cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal database modeling: an object-oriented approach

This work proposes a number of different approaches for incorporating temporal extensions to object-oriented databases. One important question that arises when dealing with temporal databases in the context of objec&oriented systems is whether to associate time with objects or with attributes. Results of previous work comparing tuple (ob ject) versioning and attribute versioning — such as whether to extend flat (F’NF) or nested (NF’NF) relational models — are not applicable to temporal object-oriented databases. This is because object-oriented models provide more powerful constructs than traditional modeis for structuring complex objects. Our goal in this paper is to study alternative temporal object-oriented database representations by identifying the different techniques for representing temporal databases in an object-riented framework. This is in contrast to other work that adopts a single particular approach. Our goal is to determine the particular situation for which each repr~ sentation is applicable. We define the concepts of object versioning and attribute versioning in temporal object-oriented models, and we concentrate on identifying the various representations of temporal relationships between objects. Another contribution of this paper is to analyze our different temporal representations and to determine their storage requirement. A general framework is defined in which the characteristics of various temporal models are studied. A simulation study is performed comparing storage costs of our various temporal representations, and also a temporal FNF relational representation. * Computer Science Engineering Department ,The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, Fax: (817) 2733784, Telephone: (817) 273-3785, Email: ehnasri@cse.uta.edu. t Office Of The Vice President for Resemch & Information Technology, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251, Fax: (713) 523-0259, Telephone: (713) 523-0080, Email: vram@rice .edu. This work was done while the author was *ociated with The University of Texas at Arlington. ~ Computer Science Engineering Department ,The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, Fax: (817) 2733784, Telephone: (81 7) 2733785, Email: fernando@cse.uta.edu. Permission to copy without fee afl or pwt of this material is grantad providatf that tho copies aro not made or cfistributad for direct commercial advantaga, tha ACM cop~ight notico ●nd tha titla of the publication and ita date appeor, ●nd notice is @ven that copying ia by parmkion of tha Association for Computing Machinary. 10 copy otherwise, or to rapublish, requires a faa arrdlor specific permission. CIKM ’93-1 l/93/O. C., USA @ 1993 ACM 0-89791-626-3/93/001 1 .. ..$1.50
Flatfish Farming Systems in the Atlantic Region

The farming of flatfish in the Atlantic region is increasing steadily, and members of this group of fish are well represented in the lists of “new species for aquaculture”. This sector is currently dominated by the farming of around 5000 MT/year of European turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). Other species of importance include the Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), sole (Solea solea, S. senegalensis), and the summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Various systems, both sea-based and land-based, are used to grow these species to harvest weight. Flatfish are well suited to land-based farming and can be grown in a variety of tank types. Some species, particularly European turbot and Atlantic halibut, can be held at high densities (50 to 75 kg/m2), and the use of multiple layers within tanks further improves productivity for halibut. Cage systems for flatfish are generally adapted from those used to raise round fish and incorporate rigid bases. Surface cages are more widespread, but the use of submer...
Thermal Insulation of Single and Multiple Layers of Fabrics

Thermal insulation, thickness, and volume of air per unit area of fabric have been determined for single and multiple layers of fabrics. A comparison of the thermal in sulation and thickness values obtained by the actual measurement of multiple layers of fabrics to those obtained by adding the values of the individual fabrics involved has been made. In addition, thermal insulation data for the single and multiple layers of fabrics were plotted against the values for the other properties to show the relationships that exist.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MASSIVE TOPAZ

Tests on the deposit of massive topaz in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, show that the mineral has a P.C.E. of 40 and a low permanent expansion. Most of the fluorine and water are driven off between 850° and 900 ° C. The fluorine, however, carries off with it some of the iron and considerable silica. The physical properties of a fire-clay refractory in which different amounts of topaz are used to replace flint fire clay have also been investigated.
In our cages with golden bars

Purpose – This paper aims to postulates on the current limitations of digital libraries, and what digital libraries might be if librarians and digital library developers thought about digital libraries differently.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is in the form of an experiential commentary.Findings – The paper finds that libraries should be more accepting of change and embrace the digital world.Originality/value – This paper seeks to move the thinking about the future of digital libraries beyond its current scope. It should be of interest to digital library developers, librarians, and information scientists.
Effects of a drink containing creatine, amino acids, and protein combined with ten weeks of resistance training on body composition, strength, and anaerobic performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a drink containing creatine, amino acids, and protein vs. a carbohydrate placebo on body composition, strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic performance before and after 10 weeks of resistance training. Fifty-one men (mean +/- SD; age: 21.8 +/- 2.9 years) were randomly assigned to either the test drink (TEST; n = 23) or the placebo (PLAC; n = 28) and performed two 30-second Wingate Anaerobic Tests for determination of peak power (PP) and mean power (MP), were weighed underwater for percent body fat (%fat) and fat-free mass (FFM), and were tested for 1 repetition maximum (1RM) dynamic constant external resistance strength and muscular endurance (END; number of repetitions performed with 80% of 1RM) on the bilateral leg extension (LE) and free-weight bench press (BP) exercises. The testing was conducted before (PRE) and after (POST) 10 weeks of resistance training (3 sets of 10 repetitions with 80% of the subject's 1RM performed 3 times per week) on the LE and BP exercises. Body weight, FFM, LE 1RM, LE END, BP 1RM, and BP END increased (p < 0.05), whereas %fat decreased (p < 0.05) from PRE to POST for both the TEST and PLAC groups. Peak power and MP, however, increased for the TEST group, but not for the PLAC group. These results suggested that the creatine-, amino acid-, and protein-containing drink provided no additional benefits when compared with carbohydrates alone for eliciting changes in body composition, strength, and muscular endurance after a 10-week resistance training period. The TEST drink was, however, more effective than carbohydrates alone for improving anaerobic power production.
AMINE METABOLISM AND THE SMALL BOWEL IN URÆMIA

Abstract Intestinal intubation was carried out in 21 subjects: 9 with end-stage renal failure, 2 with early renal insufficiency, 7 untreated patients with blind-loop syndrome, and 3 normal volunteers. All 9 patients with uraemia had significantly raised duodenal dimethylamine (D.M.A.) concentrations compared with the other groups tested. Alteration of the intestinal bacterial flora with antibiotics markedly reduced serum D.M.A. and trimethylamine concentrations and modified the symptoms. Potentially toxic metabolites in the small bowel might have significant nutritional and toxic sequelae in uraemia and these findings suggest that current therapeutic approaches to the treatment of end- stage kidney disease should be re-examined in relation to bowel flora.
Pregnancy diagnosis in the domestic horse through direct urinary estrone conjugate analysis

Abstract Urinary estrone conjugates were measured directly by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 20 pregnancies from preconception diestrus to day 78 of pregnancy. High performance liquid chromatography separation defined estrone sulfate (ES) as the predominant immunoreactive peak which accounted for 94% to 97% of the total immunoreactivity after chromatography. Diestrous values indexed by creatinine were 0.15 ± 0.07 micrograms/mg Cr, x ± SEM as compared to estrous values which rose to 0.47 ± 0.14 micrograms/mg Cr, x ± SEM . Urinary ES concentrations significantly increased (P = 0.0001 in pregnant mares from day 35 to day 47 (1.21 ± 0.12 micrograms/mg Cr) as compared to day 25 to day 34 (0.27 ± 0.01 micrograms/mg Cr). Measurement of urinary ES may provide an alternate or augmentive method of pregnancy diagnosis in the domestic mare.
MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS IN FLAME-DEPOSITED DIAMOND

An oxy-acetylene flame, impinging vertically upward on an Si(001) substrate, is systematically examined for morphological variations in the resulting diamond deposits. The flame is operated under near neutral (O2/C2H2 ratio near 1.0) conditions in the unconfined, open atmosphere. Singly twinned crystal morphologies in addition to the usual (001) faceted structures are observed and reported for the first time. Similar morphological variations are observed along the radial as well as the axial (vertical) coordinate directions in the flame. Large changes in morphology are observed for changes in vertical position as small as 50 μm.
Corticosteroid Therapy for Acquired F VIII:C Inhibitors

Summary. The appearance of an acquired inhibitor to factor VIII clotting activity (F VIII:C) in a non-haemophiliac is an uncommon phenomenon; but, when it occurs, represents a difficult therapeutic problem. Cyclophosphamide has been the most frequently used form of therapy while corticosteroids, when used alone, have been felt to be ineffective. During the past 25 years, 18 of these patients have been evaluated in Pittsburgh. Their mean age was 63·7 years. Nine were female and nine male. Sixteen of the 18 received corticosteroids as their primary form of therapy. Eleven of the 16 (69%) showed clinical and laboratory improvement. Seven of the 11 had a complete response and the remaining four a partial response. Five patients demonstrated no improvement with corticoid therapy. The time to response varied from 4 to 41 d (x 15·8). It was concluded that corticosteroids when used alone provide therapeutic results comparable to immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of acquired inhibitors to F VIII:C and therefore represent a therapeutic alternative to immunosuppressive agents.
Temporal weighting of binaural cues revealed by detection of dynamic interaural differences in high-rate Gabor click trains

Listeners detected interaural differences of time (ITDs) or level (ILDs) carried by single 4000-Hz Gabor clicks (Gaussian-windowed tone bursts) and trains of 16 such clicks repeating at an interclick interval (ICI) of 2, 5, or 10 ms. In separate conditions, target interaural differences favored the right ear by a constant amount for all clicks (condition RR), attained their peak value at onset and diminished linearly to 0 at offset (condition R0), or grew linearly from 0 at onset to a peak value at offset (condition 0R). Threshold ITDs and ILDs were determined adaptively in separate experiments for each of these conditions and for single clicks. ITD thresholds were found to be lower for 16-click trains than for single clicks at 10-ms ICI, regardless of stimulus condition. At 2-ms ICI, thresholds in RR and R0 conditions were similar to single click thresholds at 2-ms ICI; thresholds in the 0R condition were significantly worse than for single clicks at 2-ms ICI, consistent with strong rate-dependent onset dominance in listeners’ temporal weighting of ITD. ILD thresholds, in contrast, were predominantly unaffected by ICI, suggesting little or no onset dominance for ILD of high-rate stimuli.
Synthesis of perfluoro-t-butyl trifluorovinyl ether and its copolymerization with TFE

Abstract Perfluoro-t-butyl trifluorovinyl ether (CF3)3COCF CF2 was prepared by the addition of perfluoro-t-butyl hypofluorite (CF3)3COF to 1,2-dichloro-1,2-difluoroethylene followed by dechlorination. The obtained trifluorovinyl ether monomer readily copolymerizes with TFE in the presence of a radical initiator.
Secrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and His Wives

Secrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and His Wives. By Maria Tatar, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2004, 247 pp., £10.95 (pbk), ISBN 0-691-12738-2 Secrets Beyond the Door t...
HABITUATION (ADAPTATION) IN THE MIDDLE-EAR MUSCLE REFLEXES OF THE CAT.

Habituation (adaptation) in the middle-ear muscle acoustic reflex response of the cat is described, which has been observed as altering reflex threshold sensitivity by as much as 50 db and as affecting continuous contractions to an equally impressive degree. These observations (and their ramifications) are offered as one explanation for so-called “species differences” in reflex sensitivity and as a basis for suggesting that similar effects probably also occur in man.
Quantitative determination of dye uptake by bacterial cells.

A colorimetric method is presented for the quantitative determination of dye uptake by bacterial cells. Experiments showed that the dye to cell ratio was of major importance in controlling the amount of dye taken up per weight of bacterial cells. Approximate dye saturation of cells could be obtained (at pH 6.1 to 6.3) although the dye uptake curves did not absolutely level off.
Abstract P6-03-01: Low dose exposure of non-malignant breast epithelial cells to the polyester and PET precursor, terephthalic acid, triggers broad-based dysfunctional changes

BACKGROUND: Terephthalic acid (TPA) is the raw material for the production of polyester fiber and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or #1 plastic. With steadily increasing levels of TPA in our environment, concerns for public health are foreseeable. We report the role of low dose TPA exposure in the induction of well-accepted endpoints of cancer progression within non-cancerous breast cells. METHODS: In our previous work with bisphenol-A (BPA) and methylparaben (MP), we employed human, benign, high-risk donor breast epithelial cells (HRBECs) to study functional response to chemical exposure. To measure the effects of TPA, 3 independent spontaneously immortalized ER-positive HRBEC lines were treated with concentrations ranging from 100pM to 100μM for 7 days. Changes in the levels of key signaling proteins encoded by genes associated with estrogenic stimulation, cell cycle, DNA replication, DNA repair, and apoptosis, were analyzed by Western blots. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to quantitate alterations in cell proliferation and programmed cell death. TPA-induced DNA double strand breaks were visualized as nuclear foci of activated gH2AX, and p53 by immunofluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: TPA exposure was estrogenic in HRBECs as evident by ERα activation. Similar to our findings with BPA and MP, prior exposure to TPA at 1 or more concentrations in the low dose range enabled programmed cell death evasion in 3/3 immortalized HRBEC lines (p CONCLUSION: Supporting the novel observation of mTOR activation in HRBECs by BPA in our previous work, TPA-induced pathway perturbations demonstrate that the common practice of screening for potential breast carcinogens simply based on increased cell proliferation, presumably stimulated by the mitogenic activity of estrogen mimics, is an oversimplification of possible sources of risk to target cells within the breast. Using such limited tests, TPA would be deemed inactive – ostensibly a false negative result. Effects of environmental chemicals must therefore be evaluated by multiple endpoints in independent biological programs within responsive human cell types. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P6-03-01.
Radiation dosimetry by current glow in diamond

The dosimetric capabilities of current-glow processes in neutron bombarded diamond in the u.v. and visible regions are described and the effect of bombardment on the spectral characteristics of excitation and i.r. quenching has been studied. It is shown that a self-consistent model for the trap distribution before and after bombardment can be formulated on this basis.
The Early Cretaceous mammal Gobiconodon (Mammalia, Triconodonta) from the Cloverly Formation in Montana

ABSTRACT Gobiconodon ostromi, sp. nov., described from two partial skeletons collected from the Cloverly Formation in southcentral Montana, is closely related to Gobiconodon borissiaki Trofimov (1978) from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. The unusual dental characters of this new form are enlarged caniniform incisors, reduced canines, and replacement of the molariform teeth that lie distal to the presumptive premolars. Despite the fact that the molariform occlusal pattern is the same as in Amphilestes of the Middle Jurassic and the overall structure of the molariform teeth is comparable to that in amphilestid triconodonts, the dentition is otherwise so anomalous that Gobiconodon is assigned to a new family. The scapula possesses a supraspinous fossa and an apparently large coracoid. The humerus exhibits large deltopectoral and medial crests, and protuberant epicondyles; the planes of the proximal and distal halves of this bone are substantially offset. The pelvis conforms to a generalized mammalian patte...
μ-calpain activation in β-lapachone-mediated apoptosis

β-Lapachone (β-Lap) triggers apoptosis in a number of human breast and prostate cancer cell lines through a unique apoptotic pathway that is dependent upon NQO1, a two-electron reductase. Recently, our laboratory showed that β-lap-exposed MCF-7 cells exhibited an early increase in intracellular cytosolic Ca2+ from endoplasmic reticulum stores, and that BAPTA-AM (an intracellular Ca2+ chelator) blocked these early increases and partially inhibited all aspects of b-lap-induced apoptosis. We now show that exposure of NQO1-expressing breast cancer cells to β-lap stimulates a unique proteolytic apoptotic pathway involving μ-calpain activation. No apparent activation of μ-calpain was noted. Upon activation, m-calpain translocated to the nucleus concomitant with specific nuclear proteolytic events. Apoptotic responses in β-lap-exposed NQO1-expressing cells were significantly delayed and survival enhanced by exogenous over-expression of calpastatin, a natural inhibitor of m- and μ-calpains. Furthermore, purified ...
Elevated Troponin I in patients with no or non-obstructive coronary arterial disease; Characterization by Cardiac MRI

Methods All patients with non-obstructive CAD by coronary angiography (<50% luminal stenosis) and an elevated Tn-I who were referred for contrast-enhanced cMRI were retrospectively identified for the period of 11/29/2004-6/28/ 2008. Patients were subdivided based on cMRI findings: 1)Normal, 2)Ischemic Disease, 3)Myocarditis, 4)Takotsubo, and 5)Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (NICM). Clinical characteristics (age, sex), Tn-I level, and ejection fraction (EF) were reviewed, as well as survival using the social security death index.
Cation attachment to multiply charged anions of oxidized bovine insulin A-chain

Multiply charged anions of oxidized bovine insulin A-chain react with protonated quinoline exclusively by proton transfer in a Paul trap operated with helium bath gas at a pressure of 10 -3 Torr. The isomeric [C 9 H 8 N] + ions formed from the reaction of [C 4 H 4 ] +. with pyridine, on the other hand, react largely by attachment to the multiply charged anions of oxidized bovine insulin A-chain. This observation can be rationalized on the basis of competition between unimolecular decomposition versus cooling of the ion-ion collision complex. In the case of protonated quinoline, no significant barriers are expected along the reaction coordinate for proton transfer. However, the [C 9 H 8 N] + ion-molecule reaction product is not expected to transfer a proton without undergoing rearrangement, as is consistent with ion trap collisional activation results. The rearrangement reaction introduces a significant barrier along the reaction coordinate, thereby increasing the lifetime of the ion-ion collision complex. RRKM modeling for a polypeptide of comparable size suggests that a barrier of 0.6 eV or greater will allow for the observation of cation attachment whereas the lifetimes of collision complexes with well depths less than ∼0.6 eV are too short for collisional cooling by the bath gas to be effective.
Oxygen utilization and the branchial pressure gradient during ram ventilation of the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus: is lamnid shark-tuna convergence constrained by elasmobranch gill morphology?

Ram ventilation and gill function in a lamnid shark, the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus , were studied to assess how gill structure may affect the lamnid–tuna convergence for high-performance swimming. Despite differences in mako and tuna gill morphology, mouth gape and basal swimming speeds, measurements of mako O2 utilization at the gills (53.4±4.2%) and the pressure gradient driving branchial flow (96.8±26.1 Pa at a mean swimming speed of 38.8±5.8 cm s–1) are similar to values reported for tunas. Also comparable to tunas are estimates of the velocity (0.22±0.03 cm s–1) and residence time (0.79±0.14 s) of water though the interlamellar channels of the mako gill. However, mako and tuna gills differ in the sites of primary branchial resistance. In the mako, approximately 80% of the total branchial resistance resides in the septal channels, structures inherent to the elasmobranch gill that are not present in tunas. The added resistance at this location is compensated by a correspondingly lower resistance at the gill lamellae accomplished through wider interlamellar channels. Although greater interlamellar spacing minimizes branchial resistance, it also limits lamellar number and results in a lower total gill surface area for the mako relative to tunas. The morphology of the elasmobranch gill thus appears to constrain gill area and, consequently, limit mako aerobic performance to less than that of tunas.
oskar Predates the Evolution of Germ Plasm in Insects

oskar is the only gene in the animal kingdom necessary and sufficient for specifying functional germ cells. However, oskar has only been identified in holometabolous ("higher") insects that specify their germline using specialized cytoplasm called germ plasm. Here we show that oskar evolved before the divergence of higher insects and provide evidence that its germline role is a recent evolutionary innovation. We identify an oskar ortholog in a basally branching insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. In contrast to Drosophila oskar, Gb-oskar is not required for germ cell formation or axial patterning. Instead, Gb-oskar is expressed in neuroblasts of the brain and CNS and is required for neural development. Taken together with reports of a neural role for Drosophila oskar, our data demonstrate that oskar arose nearly 50 million years earlier in insect evolution than previously thought, where it may have played an ancestral neural role, and was co-opted to its well-known essential germline role in holometabolous insects.
How can we pay for graduate medical education in ambulatory care

The need for expanded training in ambulatory care is clear, not only in specialties that have traditionally emphasized outpatient practice (such as dermatology and family medicine), but also in spe...
Low-profile dual-polarized UHF array antenna

A low-profile dual-polarized UHF array antenna has been developed for wide field-of-view dual sector coverage in the 250 to 450 MHz frequency range for communications or radar applications. The antenna utilizes a pair of parasitically-tuned dipole arrays for horizontal polarization and a pair of parasitically-tuned monopole arrays for vertical polarization, and both arrays are mounted on a common ground plane. The thickness of the antenna is 18.2 cm. Numerical electromagnetic simulations were used to analyze and optimize the antenna parameters prior to fabrication. Measurements of the dual-polarized prototype in an anechoic chamber demonstrate the antenna's return loss and dual-polarized radiation gain pattern performance.
Carbonyl Coordination Chemistry from a New Angle: A Computational Study of α-Carbon Acidity Based on Electrophile Coordination Geometry

The dependence of acidity on Li⊕ coordination geometry to α-carbon acids is investigated by generating potential energy surfaces of Li⊕ complexation with acetaldehyde and its respective enolate. The global minimum for the enolate complex shows significant Li⊕−π-system coordination to both oxygen and the α-carbon. The gas-phase acidity analysis reveals significantly more α-carbon coordination, which presumably enhances the lability of the cleaving proton in the transition state of deprotonation.
Nonlinear piecewise polynomial approximation beyond Besov spaces

Abstract We study nonlinear n-term approximation in L p ( R 2 ) (0 R 2 which allow arbitrarily sharp angles. To characterize the rate of approximation we introduce and develop three families of smoothness spaces generated by multilevel nested triangulations. We call them B-spaces because they can be viewed as generalizations of Besov spaces. We use the B-spaces to prove Jackson and Bernstein estimates for n-term piecewise polynomial approximation and consequently characterize the corresponding approximation spaces by interpolation. We also develop methods for n-term piecewise polynomial approximation which capture the rates of the best approximation.
Investigation of temporal variations in stress orientations before and after four major earthquakes in California

Abstract Orientations of the principal stresses before and after four major earthquakes in the greater San Francisco Bay Area were determined by inversions of 34 suites of focal mechanisms of about 1500 small earthquakes recorded by the Northern California Seismic Network over three decades. Stress orientations are expected to rotate due to the release of shear stress in a major earthquake. The degree of rotation can place some constraints on the ambient level of stress in the crust surrounding the mainshock. For the four earthquakes studied here, the 1986 Mt. Lewis, 1984 Morgan Hill, 1979 Coyote Lake, and 1989 Loma Prieta events, modest rotations of the maximum compressive stress SH to a higher angle (i.e., an orientation closer to fault-normal) appear to occur at the time of the mainshock. In some cases, SH eventually rotates back towards its original orientation. However, due to relatively large uncertainties obtained on the stress orientations, the constraints that can be inferred on the absolute levels of stress surrounding the mainshock regions are rather weak. By considering the largest stress change permitted by the confidence limits, we obtain lower bounds on the background deviatoric stress of 3–12 MPa, levels only slightly greater than the mainshock static stress drops.
Genetic variant in folate homeostasis is associated with lower warfarin dose in African Americans.

The anticoagulant warfarin has >30 million prescriptions per year in the United States. Doses can vary 20-fold between patients, and incorrect dosing can result in serious adverse events. Variation in warfarin pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic genes, such as CYP2C9 and VKORC1, do not fully explain the dose variability in African Americans. To identify additional genetic contributors to warfarin dose, we exome sequenced 103 African Americans on stable doses of warfarin at extremes (≤35 and ≥49 mg/week). We found an association between lower warfarin dose and a population-specific regulatory variant, rs7856096 (P = 1.82 × 10−8, minor allele frequency = 20.4%), in the folate homeostasis gene folylpolyglutamate synthase (FPGS). We replicated this association in an independent cohort of 372 African American subjects whose stable warfarin doses represented the full dosing spectrum (P = .046). In a combined cohort, adding rs7856096 to the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetic Consortium pharmacogenetic dosing algorithm resulted in a 5.8 mg/week (P = 3.93 × 10−5) decrease in warfarin dose for each allele carried. The variant overlaps functional elements and was associated (P = .01) with FPGS gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from combined HapMap African populations (N = 326). Our results provide the first evidence linking genetic variation in folate homeostasis to warfarin response.
Primate evolution: A biology of Holocene extinction and survival on the southeast Asian Sunda Shelf islands

What biological traits distinguish taxa susceptible to extinction from less susceptible taxa? Substantiated island biogeographic theory suggests that after insularization, small islands lose more species than do large islands. Thus, susceptible taxa are those now found on only large islands. The traits of susceptible taxa can thus be found by comparing the biology of species found only on large islands with those also found on small islands. The islands examined here are those of the Sunda Shelf, created as a result of the Holocene rise in sea levels of 120 m. We use four statistical comparisons: comparative analysis by (phylogenetically) independent contrasts (N = 8 contrasts at the subgeneric or deeper level), Spearman correlations, stepwise regression, and principle components analysis (N = 9 subgenera/genera). The genera and one subgenus considered are: Hylobates, Macaca, Nasalis, Nycticebus, Pongo, Presbytis, Symphalangus, Tarsius, and Trachypithecus. Traits of risk appear to be large body mass, low density, large annual home range, and low maximum latitude. Expected traits that did not correlate with susceptibility were low interbirth interval, high percent frugivory, high group mass, low altitudinal range, and small geographic range. The risky traits also apply to just the anthropoids (i.e., prosimians excluded). The risky traits are explained if susceptibility is induced by requirements for a large extent of habitat, a small population size, and specialization. These findings, which indicate that efficiency and plasticity of use of the environment separate susceptible from successful primate taxa, might be relevant to an understanding of hominoid evolution.
Aligned and coiled carbon nanotubes by microwave chemical vapor deposition

Carbon nanotubes with certain shapes and 2D or 3D structures have versatile potential applications. Aligned and coiled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by microwave chemical vapor deposition. Due to its faster heating and cooling processes, microwave chemical vapor deposition can be an economic method for various carbon material fabrications. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed to observe the micro- and nano-structure of these materials. Their properties and potential applications were also discussed.
Double wells, inverted wells, and level crossing

Abstract Using a complex scaling argument, the bound quantum levels of a quartic anharmonic oscillator are related to the metastable levels present when the potential is inverted. The analytic properties of the bound and resonance energies as functions of the coupling constant are found to be closely related.
Scaling and variability analysis of CNT-based NEMS devices and circuits with implications for process design

This work presents an extensive scaling analysis of carbon nanotube (CNT) based Nano-Electro Mechanical Switches (NEMS) considering the effect of process variations on both device and circuit level metrics. Implications for NEMS- material, switch architecture and geometry are also analyzed in detail. A rigorous nano-electromechanical simulation methodology in employed to study the operation and reliability of CNT-NEMS devices. It is shown that CNT-NEMS structures become increasingly susceptible to stiction failure and violating performance requirements as feature size scales down, thereby highlighting the need for advanced nanofabrication techniques if these structures are to be integrated in digital ICs.
Tripterine prevents endothelial barrier dysfunction by inhibiting endogenous peroxynitrite formation

Background and purpose: Tripterine is an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 and an active component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F., which is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. We hypothesized that tripterine inhibits endogenous peroxynitrite formation and thereby prevents endothelial barrier dysfunction. Experimental approach: Effects of tripterine were investigated on endothelial barrier function, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phasphate (NADPH) oxidase activity, 3-nitrotyrosine formation, protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) activity, activation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun terminal kinase (JNK) and Janus kinase (Jak2), and degradation of IκB in microvascular endothelial cells exposed to pro-inflammatory stimulus [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + interferon γ (IFNγ)] and on vascular permeability in air pouches of mice injected with LPS + IFNγ. Key results: LPS + IFNγ caused an increase in monolayer permeability, induction of iNOS and NADPH oxidase type 1 (Nox1) proteins, formation of superoxide, nitric oxide and 3-nitrotyrosine, and increase in PP2A activity in endothelial cells. These effects of LPS + IFNγ were diminished by tripterine (50–200 nM). Further, LPS + IFNγ-induced expression of iNOS and Nox1 was attenuated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor PD98059, the JNK inhibitor SP600125, the Jak2 inhibitor AG490 and the NFκB inhibitor MG132, but not by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB203580. LPS + IFNγ stimulated phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and Jak2, and degradation of IκB, but only Jak2 phosphorylation was sensitive to tripterine (50–200 nM). Further, tripterine diminished the increased vascular permeability in inflamed air pouches. Conclusion and implications: Our results indicate that, by preventing Jak2-dependent induction of iNOS and Nox1, tripterine inhibits peroxynitrite precursor synthesis, attenuates the increased activity of PP2A and consequently protects endothelial barrier function.
Studies on the mode of action of calciferol. XVIII. Evidence for a specific high affinity binding protein for 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 in chick kidney and pancreas.

Abstract Cytosol fractions prepared from rachitic chick kidney and pancreas were analyzed for binding of vitamin D 3 metabolites by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Both cytosol fractions were found to contain a 3.6S macromolecule which specifically binds 1,25-dihydroxy[ 3 H] vitamin D 3 and in addition a 5 to 6S macromolecule which binds 25-hydroxy[ 3 H]vitamin D 3 . Sucrose gradient analysis of a KCl extract prepared from kidney or pancreas chromatin resulted in a peak (3.6S) of bound 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 which could not be distinguished from the cytoplasmic binding component. The interaction of 1,25-dihydroxy[ 3 H]vitamin D 3 with the cytoplasmic binding component of both tissues occurred at low concentrations of hormone with high affinity.
Representing Women: The Adoption of Family Leave in Comparative Perspective

A critical justification for heightening the number of women in elective office is that women will promote policies that improve women's equality and autonomy. When and how does women's descriptive representation matter for policy outcomes? The focus on policy outcomes offers an essential test of whether having more women in office makes a difference for citizens’ daily lives. Systematic analyses of 19 democracies from 1970 to 2000 reveals that women's parliamentary presence significantly influences the adoption and scope of maternity and childcare leave policies. Women's political presence trumps the ideology of the party in power.
Serum leptin through childhood and adolescence.

OBJECTIVE Leptin is the protein product of the recently cloned ob gene, that has been implicated in the control of body weight and thermogenesis, but also independently stimulates the reproductive axis. As major changes in body composition and gonadal function occur during human adolescence, we have assessed serum leptin concentration through childhood. SUBJECTS AND MEASUREMENTS Serum leptin was measured in a radioimmunoassay in samples from 235 healthy children from 5 to 18 years of age. Its relationship to body mass index (BMI) (expressed as standard deviation score (SDS)) and the changes in concentration both within and between sexes over the stages of puberty were analysed. RESULTS Serum leptin was present at similar concentrations in both sexes over the prepubertal years and increased in parallel into early puberty (breast stage (B) 2, genital stage (G) 2). Thereafter serum leptin in the boys declined to a nadir in G5. In contrast in girls, leptin remained constant in mid-puberty rising to a peak at B5. Factors influencing leptin (BMI SDS, age and testicular volume) were assessed therefore in the pre- and peripubertal stages (B1–2, G1–2) compared to the later pubertal stages (B3–5, G3–5). In all groups, leptin was positively correlated to BMI SDS (r2=38–41% in girls, r2=31–35% in boys). However in B1–2 and G1–2, leptin was also positively related to age, which contributed a further 27% and 20% respectively to the variability. In B3–5, age only accounted for an additional 5% in leptin variability. In contrast in G3–5, leptin was related positively to BMI SDS (r2=35%) and negatively to testicular volume (r2=24%). CONCLUSIONS The influence of BMI on leptin is a significant factor throughout the prepubertal and pubertal years of both sexes. The additional negative effect of testicular volume in the boys contributes to the sexual dichotomy in leptin concentration at the completion of puberty. The similar rise in leptin over the prepubertal years into early puberty in both sexes, related not only to BMI SDS but also independently to age, would suggest that leptin may have a facilitatory role in human pubertal development.
Two-wavelength laser transmissometer for measurements of the mean size and concentration of coal ash droplets in combustion flows.

A two-wavelength transmissometer employing a He-Cd laser (λ1 = 0.325 μm) and a He-Ne laser (λ2 = 3.39 μm) has been developed for measuring the Sauter mean diameter of mineral ash droplets in high-temperature high-velocity coal-fired combustion flows. From transmission measurements at the two wavelengths, it is shown that mean diameters in the 0.3–3.5-μm range may be inferred with a weak sensitivity to particle refractive index and size distribution shape. The volume concentration or loading of the aerosol may then be determined from the measured transmission at either wavelength. The instrument has been used to measure the mean size and loading of ash droplets in a pulverized coal-fire channel flow at temperatures to ~2900 K and velocities of up to 400 m-sec−1 for combustion MHD power generation applications.
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES BY THE U.S. DOMESTIC AGENCY

The U.S. Domestic Agency is now fully staffed and configured to provide the U.S. hardware, personnel, and cash contributions to the ITER Project. It has applied its resources to resolution of remaining technical design issues and to implementing systems that enable effective design and manufacture, with emphasis on risk management. Progress in the technical and project management areas is described.
Inside Toyland: Working, Shopping, and Social Inequity

Inside Toyland: Working, Shopping, and Social Inequity Christine L. Williams. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. For approximately six weeks, sociologist Christine L. Williams worked as a salesperson at two chain toy stores in Austin-a big box superstore on the outskirts of town called the Toy Warehouse and an exclusive, upscale, urban shop called Diamond Toys-in an attempt to study the ways in which attitudes toward race, class, and gender operate in conjunction with the modern American toy store. The result is her book, Inside Toyland: Working, Shopping, and Social Inequity, the title of which reveals what she found and echoes the conclusions of Barbara Ehrenreich's 2001 bestseller Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. However, instead of focusing on a particular sales venue, such as Wal-Mart, she addresses a large industry as a whole. Her book does not include as much in-depth information on the specific toys as other classics in the field, such as Cy Schneider's Children's Television: How It Works and Its Influence on Children, Sydney Ladensohn Stern and Ted Schoenhaus's Toyland: The High Stakes of the Toy Industry, and Ellen Seiter's Sold Separately: Children and Parents in Consumer Culture. Instead, it takes a business organization's approach, addressing the dynamics of the relationships and interactions among store managers, sales employees, and customers. One senses that Williams's findings are not exclusive to the toy industry but could be applied to any number of other corporate retailers. Her goal, she writes, "was to understand how shopping was socially organized and how it might be transformed to enhance the lives of workers and consumers" (20). Conducting research as a participant-observer, Williams found that in many ways the two toy sales venues were very much the same. Both sold similar merchandise, although Diamond shoppers thought they were getting exclusive items, and both offered similar pay and working conditions, even though Diamond Toys was unionized while the Toy Warehouse was not. Both were more likely to employ male managers and demonstrated a preference for putting white or lighter-skinned women in more visible, customer-interactive positions in the store. Both stores had a gender ratio of 60:40-60% women and 40% men. This ratio was repeated with race; however, at the Toy Warehouse, it was 60% minority versus 40% white, whereas at Diamond Toys the figures were reversed. "In general," Williams writes, "the more upscale the store and high paying the position, the more likely the employee will be a white, middleclass woman, or man" (38). …
The Kinkeeping Connection: Continuity, Crisis and Consensus

With increasing diversity in age structure, composition, and forms within American families, it is more important than ever to explore the glue that binds families together across time, distance, and divorce: family kinkeeping. The present study examines the reported kinkeeping patterns for 227 three-generation families, including data from young adult undergraduates, 215 mothers, and 158 fathers about themselves, one another, and any living grandparents. Confirmation of a theoretical, “matrifocal tilt” is found along with considerable consensus between family members about levels of kinkeeping. Limited support is found for a disruption of family kinkeeping due to parental divorce.
How WASP regulates actin polymerization.

Protrusion of lamellipodia and filopodia from the cell surface requires that actin polymerize locally. Actin polymerization is initiated by numerous agonists, including growth factors, chemoattractants, extracellular matrix, and phagocytic particles. The signaling pathways from the corresponding
Replantation Versus Revision of Amputated Fingers in Patients Air-Transported to a Level 1 Trauma Center

Purpose To assess the rate of replantation versus revision of amputated fingers in patients air-transported to a tertiary care hand trauma center. Methods We included 40 consecutive subjects (70 digits) who were transported via air after digit(s) amputation distal to the metacarpophalangeal joint. The primary outcome measure was type of surgery (attempted replantation vs revision of the amputation). Data were collected prospectively. Results We identified 3 groups of patients. In group 1 (15 patients, 23 digits), replantation of one or more digits was attempted. In group 2 (6 patients, 8 digits), replantation was not elected. In group 3 (19 patients, 39 digits), no digits were suitable for replantation. The mean age was 36.2 years (range, 5–69 years) and mean time of transport was 5.15 hours (range, 1–24 hours). Mechanisms of finger injury were crush (n = 34), followed by clean cut (n = 15), avulsion/crush (n = 15), and gunshot (n = 6). No significant differences were found between groups for age or time elapsed from injury to hospital arrival. Most patients (n = 25; 65%) transported via air did not undergo replantation surgery. Injury characteristics (n = 18 patients, 72%) were the main reason not to replant. The most common reason for the refusal of replantation was inability to return to work immediately. The most common reasons for surgeon's decision to not to replant were single digit amputations proximal to flexor digitorum superficialis attachment (7 patients), and crush/avulsion type injuries (7 patients), followed by health status and age (5 patients). Conclusions This study shows that a considerable portion of patients transported via air do not undergo replantation surgery. Further studies are needed to establish whether this is an overused service.
Infrared Views of the TW Hydra Disk

The face-on disk around TW Hya is imaged in scattered light at 1.1 and 1.6 km using the coronagraph in the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object Spectrometer aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Stellar light scattered from the optically thick dust disk is seen from 20 to 230 AU. The surface brightness declines as a power law of r~2.6B0.1 between 45 and 150 AU. The scattering pro—le indicates that the disk is —ared, not geometrically —at. The disk, while spatially unresolved in thermal radiation at 12 and 18 km in observations from the W. M. Keck Observatory, shows amorphous and crystalline silicate emission in its spectrum. A disk with silicate grains of a radius D1 km in size in its surface layers can explain the color of the scattered light and the shape of the mid-infrared spectrum. Much larger grains in the disk interior are necessary to —t the millimeter-wave spectral energy distribution, and hence grain growth from an original interstellar size population may have occurred.
The effects of the removal of dominant animals in a small group of Macaca fascicularis.

Summary Six juvenile Macaca fascicularis relatively unfamiliar with one another were placed together in a large play apparatus. The Boelkins' water test was used to establish dominance. After one hour of social interaction the animals formed a stable hierarchy. Following six days of observation of this group, the dominant male and female were removed. This removal drastically altered the behavior of the remaining animals (19 of 40 behavior categories changed significantly). A replication indicated that behavior in one group allowed predictions of future behavior in that group, but did not allow predictions to an autonomous segment of the original group.
Aggression, Antisocial Behavior, and Substance Abuse in Survivors of Pediatric Cancer: Possible Protective Effects of Cancer and Its Treatment

Objective: To examine aggression, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse in young adult survivors of pediatric cancer (PCS) relative to case control peers (CC). Methods: We obtained self-reports of current aggression, antisocial behavior, and lifetime substance use from 26 PCS (time off-treatment, M 56 months) and 26 CC using the Antisocial Behavior Checklist and the Drinking and Drug History. A report of current aggression and antisocial behavior also was obtained from primary caregivers using the Child Behavior Checklist. Results: PCS self-reported significantly less illegal drug use and experimentation than CC. No significant differences emerged between groups for use of alcohol and tobacco nor for aggression and antisocial behavior. Conclusions: PCS are functioning as well as, or better than, CC in terms of aggression, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse. However, given the compromised health status of survivors, efforts should focus on further reduction of drug-related risk behaviors that may amplify organ damage or increase risk for further malignancies in this population.