cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytochalasin A inhibits spore germination and hyphal tip growth inGilbertella persicaria

Abstract Incorporation of micromolar amounts of cytochalasin A (CA) into the culture medium of germinating sporangio-spores of Gilbertella persicaria inhibits their ability to produce a germ tube (Germination Stage II). Spherical growth (Stage I) continues for as long as fresh CA is supplied and results in the production of very large spherical structures (giant cells). Introduction of CA after germination is initiated causes the germlings to revert to the spherical mode of grwoth and to produce bulbous hyphal apices. The growth rate based on dry weight increase is reduced in the presence of CA. Ultrastructural examination of treated germlings reveals irregular deposition of material in the wall region. Although the specific subcellular mechanism of CA inhibition in G. persicaria remains unclear, our work suggests that its primary effect is not related to inhibition of glucose uptake, that it is not acting as a general sulfhydryl reagent, and that the α,β-unsaturated keto moiety is essential for inhibition. The cytochalasins inhibit spore germination in the following order of effectiveness: CA > CE > CD > CB.
The effects of afferent stimulation on congenital nystagmus foveation periods

Visual acuity in congenital nystagmus (CN) patients is related primarily to the duration of "foveation periods", during which the image of the target is relatively stationary in the foveal area. Thirteen individuals with CN were studied to test the hypothesis that somatosensory stimulation (vibration or electrical) of either the forehead or the neck damps CN and improves visual acuity. We identified characteristics of the nystagmus waveform that were likely to be important in determining visual acuity and combined these measures into an "acuity function" (NAFP) that correlated well with visual acuity (r2 = 0.91). Statistically significant changes in NAFP were used to assess the effects of afferent stimulation; positive effects were found in nine subjects. Vibratory stimulation (especially on the neck) was found to be more effective than electrical stimulation. CN amplitude reduction alone was neither necessary nor sufficient to improve acuity. Foveation duration was the single most important factor determining acuity. Based on our findings, afferent stimulation should be considered as an alternative or additional treatment to improve visual acuity in CN patients.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE REFERENCE GEOMETRY ON THE RESPONSE OF ELASTIC SHELLS

Within the scope of the nonlinear theory of an elastic Cosserat surface, this paper is mainly concerned with the influence of the reference geometry and the related aspects of material symmetry restriction on the response of thermoelastic shells. The significance of the effect of the reference geometry is discussed in the case of isotropic shells, which may be of variable thickness in a reference state.
Innovative methods for making behavioral science relevant to medical education.

Thousands of psychologists teach in U.S. medical schools, and these psychologists are responsible for ensuring that the medical students they train are aware of the ways in which research findings from the behavioral and social sciences can enhance the practice of medicine. In addition, it is imperative that physicians appreciate the limits of their own ability to treat psychological and psychiatric problems and know when to refer to mental health professionals. This brief article is based on a talk given by the author at the 2007 American Psychological Association (APA) convention after receiving the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Ivan Mensh Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teaching. The paper draws on the personal experiences of the author after three decades spent teaching behavioral science to medical students, and it introduces readers to the reasoning behind many of the decisions made in planning and developing each of the author’s four editions of the medical school text Behavior and Medicine.
The behavioural consequences of institutional rules: republicans in the US house

The Republicans gained a majority in the US House from the 1994 elections, and upon taking office they rewrote the rules that determine legislative power relations. This paper combines a 1996 attitudinal survey of US Representatives with demographic information, status within the House, and party position to examine the impact of the 1995 rule changes on satisfaction, ambition, and retirement. This paper demonstrates that member reactions to reform are explained jointly by their partisanship and their relative position within their party. Senior members of any party dislike rules making power more exclusive, and dissatisfaction increases the likelihood of retirement.
The effect of swainsonine on the phagocytosis of rod outer segments by rat RPE

From studies using inhibitors such as tunicamycin and castanospermine, it has been suggested that plasma membrane glycoproteins may function as receptors in the phagocytosis of rod outer segments (ROS) by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The exact structure of the oligosaccharide side chain of the glycoprotein may not be critical for this process. We have employed another inhibitor, swainsonine, which inhibits mannosidase II, a terminal enzyme in the protein glycosylation pathway, which results in membrane glycoproteins having hybrid-type oligosaccharide chains and fewer complex oligosaccharide chains. We have examined the ability of cultured rat RPE explants to phagocytize fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled ROS or latex beads in the presence and absence of swainsonine. A significant (p less than 0.05) reduction in the phagocytosis of FITC-ROS was found between the swainsonine treated (37.7 +/- 4.1%) and untreated (85.4 +/- 2.7%) RPE explants. The nonspecific uptake of latex beads in both swainsonine treated (85.3 +/- 2.4%) and untreated (89.3 +/- 2.0%) RPE explants indicate that the RPE cells retained their ability to phagocytize. Major differences in spectrophotometric analysis of WGA-stained blots were an absence of a peak at 201 kD, a doublet at 86 kD and an overall reduction in all peak absorbances in the swainsonine treatments as compared to the untreated controls. These results suggest that the alterations in RPE glycoprotein formation due to swainsonine alter the ability of RPE to phagocytize ROS.
Women & technology: how Wellesley College recruits, trains and retains student staff

Many campuses have reported having a difficult time filling all of their vacant IS student positions each semester. Students have become a vital component of all IS departments on campuses and are necessary for the delivery of services to the full community. Recruiting qualified and competent students is a challenge higher education must address every couple of months as semesters change.While attending regional and national meetings, this author frequently asks attendees discussing the problem of student hiring, "How many of your students are women?" The response to this question prompted the writing of this paper. One manager reported that all of his employees were male, another said that though he has a few women, the male students treated them with little respect and assumed the "girls" could not deal with the mysteries of technology.Wellesley College employees over 160 female students and considers them essential to the daily operation of the Information Services Department. They can not only be found in all of the public labs, dorms and at the Help Desk, but also in repair and installation of equipment. They are incredibly bright and capable but more importantly we have found that they thrive on the challenge of troubleshooting problems while interacting and communicating with distraught staff and students. The key to attracting large numbers of applicants turned out to be training.
Marx, Religião e Política: O Protestantismo Conservador Norte-Americano como Ópio do Povo

Political scientists and sociologists alike have been intrigued by the phenomenon of low voter turnout in US elections during the second half of the 20th century. This paper explores the connection between religious affiliation and rising political alienation in America during this period. Recent studies on religion and politics in Latin American countries have identified lower-class religion, or the so-called church of the poor, as a catalyst that mobilizes the poor to engage in political action aimed at reforming or overthrowing political regimes. Using a Marxian framework and working with statistical analyses, this study shows that lower-class religion in America has the opposite effect. When all significant secular determinants of political alienation are controlled for, affiliation with conservative Protestant churches is shown to be significantly and positively related to nonvoting.
Cardiovascular disease and modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and many parts of the world. Potentially modifiable risk factors for CVD include tobacco use, physical inactivity, hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and a cluster of interrelated metabolic risk factors. Over the last several decades, efforts to prevent or treat CVD risk factors have resulted in significantly lower rates of CVD-related mortality. However, many patients never achieve adequate control of CVD risk factors even when these factors have been identified. In addition, the growing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) threatens to undermine the improvements in CVD that have been achieved. In the United States, approximately two thirds of adults are overweight or obese, and even modest excess body weight is associated with a significantly increased risk of CVD-related mortality. Lifestyle interventions to promote weight loss reduce the risk of CVD-related illness but are difficult for patients to sustain over long periods of time. The increased incidence of obesity has also contributed to significant increases in the prevalence of other important CVD risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 DM. Pharmacologic therapies are currently available to address individual CVD risk factors, and others are being evaluated, including endocannabinoid receptor antagonists, inhibitors of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor subtypes alpha and gamma, and several agents that modulate the activity of glucagon-like peptide-1. The new agents have the potential to significantly improve several CVD risk factors with a single medication and may provide clinicians with several new strategies to reduce the long-term risk of CVD.
Advantages and disadvantages of cross-hospital consultation-liaison services

The advantages and disadvantages of a cross-hospital consultation-liaison service are discussed. Factors in support of such a service tend to be primarily administrative and economic. The disadvantages tend to be psychosocial and affect how clinicians perceive themselves and the quality of their work within the social system.
Constructing Citizenship Exclusion, Subordination, and Resistance

This Presidential Address develops a sociological concept of citizenship, particularly substantive citizenship, as fundamentally a matter of belonging, including recognition by other members of the...
Furan approach to the synthesis of the A-ring of vitamin D analogues

The efficient transformation of 2,3-disubstituted furan (3) into (Z)-dienol (2) illustrates a useful strategy for the synthesis of the A-ring of Vitamin D analogues.
Covalently Attached, Silver-Doped Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogel Films on Poly(L-lactic acid)

Covalently attached, soft poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel films containing silver particles were prepared on solid biodegradable poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) samples by a multistep procedure involving oxygen plasma treatment, UV-initiated graft polymerization, and chemical grafting methods. The modification steps were followed and verified using attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was graft polymerized from the surface of oxygen plasma-treated PLLA film samples and the alcohol functionality in the grafted polyHEMA chains was oxidized using pyridinium dichromate to obtain an aldehyde-rich surface. PVA was then grafted onto this surface using acid catalysis (acetal formation). The “freeze/thaw method” was used to form a PVA hydrogel layer that incorporated the covalently grafted PVA chains in the physically cross-linked gel. This composite film (PLLA-PVAgel) was doped with silver ions, which were reduced to silver using ...
Initial-value methods for the basic boundary-value problem and integral equation of radiative transfer

Abstract We consider the problem of radiative transfer in a plane-parallel atmosphere which absorbs radiation and scatters it isotropically, there being a continuous distribution of primary internal sources of radiation. Our aim is to produce an effective numerical technique for calculating the internal intensity and the source functions. A major consideration is the computer's ability to solve initial-value problems for large systems of ordinary differential equations. We derive new differential-integral equations for the internal intensity at a fixed point and direction, and the source function at a fixed point, the new independent variable being the thickness of the atmosphere. Using standard quadrature techniques, we approximate these equations by systems of ordinary differential equations whose numerical treatment is straightforward. This work may be viewed as a new approach to the study of integral equations and linear unstable two-point boundary-value problems.
The Supreme Court and the Supreme People

"No matter whether the Constitution follows the flag or not, the Supreme Court follows the election returns." So concluded the immortal Dooley after some observations about the Insular Cases in the course of which he also said of the Constitution that it wasn't likely to chase the flag anywhere, being more in the nature of a home-staying Constitution with a blue coat, with brass buttons on it, carrying a gold-headed cane, and not given to compulsive dromomania. The American Political Science Association at its 1953 meeting in Washington posed Dooley's dictum to some who still concern themselves with the Supreme Court and its works; at the meeting, as is the fashion among panelists, some said "yes" and some said "no" to Dooley's proposition. This paper grew out of that panel discussion and is an effort to sketch an interpretation of the Court in its past prime and present predicament. It is addressed not to the validity of the dictum Dooley stated but to the question Dooley really raised. The question Mr. Dooley really raised is whether there are any observations that can be documented as to the behavior of the Supreme Court a non-democratic institution towards the popular institutions whose actions it reviews and judges, with special reference to the occasions when important new doctrine appears. The period within which this problem will be considered will be the last century or so, that is, the period from the 1840's to the present day. This comprises roughly two-thirds of the Court's history; the first third is omitted for reasons of space. Necessarily, the treatment is broad and not circumstantial, and is concerned more with contour than with detail. It bears repeating that these pages trace a pattern only and that a pattern necessarily leaves out more than it includes. The conclusion that seems best to fit the writer's understanding of the Court and its works is twofold. First, the Court has responded more certainly to the needs of the propertied for protection than to the needs of the propertyless for relief, and has readily made new doctrine to fulfill this end. Its chief problem in the period just before the Civil War, for example, was the succor of the slave-holding community, and after that war, the guarantee of the security of busi[207]
Mountain Fish, Occitan Borders, and Literary Representations

The field of minority studies in Italy has focused mainly on Southern and North Eastern groups. This essay deals with a rarely studies community that is Italian Occitans and highlights the multiplicity of unexpected influences on their culture(s).
Identification and cloning of TWIK-originated similarity sequence (TOSS): a novel human 2-pore K+ channel principal subunit.

We have identified and cloned a new member of the mammalian tandem pore domain K+ channel subunit family, TWIK-originated similarity sequence, from a human testis cDNA library. The 939 bp open reading frame encodes a 313 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated Mr of 33.7 kDa. Despite the same predicted topology, there is a relatively low sequence homology between TWIK-originated similarity sequence and other members of the mammalian tandem pore domain K+ channel subunit family group. TWIK-originated similarity sequence shares a low (<30%) identity with the other mammalian tandem pore domain K+ channel subunit family group members and the highest identity (34%) with TWIK-1 at the amino acid level. Similar low levels of sequence homology exist between all members of the mammalian tandem pore domain K+ channel subunit family. Potential glycosylation and consensus PKC sites are present. Northern analysis revealed species and tissue-specific expression patterns. Expression of TWIK-originated similarity sequence is restricted to human pancreas, placenta and heart, while in the mouse, TWIK-originated similarity sequence is expressed in the liver. No functional currents were observed in Xenopus laevis oocytes or HEK293T cells, suggesting that TWIK-originated similarity sequence may be targeted to locations other than the plasma membrane or that TWIK-originated similarity sequence may represent a novel regulatory mammalian tandem pore domain K+ channel subunit family subunit.
Self-regulated cooling flows in elliptical galaxies and in cluster cores - Is exclusively low mass star formation really necessary?

A self-consistent treatment of the heating by supernovae associated with star formation in a spherically symmetric cooling flow in a cluster core or elliptical galaxy is presented. An initial stellar mass function similar to that in the solar neighborhood is adopted. Inferred star-formation rates, within the cooling region - typically the inner 100 kpc around dominant galaxies at the centers of cooling flows in XD clusters - are reduced by about a factor of 2, relative to rates inferred when the heat input from star formation is ignored. Truncated initial mass functions (IMFs) are also considered, in which massive star formation is suppressed in accordance with previous treatments, and colors are predicted for star formation in cooling flows associated with central dominant elliptical galaxies and with isolated elliptical galaxies surrounded by gaseous coronae. The low inferred cooling-flow rates around isolated elliptical galaxies are found to be insensitive to the upper mass cutoff in the IMF, provided that the upper mass cutoff exceeds 2 M solar mass. Comparison with observed colors favors a cutoff in the IMF above 1 M solar mass in at least two well-studied cluster cooling flows, but a normal IMF cannot be excluded definitively. Models for NGC 1275 support a young (less than about 3 Gyr) cooling flow. As for the isolated elliptical galaxies, the spread in colors is consistent with a normal IMF. A definitive test of the IMF arising via star formation in cooling flows requires either UV spectral data or supernova searches in the cooling-flow-centered galaxies.
Assessment of Attitudes toward Death and Dying: A Critical Review of Some Available Methods

A wide variety of methods have been employed in attempting to measure attitudes toward death. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical overview of the methods currently available to the researcher. Sample items and normative data, as well as considerations for measurement selection, are presented.
Narrative and the exploration of culture in teachers’ discussions of literacy, identity, self, and other

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the role of teacher narratives in relation to culture, literacy, self, and other within a masters literacy course in a US context. Within the course, teachers read and responded to autobiographical fiction and nonfiction in book club discussions and by sharing spoken and written personal narratives. Whereas many previous studies of teacher narrative have focused primarily on the content of teacher narrative, this study sought to consider the forms, functions, content, and contexts surrounding the sharing of personal narratives. Two cases, explored through sociolinguistic analysis, are presented to demonstrate how course participants constructed narratives and how these narratives functioned within the course and in relation to participant learning.
Lessons learned from multicenter randomized clinical trials with intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke

The idea of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke dates back to the 1950s. Many different drugs, dosages, routes of administration, and times to treatment have been investigated through the 1980s. This experience led to the recent large randomized trials of intravenous thrombolysis completed in the 1990s, the decade of the brain. Three of the trials used streptokinase, and four trials used recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). In this review, we examine these seven randomized intravenous acute ischemic stroke treatment trials, summarize their results, and draw lessons that might be useful for patient care and in future trials.
The First Three Levels of an Order Preserving Hamiltonian Path in the Subset Lattice

Consider the lattice whose elements are the subsets of the set of positive integers not greater than n ordered by inclusion. The Hasse diagram of this lattice is isomorphic to the n-dimensional hypercube. It is trivial that this graph is Hamiltonian. Let \(\{S_1,\ldots,S_{2^n}\}\) be a Hamiltonian path. We say it is monotone, if for every i, either (a) all subsets of Si appear among S1,...,Si − 1, or (b) only one (say S) does not, furthermore Si + 1 = S. Trotter conjectured that if n is sufficiently large, then there are no monotone Hamiltonian paths in the n-cube. He also made a stronger conjecture that states that there is no path with the monotone property that covers all the sets of size at most three. In this paper we disprove this strong conjecture by explicitly constructing a monotone path covering all the 3-sets.
Effect of Dietary Zearalenone on Reproduction of Chickens

Variable quantities of zearalenone (0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg diet) were incorporated into a practical laying hen diet and fed to 30-week-old White Leghorn females in egg production. During the 3 week pretest and 8 week experimental periods hens were inseminated weekly with .05 ml of pooled semen from males fed normal diets. Zearalenone was without effect on egg production, egg size, feed consumption, change in body weight, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, growth of progeny to 3 weeks of age, comb, weight, oviduct weight, heart weight, liver weight, spleen weight, egg shell thickness, Haugh units, blood hematology, serum calcium, serum inorganic phosphorus, and serum alkaline phosphatase. Zearalenone above 50 mg/kg of diet caused reduced serum cholesterol. In a reciprocal study, adult male New Hampshire chickens were fed diets containing 0, 100, or 800 mg/kg zearalenone for an 8 week period. Semen was collected and inseminated into White Leghorn females fed normal diets. Zearalenone was without effect on fertility or hatch of fertile eggs resulting from matings of these males. Zearalenone resulted in reduced serum inorganic phosphorus, serum cholesterol, and serum alkaline phosphatase in males. Histological examination of a number of tissues in both males and females revealed no changes due to zearalenone feeding. It is concluded that zearalenone up to 800 mg/kg of diet is without effect on reproductive performance of mature chickens.
Integration of Modern Software Tools for Production Design

Engineers, irrespective of their disciplines, need effective tools to comprehensively design, model, synthesize and analyze the design a product. This is often closely followed by the need to fabricate a working prototype. Engineers need useful methodologies and tools that can be used in preparation for manufacturing. These tools need to effectively analyze assembly & disassembly since a good assembly design makes a product les expensive to service, repair and maintain. A suite of well-integrated tools assists designers to create, simulate and test in a comprehensive manner. Modern software tools can be used at each stage to create conceptual designs, simulate part geometries, analyze key parameters, and generate motion paths for efficient manufacturing. This paper presents a set of comprehensive procedures and tools that can easily be incorporated into product design and manufacturing from early design through analysis. They consider assembly and disassembly factors up to and including the creation of a working prototype. Due to environmental regulations, designers must think about the product life cycle, recycling and reuse aspects from the very beginning. There is a continuing need for more efficient and rapid design processes which can best be driven by better tools and techniques.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Internal variables and their sensitivities in three- dimensional linear elasticity by the boundary contour method

A variant of the usual boundary element method (BEM), called the boundary contour method (BCM), has been presented in the literature in recent years. In the BCM in three-dimensions, surface integrals on boundary elements of the usual BEM are transformed, through an application of Stokes' theorem, into line integrals on the bounding contours of these elements. A new formulation for design sensitivities in three-dimensional linear elasticity, based on the BCM, has been recently presented in Ref. [12]. This challenging derivation is carried out by first taking the material derivative of the regularized boundary integral equation (BIE) with respect to a shape design variable, and then converting the resulting equation into its boundary contour version. The focus of [12] is the boundary problem, i.e., evaluation of displacements, stresses and their sensitivities on the bounding surface of a body. The focus of the present paper is the corresponding internal problem, i.e., analogous calculations at points inside a body. Numerical results for internal variables and their sensitivities are presented here for selected examples.
Management of imatinib-resistant patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Since its approval in 2001 for frontline management of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), imatinib has proven to be very effective in achieving high remission rates and improving prognosis. However, up to 33% of patients will not achieve optimal response. This has led researchers to develop new second- and third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this article, we review the mechanisms of resistance, recommendations for monitoring, assessment of milestones, and management options for patients with CML who are resistant to imatinib therapy. We further explain the potential pitfalls that can lead to unnecessary discontinuation, the prognosis of patients whose condition fails to respond to treatment, and the upcoming therapies.
Multidimensional LC-LC and LC-CE for high-resolution separations of biological molecules

In multidimensional separations, two or more independent separation methods are coupled in an effort to resolve complex mixtures. The displacement mechanisms of each method should be orthogonal, such that little correlation exists between the retention of compounds in each dimension. When multiple orthogonal separation methods are coupled such that all sample components are subjected to complete analysis on all dimensions, the method is considered “comprehensive”. The primary advantage of comprehensive multidimensional separations over their one-dimensional counterparts is the potential for dramatically enhanced resolution. High resolving power can be achieved because the peak capacity of a comprehensive multidimensional separation is roughly equal to the product of the individual peak capacities of each dimension. In this review, the theory and instrumentation of two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC-LC) and liquid chromatography-capillary electrophoresis (LC-CE) separations are discussed. Some applications of these techniques to the separation of biological molecules are highlighted. Future directions for the development of multidimensional separations are also considered.
Can a preoperative CA 125 level be a criterion for full pelvic lymphadenectomy in surgical staging of endometrial cancer

Abstract Objective. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a preoperative serum level of CA 125 in patients with endometrial cancer can provide additional information in determining the extent of lymphadenectomy required in the surgical staging and which cutoff value is optimal in this respect. Methods. CA 125 was measured in 124 patients diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma who underwent surgery at our institution between January 1995 and May 2000. Statistic analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test to evaluate the association of preoperative CA 125 levels with various factors. The χ 2 /Fisher's exact test and a logistic regression model were employed to examine the effects of clinicopathological factors on serum CA 125 levels. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine which cutoff value of the preoperative CA 125 was the optimal one. Results. Univariate analyses showed that elevated CA 125 levels were significantly correlated with an advanced stage, larger tumor size, increasing depth of the myometrial invasion, cervical invasion, positive cytology, and lymph node metastases ( P Conclusion. Our data provide evidence indicating that a preoperative CA 125 level greater than 40 U/ml can be considered a criterion for full pelvic lymphadenectomy in the surgical staging of endometrial cancer.
Maskelyne’s 1774 Schiehallion experiment revisited

Synopsis Nevil Maskelyne’s 1774 experiment on the Scottish mountain Schiehallion set out to derive the mean density of the Earth, from astronomical observations of the deflection of the vertical and calculation of the mountain’s relative gravitational attraction. Using Maskelyne’s results and lithological survey results, John Playfair estimated mean Earth specific gravity to be 4.56–4.87, while Charles Hutton argued in 1821 that the Earth was ‘very near five times the density of water; but not higher’. Hutton challenged future workers to identify any areas in which his analysis could be improved. The geometry of the 1774 experiment has therefore been recomputed within a digital elevation model extending 120 km from the mountain. Three contributions to the deflection of the vertical have been included: topography, and local and regional subsurface density variations. Local subsurface densities have been modelled using geological maps, cross-sections and laboratory measurements. Regional subsurface effects have been included from analysis of the Bouguer gravity anomaly. The outcome of the new modelling is to credit Maskelyne for his accurate astronomical observations, as together with the new density structure model, they yield a mean Earth density of 5480 ± 250 kgm −3 , in agreement with the modern value of 5515 kg m −3 .
Imaging brain function in humans at 7 Tesla

This article describes experimental studies performed to demonstrate the feasibility of BOLD fMRI using echo-planar imaging (EPI) at 7 T and to characterize the BOLD response in humans at this ultrahigh magnetic field. Visual stimulation studies were performed in normal subjects using high-resolution multishot EPI sequences. Changes in R(*)(2) arising from visual stimulation were experimentally determined using fMRI measurements obtained at multiple echo times. The results obtained at 7 T were compared to those at 4 T. Experimental data indicate that fMRI can be reliably performed at 7 T and that at this field strength both the sensitivity and spatial specificity of the BOLD response are increased. This study suggests that ultrahigh field MR systems are advantageous for functional mapping in humans. Magn Reson Med 45:588-594, 2001.
Electrostatically Driven Touch-Mode Poly-SiC Microspeaker

This paper presents an electrostatically driven microspeaker utilizing a SiC membrane operating in the touch-mode configuration. The device is formed using conventional wafer bonding to hermetically seal a low-stress, heavily-doped polycrystalline 3C-SiC (poly-SiC) membrane to a bulk micromachined silicon back-plate containing a thin oxide insulating layer. The bonding process is done in high vacuum, causing the poly-SiC membrane to flex down into contact with the back-plate when exposed to atmospheric pressure. Sound Pressure Level (SPL) measurements were recorded for a device with a poly-SiC membrane thickness of 1 mum, a diameter of 800 mum, and a diaphragm/back-plate spacing of 8 mum. At a distance of 10 mm, a maximum SPL of 73 dB was found at a frequency of 16.59 kHz.
Introduction to fast Illinois solver code (FISC)

Because the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) expedites matrix-vector multiplication, it can be used to speed up iterative solutions of scattering problems. We have combined MLFMA with the conjugate gradient and the biconjugate gradient methods to arrive at efficient solvers for matrix equations arising from the integral equation of scattering. The computational and memory-requirement complexities are both O(NlogN) for surface scatterers. The total CPU time is hence proportional to N/sub iter/NlogN. Compared to traditional matrix solvers requiring O(N/sup 2/) memory, and N/sub iter/N/sup 2/ CPU time for iterative solvers, and O(N/sup 3/) CPU time for LUD, this is a vast improvement, especially for large problems. Therefore, large problems that previously require the resources of a supercomputer to solve, can now be solved on a workstation-size computer.
Full-wave analysis of coplanar strips considering the finite strip metallization thickness

An extensive analysis, based on a full-wave mode-matching technique, is described for coplanar strips (CPS) incorporating the strips' finite metallization thickness. Results for the effective dielectric constant and characteristic impedance are presented to show the effect of the metallization thickness. It is found that the characteristic impedance has a strong dependence on the metallization thickness, which signifies the fact that the finite metallization thickness needs to be considered in designing practical microwave circuits employing CPS. Numerical results of CPS with zero metallization thickness obtained using this method are found to be in good agreement with those published previously. Extensive investigation of the numerical convergence of these results is also described. >
Atomic Multipole Expansions of Molecular Charge Densities. Electrostatic Potentials

The molecular electrostatic potential has been shown to be a very useful tool for understanding the reactivities of molecules with ions or polar molecules1 and the structure and energetics of intermolecular complexes, including hydrogen bonded complexes.2 The electrostatic potential can be obtained as the by-product of a molecular orbital calculation in the form of a large table of numbers.3 A considerable computational advantage would be obtained if this information could be compressed into analytical form, and a large amount of effort has gone into the search for appropriate representations. For instance, Bonaccorsi, Scrocco and Tomasi4 have shown how one can resolve molecular electrostatic potentials into sums of contributions from fragments within the molecule; the fragment contributions are approximately transferable, allowing one to construct the potential for a large molecule without first performing a molecular orbital calculation on that molecule. Kollman5 has also addressed the problem of obtaining the potential without a wave function and has produced a family of point-charge models for which the necessary inputs are experimental bond lengths, bond angles, and dipole moments, atomic electronegativities, and van der Waals radii. These point-charge distributions produce electrostatic potentials at suitable reference points which are in reasonable accord with the potentials obtained from wave functions.
Pharmacologic Considerations for Therapeutic Success with Antiretroviral Agents

OBJECTIVE:To explore pharmacologic elements that contribute to therapeutic success with agents used for the treatment of HIV infection.DATA SOURCES:Primary articles were identified through MEDLINE (January 1990–January 1999) and secondary sources. Conference abstracts were selected by review of published proceedings.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:The author evaluated all articles, and relevant information was selected for incorporation into this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Heterogeneity in the response to antiretroviral therapy has been attributed to virologic, immunologic, behavioral, and pharmacologic differences among patients. Patients receiving the same dose of an antiretroviral agent will not have the same systemic or intracellular concentration because of interpatient variability in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacologic theory and available clinical data support relationships between drug concentration and anti-HIV effect. Thus, variability in drug concentrations co...
Enriching targeted sequencing experiments for rare disease alleles

Motivation: Next-generation targeted resequencing of genome-wide association study (GWAS)-associated genomic regions is a common approach for follow-up of indirect association of common alleles. However, it is prohibitively expensive to sequence all the samples from a well-powered GWAS study with sufficient depth of coverage to accurately call rare genotypes. As a result, many studies may use next-generation sequencing for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in a smaller number of samples, with the intent to genotype candidate SNPs with rare alleles captured by resequencing. This approach is reasonable, but may be inefficient for rare alleles if samples are not carefully selected for the resequencing experiment. Results: We have developed a probability-based approach, SampleSeq, to select samples for a targeted resequencing experiment that increases the yield of rare disease alleles substantially over random sampling of cases or controls or sampling based on genotypes at associated SNPs from GWAS data. This technique allows for smaller sample sizes for resequencing experiments, or allows the capture of rarer risk alleles. When following up multiple regions, SampleSeq selects subjects with an even representation of all the regions. SampleSeq also can be used to calculate the sample size needed for the resequencing to increase the chance of successful capture of rare alleles of desired frequencies. Software: http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/SampleSeq Contact: chun.li@vanderbilt.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Partially ionized beam deposition of oriented films

The microstructure of Al films deposited on SiO2 using the partially ionized beam (PIB) deposition technique is studied. It is shown that by employing less than 1% ions (ion-to-atom ratio) derived from the evaporated material and about 1–2 kV bias voltage at the substrate during deposition, one can grow highly (111) oriented Al films at room temperature. For a fixed bias potential, the value of the ion-to-atom ratio to achieve the optimum orientation effect is determined. At the optimum condition for the (111) preferred orientation growth, no significant enhancement in the grain size is observed. It is also found that a drastic reduction in the degree of the preferred orientation occurs when the films are deposited at a substrate temperature greater than 150 °C.
The multistore parser for hierarchical syntactic structures

A syntactic parser is described for hierarchical concatenation patterns that are presented to the analyzer in the form of linear strings. Particular emphasis is given to the system of “significant addresses” by means of which processing times for large-scale matching procedures can be substantially reduced. The description makes frequent use of examples taken from the fully operational implementation of the parser in an experimental English sentence analyzer.By structuring an area of the computer's central core storage in such a way that the individual locations of bytes and bits come to represent the data involved in the matching procedure, the shifting of information is reduced to a minimum, and the searching of lists is eliminated altogether. The matches are traced by means of binary masks and the state of single bits determines the operational flow of the procedure. The method could be implemented with any interpretive grammar, provided it can be expressed by the functional classification of the items composing the input hierarchical structures.
Host Feeding Patterns of Culex Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus Transmission, Northeastern United States

To evaluate the role of Culex mosquitoes as enzootic and epidemic vectors for WNV, we identified the source of vertebrate blood by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing portions of the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA. All Cx. restuans and 93% of Cx. pipiens acquired blood from avian hosts; Cx. salinarius fed frequently on both mammals (53%) and birds (36%). Mixed-blood meals were detected in 11% and 4% of Cx. salinarius and Cx. pipiens, respectively. American robin was the most common source of vertebrate blood for Cx. pipiens (38%) and Cx. restuans (37%). American crow represented <1% of the blood meals in Cx. pipiens and none in Cx. restuans. Human-derived blood meals were identified from 2 Cx. salinarius and 1 Cx. pipiens. Results suggest that Cx. salinarius is an important bridge vector to humans, while Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans are more efficient enzootic vectors in the northeastern United States.
Cytomegalovirus-induced collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Collapsing glomerulopathy is an aggressive morphologic variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis which typically presents with nephrotic syndrome and rapidly progressive renal failure. Most cases of collapsing glomerulopathy are associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection. We present a rare case of collapsing glomerulopathy associated with acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in an immunocompetent host with improvement in renal function after the treatment of CMV with ganciclovir. CMV may be an under-recognized cause of collapsing glomerulopathy which may respond to antiviral treatment.
Role of structure and dynamics of DNA with cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts in various sequence contexts on binding of HMGB1a

Anti-cancer drugs, such as cisplatin and oxaliplatin, covalently bind to adjacent guanine bases in DNA to form intra-strand adducts. Differential recognition of drug–DNA adducts by the protein HMGB1a has been related to the differences in efficacy of these drugs in tumours. Additionally, the bases flanking the adduct (the sequence context) also have a marked effect on HMGB1a binding affinity. We perform atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of DNA with cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts in four sequence contexts (AGGC, CGGA, TGGA and TGGT) in the absence and presence of HMGB1a. The structure of HMGB1a-bound drug–DNA molecules is independent of sequence and drug identity, confirming that differential recognition cannot be explained by the protein-bound structure. The differences in the static and conformational dynamics of the drug–DNA structures in the absence of the protein explain some but not all trends in differential binding affinity of HMGB1a. Since the minor groove width and helical bend of all d...
Patterns of Conflict Preceding the 1964 Riots Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant

Data on racial controversies involving New York's black and Puerto Rican population between 1960 and July 1964 were obtained from an analysis of New York Times articles. These data deal with “events” or exchanges between representatives of the city's minority populations and public officials or nonminority actors. An analysis of these exchanges for the four and one-half year period preceding the July riots reveals that violence followed unsuccessful efforts by minority actors to alter the behavior of nonminority and government actors toward them through peaceful and nonviolent strategies. This pattern of conflicts conforms to the general idea that mass violence by aggrieved groups or classes is more likely to occur when: (1) conventional channels for solving problems fail to resolve differences between groups; (2) nonviolent strategies fail to evoke positive responses from the targets of grievances; and/or (3) they have few strategies to choose among in order to make their case before the public. It also ...
Coeliac disease presenting as severe hypoglycaemia in youth with Type 1 diabetes

Background Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder classically characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and poor growth. The disease can be difficult to recognize in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Some clinicians find treatment of the disease in asymptomatic individuals controversial. Case reports Two adolescent female patients with Type 1 diabetes experienced recurrent hypoglycaemic seizures. Neither patient reported gastrointestinal symptoms or poor growth. After diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease, hypoglycaemia resolved. Conclusion These cases illustrate how frequent unexplained severe hypoglycaemia can be an atypical presentation of coeliac disease in youth with Type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, they emphasize the importance of screening and treatment of coeliac disease in asymptomatic patients with Type 1 diabetes. Although controversial, management of coeliac disease in these asymptomatic patients can prevent the vicious cycle of recurrent hypoglycaemia and decrease risk for morbidity and death.
Spiritual Flora of Brazil's African Diaspora: Ethnobotanical Conversations in the Black Atlantic

Candomble was introduced to Brazil by enslaved and free West Africans in the early nineteenth century. One dimension of the religion is a profound association between a pantheon of deities (the orixas) and a pharmacopoeia of magico-medicinal plants. This article explores the means by which the black diaspora was able to organize an African-inspired spiritual ethnom ora in the Americas. I argue that a cornucopia of esculent and medicinal plants had diffused back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean centuries before the arrival of most African slaves. Thus, while the primary rainforests of Africa and the Americas would have had little in common biologically, the increasing presence of exotic edible and medicinal cultivars and weeds contributed over time to their botanical similarity. This transatlantic ethnobotanical conversation greatly facilitated the ability of Brazil’s African diaspora to reconl gure their plant-based spiritual traditions in what was otherwise an alien m oristic landscape.