cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemic community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections--increasingly, everyone's problem.

myelitis, foreign-body infections, and sepsis. 1 It is also an important cause of a variety of ocular infections, including conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis, orbital cellulitis, orbital abscess, and endophthalmitis. S. aureus isolates that are resistant to all available penicillins and other b-lactam antimicrobial drugs are said to be methicillin-resistant, abbreviated MRSA, a term that has persisted despite the retirement of methicillin from clinical use. MRSA strains were once largely confined to hospitals, other health care facilities, and the patients frequenting these environments. Since the mid-1990s, however, there has been a great increase in the prevalence of MRSA infections reported in populations lacking risk factors reflecting exposure to the health care system. This increase, termed an epidemic by many experts, has been associated with the recognition of new MRSA strains, often called community-associated (CA-MRSA) strains, that have been responsible for a large proportion of the increased disease burden observed in the last decade. These newly recognized strains have rapidly disseminated among the general population in most (but not all) areas of the United States. They often cause infections in otherwise-healthy patients who lack exposure to the health care environment. When CA-MRSA infections were first recognized, 2 the most common MRSA genetic back
The Challenge of Cultural Diversity: Harnessing a Diversity of Views to Understand Multiculturalism

Formal diversity-training programs have been growing rapidly, but anecdotal literature suggests that many such programs garner negative reactions from participants. Charges of “political correctness” and “white-male bashing” may typify such responses. This article theorizes that fundamental beliefs and multiple sources of influence must be taken into account to predict a participant's reaction. Burrell and Morgan's (1979) work on paradigmatic differences is used to identify polar opposite beliefs about multiculturalism. Ideal states of multiculturalism are then defined and predicted from these fundamental beliefs. These belief systems are compared to sources of influence to predict reaction to a formal diversity-training program. We conclude with some cautionary dialogue about realistic expectations of diversity and the polarizing effects of Balkanizing rhetoric.
The crystal structure of Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase: a comparison with the human enzyme reveals a conserved topology

Abstract Background: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) from Escherichia coli is a hexameric enzyme that catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of 6-amino and 6-oxopurine (2′-deoxy)ribonucleosides to the free base and (2′-deoxy)ribose-1-phosphate. In contrast, human and bovine PNPs are trimeric and accept only 6-oxopurine nucleosides as substrates. The difference in the specificities of these two enzymes has been utilized in gene therapy treatments in which certain prodrugs are cleaved by E. coli PNP but not the human enzyme. The trimeric and hexameric PNPs show no similarity in amino acid sequence, even though they catalyze the same basic chemical reaction. Structural comparison of the active sites of mammalian and E. coli PNPs would provide an improved basis for the design of potential prodrugs that are specific for E. coli PNP. Results: The crystal structure of E. coli PNP at 2.0 A resolution shows that the overall subunit topology and active-site location within the subunit are similar to those of the subunits from human PNP and E. coli uridine phosphorylase. Nevertheless, even though the overall geometry of the E. coli PNP active site is similar to human PNP, the active-site residues and subunit interactions are strikingly different. In E. coli PNP, the purine- and ribose-binding sites are generally hydrophobic, although a histidine residue from an adjacent subunit probably forms a hydrogen bond with a hydroxyl group of the sugar. The phosphate-binding site probably consists of two mainchain nitrogen atoms and three arginine residues. In addition, the active site in hexameric PNP is much more accessible than in trimeric PNP. Conclusions: The structures of human and E. coli PNP define two possible classes of nucleoside phosphorylase, and help to explain the differences in specificity and efficiency between trimeric and hexameric PNPs. This structural data may be useful in designing prodrugs that can be activated by E. coli PNP but not the human enzyme.
Designing and Building Reliability Into VLSI Interconnect Systems

The optimization of electromigration (EM) and stress-induced voiding (SV) properties of advanced interconnects impacts many critical system design parameters. In particular, the choice of materials and manufacturing processes must be carefully planned during the early phases of product development. In layered metallizations, both the barrier and capping layers design can affect electromigration resistance and stress-relaxation behavior, while electrical performance often constitutes a trade-off. This is shown specifically in a study of titanium diffusion into Al-Cu from TiN barrier layers, and in initial stress-relaxation tests characterizing the effect of Ti addition in the capping layer. The development of advanced characterization techniques supports the trial-and-error experimental optimization process, but models predicting EM and SV reliability are needed and should include complex sets of microstructural and design parameters.
Potent anti-hepatitis B viral activity and inhibition of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase by a "fat" nucleoside and its 5'-triphosphate derivative: synthetic, biochemical, and biological studies of 4,8-diamino-6-imino-6H-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-imidazo[4,5-E] [1,3]diazepine-5'-triphosphate.

Abstract The title nucleoside, 4,8-diamino-6-imino-6H-1-β-d-ribofuranosylimidazo[4,5-e][1,3]-diazepine, exhibited potent anti-hepatitis B viral activity with minimum toxicity in vitro, and its 5′-triphosphate derivative strongly inhibited the bacteriophage 77 RNA polymerase.
Mismatch repair proteins collaborate with methyltransferases in the repair of O6-methylguanine

Abstract DNA repair is essential for combatting the adverse effects of damage to the genome. One example of base damage is O6-methylguanine (O6mG), which stably pairs with thymine during replication and thereby creates a promutagenic O6mG:T mismatch. This mismatch has also been linked with cellular toxicity. Therefore, in the absence of repair, O6mG:T mismatches can lead to cell death or result in G:C → A:T transition mutations upon the next round of replication. Cysteine thiolate residues on the Ada and Ogt methyltransferase (MTase) proteins directly reverse the O6mG base damage to yield guanine. When a cytosine is opposite the lesion, MTase repair restores a normal G:C pairing. However, if replication past the lesion has produced an O6mG:T mismatch, MTase conversion to a G:T mispair must still undergo correction to avoid mutation. Two mismatch repair pathways in E. coli that convert G:T mispairs to native G:C pairings are methyl-directed mismatch repair (MMR) and very short patch repair (VSPR). This work examined the possible roles that proteins in these pathways play in coordination with the canonical MTase repair of O6mG:T mismatches. The possibility of this repair network was analyzed by probing the efficiency of MTase repair of a single O6mG residue in cells deficient in individual mismatch repair proteins (Dam, MutH, MutS, MutL, or Vsr). We found that MTase repair in cells deficient in Dam or MutH showed wild-type levels of MTase repair. In contrast, cells lacking any of the VSPR proteins MutS, MutL, or Vsr showed a decrease in repair of O6mG by the Ada and Ogt MTases. Evidence is presented that the VSPR pathway positively influences MTase repair of O6mG:T mismatches, and assists the efficiency of restoring these mismatches to native G:C base pairs.
Back to Wilson and Jungner: 10 good reasons to screen for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) operates under the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, one of 11 divisions of the US Department of Health and Human Services. A panel of preventive medicine and health care experts, the USPSTF reviews existing literature and evidence to make recommendations regarding preventive care measures.1 Primary care practitioners rely on such guidelines to make medical decisions, and insurance companies and government agencies use this information to determine payment for services rendered and for credentialing of institutions. Recently, the USPSTF updated its guidelines on screening adults for type 2 diabetes mellitus2,3 (Table 1).4 This report was based on a literature review of the existing data in both MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases. Members of the USPSTF concluded that screening for diabetes in asymptomatic individuals with hypertension (blood pressure >135/80 mm Hg) was merited. Unfortunately, they did not recommend or highlight the importance of screening other at-risk populations who would be screened under the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, citing lack of direct or indirect evidence supporting population screening.2 However, the authors acknowledge that direct evidence, such as a randomized trial that compared treated vs untreated persons in whom screening detected diabetes, will not be available because “withholding treatment from persons with known diabetes is unethical….” The ADA also concluded that a study of this type is unlikely to occur and developed guidelines based on existing data and expert opinion that recommend screening for diabetes mellitus in a much wider population because of the epidemic in the United States.4 TABLE 1. ADA and USPSTF Criteria to Screen for Diabetes Mellitusa In addition, the criteria used to develop these new USPSTF recommendations have been a subject of interest. Although USPSTF states its guidelines are based on explicit criteria,1 experts have questioned its more restrictive screening criteria used to develop its diabetes screening guidelines compared with that used for another chronic disease, obesity.5 This query has merit considering the impact USPSTF guidelines have on population health. Clearly, screening for disease must meet certain criteria to be medically and financially acceptable. Perhaps the most recognized criteria were determined by Wilson and Jungner6 in 1968. These principles (Table 2), which the World Health Organization follows, define the basis of preventive medicine 40 years later and are largely considered the standards by which screening tests are judged and determined. TABLE 2. Wilson and Jungner Criteria for Disease Screening (Adopted by the World Health Organization) Because of the potential far-reaching implications of the new USPSTF guidelines, it is important to examine the merits of diabetes screening using the 10 criteria of Wilson and Jungner since national screening recommendations profoundly affect health care delivery and outcomes.
A formalized mentoring program for LPN-to-RN students

Abstract Nursing programs across the United States are faced with the challenge to admit greater numbers of students and improve retention and progression rates of enrolled students. Associate degree nursing (ADN) programs produce the largest percentage of registered nurse (RN) graduates in comparison with other basic RN programs (National League for Nursing, 2006). Many states and academic institutions have begun to realize that the large pool of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) is a viable source of quality ADN students. LPN students in LPN-to-RN completion programs can often complete degrees and be eligible to take state board RN examinations in half the time of a traditional ADN student. Faculty at Ohio University-Chillicothe (OU-C) examined strategies to enhance the LPN-to-RN transition program on the campus and to promote retention and progression of this unique population of nursing students in the ADN program. The faculty researchers developed the Nursing Success program after a review of the literature and with support from an internal grant from the OU-C Faculty Summer Research Fund. This article describes this formalized, faculty-driven student mentoring program designed for LPN-to-RN students at OU-C and the outcomes of the initial implementation.
Thermodynamic properties from differential scanning calorimetry by calorimetric methods

Abstract Simple theory and techniques are explored and developed to utilize the dif- ferential scanning calorimeter for the determination of heat capacities, glass transition and enthalpies of transition between two thermodynamic states of substances. Effects due to the transition kinetics and thermal and electronic lags of the instrument are either corrected for or eliminated.
Comment on N. K. Namboodiri’s “which couples at given parities expect to have additional births? an exercise in discriminant analysis”

N. K. Namboodiri deserves much credit for turning fertility analysis toward the study of the transition from one birth order to the next (Namboodiri, 1972). Economists are also modifying their approach to fertility in the same fashion (Heckman and Willis, n.d.; Michael and Willis, n.d.). In Namboodiri's recent attempt to put empirical flesh on his theoretical skeleton ("Which Couples at Given Parities Expect to Have Additional Births? An Exercise in Discriminant Analysis," Demography, Vol. 11, February 1974, pp. 45-56), however, he arrives at conclusions which require further examination. Namboodiri's major finding, based on a discriminant analysis of the NFS data set, is that socioeconomic variables only discriminate among couples who have reached high parity levels with regard to birth expectations. We show, however, that this result is mainly the product of Namboodiri's experimental design and the misspecification of the discriminant functions with respect *to the socioeconomic variables. Based on a somewhat different analysis of the same data set, we obtain strong evidence that contradicts Namboodiri's conclusion that there exists a "threshold" below which economic and social characteristics have no bearing on birth decisions. The major reason for the low discriminatory power of the economic and sociological variables at low parities in Namboodiri's analysis appears to be the domination of the age variable at these levels. Since the relationship between age and birth expectations is not particularly informative-how much have we learned if we find that for women in parities 0, 1, and 2 a 43 year old is less likely to expect additional children than a 23 year old?-a better procedure to test the influence of the socioeconomic variables would have been to not stratify the sample by parity but to relate parity and age variables along with the social and economic proxies to birth expectations for the whole sample. This methodology would, in addition, have allowed a more precise testing with the use of interaction terms of the hypothesis that the sets of variables have different effects at each parity. Namboodiri's technique of comparing the R2's across parity levels (p. 51) is not informative in this regard because the variances in the independent variable (particularly age) differ by parity. Thus it is not unexpected that among higher-parity families, whose age variance is much less than that pertaining to low-parity families, Namboodiri finds that the predictive power of age is significantly lower. A more serious shortcoming in Namboodiri's analysis, which also would tend to reduce the significance of the set of socioeconomic variables, is his misspecification of these parameters. Since the deDendent variable is exDectational, it is
Germline missense mutations in mismatch-repair genes and genetic testing for HNPCC

The clinical management of individuals in families with germline mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes relies not only on the accurate identification of genetic alterations but also on the interpretation of their pathogenicity. The spectrum of genetic alterations in MMR genes that predispose to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is very diverse. Of all mutations, it is the most difficult to predict the effect of missense mutations on the function of the protein. Therefore it is not always clear whether a missense mutation is pathogenic or just a harmless polymorphism. A number of computational and experimental assays (in vivo and in vitro) have been developed to assess the functional significance of missense mutations in MMR genes. Despite the profusion of such assays, it is not clear that they are sufficiently sensitive and specific to serve as clinically applicable diagnostic tests for HNPCC.
Rapid solidification processing of a Mg-Li-Si-Ag alloy

A Mg-13Li-4Si-lAg (wt pct) alloy with improved ductility and thermal stability was developedvia the rapid solidification (RS) processing technique. Silicon was added to the alloy as the third alloying element in order to form a thermally stable intermetallic dispersoid phase required for improved mechanical properties at ambient and elevated temperatures. The microstructure of the as-spun and heat-treated alloy was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microhardness measurements were conducted on as-spun and heat-treated alloy in order to obtain qualitative prop-erty data and to investigate the extent of the degradation of properties at elevated temperatures. It was found that the melt-spun Mg-Li alloy possessed a microstructure consisting of a fine dispersion of Mg2Si phase in a fine-grained body-centered cubic (bcc) Mg-Li solid solution, resulting in the desired improvements in thermal stability and mechanical properties.
Four wave mixing propagation in fishnet metamaterials

We experimentally investigate the nonlinear propagation in thick optical negative index materials. The ratio of the forward to backward four wave mixing generation was shown to follow the prediction of the phase-matching relations.
Read/Write Holographic Memory versus Silicon Storage

This paper compares the read/write holographic memory with silicon storage on issues of cost, density, size and speed. With a photorefractive crystal on top of a silicon interface, the holographic memory is of cost efficiency, volume compactness and fast data accessing. Key challenges to implement the competitive holographic memory are discussed.
Cytomegalovirus-induced salivary gland pathology: resistance to kinase inhibitors of the upregulated host cell EGFR/ERK pathway is associated with CMV-dependent stromal overexpression of IL-6 and fibronectin

Recently we identified a relationship between human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) and human salivary gland (SG) mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) in over 90% of cases; tumorigenesis in these cases uniformly correlated with active hCMV protein expression and an upregulation of the EGFR → ERK pathway. Our previously characterized, novel mouse organ culture model of mouse CMV (mCMV)-induced tumorigenesis displays a number of histologic and molecular characteristics similar to human MEC. Newborn mouse submandibular glands (SMGs) were incubated with 1 × 105 PFU/ml of lacZ-tagged mCMV RM427+ on day 0 for 24 hours and then cultured in virus-free media for a total of 6 or 12 days with or without EGFR/ERK inhibitors and/or aciclovir. SMGs were collected for histology, immunolocalization (pERK, FN, IL-6), viral distribution, or Western blot analysis (pERK). Here we report: (1) mouse SMG tumors soon exhibit an acquired resistance to EGFR/ERK pathway kinase inhibitors, alone or in combination; (2) long term tumor regression can only be sustained by concurrent inhibitor and antiviral treatment; (3) CMV-dependent, kinase inhibitor resistance is associated with overexpression of fibronectin and IL-6 proteins in abnormal stromal cells. Acquired resistance to kinase inhibitors is dependent upon CMV dysregulation of alternative pathways with downstream effectors common with the targeted pathway, a phenomenon with important therapeutic implications for human MEC of salivary glands.
A statistical technique for comparing the accuracies of several classifiers

Abstract The problem of comparing the accuracies of several classifiers that have been applied to the same set of observations is considered. A strategy based on the application of repeated measures analysis procedures to dichotomous data is proposed for making the comparison. The strategy is illustrated using a set of data taken from the literature.
The Momentum Imbalance Paradox Revisited

Abstract The classical problem of a point source situated along a southern boundary emptying buoyant water into a (β plane) ocean is revisited. Pichevin and Nof (PN) have shown that, in contrast to the view prevailing at the time, such an inviscid outflow does not simply turn to the right. Rather, it bifurcates into two branches: a steady branch that does turn to the right (eastward) and an unsteady branch that periodically sheds eddies to the left (westward). This partition is because a simple turn to the right of the entire outflow leaves the outflow’s long-shore momentum flux unbalanced, creating a paradox. In contrast, the branching allows the westward-drifting eddies (westward branch) to balance the momentum flux of the steady current (eastward branch). Although the analytical PN solution is useful and informative, it is cumbersome and difficult to apply to actual outflows. Here, a considerably simpler nonlinear analytical solution is presented. Using the idea that the eddies grow slowly relative to ...
Solving electromagnetics problems with SPICE

The author describes how SPICE, which is normally viewed as a circuit analysis and design program, can be used to solve two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) potential problems. The characteristic impedance of regular and odd-shaped lossless transmission lines can be obtained directly: from this the inductance and capacitance can be obtained. In the 3-D case, the potential distribution and capacitance between two objects can be obtained. It is noted that, for electrical engineering students, the solution of 2-D problems of capacitance or characteristic impedance may be more attractive than having to cope with programming a relaxation matrix or coping with a spreadsheet. For 3-D problems the use of SPICE is not recommended except to conceptualize the problem itself. >
Characterization of photoconducting materials using variable-length picosecond terahertz pulses

A source of high-intensity, ultra-short terahertz pulses has been developed. The operation and performance of a terahertz pulse-slicing system for use with the UCSB free-electron lasers are discussed. Short pulses are sliced from the microsecond long output of the free-electron laser using laser-activated semiconductor switches; the pulse length may be freely varied from a few picoseconds up to four nanoseconds. The temporal response of a heavily compensated gallium-doped germanium photoconductor has been investigated. At low excitation intensity, a recombination time of 2 +/- 0.1 ns is found. At higher THz pulse powers non-exponential relaxation is observed; the data is well modeled using a rate equation approach and including impact- ionization impact-ionization effects due to the terahertz- heated free holes.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Response of the Brackish-Water Mummichog to Different Salinities

Abstract Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) held in fresh water for 50 d experienced a significantly greater weight loss and higher mortality than fish held in brackish or seawater. No significant difference in oxygen consumption was observed for fish held for 2-2.5 h at different salinities. Mummichogs tolerate short exposures to fresh water, but prolonged exposures can cause death.
Reduction in heat shock gene expression correlates with increased thermosensitivity in senescent human fibroblasts.

Abstract The expression of three major classes of heat shock genes was examined in human diploid cells at differing in vitro ages. Metabolic labeling of cellular proteins following a brief heat shock showed that the synthesis of heat shock proteins was significantly reduced in late-passage cells. Northern blot analyses revealed that the reduced expression of heat shock proteins in old cells correlated with a reduced accumulation of heat shock-specific transcripts. The attenuation of heat shock gene activity in senescent cells was not unique to thermal stress since exposure of cells to sodium arsenite (10–50 μ M ) elicited a similar response. The reduced expression of heat shock gene products correlated with an increased thermal lability in late-passage cells following acute hyperthermic (49 °C) exposure. The preinduction of heat shock genes protected cells against the lethal effects of acute hyperthermia and abolished the increased thermal lability observed in senescent cells. The reduced expression of the heat shock response demonstrates that old cells possess a diminished ability to withstand adverse environmental conditions and maintain homeostasis.
Pump‐assisted plasticating extrusion*

Within the past several years considerable interest has developed in the practice of retrofitting of plasticating extruders with gear pumps. The primary motivation for this is to reduce surges and fluctuations in the extrusion rate, thereby improving product quality and reducing waste. It is shown that the effectiveness of a gear pump for this purpose is directly related to its volumetric efficiency. The volumetric efficiency depends upon the pump dimensions, the flow behavior of the polymer, and the operating variables of temperature, pressure, and pump speed. Experimental data on a variety of thermoplastic materials has been obtained using a pump with gear wheels of 3.6 cm diameter. These data have been correlated with an empirical equation. Some tentative conclusions are drawn concerning the sizing of gear pumps for specific applications.
The History of the Automatic RF Techniques Group

The early years of the ARFTG were more like a user's group than the professional measurement society the ARFTG would become. In fact, the early meetings were not a pleasant place for the designated HP representative. For many years, the HP representative would change with each meeting, either to protect the guilty or preserve the sanity of the representative. As a user, the magic of these test systems was hidden in the software, which was not available in source form to the user. The ARFTG was formed to "help" realize the needs of the users.
Sulfur speciation in granulated blast furnace slag: An X-ray absorption spectroscopic investigation

Abstract Sulfur speciation in a granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) was analyzed by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) before and after activation by saturated calcium hydroxide and five normal sodium hydroxide solutions. The solution to GGBFS ratio was 0.4. XANES showed that sulfur in GGBFS existed mostly as sulfides (frozen in calcium polyhedra) with a minor amount as sulfate. A slowly-cooled blast furnace slag, in contrast, had most of the sulfide transformed to sulfate. After activation of GGBFS, more sulfate formed and crystalline sulfide phases became more apparent. More slag reacted at lower pH than at higher pH.
Early research on the biological effects of microwave radiation: 1940-1960.

Two overriding considerations shaped the development of early research on the biological effects of microwave radiation?possible medical application (diathermy) and uncertainty about the hazards of exposure to radar. Reports in the late 1940s and early 1950s of hazards resulting from microwave exposure led to the near abandonment of medical research related to microwave diathermy at the same time that military and industrial concern over hazards grew, culminating in the massive research effort known as ?the Tri-Service program? (1957?1960). Both the early focus on medical application and the later search for hazards played important roles in dictating how this field of research developed as a science.
Ultrasound stimulation of tendon cell proliferation and upregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen.

Therapeutic ultrasound has been widely used in sports-related tendon injuries. However, previous research has not examined the molecular mechanism of this therapeutic effect on tendon cell proliferation. This study was designed to determine the in vitro effect of ultrasound on the proliferation of tendon cells intrinsic to rat Achilles tendon. Furthermore, the existence of a correlation between this effect and the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was also examined. Using cultured tendon cells, cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. The expression of PCNA protein in cells was evaluated by immunocytochemistry. The mRNA expression of PCNA was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A dose-dependent increase in the cellularity of tendon cells by either pulsed or continuous mode ultrasound was demonstrated by MTT assay (p = 0.044 for the pulsed mode; p = 0.004 for the continuous mode). Ten minutes of treatment achieved maximum cellularity compared to 5 min of treatment time (p = 0.010 for pulsed ultrasound; p = 0.004 for continuous ultrasound). Immunocyto-chemical staining revealed that ultrasound treated tendon cells were stained more strongly for PCNA than were control cells. Upregulation of PCNA at the mRNA level was also confirmed by RT-PCR. In conclusion, ultrasound stimulates tendon cell proliferation in a process that is probably mediated by the upregulation of PCNA.
A critical evaluation of the experimental and theoretical determination of lithium cation affinities

Abstract A comprehensive comparison of multiple levels of theory with experimental values for about thirty lithium cation affinities (LCAs) is conducted. The experimental values are largely taken from threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) measurements augmented with equilibrium measurements from ion cyclotron resonance experiments. Possible reasons for errors in the experimental TCID results are explored. An examination of the theoretical results reveals that core correlation on the lithium ion(Li-C) is needed to accurately describe these complexes. Several procedures for assessing complete basis set (CBS) extrapolations from MP2(full)/aug-cc-pVnZ(Li-C)//MP2(full)/cc-pVDZ(Li-C), n = D, T, and Q, calculations are completed and compared to experiment and lower levels of theory. It is found that LCAs calculated using CBS methods including core correlation are higher than most other methods and generally in good agreement with experimental values. Because the CBS approach requires use of the computationally intensive aug-cc-pVQZ(Li-C) basis set, we recommend that an adequate level of theory is provided by a MP2(full)/aug-cc-pVTZ(Li-C)//MP2(full)/cc-pVDZ(Li-C) approach excluding basis set superposition errors. Given these theoretical results, discrepant experimental values in the literature for several lithium ion complexes are evaluated.
Effect of Mixing and Moisture Modification on Toughening and Dimethylamine Formation in Alaska Pollock Mince during Frozen Storage at −10°C

Alaska pollock minces having reduced, normal and elevated levels of moisture were stored at - 10°C for 2 and 4 wk to determine how toughening was influenced by different amounts of ice in the frozen tissue. Minces containing reduced or elevated amounts of ice exhibited greater toughening than that observed in control minces. Also, some minces received an extra mixing step prior to freezing and this resulted in less toughening during storage, perhaps due to oxygen incorporated and partial inhibition of the enzyme system that converts trimethylamine oxide to dimethylamine and formaldehyde. However, among moisture-modified minces that received the same mixing treatment, development of toughening did not relate in any consistent manner with the development of dimethylamine.
Decay characteristics of HIV-1-infected compartments during combination therapy

Analysis of changes in viral load after initiation of treatment with potent antiretroviral agents has provided substantial insight into the dynamics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The concentration of HIV-1 in plasma drops by approximately 99% in the first two weeks of treatment owing to the rapid elimination of free virus with a half-life (t1/2) of < or =6 hours and loss of productively infected cells with a t1/2 of 1.6 days. Here we show that with combination therapy this initial decrease is followed by a slower second-phase decay of plasma viraemia. Detailed mathematical analysis shows that the loss of long-lived infected cells (t1/2 of 1-4 weeks) is a major contributor to the second phase, whereas the activation of latently infected lymphocytes (t1/2 of 0.5-2 weeks) is only a minor source. Based on these decay characteristics, we estimate that 2.3-3.1 years of a completely inhibitory treatment would be required to eliminate HIV-1 from these compartments. To eradicate HIV-1 completely, even longer treatment may be needed because of the possible existence of undetected viral compartments or sanctuary sites.
Gradual and Combustive Mechanochemical Reactions in the Sn–Zn–S System

Abstract The mechanochemical formation of ZnS from a mixture of Zn and S powders turns into a self-propagating thermal reaction after 30 min of milling. A similar “explosion” occurs when Sn and S are milled for about the same time to form SnS 2 . However, the ignition time is longer or the reaction is gradual in mixtures of the two systems. This phenomenon is investigated as a function of composition. A model is proposed based on the thermodynamic properties and mechanochemical reactions of the binary systems.
The effect of progesterone on the concentration of plasma amino acids in man.

Abstract Progesterone is a catabolic hormone in man. In four subjects a progesterone induced catabolic process was accompanied by a prompt decline in the plasma concentrations of a number of free amino acids. Threonine, proline, glycine, alanine, lysine, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, cystine and serine concentrations were very significantly lowered. Valine, tyrosine, and histidine were significantly lower. The concentrations of methionine, isoleucine and leucine tended to move downward. Only the phenylalanine level was clearly uninfluenced. Previous studies had shown that total urinary amino acid nitrogen was unaffected by progesterone. Results in these experiments were corroborative in that urinary glycine, alanine, methionine and arginine were not influenced by treatment with progesterone. On the basis of these results it has been suggested that the catabolic action of progesterone is secondary to an enhancement of amino acid utilization by the liver, and that the circulating concentrations of one or several amino acids exert a negative feedback action on the rate at which amino acids are liberated from peripheral tissues. On the basis of the fact that during progesterone treatment only the concentrations of glycine, threonine, cystine and serine were lower fasting and postprandially than they were fasting on control days, it has been suggested that one of these four compounds, or a combination of several of them, may be critical in regulating peripheral protein catabolism.
A device for the automated measurement of PH gradients in gel electrofocusing.

Abstract A contact microelectrode was mounted on a mechanical drive to provide a device capable of automated pH measurement along polyacrylamide gels carrying a pH gradient formed by electrofocusing. The device is capable of measuring a pH gradient across a gel 6 cm long within 9 min and provides a recording of the data. Thus, pH gradient analysis can be carried out on the same gel used for localization of isoelectric protein zones by fixation and staining.
Estimating the fault rate function

Paging activity can be a major factor in determining whether a software workload will run on a given computer system. A program's paging behavior is difficult to predict because it depends not only on the workload processed by the program, but also on the level of storage contention of the processor. A program's fault rate function relates storage allocation to the page fault rate experienced while processing a given workload. Thus, with the workload defined, the fault rate function can be used to see how the program's storage allocation is affected by varying levels of storage contention, represented by varying fault rates. This paper presents a technique to represent program workloads and estimate the fault rate function, and describes how these results can be used in analyzing program performance.
Adaptable Robust Design of Multi-Scale Convective Systems Applied to Energy Efficient Data Centers

A design approach is presented to bring adaptability and robustness to multi-scale convective systems. The design method is centered on proper orthogonal decomposition-based reduced order thermal modeling, robust design principles, and the compromise decision support problem construct. The method application for an energy efficient air-cooled data center guarantees safe and robust operation over a 10-year period of increasing power dissipation. The data center traditional design consumes 14–85% more energy than the adaptable design over the 10 years. A robust solution is also found to reduce the variability in the thermal response by 80% compared with an optimal solution.
Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation due to N-acetyl procainamide.

Abstract Worsening of ventricular arrhythmias has been reported during therapy with class I antiarrhythmic agents. 1 N-acetyl procainamide (NAPA), the first metabolite of procainamide, has been implicated as a cause of polymorphic nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 1 patient. 2 Sudden death has occurred during NAPA therapy, but recurrent ventricular fibrillation (VF) resulting from NAPA treatment alone has not been documented previously. 3,4 The following case demonstrates this phenomenon.
Serum prostaglandin A1 isomerase

Abstract Antibodies directed toward PGB 1 , which differentiate PGA 1 from PGB 1 , were used to detect isomerase activities in the sera of various mammalian species. Incubation of rat, cat, and rabbit sera at 70° for 20 min and incubation of rat and rabbit sera at pH 2.0 for 15 hr at 40 did not affect isomerase activity. The isomerase activity of rat and rabbit sera is lost after pepsin digestion and is decreased after treatment with N-ethylmaleimide or Ellman's reagent. The isomerase activity of rat serum increases from pH 4.5 to pH 9.5.
A status report on the Sandia Laboratories solar total energy program

Abstract A feasibility study of a combination of solar energy collection and total or cascaded energy systems has been underway at Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, since the summer of 1972. Results of the systems analysis effort have been previously reported[1, 2]. Systems analyses and hardware design have continued. This paper summarizes results of the program through June 1975 by providing systems analysis, design, and test data.
EPR evidence for 17O− on molybdenum oxide supported by silica-gel

The EPR spectrum of 17O− on partially reduced molybdenum oxide supported on silica-gel has been observed following adsorption of N2O at room temperature. The spectrum is chracterized by g⊥=2.019 and g|=2.002 with a|17O−=96±1 G and a|95MO,97MO=7.5±0.5 G. The O −ion appears to undergo exchange with oxide ions at the surface.
Estuarine Classification and Responses to Disturbances

Abstract There are many similarities among estuaries of a given type, whether the estuary is located on the east, west or Gulf coast of the United States. Based upon these similarities, the estuarine systems of the United States have been classified into types. The general types, based on broad similarities, include five main categories: 1) naturally stressed systems of wide latitudinal range; 2) natural tropical systems of high diversity; 3) natural temperate systems with strong seasonal programming; 4) natural arctic systems with ice stress; and 5) emerging new systems associated with man. The response to disturbances is related to the system type. Those systems already subjected to energy-requiring stresses are more likely to resist changes than those (such as tropical systems) adapted to relatively constant environments. There is differential response to various disturbances, which is related to the dominant structure of the system. For example, a system supported by a grass bottom will be more affect...
Navigating Two Cultures: An Investigation of Cultures of a Responsibility-Based Physical Activity Program and School

We investigated the culture of a responsibility-based physical activity program called Project Effort as well as the school culture of its participants. Five children who had at least one full semester of participation in the program participated in the study. We collected data from participants' individual interviews and observations of their involvement at school and in Project Effort. Findings revealed a distinct incongruence between the participants' perceptions of the atmosphere of the after-school program and school. Although explicitly similar values were emphasized between Project Effort and school, participants suggested these values were distorted between the two settings. For example, the empowerment values in Project Effort (e.g., respect, responsibility) were perceived as a discipline approach in the school setting. Participants' perceptions of cultural differences functioned as a barrier to the transfer of program values to the school context.
Mucosal peptidergic innervation of the opossum esophagus and anal canal: a comparison with snout skin.

Abstract Nerves within and under the esophageal epithelium of the opossum esophagus were investigated morphologically with osmication and immunohistochemically for ten neuropeptides. The structurally similar but functionally diverse epithelia of the anal canal and snout skin, on which no immunohistochemical information exists, were similarly investigated for comparison. Total innervation was estimated from osmication, which revealed intraepithelial nerves in all three tissues in the following order of density: snout skin > anal canal > esophagus. Calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P occurred in all three organs. The snout skin had intraepithelial galanin nerves but not vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, while conversely the esophagus and anal canal had vasoactive intestinal polypeptide but not galanin. All peptides found intraepithelially also occurred subepithelially. Calcitonin gene-related peptide, galanin, neuropeptide Y, substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide subepithelial nerves occurred in all the tissues, while gastrin releasing peptide nerves occurred infrequently in the subepithelial regions of the esophagus and anal canal, but not the snout skin. As these epithelia neither secrete nor absorb, their nerves are presumably sensory. The peptides investigated could not account for all intraepithelial nerves demonstrated by osmium. Differences in the innervation of these epithelia may result from their differing sensory requirements.
Myasthenia gravis: New therapeutic approaches based on pathophysiology

Over the past 40 years Dr. Robert Lisak has made important contributions to our understanding of the pathophysiology and therapy of myasthenia gravis. This review will touch upon some of his work as it discusses current therapies and the potential for new treatments based on the evolving knowledge of the underlying basis of the disease. The recognition of different immune mechanisms that can cause the phenotype that we acknowledge as myasthenia gravis coincides with the introduction of monoclonal antibodies and other new therapies that can target specific aspects of the disease. This has raised our hopes for treatments that will have less side effects and be more effective. In some cases these hopes have been realized. In other instances, the situation remains a "work in progress". Dr. Lisak's work and teachings remain cogent to our modern approach to this classic immunologic disease.
Core-like solutions for games with probabilistic choice of strategies☆

Abstract The α-core, the β-core, and the strong equilibria of various games are studied, and their relationships are established under the assumption that the given pure-strategy spaces are convex and compact, and the given von Neumann-Morgenstern utility functions are concave and continuous. Sufficient condition for nonemptiness of the β-core of a gamewith correlated strategies are derived as a corollary. By this corollary a version of the Aumann Proposition (that the β-core of a one-shot game with correlated strategies is precisely rhe set of strong equilibrium utility allocations of the associated repeated game), as presented by the present author elsewhere, is made non-vacuous.
Plasma levels following single and repeated doses of erythromycin estolate and erythromycin stearate.

The pharmacokinetics of erythromycin and erythromycin 2′-propanoate were studied in healthy male volunteers following single and repeated doses of erythromycin stearate tablets, erythromycin estolate capsules, and a suspension. Estolate dosages gave rise to higher plasma levels of total drug than the stearate. However, the stearate yielded higher plasma levels of erythromycin base. Absorption of all dosage forms, except the suspension, was delayed, and pharmacokinetic interpretation of both single- and multiple-dose data required incorporation of an absorption lag time. The absorption of erythromycin stearate was inhibited by food and also by low fluid volumes in fasted subjects. Absorption of erythromycin estolate was increased in the presence of fixid and was not greatly affected by fluid volume. Although single-dose data poorly predicted circulating levels of erythromycin following repeated doses, trends observed after single doses were maintained during chronic treatment.
Plant Functional Traits Predict Green Roof Ecosystem Services

Plants make important contributions to the services provided by engineered ecosystems such as green roofs. Ecologists use plant species traits as generic predictors of geographical distribution, interactions with other species, and ecosystem functioning, but this approach has been little used to optimize engineered ecosystems. Four plant species traits (height, individual leaf area, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content) were evaluated as predictors of ecosystem properties and services in a modular green roof system planted with 21 species. Six indicators of ecosystem services, incorporating thermal, hydrological, water quality, and carbon sequestration functions, were predicted by the four plant traits directly or indirectly via their effects on aggregate ecosystem properties, including canopy density and albedo. Species average height and specific leaf area were the most useful traits, predicting several services via effects on canopy density or growth rate. This study demonstrates that easily measured plant traits can be used to select species to optimize green roof performance across multiple key services.
Effects of proximate cholesterol precursors and steroid hormones on mouse myeloma growth in serum-free medium

The proximate cholesterol precursors lathosterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol and desmosterol supported the growth of NS-1 and X63 mouse myeloma cells. These cells and X63.653 cells are cholesterol auxotrophs, yet each was able to convert [3H]lathosterol to [3H]cholesterol. These results are consistent with the conclusion that cholesterol auxotrophy in these myeloma cells is due to a deficiency in 3-ketosteroid reductase activity. The steroid hormones testosterone, progesserone and hydrocortisone could not replace cholesterol as a medium supplement. These results provide a greater understanding of the cholesterol auxotrophy characteristic of cell lines clonally-derived from the MOPC 21 myeloma tumor, and they provide a rational basis for the use of sterols in defined culture medium for mouse myeloma cells.