cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal-silicon bonded compounds XVII. A 199Hg Ft NMR study of some silylmercury derivatives and selected organomercury compounds

Abstract The 199Hg NMR spectra were determined for a series of silylmercury derivatives of the form Hg(SiRR′R″)2 by Fourier transform techniques. A linear correlation between the chemical shift, δ(199Hg), and the sum of the orbital electronegativities on silicon is reported for symmetric species. The chemical shifts are also linearly dependent on the lowest energy UV absorption maximum for these derivatives. These observations are discussed in terms of the current theories dealing with chemical shifts of heavy nuclei. The 199Hg-29Si coupling constants have been tabulated with evindence presented indicating that these are dominated by the Fermi contact interaction. It has been found that these are dependent on the same energy terms as observed for the chemical shift. Limited studies are reported on solvent, concentration, and temperature dependence of the δ(199Hg) for these derivatives.
Inhibition of mesencephalic morphine analgesia by methysergide in the medial ventral medulla of rats.

Abstract The neural substrates of endogenous supraspinal opioid pain inhibition are mediated in part by connections between the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the ventral-medial medulla, including the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) and nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (NRGC). To ascertain whether a serotonergic synapse participated in this pathway, the present study determined whether microinjections of methysergide into the NRM or NRGC would alter analgesia elicited by morphine microinjections into the PAG. Morphine (2.5 μg) in the PAG and immediately adjacent areas produced significant analgesia on the tail-flick and jump tests in rats. Pretreatment with the serotonin receptor antagonist methysergide (0.5–5 μg) in either the NRM or NRGC significantly reduced morphine analgesia elicited from the PAG by 69% on the tail-flick and by 50% on the jump tests without altering basal nociceptive thresholds. Medullary placements ventral or lateral to the NRM/NRGC failed to support this antagonistic effect. These data indicate that a ventro-medial medullary serotonergic synapse participates in the transmission of opioid pain-inhibitory signals from the PAG.
Biosynthesis of sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine by cell-free systems from Hansenula ciferri.

Abstract Cells of Hanseniaspora valbyensis, a yeast auxotrophic for vitamin B6, show a marked decrease in its palmitoleic acid and sphingolipid content when grown under conditions of vitamin B6 deficiency. In studying the metabolic basis of the latter observation, we found that a particulate preparation from another yeast, Hansenula ciferri, synthesized both dihydrosphingosine and sphingosine (but not phytosphingosine) from palmityl CoA and serine. Synthesis of dihydrosphingosine proceeds in two steps: (a) condensation of palmityl CoA with serine to yield CO2 and a previously unrecognized biosynthetic intermediate, 3-ketodihydrosphingosine; and (b) TPNH-dependent reduction of this ketonic intermediate to erythro-dihydrosphingosine. The synthesis and properties of labeled 3-ketodihydrosphingosine are described. Action of the particulate enzyme on this compound yields only dihydrosphingosine, whereas the same enzyme preparation forms both sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine from palmityl CoA and serine. The desaturation reaction involved in sphingosine biosynthesis thus appears to occur at the fatty acyl CoA level, although the possibility that it occurs at the ketonic level remains open. Synthesis of sphingosine also proceeds via a new ketonic intermediate, 3-ketosphingosine, by reactions analogous to (a) and (b). Palmityl CoA is the preferred substrate of the condensing enzyme, stearyl CoA and possibly myristyl CoA are reasonably good substrates, whereas lauryl CoA is not utilized. Trans-2-hexadecenoyl CoA is a good substrate for the particulate enzyme preparation, but like palmityl CoA, leads to mixtures of sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine, α-Hydroxypalmityl CoA is not a substrate, and appears, therefore, not to be a precursor of phytosphingosine, at least in enzyme preparations of this nature.
Expected Utility Illustrated: A Graphical Analysis of Gambles with More than Two Possible Outcomes

The author presents a simple geometric method to graphically illustrate the expected utility from a gamble with more than two possible outcomes. This geometric result gives economics students a simple visual aid for studying expected utility theory and enables them to analyze a richer set of decision problems under uncertainty compared to what they typically see in an intermediate-level microeconomics course.
Diagnostic testing for community-acquired pneumonia.

The clinical, radiographic, and routine laboratory features of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can offer clues to the microbial cause of the infection, but a specific etiologic diagnosis requires the assistance of the microbiology laboratory. 143 Whether or not diagnostic testing is helpful in the management of community-acquired pneumonia is a subject of controversy that has been debated elsewhere. 138a,144 This article reviews the noninvasive and invasive methods currently available for the microbiologic diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infection, considers the diagnostic challenges offered by specific common pathogens, and suggests a reasonable approach to the diagnostic evaluation of the patient with CAP.
Probabilistic estimates for multivariate analyses

The ways in which engineering systems fail (i.e., their occurence and frequency) demonstrate considerable differences between hypothetical models assumed for design and actual performance. All materials contain imperfections. All systems are subject to complex interrelationships, material defects, structural deficiencies, human errors, ambient fluctuations, and, hence, to varying degrees of randomness (uncertainties). Various methods have been offered to accomodate uncertainty. The most common, by far, is to assign single-valued point estimates that reflect central tendencies or implied levels of conservatism. Analyses are then reduced to deterministic treatments. More direct probabilistic methods employ Monte Carlo simulations or truncated Taylor series. However, analyses rapidly become exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for these methods for all but a very few uncorrelated random variables. These matters and others have been ameliorated by Rosenblueth's point estimate method.1 Many problems are encountered that require numerous correlated random variables. For such systems all of the above methods become untractable. This paper presents a simple procedure that accomodates the analyses of such systems.
Editorial: Chronology of your health events: Approaches to extracting temporal relations from medical narratives

Participants in the 2012 i2b2 Shared-Task and Workshop on Challenges in Natural Language Processing for Clinical Data created a variety of systems for processing temporal relations in clinical records. The different ways of conceptualizing the shared-task Tracks reflects the complexity of temporal analysis of narratives even for humans, and the use of hybrid systems, world knowledge, and other sources of linguistic information reflect the difficulty of formulating temporal analysis for automated methods. Despite their promising results, and significant advancement on the state of the art in temporal relations in medical records, the 2012 i2b2 challenge systems only scratched the surface in this task. Open questions remain about the applicability of the developed systems for real life practical questions, such as the determination of the progression of diseases in patients, for example, heart disease in diabetic populations. Nevertheless, the 2012 i2b2 Challenge corpus of temporal annotations remains a valuable asset to the medical NLP community, and we hope will serve as the basis for further innovation in temporal relations, resulting in systems that can be applied to real life clinical problems.
Antigen receptor signaling in CLL—is the line dead?

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can be segregated into 2 subtypes based upon the nature of the expressed immunoglobulin (Ig) genes. Leukemia cells that use unmutated Ig more often express CD38 and are associated with a higher tendency toward disease progression than are CLL cells that
Assessing the Capability of Helmets to Prevent Concussion: Principles and Applications of the STAR Evaluation System

Research has estimated that between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions are sustained in the United States each year [1]. In light of new research suggesting that potential long-term neurodegenerative effects can result from repetitive brain injuries, concussions have been placed under the national spotlight as a primary health concern. While minimizing the exposure of athletes to head impact is one important component of reducing the incidence of concussion, improvement in head protection is another essential element. This paper focuses on a new mechanism to evaluate the protective capabilities of helmets in relation to concussion.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Design and characterization of symmetric multi-tap transformers

Symmetric multi-tap transformers are designed, modeled, and characterized. Simple mathematical calculations are utilized to estimate the inductances and coupling coefficients from the physical parameters of a multi-tap transformer, which reduces the time required to develop an initial design. A broadband lumped-element model is then presented and its accuracy is demonstrated by comparing the extracted inductances from the model to Momentum simulation results. A concentric and an interleaved symmetric multi-tap transformer are designed in 0.13µm CMOS RF process and their self-inductances, coupling coefficients, and quality factors are evaluated.
Virtualized ECC: Flexible Reliability in Main Memory

Virtualized error checking and correcting (ECC) is a scheme that virtualizes memory-error correction. Unlike traditional uniform ECC, which provides a fixed level of error tolerance, virtualized ECC enables flexible memory protection by mapping redundant information needed for correcting errors onto the memory namespace. Additionally, virtualized ECC enables error-correction mechanisms that can adapt to user and system demands.
Hardware accelerated Wavelet Transform and de-noising for pattern recognition

Wavelet Transform is a widely used tool in signal processing which helps in localizing a signal in both time and frequency domain. This is in contrast to FFT which can only resolve a signal in frequency domain. Additionally, Wavelet Transform has been widely employed by electrical machines researchers for fault diagnosis and prognosis especially as means to extract features for classification purposes. The problem though with both machine learning algorithms and Wavelet Transform is that they require extensive computational resources which are not available in environs where electrical machines are most often placed. Additionally, these environments are plagued by noise which considerably affects the quality of input signal i.e., current. Other issues related to on-board system is the associated cost of diagnosis hardware. Concretely, the algorithm for Wavelet Analysis of a signal should be capable of producing reasonable results using cost effective hardware which comes with the compromise of lesser resolution, limited memory and low power consumption. In this proposed work, implementation scheme of Wavelet Transform on low cost PSoC3 hardware is presented which tightly integrates the FPGA blocks and DSP processor on the chip with microcontroller core to yield a fast and robust hardware accelerated mechanism to compute Wavelet Transform, Wavelet thresholding for denoising and classification.
Paleomagnetism of Paleozoic strata of the Alexander terrane, southeastern Alaska

Paleomagnetic samples were collected from 180 sites (sedimentary horizons or igneous flows) in nine Paleozoic formations of the Alexander terrane on or near Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. Analysis of samples collected from 68 sites within 2 stratigraphic sections of red sedimentary rocks from the Lower Devonian Karheen Formation allows determination of a characteristic component with unblocking temperatures between 550 °C and 680 °C in many samples. Site-mean characteristic directions from 29 sites pass fold and reversal tests and define polarity zones correlative between the two stratigraphic sections. These paleomagnetic data indicate an Early Devonian paleolatitude of 14° ± 4° (north or south). Geochronologic analysis of detrital zircon grains from the Karheen Formation requires that the Alexander terrane was adjacent to a continent with crust distributed within 1.6–1.8 Ga and 1.45–1.6 Ga age intervals. Early Paleozoic locations as part of the Australian paleo-Pacific margin of Gondwana or the Scandinavian margin of Baltica are consistent with the paleomagnetic, geologic, and geochronologic data, and available paleontologic data favor the Baltica paleoposition. The Lower Permian Halleck Formation volcanic rocks contain a stable paleomagnetism indicating a paleolatitude of approximately 25°N, consistent with the 25°N–30°N Permian paleolatitudes determined from three other formations of the Alexander-Wrangellia terranes. The 10°–20° paleolatitudes determined from numerous paleomagnetic studies of Late Triassic igneous rocks from Alexander-Wrangellia are almost certainly Northern Hemisphere paleolatitudes. Available evidence indicates: (1) early Paleozoic development of the Alexander terrane as a volcanic arc without significant incorporation of continental crust; (2) mid-Paleozoic juxtaposition with a continent containing 1.6–1.8 Ga and 1.45–1.6 Ga crust, probably the Scandinavian margin of Baltica; (3) rifting from that margin in Devonian time followed by tectonic transport to 25°–30° latitude in the northern paleo-Pacific by Permian time; and (4) southward motion to a Late Triassic paleolatitude of 10°–20° followed by accretion to North America with subsequent dispersal of fragments from northern Oregon to southern Alaska. The Ordovician Descon Formation, Silurian Heceta Limestone, Devonian Port Refugio Formation, and Pennsylvanian Ladrones Formation did not yield primary magnetizations. Upper Paleozoic carbonate rocks and siliciclastic strata of the Devonian Wadleigh Limestone and the Mississippian Peratrovich and Pennsylvanian Klawak Formations have characteristic magnetizations that are complex and, in part, demonstrably secondary. Rock-magnetic investigations of the Peratrovich Formation and the Wadleigh Limestone reveal wasp-waisted hysteresis loops with parameters closely matching those of other carbonate rocks known to have undergone chemical remagnetization.
In the search for new anticancer drugs XII. Synthesis and biological evaluation of spin labeled nitrosoureas.

Abstract The spin labeled nitrosourea 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(1-oxyl-2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl-piperidinyl)-1-nitrosourea (SLCNU, 4 ) and its analogues 5 – 7 were synthesized either by a regio-selective method or by a conventional route via the nitrosation of the spin labeled intermediates ( 11a - e ). Nitrosation of the ureas 11a - e with dinitrogen tetraoxide resulted in better yields than those obtained with sodium nirite. The nitrosoureas 4 – 8 were tested for their anti-cancer activity against the lymphocytic leukemia P388 in mice. Thus, either at the equal molar dose or at the dose of equal toxicity level, the SLCNU ( 4 ) was found to be more active than the clinically used CCNU ( 1 ). Unlike CCNU ( 1 ) whose LD 50 is 56 mg/kg, the SLCNU ( 4 ) possesses a low toxicity (LD 50 123 mg/kg). Therefore, SLCNU ( 4 ) is a promising new entry into the nitrosourea class of anticancer drugs.
The logic of Null hypothesis testing

In this commentary, I agree with Chow's treatment of null hypothesis significance testing as a noninferential procedure. However, I dispute his reconstruction of the logic of theory corroboration. I also challenge recent criticisms of NHSTP based on power analysis and meta-analysis.
Regulation of Chemokine Expression by NaCl Occurs Independently of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator in Macrophages

Chronic pulmonary inflammation and infection are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). While the effect of mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) on airways remains controversial, some groups have demonstrated increases in Na(+) and Cl(-) in CF airway surface liquid compared to normal airways. We investigated the consequences of NaCl on pro-inflammatory chemokine and cytokine production by macrophages. Stimulation of mouse macrophages with increasing amounts of NaCl induced macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production. Further, co-incubation of macrophages with NaCl in the presence of either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or TNF-alpha synergistically increased MIP-2 production. Both the NaCl and NaCl plus LPS responses were partially dependent on endogenous production and autocrine signaling by TNF-alpha. To investigate the role of CFTR in MIP-2 production, we compared the responses of wild-type and DeltaF508 CF mouse macrophages to NaCl and LPS. The responses of macrophages from both strains were indistinguishable. In addition, CFTR mRNA was not expressed in macrophages. Taken together, these findings suggest that NaCl stimulates MIP-2 production by macrophages through a mechanism that is partially dependent on TNF-alpha but independent of macrophage CFTR expression.
Innovation in surgical technology and techniques: Challenges and ethical issues

The pace of medical innovation continues to increase. The deployment of new technologies in surgery creates many ethical challenges including how to determine safety of the technology, what is the timing and process for deployment of a new technology, how are patients informed before undergoing a new technology or technique, how are the outcomes of a new technology evaluated and how are the responsibilities of individual patients and society at large balanced. Ethical considerations relevant to the implementation of ECMO and robotic surgery are explored to further discussion of how we can optimize the delicate balance between innovation and regulation.
The gluon propagator at finite temperature

Abstract The Landau gauge gluon propagator at finite temperature above and below the deconfinement transition is measured using lattice Monte Carlo simulation. The color electric and magnetic masses are determined. The most striking result of the calculation is that the time component of the gluon field appears to acquire a vacuum expected value in the deconfined region.
Equivalent energy wave for long-term analysis of ground coupled heat exchangers

Abstract This paper presents a robust approach to develop ground thermal loads to be used for the long-term analysis of ground-coupled heat exchangers. The thermal loads developed using the proposed approach are simple, yet accounts for the hourly variation of the thermal loads. The analysis to develop these ground thermal loads is based on the change-point statistical analysis to determine the heating and cooling episodes. Heating and cooling loads are then converted into sine waves with an equivalent amplitude and the episodes determined from the change-point statistical analysis. Using the approximated equivalent sine waves, finite element or finite difference methods can be utilized to predict the long-term performance of the heat exchangers. The proposed methodology is compared to other existing approaches and showed better representation of the varying hourly ground thermal loads for a 1 year period. Moreover, a long-term thermal performance is predicted using the equivalent sine waves developed for balanced and unbalanced ground loads.
Toward very large format infrared detector arrays

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024x1024 pixel InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs based quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 17 mK at a 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NEΔT of 13 mK at a 70K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K and 70K operating temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. It is well known that III-V compound semiconductor materials such as GaAs, InP, etc. are easy to grow and process into devices. In addition, III-V compound semiconductors are available in large diameter wafers, up to 8-inches. Thus, III-V compound semiconductor based infrared focal plane technologies such as QWIP, InSb, and strain layer superlattices (SLS) are potential candidates for the development of large format focal planes such as 4096x4096 pixels and larger. In this paper, we will discuss the possibility of extending the infrared detector array size up to 16 megapixels.
Electropolymerized films to prevent interferences and electrode fouling in biosensors

Abstract Electrochemical biosensors are constructed by all-chemical means for the determination of serum glucose by flow-injection analysis. The electrode is protected from interferences and fouling by electropolymerized films. The effectiveness of various electropolymerized films are evaluated. An electropolymerized film of 1,3-DAB/resorcinol gave the best protection and stability. The advantage of all-chemical construction is that it can be used for any size or shape sensor. A variety of electrode materials are used. Biosensors are constructed by platinizing the electrode, if it is carbon. Glucose oxidase is immobilized onto the surface by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde, followed by an electropolymerized film. Thermal stability of the enzyme also is investigated. The biosensor, with poly(1,3-DAB/resorcinol), is effective for 5 months with periodic use, has a linear response over the human physiological range (2.5–10 m m ), and standard serum samples are accurately determined within ±3%.
Embryo Tolerance and Maternal Control of the Marsupial Environment in Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda: Oniscidea)

Abstract Marsupial development in terrestrial isopods subjects embryos to potential physiological stresses, including desiccation, osmotic variation, and high ammonia concentrations. In this study, we investigated tolerance of osmotic extremes, total ammonia, and pH in developmental stages of Armadillidium vulgare cultured in vitro. Marsupial stages were classified as stage 1 (chorionated eggs), stage 2 (having shed the chorion), and stage 3 (mancas). All stages showed wide but differing tolerance ranges. Stage 1 eggs possess the greatest ammonia tolerance, with high 7‐d survival in 150 mM total ammonia, and a wide pH tolerance range. Mancas show the widest osmotic tolerance (100–1,400 mosm kg−1) and display proficient hemolymph osmoregulation over this range. Stage 2 eggs reveal the narrowest tolerance ranges for all three parameters but still qualify as eurytopic. Silver staining revealed two distinct ion‐transporting tissues in the developmental stages: a median band on the vitelline membrane of stage ...
Seasonal Zooplankton Concentrations in Barren River Lake and Tailwater, Kentucky

ABSTRACT Microcrustacean plankton and rotifers were sampled semimonthly in Barren River Lake and at three stations in the tailwater from August 1980 to August 1981. Microcrustaceans were most abundant in the reservoir, and densities in the tailwater decreased progressively downstream. Three seasonal abundance peaks were observed in the reservoir—the highest in March-April and moderate ones in June and December. Fewest microcrustaceans were collected in late July and August in both the reservoir and tailwater. Rotifer densities were similar in the reservoir and in the immediate tailwater; however, densities usually declined progressively with distance below the dam. Densities were highest in January and February and decreased during the rest of the year; in some months no rotifers were collected. The decrease in abundances of microcrustaceans and rotifers downstream from the dam was attributed to predation, physical destruction, and lack of suitable habitat. Most water released from Barren River Lake was f...
On-demand design service innovations

Offering design services for manufacturers of embedded devices has become a very important business, one in which the three leading customer requirements are time to market, integration of leading-edge technologies, and cost reduction; in short, on-demand design services. In this paper, we discuss on-demand design service innovations of several types. First, we discuss our unique field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based system emulation tool. Although embedded systems comprise a wide range of technologies and components, some important technologies and components are common to most embedded systems. Security and communications are two of these, and we have developed offerings in these areas as well. For security, we developed scalable intellectual property macros to meet the requirements for many kinds of cryptographic circuits. These macros can satisfy specific requirements--performance, size of the silicon area, and power dissipation--for many kinds of embedded systems. For communications, we developed an autonomic network configuration tool which allows an end user to avoid the potential frustration of setting up a network connection and which also automatically performs network security tasks.
The fire retardant dilemma.

Although smoking and fire deaths are rapidly decreasing in the United States ([1][1]), proposed new flammability regulations could add tens of millions of additional pounds of potentially toxic fire-retardant chemicals to bed clothing, pillows, and foam within upholstered furniture ([2][2]). In the
Demonstration of Penetrating Intramyocardial Coronary Arteries with High-Frequency Transthoracic Echocardiography and Doppler in Human Subjects ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Characterization of intramyocardial coronary artery flow may offer insight into the spectrum of coronary physiology. The purposes of this study were to test the feasibility of detection and measurement of intramyocardial coronary artery flow by using high-frequency transthoracic ultrasound and to evaluate the hemodynamic and morphologic differences in intramyocardial coronary arteries between patients with echocardiographically normal myocardium and patients with diseased myocardium. In 116 subjects (age 58 ± 19 years; male:female 67:49; 58 normal [control subjects], 40 with left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH], 18 with systolic left ventricular dysfunction [cardiomyopathy, CM]), we examined the myocardium just beneath the apical impulse window at a depth of 3 to 5 cm by using a 6- or 7-MHz centerline frequency transducer. For color Doppler examination, a special preset coronary program with a low Nyquist limit (12 to 20 cm) was used. After obtaining linear color signals, the width and length, peak and mean diastolic pulsed Doppler flow velocities, diastolic velocity time integrals, and percent duration of diastolic Doppler flow were measured. The number of linear color flow signals per square centimeter was counted in 520 different cardiac cycles, and the angles formed by their inner curvature was measured with a graduated protractor. We identified color flow Doppler signals within the myocardium having a mean width of 1.1 ± 0.4 mm and flow direction from epicardium to endocardium in 104 (89.7%) subjects and spectral Doppler signals in 74 (63.8%) subjects. In 33 (45.8%) subjects, only diastolic flow was detected and in 39 (54.2%) subjects, diastolic flow was predominant with systolic reversal. Peak and mean diastolic flow velocities and velocity time integrals of spectral Doppler signal in control subjects were 26.2 ± 8.6 cm/s, 19.0 ± 6.3 cm/s, and 9.5 ± 2.7 cm, respectively. There were no significant differences in width and density of linear color flow signals among the 3 groups. The color flow signals in the LVH and CM groups had a narrower angle of inner curvature ( P P P P
Perception and attitude of medical school faculty toward participation in university‐sponsored continuing medical education

Medical school faculty are asked to provide a major portion of the continuing medical education (CME) that occurs in the United States, yet little information is available regarding their attitude toward participating in CME. Members of the faculty from the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington were surveyed regarding their involvement in university-sponsored CME in order to identify issues that could be addressed to improve and enhance their participation. The perceived “costs” and “benefits” to the faculty were identified. Although each institution may have a different set of perceived costs and benefits, information from this survey may be useful to increase medical school faculty participation in CME and to make it a more rewarding endeavor.
A scaling approximation of equilibrium timescales for sand-bed and gravel-bed rivers responding to base-level lowering

The timescale required for a river channel to reach new equilibrium conditions following a disturbance presumably depends on channel substrate size, and previous field studies have suggested that gravel-bed channels should reach equilibrium more quickly than sand-bed channels. To estimate the relative timescale difference between sand-bed and gravel-bed rivers responding to base-level lowering, we developed a simple scaling approximation. Equilibrium timescales derived from these equations for sand-bed rivers were found to be approximately half of those for gravel-bed rivers. While gravel-bed channels do not need to transport as much sediment to reach equilibrium conditions as sand-bed channels, transport of sediment is more rapid in sand-bed channels leading to quicker equilibration.
Study of β- and β″-aluminas by means of potential energy calculations☆

Abstract Potential energy calculations using Coulomb, short-range repulsive, and polarization energy terms have been made to study the conduction mechanism, the mixed-ion effects and charge compensation mechanisms in β-aluminas, and the conduction mechanism and non-Arrhenian behavior in β″-aluminas. It is concluded that the interstitialcy cation pairs are important to properties of β-aluminas, while the interacting ‘nearly-free’ cation vacancies are important to properties of β″-aluminas.
Systems immunology of human malaria

Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a global public health threat. Optimism that a highly effective malaria vaccine can be developed stems in part from the observation that humans can acquire immunity to malaria through experimental and natural P. falciparum infection. Recent advances in systems immunology could accelerate efforts to unravel the mechanisms of acquired immunity to malaria. Here, we review the tools of systems immunology, their current limitations in the context of human malaria research, and the human 'models' of malaria immunity to which these tools can be applied.
The retinoblastoma gene family: cousins with overlapping interests

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (RB1) and its relatives, p107 and p130, encode a family of proteins that share several properties, including the capacity to regulate E2F-dependent transcription and inhibit cell-cycle progression. Although RB1 inactivation is widely implicated in human cancer, the growth regulatory functions of p107 and p130, and the functional relationships within the gene family, are emerging only recently. Here we review studies of RB1 gene family function, with emphasis on in vivo experiments that explore shared and distinct functions within this family.
Chinese consumers’ evaluation of foreign products: the influence of culture, product types and product presentation format

Underlines that marketers are interested in how consumers evaluate products sourced from overseas. Observes that, along with the globalization of business, more developing countries have become feasible markets for a variety of consumer goods manufactured in industrialized countries, yet relatively little research has investigated how consumers in those emerging markets evaluate foreign‐sourced products. Focuses on Chinese consumers’ evaluation of products made in the USA, Japan and South Korea. Suggests that country‐of‐origin (COO) information significantly influences Chinese subjects’ evaluation of the products from these countries, with a hierarchy of country of origin effects existing among the sample of Chinese consumers. Determines that products from the USA and Japan received more favourable ratings than those from South Korea and, contrary to prior belief, cultural similarity did not seem to moderate the COO effect. However, finds that product type and how COO and other product information were co...
Phospholipase A2 inhibition and atherosclerotic vascular disease: prospects for targeting secretory and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 enzymes.

Purpose of reviewSelective inhibitors of secretory phospholipase A2 and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 are potential candidates for reducing recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD). With the active enrollment of CHD patients into phase III c
Time-series analysis of multi-resolution optical imagery for quantifying forest cover loss in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia

Monitoring loss of humid tropical forests via remotely sensed imagery is critical for a number of environmental monitoring objectives, including carbon accounting, biodiversity, and climate modeling science applications. Landsat imagery, provided free of charge by the U.S. Geological Survey Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (USGS/EROS), enables consistent and timely forest cover loss updates from regional to biome scales. The Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan are a center of significant forest cover change within the humid tropics with implications for carbon dynamics, biodiversity maintenance and local livelihoods. Sumatra and Kalimantan feature poor observational coverage compared to other centers of humid tropical forest change, such as Mato Grosso, Brazil, due to the lack of ongoing acquisitions from nearby ground stations and the persistence of cloud cover obscuring the land surface. At the same time, forest change in Indonesia is transient and does not always result in deforestation, as cleared forests are rapidly replaced by timber plantations and oil palm estates. Epochal composites, where single best observations are selected over a given time interval and used to quantify change, are one option for monitoring forest change in cloudy regions. However, the frequency of forest cover change in Indonesia confounds the ability of image composite pairs to quantify all change. Transient change occurring between composite periods is often missed and the length of time required for creating a cloud-free composite often obscures change occurring within the composite period itself. In this paper, we analyzed all Landsat 7 imagery with <50% cloud cover and data and products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to quantify forest cover loss for Sumatra and Kalimantan from 2000 to 2005. We demonstrated that time-series approaches examining all good land observations are more accurate in mapping forest cover change in Indonesia than change maps based on image composites. Unlike other time-series analyses employing observations with a consistent periodicity, our study area was characterized by highly unequal observation counts and frequencies due to persistent cloud cover, scan line corrector off (SLC-off) gaps, and the absence of a complete archive. Our method accounts for this variation by generating a generic variable space. We evaluated our results against an independent probability sample-based estimate of gross forest cover loss and expert mapped gross forest cover loss at 64 sample sites. The mapped gross forest cover loss for Sumatra and Kalimantan was 2.86% of the land area, or 2.86 Mha from 2000 to 2005, with the highest concentration having occurred in Riau and Kalimantan Tengah provinces.
EFFECTS OF D‐AMPHETAMINE AND ETHANOL ON VARIABLE AND REPETITIVE KEY‐PECK SEQUENCES IN PIGEONS

This experiment assessed the effects of d-amphetamine and ethanol on reinforced variable and repetitive key-peck sequences in pigeons. Pigeons responded on two keys under a multiple schedule of Repeat and Vary components. In the Repeat component, completion of a target sequence of right, right, left, left resulted in food. In the Vary component, 4-peck sequences differing from the previous 10 produced food. d-Amphetamine (0.1–3.0 mg/kg, i.m.) was administered in two separate phases, separated by ethanol administration (1.0–2.0 g/kg, i.g.). Under control conditions, measures of variability were high in the Vary component, and lower in the Repeat component. Following administration of the highest dose of d-amphetamine, but not ethanol, response rates decreased in both components. d-Amphetamine and ethanol tended to increase overall sequence variability in the Repeat component, and had less of an effect in the Vary component. Performance in the Repeat component during Phase 2 of d-amphetamine administration was more disrupted than during Phase 1. Measures of variability and repetition based on shifts in the relative frequency distributions of the 16 possible key-peck sequences differed from those based on the overall measure of variability, highlighting the importance of considering both molar and molecular measures when assessing the effects of drugs on reinforced variability and repetition. In addition, the shifts in the relative frequency distribution of response sequences suggest that d-amphetamine produced decrements in repeat performance by decreasing discriminative control within response sequences, whereas ethanol decreased repeat performance by decreasing discriminability between components as well as discriminative control within response sequences.
Molecular Mechanism for Age-Related Memory Loss: The Histone-Binding Protein RbAp48

To distinguish age-related memory loss more explicitly from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we have explored its molecular underpinning in the dentate gyrus (DG), a subregion of the hippocampal formation thought to be targeted by aging. We carried out a gene expression study in human postmortem tissue harvested from both DG and entorhinal cortex (EC), a neighboring subregion unaffected by aging and known to be the site of onset of AD. Using expression in the EC for normalization, we identified 17 genes that manifested reliable age-related changes in the DG. The most significant change was an age-related decline in RbAp48, a histone-binding protein that modifies histone acetylation. To test whether the RbAp48 decline could be responsible for age-related memory loss, we turned to mice and found that, consistent with humans, RbAp48 was less abundant in the DG of old than in young mice. We next generated a transgenic mouse that expressed a dominant-negative inhibitor of RbAp48 in the adult forebrain. Inhibition of RbAp48 in young mice caused hippocampus-dependent memory deficits similar to those associated with aging, as measured by novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies showed that within the hippocampal formation, dysfunction was selectively observed in the DG, and this corresponded to a regionally selective decrease in histone acetylation. Up-regulation of RbAp48 in the DG of aged wild-type mice ameliorated age-related hippocampus-based memory loss and age-related abnormalities in histone acetylation. Together, these findings show that the DG is a hippocampal subregion targeted by aging, and identify molecular mechanisms of cognitive aging that could serve as valid targets for therapeutic intervention.
LITIGATION AND SOCIETY

Litigation, in ordinary speech, refers to actions contested in court; this involves a claim, a dispute or conflict, and the use of a specific institution, the court, to resolve the conflict or dispute. In the past most legal research has consisted of analysis of doctrine and theory about doctrine. But litigation is an important phenomenon in its own right and research lately has shown this. This chapter aims to sketch out a few major areas of research and theory and to add a few brief remarks about the significance of the work thus far. The topics covered include: dispute-centered and court-centered research; quantity of litigation and the so-called litigation explosion; and the impact of litigation on society.
Protecting the Heart Against Arrhythmias: Potassium Current Physiology and Repolarization Reserve

Hodgkin and Huxley’s classic experiments in the squid giant axon were the first to define a role for potassium efflux as a mechanism to return the membrane potential of an excitable cell to resting values.1 They showed that depolarization was caused by a rapid influx of sodium into the squid giant axon, an event which then initiated movement of potassium from inside the axon to the exterior. The resulting repolarizing current, termed I K, was identified decades later as a major contributor to repolarization in heart cells.2 I K appeared to not only drive normal repolarization but also respond to adrenergic activation. By the 1970s it was apparent that β-adrenergic stimulation markedly increases inward calcium current in myocytes3; this would prolong the QT interval on exercise were it not for a “balancing” effect of I K activation.4 See p 1384 and 1392 In the late 1980s, there was some enthusiasm for the concept that arrhythmias could be suppressed by drugs that selectively delay repolarization (ie, without exerting other electrophysiological effects such as sodium channel block). A number of potent QT-prolonging agents were developed; in fact, 2—dofetilide and ibutilide—have reached clinical use. Studies of the molecular basis of such selective action potential prolongation led to the key discovery by Michael Sanguinetti, then at Merck, that “ I K” in guinea pig myocytes actually represented 2 distinct currents: a small drug-sensitive current that activated rapidly (hence, termed I Kr) and a large drug-resistant currrent that activated slowly, I Ks.5 I Kr block is now recognized as the overwhelmingly common mechanism whereby drugs produce QT prolongation. Work by many laboratories has defined key electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of I Kr. Notably, the Sanguinetti laboratory has proposed a structural basis for the peculiar “promiscuity” …
Deflection of Orthotropic Sandwich Plates

T paper presents a portion of the results of analytical and experimental studies on the deflection of simply-supported, transversely loaded, Orthotropic sandwich plates. Various core depths, face sheet thicknesses, and aspect ratios of the plate are treated in the investigation. Experiment has confirmed the theoretical predictions that 1) the maximum deflection of an orthotropic plate subject to a transverse uniform load does not necessarily occur at the center of the plate, and 2) an upward deflection at some points on the plate surface may occur for a concentrated downward load.
Spontaneous recovery from ethanol-induced male infertility

Abstract Chronic ethanol ingestion by the male is associated with reproductive impairment. No longitudinal studies have been carried out to determine the recovery of ethanol-related reproductive failure subsequent to moderate periods of abstinence. An animal model (C57B1 mouse) was utilized to examine the effectiveness of abstinence for reversal of ethanol-induced reproductive failure. After treatment with either a 5% ethanol diet (10 weeks) or a 6% ethanol diet (5 weeks), animals were hemicastrated (right testis and accessory organs); their reproductive tracts and epididymal spermatozoa were examined. Ingestion of the 5% and 6% ethanol diets resulted in significantly ( p in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes by epididymal spermatozoa (26% and 62%), as compared to their respective pair-fed control values. Also observed was a significant decrease in total motile spermatozoa (85%, 6% diet only). Improvement in all parameters was observed in the contralateral reproductive organs subsequent to ten weeks abstinence. Only germ cell desquamation remained significantly elevated (100% as compared to control) in animals that ingested the 5% diet. In contrast, significant abnormalities persisted ten weeks after treatment with the 6% ethanol diet, including increased germ cell desquamation (200%) and inactive seminiferous tubules (157%); decreased forward progression (17%) of epididymal sperm also persisted. If these data can be applied clinically, male alcoholic patients with reproductive disorders could have a prognosis of at least partial recovery following moderate periods of abstinence from ethanol.
The very unusual case of the IEC-robust IC with low HBM performance

In this work we will show for the first time the case of an IC robust to on-chip IEC 61000-4-2 ESD level events and, yet, consistently failing at low HBM levels (<;2KV). The causes for the miscorrelation will be investigated in detail. A more reliable indicator for HBM robustness will be indicated.
Living with cancer-related uncertainty: associations with fatigue, insomnia, and affect in younger breast cancer survivors

Purpose Uncertainty in cancer patients and survivors about cancer-related symptoms, treatment, and disease course has been related to poorer mental and physical health. However, little is known about whether cancer-related uncertainty relates with specific disease and treatment-related outcomes such as fatigue, insomnia, and affect disruptions. In this paper, we report these associations in younger survivors aged 50 years or less, a population increasing in prevalence.
Adolescent girls' interpersonal vulnerability to depressive symptoms : A longitudinal examination of reassurance-seeking and peer relationships

A transactional, interpersonal framework involving adolescents' reassurance-seeking and peer experiences may be useful for understanding the emergence of gender differences in depression prevalence during the adolescent transition. Sociometric nominations of peer acceptance/rejection and ratings of friendship quality provided by adolescents and their friends were used to measure peer experiences among 6th-8th-grade adolescents (N = 520) over 3 annual time points. After controlling for age and pubertal development, significant but small prospective effects offered mixed support for hypotheses: (a) depressive symptoms and negative peer relations predicted increasing levels of girls' reassurance-seeking; (b) initial levels of reassurance-seeking and depressive symptoms predicted deteriorating friendship quality among girls and low friendship stability, respectively; and (c) reassurance-seeking combined with poor peer experiences predicted increases in girls' depressive symptoms.
MCSF expression is induced in healing myocardial infarcts and may regulate monocyte and endothelial cell phenotype

Myocardial infarction is associated with the rapid induction of mononuclear cell chemoattractants that promote monocyte infiltration into the injured area. Monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation an...