cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition and evolution of the archaean crust in central Henan, China

The upper Archaean in central Henan Province is composed chiefly of rocks of the Dengfeng Complex and the Taihua Complex. Rocks of the Dengfeng Complex show essential features of a granite—greenstone terrane. They consist of greenstone belts and surrounding granitic and migmatite-gneiss terranes. When the late superposed structures are removed the Archaean conspicuously exhibits alternating gneiss domes and synformal basins which are occupied by granitic rocks and greenstone belts, respectively. The succession of the greenstone belts is divided into three groups: 1. (1) The lower group consists of ultramafic complexes which are only locally exposed. 2. (2) The middle group, which comprises most of the greenstone belts, contains tholeiitic metabasalts and felsic volcanics which are bimodal in character. 3. (3) The upper sedimentary group consists of molasse and turbidite formations. The metamorphic grade in the Dengfeng Complex is up to the medium-pressure almandine—amphibolite facies. The mafic volcanics are characterized by flat to slightly enriched REE patterns that resemble the TH2 type of Condie. In most other elements the rocks are also similar to the tholeiitic metabasalts in typical greenstone belts throughout the world. However, they possess certain unique characteristics. As for the granitic rocks, the early plutons tend to be Na-rich and are geochemically similar to tonalitic rocks, while the later intrusives tend to be K-rich. The Taihua Complex is composed primarily of felsic gneisses and metamorphosed supracrustal rocks interbedded with mafic-ultramafic rocks. The metamorphic grade in the complex ranges from granulite to upper amphibolite facies. Geochemical characteristics of the rocks are also similar to those of other high-grade terranes throughout the world. In general, an overall structural grain characterizes the Taihua Complex which constitutes an elongate fold belt with characteristic features of linear mobile belts that are frequently found in high-grade terranes. The extensive Dengfeng granite—greenstone terrane and the linear Taihua high-grade gneissic terrane are bounded by thrusts or contacts of unknown nature and together make up the late Archaean crust in central Henan. They may have developed more or less contemporaneously on a pre-existing sialic crust in this region. Controlled by shallow convection cells in the upper mantle, their development may have occurred in two different tectonic settings; the rift-type and the subsiding-type setting, respectively.
Tunneled pleural catheters for treatment of recurrent malignant pleural effusion following failed pleurodesis.

Purpose To evaluate patient outcomes when tunneled pleural drainage catheters are placed for symptomatic, recurrent malignant pleural effusion following failed chemical pleurodesis. Materials and Methods Two hundred seventy patients who underwent placement of a tunneled pleural catheter between January 2002 and December 2006 were retrospectively identified by reviewing interventional radiology billing records with institutional review board approval. Of these 270 patients, 63 (68 hemithoraces; 44 women, 19 men) with dyspnea were referred for tunneled pleural drainage catheter placement following failed pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusion. Clinical and procedural details were identified by chart review. Endpoints were technical success, symptomatic improvement in dyspnea, time to hospital discharge, and time to catheter removal or time to death with the catheter in place. Results Clinical improvement in dyspnea was noted in 60 of the 63 patients (95%). Fifty-seven of the 63 patients (90%) were discharged with their catheter in place after a median of 3 days (range, 0–29 days). Twenty-seven of the 63 patients (43%) were discharged in 2 days or less. Stays longer than 2 days were all associated with treatment of other medical problems. Twenty-one of the 68 catheters (31%) required fibrinolytic therapy for optimal evacuation of complex pleural collections. Eleven of the 68 catheters (16%) could subsequently be removed due to durable resolution of pleural effusion. The remaining patients died with catheters in place and no clinical evidence of catheter dysfunction after a median of 58 days. Conclusions Even following failed pleurodesis, recurrent malignant pleural effusions can be effectively managed with placement of tunneled pleural catheters.
Monocyte chemotactic activity in human abdominal aortic aneurysms: role of elastin degradation peptides and the 67-kD cell surface elastin receptor.

Abstract Background: Chronic inflammation is a characteristic feature of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), but the molecular signals responsible for recruiting monocytes into the outer aortic wall are unresolved. The purpose of this study was to examine whether AAA tissues elaborate chemotactic activity for mononuclear phagocytes and to determine whether this activity is attributable to interactions between elastin degradation peptides (EDPs) and their cell surface receptor, the 67-kD elastin binding protein (EBP). Material and Methods: Soluble proteins were extracted from human AAA tissues, and chemotactic activity for differentiated U937 mononuclear phagocytes was measured by use of a modified Boyden chamber. Chemotactic activity induced by N -formyl-Met-Leu-Phe was used as a positive control and checkerboard analysis was used to distinguish chemotaxis from chemokinesis. Inhibition of chemotaxis was tested by peptide competition, blocking antibodies and galactosugar-mediated dissociation of the 67-kD EBP. Results: AAA extracts stimulated a concentration-dependent increase in monocyte migration that reached up to 24% of the maximal effect induced by N -formyl-Met-Leu-Phe. Checkerboard analysis demonstrated that AAA extracts stimulated chemotaxis without a chemokinetic effect. AAA-derived chemotactic activity was eliminated by competition with Val-Gly-Val-Arg-Pro-Gly (VGVAPG), a repetitive peptide found in human elastin that binds to cellular elastin receptors, and decreased nearly 40% in the presence of BA-4, an antielastin monoclonal antibody that can block EDP-mediated chemotactic activity. Monocyte chemotaxis in response to both VGVAPG and AAA extracts was abolished in the presence of lactose, a galactosugar that specifically dissociates the 67-kD EBP, but it was unaffected by either glucose, fructose, or mannose. Conclusions: These findings indicate that soluble EDPs released within human AAA tissue can subsequently attract mononuclear phagocytes through ligand-receptor interactions with the 67-kD EBP, thereby providing a plausible molecular mechanism to explain the inflammatory response that accompanies aneurysmal degeneration. Better understanding of factors regulating inflammatory cell recruitment may lead to novel forms of therapy for early stages of aneurysmal degeneration. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:254-61.)
Nutritional supplementation in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose of review This review assesses the current status of the knowledge of the role of nutrition in age-related macular degeneration – a leading cause of vision loss in the persons with European ancestry. Recent findings We will evaluate the different nutritional factors and both observational and interventional studies used to assess the association of nutrition with age-related macular degeneration. Persons with intermediate risk of age-related macular degeneration or advanced age-related macular degeneration in one eye are recommended to take the formulation proven in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) to be successful in preventing the development of advanced age-related macular degeneration by 25%. The formulation consists of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and zinc. In addition, observational data suggest that high dietary intake of macular xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with a lower risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration. Similarly, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from fish consumption are also associated with a decreased risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration. Summary Persons with intermediate age-related macular degeneration or advanced age-related macular degeneration (neovascular or central geographic atrophy) in one eye should consider taking the AREDS-type supplements. Further evaluation of nutritional factors, specifically, lutein/zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids will be tested in a multicenter controlled, randomized trial – the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2).
INTRAURBAN SQUATTING IN LONDON

ABSTRACT Intraurban squatting in Western, industrialized society differs significantly from Third World squatting. As a human adaptive mechanism for coping with intensified housing stress this variant type involves the occupation, renovation, and reutilization of existing inner urban buildings. It serves a practical function in urban ecology and conservation and it is increasingly accepted by housing authorities on its economic merits. Squatting in Britain emerged a decade ago, closely paralleling similar movements in other European countries. London, where the squatter population has grown to 30,000, has become the quintessential model. Squatting has become a viable, alternative form of tenure which fills a distinctive gap in London's increasingly exclusive housing structure. Squats may be typed according to their ownership, legal status, and mode of habitation. Large squatter communities often function democratically and have enduring, stable social organization. Some squatter communities are “authorize...
Increased Expression of Cytochrome P450 2E1 Induces Heme Oxygenase-1 through ERK MAPK Pathway

The inducible form of heme oxygenase (HO-1) is increased during oxidative injury, and this may be an important defense mechanism against such injury. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) generates reactive oxygen species and promotes lipid peroxidation. In this study induction of HO-1 by CYP2E1 and the possible role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in this process were evaluated. HO-1 induction was observed in the livers of chronic alcohol-fed mice or pyrazole-treated rats, conditions known to elevate CYP2E1 levels. Increased levels of HO-1 were observed in HepG2 cells overexpressing CYP2E1 (E47 cells) compared with control HepG2 cells or HepG2 cells expressing CYP3A4. Expression of CYP2E1 in HepG2 cells transcriptionally activated the HO-1 gene, increasing HO-1 mRNA and protein expression and activity of a HO-1 reporter construct. CYP2E1 inhibitors and catalase blocked the increased production of reactive oxygen species as well as HO-1 induction. Increasing oxidative stress by the addition of arachidonic acid or depletion of glutathione further increased HO-1 induction. The phosphorylated form of ERK MAPK but not that of p38 or JNK MAPK was increased in E47 cells compared with the control C34 HepG2 cells. PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK MAPK, blocked the activity of a HO-1 reporter in E47 cells but not in C34 cells. These results suggest that increased CYP2E1 activity leads to induction of the HO-1 gene, and the ERK MAPK pathway is important in mediating this process. This induction may serve as an adaptive mechanism to protect the E47 cells against the CYP2E1-dependent oxidative stress.
The analysis of void waves in two-phase flow

Abstract This paper presents an analysis on void wave phenomena in bubbly flows. Both linear and nonlinear analyses are performed. A dispersion relation is derived and the criterion for the formation of void shocks and solitons is given. It is shown that void wave phenomena is quite sensitive to the closure laws used in the two-fluid models. As a consequence void wave data appears to be very useful for two-fluid model assessment.
THE MICROSCALE PREPARATION AND MICROMETALLURGY OF PLUTONIUM METAL

Abstract An historical survey of the methods used at the Metallurgical Laboratory in the first preparations of plutonium metal are given. The techniques and conditions necessary for the preparation of the metal are described in detail, and the effects of the several variables temperature, reductant, crucible material, etc. are discussed. These methods are capable of and have been extended to the preparation of small amounts of the highly radioactive heavy elements. The method of determining the density of microgram amounts of plutonium metal is described and the experimentally determined densities of plutonium metal are given.
Reorganising crime: mafia and anti-mafia in post-Soviet Georgia, by Gavin Slade

Writing this review in Moscow seems wholly appropriate, given the extent to which the Russian police appear in many ways fixated on Georgians and the impact of Tbilisi’s anti-mafia campaign. Many o...
Core Mutations of Synechococcus Sp. PCC 7002 Phycobilisomes: A Spectroscopic Study

Abstract Three cyanobacterial strains harboring mutations affecting phycobilisome (PBS) cores were studied using steady state absorption and fluorescence and time-resolved fluorescence. The apcF mutant, missing β18, and the apcDF mutant, missing both αAPB and β18P, showed only small spectroscopic differences from the wild-type strain; their PBS emission was blue shifted by 10 nm, whereas their absorption spectra and time-resolved fluorescence kinetics were virtually unchanged. The third mutant studied was the apcE/C186S mutant in which the chromophore-binding cysteine-186 in the L99CM polypeptide has been substituted with serine. The apcE/C186S mutant contained a modified chromophore which significantly changed the spectroscopic properties of the PBS complex. The apcE/C186S PBS absorbed more than the wild-type strain at 705 nm, and the emission spectrum gave two peaks at 660 nm and 715 nm. The time-resolved kinetics of the apcE/C186S mutant PBS were also significantly altered from those of the wild-type strain.
Backscatter Laser Velocimeter for Energetic Deep-Sea Flows: Performance Study in Particulate Dense Water

A dual beam backscatter laser Doppler velocimeter designed for oceanographic usage will be described. The instrument was constructed to test, in the laboratory, the signal characteristics as a function of suspended particle loading in the water - a subject of concern in the study of high energy benthic boundary layers. It has been found that with proper design, the predominant mode of signal observed is still from the single scatterer, at particle concentrations of up to 5 mg/l. Variations in signal-to-noise ratio will be described and compared with theoretical calculations.
High Rate Electrochemical Machining

This is the first of three papers on high rate Electrochemical Machining. Feed rate limiting mechanisms are discussed along with qualitative predictions. Methods of increasing feed rates are studied theoretically and experimentally. The use of high supply voltages (118 volts) high electrolyte pressures (330 bars (4800 psi)) and high flow velocities (192 M/sec) when machining iron in aqueous sodium chloride electrolyte led to feed rates of 10.8 cm/min (4.25 in/min). The following two papers will discuss a theoretical model of the ECM process and present high temperature and pressure electrolyte conductivity and ion mobility.
Structure of a polysaccharide of umbillicaria mammulata

Abstract The polysaccharide isolated from Umbillicaria mammulata is a β(1 → 6) linked glucan (degree of polymerization: ca 150) with 9% of the glucose units acetylated at C-3. It is very similar to a polysaccharide recently isolated from the related lichen Gyrophora esculenta.
Personalizing patient care.

Personalized health care has been anticipated for decades. Yet in its breadth and in the way we would like it to be practiced, it is still in its infancy.
The causes of mitochondrial DNA gene tree paraphyly in birds

Gene tree paraphyly is a potentially serious problem because many phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies assume species are monophyletic. Funk and Omland (Funk, D.J., Omland, K.E., 2003. Species-level paraphyly and polyphyly: frequency, causes, and consequences, with insights from animal mitochondrial DNA. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 34, 397-423) found that a seemingly high proportion of bird species (16.7%) were paraphyletic in their mtDNA gene trees. This could imply that mtDNA is an unreliable or even misleading marker for delimiting species. We expand on Funk and Omland's survey and identify the causes of species-level paraphyly in birds. We find that in most cases paraphyly is caused by incorrect taxonomy. In such cases, mtDNA serves systematics by exposing and clarifying taxonomic errors. We find the next most common cause of paraphyly to be incomplete lineage sorting due to recent speciation. Here mtDNA gives a consistent picture of evolution, given the timeframe, but it is not useful for delimiting species and other criteria must be employed. There were relatively few clear instances of paraphyly due to hybridization, though there were more cases where incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization could not be distinguished. We ultimately conclude that, far from a hindrance, mtDNA is generally a useful tool that should continue to facilitate delimitation of avian species.
The role of pore structures in the selective permeability of antennal sensilla of the desert burrowing cockroach, Arenivaga sp.

Abstract To obtain information about the chemical composition of pore structures in antennal sensilla, the antennae were exposed to lipid solvents, or they were prepared to show negative-contrast images in electron micrographs. A heavy-metal tracer, lanthanum nitrate, was also used to indicate the permeability of the receptors to water. The grooves of the large grooved peg open into tubular cavities containing electronopaque material, through which stimulatory molecules must pass to reach the sensory dendrites at the center of the sensillum. The material in these cavities was removed by chloroform or acetone, suggesting a lipid composition. Lanthanum penetrated this receptor only after it had been exposed to acetone or chloroform. Strands at pores of the thin-walled pegs were also removed by the lipid solvents, and the water-soluble tracer failed to penetrate these receptors unless they had been previously exposed to chloroform or acetone. The pore structures appear to be hydrophobic, allowing entry of lipid-soluble substances, while preventing passage of water. The differential action of the solvents on the various types of sensilla suggests that receptor discrimination among different classes of chemical stimuli may be partially determined by the chemical properties of structures at the sensillar pores.
Needs assessment of Wisconsin primary care residents and faculty regarding interest in global health training

The primary objectives of this study were to assess Wisconsin's primary care residents' attitudes toward international health training, the interest among faculty to provide IH training, and the preferred modality of IH training. Surveys were administered using 505 residents and 413 medical faculty in primary care residencies in Wisconsin. Results from 128 residents and 118 medical school faculty members were collected during the spring of 2007 and analyzed. In total, 25% of residents (128/505) and 28% of faculty (118/413) responded to the survey. A majority of residents (58%) and faculty (63%) were interested in global health issues. Among residents, 63% planned on spending professional time working abroad. Few residents (9%) and faculty (11%) assess their residencies as preparing residents well to address topics relating to international health. The survey indicates that adequate faculty in Wisconsin could provide mentorship in international health as 47% (55) of faculty had experience working as a physician internationally, 49% (58) of faculty spend more than 25% clinical time caring for patient from underserved communities and 39% (46) would be willing to be involved with developing curriculum, lecturing and/or mentoring residents in international health. Overall, the majority of the respondents expressed high interest in IH and few felt prepared to address IH issues indicating a need for increased training in this area. The findings of this survey are likely relevant as a prototype for other primary care residencies.
Hepatitis C and interferon-associated retinopathy: a case report.

Abstract Background Hepatitis C is a common virus affecting approximately 170 million people worldwide. The main ocular manifestations of hepatitis C virus include a Sjogren-type of dry eye syndrome and an ischemic retinopathy secondary to treatment with interferon or a result of a systemic vasculitis induced by the infection itself. Current treatment for hepatitis C is a combination therapy using pegylated (long-lasting) interferon and ribavirin. This treatment, however, is not without ocular sequelae. Interferon-associated retinopathy is present in > 50% of patients taking the drug and is mainly characterized by cotton wool spots and retinal hemorrhages. The pathogenesis of this disorder is not specifically known. Fortunately, many patients remain asymptomatic, and the retinal changes are usually reversible. Case Report A 48-year-old black man presented to the clinic complaining of decreased vision in both eyes for the previous few weeks. His medical history was positive for hypertension and hepatitis C for which he was being treated. At his examination, he had interferon retinopathy diagnosed. Soon thereafter, his treatment for hepatitis C was discontinued, and when he returned for follow-up 4 months later, his retinal findings had resolved. Conclusions An overview of hepatitis C and its recommended therapy and possible ocular side effects are reviewed, as well as the differential diagnosis of interferon-associated retinopathy, 1 of the main side effects of treatment.
Metal Detectors and Feeling Safe at School

This article argues that metal detectors bestow an organizational stigma to schools. One symptom of this is students' heightened level of fear at school. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and a matched-pair design, this study finds that metal detectors are negatively correlated with students' sense of safety at school, net of the level of violence at school. However, this association is different for urban students. The negative association between metal detectors and urban students' sense of safety is 13% less than what it is for students attending suburban or rural schools.
Nurse manager competencies

First-line nurse managers play a critical management role because they greatly influence the success of healthcare organizations. Several studies have profiled the first-line nurse manager, but have focused on the characteristics and responsibilities of these individuals. This study delineated and identified specific behavioral competencies that are considered important for hospital-based nurse manager effectiveness. The results of the survey are relevant for the selection, preparation, and development of effective hospital-based nurse managers.
Genetic control of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and the effect of hybridization on sexual maturation (Xiphophorus, Pisces, Poeciliidae)

The onset of sexual maturity in fishes of the genus Xiphophorus depends upon a multiple allelic series at the P locus. X. helleri of genotype PhPh initiate sexual maturity at 10.4 weeks and X. maculatus of genotypes P3P3 or P4P4 at 8.7 or 20 weeks, respectively. Hybrids between the two species of genotype PhPh and possessing some autosomes of X. maculatus in homozygous condition exhibit precocious maturation at 5.3 weeks and are correspondingly small. PhPh hybrids of the backcross generations to X. helleri mature at the same age and size as X. helleri. The P3Ph and P4Ph backcross hybrids, however, exhibit greatly delayed maturation, and the delay becomes more severe as the number of X. helleri autosomes increases. The phenotype results from the interaction of the P locus with a system of regulatory genes. Both the P factors and the regulatory systems are species-specific. Synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) was effective in inducing proliferation and functional activity in the gonadotrops and ultimately sexual maturity in all genotypes, including PhP3 hybrids. Whereas the response of different genotypes to gonadotropin was essentially the same, their response to LH-RH was significantly different. A positive correlation exists between the rapidity of the response to LH-RH and the genetically determined age at which spontaneous maturation takes place. The maturity induced by LH-RH was not permanent. After cessation of LH-RH administration the gonadotrops became inactive and regressed. These observations suggest that the P locus is not concerned with the production of LH-RH. Rather, the P locus appears to control the physiological function or the fate of LH-RH.
AFrame: isolating advertisements from mobile applications in Android

Android uses a permission-based security model to restrict applications from accessing private data and privileged resources. However, the permissions are assigned at the application level, so even untrusted third-party libraries, such as advertisement, once incorporated, can share the same privileges as the entire application, leading to over-privileged problems. We present AFrame, a developer friendly method to isolate untrusted third-party code from the host applications. The isolation achieved by AFrame covers not only the process/permission isolation, but also the display and input isolation. Our AFrame framework is implemented through a minimal change to the existing Android code base; our evaluation results demonstrate that it is effective in isolating the privileges of untrusted third-party code from applications with reasonable performance overhead.
A new species of oribatid mite of the genus Dolicheremaeus (Otocepheidae) from Tokyo

A new species of oribatid mite, Dolicheremaeus ohmensis sp. nov., was described from Ohme in the western forest area of Tokyo. The new species is distinguishable from the known species of the genus Dolicheremaeus by the lack of median notogastral condyles, the short sensilli with a strongly swollen head and the notogaster with short and long setae.
Silicon films on foreign substrates for solar cells

Abstract Silicon films on foreign substrates have been used for various device applications for over fifteen years. The current interest in the photovoltaic conversion of solar energy for terrestrial applications has stimulated investigations on the feasibility of using polycrystalline silicon films on low cost substrates for solar cell purposes. In this paper, the deposition and properties of silicon films on several low cost substrates, such as steel, aluminum, graphite, and metallurgical silicon, are reviewed. The characteristics of solar cells prepared from these films are discussed. The present results indicate that the deposition of a silicon film containing a p-n junction on a purified, recrystallized metallurgical silicon substrate is a promising approach for the fabrication of low-cost solar cells for terrestrial applications.
Business-oriented autonomic load balancing for multitiered Web sites

Autonomic computing systems are able to adapt to changing environments (such as changes in the workload intensity or component failures) in a way that preserves highlevel operational goals, such as service level objectives. This paper focuses on autonomic computing systems that are self-optimizing and self-configuring. More specifically, the paper presents the detailed design of an autonomic load balancer (LB) for multi-tiered Web sites. It is assumed that customers can be categorized into distinct classes (gold, silver, and bronze) according to their business value to the site. While the example used in the paper is that of an auction site, the approach can be easily applied to any other Web site. The autonomic LB is able to dynamically change its request redirection policy as well as its resource allocation policy, which determines the allocation of servers to server clusters, in a way that maximizes a business-oriented utility function. The autonomic LB was evaluated through very detailed and comprehensive simulation experiments and was compared against a round-robin LB and against a situation where each customer category has a dedicated number of servers. The results showed that the autonomic LB outperforms the other load balancing approaches in terms of providing a higher utility for highly dynamic workloads.
The role of social change in the US transport sector for climate change mitigation

Since 2001, the United States government has blithely avoided developing a coherent climate change policy, even though the US economy is responsible for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, I examine passenger transport, an important source of these emissions, and point out major barriers to achieving deep reductions that are necessary from this sector. Interventions would have to be based on an understanding of social psychology, whereby vehicle users are provided incentives and reasons for changing behaviour and attitudes. These appear to be essential to bring about both the technology policy and behavioural changes needed to meet emission reduction goals.
Multiparameter sensitivity problems in network theory

The paper presents a survey of the literature as it pertains to the problem of multiparameter sensitivity in network theory. In particular, a critical appraisal is made of several multiparameter sensitivity functions, and the problems involved in their computation are considered. Several procedures for their evaluation are described, with attention focused on the auxilliary network approach of Leeds and Ugron and the adjoint network approach of Director and Rohrer. Another approach considered is the so-called direct approach, in which an algorith, is used to obtain directly the partial derivaties of the network function.
Randomized, double-blind comparison of sertraline and placebo for posttraumatic stress disorder in a Department of Veterans Affairs setting

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic setting involving patients with predominantly combat-related PTSD. Method 169 outpatient subjects with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of PTSD and who scored 50 or higher on Part 2 of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-2) at the end of a 1-week placebo run-in period participated. Patients recruited from 10 VA medical centers were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of flexibly dosed sertraline (25-200 mg/day) (N = 86; 70% with combat-related PTSD; 79% male) or placebo (N = 83; 72% combat-related PTSD; 81% male) between May 1994 and September 1996. The primary efficacy measures were the mean change in CAPS-2 total severity score from baseline to endpoint, in the total score from the Impact of Event Scale, and in the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness and Improvement scales. Results There were no significant differences between sertraline and placebo on any of the primary or secondary efficacy measures at endpoint. In order to understand the results, gender, duration of illness, severity of illness, type of trauma, and history of alcohol/substance abuse were explored as potential moderators of outcome, but no consistent effects were uncovered. Sertraline was well tolerated, with 13% of patients discontinuing due to adverse events. Conclusion Sertraline was not demonstrated to be efficacious in the treatment of PTSD in the VA clinic settings studied.
The vapour pressure and thermodynamics of Cf-249 metal

The vapour pressure of californium metal has been measured over the temperature range 500-700°C using Knudsen effusion target techniques. Combination of pryise vapour pressure data with appropriate estimates of solid free-energy functions and the crystal entropy S0298 produce good second and third law agreement. The vaporization is described by the equation Log10 P (atm) = - (9 895 ± 34)/ T = 5,675 ± 0,039 from which we calculate ƊH0298 = 46 900 ± 300 cal./mole. These data show clearly that californium metal is trivalent.
Prosody, performance evaluation, databases, and ISAT

This session began with a one-hour invited tutorial on prosody given by Dr. Janet Pierrehumbert of AT&T Bell Laboratories, which was followed by several short reports on database collection and performance evaluation activities dealing with various aspects of the spoken speech system development effort. Issues and discussions on methods of formal evaluation were particularly relevant for natural language processing, where formal evaluation is in many respects an elusive goal.
A microRNA signature in pediatric ulcerative colitis: deregulation of the miR-4284/CXCL5 pathway in the intestinal epithelium.

Author(s): Koukos, Georgios; Polytarchou, Christos; Kaplan, Jess L; Oikonomopoulos, Angelos; Ziring, David; Hommes, Daniel W; Wahed, Renaisa; Kokkotou, Efi; Pothoulakis, Charalabos; Winter, Harland S; Iliopoulos, Dimitrios | Abstract: BackgroundTwenty to 25% of the patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) present the disease before the age of 18 to 20, with worse extent and severity, compared with adult-onset IBD. We sought to identify the differential expression of microRNAs in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) and their association with different clinical phenotypes.MethodsMicroRNA expression analysis was performed in colonic tissues derived from pediatric patients with UC and controls without IBD. MiR-4284 levels were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 2 additional cohorts of pediatric patients with UC. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict the targets of miR-4284. In vitro experiments using luciferase reporter assays and real-time polymerase chain reaction evaluated the direct effect of miR-4284 on CXCL5 mRNA. In vivo experiments were performed in 2 mouse models of experimental colitis.ResultsA 24-microRNA signature was identified in colonic tissues derived from pediatric patients with UC. The most downregulated microRNA in the tissue of pediatric patients UC, relative to non-IBD controls, was miR-4284. In situ hybridization revealed that miR-4284 is present in colonic epithelial cells, and its levels correlate with the disease activity. Furthermore, we found that miR-4284 regulates CXCL5 mRNA expression through binding to its 3'UTR. CXCL5 had increased mRNA levels in colonic tissue from pediatric patients with UC and correlated with disease activity. Furthermore, we found an inverse correlation between miR-4284 and CXCL5 levels in the colonic pediatric UC tissues and in 2 mouse models of experimental colitis.ConclusionsOur data reveal a novel microRNA pediatric UC signature and provide evidence that miR-4284 directly regulates CXCL5 and correlates with the disease activity.
A Functional Communication Training and Chained Schedule Procedure to Treat Challenging Behavior with Multiple Functions

We evaluated a procedure consisting of functional communication training (FCT) and a chained schedule of reinforcement to treat multiply maintained challenging behavior exhibited by an individual diagnosed with autism. First, we conducted a functional analysis that yielded results indicating that challenging behavior served multiple functions. Next, we implemented a chained schedule of reinforcement procedure in which during the initial link, mands for a stimulus were reinforced on a fixed ratio (FR) 1 schedule of reinforcement. The participant’s access to the stimulus signaled the second link of the chained schedule that consisted of a fixed time (FT) 30 s schedule in which all three functional reinforcers were provided. Last, we modified the chained schedule procedure to increase ease of implementation and promote compliance with academic tasks. The results showed that the treatment was successful in the treatment of challenging behavior with multiple functions. Future directions in the development of treatments that simultaneously address multiple functions are discussed.
Cellular and Metabolic Engineering An Overview

Metabolic engineering is defined as the purposeful modification of intermediary metabolism using recombinant DNA techniques. Cellular engineering, a more inclusive term, is defined as the purposeful modification of cell properties using the same techniques. Examples of cellular and metabolic engineering are divided into five categories: Over 100 examples of cellular and metabolic engineering are summarized. Several molecular biological, analytical chemistry, and mathematical and computational tools of relevance to cellular and metabolic engineering are reviewed. The importance of host selection and gene selection is emphasized. Finally, some future directions and emerging areas are presented.
A System Overview Of The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (Aviris)

The AVIRIS instrument has been designed to do high spectral resolution remote sensing of the earth. Utilizing both silicon and indium antimonide line array detectors, AVIRIS covers the spectral region from 0.41 to 2.45 microns in 10-nm bands. It was designed to fly aboard NASA's U-2 and ER-2 aircraft, where it will simulate the performance of future spacecraft instrumentation. Flying at an altitude of 20 km, it has an instantaneous field of view of 20 m and views a swath over 10 km wide. With an ability to record 40 minutes of data, it can, during a single flight, capture 500 km of flight line.
Stream-reach Identification for New Run-of-River Hydropower Development through a Merit Matrix Based Geospatial Algorithm

AbstractEven after a century of development, the total hydropower potential from undeveloped rivers is still considered to be abundant in the United States. However, unlike evaluating hydropower potential at existing hydropower plants or nonpowered dams, locating a feasible new hydropower plant involves many unknowns; hence, the total undeveloped potential is harder to quantify. In light of the rapid development of multiple national geospatial data sets for topography, hydrology, and environmental characteristics, a merit matrix–based geospatial algorithm is proposed to identify possible hydropower stream reaches for future development. These hydropower stream reaches—sections of natural streams with suitable head, flow, and slope for possible future development—are identified and compared by using three different scenarios. A case study was conducted in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint hydrologic subregions. It was found that a merit matrix–based algorithm, which is based...
Minimal Effect of Gene Clustering on Expression in Escherichia coli

Genes that interact or function together are often clustered in bacterial genomes, and it has been proposed that this clustering may affect gene expression. In this study, we directly compared gene expression in nonclustered arrangements and in three common clustered arrangements (codirectional, divergent, and operon) using synthetic circuits in Escherichia coli. We found that gene clustering had minimal effects on gene expression. Specifically, gene clustering did not alter constitutive expression levels or stochastic fluctuations in expression ("expression noise"). Remarkably, the expression of two genes that share the same chromosome position with the same promoter (operon) or with separate promoters (codirectional and divergent arrangements) was not significantly more correlated than genes at different chromosome positions (nonclustered arrangements). The only observed effect of clustering was increased transcription factor binding in codirectional and divergent gene arrangements due to DNA looping, but this is not a specific feature of clustering. In summary, we demonstrate that gene clustering is not a general modulator of gene expression, and therefore any effects of clustering are likely to occur only with specific genes or under certain conditions.
Optimized waveforms for enhancing high-harmonic yield by synthesizing multi-color laser fields

High harmonics favoring phase-matching conditions can be enhanced by one to two orders of magnitude if the laser’s waveform is optimized by synthesizing two or three-color fields without an increase in the total energy.
Propagation failure, universal scalings and Goldstone modes

Abstract In a recent paper, Kladko et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000) 4505) studied front propagation failure in lattices of nonlinear diffusively coupled cells. This phenomenon is revisited here and associated with a saddle-node infinite period bifurcation. The results are used to compare existing theories on Goldstone modes and Peierls–Nabarro barriers for parabolic and hyperbolic systems.
Electrochemical determination of dissolution rates of lyophilized pharmaceutical formulations.

We present a method to measure dissolution times for rapidly dissolving lyophilized formulations. K 4 Fe(CN) 6 6 was lyophilized in formulations containing sucrose, salts, and Tween 20. Dissolution of the lyophilized powders was measured by monitoring the time dependence of the oxidation of Fe(CN) 6 4- ion at the surface of a platinum rotating disk electrode. Reconstitution of lyophilized K 4 -Fe(CN) 6 formulations with aqueous solutions of 0.03% Tween 20 altered the time of dissolution for all cases. Salt and sucrose formulations without Tween 20 dissolved more slowly in a Tween 20 solution than in water alone. In contrast, formulations containing Tween 20 dissolved faster in the Tween 20 solution when compared to dissolution in water.
Bleomycin in octaarginine-modified fusogenic liposomes results in improved tumor growth inhibition

Bleomycin (BLM) is an example of an anticancer drug that should be delivered into cytosol for its efficient therapeutic action. With this in mind, we developed octaarginine (R8)-modified fusogenic DOPE-liposomes (R8-DOPE-BLM). R8-modification dramatically increased (up to 50-fold) the cell-liposome interaction. R8-DOPE-liposomes were internalized via macropinocytosis and did not end up in the lysosomes. R8-DOPE-BLM led to a significantly stronger cell death and DNA damage in vitro relative to all controls. R8-DOPE-BLM demonstrated a prominent anticancer effect in the BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 tumors. Thus, R8-DOPE-BLM provided efficient intracellular delivery of BLM leading to strong tumor growth inhibition in vivo.
Fabrication and characterization of an irradiation facility for large-sample geometry

An irradiation facility consisting of a modified beam port shielding plug has been designed, fabricated built and characterized for use in irradiating non-standard sample geometries. The shielding plug features a graphite moderator at the core end with a hole, or “well” drilled of sufficient diameter and depth to accommodate an eight ounce (227 gram) sample bottle. Added shielding behind the graphite consists of castable neutron- and -gamma-ray shielding. The modified shielding plug can be removed relatively quickly from its irradiation position to minimize personnel exposures. It is mounted in close proximity to the Ohio State University Research Reactor reactor core to allow performance of high-sensitivity neutron activation analysis studies. Using the SAND-II unfolding code, the energy-dependent neutron flux has been measured in the sample irradiation position. When operating at 100 % power, the total flux is 3.9 × 1012 n/cm2/s. Of this, 55 % is thermal ( 0.5 eV, 0.5 MeV). This makes the facility suitable for neutron activation studies. Recently it has been used for irradiation of filter papers collected in a study of particulate air pollution in the form of atmospheric particulate matter in an urban environment.
Children's selective trust in native-accented speakers.

Across two experiments, preschool-aged children demonstrated selective learning of non-linguistic information from native-accented rather than foreign-accented speakers. In Experiment 1, children saw videos of a native- and a foreign-accented speaker of English who each spoke for 10 seconds, and then silently demonstrated different functions with novel objects. Children selectively endorsed the silent object function provided by the native-accented speaker. In Experiment 2, children again endorsed the native-accented over the foreign-accented speaker, even though both informants previously spoke only in nonsense speech. Thus, young children demonstrate selective trust in native-accented speakers even when neither informant’s speech relays meaningful semantic content, and the information that both informants provide is non-linguistic. We propose that children orient towards members of their native community to guide their early cultural learning.
Service-Learning: A Venue for Enhancing Pre-ServiceEducators' Knowledge Base for Teaching

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research examining the impact of service-learning on student’s personal qualities has shown positive results. Findings indicate that students participating in high quality service-learning programs show increases in their perceptions of self-efficacy, civic responsibility, social justice, and diversity awareness. Less information regarding the effect of participation in service-learning on student’s intellectual and knowledge outcomes is known. This case study examined the influence of participation in a service-learning program on pre-service educators’ knowledge base for teaching. Participants included 31 undergraduate physical education majors enrolled in a Motor Skill Development for Children course at a large state university in the southwestern United States. Findings from multiple data sources (i.e., journals, interviews, and observations of instruction) revealed that pre-service educators participating in a service-learning program enhanced their pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher education programs should consider implementing service-learning programs within the curriculum to benefit preservice educators’ knowledge base for teaching.
Sensitivity of Tropical Tropospheric Temperature to Sea Surface Temperature Forcing

Abstract During El Nino, there are substantial tropospheric temperature anomalies across the entire tropical belt associated with the warming of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern Pacific. The quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model (QTCM) is used to investigate the mechanisms for tropical tropospheric temperature response to SST forcing. In both observations and model simulations, the tropical averaged tropospheric temperature anomaly 〈T′〉 is approximately linear with the tropical mean SST anomaly 〈T′s〉 for observed SST forcing. Regional SST anomaly experiments are used to estimate regional sensitivity measures and quantify the degree of nonlinearity. For instance, SST anomalies of 3°C in the central Pacific would give a nonlinear 〈T′〉 response about 15% greater than a linear fit to small SST anomaly experiments would predict, but for the maximum observed SST anomaly in this region the response differs by only 5% from linearity. Nonlinearity in 〈T′〉 response is modest even...
Problems in measuring portfolio performance An application to contrarian investment strategies

We document problems in measuring raw and abnormal five-year contrarian portfolio returns. ‘Loser’ stocks are low-priced and exhibit skewed return distributions. Their 163% mean return is due largely to their lowest-price quartile position. A %ith price increase reduces the mean by 25%, highlighting their sensitivity to microstructure/liquidity effects. Long positions in low-priced loser stocks occur disproportionately after bear markets and thus induce expected-return effects. A contrarian portfolio formed at June-end earns negative abnormal returns, in contrast with the December-end portfolio. This conclusion is not limited to a particular version of the CAPM.