cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing Health-Based Pre-Planning Clearance Goals for Airport Remediation Following Chemical Terrorist Attack: Introduction and Key Assessment Considerations

In the event of a chemical terrorist attack on a transportation hub, post-event remediation and restoration activities necessary to attain unrestricted facility reuse and re-entry could require hours to multiple days. While restoration timeframes are dependent on numerous variables, a primary controlling factor is the level of pre-planning and decision-making completed prior to chemical terrorist release. What follows is the first of a two-part analysis identifying key considerations, critical information, and decision criteria to facilitate post-attack and post-decontamination consequence management activities. A conceptual site model and human health-based exposure guidelines are developed and reported as an aid to site-specific pre-planning in the current absence of U.S. state or Federal values designated as compound-specific remediation or re-entry concentrations, and to safely expedite facility recovery to full operational status. Chemicals of concern include chemical warfare nerve and vesicant agents and the toxic industrial compounds phosgene, hydrogen cyanide, and cyanogen chloride. This work has been performed as a national case study conducted in partnership with the Los Angeles International Airport and The Bradley International Terminal. All recommended guidelines have been selected for consistency with airport scenario release parameters of a one-time, short-duration, finite airborne release from a single source followed by compound-specific decontamination.
On the Hamkins approximation property

We give a short proof of a lemma which generalizes both the main lemma from the original construction in the author’s thesis of a model with no ω2-Aronszajn trees, and also the “Key Lemma” in Hamkins’ gap forcing theorems. The new lemma directly yields Hamkins’ newer lemma stating that certain forcing notions have the approximation property.
Assumptions of Rationality and Equilibrium in Strategy Research: The Limits of Traditional Economic Analysis:

We argue that two core assumptions of economic analysis - managers and employees make optimal decisions and markets operate in equilibrium - have undesirable implications in strategic management research. To show how these assumptions lead to dubious implications, we analyze two exemplars of the rigorous application of these assumptions in strategic management research: Barney's (1986a) `Types of competition and the theory of strategy: toward an integrative framework' and Mosakowski's (1998) `Managerial prescriptions under the resource-based view of strategy: the example of motivational techniques'. We also introduce the basics of a behavioral theory of the firm, which we claim is prefer-able to traditional economic analysis and its severely limiting assumptions. Finally, we argue that most research in strategic management takes an implicitly behavioral view and would benefit from making that view explicit.
Kenyan coral reef lagoon fish : effects of fishing, substrate complexity, and sea urchins

Population density, number of species, diversity, and species-area relationships of fish species in eight common coral reef-associated families were studied in three marine parks receiving total protection from fishing, four sites with unregulated fishing, and one reef which recently received protection from fishing (referred to as a transition reef). Data on coral cover, reef topographic complexity, and sea urchin abundance were collected and correlated with fish abundance and species richness. The most striking result of this survey is a consistent and large reduction in the population density and species richness of 5 families (surgeonfish, triggerfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, and parrotfish). Poor recovery of parrotfish in the transition reef, relative to other fish families, is interpreted as evidence for competitive exclusion of parrotfish by sea urchins. Reef substrate complexity is significantly associated with fish abundance and diversity, but data suggest different responses for protected versus fished reefs, protected reefs having higher species richness and numbers of individuals than unprotected reefs for the same reef complexity. Sea urchin abundance is negatively associated with numbers of fish and fish species but the interrelationship between sea urchins, substrate complexity, coral cover, and management make it difficult to attribute a set percent of variance to each factor-although fishing versus no fishing appears to be the strongest variable in predicting numbers of individuals and species of fish, and their community similarity. Localized species extirpation is evident for many species on fished reefs (for the sampled area of 1.0 ha). Fifty-two of 110 species found on protected reefs were not found on unprotected reefs.
Antigen Binding and the Immune Response II. The Large Number of Antigen-Binding Cells in Primed Animals

SummaryFour months after a primary injection of beta-galactosidase without adjuvant, washed spleen cells of A/Jax mice bind increased levels of the enzyme in vitro, at a time when no antibody activity can be demonstrated in the serum by other criteria. In such mice, a large proportion of spleen cells bear the antigen-binding activity. Hence, not all antigen-binding cells are necessarily antigen-sensitive or antibody-producing cells.This increased binding can be attributed to cells which have adsorbed cytophilic antibody in vivo during the period of antibody biosynthesis.
Inhomogeneous electron transfer kinetics in reaction centers of bacterial photosynthesis

Abstract Based on the idea of conformational substates in proteins, we have analyzed the non-single exponential kinetics of an electron transfer system in terms of inhomogeneous width and thermal-energy fluctuation. A simple theoretical expression for the average lifetime for electron transfer has been derived together with the concept of “apparent” reorganization energy. These expressions provide insight into the efficiency of primary charge separation in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center.
pH-dependent thermal activation of endo-1,4-β-glucanase in Thermomonospora curvata

Abstract The thermophilic actinomycete, Thermomonospora curvata, secretes a ceullulase complex capable of saccharifying crystalline cellulose. The saccharifying capacity of cell-free culture fluid was rapidly inactivated by heating at acidic pH, but at alkaline pH significant activation of the complex was effected by heat treatment. This pH-dependent thermal activation occurred in the major endoglucanase (endo-1,4-β- d -glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) of the cellulase complex. Heating at 70°C, pH 8, resulted in about 50% activation of the endoglucanase in both crude and purified preparations. A thermal activation step may provide a cheap and rapid method for increasing the cellulolytic capacity of this actinomycete during industrial-scale biomass conversion processes.
A string calculation of the Kähler potentials for moduli of ZN orbifolds

We present a method for calculating the Kahler potentials of the moduli of ZN orbifolds directly from string theory. The explicit Kahler potentials associated with b(1,1) and b(1,2) moduli are given for any (2,0) symmetric ZN orbifold. These results are exact at the string tree level.
Curing metastatic testicular cancer

Our initial studies with cisplatin + vinblastine + bleomycin began 27 years ago in 1974, changing the cure rate for disseminated disease from 5 to 60%. Subsequently, through random prospective clinical trials, we have modified the treatment regimen to reduce both the duration and dosages of the chemotherapy drugs. Cisplatin + etoposide was first used at Indiana University as salvage chemotherapy in 1978, representing the first time that a solid tumor had been cured with second-line chemotherapy. We next did a clinical trial comparing bleomycin + etoposide + cisplatin (BEP) to cisplatin + vinblastine + bleomycin. The BEP regimen was proven to have less toxicity and a higher cure rate and therefore, since 1984, has been standard chemotherapy. More recent studies have evaluated the use of lesser chemotherapy to maintain the same cure rate for patients with good-prognosis disease. Standard therapy for these patients is either three courses of BEP or four courses of EP, and over 90% of these patients will be cured of their disease. Patients who are not cured with their initial BEP chemotherapy are usually treated with salvage chemotherapy. Approximately 50% of these testicular cancer patients will subsequently be cured with salvage chemotherapy with tandem transplant of high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell rescue. Testicular cancer has become a model for a curable neoplasm. In the early 1970s, metastatic testicular cancer was associated with only 5% survival. Today, with modern chemotherapy and surgery techniques, 80% of patients will survive their disease.
Fabrication and performance of A1N insulator coatings for application in fusion reactor blankets

The liquid-metal blanket concept for fusion reactors requires an coating on the first-wall structural material to minimize the magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop that occurs during the flow of liquid metal in a magnetic field. Based on the thermodynamics of interactions betwen the coating and the liquid lithium on one side and the structural V-base alloy on the other side, an AIN coating was selected as a candidate. Detailed investigations were conducted on the fabrication, metallurgical microstructure, compatibility in liquid Li, and electrical characteristics of AIN material obtained from several sources. Lithium compatibility was studied in static systems by exposing AIN-coated specimens to liquid Li for several time periods. Electrical resistance was measured at room temperature on the specimens before and after exposure to liquid Li. The results obtained in this study indicate that AIN is a viable coating from the standpoint of chemical compatibility in Li, electrical insulation, and ease of fabrication; for these reasons, the coating should be examined further for fusion reactor applications.
Hormonal Correlates of Receptivity in Female Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Vaginal perforation, or patency, is shown to be highly correlated with levels of estradiol in plasma of the female meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus . The use of vaginal patency as an indicator of receptivity of females is supported by this correlation.
Coherent wave-zonal mean flow interactions in the troposphere

A comprehensive analysis of wave-zonal mean flow variations in the troposphere is carried out using results of observations on the spatial structure and temporal evolution of synoptic time scale variations of the tropospheric zonal mean flow. Seven years of daily operational analysis are examined along with data from the NCAR GCM. Coherent wave-zonal mean flow interactions were revealed via cross-correlation analyses, including fluctuations in zonal mean temperature, three-dimensional winds, and quadratic wave quantities. It was found that tropical zonal wind tendency fluctuations are coherent with those anticipated from quasi-geostrophic wave driving, while tropical temperature tendencies are incoherent with analyzed zonal mean vertical velocities.
Influence of nitrate and ammonium on critical nitrogen deficiency concentrations and mineral composition of Dupontia fisheri grown hydroponically in a controlled environment

Abstract Dupontia fisheri plants, derived from a clone, were propagated in plant growth chambers by the open‐pot nutrient solution technique, with vermiculite as the solid phase. The plants were illuminated continuously at 21, 500 lux (2,000 f.c.) by a combination of fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Air temperature was kept constant at 20°C. The plants, after transplanting to 20‐liter pots (closed‐pot system), were nourished by a modified half‐strength Hoagland solution, supplied with a one time addition of nitrogen at the rate of zero, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 me/1 derived from (NH4)2SO4, Ca(NO3)2 or NH4NO3. They were harvested 49 days after transplanting at a time when those in the three lowest treatments were distinctly deficient in nitrogen. Critical nitrate‐N values (the concentration at a 10% reduction in vegetative growth) were found to be identical, at 100 μg/g (dry basis), in the stem, blade‐1 and blade‐3 tissues, and those for total‐N at 0.901, 2.251, and 2.501, respectively. Absence ...
Chemoreception in a lysianassid amphipod: The chemicals that initiate food‐searching behavior

Fifty‐eight compounds were tested individually on Orchomene limodes (Gammaridea: Lysianassidae). Major responses were elicited by small nitrogenous compounds, mainly amino acids and amines. Organic acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates were without effect. The vast majority of the compounds tested singly, produced no response below 100 μM. Mackerel homogenate was fractionated and tested. Almost all of the potency of this homogenate was found in the diffusate fraction which contained molecules smaller than 6000 daltons. When this fraction was treated with ethanol, a significant decrease in the activity was noted. An artificial solution of small nitrogenous compounds was made to mimic natural mackerel diffusate. This solution alone was without effect when applied at a concentration equivalent to natural diffusate. The addition of small amounts of reduced glutathione to this mixture elicited responses which equaled that of the natural solution on a molarity equivalent basis. Oxidized glutathione was not effe...
Dénouement of Jovian Radiation Belt Theory

Prior to the Pioneer 10 encounter a concerted theoretical effort was made to construct models of the Jovian Van Allen belt electron fluxes. For the most part, the physics underlying these models is similar to terrestrial radiation belt physics. Thus Jupiter provided an opportunity to test whether the physics of the Earth’s radiation belts is applicable to other planetary magnetospheres. Even if only partially successful, we can then contemplate exporting this physics to the unseen magnetospheres of planets orbiting other stars.
Vitamin D status predicts new brain magnetic resonance imaging activity in multiple sclerosis.

Objective We sought to determine if vitamin D status is associated with developing new T2 lesions or contrast-enhancing lesions on brain MRI in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).
Discriminating coherence in spectro‐temporal patterns

This study examined the ability of trained listeners to discriminate coherent components in randomly varying spectral patterns. In each observation interval, the listener was presented with a sequence of bursts of multitone complexes having a fixed number of tones (m) in each burst. In the standard interval, the frequency of each tone in every burst was chosen randomly between 200 and 5000 Hz. In the signal interval, the frequencies of n tones were repeated throughout the burst sequence while the remaining m–n tones were chosen at random. The n tones were coherent in the sense that they were perceived as ‘‘sticking together’’ to form a pattern. The listener’s task was to discriminate which burst sequence contained the n components. The results indicated that discrimination improved with increasing n/m, with increasing number of bursts per interval, and declined as the coherent components were increasingly perturbed in frequency. Further, for a fixed value of the ratio n/m discriminability was relatively independent of m. A model incorporating multichannel filtering and an optimum decision rule was reasonably successful in accounting for the experimental results.
Computational Aerodynamics of a Winston-Cup-Series Race Car

Since the goal of racing is to win and since drag is a force that the vehicle must overcome, a thorough understanding of the drag generating airflow around and through a race car is greatly desired. The external airflow contributes to most of the drag that a car experiences and most of the downforce the vehicle produces. Therefore, an estimate of the vehicle’s performance may be evaluated using a computational fluid dynamics model. First, a computer model of the race car was created from the measurements of the car obtained by using a laser triangulation system. After a computer-aided drafting model of the actual car was developed, the model was simplified by removing the tires, roof strakes, and modification of the spoiler. A mesh refinement study was performed by exploring five cases with different mesh densities. By monitoring the convergence of the computed drag coefficient, the case with 2 million elements was selected as being the baseline case. Results included flow visualization of the pressure and velocity fields and the wake in the form of streamlines and vector plots. Quantitative results included lift and drag, and the body surface pressure distribution to determine the centerline pressure coefficient. When compared with the experimental results, the computed drag forces were comparable but expectedly lower than the experimental data mainly attributable to the differences between the present model and the actual car.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
A retrospective review of 126 high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas of the colon and rectum.

Background High-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (HGNECs) of the colon and rectum are rare, constituting less than 1 % of colorectal cancers. The purpose of this study was to identify the natural history and oncologic outcomes of this disease, describe the use of surgery, and determine the clinical and pathological factors associated with outcomes.
Damage to left frontal regulatory circuits produces greater positive emotional reactivity in frontotemporal dementia

Positive emotions foster social relationships and motivate thought and action. Dysregulation of positive emotion may give rise to debilitating clinical symptomatology such as mania, risk-taking, and disinhibition. Neuroanatomically, there is extensive evidence that the left hemisphere of the brain, and the left frontal lobe in particular, plays an important role in positive emotion generation. Although prior studies have found that left frontal injury decreases positive emotion, it is not clear whether selective damage to left frontal emotion regulatory systems can actually increase positive emotion. We measured happiness reactivity in 96 patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurodegenerative disease that targets emotion-relevant neural systems and causes alterations in positive emotion (i.e., euphoria and jocularity), and in 34 healthy controls. Participants watched a film clip designed to elicit happiness and a comparison film clip designed to elicit sadness while their facial behavior, physiological reactivity, and self-reported emotional experience were monitored. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses revealed that atrophy in predominantly left hemisphere fronto-striatal emotion regulation systems including left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior insula, and striatum was associated with greater happiness facial behavior during the film (pFWE < .05). Atrophy in left anterior insula and bilateral frontopolar cortex was also associated with higher cardiovascular reactivity (i.e., heart rate and blood pressure) but not self-reported positive emotional experience during the happy film (p < .005, uncorrected). No regions emerged as being associated with greater sadness reactivity, which suggests that left-lateralized fronto-striatal atrophy is selectively associated with happiness dysregulation. Whereas previous models have proposed that left frontal injury decreases positive emotional responding, we argue that selective disruption of left hemisphere emotion regulating systems can impair the ability to suppress positive emotions such as happiness.
The MTE continuum relation with application to an argon arc at atmospheric pressure

Abstract The continuum emission coefficient relation for a plasma in Multithermal Equilibrium (MTE) is derived using the partial-MTE ionization equation. The results are presented in a form using the nonhydrogenic free-bound Gaunt factors of Schluter. Measurements on a 200 A, 1 atm, constricted argon arc indicate that electron densities calculated from the MTE continuum relation and Schluter's ξfb values exceed electron densities from the Stark broadening of Hβ by 15–30%. Experimental values of ξfb are up to 3 times larger than Schluter's values, but are in agreement with the values of Morris and Krey at 5 atm, which is probably one of the few similar experiments actually in or near complete LTE. In the present experiment at the arc axis: Ne(Hβ) = 1.00 × 1017 cm-3 (±8%); Te = 34,000 K (±20%); Texa = 12,000 K (±3%); Texβ = 9000 K (±5%); and Ta = Ti = 10,000 K (±68%). The probable errors reflect the need for more accurate transition probabilities which had an uncertainty of 25%.
Learned tolerance to the corticosterone-increasing action of ethanol in rats

Ethanol administration stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in increased plasma levels of corticosterone. As occurs with many other effects of ethanol, tolerance develops with repeated administration such that plasma corticosterone levels become less effected by subsequent ethanol administration. The present experiment explored the possibility that the environmental cues associated with the administration of ethanol can control the expression of tolerance to ethanol's corticosterone-elevating effects. Male Long-Evans rats received intragastric administrations of ethanol (3.2 g/ kg) in association with one set of environmental cues and intragastric saline in association with a different set of environmental cues. Plasma corticosterone levels were elevated after the first ethanol administration, but after the tenth ethanol administration, corticosterone levels failed to increase significantly above control values. After demonstrating tolerance, rats were administered ethanol in the saline-paired environment and plasma corticosterone levels were higher than in the ethanol-paired environment. This environmental specificity suggests that tolerance to the neuroendocrine effects of ethanol is not simply the result of long-term alterations in sensitivity of the HPA axis but is, at least in part, mediated by learned responses to cues that predict the effects of ethanol.
Virus variety for plant pathologists

Handbook of Plant Virus Infections: Comparative Diagnosis. Edited by Edouard Kurstak. Pp.943. ISBN 0-444-80309-2. (Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical: 1981.) Dfl.395, $192.75.
Factors Affecting Efficacy of Methionine Hydroxy Analogue for Chicks Fed Amino Acid Diets

Abstract Chicks were fed mixtures of methionine, cystine, and the calcium salt of the hydroxy analogue of methionine (MHA) in a diet based on a mixture of amino acids. Rate of gain with the basic amino acid diet containing a mixture of methionine and cystine was about 90% of the rate noted with a practical type diet. Efficacy of MHA depended on its level in the diet and on the levels of methionine and cystine fed with it. It was least effective when fed as the only sulfur amino acid or when fed with cystine. When fed with methionine it had intermediate value and was most efficacious when fed with a mixture of methionine and cystine. Essentially it was fully effective when it provided 25% of the sulfur amino acids with the remainder as equal parts of methionine and cystine. Replacing part of the cystine in a mixture of cystine and MHA with methionine resulted in a marked improvement in performance with L-methionine being slightly more effective than D-methionine.
Quantification of perceived exertion during isometric force production with the borg scale in healthy individuals and patients with chronic stroke

AbstractBackground: The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is widely used for many patient populations, but the ability of patients to accurately report their RPE without visual feedback has not been studied. Objective: The objective was to determine whether the Borg scale could be used as a measure of perceived isometric exertion in healthy subjects and patients with stroke. Methods: In experiment 1, young healthy subjects (n = 15) were instructed to perform spontaneous pushes (ie, self-selected effort) without visual feedback and to produce and hold self-determined isometric finger flexion at 5 Borg levels without visual feedback. In experiment 2, subjects with chronic stroke (n = 10) were instructed to produce self-determined isometric elbow flexion at 4 perceptual levels on the impaired and nonimpaired sides. Results: In experiment 1, young healthy subjects, asked to self-select without visual feedback (spontaneous push), tended to exert at a “somewhat hard” level, about 12% of maximal volu...
Reliability-Based Procedure for Developing Load and Resistance Factor Seismic Bridge Design Specifications

Load and resistance factor design (LRFD) codes are calibrated to produce designs with consistent and uniform levels of risk for the whole range of design applications. Ongoing research concerned with the development of LRFD seismic design specifications for bridges has concentrated on the application of seismic hazard analysis procedures to propose uniform hazard design spectra without directly addressing the contributions of the uncertainties in bridge response estimation and material properties to the overall risk of bridge failure. A proposed procedure includes the uncertainties associated with estimating the response of concrete bridge columns as represented by their response modification factors during the risk analysis of typical bridge columns. The effects of the random nature of the material properties and those of the modeling uncertainties on the risk and reliability of bridge columns are evaluated. This information, along with results from probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, is used in a comprehensive reliability analysis to calibrate a balanced set of response modification factors for the force-based design of bridge columns at a representative high-seismicity site in San Francisco, California. The implementation of such a reliability-based calibration of the response modification factors into future versions of the AASHTO bridge seismic specifications will ensure that the code will provide uniform and consistent levels of reliability for bridges of different configurations situated in various regions of the United States.
Suppression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) and TGF beta receptor messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression in leiomyomata in women receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy

The expression and cellular distribution of transforming growth factor-1 (TGF beta 1) through TGF beta 3 and TGF beta type I-III receptor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein were analyzed in leiomyomata from patients receiving GnRH agonist (GnRHa; leuprolide acetate) compared to those in untreated controls. Standard reverse transcription-PCR revealed that the unaffected myometrium and leiomyomata from leuprolide-treated and untreated patients express TGF beta 1-3 and TGF beta type I-III receptor mRNA. The myometrial and leiomyomata smooth muscle cells were the primary site of TGF beta 1-3 and TGF beta type I and II receptor mRNA and protein expression, as determined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical localization. These observations indicate that leiomyomata express a higher of level of TGF beta and TGF beta receptor mRNA and protein than unaffected myometrium during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, and women who received leuprolide acetate therapy had a substantially lower level of expression than untreated controls. Furthermore, competition-based quantitative reverse transcription-PCR using synthetic internal standards revealed that leiomyomata express a significantly higher number (copies per cell) of TGF beta type II receptor mRNA, followed by TGF beta 1, TGF beta type I receptor, TGF beta 2, and TGF beta 3 (P < 0.05). However, there was a significant decrease in the levels (copies per cell) of TGF beta 1, TGF beta 3, and TGF beta type I and type II receptor mRNA expression in leiomyomata from leuprolide-treated compared to untreated patients (P < 0.05). The data provide further evidence that leiomyomata express mRNA and protein for all components of the TGF beta system, and GnRHa therapy results in down-regulation of their expression. More specifically, these data suggest that TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 3 may play a more important role in leiomyomata growth than TGF beta 2, which leads us to propose that lowering TGF beta and receptor expression may have a direct effect on leiomyomata regression.
PREDICTING NOSOCOMIAL BACTEREMIA IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS: UTILITY OF THE CRIB SCORE. † 998

PREDICTING NOSOCOMIAL BACTEREMIA IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS: UTILITY OF THE CRIB SCORE. † 998
Selecting Experimental Conditions for Measurement of Rates of Electron-Transfer at Liquid/Liquid Interfaces by Thin-Layer Electrochemistry

The use of thin layers of water-immiscible organic solvents on electrode surfaces to evaluate rates of electron-transfer across liquid/liquid interfaces requires that reactant concentrations in the two adjacent phases be selected to minimize the effects of mass transfer on the measured currents. A general inequality is derived which provides a guide to the selection of suitable concentrations of the coreactants. Experimental tests of the inequality demonstrated its utility and should allay recently expressed concerns about the reliability of the thin-layer methodology.
Plant-based Diet and Breast Cancer Recurrence: Report of a Feasibility Study

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To learn whether survivors of early breast cancer would be willing to adopt and maintain an experimental diet considerably higher in plant foods and lower in fat than currently recommended in national dietary guidelines. Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence suggest that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fiber, and low in fat may be able to prevent or delay breast cancer progression. A randomized feasibility study was conducted to determine whether survivors with early breast cancer would be willing to adopt and maintain such a dietary pattern. Subjects were 93 women between the ages of 30 and 70 years. Ambitious behavioral targets for daily consumption were set to achieve the study dietary pattern: 5 servings of vegetables, 2 (8-ounce) servings of fresh vegetable juice, 3 servings of fruit, 30 grams of fiber, and 15% of calories from fat. The control diet was the NCI 9-a-Day diet. Telephone counseling methodology was used to motivate women and assist them in self-regulating their own behavior. Daily counseling was scheduled during the first week, followed by weekly counseling for 10 weeks, and then monthly counseling for the remainder of the first year of the study. Monthly cooking classes were conducted to build social support and to share recipes. We report changes in dietary intake collected from repeated 24-hour recalls (4 within 2 weeks) obtained at baseline, 6, and 12 months using the Nutritional Data System (NDS). Daily intakes of total fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium, taken as a group, are considered a good marker of plant-based food intake. The control group had no significant changes in self-reported consumption of any of these nutrients. The intervention group reported significantly higher (p
The federal “safety net” and the repeal of the Glass-Steagall act's separation of commercial and investment banking

If banks were allowed to engage in securities activities, it is feared that the federal “safety net”-deposit insurance, the Fed's role as lender-of-last resort, and government intervention to prevent financial crises-might be strained, and possibly broken as banks' risk taking increased. An analysis of methods of controlling risk taking and bankers' present ability and propensity to take risks leads to a contrary conclusion. Nevertheless, the concern has given rise to a considerable body of empirical work. Studies on bank failures, risk-return profiles, cash flows, and profits and losses from underwriting are reviewed critically. On the whole, both the empirical and theoretical analyses provide little reason for concern about the federal safety net.
Assessment of diastolic function in normal and hypertrophied hearts: comparison of Doppler echocardiography and M-mode echocardiography.

Left ventricular (LV) filling was examined by Doppler and M-mode echocardiography in 24 patients with LV hypertrophy (five with aortic stenosis, six with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and 13 with LV hypertrophy secondary to systemic hypertension) and in 18 normal subjects. Patients with LV hypertrophy had significantly lower Doppler-determined peak filling rates (218 ± 17 vs 288 ± 66 cc/sec, p < 0.01), but M-mode determined peak rate of chamber enlargement and normalized peak rate of chamber enlargement did not differ significantly between groups. Doppler measures of the ratio between early and late filling were significantly depressed in patients with LV hypertrophy and correlated inversely with age in the normal subjects. The M-mode derived normalized peak rate of chamber enlargement and the Doppler-derived normalized peak filling rate correlated weakly, but significantly, when both groups were combined (r = 0.56, p < 0.01). Thus Doppler measurements can detect abnormalities of LV filling in patients with LV hypertrophy. These abnormalities are present when M-mode filling indices and systolic function are still normal.
Historical contingency and its biophysical basis in glucocorticoid receptor evolution

By characterizing a very large number of might-have-been evolutionary trajectories starting from a resurrected ancestral protein, the authors show that the evolution of an essential modern protein was contingent on extremely unlikely historical mutations. Can evolutionary biology become a predictive science? The answer to that question depends largely on whether it proves possible to develop a quantitative measure of the role of chance historical events in shaping evolutionary paths. With that objective in mind, Michael Harms and Joseph Thornton start from a database of thousands of variants of an ancestral form of the glucocorticoid receptor to look for mutations paving the way for the appearance of a larger-effect mutation creating a new ligand specificity, and they find none besides the historical permissive mutations. Their result shows that the evolution of this class of hormone receptors is critically dependent on rare non-deterministic events, constrained by protein biophysics. Evolutionary contingency is often seen in terms of chance external forces such as extinction by asteroid impact or climate change, but this work points to the internal organization of biological systems as a further powerful source of contingency. Understanding how chance historical events shape evolutionary processes is a central goal of evolutionary biology1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Direct insights into the extent and causes of evolutionary contingency have been limited to experimental systems7,8,9, because it is difficult to know what happened in the deep past and to characterize other paths that evolution could have followed. Here we combine ancestral protein reconstruction, directed evolution and biophysical analysis to explore alternative ‘might-have-been’ trajectories during the ancient evolution of a novel protein function. We previously found that the evolution of cortisol specificity in the ancestral glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was contingent on permissive substitutions, which had no apparent effect on receptor function but were necessary for GR to tolerate the large-effect mutations that caused the shift in specificity6. Here we show that alternative mutations that could have permitted the historical function-switching substitutions are extremely rare in the ensemble of genotypes accessible to the ancestral GR. In a library of thousands of variants of the ancestral protein, we recovered historical permissive substitutions but no alternative permissive genotypes. Using biophysical analysis, we found that permissive mutations must satisfy at least three physical requirements—they must stabilize specific local elements of the protein structure, maintain the correct energetic balance between functional conformations, and be compatible with the ancestral and derived structures—thus revealing why permissive mutations are rare. These findings demonstrate that GR evolution depended strongly on improbable, non-deterministic events, and this contingency arose from intrinsic biophysical properties of the protein.
Abstract 3801: Prostate cancer cells are selectively targeted by zinc-sequestration chemotherapy

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Introduction: Zinc accumulates at levels 10-fold higher in the prostate than other soft tissues and this metal is implicated in prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis. Prostatic lesions have 6-fold lower concentrations of zinc than normal adjacent prostate tissue. Zinc levels are even lower in normal and malignant prostate tissue from African American (AA) men, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than their Caucasian (Cauc) counterparts, thus highlighting the associative that that zinc could have in prostate cancer carcinogenesis. PAC-1 is a chemotherapeutic agent that induces cell death via zinc sequestration by activation of pro-caspase 3, which is a major player in cell death. We hypothesized that the low zinc levels in prostate cancer cells will cause the cells to be uniquely sensitive to cell death by PAC-1. Secondarily we hypothesized that AA patients, who have lower zinc in the prostate, may have enhanced response to PAC-1. Methods: PAC-1 cytotoxicity was investigated in LNCaP, PC-3, 957e/hTERT (immortalized normal primary cell line) and patient-derived normal and cancer primary epithelial cells (PrE) by treatment with 100, 50, 25,10,1, 0 micromolar concentrations of PAC-1 and PAC-1 analogs. Cell death was analyzed via the MTS colorimetric assay. Results and conclusion: Normal and cancer prostate cells are sensitive to PAC-1 and even more sensitive to PAC-1 analogs. PAC-1 was growth inhibitory and induced cell death at higher concentrations. Ongoing studies will examine zinc-dependency of PAC-1-induced death. PAC-1 and its analogs-induced cell death and caspase-3 activation will be measured in zinc-depleted, zinc sufficient and zinc-excess media. Studies will also determine PAC-1 cytotoxicity in normal and cancer prostatic epithelial cells. PAC-1 cytotoxicity levels in patient-matched prostate cancer cells (PrCa) from AA and Cauc men will also be studied to interrogate the disparate role of zinc in regards to sensitivity to PAC-1. These results may be translated to the clinic since a derivative of PAC-1 (S-PAC-1) has been shown to have positive effects in a Phase I clinical trial in pet dogs with lymphoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3801. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3801
Structural and metric correlation of electro-optical and radar generated tracks

Integration of electro-optical and radar generated tracks is critical for identifying accurate time and space position information in target tracking and providing a single integrated picture (SIP) of the dynamic situation. This paper proposes a new, robust, real-time algorithm to (i) correctly correlate data from several sensors and the existing system track, (ii) improve target tracking accuracy and (iii) identify when the data represent new tracks. The proposed algorithm uses metric data, linear, and area features extracted from optical and radar images. The major novelty of the algorithm is in use of robust and affine invariant structural relations built on the features for accurate correlation. These features are combined with intelligent adaptation of Kalman filter using Neural Networks. A proposed measure of confidence with the correlation decision is based on both structural and metric similarities of tracks to estimate both bias and random errors. The similarities are based on concepts from the abstract algebraic systems, generalized Gauss-Markov stochastic processes, and Kalman filters for n-dimensional time series that explicitly model measurement dependence on k previous measurements, M(t/t-1,t-2,...,t-k). These techniques are naturally combined with the hierarchical matching approach to increase the overall track accuracy. The proposed approach and algorithm for track correlation/matching is suitable for both centralized and distributed computing architecture.
An analysis of risk premia in U.S. farm-level interest rates

Much farm financial risk research has involved the application of “credit‐scoring” models. We approach the issue of measuring financial risk by using the actual interest rates charged on agricultural loans reported in the USDA’s ARMS survey as market‐based measures of the financial risk associated with individual farm operations. A simultaneous equations model relates rates to several farm, producer, and lender characteristics. Because individual loans in our sample have different dates of origination, deviations of individual rates from market rates are considered. Our results indicate that risk (as perceived by lenders) tends to be higher for farms with less wealth (net worth) and more loans. Farm operators who live on their operations are considered by lenders to be less risky. Farm diversification appears to be correlated with less financial risk. Significant differences in agricultural lending rates across different types of lenders were also revealed, with the highest rates being charged by commerci...
Third harmonic generation in self-focused filaments in liquids.

Intense filaments of third harmonic generation have been observed in a variety of liquids when pumped by 1300 nm wavelength femtosecond light. The onset of third harmonic generation coincides with the threshold for self-focusing as deduced from n2 measurements performed on the liquids using the z-scan technique. We have found self-phase modulation above the threshold leading to continuum generation at about 3 times threshold. In the third-harmonic regime, the third harmonic output power is independent of the input power. Our observations are consistent with those for similar processes in gases as described by a phase-locking model. The measured conversion efficiency was approximately 10-6.
GMx33: a novel family of trans-Golgi proteins identified by proteomics.

The known functions of the Golgi complex include the sorting, packaging, post-translational modification, and transport of secretory proteins, membrane proteins, and lipids. Other functions still remain elusive to cell biologists. With the goal of identifying novel Golgi proteins, a proteomics project was undertaken to map the major proteins of the organelle using two-dimensional gels, to identify the unknowns using tandem mass spectrometry, and to screen for Golgi residents using GFP-fusion constructs. Multiple unknowns were identified, and the initial characterization of one of these proteins is reported here. GMx33α is a member of a conserved family of cytosolic Golgi-associated proteins with no known homology to any known functional domain or protein. Biochemical analyses show that GMx33α differentially partitions into all phases of multiple detergent extractions, and two-dimensional immunoblots reveal that there are multiple differentially modified forms of GMx33α associated with the Golgi, several of which are phosphorylated. Evidence suggests that these post-translational modifications regulate its association with the Golgi. GMx33α was not found on Golgi budded vesicles, and immuno-electron microscopy co-localizes GMx33α to the trans-face on the same three cisternae as TGN38 in normal rat kidney cells. This work represents the preliminary characterization of a novel family of trans-Golgi-associated proteins.
Propagation speeds and stretch rates measured along wrinkled flames to assess the theory of flame stretch

Local propagation speeds and stretch rates were measured along a premixed flame that undergoes unsteady wrinkling in order to see if these two quantities correlate in the manner that is predicted by the theory of flame stretch. The Markstein number, which relates these two quantities, also was measured. Previous studies had considered the simple geometries of counterflow or spherical flames, but in this case a complex geometry was generated by interacting a flame with a vortex, such that both the strain and curvature components of the stretch rate are present. The diagnostics used were shadowgraph movies and simultaneous particle imaging velocimetry and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence. The overall conclusion is that the theory of flame stretch remains valid for these unsteady complex conditions, because the measured trends are found to be in agreement with trends predicted by the theory. That is, propagation speeds decrease at locations where positive stretch is applied to stable (lean propane-air and rich methane-air) flames. Conversely, propagation speeds increase where positive stretch was applied to unstable (lean methane-air) flames. The shape of the profiles of propagation speed along stable flames is opposite to that of unstable flames, as is predicted by the theory. However, values of Markstein number show large variations and are much larger than that of an outwardly propagating spherical flame. Negative strain regions are of particular interest because they previously had not been studied experimentally; these regions yield the largest propagation speeds for the stable cases and some negative speeds for the unstable cases.
Numerical Studies of Thermoacoustic Convection in Near-Critical Fluids

Thermoacoustic convection in carbon dioxide near its critical point is investigated numerically. A real-fluid model has been developed taking into account all the relevant fluid property variations near the critical point, including the bulk viscosity. The thermo-physical properties of the near-critical supercritical fluids are given as functions of both pressure and temperature due to their strong divergence near the critical point. As a layer of supercritical fluid is heated rapidly, the combination of very high thermal compressibility and vanishing thermal diffusivity near the critical points of fluids affect thermal energy propagation, leading to the formation of acoustic waves as carriers of thermal energy. The rapidity of the boundary heating is a key factor in the generation of these acoustic waves. We also study the effect of different rates of boundary heating for the temperature equilibration mechanism near the critical point. As the critically diverging bulk viscosity plays a significant role on the transport processes near the critical point, effect of bulk viscosity on the flow field and heat transport induced by thermoacoustic waves and buoyancy in supercritical fluids is also investigated numerically. The predicted results from the present study can be utilized to understand the thermal transport mechanism in near-critical fluids.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium Concentrations in the Enamel and Dentin of Human and Rhesus Monkey Teeth

Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium concentrations were determined at various levels from the surface enamel to the internal dentin in 47 teeth of New England residents, 66 teeth of Indian citizens, and 20 teeth of rhesus monkeys. Sodium concentrations were low in the surface enamel, increased to a maximum at the dentinoenamel junction, and decreased to low values at the internal dentin. Potassium concentrations were similar at all levels of the enamel and dentin except for a slight decrease from surface enamel to internal dentin in the rhesus monkey. Magnesium concentrations increased steadily from the surface enamel to the internal dentin.