysis (BELA) technique for MDBT-based SOA solution realization and its integration into service-oriented modeling and architecture (SOMA), the end-to-end method from IBM for SOA application and solution development. BELA shifts the process-modeling paradigm from one that is centered on activities to one that is centered on entities. BELA teams process subject-matter experts with IT and data architects to identify and specify business entities and decompose business processes. Supporting synthesis tools then automatically generate the interacting business entity service components and their associated data stores and service interface definitions. We use a large-scale project as an example demonstrating the benefits of this innovation, which include an estimated 40 percent project cost reduction and an estimated 20 percent reduction in cycle time when compared with conventional SOA approaches.
Pharmacokinetics of sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBECD) in subjects on hemodialysis

Background. The disposition of sulfobutylether-bcyclodextrin (SBECD), the solubilizing excipient in intravenous (IV) voriconazole, was assessed in seven male subjects with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis and six subjects with normal renal function. Methods. All subjects received twice-daily IV voriconazole at the standard voriconazole dose [6 mg/kg (96 mg/kg SBECD) every 12 h (Q12h) on Day 1 followed by 3 mg/kg (48 mg/kg SBECD) Q12h on Days 2–4, with a single IV dose on the morning of Day 5]. Subjects were sampled at selected pre-dose trough times, at selected times after infusions and intensively on Day 3 (non-dialysis) and Day 4 (dialysis with high-flux membranes). Compartmental analyses were performed by NONMEM. Results. SBECD disposition was characterized by a twocompartment model. In renal failure, mean central (V1) and peripheral compartment volumes (V2) were 9.9 and 6.5 L, respectively. In normal subjects, V1 and V2 were 9.6 and 5.2 L, respectively; SBECD clearance (CL) was 130 mL/min. CL in renal failure off-dialysis was 2.6 and 48 mL/min during dialysis; mean half-life decreased from 79 to 5 h during dialysis (normal subjects: 2.1 h). Conclusion. Hemodialysis can significantly reduce levels of SBECD in subjects with end-stage renal disease.
Long-Term Effects of Adolescent Negative Self-Feelings on Adult Deviance: Moderated by Neighborhood Disadvantage, Mediated by Expectations

This paper tests two competing hypotheses, derived from general strain and middle class measuring rod theories, regarding the moderating effects of neighborhood disadvantage on the long-term relationship between adolescent negative self-feelings and adult deviance. The results from longitudinal data support the middle class measuring rod theory: adolescent negative self-feelings increase adult deviance only in middle status neighborhoods and not in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Furthermore, this effect in middle status neighborhoods is mediated by low expectations of the future in while still in adolescence. Our findings show the importance of studying the combination of both the social psychological and the contextual influences on deviance.
Next generation power information system

Power monitoring systems (power quality monitors, digital fault recorders, digital relays, advanced controllers, etc.) continue to get more powerful and provide a growing array of benefits to overall power system operation and performance evaluation. Permanent monitoring systems are used to track ongoing performance, to watch for conditions that could require attention, and to provide information for utility and customer personnel when there is a problem to investigate. An important development area for these monitoring systems is the implementation of intelligent systems that can automatically evaluate disturbances and conditions to make conclusions about the cause of a problem or even predict problems before they occur. This paper describes the development of a Next Generation Power Information System that will provide an open platform for implementing advanced monitoring system applications that involve integration with many different data sources. The work builds on many years of experience with software for management and analysis of large power quality monitoring systems. BENEFITS Interoperability and open access to data are cornerstones to successful development and implementation of advanced smart-grid applications at the enterprise level. An integrated platform is needed that includes access to power quality data and disturbance data in addition to traditional data stores such as historians, GIS, and electrical models. Key benefits that are realized when this integration occurs include: • Advanced applications that are based on disparate utility information systems. • Automated data analysis using intelligent algorithms. • Enterprise wide (web-based) data access, reporting, and alarming . • Improved performance of transmission and distribution systems through advanced applications, such as fault location and equipment diagnostics. In operating and maintaining a power system, the timeliness and accuracy of available information has a direct impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. It also has a direct impact on the safety of employees and the public. Seamlessly integrated and automated processes that take advantage of newer and smarter remote data gathering devices reduce the time that is required to understand system dynamics and return to the optimum state. BACKGROUND Monitoring and recording power quality data can result in especially large databases. And, applications like PQView operate on these databases for data management, analysis, and reporting. Figure 1 is an example of a typical power quality monitoring system. Example of System Monitoring Concept Transmission Distribution Substation Substation Monitoring System Customer Monitoring System Customer Monitoring System Monitoring Database Local Network Data Collection Data Collection Database Management/ Local Data Analysis Corporate Intranet Internet/ World Wide Web Power Quality/ Energy Information Service Power Quality/ Reliability Performance and Data Analysis le of System it ri oncept s is ion i tribution st tion