cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The signature of the city: abandonment and dreaming in colonial Williamsburg and Ottawa

Exploring the themes of abandonment and dreaming in relation to two North American capital cities, this interdisciplinary narrative essay examines the Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's influence on the planning and architecture of Ottawa in relation to his frequent visits to Colonial Williamsburg, the restored former capital of Virginia. At the invitation of John D. Rockefeller Jr., King became a regular guest in Williamsburg during the 1930s and 1940s culminating in the conferral of an honorary degree by the College of William and Mary in 1948. The records of these visits provide a diagnostic used to conceptualize the 'signature' of the capital city. In abandonment and in dreaming, capital cities are especially exposed to latent forces of nature and of 'museumification'. These two forces created a tension that complicated attempts by King and Rockefeller to leave permanent architectural legacies in the signatures of their respective capitals.
Interfacial instability of pressure-driven channel flow for a two-species model of entangled wormlike micellar solutions

Abstract We examine the linear stability of the one dimensional inhomogeneous (shear banded) pressure-driven flow through a rectilinear microchannel predicted by the VCM model (Vasquez et al., A network scission model for wormlike micellar solutions I: model formulation and homogeneous flow predictions, J. Non-Newton. Fluid Mech., 144:122–139, 2007). The VCM model is a microstructural network model that incorporates the breakage and reforming of two elastically-active species (a long species ‘A’ and a shorter species ‘B’). The model consists of a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations describing the two micellar species, which relax due to reptative and Rousian stress-relaxation mechanisms as well as breakage events. The model includes nonlocal effects arising from stress-microstructure diffusion and we investigate the effect of these nonlocal terms on the linear stability of the pressure-driven flow. Calculation of the full eigenspectrum shows that the mode of instability is a sinuous (odd) interfacial mode, in agreement with previous calculations for the shear-banded Johnson–Segalman model (Fielding and Wilson, Shear banding and interfacial instability in planar Poiseuille flow, J. Non-Newton. Fluid Mech., 165:196–202, 2010). Increased diffusion, or smaller characteristic channel dimensions, smoothes the kink in the velocity profile that develops at the shear band and progressively reduces the spectrum of unstable modes. For sufficiently large diffusion this smoothing effect eliminates the instability entirely and restabilizes the base (shear-banded) velocity profile.
Automation in PET center operation with special application to radiation monitoring

Abstract PET imaging requires the formation, synthesis and administration of substantial quantities of radioactivity. The routine production of radiolabelied pharmaceuticals is complex and is achieved through automation. By combining the nuclide production, chemical syntheses and radiation monitoring functions through network integration of several different computing systems, the operation of a PET center is simplified and more efficiently managed.
A quantitative slot blot assay for host cell protein impurities in recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli

Residual host cell protein impurities in recombinant proteins intended for human use must be accurately quantified to help establish their safety. We describe a novel means of host cell protein quantitation, in which a slot blot system was employed together with scanning laser densitometry to allow picogram level sensitivity in detection of residual host cell proteins in unpurified fermentation products and final purified bulk samples. Two allelic forms of merozoite surface protein 1, a promising malaria vaccine candidate antigen currently undergoing evaluation in clinical trials, were expressed in E. coli as clinical grade proteins, refolded, and carried through several chromatographic purification steps. Several lots of these proteins were analyzed with this generic quantitative assay that uses rat polyclonal antibodies generated against soluble and insoluble E. coli proteins. The assay had a detection range of 6.1-1562 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 6.1 ng/mL, comparable to reported ELISA-based methods. This assay proved simple yet very sensitive and accurate, giving highly reproducible results. Thus it is suitable for evaluating host cell protein levels in clinical grade recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli.
Developing a Concept of Adaptive Community Learning: Case Study of a Rapidly Urbanizing Watershed

An iterative approach to working with a community's environmental concerns, at the interface between science and society, is presented. We call this adaptive community learning, within which the principles of adaptive environmental assessment and management are embedded. Handling uncertainty - indeed, gross uncertainty - is integral to our approach. We place our discussion in the context of the evolving foundations of the kind of science needed to address contemporary issues of the environment and sustainability. We then illustrate development and application of our approach in a prototypical case study of managing the quality of Lake Lanier, Georgia (USA), in the face of potentially significant suburbanisation of its watershed. Our primary purpose is to communicate the entirety of the approach as succinctly as possible, without the clutter of the specific results emerging in the several disciplines keyed into the project as a whole.
Therapy Insight: gastroesophageal reflux disease and laryngopharyngeal reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux, but the cause and effect relationship between these two clinical entities is far from established. This Review considers studies of the pathogenesis of laryngopharyngeal reflux, the value of diagnostic testing either on or off therapy, and treatment options and duration, that have increased our our understanding of this field. Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been increasingly associated with ear, nose and throat signs and symptoms; however, the cause and effect relationship between these two clinical entities is far from established. Many patients initially diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease as the cause of laryngeal signs do not respond either symptomatically or laryngoscopically to aggressive acid suppression, and do not have abnormal esophageal acid exposure as measured by pH monitoring. This has resulted in frustration on the part of both gastroenterologists and ear, nose and throat physicians, and confusion on the part of patients. This review discusses the reasons for this controversy and highlights data that attempt to clarify this complex area.
A heuristic criterion for instability to fragmentation in rotating, interstellar clouds

A heuristic criterion, based on linear perturbation analysis, is applied to the initial growth of density perturbations in isothermal or adiabatic gas clouds, with initially uniform density and uniform rotation. The heuristic criterion is shown to be consistent with the available results from numerical calculations of cloud collapse. The criterion predicts that perturbations varying as cos (m(phi)) will be most likely to grow when )pi is small, unless the cloud is nearly pressureless.
Statistical Analysis for Queueing Simulations

This paper presents a method for estimating the variances of sample performance measures in queueing simulations, for removing the bias in these sample measures due to initial conditions and for deriving approximating confidence intervals for the true performance measures. It also describes how a variance reduction can be achieved using the method when comparing performance measures for two queue disciplines. The approach requires only that every time the system passes through the empty and idle condition future behavior is independent of past behavior.
Circulating leukocyte telomere length and risk of overall and aggressive prostate cancer

Recent large-scale prospective studies suggest that long telomeres are associated with an increase cancer risk, counter to conventional wisdom. To further clarify the association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and prostate cancer, and assess genetic variability in relation to both LTL and prostate cancer, we performed a nested case–control study (922 cases and 935 controls). The participants provided blood in 1993–1995 and were followed through August 2004 (prostate cancer incidence) or until 28 February 2013 (lethal or fatal prostate cancer). Relative LTL was measured by quantitative PCR and was calculated as the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to a single gene (36B4) copy number (T/S). Genotyping was performed using the TaqMan OpenArray SNP Genotyping Platform. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all prostate cancer and subtypes defined by Gleason grade, stage and lethality (metastasis or death). We observed a positive association between each s.d. increase in LTL and all (multivariable-adjusted OR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01–1.22), low-grade (OR 1.13, 95% CI:1.01–1.27), and localised (OR 1.12, 95% CI:1.01–1.24) prostate cancer. Associations for other subtypes were similar, but did not reach statistical significance. In subgroup analyses, associations for high grade and advanced stage (OR=2.04, 95% CI 1.00–4.17; Pinteraction=0.06) or lethal disease (OR=2.37, 95% CI 1.19–4.72; Pinteraction=0.01) were stronger in men with a family history of the disease compared with those without. The minor allele of SNP, rs7726159, which has previously been shown to be positively associated with LTL, showed an inverse association with all prostate cancer risk after correction for multiple testing (P=0.0005). In this prospective study, longer LTL was modestly associated with higher risk of prostate cancer. A stronger association for more aggressive cancer in men with a family history of the disease needs to be confirmed in larger studies.
On military RDT&E in Israel

Abstract Military research, development, testing and evaluation in Israel are described in historical perspective prior to the 1973 war. Emphasis is given to the advantages of short, informal lines of communication, flexibility in the process of weapons development and to the immediacy of perceived military threat as possible reasons for success of weapons developed by or weapons technologies adapted by Israel. Relatively small size of the nation and the military organization are also seen to be advantages for effective development or adoption of military technology.
Blood coagulation studies in normothermic, hibernating, and aroused Spermophilus franklini.

Abstract The blood coagulation system of Spermophilus franklini was evaluated from normothermic, hibernating, and aroused individuals. Clotting time, thrombin time, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time were measured to test the state of coagulability. The concentrations of the formed elements and the titers of five plasma factors were also determined. During hibernation, clotting time significantly increased above normothermic levels. Arousal resulted in clotting time returning toward normothermic values. Both thrombin time and partial thromboplastin time significantly increased above normothermic levels in blood from hibernators. The two tests exhibited normothermic levels in arousing individuals. Prothrombin time did not increase in blood from hibernating animals. Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets were found to be significantly reduced in number in hibernating animals. Leukocyte and platelet numbers returned to normothermic levels during arousal. Factor VII, Factor X, prothrombin, and heparin concentrations did not significantly change from normothermic levels in hibernating individuals. Factor V, however, displayed a 45% decrease in concentration in hibernating individuals, with arousal resulting in near-normothermic levels. Aroused individuals displayed a doubling of prothrombin concentrations relative to normothermic individuals.
Abstract 3228: Dual HER2 and EGFR inhibitor BIBW2992 have dramatic activity in a HER2 wild type/EGFR L858R murine lung cancer model

Dual HER2 and EGFR inhibitor BIBW2992 have dramatic activity in a HER2 wild type/EGFR L858R murine lung cancer model HER2 (ERBB2) is a proto-oncogene that belongs to EGFR tyrosine kinase receptor family. HER2 genomic locus amplification and HER2 protein over-expression detected by IHC have been identified in many human cancer types including breast, brain and lung cancer. Simultaneous over-expression of both HER2 and EGFR occurs in a subpopulation of lung cancer patients. Here we developed a transgenic mouse model with inducible wild type HER2 expression in type II pneumocyte. Continual HER2 over-expression in the lung epithelial compartment leads to peripheral lung adenocarcinoma that responds dramatically to targeted anti-HER2 therapeutics. Mice over-expressing both EGFR L858R and the wild type HER2 alleles do not significant accelerate tumorigenesis or alter of tumor histology as compared to tumors generated by the wild type HER2 single alleles. The HER2/EGFR driven murine lung tumors showed mild and transient response to the EGFR inhibitor, gefitinib. This result mimics the observation from clinical patients. However, the dual HER2/EGFR inhibitor, BIBW2992, is much more effective against these HER2/EGFR driven lung cancers as measured by tumor regression and over all survival. Our data suggested that targeting therapy against both EGFR and HER2 is a better strategy in lung cancer patients with co-expression of EGFR and HER2 when compared with treatment against EGFR alone. Clinical trial for dual HER2/EGFR inhibitors in this population should be considered. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3228.
Gas chromatographic analysis of malonaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-(E)-nonenal produced from arachidonic acid and linoleic acid in a lipid peroxidation model system.

Malonaldehyde (MA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HN) formed upon oxidation with Fe2+/H2O2 from arachidonic acid and linoleic acid, and their ethyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The MA and 4-HN produced were reacted withN-methylhydrazine (NMH) to give 1-methylpyrazole and 5(1′-hydroxyhexyl)-1-methyl-2-pyrazoline, respectively. The derivatives were analyzed by GC on a fused silica capillary column using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. With arachidonic acid, more MA and 4-HN were formed from the ester (88 nmol/mg and 23 nmol/mg, respectively) than from the free acid (25 nmol/mg and 9 nmol/mg, respectively). In contrast, with linoleic acid, more MA and 4-HN were produced from the free acid (53 nmol/mg and 13 nmol/mg, respectively) than from the ester (39 nm/mg and 8 nmol/mg, respectively).
Effects of mecamylamine on spontaneous EEG and performance in smokers and non-smokers.

Abstract In a previous study, mecamylamine, a centrally active nicotine antagonist, exacerbated EEG signs of tobacco abstinence in abstinent smokers. In the present study, the effects of mecamylamine were compared in non-smokers and nondeprived smokers. Mecamylamine (0, 5 and 10 mg, p.o.) was administered to six smokers and six non-smokers; eight of these subjects were also given a 20 mg dose. Before drug administration, resting EEG was similar in both groups. In both groups, mecamylamine caused dose-related decreases in alpha frequency and increases in delta frequency; beta frequency was increased by the 5 and 10 mg doses. The similarity of effects in smokers and non-smokers suggests a direct pharmacological action rather than precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Significant baseline differences existed between smokers and non-smokers in systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature and pupil diameter. Response time slowed in both vigilance and distractibility tasks and delayed recall was impaired. Mecamylamine increased ratings of: “relaxed,” “nodding,” “sleepy” and “coasting.” This small-sample study tentatively suggests that nicotinic cholinergic mechanisms modulate brain electrical activity and cognitive function in smokers and non-smokers. Disruption of these neural systems could mediate the symptoms of tobacco withdrawal and be involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease.Published by Elsevier Science Inc., 1997
An efficient procedure for the preparation of natural products bearing the 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone skeleton.

Abstract Several 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones have been shown to possess neuroprotective activity. However, limited synthetic methods have been disclosed to construct the 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone skeleton. Herein, we report a straightforward 3-step preparation of five naturally occurring 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones utilizing the Claisen condensation as the key step.
Small-volume resuscitation with HBOC-201: effects on cardiovascular parameters and brain tissue oxygen tension in an out-of-hospital model of hemorrhage in swine.

OBJECTIVE Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, such as HBOC-201, offer several potential advantages over conventional resuscitation solutions or banked blood in the acute treatment of hemorrhagic shock. While previous studies with some hemoglobin solutions revealed vasoactive effects resulting in decreased oxygen delivery, these investigations were performed without directly measuring vital tissue oxygenation. The authors tested the hypothesis that a small-volume bolus of HBOC-201 would improve and sustain brain tissue oxygen tension (PbrO(2)) without adverse effects on cardiovascular end-points, when used in an acute out-of-hospital hemorrhage model. METHODS Male Yorkshire swine (n = 7) were hemorrhaged to a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 40 mm Hg while monitoring standard hemodynamic parameters. In addition, Clark-type polarographic probes were directly inserted into brain tissue to measure PbrO(2). Following institution of high-flow oxygen (FiO(2) = 1.0), resuscitation was performed with a bolus infusion of HBOC-201 (6 mL/kg). Swine were observed for two hours. RESULTS Cardiac output (CO), MAP, pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (PAD), and PbrO(2) all decreased significantly with hemorrhage (p < 0.05). Immediately following resuscitation with HBOC-201 (mean volume = 239 mL), MAP and CO were restored to 83% and 84% of baseline levels, respectively. PbrO(2) increased significantly after treatment with HBOC-201, surpassing baseline levels by 66%. PAD rose above baseline levels during observation, but this increase was not significantly different from baseline levels (24.0 mm +/- 4.1 vs. 22.7 mm +/- 7.4). CONCLUSIONS Small-volume resuscitation with HBOC-201 rapidly restored hemodynamic parameters and PbrO(2) following severe hemorrhage without detrimental vasoactive effects and without compromise to directly monitored brain tissue oxygenation. The results of this preliminary study demonstrate that HBOC-201 could potentially improve current resuscitation measures and that further investigations with HBOC-201 are warranted.
A new shuttle vector for gene expression in biopolymer-producing Ralstonia eutropha

Ralstonia eutropha (formerly Alcaligenes eutrophus) is a fascinating microorganism with a great scientific importance and an immense commercial potential. A new genetic transformation system for the organism would greatly facilitate the biological study and molecular engineering of this organism. We report here a versatile gene expression method for the genetic engineering of R. eutropha. This method, based on a simplified electroporation protocol, uses a recombinant plasmid, pBS29-P2, containing a Pseudomonas syringae promoter (P2) and two antibiotic-resistance markers (i.e., genes coding for kanamycin (Km)- and tetracycline (Tc)-resistance). Using this method, we successfully achieved transformation of wild-type R. eutropha and its poly(hydroxyalkanoate)-negative mutant, R. eutropha PHB(-)4, with various pBS29-P2-based recombinants. A transformation frequency as high as 4x10(3) Km-resistance colonies/mug DNA was obtained per electroporation experiment. We further demonstrated the successful expression of a heterologous gene coding for green-fluorescent-protein by fluorescence measurement. In addition, our results indicated the expression of a truncated but active Streptomyces coelicolor alpha-galactosidase in R. eutropha.
A Mössbauer spectroscopic study of some ferric polyaminocarboxylates

Abstract Ferric salts of EDTA, HEDTA, CDTA and NTA were examined using nuclear γ-ray resonance spectroscopy to determine the relative amounts of monomeric and dimeric anion present in the solid, solution, polyelectrolyte and ion exchanger phases as a function of the pH of the equilibrating solutions. In most cases, the dimeric anion became more prevalent as the pH of the equilibrating solution increased. Results were compared with data derived from potentiometric titrations and rationalized in terms of an electrostatically-based interpretation of polyelectrolyte and ion exchanger selectivities. Monomeric and chelated polymeric analogs of IMDA were also examined to compare directly the polyaminocarboxylate ligand in the chelated environment where dimerization is not possible to the free IMDA anion in equilibrating solution at various pH values.
Meeting Report: Chemical and Biological Applications of X-ray Emission Spectroscopy

A workshop on high-resolution X-ray emission spectroscopy was held in conjunction with the joint NSLS/CFN 2006 Users' Meeting. With the availability of high-brightness X-ray sources, and the development of improved optics and detectors for high-resolution (millivolt to volt) X-ray detection, X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) has become one of the more rapidly growing areas of condensed matter synchrotron science. Most of the applications to date have focused on using XES for problems in condensed matter physics. The goal of this workshop was to illustrate the potential of XES for addressing important questions in chemistry and biology.
Effect of cytidine on purine nucleotide formation in ascites tumor cells in vitro.

Abstract The stimulation of purine nucleotide synthesis by cytidine and glucose in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro appears to be due to the utilization of the ribose moiety. Thus, these compounds stimulated nucleotide formation from precursors which depended on linkage with a pentose moiety but not from those already linked to pentose. When uniformly labeled cytidine was incubated with the cells, 14 C was incorporated into the ribose or deoxyribose moiety of the purine nucleotides of the acid-soluble, RNA, and DNA fractions. It was demonstrated that the incorporation of 14 C from uniformly labeled cytidine into the ribose moiety of ATP was sufficient to account for the increase in [ 14 CC]adenine incorporation into ATP when cytidine was added. When cytidine and phosphate were incubated with the high-speed supernatant fraction from a homogenate of these cells, uridine, uracil and orcinol-reacting (non-pyrimidine linked) ribose were produced. It was suggested that cytidine is first deaminated to uridine, which in turn is split by uridine phosphorylase to produce ribose 1-phosphate, which is then available for utilization in purine nucleotide formation.
No benefit to intraoperative assessment of breast margins

To the Editor Schnitt and Morrow1 make a compelling argument that the benefit of reexcision for close breast lumpectomy margins is not entirely clear and that the likelihood of recurrence is highly related to tumor biology. They state that “it is more prudent for clinicians and pathologists to change the way they think about the relationship between margin width and risk of local recurrence based on available evidence than to implement the routine use of frozen sections to evaluate lumpectomy margins.” There is general agreement, however, that a positive margin (tumor touching the inked edge of tissue) needs to be reexcised. For these patients, there is a clear benefit to knowing that the tumor is at the inked margin at the time of the initial surgery, as a conservative reexcision can be performed at that time to avoid the cost and morbidity of a subsequent …
Hepatitis C and the hand surgeon: what you should know.

s H fi w ( o h g r l In B ri ef CHRONIC HEPATITIS C has recently become the number one cause of liver-related mortality in the United States. A blood-borne infection, it is ost commonly spread by intravenous drug use. Howver, health care workers such as hand surgeons can be xposed through “sharp” injuries (eg, accidental needle ticks) both in clinic and in the operating room. If one cquires hepatitis C, there is approximately an 80% hance that it will develop into a chronic infection. Hepatitis C infection is deemed chronic if detectable epatitis C virus (HCV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) is resent for at least 6 months. After hepatitis C has eveloped into a chronic infection, there is roughly a 0% chance that cirrhosis will manifest within the next 0 years. Cirrhosis develops because the HCV targets hepatocytes, causing damage to them through a mechanism not completely understood. There is no vaccine or the prevention of hepatitis C infection. In this article, e review the transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and revention of hepatitis C as it pertains to practicing and surgeons.
Studies of oxygen reduction reaction active sites and stability of nitrogen-modified carbon composite catalysts for PEM fuel cells

Abstract A non-precious nitrogen-modified carbon composite (NMCC) catalyst is synthesized by the pyrolysis of cobalt, iron–ethylenediamine–chelate complexes on silica followed by chemical and pyrolysis treatments. Pyrolysis temperature and time have a remarkable impact on the content and the type of the nitrogen-containing functional groups in the NMCC catalysts, which affect their catalytic activity and stability. Based on the analysis of the nitrogen functional groups before and after the stability tests, the ORR active sites of the NMCC catalysts are proposed to be pyridinic-N and quaternary-N functional groups. However the pyridinic-N group is not stable in the acidic environment due to the protonation reaction.
North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Program to 2015: Three Scenarios

This essay evaluates three alternative scenarios for North Korea's nuclear weapons development over the coming decade: (1) pursuit of a symbolic nuclear capability, (2) pursuit of an operational nuclear deterrent, and (3) a deficient or failed effort to achieve an operational capability.
Secondhand smoke exposure and C-reactive protein levels in youth

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999-2002), we examined the association of secondhand tobacco exposure, estimated by serum cotinine, with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in nonsmoking participants, aged 6-18 years. The association between serum cotinine and serum CRP was analyzed using multiple linear regression, with adjustment for other study variables. All analyses used weighted data and adjustments for design effects. Multiple regression analysis indicated that a change in serum cotinine of 0.5 ng/ml was associated with a 0.96 mg/dl change in CRP (95% CI=0.93-1.00), even after adjustment for age, white blood cell count, and body mass index percentile. We found a significant association between secondhand smoke exposure, assessed by serum cotinine, and elevated serum CRP among nonsmoking youth. Secondhand smoke exposure may pose an important long-term cardiovascular risk for children and adolescents.
Critical manifolds and stability in Hamiltonian systems with non-holonomic constraints

Abstract We explore a particular approach to the analysis of dynamical and geometrical properties of autonomous, Pfaffian non-holonomic systems in classical mechanics. The method is based on the construction of a certain auxiliary constrained Hamiltonian system, which comprises the non-holonomic mechanical system as a dynamical subsystem on an invariant manifold. The embedding system possesses a completely natural structure in the context of symplectic geometry, and using it in order to understand properties of the subsystem has compelling advantages. We discuss generic geometric and topological properties of the critical sets of both embedding and physical system, using Conley–Zehnder theory, and by relating the Morse–Witten complexes of the ‘free’ and constrained system to one another. Furthermore, we give a qualitative discussion of the stability of motion in the vicinity of the critical set. We point out key relations to sub-Riemannian geometry, and a potential computational application.
High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of diltiazem and two of its metabolites in plasma using a short alkyl chain silanol deactivated column.

A simple and reproducible method for the determination of diltiazem and its two major metabolites, demethyl- and deacetyldiltiazem, is presented using a new column containing a short alkyl chain silanol deactivated support. This method involves the extraction of alkalinized plasma with a hexane—isopropanol mixture (95:5, v/v) followed by back-extraction into 5 mM sulfuric acid. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography is used with ultraviolet detection at 237 nm over a concentration range of 20–400 ng/ml for the compounds. Imipramine is used as the internal standard. Within-day and between-day coefficients of variation are less than 10%. The lower limits of detection are 4, 2 and 4 ng/ml for diltiazem, deacetyl- and demethyldiltiazem, respectively. Samples can be stored for up to thirty days with no significant degradation. The assay has clinical applicability.
Temperament Inventory: an Instrument To Empirically Verify the Four-Factor Hypothesis:

The four temperament theory appears, from a psychometric per spective, to be one of the soundest theories of personality in exis tence. Factor analyses of several existing personality tests, such as those conducted by Eysenck and Eysenck (1969), generally have re vealed that two dimensions of personality, together yielding four temperaments, provide the most straightforward and parsimonious explanation of temperament. However, the most popular four-tem perament test, the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), yields tem perament scores that are mutually exclusive. Following the lead of Buss and Plomin (1975), the researchers hypothesized that a four temperament test that allowed scores on all four temperaments to be presented would be more useful and conceptually sound. The results of this study support that hypothesis. A temperament test, called the Temperament Inventory (TI), was constructed and administered to a nonprobability purposive sample of 3409 subjects. Factor analysis of the test data yielded fo...
Fine structure ofDrosophila wing imaginal discs during early stages of metamorphosis

Fine structural changes are described which occur in wing imaginal discs taken fromDrosophila prepupae at 120–128 hours of age. The first signs of cuticle formation appear at 124 hours in the tips of microvilli which extend into the peripodial cavity of the disc. A continuous epicuticular layer is evident at 126 hours, and the beginning of laminated endocuticle at 128 hours. Electron-lucid spaces appear in the apical regions of the cells at 122 and 124 hours. These are often clearly intercellular and contain membranous material, but sometime appear to be intracellular, or vacuoles. Their frequency decreases sharply after 122 hours, and begins to rise again at 126 hours.
The elusive goal of pedigree weights

Non-parametric linkage analysis methods generally involve calculating an allele-sharing statistic for each pedigree in a data set, then standardizing and summing the statistics over pedigrees. Pedigrees of different sizes can be weighted differently in the sum, though it is perhaps most common to weight all standardized pedigree statistics equally. Most other common weighting schemes are based on the number of affected individuals in the pedigree. It is also possible to derive optimal weights, which maximize power to detect linkage under particular trait models. We started by investigating three different analytical and simulation-based methods to calculate power and derive optimal weights. We found that simulation methods produce noticeably more accurate power calculations than the other methods. However, although the different calculation methods give different “optimal” weights, the power at those weights is very similar. That is, the analytical calculation methods are sufficient for finding good weights even though the simulation methods are most appropriate for calculating power. In comparing optimal weights for different trait models, we found that the weights vary quite a bit with the model, such that optimal weights for one model are not necessarily powerful at all for other models. Finally, we studied the power of a number of general weighting schemes, and of some new ones that incorporate information on how closely the affected individuals are related. We were able to find some schemes that performed well in the sense of giving reasonably powerful weights for most of the trait models and pedigree types we considered. Genet. Epidemiol. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire in a General Academic Context

The psychometric properties of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ), when modified for a general academic context, were examined. Previous research has found evidence of a four-factor structure of achievement goal orientation when this measure was used in a course-specific context. This study is an important addition to goal orientation research for the following two reasons: (a) It provides additional support for four distinct factors of goal orientation, and (b) it answers the call for examining achievement goal orientation measures at different levels of specificity. The authors found that the four-factor structure of goal orientation replicated when used in a general academic context.
Toward a complete Himalayan hydrological budget: Spatiotemporal distribution of snowmelt and rainfall and their impact on river discharge

[1] The hydrological budget of Himalayan rivers is dominated by monsoonal rainfall and snowmelt, but their relative impact is not well established because this remote region lacks a dense gauge network. Here, we use a combination of validated remotely-sensed climate parameters to characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of rainfall, snowfall, and evapotranspiration in order to quantify their relative contribution to mean river discharge. Rainfall amounts are calculated from calibrated, orbital, high-resolution Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission data, and snow-water equivalents are computed from a snowmelt model based on satellite-derived snow cover, surface temperature, and solar radiation. Our data allow us to identify three key aspects of the spatiotemporal precipitation pattern. First, we observe a strong decoupling between the rainfall on the Himalayan foreland versus that in the mountains: a pronounced sixfold, east-west rainfall gradient in the Ganges plains exists only at elevations <500 m asl. Mountainous regions (500 to 5000 m asl) receive nearly equal rainfall amounts along strike. Second, whereas the Indian summer monsoon is responsible for more than 80% of annual rainfall in the central Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, the eastern and western syntaxes receive only ∼50% of their annual rainfall during the summer season. Third, snowmelt contributions to discharge differ widely along the range. As a fraction of the total annual discharge, snowmelt constitutes up to 50% in the far western (Indus area) catchments, ∼25% in far eastern (Tsangpo) catchments, and <20% elsewhere. Despite these along-strike variations, snowmelt in the pre- and early-monsoon season (April to June) is significant and important in all catchments, although most pronounced in the western catchments. Thus, changes in the timing or amount of snowmelt due to increasing temperatures or decreasing winter precipitation may have far-reaching societal consequences. These new data on precipitation and runoff set the stage for far more detailed investigations than have previously been possible of climate-erosion interactions in the Himalaya.
The Coherence of Disorder: A Realist Approach to the Politics of City Regions

Although study of political cooperation has yielded valuable insights about city region governance, this approach achieves less understanding of its actual practice. Viewing it mainly as a struggle to achieve political cooperation neglects how local governments sometimes find other ways of pulling together. A realist perspective uncovers how local governments pursue collective action despite limited political cooperation. Taking cues from theories of international politics, a framework for realist analysis of metropolitan areas is fashioned. It focuses on identifying processes of coordination and their political, economic and social structural linkages. This approach reveals enduring patterns of governance in support of de facto regional politics and policies. The framework is illustrated by the case of the New York tri-state region where a two-tier system of coordination having distinct policy biases is found in the region's fragmented politics. The usefulness of this framework for the comparative study ...
Nanomechanical properties of thin films of type I collagen fibrils.

The mechanical cues that adherent cells derive from the extracellular matrix (ECM) can effect dramatic changes in cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Model ECMs composed ...
Dynamic stability of symmetric spinning missiles.

High drag planetary entry vehicles dynamic stability prediction accounting for gravitational effects in terminal flight at small roll rates
Host Records for the Parasites Diadegma acuta and Rhexidermus huardi (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

New host records were obtained for 2 ichneumonid parasites of Platyptila pica cratea Fletcher. The biology of this insect was reported by Lange (1950.)
The epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in an urban hospital: does African American race protect against coronary artery aneurysms?

The etiology and pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) is largely unknown. Certain demographic factors and laboratory findings are predictive of the development of coronary artery (CA) aneurysms. The objectives of this study were to determine the epidemiology of KD patients in an urban hospital and determine risk factors associated with their development of CA abnormalities. A longitudinal case series of KD patients admitted to Children’s National Medical Center from 1990 to 2002 was examined. Age, sex, ethnic background, duration of fever prior to diagnosis, address, month diagnosed, and CA abnormalities (ectasia or aneurysms) on echocardiography were recorded. Median household income was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau Web site. The Student t-test, logistic regression analyses, and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used, with significance assumed at p < 0.05. A total of 302 patients were evaluated. CA abnormalties were found in 27 patients (9%), with aneurysms identified in 13 patients (4%). Age was 2.9 ± 2.4 years (range, 2 months to 14 years). A total of 51 patients (16%) were ≤1 year and 35 patients (12%) were ≥5 years. Ethnic distribution was 54% (164) African American, 24% (72) Caucasian, 9% (29) Asian/Pacific Islander, 8% (23) Hispanic, and 5% (14) Middle Eastern. Only 2/164 (1.2%) African Americans developed CA aneurysms. Neighborhood median income of the cohort was $45,400 ± $21,200 ($52,200 ±$25,800 for patients with aneurysms). A total of 28% of cases clustered between December and January. Cases doubled annually in 1999–2001 compared to 1990–1998 (39 vs 19). Multivariate logistic regression found age between 1 and 5 years [p = 0.045; odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10–0.97] and African American race (p = 0.014; odds ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.03–0.68) to be independently protective against CA aneurysms. Duration of fever prior to diagnosis, considered in 210 patients, was different between patients with and without aneurysms (11 ± 5.3 vs 6.5 ± 3.8 days, respectively, p = 0.0007). Multivariate logistic regression found fever longer than 5 days to be the only predictive factor associated with the development of aneurysms and any abnormality. African Americans had a shorter duration of fever than the rest of the cohort (6.03 vs 7.31 days), (p = 0.0087). The epidemiology of KD at our hospital is similar to that at other centers except for the predominance of African Americans with a shorter duration of fever prior to diagnosis and a decreased incidence of CA aneurysms compared to other ethnicities. The protective nature of African American ethnicity against the development of CA aneurysms raises speculation about the role of genetics and its interaction with immunity in the pathogenesis of KD.
Hypoxia induces autophagy in primary human trophoblasts.

Autophagy is a highly regulated and dynamic process that maintains cellular homeostasis and plays a prosurvival role in most cells. Although hypoxia has been shown to induce apoptosis in placental trophoblasts, the hypoxic effect on autophagy has not been studied. We hypothesized that autophagy plays a prosurvival role in the placental trophoblasts by antagonizing hypoxia-induced apoptosis. Our data show that the expression of Light chain 3-II (LC3-II), an autophagic marker and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, an apoptosis marker, are inversely related in cultured trophoblasts. Exposure to rapamycin or hypoxia inactivated mammalian target of rapamycin, as reflected by reduced phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6, indicating that mammalian target of rapamycin regulates autophagy in cultured cytotrophoblasts. Bafilomycin prevented the degradation of cargo and increased LC3-II and p62 in cytotrophoblasts exposed to hypoxia, revealing enhanced autophagic flux. Importantly, bafilomycin enhanced expressi...
Potential for Chemical Mixture Exposures and Health Risks in New Orleans Post–Hurricane Katrina

ABSTRACT Toxic chemical exposure following Hurricane Katrina was a major concern given the industrial base of the New Orleans area. We evaluated the potential for chemical mixture exposures in the USEPA's hurricane response sampling in Orleans Parish and identified health effects of concern for mixtures observed. Environmental sampling (excluding hazardous waste sites and spills) yielded 165 floodwater sampling locations, 206 soil sampling locations, and 451 sediment sampling locations. Frequently reported chemicals included manufacturing intermediates, metallic elements, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Health effects associated with chemicals frequently reported included: blood effects, cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, kidney, liver and neurological effects. Effect-specific mixtures of two or more chemicals were found at many sampling locations. For example, two carcinogens frequently reported in soil were found together at 64 (31%) soil sample locations; seven nephrotoxicants were found t...
Development of the Tracer Gas Method for Large Bore Natural Gas Engines—Part II: Measurement of Scavenging Parameters

In this work the tracer gas method using nitrous oxide as the tracer gas is implemented on a stationary two-stroke cycle, four-cylinder, fuel-injected large-bore natural gas engine. The engine is manufactured by Cooper-Bessemer, model number GMV-4TF. It is representative of the large bore natural gas stationary engine fleet currently in use by the natural gas industry for natural gas compression and power generation. Trapping efficiency measurements are carried out with the tracer gas method at various engine operating conditions, and used to evaluate the scavenging efficiency and trapped A/F ratio. Scavenging efficiency directly affects engine power and trapped A/F ratio has a dramatic impact on pollutant emissions. Engine operating conditions are altered through variations in boost pressure, speed, back pressure, and intake port restriction.
Getting All Students to Listen Analyzing and Coping With Student Resistance

The new scholarship on race, class, and gender is exciting, but teaching this to students can be a complex process. Faculty can prepare for various reactions from students by thinking about issues ...
A fuzzy logic approach to the selection of cranes

This paper presents a fuzzy logic approach to select the best crane type in a construction project from the main crane types, namely, mobile, tower and derrick cranes. Each factor of the project is classified as being dynamic or static according to whether the factor does or does not depend on the particular project. Linguistic information about the suitability of each crane type with respect to each factor of the project is translated into either fuzzy sets (for static factors) or fuzzy if–then rules (for dynamic factors). The fuzzy rules are then aggregated into a fuzzy relation between the space of factor property and the space of crane efficiency. In a particular project the experts describe the property as well as the relative importance of each factor. The rules are then fired using the max–min extension principle, and the resulting efficiencies are aggregated with their importance weights. The process identifies the best crane as the one with the highest expected overall efficiency.
Scaling of symmetric matrices by positive diagonal congruence

We consider the problem of characterizing n-by-n real symmetric matrices A for which there is an n-by-n diagonal matrix D, with positive diagonal entries, so that DAD has row (and column) sums 1. Under certain conditions we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a scaling for A, based upon both the positive definiteness of A on a cone lying in the nonnegative orthant and the semipositivity of A. This generalizes known results for strictly copositive matrices. Also given are (1) a condition sufficient for a unique scaling; (2) a characterization of those positive semidefinite matrices that are scalable; and (3) a new condition equivalent to strict copositivity, which we call total scalability. When A has positive entries, a simple iterative algorithm (different from Sinkhorn's) is given to calculate the unique scaling.
Molecular interactions between the protein products of the neurogenic loci Notch and Delta, two EGF-homologous genes in Drosophila

Genetic analyses have raised the possibility of interactions between the gene products of the neurogenic loci Notch and Delta, each of which encodes a transmembrane protein with EGF homology. To examine the possibility of intermolecular association between the products of these two genes, we studied the effects of their expression on aggregation in Drosophila S2 cells. We find that Notch-expressing cells form mixed aggregates specifically with cells that express Delta and that this process is calcium dependent. In addition, we show that Notch and Delta can associate within the membrane of a single cell, and further, that they form detergent-soluble intermolecular complexes. Our analyses suggest that Notch and Delta proteins interact at the cell surface via their extracellular domains.
KNOWING ABOUT SEMIPALATINSK

In the Introduction to his Human Knowledge Bertrand Russell writes as follows. “If I believe that there is such a place as Semipalatinsk, I believe it because of things that have happened to me; and unless certain substantial principles of inference are accepted, I shall have to admit that all these things might have happened to me without there being any such place.” 1 This seems to be true in some sense, and if true to have important implications which have not been explored; but in what sense cannot be gathered merely from context; and so it is the purpose here to examine the inferences which flow from the statement.
Leishmania: A Parasitized Parasite

Leishmaniasis can be visceral and deadly or restricted to a cutaneous lesion. A particularly severe form of disease is caused by an unregulated inflammatory response. A recent study suggests that this response may be triggered by a virus that infects the Leishmania parasite.