cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disclosure risk measures for the sampling disclosure control method

In this paper, we introduce three microdata disclosure risk measures (minimal, maximal and weighted) for sampling disclosure control method. The minimal disclosure risk measure represents the percentage of records that can be correctly identified by an intruder based on prior knowledge of key attribute values. The maximal disclosure risk measure considers the risk associated with probabilistic record linkage for records that are not unique in the masked microdata. The weighted disclosure risk measure allows the data owner to compute the risk of disclosure based on weights associated with different clusters of records. The weights allow a flexible specification of the relative importance of varying cluster sizes in probabilistic record linkage. We show that weighted disclosure risk measure is always between the values of minimal and maximal disclosure risk measures, and moreover for certain values of the weights, the weighted disclosure risk measure is equal to one of the other two measures. Using simulated medical data in our experiments, we show that the proposed disclosure risk measures perform as expected in real-life situations.
Factors That Affect Oxygen Activation and Coupling of the Two Redox Cycles in the Aromatization Reaction Catalyzed by NikD, an Unusual Amino Acid Oxidase

NikD is a flavoprotein oxidase that catalyzes the oxidation of piperideine-2-carboxylate (P2C) to picolinate in a remarkable aromatization reaction comprising two redox cycles and at least one isomerization step. Tyr258 forms part of an “aromatic cage” that surrounds the ring in picolinate and its precursors. Mutation of Tyr258 to Phe does not perturb the structure of nikD but does affect the coupling of the two redox cycles and causes a 10-fold decrease in turnover rate. Tyr258Phe catalyzes a quantitative two-electron oxidation of P2C, but only 60% of the resulting dihydropicolinate intermediate undergoes a second redox cycle to produce picolinate. The mutation does not affect product yield with an alternate substrate (3,4-dehydro-l-proline) that is aromatized in a single two-electron oxidation step. Wild-type and mutant enzymes exhibit identical rate constants for oxidation of P2C to dihydropicolinate and isomerization of a reduced enzyme·dihydropicolinate complex. The observed rates are 200- and 10-fol...
Integrating Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and sanitation for verifiable food safety.

Abstract Reliable, verifiable food safety requires the application of technologically correct methods in a systematic way. This requires making a distinction between sanitation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and integrating these two systems into one food safety system. Although sanitation and HACCP share the same goal of producing safe food products, the focus of sanitation is on the environment surrounding the food to prevent contamination, whereas the focus of HACCP is on controlling hazards intrinsic to food materials. Together they provide the organizational base for applying the correct methods and procedures to ensure and verify that food served is safe for foodservice clients. These approaches also provide records that demonstrate that food safety measures have been planned and completed as planned. One way to demonstrate a responsible approach to food safety is to understand the differences between sanitation and HACCP and to build approaches to food safety that use both of these systems. The resulting integrated system has a better chance of controlling all the hazards than either system by itself. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997; 97: 889–891 .
Phase behavior of blends of styrene/maleic anhydride copolymers

The phase behavior of blends of styrene/maleic anhydride copolymers (SMA) with styrene/methyl methacrylate copolymers (SMMA), styrene/acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN), tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate (TMPC), and poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) have been determined. Tentative binary interaction energies were evaluated from mapping the copolymer composition miscibility boundaries using the Flory–Huggins theory combined with the binary interaction model. Data on phase-separation temperatures were too sparse for these systems to obtain refined estimates using the Sanchez–Lacombe theory. A negative interaction energy was obtained for the MA/AN pair; however, the MA unit showed strong repulsive interactions with all other monomer units examined here. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Provision of potentially teratogenic medications to female veterans of childbearing age.

Background Certain medications increase the risk of birth defects whether used during pregnancy or immediately preconception. Objectives To describe dispensing of potentially teratogenic medications (Food and Drug Administration classes D or X) to female Veterans treated by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, and assess whether documented provision of family planning services is more common when potentially teratogenic medications are prescribed. Research design We examined all 2,634,441 prescriptions filled in fiscal year 2007 or 2008 by 78,232 female Veterans, aged 18 to 45, who made >or=2 visits to VA clinics within the year prior to medication dispensing from VA pharmacies. Measures : Medications dispensed, contraceptive counseling, and pregnancy testing. Results Prescriptions for potentially teratogenic medications were filled by 48.8% of female Veterans who received medications from a VA pharmacy. Women who filled prescriptions for potentially teratogenic medications were only slightly more likely to have documented family planning services (eg, contraception, contraceptive counseling, or pregnancy testing) than women who filled class C, but not class D or X, prescriptions (55.7% vs. 51.8%). Women filling only class A or B prescriptions were least likely to have documented family planning services (35.9%). Among women dispensed potentially teratogenic medications, family planning services were significantly more likely to be documented for women who were >or=25 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.57-3.11), unmarried (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.23-1.35), non-White (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09-1.26), seen at a women's clinic (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.88-2.05), received a retinoid medication (OR, 7.72; 95% CI, 3.02-19.7), or had serious mental illness (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.18-1.34). Conclusions Medications that may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy are dispensed frequently to female Veterans by VA pharmacies without documented receipt of contraceptive counseling or pregnancy testing.
Feedback Delay Effect on the CDMA Closed loop Power Control

This paper is aimed to evaluate the effect of feedback delay on the performance of closed loop power control in CDMA System. Even though power control can mitigate the problem fluctuation due to fading, however due to the feedback delay, that advantage is invisible if this parameter is not decreased. Feedback delay is the total time that is taken by the power control from the mobile transmit signal is estimated at base station until power update command is received again at the mobile to do the transmission power update. Feedback delay worsens the performance of closed loop power control. To see this effect of feedback delay, in this study we evaluated the system of closed loop at three delay interval, i.e. 1Tp (Tp=power control interval), 2Tp and 3Tp. Performance of power control subject to feedback delay would be evaluated in term of bit error rate (BER) as a function of bit energy Eb to interference power spectral density I0 (Eb/I0). The simulation results have shown that the feedback delay cause the performance of system is degraded even at feedback delay of 3Tp, the performance is drop until the system performance without power control. By joining analysis between feedback delay and selecting step size, we have found the tradeoff between step size=1 dB and 2 dB in specific feedback delay.
Comparison of medical school performances and career plans of students with broad and with science-focused premedical preparation

This paper reports (1) a method for classifying students according to the breadth of their premedical preparation and (2) a comparison of the medical school performances and career plans of the students thus classified. The method was developed in 1987, in part by using input from a small but representative sample of admission officers. Students were grouped according to undergraduate major, ratio of nonscience-to-science course hours, and extracurricular involvement. After tentatively classifying all individuals who had entered U.S. medical schools in 1981 as having either broad or science-focused preparation, the author compared the two most distinct groups selected from a random sample of the individuals in each classification: 59 individuals constituted the final broadly prepared group, and 73, the science-focused group. The science-focused group attained higher mean scores (p less than .05) on three science sections of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I examination, and the broadly prepared group scored higher on the Behavioral Sciences section (p less than .05). No other significant difference was evident between the groups' mean scores on the NBME Parts I, II, or III, or in the groups' rates of experiences of academic difficulty, specialty choice distributions, or percentages of individuals deciding to pursue research careers. The author concludes that this method of classifying students is useful and that the students with less premedical focus in the sciences were able to perform well.
Variability in Gene Expression Underlies Incomplete Penetrance in C. Elegans: Using Single Molecules To Study the Development of Single Cells

Phenotypic variation is ubiquitous in biology and is often traceable to underlying genetic and environmental variation. However, even genetically identical organ-isms in homogenous environments vary, suggesting that random processes may play an important role in generating phenotypic diversity. Few studies, have ex-plored the impact of stochastic fluctuations in gene expression on phenotypic variation and cell fate decisions in multicellular organisms. In order to examine the consequences of gene expression variability in development, we explored intestinal specification in C. elegans, in which wild-type cell fate is invariant and controlled by a small transcriptional network. In contrast, cell fates in embryos with mutant skn-1, the first gene expressed in this network, are variable: while most mutant embryos fail to develop intestinal cells, some embryos nevertheless produce intestinal precursors. By counting transcripts in individual embryos, we show that mutations in skn-1 result in large variability in the expression of the downstream gene end-1, arising partly from misregulation of chromatin remodel-ing. end-1 expression is are subsequently thresholded during a critical time win-dow to produce an ON/OFF expression pattern of elt-2, the master regulator of intestinal differentiation. The loss of skn-1 activity eliminates redundancy in the network, making elt-2 activation particularly sensitive to variability in end-1 ex-pression. Although end-3 can also activate elt-2, deleting end-3 in wild-type ani-mals results in variability in levels and timing of elt-2 expression, suggesting that robust expression of the downstream target requires multiple transcriptional acti-vators and also hinting at subtle differences in the roles of putatively redundant elements in the network. Our results show that mutations in developmental net-works can expose otherwise buffered stochastic variability in gene expression, leading to pronounced phenotypic variation.
Synthesis of a pyrrolo annulated pyrido[2,3-D]pyrimidine as a potential nonclassical antifolate

Cyclocondensation of 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (4) with ethyl N-benzyl-4-oxo-3-pyrrolidine carboxylate (5) in diphenyl ether regiospecifically afforded a new tricyclic, angular 1,3,8-trisubstituted pyrrolo[3′,4′:4,5]-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-one 1 in excellent yield. The ketoester 5 was prepared by a literature method. Compound 1 in addition to being a new heterocyclic system is an important key precursor to a variety of classical and nonclassical tricyclic, 5-deaza analogues of the folate cofactor 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate 3.
A model for evaluating the effectiveness of remote engineering laboratories and simulations in education

Economic pressures on universities and the emergence of new technologies have spurred the creation of new systems for delivering engineering laboratories in education, in particular simulations and remote-access laboratory systems. Advocates of simulation argue that physical labs needlessly consume university space and students' time. However, proponents of hands-on laboratories argue that student engineers should be exposed to real environments. Remote laboratories have appeared as a third option. These laboratories are similar to simulation techniques in that they require minimal space and time, because the experiments can be rapidly configured and run over the Internet. But unlike simulations, they provide real data. Studying the relative effectiveness of these modes of delivering student laboratories is complex, for the underlying technology of the laboratory is just one of many possible factors that could influence effectiveness. For example, the interface to the equipment may be of importance, as might the discussions students have among themselves. This paper presents a model for testing the relative effectiveness of engineering laboratories in education that takes account of these and other factors. The results are presented for an assessment study comparing versions of remote labs versus hands-on labs in a junior-level mechanical engineering course on machine dynamics and mechanisms. The results suggest that students learned lab content information equally well from both types of laboratories, and that they have a realistic understanding and appreciation of the practical advantages of remote laboratories.
Lake stratification caused by runoff from street deicing

Abstract Salt is used for winter street deicing throughout most of the northern United States. Much of the salt is dissolved in the melt water and flows into surrounding surface water. Salt entering First Sister Lake, Michigan increased the density of the water in the lower lake strata. During 2 of the 3 yr studied, the increased density prevented complete spring overturn. This can be considered a temporary monomixis. The stability of stratification of the lake was computed. Stability was from 3.5 to 8.5 times greater than when no complete overturn occurred at other times. The lake mixed completely each fall. Laboratory and field tests indicate that salt left the lake and apparently entered the ground water of the area. Dichtothermic conditions were found in the lake. Density determinations indicated that this was an unstable condition, probably of short duration.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF LIGHT WATER NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Summary U.S. nuclear power plants are designed with a sequence of barriers to prevent the escape of fission products. These include the fuel itself, its cladding, a closed cooling system, and a massive containment structure. In addition, nuclear plants are sited away from major population centers so that the affected population can be evacuated if the need arises. While it is highly unlikely, a release of fission products could occur if the core were to melt due to an unintentional lack of cooling. To avoid such occurrences, all nuclear plants are equipped with emergency core cooling systems. The fundamental soundness of this design philosophy has been demonstrated by the, to date, untarnished record of minimal population exposure from all nuclear power plant operations.
The Radical Trace Property and Primary Ideals

Let R be an integral domain and let M be an R-module. Then the trace " ! Ž . 4 of M is the ideal generated by the set fm f"Hom M, R and m"M . R For an ideal I of R, the trace is simply the product of I and I#1. We call an ideal J a trace ideal if J is the trace of some R-module. An elementary result which will be used freely throughout this paper is that if J is a trace #1 #1 Ž . $ % ideal, then JJ & J; i.e., J equals the ring J : J 6, Proposition 7.2 . Thus the trace ideals of R are precisely those ideals J for which J#1 Ž . Ž equals J : J . Such ideals are also referred to as being ‘‘strong’’; see, for $ % . example, 3 . If R is a valuation domain and M is an R-module, then the $ % trace of M is either R or a prime ideal of R 14, Proposition 2.1 . Extracting the conclusion of this result, Fontana et al. give the following Ž definition: A domain R is said to satisfy the trace property or to be a TP . domain if for each R-module M, the trace of M is equal to either R or a $ % Ž $ %. prime ideal of R 14, p. 169 see also 1, Theorem 2.8 . Theorem 3.5 of $ % 14 gives a characterization of Noetherian TP domains. Namely, for a Noetherian domain R, R is a TP domain if and only if R is onedimensional, has at most one non-invertible maximal ideal M, and, if such #1 Ž a maximal ideal exists, then M equals the integral closure of R or, #1 Ž . . $ % equivalently, M & M : M is a Dedekind domain . In Section 2 of 17 , Gabelli shows that by replacing ‘‘integral closure’’ with ‘‘complete integral closure,’’ the same list of conditions characterizes the class of Mori domains which satisfy the trace property. Recall that a Mori domain is an integral domain which satisfies the ascending chain condition on divisorial ideals.
An experimental study of the influence of carbon black on the rheological properties of a polystyrene melt

A broad range of experiments on carbon black filled polystyrene melts shows the reinforcing effect of the filler. This study represents one of the most extensive investigations of a series of highly filled polymer melts. Stress relaxation and dynamic experiments characterize the small strain behavior while the steady state shear viscosity, normal stresses, and elongational flow experiments describe the large strain deformation rate response. Extrudate swell and unconstrained shrinkage of extrudates are also measured. Highly filled systems exhibit yield values. This is seen in the dynamic experiments and in the shear and elongational viscosities. Viscosity does not level off at finite values with decreasing deformation rate but continues to increase in an approximately inverse manner. This corresponds to yield values of order 5 × 105 dynes/cm2. The storage modulus also does not tend to zero at low frequencies. The small strain dynamic properties and stress relaxation results suggest high memories for small strain experiments. Txtrudate swell values are however small and the systems exhibit minimal delayed recovery. The implications of this are considered. Generally it is argued that at volume loadings between 10 and 20 percent, the system takes on the characteristics of a gel and the response is similar to that of a Schwedoff body.
Enhancing Terminal Software with DOS and Multiple Function Keys

The Washburn University Law Library has been using the OCLC Terminal Software on an M300 Workstation for several years. We use the Terminal Software SaveScreen feature to copy to diskettes all records PRODUCEd or UPDATEd, so they can be used later for other purposes. Thus, it is often necessary to check disks for available storage space, to format new diskettes, and to backup SaveScreen disks. None of these activities can be performed from the Terminal Software and executing them from DOS requires that the staff be familiar with DOS commands. Also, before producing labels from the OCLC display, we configure our printer for double‐height, emphasized print mode. The Download Printer Commands feature of the Terminal Software doesn't work with our Okidata printer, nor does it save the command string for later use. Therefore, we developed a menu system as a convenient way to issue both DOS and printer commands.
Net Amount of Food Affects Autoshaped Response Rate, Response Latency, and Gape Amplitude in Pigeons

Abstract The contribution of net amount of food to conditioned response strength and topography was assessed in four pigeons under autoshaping contingencies. In each session, under one baseline phase and three replication phases, three trial types were presented sequentially: One conditioned stimulus (keylight) signaled one small pellet, another signaled one large pellet, and a third signaled seven small pellets which were weight-matched to one large pellet. Five dependent variables were response rates and latencies based on the occurrence of both keyswitch closures and gapes (beak openings) and gape amplitudes. In result, net amount of food, not pellet diameter or number, affected all dependent variables. Notably, gape amplitudes elicited by the seven-small pellet keylights were larger than the gape amplutides elicited by the one-small pellet keylights even though the gape amplitudes elicited by both unconditioned stimuli (one or seven pellets) were equally small. This mismatch between conditioned and unconditioned responses is incompatible with stimulus substitution accounts but is compatible with an associative strength account. Furthermore, the changes in the dependent variables were most likely determined by Pavlovian and not by inadvertent operant contingencies. The findings demonstrate that an analysis of classical conditioning benefits from the inclusion of topographical measures.
Some aspects of using IV software to solve BVP via a Riccati transformation

We consider a numerical method for the solution of linear boundary value problems (BVPs) with separated boundary conditions (BCs) for ordinary differential equations (ODEs). By using a particular linear transformation, the problem is reformulated as three initial value problems (IVPs), one of them being a Riccati differential equation. The nonlinearity of the Riccati DE makes it necessary to deal with the eventuality of modifying the structure of integration: so-called ''multiple embedding'' equations must thus be derived, and a marching algorithm is incorporated. A stability analysis of the three IVPs indicates clearly for what class of problems the method is suited and why ''stiff'' IV methods should then frequently be used. This leads us to consider the undesirable effect of superstability of implicit schemes which can occur when integrating the Riccati DE. We interpret this occurrence in terms of the original BVP, and the resulting analysis suggests some final considerations, including the possibility of corrective measures.
Nonlinear phenomena in the dynamic parallel magnetization of superfluid 3He-A

Abstract Nonlinearity in parallel ringing of magnetization in superfluid 3 He-A has been observed, and is interpreted via the Maki-Tsuneto theory of an internal Josephson effect in a two-component superfluid.
Creating Stimulating, Relevant, and Manageable Introductory Computer Science Projects that Utilize Real-Time, Large, Web-Based Datasets (Abstract Only)

This workshop introduces participants to RealTimeWeb, a technology developed under the auspices of an NSF-funded project at Virginia Tech. RealTimeWeb is a software architecture framework that makes real-time web data, such as weather reports, news updates, and restaurant recommendations, accessible for introductory programming projects. The presented technology offers technical scaffolding for the students to gradually ease into (or completely circumvent if appropriate) some of the most vexing complexities of distributed computing. At the heart of RealTimeWeb are carefully engineered client libraries through which students can access the data provided by real-time web services. To support computing educators teaching introductory CS classes in a variety of programming languages, each library is available in Python, Java, and Racket, with compatibility on key platforms, including Android. These libraries are readily available through an online curated gallery, designed to be quickly adapted to instructors' specific academic needs. This gallery also provides a tool for rapidly prototyping new libraries based on our framework. RealTimeWeb enables computing educators to introduce important real-time distributed computing concepts without overwhelming students with the low-level details that working with such data typically requires. This workshop introduces RealTimeWeb via a hands-on approach by introducing participants to the core functionality of our architectural framework and client libraries. The workshop proceeds in three parts in which we: (1) present RealTimeWeb by working through a case study of creating a programming project in a typical CS 2 course; (2) demonstrate how the framework can be used to rapidly prototype a new library of the participants' choice; and (2) critically discuss the technology in small and large groups. Further information is at: http://research.cs.vt.edu/vtspaces/realtimeweb/
1,4-ADDITION TO CITRAL

(1979). 1,4-ADDITION TO CITRAL. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 97-99.
The "X-Engineer": Engineering Reflexivity and Identity Formation [Opinion]

The author states that in conditions of perceived technology crisis, engineers contextualize themselves and the contents of their work. This is similar to, but not quite the same as Thomas Kuhn's assertion that “in periods of acknowledged crisis, scientists have turned to philosophical analysis as a device for unlocking the riddles of their fields”. Kuhn was referring to internal crises; specifically, those involving elite communities of a handful of practitioners confronting the deadlock of a certain scientific “paradigm.” In contrast, technology crises and engineering reflexivity are mostly due to “external” (i.e., non-engineering) influences. Engineering education is a key locus for engineers to re-contextualize themselves and the type of work they perform.
The hydrogenase of clostridium pasteurianum kinetic studies and the role of molybdenum

Partially purified hydrogenase from Clostridium pasteurianum was used for kinetic studies and investigations of its activation by molybdenum. Methyl viologen reduction, H2 evolution and H2O/2H2 exchange were employed as assays, and all three reactions were activated at low and inhibited at high concentrations of molybdenum added as permolybdic acid. The inhibition was either uncompetitive or noncompetitive. A detailed study of the activation indicated that hydrogenase has separate sites for the activation of H2 and for activation of the electron carrier, and that molybdenum is loosely bound to the carrier site. It is suggested thatmolybdenum acts as an electron sink which indirectly takes up an electron from the activated H2, thus enabling the dissociation of a proton. Double reciprocal plots for methyl viologen reduction showed an intersecting pattern which indicates a reversible sequence for H2 activation. Activation energies were measured for H2 and 2H2 evolution, which ferredoxin and methyl viologen as electron carriers, and were found to be 14.6 kcal/mole independent of gas and carrier. Thus, either internal electron transfer or a conformational change within the enzyme is rate limiting. Possible mechanisms of hydrogenase change within the enzyme ios rate limiting. Possible mechanisms of hydrogenase action proceeding by homolytic and heterolytic H2 cleavage are discussed.
Emulsions containing vegetable oils for cutting fluid application

Abstract Emulsions of vegetable oils were prepared using ionic and non-ionic surfactants for use as metal working fluids. The conditions for an enhanced mutual miscibility for soybean oil or modified soybean oil and water were investigated to prepare emulsions for vegetable oil-based components. Oil modification was achieved using ozonation and sulfurization reactions. The products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The viscosities of the modified oil were considerably higher than the starting oil. The emulsions were obtained with the aid of three different surface-active agents at room temperature. The stability and efficiency of these emulsions were evaluated. These emulsions also showed good stability and anticorrosion properties. The phase behavior was evaluated using phase diagrams. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) was used in describing the oil–water interaction during the emulsion formation. It was found that the phase behavior was dependent on the nature and the concentration of surfactant used. Modified soybean oil required comparatively increased amounts of surfactant than the regular oil to obtain a stable emulsion.
Multiple impact characterization of wafer level packaging (WLP)

Wafer level packaging (WLP) of connectivity RF components for mobile devices has emerged as a low-cost and high performance, enabling technology. WLP devices are electronic components with an exposed die that utilizes a ball pitch compatible with standard surface mount technology (SMT) equipment and common printed circuit board (PCB) design techniques. WLP allows the devices to be directly mounted to the PCB of portable devices. One concern of adopting WLP for mobile device applications is reliability under multiple dynamic loading conditions, such as phone drop, due to the fragile nature of the exposed silicon die and the unique packaging designs. A series of dynamic 4-point bend tests were conducted to evaluate the multiple impact reliability of WLP samples. The purpose of this work was to better understand the failure modes and actual reliability of WLP under uniaxial loading, which is commonly observed in mobile drop simulations and tests. The results have been applied to WLP failure prediction for the system-level drop test by using simulation technology.
Guanosine triphosphate fulfills a complete and specific nucleotide requirement for luteinizing hormone-induced desensitization of pig ovarian adenylyl cyclase.

Abstract Homologous desensitization of the ovarian LHsensitive adenylyl cyclase in cell-free systems is known to be dependent on micromolar concentrations of GTP. In this study, we sought to determine whether the nucleotide requirement of GTP for desensitization is complete and specific. LH-dependent desensitization of the adenylyl cyclase of pig ovarian follicular membranes was examined without adding adenyl-5′-yl imidodiphosphate [AMP-P(NH)P] to prevent the degradation of nucleotide triphosphates. GTP at 0.1 mM or higher [in the absence of AMP-P(NH)P] was able to support the same amount of desensitization (30-35%) that occurs with 1 mM AMP-P(NH)P and micromolar concentrations of GTP. ATP, UTP, and CTP also supported maximal desensitization, but were 5–30 times less potent than GTP. The ED50 value for GTP (14 μM) was about 100 times higher than when the reaction was performed in the presence of 1 mM AMP-P(NH)P; the ED50 values for UTP (70 μM) and CTP and ATP (400 μM) were only 2–5 times higher than when ...
A Novel Cardiac-Restricted Target for Doxorubicin CARP, A NUCLEAR MODULATOR OF GENE EXPRESSION IN CARDIAC PROGENITOR CELLS AND CARDIOMYOCYTES

Abstract Doxorubicin (Dox), a cardiotoxic antineoplastic drug, disrupts the cardiac-specific program of gene expression (Kurabayashi, M., Dutta, S., Jeyaseelan, R., and Kedes, L. (1995) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 6386–6397; Jeyaseelan, R., Poizat, C., Wu, H. Y., and Kedes, L. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 5828–5832). To determine whether this drug might interfere with the function of cardiac-specific regulatory pathways, we used a differential display strategy to clone from neonatal rat cardiomyocyte candidate mRNAs that were rapidly sensitive to Dox. We report here the identification of a constitutively expressed, cardiac-restricted, nuclear protein whose mRNA level is exquisitely sensitive to Dox. Hence we have named this protein cardiacadriamycin-responsive protein (CARP). CARP mRNA is present at the earliest stages of cardiac morphogenesis. It was detected by in situ hybridization within the cardiogenic plate of 7.5-day post coitum (p.c.) embryos, and in 8.5-day p.c. embryos CARP transcripts are present in uniformly high levels in the myocardium. Throughout cardiac development, CARP expression is specific for the myocardium; endocardial cushions and valves exhibit only background levels of signal. Transcript levels persist but gradually decrease in neonatal, 2-week-old, and adult hearts. There were no stages when CARP mRNA could not be detected. The pattern and timing of CARP mRNA expression, including transient expression in the tongue at 14.5 days p.c., coincides with that of Nkx2.5/Csx (a putative homolog of tinman, theDrosophila melanogaster gene responsible for cardiac development). The cloned full-length 1749 nucleotide CARP cDNA encodes a 319-amino acid 40-kDa polypeptide containing five tandem ankyrin repeats. CARP appears to be the rat homolog of a previously reported human single-copy gene (C-193; Chu, W., Burns, D. K., Swerlick, R. A., and Presky, D. H. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 10236–10245), whose mRNA is inducible by cytokines only in human endothelial cells. CARP appears to function as a negative regulator of cardiac-specific gene expression. Overexpression of CARP in cardiomyocytes suppresses cardiac troponin C and atrial natriuretic factor transcription. Cotransfection experiments in HeLa cells indicate that CARP inhibits Nkx2.5 transactivation of atrial natriuretic factor promoter. When fused to a GAL4 DNA-binding domain, CARP has transcriptional inhibitory properties in noncardiac cells. CARP thus represents the first example of a cardiac-restricted transcriptional regulatory protein that is sensitive to Dox.
Discarding piled-up events in ACIS

The coincidence of multiple x-rays in a detection cell within one CCD frame - an effect known as pile-up - is a significant source of spectral contamination for bright sources observed with the AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). Investigation of algorithms for correcting contaminated spectra is underway. In case where such algorithms fail, the observer may wish to discard events for the core of the AXAF point spread function (PSF), computing spectra using only events from the PSF wings, where pile-up effects are reduced. This work investigates the effectiveness of this technique for an isolated on-axis point source, using event lists produced by a Monte Carlo simulation of the ACIS instrument.
Ca2+/Calmodulin-binding proteins from the C. elegans proteome

Calmodulin (CaM) is the primary Ca(2+)-sensor that regulates a wide variety of cellular processes in eukaryotes. Although many Ca(2+)/CaM-binding proteins have been identified, very few such proteins could be found from the genome-wide protein-protein interaction maps of Caenorhabditis elegans constructed by yeast two-hybrid screening. Using a genotype-phenotype conjugation method called mRNA-display, we performed a selection for Ca(2+)/CaM-binding proteins from a proteome library of C. elegans. The method allowed the identification of 9 known and 47 previously uncharacterized Ca(2+)-dependent CaM-binding proteins from the adult worm proteome. The Ca(2+)/CaM-binding properties of these proteins were characterized and their binding motifs were identified. The availability of such information could facilitate our understanding of the signaling pathways mediated by Ca(2+)/CaM in C. elegans. Due to its simplicity and efficiency, the method could be readily applied to examine the Ca(2+)-dependent binding partners of numerous other Ca(2+)-binding proteins, which may play important roles in many signaling pathways in C. elegans.
Insight into externally bound 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrinatopalladium(II), PdP(2), with B-form DNA duplexes poly(G-c)2, poly(A-t)2, and CT DNA by using combined MCD, CD, and optical data.

The Soret (B0) region of free and externally DNA-bound 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrinatopalladium(II), PdP(2), was investigated by electronic magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), natural circular dichroism (CD), and optical (UV-visible) absorption spectroscopies. We conclude that four-coordinate, "thick" PdP(2) binds to the exterior of each of poly(A-T)2 and calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) by two distinctly different AT-specific minor and major groove modes, with site 5'TA3' being favored for both modes. The minor groove mode involves an edge-on orientation of PdP(2), for which porphyrin electric dipole transition moments (edtms) mu x (most perturbed direction of the bound porphyrin) and mu y (least perturbed direction) have approximate orientation angles of alpha/beta/beta' = approximately 90 degrees/0 degree/0 degree and approximately 45 degrees/0 degree/90 degrees, respectively. Major groove binding is by a face-on mode, which results in the porphyrin plane being approximately parallel to the helix axis, such that mu x (most perturbed direction) and mu y (least perturbed direction) have approximate orientation angles of alpha/beta/beta' = approximately 45 degrees/180 degrees/90 degrees and approximately 45 degrees/180 degrees/270 degrees, respectively. The Soret MCD and optical band alterations upon binding (i.e., sign retention of the tetragonal, genuine MCD (+) A-term on becoming the (+) pseudo-A-term of similar amplitude and small DNA-induced optical red (delta lambda) and hypochromic (H) shifts) are all consistent with exterior binding perturbations of the porphyrin's p pi MOs (1a1u 3a2u 4eg) by the A and T bases of each polymer being weaker than caused by intercalation. Furthermore, that the (+) A-term of PdP(2) retains the (+) sign upon binding informs that the 4eg splitting, or delta LUMO, is less than the energy separation magnitude of 1a1u-3a2u, or delta HOMO. For the third system, PdP(2)/poly (G-C)2, the B0 CD spectrum has two extremely weak (+) and (-) CD bands at higher and lower energy, respectively, indicating that weak outside binding (wob) interactions are taking place between the cationic porphyrin and the electron-rich phosphate backbone of this rigid polymer. The composite of our CD, MCD, and optical data are suggestive of a face-on mode at the GC major groove. Band parameter extraction is performed on the Soret CD and MCD bands of each of the three bound systems, and it is determined that (1) very little spatial rotation of molecular charge is induced during CD excitation and (2) the excited state angular momentum, 'Lj', changes very little upon binding of PdP(2) to each duplex. These findings are also consistent with each PdP(2)/B-DNA interaction not being very strong.
Concentrations of azithromycin in human tonsillar tissue.

Patients scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy were administered 500 mg oral azithromycin as two 250 mg capsules given 12 h apart. Between 9 h and one week after the second dose, tonsil samples were taken during surgery and assayed for azithromycin. Mean concentrations in tonsillar tissue, 12 and 24 h after the second of the two 250 mg doses given 12 h apart, were 4.5 and 3.9 µg/g, respectively. Concurrent mean serum concentrations were approximately 0.03 and 0.01 µg/ml, respectively. The mean concentration in tonsillar tissue 7.5 days after the last dose was 0.93 µg/g. The apparent half-life of drug in the tissue was 76 h. The ratio of mean concentration in tissue to that in serum was greater than 150-fold for all time intervals. The presence of high azithromycin concentrations in tonsillar tissue suggests that a once-daily regimen over five days or less may be effective in treating tonsillo-pharyngitis.
Near Surface Characterization of an Impinging Elliptic Jet Array

In this study naturally occurring large-scale structures and some turbulence characteristics within an impinging jet array are investigated. The dynamics of a three-by-three elliptic jet array are analyzed relative to the flow structures within the array. With applications to electronic component cooling, low Reynolds number conditions, Re = 300 to 1500, are presented. Two jet aspect ratios are used, 2 and 3, with identical jet hydraulic diameters and jet-to-jet space. The effects of impinging distance are studied in the range of one to six jet hydraulic diameters. Flow visualization and PIV are used for the identification of structures and quantitative analysis
Magnetoresistance anisotropy of a one-dimensional superconducting niobium strip.

We investigated confinement effects on the resistive anisotropy of a superconducting niobium strip with a rectangular cross section. When its transverse dimensions are comparable to the superconducting coherence length, the angle dependent magnetoresistances at a fixed temperature can be scaled as $R(\ensuremath{\theta},H)=R(H/{H}_{c\ensuremath{\theta}})$ where ${H}_{c\ensuremath{\theta}}={H}_{c0}({cos﻿}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}+{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}{sin﻿}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}{)}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$ is the angular dependent critical field, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is the width to thickness ratio, and ${H}_{c0}$ is the critical field in the thickness direction at $\ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$. The results can be understood in terms of the anisotropic diamagnetic energy for a given field in a one-dimensional superconductor.
A baseline probabilistic drought forecasting framework using standardized soil moisture index: application to the 2012 United States drought

Abstract. The 2012 drought was one of the most extensive drought events in half a century, resulting in over USD 12 billion in economic loss in the United States and substantial indirect impacts on global food security and commodity prices. An important feature of the 2012 drought was rapid development and intensification in late spring/early summer, a critical time for crop development and investment planning. Drought prediction remains a major challenge because dynamical precipitation forecasts are highly uncertain, and their prediction skill is low. Using a probabilistic framework for drought forecasting based on the persistence property of accumulated soil moisture, this paper shows that the US drought of summer 2012 was predictable several months in advance. The presented drought forecasting framework provides the probability occurrence of drought based on climatology and near-past observations of soil moisture. The results indicate that soil moisture exhibits higher persistence than precipitation, and hence improves drought predictability.
The enigma of married women's control of property in eighteenth-century Russia.

In his recital of the symptoms of moral decline at the eighteenth-century Russian court, Prince M. M. Shcherbatov drew particular attention to a 1753 decree granting married women control of their property. The impact of this innovation, he claimed, had been no less than to "loosen the bonds of matrimony." Shcherbatov represented the ruling as a radical break with tradition, and went on to attribute the deplorable change in women's legal status to imperial favoritism. "Count Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov needed to buy an estate, belonging to a certain Countess Golovin ... who lived apart from her husband, and hence could not secure his consent." At Shuvalov's suggestion, Shcherbatov claimed, "a decree was drawn up" that did away with "this sign of female subjugation." Shuvalov then "bought the estate and thus gave occasion for women to leave their husbands at will, to ruin their children, and having left their husbands, to ruin themselves."' Remarkably, with the exception of Shcherbatov, contemporaries passed over the 1753 ruling in silence. In striking contrast to Western Europe, where lawmakers adopted the married women's property acts only after prolonged and violent public debate, the transformation of women's relation to property in Russia inspired neither criticism nor commentary on the part of the elite. Not until the nineteenth century did the unique legal status of Russia's women become the subject of discussion among scholars, who noted the ironic disparity between Russia's archaic political and economic institutions and the relative emancipation of the female sex compared with their counterparts in Western Europe. While married women in England and France waited well into the nineteenth century before they were judged capable of controlling their assets, Russian noblewomen freely disposed of their fortunes after 1753, became active participants in the market for land
What Do Test Scores in Texas Tell Us

We examine the results on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), the highest-profile state testing program and one that has recorded extraordinary recent gains in math and reading scores. To investigate whether the dramatic math and reading gains on the TAAS represent actual academic progress, we have compared these gains to score changes in Texas on another test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Texas students did improve significantly more on a fourth-grade NAEP math test than their counterparts nationally. But, the size of this gain was smaller than their gains on TAAS and was not present on the eighth-grade math test. The stark differences between the stories told by NAEP and TAAS are especially striking when it comes to the gap in average scores between whites and students of color. According to the NAEP results, that gap in Texas is not only very large but increasing slightly. According to TAAS scores, the gap is much smaller and decreasing greatly. Many schools are devoting a great deal of class time to highly specific TAAS preparation. While this preparation may improve TAAS scores, it may not help students develop necessary reading and math skills. Schools with relatively large percentages of minority and poor students may be doing this more than other schools. We raise serious questions about the validity of those gains, and caution against the danger of making decisions to sanction or reward students, teachers and schools on the basis of test scores that may be inflated or misleading. Finally, we suggest some steps that states can take to increase the likelihood that their test results merit public confidence and provide a sound basis for educational policy.
Squamous cell carcinoma variants of the head and neck

Abstract Variants of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) frequently arise within the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, accounting for up to 15% of SCCs in these areas. The most common variants include verrucous, exophytic or papillary, spindle-cell (sarcomatoid), basaloid and adenosquamous carcinoma. Each of these variants has a unique histomorphologic appearance, which raises a number of different differential diagnostic considerations, with the attendant clinically relevant management decision. Verrucous squamous cell carcinoma has a broad border of pushing infiltration of a non-dysplastic squamous epithelium, essentially devoid of mitotic figures, displaying hyperkeratosis on elongated rete pegs. Papillary and exophytic SCC have a papillary or exophytic architecture, but have malignant cytologic features within the epithelium. Spindle-cell (sarcomatoid) carcinoma is an SCC blended with a spindle-cell morphology, frequently mimicking other mesenchymal tumours. Epithelial markers are often negative. Basaloid SCC is a high-grade SCC variant with small cells arranged in a palisaded architecture, with hyperchromatic nuclei and only focal areas of squamous differentiation. Adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare variant, which is a composite of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, often with areas of transition. The cytomorphologic features are described in detail in an attempt to allow the general surgical pathologist to separate these variants of SCC in order to achieve appropriate clinical management.