cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EcDNA hubs drive cooperative intermolecular oncogene expression

ABSTRACT Extrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNAs) are prevalent in human cancers and mediate high oncogene expression through elevated copy number and altered gene regulation1. Gene expression typically involves distal enhancer DNA elements that contact and activate genes on the same chromosome2,3. Here we show that ecDNA hubs, comprised of ~10-100 ecDNAs clustered in the nucleus of interphase cells, drive intermolecular enhancer input for amplified oncogene expression. Single-molecule sequencing, single-cell multiome, and 3D enhancer connectome reveal subspecies of MYC-PVT1 ecDNAs lacking enhancers that access intermolecular and ectopic enhancer-promoter interactions in ecDNA hubs. ecDNA hubs persist without transcription and are tethered by BET protein BRD4. BET inhibitor JQ1 disperses ecDNA hubs, preferentially inhibits ecDNA oncogene transcription, and kills ecDNA+ cancer cells. Two amplified oncogenes MYC and FGFR2 intermix in ecDNA hubs, engage in intermolecular enhancer-promoter interactions, and transcription is uniformly sensitive to JQ1. Thus, ecDNA hubs are nuclear bodies of many ecDNAs tethered by proteins and platforms for cooperative transcription, leveraging the power of oncogene diversification and combinatorial DNA interactions. We suggest ecDNA hubs, rather than individual ecDNAs, as units of oncogene function, cooperative evolution, and new targets for cancer therapy.
$B_c$ meson production at the Tevatron Revisited

CDF recently measured the quantity $\frac{\sigma(B_c^+)}{\sigma(B^+)} \frac{{\rm BR}(B_c^+ \to J/\psi \ell^+ \nu)}{{\rm BR}(B^+ \to J/\psi K^+)}$, {}from which we determine the ratio $\frac{\sigma(B_c^+)}{\sigma(\bar b)}$ to be $(2.08\err{1.06}{0.95})\times 10^{-3}$. In this note, we show that the ratio $\frac{\sigma(B_c^+)}{\sigma(\bar b)}$ obtained by dividing the $\sigma(B_c^+)$ by the leading order $\sigma(\bar b)$ is consistent with this derived CDF measurement. We calculate the cross section $\sigma(B_c^+)$ using the perturbative QCD fragmentation functions of Braaten, Cheung, and Yuan and the corresponding induced gluon fragmentation functions, with the charm-quark mass $m_c$ as a parameter. We also estimate the parameter $m_c$ from the CDF data and then predict the production rate at RunII.
Structure of a microtubule-bound axonemal dynein

Axonemal dyneins are tethered to doublet microtubules inside cilia to drive ciliary beating, a process critical for cellular motility and extracellular fluid flow. Axonemal dyneins are evolutionarily and biochemically distinct from cytoplasmic dyneins that transport cargo, and the mechanisms regulating their localization and function are poorly understood. Here, we report a single-particle cryo-EM reconstruction of a three-headed axonemal dynein natively bound to doublet microtubules isolated from cilia. The slanted conformation of the axonemal dynein causes interaction of its motor domains with the neighboring dynein complex. Our structure shows how a heterotrimeric docking complex specifically localizes the linear array of axonemal dyneins to the doublet microtubule by directly interacting with the heavy chains. Our structural analysis establishes the arrangement of conserved heavy, intermediate and light chain subunits, and provides a framework to understand the roles of individual subunits and the interactions between dyneins during ciliary waveform generation.
The 100-Year Life and the New Family Law

This draft book chapter, prepared as part of a symposium on The 100-Year Life by Linda Gratton and Andrew Scott, reflects on the future of family law in an era of longer lives. Our analysis leads us to conclude that the 100-year life is indeed likely to have an impact on the nature, scope, and definition of family law, but that families will continue to function as the primary setting for intimacy and for caregiving and caretaking, whatever form those families take. Further, the importance to both individual and social welfare of family support throughout life points to a need for reform of current family law doctrine. The impact of longer life on doctrines regulating the relationship of parents and minor children is likely to be modest, but doctrinal and policy reforms will be needed to support individuals in following their preferences for intimacy and security in old age -- as will reforms to the minimal role of the state in promoting security for individuals in different family forms and of differing socioeconomic status. We suggest general goals for law reform and offer specific proposals.
V3 Interneurons Regulate Locomotor Vigor by Recruitment of Spinal Motor Neurons During Fictive Swimming in Larval Zebrafish

ABSTRACT Survival for vertebrate animals is dependent on the ability to successfully find food, locate a mate, and avoid predation. Each of these behaviors requires fine motor control, which is set by a combination of kinematic properties. For example, the frequency and amplitude (vigor; strength) of motor output combine to determine features of locomotion such as distance traveled and speed. Although there is a good understanding of how different populations of excitatory spinal interneurons establish locomotor frequency, there is not a mechanistic understanding for how locomotor vigor is established. Recent evidence indicates that locomotor vigor is regulated in part by subsets of identified excitatory spinal interneurons (INs), such as the V2a neuronal population in adult zebrafish. Here we provide evidence that the majority of V3 interneurons (V3-INs), which are a developmentally and genetically defined population of ventromedial glutamatergic spinal neurons, are active during fictive swimming. Further, that targeted ablation of V3-INs reduces the proportion of active MNs during fictive swimming, but ablation does not affect the locomotor frequencies produced. These data are consistent with a role of V3-INs in providing excitatory drive to spinal motor neurons during swimming in larval zebrafish, which suggests that locomotor vigor (but not locomotor frequency) may be regulated, in part, by V3-INs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Currently, there is a fundamental lack of knowledge about the cellular and spinal network properties that produce locomotor vigor in vertebrates. Here we show, directly for the first time, that V3 interneurons in zebrafish larvae are active during in vivo fictive locomotion, and that targeted ablation of the spinal V3 interneuron population reduces the probability of motoneuron firing during fictive swimming. In contrast to V2a interneurons, ablation of V3 interneurons does not affect locomotor frequency, the fictive neural correlate of speed, which clarifies their role in motor control rather than rhythm generation. Thus, we propose that the V3 interneuron subpopulation is a source of excitation in the vertebrate locomotor neural circuitry that regulates locomotor vigor independently of speed.
Toleration, Persecution, and State Capacity

The relationship between religion and the state remains contentious. Religious differences continue to be a major source of tension and sometimes violence across the world. Even in liberal democracies there are frequent disagreements about the scope of religious freedom. Do states have the right to regulate religious clothing? Can the state prohibit religious organizations from discriminating against individuals who do not share their beliefs? Should states fund religious schools? How stable are institutions that support religious liberty? We do not provide direct answers to all of these questions. Rather, we argue that to tackle issues such as these we first need to know where our modern notions of religious freedom come from. This requires an understanding of the processes that governed the emergence of religious liberty. It requires not just a knowledge and understanding of history, but also an appreciation of the political and economic challenges that confronted premodern states. This is what we provide in this book. Doing so requires confronting several popularmyths that have grown up around the subject of religious toleration. The first myth is that religious violence was ubiquitous in medieval and early modern Europe. This claim is repeated in popular histories and is sometimes accompanied by the claim that other parts of the world such as Islamic Spain, the Middle East, or the Mongol Empire were comparatively tolerant. Books and films have shaped a widely held view of theMiddle Ages and early modern period in which we are led to believe that the execution of heretics and witches was an everyday occurrence. This reflects the influence of novels like Umberto Ecco's The Name of the Rose and less edifying forms of entertainment such as the 2010 film Black Death starring Sean Bean. These popular depictions of medieval Europe suggest that religious persecution was an ever present feature of life in the past. In many respects, this is a reassuring image. At least in the West it allows us to view religious violence as the product of intolerant and superstitious individuals. But were people in medieval Europe, in fact, more prone to persecute religious minorities? An alternative view is that medieval Europeans, like all people, responded to the incentives generated by the institutions that surrounded them. Religious persecutions did not reflect fanatical or irrational beliefs. Rather, they reflected the political economy of the premodern world, in which rulers depended on religious authorities for legitimacy.
A Robust Algorithm for LTE D2D (Sidelink) Discovery for Public Safety Communications

As public safety migrates from existing digital land mobile radio networks to fourth generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE), a novel feature in the latter is the enablement of direct communications between devices. In this article, we examine the performance of the LTE device-to-device direct discovery process in out-of-coverage scenarios (Mode 2). We model individual discovery periods as a slotted random access protocol with half-duplex user equipment (UE). We outline a simulation framework using the open-source network simulator 3 (ns-3) and evaluate the discovery process’s performance as a function of the size of the resource pool, UE density, and the transmission probability. We establish that there exists an optimal transmission probability that minimizes discovery time for a given network configuration. However, because a UE cannot know the number of neighbors when it goes off-network, we develop a method to allow UEs to learn the optimal transmission probability during discovery. We compare our algorithm’s performance to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project standards prescribed method and others to demonstrate its superiority.
Remote Terminal Cost Estimating

Procedures which can consistently provide accurate cost estimates require extensive data manipulations. The remote-terminal cost estimating procedure presented uses the computer to perform the data manipulations but still allows the estimator control of the data being used. This procedure can be used for estimating by lump-sum, by unit-costs, or by resource enumeration and costing. The steps in the preparation of a cost estimate are described along with the interaction of the estimating procedure with other construction management procedures. In particular, the use of historical data accumulated through the use of the CESL PAYROLL and ACCOUNTING procedures, and the use of resource cost files is described.
Requirement sensitivity studies for a future Landsat sensor

The Landsat program has collected imagery of the Earth for the past 40 years. Although both Landsat 7 and 8 are currently operating on-orbit, the next generation Landsat mission is already being planned. Concept studies for this mission include reproducing the Landsat 8 design (mainly push-broom imaging architecture). The definition of science requirements is an important step towards the development of instrument specifications. At this early stage, a re-evaluation of the Landsat requirements is beneficial since they might be flexible enough to relax in some areas to possibly save on manufacturing costs or may need to be tightened in other areas to produce better science products. The investigations presented here focused on spatial aliasing and spectral banding effects. The specifications of these two key performance requirements were taken from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor as a starting point for the analyses. They were then adjusted to determine their effects on the final image products through the use of standard radiometry equations and synthetic Earth scene data. The results of the modeling efforts for these two requirements concepts are presented here and could be used as a template for future instrument studies.
Maximally secure mitigation of protection misoperations in power systems

Protection misoperations have been recognized as a main culprit in causing cascading failures in modern power systems. This paper introduces the processes of misoperations and their mitigation into a scalable stochastic discrete-state model. In this framework, a mitigation strategy is developed to minimize the risk of cascading failures. The risk is quantified by a set of security indices that formally incorporate the uncertain knowledge of the continuous-state of rotor angles/speed deviations and the discrete-state of equipment faults. The security indices serve as mitigation criteria for selection of protection control actions. Real-time security evaluation poses a significant challenge because of the fraction-of-a-second response time required of protection functions. Two problems addressing this challenge are formulated and solved through a novel application of the phasor measurement units (PMUs)?their input samples in time-domain, rather than their output samples in phasor-domain, are used as redundant feedback variables. These time-stamped input waveform samples are processed to isolate transmission line faults in the presence protection false trips, and track the generators' rotor angles and speed deviations without invoking the swing dynamics. The computational issues and results are explained through a WSCC 3-generator 9-bus test system.
Consolidation Properties and Stress History of Some Deep Sea Sediments

This paper focuses on the consolidation properties and analysis of stress conditions of deep sea sediments in two regions: the North Western Atlantic in the vicinities of the Bermuda Rise and Blake Bahama Outer Ridge, and the North Central Pacific between the Murray and Mendocino Fracture Zones. One-dimensional consolidation tests have been conducted on over 100 samples obtained from a variety of different types of core samplers, including box, standard piston, giant piston (i.e. large-diameter), large-diameter gravity and Kasten, taken to depths of over 30 m. The sediments from the Atlantic sites are primarily illitic clays with varying amounts of calcium carbonate, smectite and silt content. In the Pacific sites the sediments range from illite-rich to smectite-rich pelagic and authigenic clays.
Bandwagons and the threat of chaos: Interpersonal effects revisited☆

Abstract This paper extends Granovetter and Soong's work on bandwagons by introducing interpersonal effects at the level of preferences rather than at the level of demand. It is found that markets generally will not follow the first-order difference equations analyzed by G-S, because consumers will form expectations based on the market's entire history rather than the last period alone. When those expectations are adaptive and the rate of expectations adjustment sufficiently low, the threat of unstable and chaotic dynamics is eliminated. The paper also describes the efficiency problems generated by interpersonal effects.
Using Psychodynamic Concepts to Measure Interpersonal Competencies during Social Work Training

Empathy and interpersonal skills are components of mentalizing and competencies that social work students are expected to acquire during training. Yet limited scientific data exists on factors that influence their attainment. This study was conducted to examine how social work training and individual attachment style are associated with two aspects of mentalization: reading non-verbal communication and reflective thinking. Using a cross-sectional design, 63 social work students participated in this internet-based study. Results showed that regardless of the amount of exposure to social work training, students with an insecure style of attachment had significant deficits in their ability to accurately identify non-verbal expression of thoughts and emotions. Additional results showed that social work training significantly influenced the use of higher order reflective thinking. These findings suggest that students bring an internal relational template with them that is associated with one's capacity for mentalization, specifically accurately interpreting interpersonal communication. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hole-spin pumping and repumping in a p-type δ-doped InAs quantum dot

We have grown high quality $p$-type \ensuremath{\delta}-doped InAs quantum dots and have demonstrated coherent spin pumping and repumping of a hole spin in a positively charged quantum dot by means of a single-laser driving scheme under a high magnetic field in the Voigt configuration. Modeling of our system shows excellent qualitative agreement with the experimental findings and further explores the performance of the single-laser scheme for spin pumping and repumping.
Loss of endogenous interleukin-12 activates survival signals in ultraviolet-exposed mouse skin and skin tumors.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12)-deficiency promotes photocarcinogenesis in mice; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation resulted in enhancement of the levels of cell survival kinases, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt (Ser473), p-ERK1/2, and p-p38 in the skin of IL-12p40 knockout (IL-12 KO) mice compared with the skin of wild-type mice. UV-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/p65 in the skin of IL-12 KO mice was also more prominent. The levels of NF-κB-targeted proteins, such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclooxygenase-2, cyclin D1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase, were higher in the UV-exposed skin of IL-12 KO mice than the UV-exposed skin of wild types. In short-term UV irradiation experiments, subcutaneous treatment of IL-12 KO mice with recombinant IL-12 (rIL-12) or topical treatment with oridonin, an inhibitor of NF-κB, resulted in the inhibition of UV-induced increases in the levels of PCNA, cyclin D1, and NF-κB compared with non-rIL-12- or non-oridonin-treated IL-12 KO mice. UV-induced skin tumors of IL-12 KO mice had higher levels of PI3K, p-Akt (Ser473), p-ERK1/2, p-p38, NF-κB, and PCNA and fewer apoptotic cells than skin tumors of wild types. Together, these data suggest that the loss of endogenous IL-12 activates survival signals in UV-exposed skin and that may lead to the enhanced photocarcinogenesis in mice.
Seeking signals in data bases using neural networks

This paper presents a strategy to allow searching a database using information that is not originally in the database. A backpropagation neural network is proposed that learns correlations between data items in the database and generates predictions. This network technique is applied to the problem of predicting housing code violations, given census data, and other problem property data. A problem is discovered in determining the categorization of the data, and a possible solution is proposed.
New developments in the pharmacologic treatment of obesity.

Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) >30, is a significant public health problem. It's estimated that 50 percent of the U.S. population will be classified as obese by the year 2030. Due to associated health complications and rising health care costs related to obesity, new treatment options are being explored. For people who need additional treatment beyond lifestyle modification, new pharmacologic options have been developed that may assist in reducing BMI. Health care providers and patients should consider each person's individual health history and consider both the potential risks and benefits of these therapies.
Improved Lignin Polyurethane Properties with Lewis Acid Treatment

Chemical modification strategies to improve the mechanical properties of lignin-based polyurethanes are presented. We hypothesized that treatment of lignin with Lewis acids would increase the concentration of hydroxyl groups available to react with diisocyanate monomers. Under the conditions used, hydrogen bromide-catalyzed modification resulted in a 28% increase in hydroxyl group content. Associated increases in hydrophilicity of solvent-cast thin films were also recorded as evidenced by decreases in water contact angle. Polyurethanes were then prepared by first preparing a prepolymer based on mixtures of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) and unmodified or modified lignin, then polymerization was completed through addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), resulting in mass ratios of TDI:lignin:PEG of 43:17:40 in the compositions investigated here. The mixture of TDI and unmodified lignin resulted in a lignin powder at the bottom of the liquid, suggesting it did not react directly with TDI. However, a homogeneous solution resulted when TDI and the hydrogen bromide-treated lignin were mixed, suggesting demethylation indeed increased reactivity and resulted in better integration of lignin into the urethane network. Significant improvements in mechanical properties of modified lignin polyurethanes were observed, with a 6.5-fold increase in modulus, which were attributed to better integration of the modified lignin into the covalent polymer network due to the higher concentration of hydroxyl groups. This research indicates that chemical modification strategies can lead to significant improvements in the properties of lignin-based polymeric materials using a higher fraction of an inexpensive lignin monomer from renewable resources and a lower fraction an expensive, petroleum-derived isocyanate monomer to achieve the required material properties.
An empirical investigation into methods affecting the quality of new product innovations

Seventy‐five new product development projects were studied in ten large companies to test potential strategic and process antecedents to quality. Seven factors were found to significantly increase product quality: high importance placed on quality by top management, high reward for process speed, high project stream breadth, high use of internal (versus external) sources of ideas and technology, low overlap or concurrency of the development process, low turfguarding or “silo” orientation, and high development milestone frequency. These results suggest that managers need to pay attention to both strategic orientation factors and structure‐related organizational capability factors to increase product quality. Staffing‐related factors did not seem to have a strong impact on quality; this suggests that quality is more a function of systemic versus individual factors. Additionally, it was found that there were some differences in the factors associated with high‐quality products between radical and incremental innovations. However, the study is exploratory and further research needs to test these findings as well as extend them to include other interrelationships between factors.
TESOL and Culture

Culture is a central yet underexamined concept in TESOL. In comparison to other fields such as anthropology and cultural studies, there has been little serious discussion and critique of the concept in TESOL over the last two decades. This article offers a reassessment of the notion of culture in TESOL, taking recent work in critical anthropology and cultural studies, and to a lesser degree TESOL itself, as a starting point. It proposes a revised view of culture that is intended to serve TESOL practitioners into the 21st century, or that can at least provide a takeoff point from which such a view may be developed.
Towards the use of the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique in fabricating microelectronic circuits and microsystems

Abstract We used the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique to deposit a conformal coating of chalcogenide glass on the external surface of a microsystem—specifically, the outermost surface of a microelectromechanical system comb resonator. We concluded that this technique could complement the multi-step, time-consuming and expensive traditional lithographic processes, resulting in a reduction of the number of steps needed for the fabrication of microsystems and nanosystems.
Global repeat discovery and estimation of genomic copy number in a large, complex genome using a high-throughput 454 sequence survey

Extensive computational and database tools are available to mine genomic and genetic databases for model organisms, but little genomic data is available for many species of ecological or agricultural significance, especially those with large genomes. Genome surveys using conventional sequencing techniques are powerful, particularly for detecting sequences present in many copies per genome. However these methods are time-consuming and have potential drawbacks. High throughput 454 sequencing provides an alternative method by which much information can be gained quickly and cheaply from high-coverage surveys of genomic DNA. We sequenced 78 million base-pairs of randomly sheared soybean DNA which passed our quality criteria. Computational analysis of the survey sequences provided global information on the abundant repetitive sequences in soybean. The sequence was used to determine the copy number across regions of large genomic clones or contigs and discover higher-order structures within satellite repeats. We have created an annotated, online database of sequences present in multiple copies in the soybean genome. The low bias of pyrosequencing against repeat sequences is demonstrated by the overall composition of the survey data, which matches well with past estimates of repetitive DNA content obtained by DNA re-association kinetics (Cot analysis). This approach provides a potential aid to conventional or shotgun genome assembly, by allowing rapid assessment of copy number in any clone or clone-end sequence. In addition, we show that partial sequencing can provide access to partial protein-coding sequences.
Improved method for measuring C1rC1s-(c1 inh)2 complexes by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Measurement of C1rC1s-(C1 inh)2 complexes in serum or plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been proposed as a relatively convenient and sensitive means for assessing C1 activation. However, interference by unactivated C1 q (r-s)2 at low serum or plasma dilutions has resulted in estimates that vary widely with the degree of serum or plasma dilution. Precipitating the interfering C1q (r-s)2 with 6% polyethylene glycol has been proposed to resolve this problem, but here it is shown that this procedure also precipitates or coprecipitates some of the C1rC1s-C1rC1s-(C1 inh)2 complexes. Satisfactory results have been achieved without PEG precipitation by testing high plasma dilutions under conditions where there is a sufficient excess of anti-C1s coating the microtitration plate wells that removal of C1q (r-s)2 is not necessary. Optimizing conditions for quantitating these complexes at high dilution have been investigated. The mean normal EDTA plasma C1rC1s-C1rC1s-(C1 inh)2 complex measurement was 36.6±7.0 (S.D.) ELISA units with a 95% confidence interval of 19.5–47.6u. Besides providing a sensitive assay for C1 activation, measuring C1rC1s-C1rC1s-(C1 inh)2 complexes may help to clarify the pathophysiologic mechanisms resulting from C1 inh deficiency under various conditions.©1995 wiley-Liss, inc.
Splicing representations of strictly locally testable languages

Abstract The relationship between the family SH of simple splicing languages, which was recently introduced by Mateescu et al. and the family SLT of strictly locally testable languages is clarified by establishing an ascending hierarchy of families {SiH: i⩾ − 1} of splicing languages for which SH = S1H and the union of the families is the family SLT. A procedure is given which, for an arbitrary regular language L, determines whether L is in SLT and, when L is in SLT, specifies constructively the smallest family in the hierarchy to which L belongs. Examples are given of sets of restriction enzymes for which the action on DNA molecules is naturally represented by splicing systems of the types discussed.
Managing municipal green space for ecosystem services

Abstract Cities are the dominant form of human settlement. As centers of economic growth and population they are focal points of both ecological disturbance (through resource consumption and land conversion) and the provision of public goods. Ecosystem services provided by municipal forests and green space are positioned to address both these arenas. While technical means to mainstreaming this approach have grown, the importance municipal foresters’ departments place on pursuing this objective and their department's engagement in actions necessary for its realization is under-researched. I surveyed the membership of the Society for Municipal Arborists to address this gap. I found that municipal foresters perceived the management of municipal green space to enhance ecosystem services to be increasingly significant to the goals and actions of their departments. Survey respondents expected this role to grow in importance, matching or exceeding some traditional objectives of their profession. While most perceived traditional services such as tree planting and maintenance, and social outputs like beautification and enhancing public health to remain high departmental priorities; respondents rated managing municipal green space to produce ecosystem services such as enhanced energy and climate management, water quality and habitat and biodiversity as more important to their department than traditional objectives such as maintenance of property values and protection of power lines. As responsibility for the management of urban green space resides predominantly at the municipal level, the importance municipal foresters’ departments place on managing for ecosystem services is fundamental to advancing this strategy for the delivery of public goods in urban centers.
Experimental measurement of the near tip strain field in an iron-silicon single crystal

Abstract Experimental results are presented for the plastic deformation field near a crack (200 μm wide notch) tip in an iron-3% silicon single crystal. The specimen was loaded in four point bending and the measurements were made at zero load after extensive plastic deformation had occurred. Results are given for a crack on the (011) plane with its tip along the [01|T] direction. The surface deformation field was measured using moire microscopy and a grating on the specimen surface. The in-plane Almansi strain components have been obtained by digitally processing the moire fringes. A well-structured asymptotic field has been found at a distance of 350–500 μm from the notch tip, where the maximum plastic strain is about 9%. The asymptotic field is observed to be composed of many distinct angular sectors. Three (six symmetric) of these sectors are found to have approximately constant strains. In a fourth (two symmetric) sector, the surface strains are approximately 1/r singular. Between these sectors there are interconnecting transition sectors. The location of the stress state on the yield surface and the active slip systems in each sector are identified by assuming that the plastic strain rates are normal to a Schmid law yield surface. The slip systems identified in this manner show excellent agreement with direct observations of the slip texture on the surface and dislocation etch pits in the interior of the specimen. The experimental strain measurements also show that the constant strain sectors are regions in which unloading occurs. Because of this unloading, the crack tip stress and deformation state is substantially different from an HRR type field which assumes proportional loading. This strong nonproportional loading is thought to be caused by the presence of material anisotropy. The nonproportional loading also provides a large amount of crack tip shielding that is evidence of a toughening mechanism that results from the presence of material anisotropy.
Effect of dissolved carbon dioxide on the glass transition and crystallization of poly(lactic acid) as probed by ultrasonic measurements

The effects of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules on the glass-transition temperature as well as the crystallization kinetics of poly(lactic acid) have been investigated with a novel device that combines ultrasonic and volumetric measurements. Ultrasonic parameters such as the sound velocity are very sensitive to crystallization and can be used to monitor the crystallization kinetics. The glass-transition temperature has been found to decrease nonlinearly as the CO2 concentration increases. The maximum in the crystallization rate has been found to increase with the addition of CO2. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
The Effect of a Sustained-Release Injection of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Corpus Luteum Formation and Progesterone Secretion in Beef Heifers

AbstractA sustained-release injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was administered to Syncro-Mate B® synchronized beef heifers 12 hours afer estrus. The sustained-release formulation doubled the ovulation rate, increased corpora lutea size, increased the incidence of cystic corpora lutea, and tended to increase progesterone concentrations. Sustained release of HCG produced effects similar to larger doses and/or multiple aqueous injections of HCG. The doubling of multiple ovulations may have been a result of availability of persistent follicles caused by the Syncro-Mate B® The increase in corpora lutea size was partially caused by the more frequent presence of fluid-filled cavities within the corpora lutea (cystic corpora lutea). In summary, the sustained-release injection of HCG accomplished similar effects as larger doses and/or multiple administrations of nonsustained-release formulations of HCG.
Histochemical and physiological properties of cat motor units after self-and cross-reinnervation.

1. This report describes selected histochemical and physiological properties of the motor units of adult cat soleus muscle approximately one year after self- and cross-reinnervation with the nerve of the heterogenous flexor hallucis longus (f.h.l.). Self-reinnervated f.h.l. motor units are also considered. Whole muscles were tested for fibre reaction to alkaline pre-incubated ATPase, α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-GPD) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase (NADH-D). Motor units were isolated and studied by splitting the ventral root in acute preparations. 2. The histochemical fibre type profile in the self-reinnervated muscle was comparable to normal muscle as was mean twitch contraction time, twitch—tetanus ratio and fatigue index. The mean tetanic tension of the soleus self- and cross-reinnervated motor units appeared close to a normal soleus whereas the mean tetanic tension of the f.h.l. self-reinnervated units was significantly less than a normal f.h.l. 3. An average of 14% of the fibres of the soleus cross-reinnervated muscles had high ATPase and a α-GPD staining intensity in contrast to normal and self-reinnervated soleus in which such fibres are absent. Thus alkaline lability of myofibrillar ATPase increased in some fibres of what was originally a homogeneous population. The small increase in the number of densely staining fibres for ATPase at an alkaline pH (14%) was associated with a 73% decrease in (mean) contraction time (41 ± 11 ms) of the thirty-three cross-reinnervated muscle units studied, with no unit's contraction time greater than 60 ms. Mean contraction times for the self-reinnervated soleus and f.h.l. muscles were 78 ± 31 ms and 27 ± 8 ms respectively. 4. All fibres of the soleus cross-reinnervated muscles showed intense reaction to NADH-D, as was true of self-reinnervated soleus. This staining pattern is typical of normal soleus. In concordance, these motor units consistently demonstrated a high resistance to fatigue when stimulated for a four-minute period. 5. These results suggest that in the adult self-and cross-reinnervated soleus muscle, there is some active mechanism which regulates the eventual size of motor units as reflected by tetanic tension. 6. Change in contraction time from that typical for a soleus unit to that similar to an f.h.l. unit remains incomplete one year after cross-reinnervation. Within this time this partial change in single motor units reflects incomplete neural control of this property rather than a mixture of self- and foreign-innervation. 7. A greater degree of independence from neural control to conversion of the histochemically demonstrated myofibrillar ATPase activity exists than is the case for contraction time.
Elapsed time from symptom onset and acute myocardial infarction in a community hospital

Study objective: Previous reports have emphasized that thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction should be initiated within three or four hours of symptom onset to obtain the best clinical outcomes. However, our clinical impression was that late arrivers, who often do not receive thrombolytic therapy, have a good short-term prognosis. Therefore, we investigated the relationships among the elapsed time from symptom onset, thrombolytic therapy, and short-term prognosis in acute myocardial infarction patients. The research hypothesis was that late arrivers have a better in-hospital prognosis because they have less severe disease that may involve spontaneous thrombolysis. Design: Observational cohort study based on reviewing medical records and emergency department service logs. Setting: 500-bed teaching hospital with medical school affiliation in northeastern Ohio. Type of participants: Four hundred consecutive patients with acute infarction confirmed by chest pain and positive ECGs or elevated cardiac enzymes. Measurements and main results: Patients arriving early (elapsed time ≤ 1.5 hours) were more likely to be in Killip class III or IV ( P = .04) or to have hypotension ( P = .0004); and they experienced twofold increased odds of ventricular tachycardia ( P = .007), cardiac arrest ( P = .03), or death ( P = .01). Patients arriving late (elapsed time > 3.5 hours) were more likely to have a history of angina ( P = .002) and had a better shortterm prognosis. Conclusions: Time of ED arrival after onset of acute myocardial infarction symptoms distinguishes two patient groups that differ in their risk of in-hospital complications. Late arrivers have better short-term prognoses and less (acutely) severe disease, and may have less need for thrombolytic therapy because of possible spontaneous thrombolysis. Patients with prior angina may need education on seeking care if their symptoms change.
Free Field Approach to 2-Dimensional Conformal Field Theories

We review various aspects of the free field approach to (rational) Conformal field theories. In particular, we will discuss resolutions of irreducible modules in terms of free field Fock spaces for WZNW-models and their coset models, as well as the free field realization of chiral vertex operators. We provide a host of clarifying examples and detailed proofs of results that were announced elsewhere.
A strategic framework for infant mortality reduction: implications for "Healthy Start."

The high infant mortality rate in the United States especially in urban areas remains a major federal concern. Four strategies for reducing infant mortality in cities participating in the federal `Healthy Start are reducing high-risk pregnancies; reducing the incidence of low birthweight and preterm births; improving birthweight-specific survival; and reducing specific causes of post neonatal mortality. Estimates of the impact of known interventions indicate that the reduction in infant mortality would be large for only one strategy: improving birthweight-specific survival. Most interventions yield a 2 percent reduction or less in mortality and when combined would amount to about 30 percent. This strategic model provides a realistic framework to asses the impact of the Healthy Start demonstration and is useful in highlighting the interventions most likely to reduce infant mortality in a population. (EXCERPT)
Why Are There So Few Transactions among Water Users

Water to supply growing demands from agriculture, households, and industries in the arid West traditionally has been secured through water storage and conveyance projects. Economists have been warning for years that increasing scarcity and costs of unappropriated water supplies (e.g., Wollman) together with limited public budgets and the environmental costs of new projects would shift attention to nonstructural approaches, particularly to the market mechanism, to meet emerging needs. Change, however, appears to be slow. To some observers, for example Anderson, the number of recorded instances where water supply problems are solved by market-like transactions remains far too limited.
Pre-operative micro-angioplasty of refractory vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A patient with subarachnoid hermorrhage secondary to a basilar artery aneurysm developed severe bilateral middle and anterior cerebral artery vasospasm with extensive neurologic deficits. Microangioplasty of the middle cerebral artery segments bilaterally led to reversal of the neurologic deficits, allowing early operative treatment of the aneurysm in a previously inoperable patient.
Interspecific interactions between three sympatric species of kangaroo rats (Dipodomys)

Abstract Interspecific interactions between Dipodomys merriami, D. ordii , and D. panamintinus were observed in the laboratory. The largest species, D. panamintinus , was the most dominant while the smallest species, D. merriami , was the least dominant. All interactions were characterized by extreme fighting. Laboratory and field evidence indicate that interspecific aggression in the field may be one mechanism keeping these sympatric species of kangaroo rats ecologically separate.
351 THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN ROTAVIRUS INFECTION IN D.C. AREA THROUGH FOUR WINTERS

From January 1974 through July 1977, human rotavirus (HRV) was visualized by EM in the feces of 37.5% of 440 hospitalized gastroenteritis patients (since Jan. 1974), 22% of 150 outpatients with gastroenteritis (since Nov. 1975) and 2.5% of 366 controls. Most of the “controls” who yielded the agent had recent or concurrent diarrhea in addition to a respiratory tract illness. Most HRV infection occurred from Nov. through April and there seemed to be some variation from year to year. Especially striking HRV activity was seen in January 1976 when 86% of 43 inpatients with gastroenteritis had detectable HRV. The pattern suggests that there will be annual outbreaks in metropolitan Washington, D.C. which will tend to begin in the late fall, peak in Jan., and end in the spring. The frequency of HRV infection per illness was highest between 7 and 24 months of age and illness rapidly decreased in incidence with the increasing age. 81% of 89 HRV-infected black children and 41% of 76 HRV-infected white children were under 1 year of age. Additional studies of parents of children and of hospital personnel and other health workers suggest that HRV reinfection occurs in adults and that severe illness can occur but is less likely to do so in infected adults.
Proper orthogonal decomposition applied to turbulent flow in a square duct

The proper orthogonal decomposition method is used to extract empirical eigenfunctions from an incompressible turbulent flow in a square duct. The two‐dimensional eigenfunctions, corresponding to the two inhomogeneous duct directions, are optimal in the energy sense. The database used to form the two‐point correlation tensor is obtained from a low Reynolds number direct numerical simulation of the flow field. The symmetries inherent in the square cross section allow the formulation of the integral eigenvalue problem over one octant, producing an eigensystem of manageable size without losing any spatial scales. The extraction process reveals a gradual decrease of modal energies rather than a single dominant eigenfunction. Reconstructions of instantaneous velocity fields and Reynolds stresses indicate the efficiency, as it pertains to identifying structures and storing data, of the proper orthogonal decomposition method for this problem.
Oxygen tensions in the aortic wall of normal rabbits.

Abstract Tissue oxygen tensions in the wall of the abdominal aorta of normal rabbits were measured polarographically, using ultramicro oxygen cathodes covered with a protective membrane. The mean adventitial pO2 was 27 mm Hg. The lowest pO2, 22 mm Hg, was recorded in the medial zone of the vessel wall about 60% of the way in. Oxygen tension increased in the inner 70 μ of the aorta and the mean pO2 immediately subjacent to the endothelium was 37 mm Hg. The gradient across the endothelium was very steep. The response of aortic transmural oxygen tensions to oxygen breathing was also measured. The mean oxygen tension in the vasa vasorum was of the order of 60 mm Hg and increased to a level of 360 mm Hg during pure oxygen breathing.
Risk based HIV retesting: back to the same old challenges.

An estimated 230,000 Americans are unaware that they have HIV infection. As a result, these individuals have not benefited from treatment for HIV infection and they may continue to spread the disease. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 40% of adults aged 18-64 had been tested for HIV but only 10% had been tested within the last 12 months. A national survey conducted by the CDC in 2000 found that only about one-quarter of primary care providers and emergency physicians reported routinely testing their patients for HIV. To improve the performance of HIV testing, in 2006 the CDC issued recommendations that patients in all health care settings be offered universal, opt-out HIV testing. Since that time, several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of opt-out testing but barriers to implementation persist. Many states still require signed consent and counseling and other logistical challenges include: insufficient time, competing priorities, and inadequate reimb...
Urban Sprawl: A Comprehensive Reference Guide edited by David C. Soule

David C. Soule (Ed.), Urban Sprawl: A Comprehensive Reference Guide (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006).The topic of sprawl has attracted the attention of urbanists for over 50 years now. While t...
Effects of electric field on thermal and tunneling carrier escape in InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

The effects of electric field on carrier escape in InAs/GaAs quantum dots embedded in a p-i-n solar cell structures have been studied by quantum efficiency. Via band structure simulation, effective barrier height of carriers inside QDs is reduced with increasing local electric field, so tunneling and thermal escape are enhanced. At 300K, when electric field intensity is below 40kV/cm, thermal escape is dominant in all confined states in QDs; when electric field intensity is above 40kV/cm, tunneling is dominant in shallow confined states and thermal escape is dominant in the ground state of QDs.