cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of insulin receptor substrate-1 and hepatitis Bx genes causes premalignant alterations in the liver

Activation of the insulin (IN)/insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)/mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascades occurs frequently in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with persistent viral infection. The aims of this study were to provide a chronic proliferative stimulus through IRS-1 in the context of hepatitis Bx (HBx) protein expression in transgenic mice and determine if constitutive expression of these genes is sufficient to cause hepatocyte dysplasia and cellular transformation. We generated transgenic mice in which the HBx (ATX), IRS-1, or both (ATX+/IRS-1) genes were expressed under a liver-specific promoter. We also assessed histology and oxidative damage as well as up-regulation of molecules related to these signal transduction cascades in the liver by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Whereas mice with a single transgene (ATX or IRS-1) did not develop tumors, ATX+/IRS-1+ double transgenic livers had increased frequency of hepatocellular dysplasia and developed HCC. All three transgenic lines had significantly increased insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), Wnt 1 and Wnt 3 mRNA levels, and evidence of DNA damage and oxidative stress. The ATX+/IRS+ double transgenic mice were distinguished by having the highest level of activation of Wnt 3 and Frizzled 7 and selectively increased expression of IGF-II, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and aspartyl-(asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase, a gene associated with increased cell migration. Conclusion: These results suggest that continued expression of the ATX or IRS-1 transgenes can contribute to hepatocyte transformation but are not sufficient to trigger neoplastic changes in the liver. However, dual expression that activates both the IN/IRS-1/MAPK and Wnt/β-catenin cascades is sufficient to cause dysplasia and HCC in a previously normal liver. (HEPATOLOGY 2009;49:1935-1943.)
Spirituality attenuates the association between depression symptom severity and meaning in life

Objectives: This cross-sectional study examined whether spirituality moderates the association between depression symptom severity and meaning in life among treatment-seeking adults.Method: Participants were 55 adults (≥60 years of age) newly seeking outpatient mental health treatment for mood, anxiety, or adjustment disorders. Self-report questionnaires measured depression symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), spirituality (Spirituality Transcendence Index), and meaning in life (Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale-Meaning in Life subscale).Results: Results indicated a significant interaction between spirituality and depression symptom severity on meaning in life scores (β = .26, p = .02). A significant negative association between depression symptom severity and meaning in life was observed at lower but not the highest levels of spirituality.Conclusion: In the presence of elevated depressive symptomatology, those participants who reported high levels of spirituality reported comparable levels o...
The Effects of Gender on Career Decision Problems in Young Adults.

The authors investigated gender differences in psychological problems in the career decision making (CDM) process of young adults. Specifically, problems with decision anxiety, life-goal awareness, luck-fate orientation, authority orientation, and secondary gain motivation were investigated. Methodology involved administering the Career Decision Diagnostic Assessment (CDDA) instrument to 1,006 college students from four universities. Results indicated no gender differences in global levels of problems in CDM. Women reported more problems with life-goal awareness and authority orientation than did men. Men reported more problems with secondary gain motivations than did women. The results are discussed in terms of implications for gender-differentiated career counseling.
The "Orwellian" Night of December 12

Although it is rare that one can pinpoint an historical moment in which a writer’s public reputation is “launched,” the day of destiny is clear in George Orwell’s case: Sunday, 12 December 1954. BBC-TV’s adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four that night, and especially the debates in the British press that ensued for three weeks thereafter, ignited controversy that permanently boosted sales of his dystopian novel and made his very name as proper adjective—“Orwellian”—a household word. Sixty Decembers ago, the iconic figure of “Orwell”—the mythic bogeyman rather than a writer or literary figure—became one of the first examples of a celebrity created by modern television. George Orwell’s posthumous fame owes less to his strictly literary achievement than to the Zeitgeist’s embrace of his work in the era of the telescreen.
Six strategies for defeating the Runge Phenomenon in Gaussian radial basis functions on a finite interval

Radial basis function (RBF) interpolation is a ''meshless'' strategy with great promise for adaptive approximation. Because it is meshless, there is no canonical grid to act as a starting point for function-adaptive grid modification. Uniform grids are therefore common with RBFs. Like polynomial interpolation, which is the limit of RBF interpolation when the RBF functions are very wide (the ''flat limit''), RBF interpolants are vulnerable to the Runge Phenomenon, whether the grid is uniform or irregular: the N-point interpolant may diverge as N->~ on the interval spanned by the interpolation points even for a function f(x) that is analytic everywhere on and near this interval. In this work, we discuss six strategies for defeating the Runge Phenomenon, specializing to a uniform grid on a finite interval and one particular species of RBFs in one space dimension: @f(x)=exp(-[@a^2/h^2]x^2) where h is the grid spacing. Three strategies fail, but three are successful. One good strategy is to vary @a with the number of interpolation points N as N^-^1^/^4. Unfortunately this gives both a subgeometric rate of convergence for the approximation (error falling as exp(-qN) for some constant q) and a matrix condition number that grows as exp(pN) for some p>0. (In order to explain why fixed@a, independent of N, is not a convergent strategy, we digress to discuss error saturation, and show experimentally that the saturation error on the finite interval is about 0.6exp(-0.47/@a^2)@?f@?"~; if a user-chosen error tolerance @d is acceptable, then the optimum choice is @a"o"p"t"i"m"u"m(@d)=1/-2log(@d/0.06).) The second good strategy is RBF Extension, which uses RBF functions with centers on a interval slightly larger than the target interval to approximate f(x). A third strategy is to split the interval into two ''boundary layers'' and a large middle interval and apply separate RBF approximations on each. The slow-decrease-of-@a strategy is much cheaper, but RBF Extension is much more resistant to ill-conditioning and therefore can achieve much lower errors. The three-interval method is the least accurate, but is robust and inexpensive.
Age-related working memory impairment is correlated with increases in the L-type calcium channel protein α1D (Cav1.3) in area CA1 of the hippocampus and both are ameliorated by chronic nimodipine treatment

The hippocampus is critical for spatial memory formation in rodents. Calcium currents through L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (L-VSCCs) are increased in CA1 neurons of the hippocampus of aged rats. We have recently shown that expression of the calcium conducting L-VSCC subunit α1D (Cav1.3) is selectively increased in area CA1 of aged rats. We and others have speculated that excessive Ca2+ influx through L-VSCC may be detrimental to memory formation. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between age-related working memory decline and α1D protein expression in the hippocampus. In addition, we studied the effects of chronic treatment with the L-VSCC antagonist nimodipine (NIM) on age-related working memory deficits and α1D expression in the hippocampus. Here we report that age-related increases in α1D expression in area CA1 correlate with working memory impairment in Fischer 344 rats. Furthermore, we demonstrate that chronic NIM treatment ameliorates age-related working memory deficits and reduces expression of α1D protein in the hippocampus. The present results suggest that L-VSCCs participate in processes underlying memory formation and that increases in L-VSCC protein and currents observed with aging may play a role in age-related memory decline. Furthermore, the amelioration in age-related memory decline produced by NIM treatment may be mediated, at least in part, by reductions in the abnormally high levels of α1D protein in the aged hippocampus. These findings may have implications for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, who show increased L-VSCC protein expression in the hippocampus, and for patients receiving chronic treatment with L-VSCC antagonists.
Effect of sodium transport inhibition on active phosphate transport by toad bladder.

The relationship between active Na transport (estimated by the short-circuit (SCC)) and active inorganic phosphate (Pi) transport was studied in the toad bladder. When SCC was inhibited by amiloride, ouabaim, or removal of K from the serosal bathing solution, active Pi transport was totally inhibited. When Na was replaced isotonically by choline in either the mucosal bathing solution or both the mucosal and serosal bathing solutions, there was no measurable SCC or active Pi transport. These experiments are compatible with the hypothesis that active Pi transport occurs only in the presence of active Na transport.
Identification of 2-thiohydantoins by gas chromatography and reconversion to the free amino acids.

Abstract In this work the chemistry of identifying 2-thiohydantoins was investigated. The minimum conditions needed for silylating the 2-thiohydantoins were studied, and a new faster gas chromatographic temperature program was developed. Also, the conditions needed to reconvert the 2-thiohydantoins to the free amino acids were studied, and the severity of the hydrolysis conditions was minimized. Finally, some new 2-thiohydantoins were prepared, and their physical properties are reported.
Cooling large space telescopes to 4 kelvin

To obtain sky background limited viewing in the mid and far infrared, cooling the telescope itself is required. In the past the lowest temperatures have been achieved using stored cryogen systems. Due to weight constraints and the desire for long life observatories, stored cryogen coolers will be replaced by passive coolers, mechanical coolers and solid state coolers. Some of the challenges and opportunities presented by these large cold telescopes and cryogenic cooling systems are described with emphasis on telescopes that require temperatures below 6 K.
Non-response bias with a web-based survey of college students: differences from a classroom survey about carrying concealed handguns

Internet-based and e-mail surveys represent viable administrative methods for efficiently collecting data. These methods appear to be particularly well-suited for studying college student populations, a group that has gained attention from criminologists interested in testing theories. An important concern with administering surveys with the Internet and via e-mail is that of non-response bias. Despite the appeal of online surveys, nonresponse bias associated with these methods has not been sufficiently investigated. The study described here estimates nonresponse bias associated with a web-administered survey that measured opinions about changing concealed handgun carrying laws on college campuses, items likely to elicit polarizing opinions. Results show important substantive differences between web-administered and in-class versions of the survey. Students who responded to the web survey expressed more extreme opinions and behavioral responses to a proposed policy that would allow concealed handgun carrying on campus. Survey researchers who utilize web-based administrative methods should consider using multiple sources of leverage when soliciting participation and must carefully evaluate sample representativeness.
Pleistocene sea levels possibly indicated by buried black sediments in the Black Sea.

MODERN surface sediments containing H2S are often coloured black by fine grained, iron monosulphide minerals such as mackinawite, Fe1+xS, and greigite, Fe3S4. The black monosulphides are thermodynamically unstable, under H2S-rich sedimentary conditions, relative to the disulphide pyrite, FeS21,2, which is not a black pigmenting agent. As a result, the black colour normally disappears with depth during diagenetic transformation to pyrite2,3. In some situations, however, such as in older buried layers of the deep water sediments of the Black Sea, the black monosulphides persist.
Molecular, Functional and Evolutionary Characterization of the Gene Encoding HMG-CoA Reductase in the Fission Yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The synthesis of mevalonate, a molecule required for both sterol and isoprene biosynthesis in eukaryotes, is catalysed by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Using a gene dosage approach, we have isolated the gene encoding HMG-CoA reductase, hmg1+, from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Accession Number L76979). Specifically, hmg1+ was isolated on the basis of its ability to confer resistance to lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. Gene disruption analysis showed that hmg1+ was an essential gene. This result provided evidence that, unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. pombe contained only a single functional HMG-CoA reductase gene. The presence of a single HMG-CoA reductase gene was confirmed by genomic hybridization analysis. As observed for the S. cerevisiae HMG1p, the hmg1+ protein induced membrane proliferations known as karmellae. A previously undescribed ‘feed-forward’ regulation was observed in which elevated levels of HMG-CoA synthase, the enzyme catalysing the synthesis of the HMG-CoA reductase substrate, induced elevated levels of hmg1+ protein in the cell and conferred partial resistance to lovastatin. The amino acid sequences of yeast and human HMG-CoA reductase were highly divergent in the membrane domains, but were extensively conserved in the catalytic domains. We tested whether the gene duplication that produced the two functional genes in S. cerevisiae occurred before or after S. pombe and S. cerevisiae diverged by comparing the log likelihoods of trees specified by these hypotheses. We found that the tree specifying post-divergence duplication had significantly higher likelihood. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses of available HMG-CoA reductase sequences also suggested that the lineages of S. pombe and S. cerevisiae diverged approximately 420 million years ago but that the duplication event that produced two HMG-CoA reductase genes in the budding yeast occurred only approximately 56 million years ago. To date, S. pombe is the only unicellular eukaryote that has been found to contain a single HMG-CoA reductase gene. Consequently, S. pombe may provide important opportunities to study aspects of the regulation of sterol biosynthesis that have been difficult to address in other organisms and serve as a test organism to identify novel therapies for modulating cholesterol synthesis.
Influence of Health Beliefs, Attitudes and Concern About HIV/AIDS on Condom Use in College Women

ABSTRACT Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) represents a significant health risk for all sexually active adults. Women, in particular, may be at greater risk of HIV infection due to attitudes and beliefs which interfere with initiating and maintaining consistent condom usage. One hundred twenty-six college women completed a survey which measured the impact of sex role ascription, drug and alcohol use patterns, number of partners and sexual history in predicting condom usage. Additional factors explored include attitudes towards condoms, health beliefs, and present and future concern about contracting HIV/AIDS from a sexual partner. Findings indicate that intent to use condoms in the future was associated with greater present and future concern about contracting HIV/AIDS. In regression analyses, only number of previous sexual partners was significantly related to condom use.
Solution conformations of nucleoside analogues exhibiting antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract The molecular-conformational basis for HIV-1 antiviral activity of dideoxynucleoside analogues is unknown. A recent proposal by van Roey [1] that furanose sugar puckering in the C2′ -endo family (namely C3′ -exo) may account for the enhanced anti-HIV-1 activity of azidothymidine (AZT), dideoxythymidine (ddT) and dideoxycytidine (ddC) has been tested by conformational analysis of these and related agents, using laser Raman spectroscopy of their solutions and crystal structures. The results show that nucleoside analogues exhibiting anti-HIV-1 activity, including AZT, ddT and ddC, exist in solution with C3′ -endo as the predominating sugar pucker. The C3′ -endo solution conformations differ fundamentally from the C3′ -exo conformations observed in the corresponding crystal structures. Accordingly, the crystal conformation cannot be responsible for enhanced recognition of these agents, either by nucleoside kinase or reverse transcriptase, as a mechanism to explain antiviral activity. The present findings suggest that C3′ -endo sugear pucker, rather than C3′ -exo pucker, or other puckers of the C2′ -endo family, is more probably the required conformation for antivaral activity. The present work also shows that nucleoside phosphorylation does not, in general, change the preferred solution conformation of a nucleoside. Therefore, C3′ -endo sugar pucker is likely to be the preferred conformation for both nucleoside kinase and reverse transcriptase recognition. In this study, the list of thymidine nucleoside conformation markers available from Raman spectra is extended and additional group frequency assignments for C3′ -azido, C3′ -deoxy and related nucleoside derivatives are provided.
Nucleosome repeat lengths do not change during in vitro differentiation of erythroleukemia cells.

It has been previously demonstrated that nucleosome repeat lengths change during avian erythroid development and that repeat lengths correlate with histone H5 levels. Chromatin condensation also occurs during this process. In order to further investigate the relationship between histone H5 and/or chromatin condensation and nucleosome structure, repeat lengths were examined duringin vitro differentiation of mouse erythroleukemia cells in which chromation condensation occurs but in which histone H5 is absent. Our finding that repeat lengths do not change during this process supports the hypothesis that H5 plays a role in the mechanism which determines nucleosome repeat lengths.
An effective algorithm for minimization

An algorithm is proposed for minimizing certain niceC 2 functionsf onE n assuming only a computational knowledge off and?f. It is shown that the algorithm provides global convergence at a rate which is eventually superlinear and possibly quadratic. The algorithm is purely algebraic and does not require the minimization of any functions of one variable. Numerical computation on specific problems with as many as six independent variables has shown that the method compares very favorably with the best of the other known methods. The method is compared with theFletcher andPowell method for a simple two dimensional test problem and for a six dimensional problem arising in control theory.
A review of operations management studies using scale development techniques

Abstract Operations management research is beginning to focus on the development and use of reliable and valid scales. OM scale development efforts and scale development in organizational behavior and psychology are compared. Major differences include the fact that OM research tended, until recently, to be theoretical and, when applied, tended to use the firm as a unit of measure. OM research, therefore, seems to lack a common language that other fields have developed. OM literature was searched for completely described scale development efforts, and six studies were identified and reviewed for this paper. Suggested techniques of scale development were compiled primarily from those methods used in research areas such as psychology, organizational behavior, and management. The reviewed studies were compared to the suggested techniques. Many of the same techniques were described by the six studies. The similarities should be encouraging to researchers thinking about scale development studies. Weaknesses in the studies are identified, and suggestions for researchers are presented. Finally, the study provides a discussion of when and why OM researchers might find the development and use of scales advantageous in their research efforts.
Experimental study of Lamb wave propagation in composite laminates

This paper focuses on the existence of higher-order Lamb wave modes that can be observed from piezoelectric sensors by the excitation of ultrasonic frequencies from piezoelectric actuators. Using three-dimensional (3-D) elasticity theory, the exact dispersion relations governed by transcendental equations are numerically solved for an infinite number of possible wave modes. For symmetric laminates, a robust method by imposing boundary conditions on mid-plane and top surface is developed to separate wave modes. Then both phase and group velocity dispersions of Lamb waves in composites are obtained. Meanwhile three characteristic wave curves including velocity, slowness, and wave curves are introduced to analyze the angular dependency of Lamb wave propagation at a given frequency. In the experiments, two surface-mounted piezoelectric actuators are operated corporately to excite either symmetric or anti-symmetric wave modes with narrow banded excitation signals, and a Gabor wavelet transform is used to extract group velocities from arrival times of Lamb wave received by a piezoelectric sensor. In comparison with the results from the theory and experiment, it is confirmed that the higher-order Lamb waves can be excited from piezoelectric actuators and the measured group velocities agree well with those from 3-D elasticity theory.
Potential difference and fluid transport across rabbit corneal endothelium

Abstract An electrical potential difference of 0.5 mV (blood side positive) has been found across rabbit corneal endothelium in addition to the reported transport of fluid. Such inhibitors as 5·10−5 M ouabain, 2 mM cyanide and 2 mM iodoacetate, which are known to suppress fluid transport, were found to abolish the potential difference. Both fluid transport and potential difference are depressed reversibly either in the absence of HCO 3 + , Na+, or K+ or in the presence of cytochalasin B. The suggestion is made that in this system the potential difference is association to the fluid transport, and some possible mechanisms for this association are discussed.
Engineering Δ9-16:0-Acyl Carrier Protein (ACP) Desaturase Specificity Based on Combinatorial Saturation Mutagenesis and Logical Redesign of the Castor Δ9-18:0-ACP Desaturase

Six amino acid locations in the soluble castor Δ9-18:0-acyl carrier protein (ACP) desaturase were identified that can affect substrate specificity. Combinatorial saturation mutagenesis of these six amino acids, in conjunction with selection, using an unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph system, led to the isolation of variants with up to 15-fold increased specific activity toward 16-carbon substrates. The most improved mutant, com2, contained two substitutions (T117R/G188L) common to five of the 19 complementing variants subjected to further analysis. These changes, when engineered into otherwise wild-type 18:0-ACP desaturase to make mutant 5.2, produced a 35-fold increase in specific activity with respect to 16-carbon substrates. Kinetic analysis revealed changes in both k cat and K m that result in an 82-fold improvement in specificity factor for 16-carbon substrate compared with wild-type enzyme. Improved substrate orientation apparently compensated for loss of binding energy that results from the loss of desolvation energy for 16-carbon substrates. Mutant 5.2 had specific activity for 16-carbon substrates 2 orders of magnitude higher than those of known natural 16-carbon specific desaturases. These data support the hypothesis that it should be possible to reengineer archetypal enzymes to achieve substrate specificities characteristic of recently evolved enzymes while retaining the desired stability and/or turnover characteristics of a parental paralog.
Wind microclimate around buildings: Characteristics and control

Abstract The three-dimensional microclimates of an individual building and of groups of buildings are documented by flow visualization using the novel “smoke-wire” technique in simulated turbulent atmospheric surface layers. The impact of flow modules identified in these microclimates on the velocity field near the models and on the wind loads acting on them is documented for a family of surface layers. Attempts were made to control conditions adverse to pedestrian comfort by means of fences near a building. Because of the complex interaction between these fences and some of the flow modules, the shelter offered by an isolated fence in the surface layer is not obtained near a building.
Measurement of ionic recombination rate of nitrogen.

Electron-ion three body recombination rate in nonequilibrium dense nitrogen plasma measured spectroscopically
Seasonal and diurnal leaf orientation, bifacial sunlight incidence, and leaf structure in the sand dune herb Hydrocotyle bonariensis

A conceptual model has been proposed whereby leaf orientation and resulting sunlight exposure dictate functional leaf structure. Specifically, the model states that this relationship is driven by the absolute amount and ratio of incident sunlight on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. To test this model, the relationships between corresponding values of leaf orientation and incident sunlight on both leaf surfaces were measured for the sand dune herb Hydrocotyle bonariensis over a growth season, along with examination of leaf structure. For mature leaves, leaf angle from horizontal and azimuth angle significantly increased over the growing season, indicating diurnal midday avoidance and seasonal maximization of incident sunlight. Consequently, seasonal changes in leaf orientation resulted in an overall decrease in midday sunlight incidence on the adaxial surface and a slight shift in the daily occurrence of peak abaxial incidence. Adaxial surfaces received three to four times more sunlight than abaxial surfaces, and leaf cross-sections revealed relatively thick (564 μm) leaves with multiple adaxial palisade layers and stomata on both leaf surfaces, as predicted by the conceptual model and measured ratio of incident sunlight on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. These data provide further evidence of the relationship between leaf orientation and resulting absolute levels of sunlight incidence on both leaf surfaces, as well as their ratio, and corresponding differences in internal and external leaf structure.
Casimir torque on a cylindrical gear

I utilize effective field theory(EFT) techniques to calculate the Casimir torque on a cylindrical gear in the presence of a polarizable but neutral object and present results for the energy and torque as a function of angle for a gear with multiple cogs, as well as for the case of a concentric cylindrical gear.
Efficacy of cardiac resynchronization in acutely infarcted canine hearts with electromechanical dyssynchrony

Background Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), left bundle branch block (LBBB), and marked left ventricular (LV) decompensation suffer from nearly 50% early mortality. Whether cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves hemodynamic status in this condition is unknown. We tested CRT in this setting by using a canine model of delayed lateral wall (LW) activation combined with 2 hours of coronary artery occlusion-reperfusion. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the acute hemodynamic effects of CRT during and immediately after MI. Methods Adult dogs (n = 8) underwent open-chest 2-hour mid-left anterior descending artery occlusion followed by 1-hour reperfusion. Four pacing modes were compared: right atrial pacing, pseudo-left bundle block (right ventricular pacing), and CRT with the LV lead positioned at either the LW (LW-CRT) or the peri-infarct zone (peri-infarct zone-CRT). Continuous LV pressure-volume data, regional segment length, and proximal left anterior descending flow rates were recorded. Results At baseline, both right ventricular pacing and peri-infarct zone CRT reduced anterior wall regional work by ~50% (vs right atrial pacing). During coronary occlusion, this territory became dyskinetic, and dyskinesis rose further with both CRT modes as compared to pseudo-LBBB. Global cardiac output, stroke work, and ejection fraction all still improved by 11%–23%. After reperfusion, both CRT modes elevated infarct zone regional work and blood flow by ~10% as compared to pseudo-LBBB, as well as improved global function. Conclusion CRT improves global chamber systolic function in left ventricles with delayed LW activation during and after sustained coronary occlusion. It does so while modestly augmenting infarct zone dyskinesis during occlusion and improving regional function and blood flow after reperfusion. These findings support CRT in the setting of early post-MI dyssynchronous heart failure.
Multiphoton Ionization Mass Spectrometric Studies of Transition Metal Carbonyl Complexes

The multiphoton photochemistries of a variety of gas phase transition metal carbonyl complexes are investigated by MPI time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and results indicate that molecular fragment ionization can compete with atomization in these systems. Molecular ions detected include a variety of homonuclear and heteronuclear bare metal clusters, metal-sulfur clusters and metal monocarbonyls. Thus, multiphoton excitation of stable metal carbonyl compounds provides a versatile synthetic route to highly unsaturated neutral and ionic gas phase clusters which offers unique product cluster specificity and does not require the use of high temperature sources. The detection under collision-free conditions of bare metal dimers and trimers following MPI of several dinuclear and trinuclear metal cluster carbonyl compounds, respectively, indicates that dissociative CO loss can compete with metal–metal bond cleavage as a primary excited state reaction upon UV photolysis of these systems.
The thermal decomposition of C2H5I

The high-temperature thermal dissociation of C2H5I has been characterized in this study. Kinetics and overall yield experiments were performed over the temperature range, 946–2046 K, using the atomic resonance absorption spectrometric technique (ARAS) for the temporal detection of both product H and I atoms behind reflected shock waves. The C2H5I decomposition proceeds by both C-I fission and HI elimination. Rate constants for the C-I fission process, measured over the temperature and density ranges, 946–1303 K and 0.82–4.4×1018 cm−3, respectively, can be represented to within ±37% by the firstorder expression: k=6.34×109 exp(−15,894 K/T) s−1. Overall yield data for atomic product gave a branching ratio for C-I fission of (0.87±0.11) suggesting that 13% of the reaction proceeds through molecular HI elimination. This conclusion is consistent with earlier studies that showed C-I fission to be the dominant dissociation channel. The temperature and pressure dependences of the dissociation rate constants and the yield data have been described theoretically using three formulations of unimolecular rate theory. The best description was obtained with a full Master's equation analysis. However, all three calculations confirm that the HI-elimination pathway is lower lying than the C-I fission process by ≈3 kcal mol−1.
Clinical Development of Vandetanib: A Review of Ongoing Phase III Clinical Trials in Advanced NSCLC

Vandetanib (Zactima™, ZD6474) is a once-daily oral anticancer drug in phase III development for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additional studies in other tumor types are under way, such as those found in thyroid, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. In NSCLC, vandetanib targets tumor cell angiogenesis and proliferation via selective inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor–2 and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. Vandetanib also inhibits RET kinase activity, an important factor in the proliferation of certain types of thyroid cancer. Promising results from phase I/II studies have led to the initiation of phase III studies of vandetanib in a broad population of patients who were previously treated for advanced NSCLC. To date, vandetanib has been generally well tolerated in clinical trials at daily doses of ≤ 300 mg, with common adverse events including rash, diarrhea, and asymptomatic QTc prolongation. The designs of the phase III vandetanib-alone and combination trials were based on the results of vandetanib in 2 phase II trials in advanced NSCLC (vandetanib vs. gefitinib and docetaxel with 100 mg or 300 mg vandetanib vs. docetaxel). The primary endpoint of both studies was prolongation of progression-free survival. In both studies, the primary endpoint was achieved. Progression-free survival was 11.9 weeks for vandetanib versus 8.1 weeks for gefitinib (hazard ratio, 0.63; 1-sided P = 0.013) and 18.7 weeks for vandetanib 100 mg with docetaxel versus 12 weeks for docetaxel (hazard ratio, 0.64; 1-sided P = 0.037; for the 300-mg arm, P = 0.231). Higher objective response rates and disease control rates were also observed in the vandetanib arms, although overall survival was not significantly prolonged. Currently, 4 phase III registration trials are being conducted with vandetanib alone or in combination with chemotherapy in patients with pretreated advanced NSCLC. Overall, these trials will evaluate the efficacy and safety of vandetanib in the second-/third-line setting. An overview of phase III trials including study design, endpoints, and current status will be presented.
Preparation of thick-film glass capillary columns by the dynamic coating procedure

Abstract The capacity for non-polar stationary phases of the silanized inner surfaces of glass capillary columns is shown to be restricted to a 2−3×10 −7 m thick film. However, geometrical modification of a soda-glass surface by etching with HCl gas before silanization allows non-polar silicone-oil films to be prepared with average thickness (in good agreement with those predicted from the Fairbrother—Stubbs relation) as high as 14×10 −7 m. Such films are stable even after conditioning at 190°, and the column efficiencies, near 3000 theoretical plates per meter, were maintained. Van Deemter plots are similar for columns with average film thicknesses between 1 and 14×10 −7 m, thus suggesting that the surface developed through the geometrical modification is still covered with a relatively thin film of stationary phase.
New frontiers in the intrarenal Renin-Angiotensin system: a critical review of classical and new paradigms.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is well recognized as one of the oldest and most important regulators of arterial blood pressure, cardiovascular and renal function. New frontiers have recently emerged in the RAS research well beyond its classic paradigm as a potent vasoconstrictor, an aldosterone release stimulator, or a sodium-retaining hormone. First, two new members of the RAS have been uncovered, which include the renin/(Pro)renin receptor (PRR) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Recent studies suggest that prorenin may act on the PRR independent of the classical ACE/ANG II/AT1 receptor axis, whereas ACE2 may degrade ANG II to generate ANG (1-7), which activates the Mas receptor. Second, there is increasing evidence that ANG II may function as an intracellular peptide to activate intracellular and/or nuclear receptors. Third, currently there is a debate on the relative contribution of systemic versus intrarenal RAS to the physiological regulation of blood pressure and the development of hypertension. The objectives of this article are to review and discuss the new insights and perspectives derived from recent studies using novel transgenic mice that either overexpress or are deficient of one key enzyme, ANG peptide, or receptor of the RAS. This information may help us better understand how ANG II acts, both independently or through interactions with other members of the system, to regulate the kidney function and blood pressure in health and disease.
BETA-HYDROXYACYL DEHYDROGENASE IN HUMAN ARTERIAL TISSUE.

SummaryDeterminations were made of the beta-hydroxyacyl dehydrogenase activities exhibited by intima-media layers of various types of human blood vessels. A total of 215 vascular specimens was included in the study. The average activity of the thoracic descending aorta, expressed in units (micro-moles of substrate metabolized per gram tissue per minute) was .214; the corresponding values recorded for the abdominal aorta, pulmonary artery, coronary artery, cerebral arteries, and inferior vena cava were, respectively, .342, .217, .250, .152, and .082. The mean enzyme activity exhibited by atherosclerotic aortic tissue samples was 72.7% of that observed for normal tissue of the same arterial specimens.
Heavy-fermion behavior in a two-band Fermi liquid.

In this paper we present the calculation of the Landau parameters for a two-band Fermi liquid using the induced-interaction model. The model studied consists of two bands crossing the Fermi surface; one of these bands has electrons with a large crystalline mass and strong Coulomb correlations. The other band is made up of electrons with a small crystalline mass and negligible intraband correlations. For an antiferromagnetic coupling between the two bands, the system exhibits heavy-fermion behavior, i.e., very large linear in [ital T]-specific-heat coefficient, large [ital T][sup 2] term in the resistivity, and a small Wilson ratio. A ferromagnetic coupling between the two bands does not result in heavy-fermion behavior.
Behavior of phenolic-coated steel in concentrated sulfuric acid

Abstract Phenolic coatings, used to protect the steel of railcar tanks during the shipment of concentrated sulfuric acid, break down after repeated routine washings with water. To simulate this maintenance, coated metal specimens have been immersed in acid with periodic immersion in water for 1 h followed by drying and return to acid. Physical and chemical changes in the coating were determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy respectively while proton-induced X-ray emission served to determine the sulfur content. A model based on the dissolution of the filler and the pigment causing an increased porosity is proposed to explain the accelerated loss of protection from the coating.
Byzantine robust trust establishment for mobile ad hoc networks

In a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the nodes act both as traffic sources and as relays that forward packets from other nodes along multi-hop routes to the destination. Such networks are suited to situations in which a wireless infrastructure is unavailable, infeasible, or prohibitively expensive. However, the lack of a secure, trusted infrastructure in such networks make secure and reliable packet delivery very challenging. A given node acting as a relay may exhibit Byzantine behavior with respect to packet forwarding, i.e., arbitrary, deviant behavior, which disrupts packet transmission in the network. For example, a Byzantine node may arbitrarily choose to drop or misroute a certain percentage of the packets that are passed to it for forwarding to the next hop. In earlier work, we proposed a trust establishment framework, called Hermes, which enables a given node to determine the "trustworthiness" of other nodes with respect to reliable packet delivery by combining first-hand trust information obtained independently of other nodes and second-hand trust information obtained via recommendations from other nodes. A deficiency of the Hermes scheme is that a node can fail to detect certain types of Byzantine behavior, such as packet misforwarding directed at a particular source node. In this paper, we propose new mechanisms to make Hermes robust to Byzantine behavior and introduce a punishment policy that discourages selfish node behavior. We present simulation results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in a variety of scenarios involving Byzantine nodes that are malicious both with respect to packet forwarding and trust propagation.
“Because That’s What Justice Is to Us”: Exploring the Racialized Collateral Consequences of New Parochialism

Renewed interest in communities as spaces for criminal opportunity has generated numerous studies of neighborhood social dynamics and crime. Most of this research is rooted in social disorganization theory, which examines neighborhood structural characteristics that facilitate effective social control. While many studies tout the benefits of community-based controls, the potential externalities of these efforts remain underexplored. In the modern neoliberal context, where policing strategies stress community involvement and often focus on vaguely-defined problems like “quality of life” or “incivilities” and where police have considerable enforcement discretion, the unintended consequences of community-based controls are important to document. I use the ethnographic case study of Gardner Village to explore the potential collateral consequences of one form of collective social control: new parochialism. Applying a critical lens to the social disorganization literature, I argue that when embedded in particular structural contexts, new parochialism contributes to the reproduction of inequality and undermines community-building processes.
Is Glycine a Neurotransmitter ?: Association of Glycine with Spinal Interneurones

The amino-acid glycine acts as though it were an inhibitory transmitter substance when it is applied to neurones of the lumbar portion of the spinal cord of the cat. Moreover, interneurones which release inhibitory transmitter appear to concentrate glycine. These findings raise the strong possibility that glycine is a neurotransmitter substance in the physiological state.
Conditional survival is greater than overall survival at diagnosis in patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.

Background Conditional survival is a measure of the risk of mortality given that a patient has survived a defined period of time. These estimates are clinically helpful, but have not been reported previously for osteosarcoma or Ewing’s sarcoma.
An Experimental Test of Cautela's Operant Explanation of Covert Conditioning Procedures

Although covert conditioning procedures are widely employed by behavior therapists, the literature is marked by considerable procedural variability and inconsistent results. Part of the problem is attributable to the lack of a generally agreed upon and experimentally supported theoretical account of covert conditioning procedures. Inasmuch as the procedural arrangements of covert conditioning techniques depend upon the underlying theoretical framework, it is important that the framework be experimentally supported. One prominent theoretical account of covert conditioning is the operant account proposed by the main proponent of covert conditioning, Joseph Cautela. As an explanation of the clinical effects of covert conditioning, however, Cautela's account has not been adequately tested. Two experiments were conducted, the purpose of which were to conduct laboratory analogue tests of Cautela's account of covert conditioning by examining the effects of covert reinforcement and covert punishment procedures on the subsequent free-operant rate of selected target responses of college students. The results failed to support Cautela's operant explanation of covert conditioning.
AAC Assessment and Clinical-Decision Making: The Impact of Experience

People with complex communication needs often require a comprehensive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment to maximize participation in daily interactions. Assessment of AAC is a complex process and limited practice guidelines exist. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how 25 speech-language pathologists with varying levels of experience approach the AAC assessment process. Participants were classified as either (a) General Practice Speech-Language Pathologists (GPSLPs), (b) AAC Clinical Specialists (AAC-CS), or (c) AAC Research/Policy Specialists (AAC-RS). In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the participants’ approach to AAC assessment. The results revealed that GPSLPs approach AAC assessment differently than the AAC-CS and AAC-RS; however, the Specialists reported a similar approach that may help guide the development of practice guidelines for AAC assessment.
Keynote 2 NoC's at the center of chip architecture: Urgent needs (today) and what they must become (future)

The collision of large-scale computational capabilities (multi-core) and system-scale integration (system-on-chip) have produced a landscape in which networks-on-chip are a central critical element of system design. However, the traditional approaches and requirements from these two communities are quite different with divergence in requirements of cost, regularity, power, methodology, compatibility, features, etc. This talk will survey the landscape of modern NoC design, and point out challenging new opportunities and directions for the NoC research community. Open challenges include - how to reconcile performance with cost, what functions are within scope for NoC, how to reconcile performance with heterogeneity, how to reconcile performance with long-term compatibility, and so on. The central architectural importance of Networks-on-Chip are now clear, the challenges are to define the architectural approaches and paths which enable robust, efficient, high-performance, cost-effective, and of course rapidly designed systems.
Long pathlength absorbance spectroscopy: trace analysis of Fe(II) using a 4.5m liquid core waveguide

Abstract A Liquid Core Waveguide (LCW) can be used to extend the sensitivity of conventional absorbance spectroscopy by two or more orders of magnitude. Analysis of dissolved iron concentrations with a 4.47 m pathlength LCW made of Teflon AF-2400 provides a 0.2 nmol dm−3 detection limit and a linear response between 0.5 and 10 nmol dm−3. No preconcentration is required in this analysis. The analytical procedures employed in long pathlength absorbance spectroscopy are amenable to miniaturization and autonomous operation.
High-efficiency high-energy wavelength-doubling optical parametric oscillator

We have numerically modeled an efficient method of doubling the 1064 nm wavelength of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser using a lambda-doubling nanosecond optical parametric oscillator (LDOPO). The LDOPO cavity is based on the four-mirror nonplanar RISTRA geometry, denoting rotated-image singly-resonant twisted rectangle, and contains a single type-II KTP crystal. By using the polarization-rotating properties of this cavity, and modifying its geometry to incorporate polarization-selective mirrors with angles of incidence near Brewster's angle, this design obtains stable, singly-resonant oscillation at degeneracy. If the pump laser is injection-seeded, and the LDOPO contains an intra-cavity etalon for single-longitudinal-mode oscillation, the phase of the wavelength-doubled 2128 nm light remains locked to the phase of the pump, independent of cavity length, so active frequency stabilization is not required. Numerical analysis indicates that a pulse-injection-seeded LDOPO can obtain 1064 nm to 2128 nm conversion efficiency exceeding 61%. However, analysis of a complete system incorporating a primary low-energy LDOPO that pulse-injection-seeds a secondary higher-energy LDOPO indicates total 1064 nm to 2128 nm efficiency of approximately 57%. A 2128 nm lambda-doubling system having conversion efficiency > 50% may offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional two micron laser sources such as Tm:Ho:YAG.