cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1529 FACTORS INFLUENCING TRANSCUTANEOUS CARBON DIOXIDE MEASUREMENT (t c cO 2 ) IN NEONATES

The relationship between tcCO2 and PaCO2 was studied in 20 neonates and the factors effecting this relationship determined. Infants ranging from 28 to 36 weeks gestation were studied during the first week after birth using an irridium/irridium oxide electrode (Hellige Kapnomonitor) which was maintained at a temperature of 42°C. Four to eight readings were obtained on each neonate and compared to simultaneous umbilical arterial samples. There is a linear relationship between PaCO2 and tcCO2 for the entire population (tcCO2=1.30 PaCO2+16.65, r=0.80). Variation among individuals accounts for 42% of the variance about the regression line. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that increases in base deficit and mean arterial blood pressure were associated with increases in tcCO2. Arterial pH did not significantly effect the tcCO2 measurement. We conclude that, 1) for a population of premature infants, there is a linear relationship between tcCO2 and PaCO2 using the Hellige Kapnomonitor, 2) there is considerable individual variation among infants making precise prediction of PaCO2 from tcCO2 difficult, and 3) base deficit and mean arterial blood pressure have a significant effect on tcCO2 measurements.
Generalized Møller—Plesset perturbation theory applied to general MCSCF reference wave functions

Abstract We report the application of a generalized Moller—Plesset perturbation theory to multiconfigurational reference wave functions. The theory makes use of a more compact first-order space than earlier investigations and results in a computationally simplified approach. The low-order perturbation theory applied to multiconfigurational reference functions obtains a significant fraction of dynamic correlation energy for a relatively low computational cost. The importance of using a reference wave function that dissociates properly is discussed. Results are reported for the symmetric dissociation of H 2 O and the energy difference between the 1 A 1 and 3 B 1 states of CH 2 .
Galactose metabolism and ovarian toxicity

Galactose is an energy-providing nutrient and also a necessary basic substrate for the biosynthesis of many macromolecules in the body. Metabolic pathways for galactose are important not only for the provision of these pathways but also for the prevention of galactose and galactose metabolite accumulation. Problems with galactose metabolism can cause a variety of clinical manifestations in animals and humans. It has been found that the mammalian ovary is particularly susceptible to damage from the accumulation of galactose and galactose metabolites. The galactose metabolites Gal-1-P, galactitol, and UDPgal are all considered to be important in this toxicity and proposed mechanisms include interference with ovarian apoptosis and gonadotrophin signaling. This review addresses the most recent scientific findings regarding the possible mechanisms of galactose-induced ovarian toxicity and also the possible protective role of hormonal and antioxidant therapy. In addition, the available epidemiologic and scientific evidence linking galactose intake with risk of ovarian cancer is discussed.
A Multi-Level-Objective-Oriented Method for Coordination and Control of Voltage and Reactive Power in Distribution Network

A multi-level-objective-oriented method for coordination and control of voltage/reactive power in distribution network is proposed. By referring to the demand for integrated voltage and reactive power control between county and district power network, three-level objective include regional voltage control of the gate area, gate power factor control and reactive control within the power station of the gate area. The control strategy of the adjusting unit based on the nine-zone theory is analyzed, and then the correspondence between the global AVQC and local VQC is discovered, based on which the optimal and suboptimal control strategy of the adjusting unit are proposed. Finally, three steps including urgently cutting off the capacitors, combinatorial control of the capacitors and combinational control of the transformer stalls are taken one after another to realize the coordination and control over the voltage and reactive power between the superior and inferior power network. This method is implemented in the AVQC system of TianJin Chengxi grid, which operates stably and has gained good effect.
A Bayesian analysis of inventory investment

A new methodology for applied econometric work has recently been proposed by Leamer. This paper illustrates some of the aspects of this methodology through a study of aggregate inventory investment in Australia.
Purchase Frequency, Sample Selection, and Price Sensitivity: The Heavy-User Bias

We study the relationship between purchase frequency and volume and choice behavior as summarized by brand preferences and price sensitivity. Our most striking finding is that consumers with high purchase frequency or high purchase volume are much more price sensitive and have more sharply defined preferences for national brands than consumers with low frequency or low volume of purchase. In much of the choice literature, analysis is confined to households that have on average a larger number of purchases than is representative of the ERIM panel. Our findings suggest that some caution should be exercised in interpreting studies that employ purchase-frequency or purchase-number sample inclusion rules. Our findings also support an information theoretic point of view in which households become more price sensitive via costly acquisition of information about the distribution of prices.
Deformation Band Velocities and Local Strain Rates in a Ni-Cr-Fe Alloy (Inconel)

Nickel based alloys with nominal compositions similar to 78Ni -15Cr -7Fe, commonly referred to as “Inconel”, exhibit serrated flow (Portevin-LeChatelier effect) in the temperature interval of 230-730°C. Within this temperature range a series of thermally activated processes can also be observed when a wire sample of the alloy is heated with the direct resistance method under dead-weight loading while stressed above the room temperature yield. These processes include the expected initial period of plastic deformation at the start of heating followed by its complete arrest at a higher temperature, a behavior that is completely at odds with models for the thermal activation of plastic flow in metals. As the temperature is increased after this first arrest a cascade of two or three large plastic instabilities involving the high velocity propagation of narrow deformation bands is observed. Measurements of the band velocities using the time of flight within a 50.8 mm gage length extensometer indicate that they can exceed 2 m/s in some cases. Estimates of the maximum local strain rate attained within the deformation bands, obtained with a diametral extensometer, approach 15-18 s −1 . The localization of plastic flow into narrow, high velocity bands in this material is the result of the collective behavior of dislocations interacting at a high density. As demonstrated by TEM examination of the complex dislocation structures associated with these various events, however, it is difficult to rationalize a specific mechanism for these effects. If one assumes that both serrated flow and the thermally activated strain bursts are manifestations of the same basic mechanism these observations pose a challenging problem for interpretation with models for the Portevin-LeChatelier effect in this material.
The finite element method for a degenerate elliptic equation

A class of second order degenerate elliptic boundary value problems is considered. Two different finite element formulations are studied and compared. Optimal order error estimates in weighted norms are proved and numerical results are presented.
Analysis on compact Lie groups of large dimension and on connected compact groups

The study of Gaussian convolution semigroups is a subject at the crossroad between abstract and concrete problems in harmonic analysis. This article suggests selected open problems that are in large part motivated by joint work with Alexander Bendikov. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Andrzej Hulanicki. My first scientific encounter with Andrzej was through his students, which is fitting given the importance they had to him throughout his career. During my Ph.D., I came across the work of Pavel Glowacki (he told me later that he was the referee of my first research paper, published by Studia Mathematica and based on my Ph.D. Thesis). Later, I met Waldemar Hebisch, in Boston, in the late nineteen eighties. In 1991, Andrzej invited me (together with my wife, Cathy) to Wroc law for a month. We met for the first time at the Wroc law train station where he picked us up, carrying a mathematical book so that we could recognized him. This turned out to be a beginning of a very enjoyable personal and scientific relation with Andrzej, his many students and collaborators, and with the Mathematical Institute in Wroc law. As many others, I benefited from attending the conferences and schools organized by Andrzej’s group in Tuczno and, later, in Zakopane. My first Ph.D. student, Andrzej Zuk, wrote a Master thesis under Andrzej’s supervision in Wroc law before following Andrzej’s suggestion to work with me in Toulouse (in fact, Zuk prepared his thesis under the joint supervision of Andrzej and me, spending half his time in Toulouse and the other half in Wroc law, as required by his doctoral fellowship). Throughout his career, Andrzej, in addition to pursuing his own research in mathematics, put a tremendous energy into organizing and supporting mathematics in Poland and in Wroc law. He maintained many long term scientific international relations, including during periods when it was not necessarily an easy thing to do. He, ∗Research partially supported by NSF grant DMS 0603886
Cloning and sequence analysis of the genes encoding phoshotransbutyrylase and butyrate kinase from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIMB 8052

Abstract An 8.1-kb fragment of chromosomal DNA from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIMB 8052 (formerly NCIB 8052) has been cloned into plasmid pAT153 and shown to allow the growth of Escherichia coli LJ32 (F + ato C2 c ato D32 fadR ) on butyrate as the sole source of carbon and energy. Deletion analysis delineated a 3.9-kb subfragment capable of complementation. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment was determined and it was shown to encode three complete, and two incomplete open reading frames (ORFs). Based on enzymic studies of recombinant clones, two of these ORFs were shown to encode phosphotransbutyrylase and butyrate kinase. The above enzymes are involved in the acidogenic phase of fermentation in C. acetobutylicum . The fragment also carries an incomplete ORF encoding a polypeptide exhibiting substantial similarity to dihydropteroate synthase.
Olfactory, septal and amygdala lesions alone or in combination: Effects on lordosis behavior and emotionality

Abstract Ovariectomized female rats subjected to olfactory bulbectomy (OB) and treated with 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μg estradiol benzoate (EB) per day for three days showed a dose-related increase in lordosis behavior similar to that of septal lesioned (SL) rats, and relative to the response of sham operated controls. Animals with dual lesions (SL + OB) also showed increased behavioral sensitivity to estrogen, but the lesion effects were not additive. Rats given amygdala lesions (AL) showed levels of lordosis behavior comparable to that of sham animals following 2 μg EB per day for 3 days. However, AL attenuated the SL induced increase in lordosis behavior in animals given dual lesions (Sl + AL). All animals were tested for emotionality prior to surgery and on Postsurgical Days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 42. Only the SL rats showed increased emotionality, and this increase was unrelated to the facilitation of lordosis behavior. It is suggested that OB and SL may exert their effects on lordosis behavior via a common neural pathway or system. Since AL reduced behavioral sensitivity to estrogen in SL rats, the amygdala may be a part of the neural system mediating the increased sensitivity to estrogen in SL rats.
Assessing the balance

Save for the single issue of balance of power theory's relevance to the current system, where we and some of our critics are in real disagreement (and they are wrong), every aspect of this symposium has been highly productive. Our critics do not directly dispute the proposition that a rapid end of a single superpower world is extremely unlikely. They generally endorsed our core finding that the systemic constraints featured in IR scholarship are largely inoperative with respect to a United States that remains the sole superpower. These essays are consequently devoted mainly to discussing the implications of our findings and the future research agenda. In particular, they developed serious challenges to the idea of US led institutional revisionism, generated new ideas about both systemic and non-systemic constraints, and suggested potentially powerful theories about constraints on other states besides the United States.
Deep-vein thrombosis in malignancy: How long should patients be treated, and with what?

Cancer patients are at high-risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the optimal VTE prophylaxis and treatment options for this population are currently unclear. Surgical cancer patients have been shown to benefit from pharmacological VTE prophylaxis, with a number of trials suggesting that prophylaxis duration should extend beyond the traditional 7 day period. Medical (nonsurgical) cancer patients are also at high-risk of VTE, and evidence-based guidelines recommend pharmacological VTE prophylaxis in hospitalized cancer patients who are bedridden. In cancer patients with confirmed VTE, questions remain over the most effective long-term treatment regimen. Further trials are required to help physicians to make evidence-based choices for the management of VTE in these patients.
Reconstructive designs for the eyelids

General reconstructive principles unique to the eyelids may be used to guide successful eyelid and periorbital reconstruction following tissue excision. Eyelid tumors involving the medial canthus region and/or lacrimal system add to the complexity of reconstructive planning. The nature of the defect, patient and tissue factors, and surgeon preference guides repair design choices. This article discusses eyelid and periorbital reconstruction options.
Nitrate reduction by commercially available nitrate reductases: Bio-catalytic potentials and enzymatic activities in the presence of metals ions

Commercially available nitrate reductases from corn, Aspergillus niger, and Escherichia coli have the potential to mitigate excess nitrate in soils and water sources. In this study, in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate nitrate reduction by commercially available nitrate reductases from three major sources (plant, fungi and bacteria), their biocatalytic potentials and activities in the presence of varied concentrations of Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cr6+, Fe2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+. The results showed that the activity, V max, and potential to reduce nitrate was in the order: corn > A. niger > E. coli. The kinetic constant (K m) based on the various substrates used demonstrated that the binding affinity was generally highest for E. coli and lowest for A. niger. Based on the specificity constants obtained in this study, nitrate reductase from corn was the most efficient of all the enzymes assayed, yet that from E. coli showed the least. Nitrate reductase from corn and A. niger showed more variations with i...
On the failure of single-story wood-framed houses in severe storms

Abstract Wind-tunnel pressure measurements are used to define the wind forces at the roof to wall interface of typical single-story, wood-framed houses. These forces are then combined with the weight of the roof, connector capacities and the effects of internal pressure to estimate the most likely wind speeds at which a roof would separate from the walls. This is then extended to predict the risk of serious structural damage in a typical design hurricane, taking into account the form of construction, amount of shelter and the degree to which the windows are protected. Conclusions are drawn regarding the suitability of damage observations to estimate wind speeds and the susceptibility of various forms of construction to damage in severe storms.
Inhibition of gold thioglucose lesions by intrahypothalamic saline injections.

Abstract The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) at the level of the median eminence in CFI female mice was infused with saline unilaterally. Following surgical recovery, the mice were challenged with gold thioglucose (GTG) (800 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. The effects of saline on the GTG-induced necrosis in the VMH were assessed by light microscopy. Intrahypothalamic saline infusions yielded partial or complete inhibition of the GTG lesion on the side of the brain receiving the infusion.
Imaging cardiac dyssynchrony

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has become a preeminent molecular imaging technique to assess ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony. In this article, we outline the motivation for the assessment of dyssynchrony, briefly review the application of echocardiographic and other non-nuclear imaging techniques for that purpose, and detail the technical aspects and validation of phase analysis by gated single-photon computed emission tomography and positron emission tomography. We also briefly outline differences between phase analysis of MPI and radionuclide angiography. Clinical applications are then reviewed, focusing on cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Risk associated with the demilitarization of the United States chemical weapons stockpile

Abstract A risk assessment was performed in support of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Demilitarization of the US Chemical Weapons Stockpile. The risks of five disposal alternatives were assessed. These were: (1) continued storage for 25 more years; (2) a single disposal site (national alternative); (3) two disposal sites (regional); (4) disposal at each of eight storage sites (on-site altenative); and (5) on-site disposal except for two sites located near high population areas, where the stockpiles from these sites would be shipped to Tooele Army Depot for disposal (partial relocation). The shipping off-site was assumed by rail except for partial relocation which was assumed to be by air. The on-site shipping was by truck. Specially designed packaging was provided similar to that used to ship nuclear materials. The assessment examined the risks assciated with transportation, incinerator operation, and handling and included both risks from internally initiated events as well as externally initiated events such as earthquakes and tornadoes. Several measures of risk were used since it was necessary to properly assess impacts on human health, the environment, and socioeconomic resources. Each measure was treated as equal since risk impacts vary among the population. Results for each of the five alternatives are presented. A selection methodology was implemented to determine an environmentally preferred alternative. The on-site alternative was judged the preferred alternative based on risk and from an emergency planning perspective.
Women Religious Virtuosae from the Middle Ages: A Case Pattern and Analytic Model of Types

Five women religious exemplars representative of the variation in religious expression within and outside the fold of the thirteenth-century ecclesia were selected for analysis. Narratives were constructed for each case. Each narrative focuses on the distinctive features judged significant in the constitution of a case pattern or prototype. From these an array of analytic concepts was selected and applied to each exemplar. The methodological approach enables preservation of the empirical character and historical setting of each religious virtuoso yet provides for the selection of abstract distinctive features present or absent in each exemplar or ideal type. The analysis demonstrates that for the virtuosae, classic Weberian categories are neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive. Different exemplars express different orientations at different times and in different places. And the analytic elements recombine empirically to produce a wider variety in typology than envisioned by Weber
Synthesis of new fulvenes containing heterocyclic substituents

Four new fulvene derivatives bearing heterocyclic substituents have been prepared. Base-promoted condensation of cyclopentadiene with tetrahydropyran-4-one, tetrahydrothiopyran-4-one, and 1-methyl-4-piperidone afforded 4-(cyclopentadienylidene)tetrahydropyran 1, 4-(cyclopentadienylidene)tetrahydrothiopyran 2, and N-methyl-4-(cyclopentadienylidene)piperidine 3 in yields ranging from 28% to 75%. Methylation of 3 with methyl iodide gave the corresponding ammonium salt, 4.
Selective defect of in vivo glycolysis in early Huntington's disease striatum

Activity of complexes II, III, and IV of the mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS) is reduced in postmortem Huntington's disease (HD) striatum, suggesting that reduced cerebral oxidative phosphorylation may be important in the pathogenesis of neuronal death. We investigated mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in vivo in the striatum of 20 participants with early, genetically proven HD and 15 age-matched normal controls by direct measurements of the molar ratio of cerebral oxygen metabolism to cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRO(2)/CMRglc) with positron emission tomography. There was a significant increase in striatal CMRO(2)/CMRglc in HD rather than the decrease characteristic of defects in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism (6.0 +/- 1.6 vs. 5.1 +/- 0.9, P = 0.04). CMRO(2) was not different from controls (126 +/- 37 vs. 134 +/- 31 micromol 100 g(-1) min(-1), P = 0.49), whereas CMRglc was decreased (21.6 +/- 6.1 vs. 26.4 +/- 4.6 micromol 100 g(-1) min(-1), P = 0.01). Striatal volume was decreased as well (13.9 +/- 3.5 vs. 17.6 +/- 2.0 ml, P = 0.001). Increased striatal CMRO(2)/CMRglc with unchanged CMRO(2) is inconsistent with a defect in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation due to reduced activity of the mitochondrial ETS. Because HD pathology was already manifest by striatal atrophy, deficient energy production due to a reduced activity of the mitochondrial ETS is not important in the mechanism of neuronal death in early HD. Because glycolytic metabolism is predominantly astrocytic, the selective reduction in striatal CMRglc raises the possibility that astrocyte dysfunction may be involved in the pathogenesis of HD.
Preparation of succinylated yeast protein: Composition and solubility

A method for the succinylation of yeast Proteins during their isolation is described. Some factor affecting the extent of succinylation are described, e.g., heating of protein (80°C for 5 min) prior to dervatization reduced maximum succinylation of available e-amino groups from 88 to 54%. Succinylation of amino groups progressively increased as the concentration of succinic anhydride was increased and there was a concomitant decrease in nucleic acid content of the precipitated protein concentrate from 12.5 to 5.3 for 0 and 88% succinylation, respectively, succinylation enhanced the solubility of the protein concentrates particularly below pH 7 and it decreased the isoelectric point pH. 4.5 to 4.0.
Promoting modes and demoting modes in enzyme-catalyzed proton transfer reactions: A study of models and realistic systems

A number of proton transfer reactions have been studied to reveal the identity of modes that influence the rate constant, especially in the context of enzyme catalysis. Results with analytic model potentials confirmed the general notion that the effect of a given mode on the proton transfer rate depends on the symmetry of its coupling with the proton transfer coordinate. Symmetrically coupled modes have promoting effects at both high and low temperatures, although the origin of promotion is largely classical at room temperature and the increase of tunneling is important only at low temperature. Antisymmetric modes have “demoting effects” mainly because the antisymmetric coupling gives rise to asymmetry in the effective potential along the proton transfer coordinate and therefore restricts tunneling to occur effectively only when the mode is vibrationally excited. Thus, vibrational excitation of both types of modes can be important for the proton transfer rate. Calculations on TIM with a QM/MM potential clearly demonstrated that the proton transfer is strongly coupled to a large number of vibrations (including both symmetric and antisymmetric modes), which in general are localized to atoms in the active site. One of the modes is the donor-acceptor stretch, which modulates the effective barrier for the proton transfer and also the effect of tunneling. There are also other modes that are symmetrically or antisymmetrically coupled to the proton-transfer coordinate, and they involve nearby residues such as Ala 212 and Ile 170. Their effect is to adjust the enzyme environment by lowering the effective proton-transfer barrier. We propose procedures to identify motions that are important for the proton transfer based on reaction path curvature and coupling coefficients. We also emphasize that the minimum energy path (MEP) involves changes in environmental variables, such as the donor-acceptor stretch, as the primary part in the reactant and product regions and includes significant proton motion only near the barrier. Thus, there is no fundamental conflict between the MEP description of proton transfers at room temperature and Marcus type of models in the adiabatic regime; that is, both include contributions from change in the zeropoint energies.
Thermal response of various thermal barrier coatings in a high heat flux rocket engine

Traditional APS ZrO2-Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) formed by air plasma spraying and low pressure and air plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3/NiCrAlY cermet coatings were tested in an H2-O2 rocket engine. The test cycle was approximately 1.2 s at 1400 C in a hydrogen-rich environment. During testing, the maximum metal temperature without a coating was 1310 C. The traditional ZrO2-Y2O3 TBCs with a 100-125 micron thick ceramic layer reduced the maximum metal temperature by approximately 350 C. Increasing the ceramic layer thickness to 200-225 microns resulted in an additional metal temperature reduction of 100 C. However, the cermet coatings, consisting of a ceramic and metal mixture, exhibited a much lower thermal protection capability by reducing the maximum metal temperature by approximately 100 C. It was also found that the surface roughness of the traditional TBCs had little effect on the thermal response.
Substrate specificity in plasmalogen biosynthesis. Desaturation of 1-O-hexadecyloxyethyl-2-acylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine in developing rat brain.

Abstract 1- O -[1'- 14 C ]Hexadecyloxyethyl rac -glycerol was administered to 18-day-old rats by intracerebral injection, and incorporation of radioactivity into the brain lipids was determined after 6, 24 and 48 h. Some of the substrate was catabolized by oxidative cleavage of either of the two ether bonds. Cleavage in the hexadecyloxyethyl moiety yielded labeled palmitic acid, whereas oxidative cleavage of the glycol glycerol ether bond produced O -hexadecyl glycolic acid. The substrate was also incorporated as such into both ethanolamine and choline phospholipids. Evidence is presented for the desaturation by rat brain of 1- O -hexadecyloxyethyl-2-acyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine to the plasmalogen analogue, while the corresponding choline phospholipid was not desaturated.
Golgi nucleotide sugar transport and leukocyte adhesion deficiency II

In 1992 a new adhesion deficiency syndrome was described in two unrelated Arab boys, then 3 and 5 years old, each the offspring of a consanguineous mating (1, 2). Both subjects showed severe psychomotor and growth retardation and a distinctive facial appearance characterized by a flat face with a depressed nasal bridge, antiverted nostrils, and long eyelashes. They also had recurrent infections with marked neutrophilia and periodontitis. The children were found to have the rare Bombay blood phenotype, wherein the red cells express a nonfucosylated variant of the H antigen. Also missing from their red cells was another set of fucose-containing surface molecules, the Lewis blood group antigens, such as sialyl Lewis X, which is an important ligand for selectins on leukocyte surfaces. Because the features observed differed from those of a previously described leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LADI, which arises from mutations in the gene encoding the integrin β2 subunit), the new syndrome was designated LADII. The infectious symptoms in LADI are much more serious, but the patients do not suffer from the severe psychomotor and growth retardation seen in LADII. In vivo and in vitro studies also showed differences between the two LAD syndromes. Leukocytes from LADII roll on activated endothelial cells at only 20% the rate of control and LADI cells. Transmigration through the endothelium, conversely, is normal in LADII but severely impaired in LADI. These studies showed the importance of selectin interactions with sialyl Lewis X in leukocyte rolling, the first phase of the adhesion cascade. See Becker and Lowe for a detailed review of the clinical symptoms in LADII (3). More recently, LADII has been described in a Turkish child whose parents are from the same small village and therefore may be distantly related (4). This new subject, too, showed an absence of fucosylated macromolecules and shared many clinical symptoms seen in the Arab children with LADII, although he differed in exhibiting severe intrauterine growth retardation and a more pronounced immunodeficiency, which required continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (4).
Managing conflicts of interest and commitment: academic medicine and the physician's progress

The policy changes governing the relations between the pharmaceutical, medical device and service industries (‘the commercial sector’) and academic clinical research physicians, recommended by the Institute of Medicine,1 the American Academy of Medical Colleges,2 and much discussed in the media and on our campuses, aim to create some protective ethical firewalls. However, some potentially critical consequences of these steps are missed if we do not acknowledge what else is on the table, and who is sitting at it. By only reacting defensively to the juggernaut of righteous indignation over the loss of purity in a faculty physician's approach to medical problem solving, we are allowing the process to blind us to the difficulties in establishing fair and equitable management of all of the potential conflicts of commitment and conflicts of interest we incur, not only as faculty members, but also as departments and academic medical centres (AMC). Critically, this involves all sources of revenue—private, commercial and public—that support our professional and institutional commitments as well as our personal finances.i To counter the present crackdown on inappropriate financial relationships effectively, we will need to reframe the questions, and convince all stakeholders to the process that there is more to this crisis than can be resolved through our public confessions of commercial largesse obliged. The Phrma Code guidelines3 have resulted in what is believed to be a defensible, if as yet legally untested, compartmentalisation of the commercial sector's marketing, medical education and research sponsorship activities. We at the AMC are a long way from understanding how those same missions, as they emanate from our multifarious commitments, can be isolated and individually managed. Defining the parameters for establishing institutional conflicts of interest and commitment are beyond our essay's scope, but with the very public emphasis on capitalist subversion of …
What kinds of sense organs can nature evolve

I argue that much can be said about vision systems in general without invoking any particular instances Should astrobiology be lucky enough to encounter moderately advanced alien creatures (think salamanders not people), we will be able to understand their vision systems, however odd, as special cases of a very general procedure that any complex animal or system must use to operate in its world . Indeed, it is possible to illustrate that hypothesis with terrestrial examples of very weird visual systems that humans have created for animals. Also, many 21 st Century machines exhibit primitive visual perception.
The secure enterprise desktop: changing today's computing infrastructure

An end-user computing environment is characterized by an image which is the ensemble comprising operating system, applications and data) and by the hardware where the image is running. One can essentially distinguish two fundamental approaches: either the image is installed on a given end-user owned computer or the image is run on a server and is remotely accessed by the user through a remote desktop. Both approaches, however, have a disadvantage. In the former case, no network connectivity is required as the image is stored on the local computer, this data is lost when the computer such as a notebook is lost or stolen. Moreover, in an enterprise environment, it is very difficult to control that image and apply patches, check for viruses etc. While the latter approach waives these shortcommings, a continuous network connection is required to work with that virtual machine which may not be always available. With the Secure Enterprise Desktop, we bridge this gap and allow users to use their computer image locally or remotely and ensure that their computer image is continuously synchronized.
An SVM-based approach to face detection

This paper presents a face detection system based on support vector machines (SVM). The /spl lambda/-coefficients (that correspond to the SVM support vectors) are determined from a set of training images from the Olivetti Research Lab (ORL) database. The support vectors are the archetypes for face and non-face images. Test images (containing both face and non-face images) are presented to the system. The SVM algorithm (now programmed and trained according to the support vector archetypes) maps the test images into higher dimension transform space where a hyperplane decision function is constructed. The hyperplane decision function is based on a degree-one polynomial (i.e. kernel function). The decision function is constructed equidistance between support vector archetypes to give an optimal hyperplane decision function. There are various methods for calculating the /spl lambda/-coefficients. In this paper, the coefficients are calculated using the multiplicative update algorithm proposed in (F. Sha, et al., Multiplicative Updates for Nonnegative Quadratic Programming in Support Vector Machines). Following the calculation of these coefficients and implementation of the SVM algorithm, we use the set of test images from the ORL database to demonstrate the SVM's performance as a face detection system. The goal or objective at this juncture is to simply determine the SVM's detection rate for the simplest kernel function (i.e. whether an image presented to the system is a face or non-face image).
Characterization of model antigens composed of biotinylated haptens bound to avidin

Model antigens of defined structure and limited valency have been prepared by binding 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-biotin haptens of different lengths to the biotin binding sites of avidin. These complexes have been characterized structurally by spectroscopic methods and functionally by testing their ability to crosslink cell-bound anti-DNP immunoglobulin E-receptor complexes to stimulate degranulation of rat basophilic leukemia cells. One of these haptens, 1-DNP-amino-12-biotinamido dodecane, is shown to have only two tight binding sites per avidin molecule, and the resulting bivalent (DNP-biotin)-avidin antigen is found to stimulate substantial degranulation. Another DNP-biotin hapten that is ∼10 A longer has four tight binding sites per avidin and, when bound to avidin, has greater activity similar to a highly DNP-conjugated multivalent antigen. These and other (DNP-biotin)-avidin complexes described here represent a new group of chemically well-defined antigens that are useful for studying the binding to a...
The Phase Perturbation Technique vs. an Exact Numerical Method for Random Rough Surface Scattering

There is a need for a solution to the problem of wave scattering from rough surfaces that is accurate when both the classical field perturbation and Kirchhoff approximations are not. In previous work it was shown numerically that the phase perturbation reflection and backscattering coefficients reduce to those of field perturbation theory and the Kirchhoff approximation in the appropriate limits; however, for cases when the classical solutions did not apply, the accuracy of the phase perturbation results could not be determined. In this paper we examine the validity of the phase perturbation technique for a region in parameter space when the two classical solutions fail. Numerical results for the bistatic scattering cross section are compared with exact numerical results for one-dimensional surfaces having a Gaussian roughness spectrum and satisfying a Dirichlet boundary condition. It is found that in the region considered the phase perturbation results agree with the exact results over all scattered angl...
Optical I/O technology for tera-scale computing

This paper describes both a near term and a long term optical interconnect solution, the first based on a packaging architecture and the second based on a monolithic photonic CMOS architecture. The packaging-based optical I/O architecture implemented with 90 nm CMOS transceiver circuits, 1 × 12 VCSEL/detector arrays and polymer waveguides achieves 10 Gb/s/channel at 11 pJ/b. A simple TX pre-emphasis technique enables a potential 18 Gb/s at 9.6 pJ/b link efficiency. Analysis predicts this architecture to reach less than 1 pJ/b at the 16 nm CMOS technology node. A photonic CMOS process enables higher bandwidth and lower energy-per-bit for chip-to-chip optical I/O through integration of electro-optical polymer based modulators, silicon nitride waveguides and polycrystalline germanium (Ge) detectors into a CMOS logic process. Experimental results for the photonic CMOS ring resonator modulators and Ge detectors demonstrate performance above 20 Gb/s and analysis predicts that photonic CMOS will eventually enable energy efficiency better than 0.3 pJ/b with 16 nm CMOS. Optical interconnect technologies such as these using multi-lane communication or wavelength division multiplexing have the potential to achieve TB/s interconnect and enable platforms suitable for the tera-scale computing era.
Charge exchange and cluster formation in an rf Paul trap: interaction of alkali atoms with C+60

Abstract A Paul ion trap was used to study the formation of clusters under controlled temperature and pressure conditions. Exposure of cold C + 60 ions to Li flux leads to the formation of Li n C + 60 clusters ( n = 1–18) occurring by the sequential association of Li atoms. Cluster formation dependence on He pressure displayed a competition between vibrational relaxation and unimolecular dissociation. Collisions with Na, K, Rb and Cs atoms resulted in dissociative charge exchange. Decay rates of C + 60 ions resulting from these low-energy charge exchange collisions were consistent with Langevin capture rates.
Coronavirus Pathogenesis and the Emerging Pathogen Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a family of enveloped, single-stranded, positive-strand RNA viruses classified within the Nidovirales order. This coronavirus family consists of pathogens of many animal species and of humans, including the recently isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). This review is divided into two main parts; the first concerns the animal coronaviruses and their pathogenesis, with an emphasis on the functions of individual viral genes, and the second discusses the newly described human emerging pathogen, SARS-CoV. The coronavirus part covers (i) a description of a group of coronaviruses and the diseases they cause, including the prototype coronavirus, murine hepatitis virus, which is one of the recognized animal models for multiple sclerosis, as well as viruses of veterinary importance that infect the pig, chicken, and cat and a summary of the human viruses; (ii) a short summary of the replication cycle of coronaviruses in cell culture; (iii) the development and application of reverse genetics systems; and (iv) the roles of individual coronavirus proteins in replication and pathogenesis. The SARS-CoV part covers the pathogenesis of SARS, the developing animal models for infection, and the progress in vaccine development and antiviral therapies. The data gathered on the animal coronaviruses continue to be helpful in understanding SARS-CoV.
Function of the upstream hypersensitive sites of the chicken beta-globin gene cluster in mice.

Abstract We have shown previously that the chicken beta A-globin gene, with its 3' enhancer, is expressed in a copy number-dependent manner in transgenic mice. The expression level was low but increased approximately 6-fold upon inclusion of 11 kb of upstream DNA containing four DNase I hypersensitive sites. To study the effect of the individual upstream hypersensitive sites on transgene expression, we produced lines of mice in which the individual upstream sites were linked to the beta A gene and enhancer. RNA levels were measured in blood from adult animals. With each of these four constructs, the level of transgene RNA per DNA copy varied over a > 20-fold range. These data suggest that addition of a hypersensitive site to the beta A-globin/enhancer region abrogates its position independent expression. The average beta A-globin expression per copy in the lines carrying an upstream site was comparable with that in lines without an upstream site. Thus, no single upstream hypersensitive site accounts for the higher level of beta A-globin expression seen in mice containing the complete upstream region. We had shown previously that control of the chicken beta-globin cluster is distributed between at least two regions, the beta A/epsilon enhancer and the upstream region. Our current results suggest that the control mediated by the upstream DNA is itself distributed and is not due to a single hypersensitive site.
Application of P450 reporter gene system (RGS) in the analysis of sediments near pulp and paper mills

Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction in fish and other animals has been reported following exposure to pulp and paper mill effluent. Dioxins and furans as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are known inducers of CYP1A and have been found in sediments near pulp and paper mills. Retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene), an alkyl-substituted phenanthrene, has been recently associated with effluent and found to induce CYP1A in fish. This study utilized an in vitro assay, P450 Reporter Gene System (RGS), to assess the transcriptional activation of human CYP1A by retene after short (6 h) and long (16 h) exposures. Retene was as potent as benzo[a]pyrene in inducing RGS, but was not as readily biotransformed by the cells. Extracts of sediments collected near a pulp and paper mill were analysed, and RGS-derived toxic equivalencies (TEQ) were strongly correlated with Chemical TEQ analysis of dioxins and furans determined by EPA Method 8290 using high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. RGS ...
Tapping Hermes: a case study of tapping processes

Developing distributed systems includes activities such as testing, verification, debugging, and performance analysis. The authors introduce the set of generic events that are monitored by different development activities for distributed systems and identify other desirable monitoring properties for an efficient monitoring pool. They then give an overview of the newly introduced constructs, called tapping processes, that extend orthogonal languages so that this language-based approach can also be used as an event-based approach for the development of distributed systems. Those constructs provide accurate information about monitored systems without causing any perturbation. To illustrate the advantages of the new approach, it is shown in detail how the Hermes programming language was extended to include the tapping processes' constructs. >
Cylindrical FDTD Analysis of LWD Tools Through Anisotropic Dipping-Layered Earth Media

Electrical logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools are commonly used in oil and gas exploration to estimate the conductivity (resistivity) of adjacent Earth media. In general, Earth media exhibit anisotropic conductivities. This implies that when LWD tools are used for deviated and horizontal drilling, the resulting borehole problem may include dipping-layered media with dipping beds having full 3 times 3 conductivity tensors. To model this problem, we describe a 3-D cylindrical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm extended to fully anisotropic conductive media and implemented with cylindrical perfectly matched layers to mimic open-domain problems. The 3-D FDTD algorithm is validated against analytical results in simple formations, showing good agreement, and used to simulate the response of LWD tools through anisotropic dipping beds for various values of anisotropic conductivities and dipping angles
The history and purview of phylogeography: A personal reflection

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the birth of phylogeography as a formal discipline. However, the field’s gestation began in the mid-1970s with the introduction of mitochondrial (mt) DNA analyses to population genetics, and to the profound shift toward genealogical thought at the intraspecific level (now formalized as coalescent theory) that these methods prompted. This paper traces the early history and explosive growth of phylogeography, and closes with predictions about future challenges for the field that centre on several facets of genealogical concordance.
Exclusionary School Punishment: The Effect of Racial Threat on Expulsion and Suspension

Schools today frequently resort to punishments that exclude students from the classroom, such as expulsion, suspension, and in-school suspension, much like the criminal justice system excludes crim...