cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical and experimental studies of tyrosyl hydroperoxide formation in the presence of H-bond donors.

Oxidative damage to biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, nucleotides, and sugars has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Superoxide radical anion (O2•−) addition to nitrones bearing an amide N−H has been shown to be more favored as compared to other nitrones [Villamena, F. A., (2007) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 8177−8191]. It has also been demonstrated by others [Winterbourn, C. C., (2004) Biochem. J. 381, 241−248] that O2•− addition to tyrosine to form hydroperoxide is favored in the presence of basic amino groups, but the mechanism for this observation remains obscure. We, therefore, hypothesized that the α-effect resulting from the interaction of O2•− with N−H can play a crucial role in the enhancement of hydroperoxide formation. Understanding this phenomenon is important in the elucidation of mechanisms leading to oxidative stress in cellular systems. Computational (at the PCM/B3LYP/6-31+G**//B3LYP/6-31G level of theory) as well as experimental studies were carried out to shed insigh...
Issues in the use, design and evolution of process scheduling and planning systems

Abstract This paper reviews the basic terminology associated with process scheduling and planning problems, the technical issues underlying their formulation and solution, and the considerations associated with installing, scheduling and planning software. This review motivates a discussion of next generation scheduling and planning technology. Examples are provided to illustrate both basic applications, and to show the scope of industrial scale problems.
Complexity-theoretic Modeling of Biological Cyanide Poisoning as Security Attack in Self-organizing Networks

We draw an analogy of biological cyanide poisoning to security attacks in self-organizing mobile ad hoc networks. When a circulatory system is treated as an enclosed network space, a hemoglobin is treated as a mobile node, and a hemoglobin binding with cyanide ion is treated as a compromised node (which cannot bind with oxygen to furnish its oxygen-transport function), we show how cyanide poisoning can reduce the probability of oxygen/message delivery to a "negligible" quantity. Like modern cryptography, security problem in our network-centric model is defined on the complexity-theoretic concept of "negligible", which is asymptotically sub-polynomial with respect to a pre-defined system parameter x. Intuitively, the parameter x is the key length n in modern cryptography, but is changed to the network scale, or the number of network nodes N, in our model. Based on this new analytic model, we show that TIP (n-runs) complexity class with a virtual oracle can formally model the cyanide poisoning phenomenon and similar network threats. This new analytic approach leads to a new view of biological threats from the perspective of network security and complexity theoretic study.
The effects of aquatic macrophytes on the stream microenvironment

Abstract The effects of aquatic macrophytes on various aspects of the stream microenvironment were observed and compared to conditions found in unvegetated substrate. Specifically, factors of micro-current velocity, substrate surface area, fine particle sediment deposition, detritus deposition and attached diatom availability were examined. Macrophytes were transplanted into substrate trays and microenvironment conditions found within them were compared to conditions found in adjacent trays containing unvegetated substrate. Macrophytes were found to alter flow characteristics and create reduced current velocities near the substrate. They also provided significantly more substrate surface area, more fine particle sediments and more detritus than unvegetated substrates. Macrophytes supported significantly lower attached diatom biomass per m2 in moderate current regions than stones, but in slow water they may support higher biomasses, because sedimentation adversely affects diatom populations on unvegetated substrate. The possible ecological significance of these effects is discussed.
A true time-delay-based bandpass multi-beam array at mm-waves supporting instantaneously wide bandwidths

The phased array is a common technique where multiple spaced antennas electronically form and scan narrow electromagnetic beams to achieve spatial selectivity. These arrays are also referred to as steering arrays. On the other hand, there are many wireless communications, imaging, and sensing applications where it is highly desirable and even essential to form multiple simultaneous beams, each staring (or scanning around) a specific angle independently. These arrays are also referred to as multi-beam starring arrays.
Acute Effects of LSD on Rhesus Monkey Operant Test Battery Performance

The acute effects of LSD were assessed in rhesus macaques using behavior in several complex tasks designed to model aspects of time estimation, short-term memory and attention, motivation, learning, and color and position discrimination. The end points monitored included percent task completed, response rate, and accuracy. LSD (0.0003-0.03 mg/kg intravenously) significantly decreased percent task completed and accuracy in the time estimation task at doses < or = 0.003 mg/kg, but did not significantly affect response rate in this task at any dose tested. Accuracy in the short-term memory task was significantly decreased at the highest dose tested (0.03 mg/kg), but no other end points were affected in this task. Response rate was decreased in both the motivation and learning tasks at doses (0.01 and 0.003 mg/kg, respectively) lower than those affecting other end points. In the color and position discrimination task, only response rate was affected (0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg). These data demonstrate that in rhesus monkeys, performance of tasks believed to depend on aspects of time estimation and motivation are more sensitive to the acute disruptive effects of LSD than are tasks thought to model learning, short-term memory, and color and position discrimination.
Increased friction coefficient and superficial zone protein expression in patients with advanced osteoarthritis.

Objective To quantify the concentration of superficial zone protein (SZP) in the articular cartilage and synovial fluid of patients with advanced osteoarthritis (OA) and to further correlate the SZP content with the friction coefficient, OA severity, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Methods Samples of articular cartilage and synovial fluid were obtained from patients undergoing elective total knee replacement surgery. Additional normal samples were obtained from donated body program and tissue bank sources. Regional SZP expression in cartilage obtained from the femoral condyles was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and visualized by immunohistochemistry. Friction coefficient measurements of cartilage plugs slid in the boundary lubrication system were obtained. OA severity was graded using histochemical analyses. The concentrations of SZP and proinflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid were determined by ELISA. Results A pattern of SZP localization in knee cartilage was identified, with load-bearing regions exhibiting high SZP expression. SZP expression patterns were correlated with friction coefficient and OA severity; however, SZP expression was observed in all samples at the articular surface, regardless of OA severity. SZP expression and aspirate volume of synovial fluid were higher in OA patients than in normal controls. Expression of cytokines was elevated in the synovial fluid of some patients. Conclusion Our findings indicate a mechanochemical coupling in which physical forces regulate OA severity and joint lubrication. The findings of this study also suggest that SZP may be ineffective in reducing joint friction in the boundary lubrication mode at an advanced stage of OA, where other mechanisms may dominate the observed tribological behavior.
Transesophageal echocardiography to assess mitral valve function and flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

This study further defines the mechanism of blood flow during closed-chest compression using transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Although the echocardiographic demonstration of mitral valve closure during closed-chest compression has been used as evidence of direct cardiac compression, mitral valve closure has also been documented to occur during resuscitation by selectively increasing intrathoracic pressure. Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography was used to assess mitral valve position and flow in 17 adult patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation with a mechanical piston compression device. Left and right ventricular fractional shortening, mitral valve position with chest compression, timing and magnitude of transmitral flow, and anteroposterior chest diameter were recorded. In 12 patients (group I), the mitral valve closed during the down-stroke of chest compression; in the remaining 5 (group II), it opened further. Peak transmitral flow occurred during the release phase and was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group I (39.5 +/- 9.3 cm/s) than the peak flow in group II (21.3 +/- 5.9 cm/s), which occurred during the downstroke of chest compression. Left ventricular fractional shortening inversely correlated (r = -0.68; p = 0.02) with the anteroposterior chest diameter, but did not correlate with peak transmitral flow (r = 0.34; p = not significant). It is concluded that the mitral valve closes during the downstroke of chest compression in most adult patients during resuscitation. The absence of a relation between mitral valve flow and left ventricular fractional shortening supports the hypothesis that other factors such as nonuniform increases in intrathoracic pressure cause the mitral valve to open or close during chest compression.
The coupling of the coulter counter to a pulse height analyzer for a rapid monitor of size distributions of cells and organelles

Abstract The Coulter Counter can be coupled to a pulse height analyzer in order to measure gross volume distributions of biological organisms and organelles. A technique using an integrated distribution permits rapid kinetics of water flow or swelling and shrinking of organelles (within 5–10 sec) to be determined. It has been found that most distributions measured fit the lognormal distribution (which has a skewing factor) with the exception of a poorly-synchronized Chlorella population in which two separate distributions can be observed.
The Value of Pharmacy Residency Training for Health Systems: An Annotated Bibliography

Purpose:Identify and summarize articles that describe the value that pharmacy residency training offers to sponsoring health systems.Summary:There is a tremendous gap between the number of resident applicants and the number of pharmacy residencies available. Informing health-system administration executives about the proven value of residency training is key to expanding the number of available positions. To address this disparity, a comprehensive and systematic literature search to identify publications highlighting the value that pharmacy residency training provides to the sponsor hospital or health system was conducted. Articles were identified through query of PubMed and SciVerse SCOPUS and through review of bibliographies from relevant articles. Twenty articles were identified and summarized in this annotated bibliography that demonstrate perceived and quantitative value of pharmacy residency training for health systems that sponsor residency training.Conclusion:Pharmacy residency training programs a...
The role of interlibrary loan in a new academic library

Describes the mechanism of interlibrary lending (ILL) as used by the Library of the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong – an institute of higher education only four years old. Examines the library′s informal network with other academic libraries in Hong Kong. Provides a statistical analysis that illustrates the features and trends of the ILL service in the past few years. Outline major problems that handicap ILL.
The Philosophical Aspects of IRT Equating: Modeling Drift to Evaluate Cohort Growth in Large-Scale Assessments.

Calibration and equating is the quintessential necessity for most large-scale educational assessments. However, there are instances when no consideration is given to the equating process in terms of context and substantive realization, and the methods used in its execution. In the view of the authors, equating is not merely an exhibit of the statistical methodology, but it is also a reflection of the thought process undertaken in its execution. For example, there is hardly any discussion in literature of the ideological differences in the selection of an equating method. Furthermore, there is little evidence of modeling cohort growth through an identification and use of construct-relevant linking items’ drift, using the common item nonequivalent group equating design. In this article, the authors philosophically justify the use of Huynh's statistical method for the identification of construct-relevant outliers in the linking pool. The article also dispels the perception of scale instability associated with the inclusion of construct-relevant outliers in the linking item pool and concludes that an appreciation of the rationale used in the selection of the equating method, together with the use of linking items in modeling cohort growth, can be beneficial to the practitioners.
Characterization of Lef-1 Promoter Segments that Facilitate Inductive Developmental Expression in Skin

Lymphoid Enhancer Factor 1 (Lef-1) is an important developmental transcription factor required for the inductive formation of several epithelial-derived organs including hair follicles. Inductive expression of Lef-1 mRNA is tightly regulated during embryo development, suggesting the involvement of a highly regulated promoter. In vitro analysis of the Lef-1 gene has demonstrated the existence of at least two spatially distinct promoters with multiple transcriptional start sites that are responsive to the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Regions of the Lef-1 promoter required for inductive regulation in vivo, however, have yet to be determined. To this end, we utilized LacZ-reporter transgenic mice to define segments of the human Lef-1 promoter capable of reproducing mesenchymal- or epithelial-restricted transcriptional patterns of Lef-1 expression during hair and vibrissa follicle development. These studies have revealed that a 110 bp Wnt/β-catenin-responsive element, contained within a minimal 2.5 kb Lef-1 promoter, plays an important role in regulating mesenchymal, and potentially epithelial, expression during follicle development in mouse embryos. This 2.5 kb Lef-1 promoter also demonstrated inductive mesenchymal expression during postnatal anagen stage hair-follicle cycling. Additionally, analysis of Lef-1 promoter expression revealed previously uncharacterized regions of endogenous Lef-1 expression seen in the sebaceous glands of vibrissa and hair follicles in transgenic lines harboring the minimal Lef-1 promoter and additional intronic sequences. In summary, these studies have begun to dissect the transcriptional diversity of the human Lef-1 promoter during the hair/vibrissa follicle and sebaceous gland formation.
Unbundling Electricity: Ancillary Services

The US electricity industry, dominated by vertically integrated, retail-monopoly, regulated utilities, is undergoing enormous changes. The industry, within the next few years, will evolve into a deintegrated, competitive-market dominated, less regulated industry. Part of this process involves unbundling electric generation from transmission, which raises the issue of ancillary services. Since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published its March 1995 proposed rule on open-access transmission, ancillary services have been an important topic. Ancillary services are those functions performed by the equipment and people that generate, control, transmit, and distribute electricity to support the basic services of generating capacity, energy supply, and power delivery. These services cost US electricity consumers about $12 billion a year. This article examines the functions performed by the equipment and people that generate, control, transmit, and distribute electricity to support the basic services of generating capacity, energy supply, and power delivery.
Improving the inhibitory activity of arylidenaminoguanidine compounds at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex from a recursive computational-experimental structure-activity relationship study.

Abstract Using a combination of both the partial least squares (PLS) and back-propagation artificial neural network (ANN) pattern recognition methods, several models have been developed to predict the activity of a series of arylidenaminoguanidine analogs as inhibitory modulators of the N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor complex. This was done by correlating structural and physicochemical descriptors obtained from computation software with the experimentally observed [3H]MK-801 displacement ability of a small library of synthesized and in vitro screened arylidenaminoguanidines. Results for the generated PLS model were r2 = 0.814, rmsd = 0.208, r CV 2 = 0.714, loormsd = 0.261. The ANN model was created utilizing the eleven descriptors from the PLS model for comparison. The quality of the ANN model (r2=0.828, rmsd = 0.200, r CV 2 = 0.721, loormsd = 0.257) is similar to the PLS model, and indicates that the feature between the inputs and the output is majorly linear. These computational models were able to predict inhibition of the NMDA receptor complex by this series of compounds in silico, affording a predictive structure-based ‘pre-screening’ paradigm for the arylideneaminoguanidine analogs.
Ionic relations and the regulation of turgor pressure in the marine alga, Valonia macrophysa

Ionic composition and turgor pressure in the giant celled marine alga,Valonia macrophysa, were measured at environmental salinities ranging from 15‰ to 60‰ (11–44 atm). The steady-state turgor pressure, which is normally about 1.5 atm, changes only 2.5 atm in response to a 25 atm change in seawater osmotic pressure. Thus, turgor regulation is 90% effective. The salts important in turgor regulation are KCl and NaCl. During turgor regulation changes in intracellular KCl concentration account for 85% of the change in sap osmolality, and changes in NaCl account for the remaining 15%. Potassium is actively transported into the vacuole, whereas chloride appears to be passively transported as the counter ion. Thus, potassium transport, which we have shown previously to be sensitive to the turgor pressure, accounts for most of the turgor regulation at all salinities.
Open Access Already Exists

Few editors or scientists would disagree that, ideally, biomedical research findings should be made freely available. The News Focus article “Opening the books on open access” (D. Malakoff, 24 Oct., p. [550][1]) gives examples of several research journals that offer unrestricted access after 0 to 12 months. However, one omission from the discussion is the successful example of a high-impact open access journal, the Journal of Clinical Investigation ( JCI ). Since 1996, the JCI ([1][2]) has provided free, unrestricted access to articles the day they are published, supported largely by an author-pays model. The article notes that, “Critics of the author-pays model say that journals might be forced to lower their standards…” The quality of the research published in the JCI , reflected by the 2002 impact factor (14.051), is a strong counter to this argument, and also to that of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) founders that high-impact open access journals do not currently exist ([2][3]). There remains a difference, and a resistance to change, between nonprofit and commercial publishers when the issue is open access, but this does not mean that the system is broken. What it does mean is that although specific aspects of scientific publishing might be in question, the business remains a successful cooperation between publishers who can provide access to a certain audience, authors who seek access to this audience, and readers who seek to expand their knowledge. Authors, who can make or break a journal, might wish to engage the publication process more directly by considering not simply the audience they are trying to reach through a specific journal, but the critical issue of whether their intended audience will have ready access to their work. In most cases, however, authors will bear an increasing financial burden to publish their work, and they reasonably should ask what rights, responsibilities, and benefits they will receive in return. 1. 1.[↵][4] See [www.jci.org][5]. 2. 2.[↵][6] In an interview on National Public Radio's “Talk of the Nation/Science Friday” on 17 Oct. 2003, Harold Varmus, one of the founders of PLoS, said, “And let me make clear, we are not the first to do it, even in biology and medicine. There's an organization in England called BioMed Central. The Journal of Clinical Investigation has been doing free-access publication for some time. What we're trying to do here is to show that in the domain of biology we can publish something, which is an extremely prestigious journal.” (Interview available at ). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.302.5645.550 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [5]: http://www.jci.org [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text"
Electrical and ionic mechanisms of early reperfusion arrhythmias in sheep cardiac Purkinje's fibers.

Abstract The mechanisms of induction of early reperfusion arrhythmias were studied in sheep cardiac Purkinje's fibers superfused in vitro. Transmembrane potentials, intracellular sodium activity (aiNa), and contractile force were recorded. Stoppage of the flow of Tyrode's solution (ischemia) for 1 hour initially decreased slightly aiNa (−0.57 mmol −7.2%), increased the action potential amplitude (+6.1%) and duration (+7.8%), and decreased diastolic depolarization slope (−45.2%). As the ischemia continued, aiNa increased progressively (to 12.53 mmol, +56.2%), whereas force peaked (+395%) after about 30 minutes and then began to decrease. By the end of ischemia, there was a decrease in action potential amplitude (−14.9%) and duration (−39.6%), whereas diastolic depolarization slope reincreased again almost to control value (−7%). When the flow of Tyrode's solution was resumed (reperfusion), force markedly increased (+211.1%) and oscillatory potentials initiated arrhythmias (extrasystoles and repetitive fast discharge) in 64% of tests. Force and aiNa decreased relatively rapidly. The arrhythmias initiated after 58.4 ± 1.8 seconds of reperfusion and lasted 101.5 ± 3.2 seconds. When [Na]o was increased by +19.2%, reperfusion arrhythmias occurred after only 30 minutes of ischemia. Thus, in Purkinje's fibers superfused in vitro, early reperfusion arrhythmias are induced by oscillatory potentials caused by calcium overload, which is enhanced by the increase in aiNa during ischemia.
ACL2: eating one's own dogfood

We are using the ACL2 theorem-proving system for formally verifying properties of the X86-compatible, 64-bit VIA Nano microprocessor. To validate Nano circuit models, we translate its Verilog into our formally defined HDL. We write specifications in the ACL2 logic, and mechanically verify HDL descriptions using the ACL2 theorem prover to orchestrate the use of BDDs, AIGs, SAT, symbolic simulations techniques, and the theorem prover itself. Our system has been integrated into the Centaur design toolflow; this includes rapid and regular translation of the Nano design into our framework and daily regression runs.Our tools are written in ACL2, which is itself a functional language. For instance, our BDD package is written in ACL2 and has been proven correct using the ACL2 theorem prover -- likewise so is our AIG package and many other tools. Our symbolic simulation system for the entire ACL2 logic is also written in ACL2, and it has been verified by the ACL2 theorem prover. In fact, the entire ACL2 system is written in the ACL2 language. ACL2 is in commercial use by a number of companies, including AMD, Centaur, IBM, and Microsoft.We believe the FP community should consider the same operational paradigm. In fact, we challenge the FP community to write analysis tools for their functional programs in their own programing languages. This kind of "eating one's own dog food" tends to make one's system better. Our combined ACL2/CAD system may be the world's largest functional program as the source code exceeds five megabytes. Without our associated mechanical verification system, we couldn't begin to manage the complexity we have created. We have wondered if we could apply our tools to other functional languages.
Ergonomic Survey of Household Tasks and Products

The application of ergonomics in the home is a relatively neglected topic. Little has been written on this since the early 1970s and yet domestic technologies have changed considerably since then. This study reports a comprehensive Internet-based survey of ergonomic issues in the home, including the most tiring household tasks. Analysis of results for 385 respondents show that scrubbing, mopping, tidying/picking up, vacuuming and doing laundry are perceived to be the five most tiring tasks, a pattern not dissimilar to that reported in a household survey conducted some 50 years ago. Results can be used to identify areas of opportunity for the application of ergonomic design principles to the design of products in the home.
Plasmonic hot spots: nanogap enhancement vs. focusing effects from surrounding nanoparticles

Thin Au films (~5nm) are known to form island-like structures with small gaps between the islands, which produce intense electric field “hot spots” under visible illumination. In this work, we perform finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations based on experimentally observed high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images of these films in order to study the nature of the “hot spots” in more detail. Specifically, we study the dependence of the electric field intensity in the hot spots on the surrounding film environment and on the size of the nanogaps. From our simulations, we show that the surrounding film contributes significantly to the electric field intensity at the hot spot by focusing energy to it. Widening of the gap size causes a decrease in the intensity at the hot spot. However, these island-like nanoparticle hot spots are far less sensitive to gap size than nanoparticle dimer geometries, studied previously. In fact, the main factor in determining the hot spot intensity is the focusing effect of the surrounding nano-islands. We show that these random Au island films outperform more sophisticated geometries of spherical nanoparticle clusters that have been optimized using an iterative optimization algorithm.
Asthma and Human Excellence: A Coincidence or a Correlation?

Abstract Superior intelligence, creative genius, extraordinary personality, and/or social prominence have been associated with asthma often enough to raise the question of a nonrandom concurrence. With no intent to prove any developmental correlation this article presents such “case reports” (more biographical than biological) for two main reasons: to document the experience of asthma in the life of outstanding persons and to make everyone better acquainted-using asthma as an “excuse”-with the work and the times of some unique human beings.
Blood Flow Changes in the Rabbit Maxilla Following an Anterior Osteotomy

This investigation considered circulatory changes in the distal segment of an anterior maxillary osteotomy produced in nine rabbits. Blood flow in the distal pulp, alveolar bone, and mucosa was measured using hydrogen washout. The results showed a decrease in blood flow in all tissues with a mucosal rebound within 30 min.
CAG repeat lengths ≥335 attenuate the phenotype in the R6/2 Huntington’s disease transgenic mouse

With spontaneous elongation of the CAG repeat in the R6/2 transgene to > or =335, resulting in a transgene protein too large for passive entry into nuclei via the nuclear pore, we observed an abrupt increase in lifespan to >20 weeks, compared to the 12 weeks common in R6/2 mice with 150 repeats. In the > or =335 CAG mice, large ubiquitinated aggregates of mutant protein were common in neuronal dendrites and perikaryal cytoplasm, but intranuclear aggregates were small and infrequent. Message and protein for the > or =335 CAG transgene were reduced to one-third that in 150 CAG R6/2 mice. Neurological and neurochemical abnormalities were delayed in onset and less severe than in 150 CAG R6/2 mice. These findings suggest that polyQ length and pathogenicity in Huntington's disease may not be linearly related, and pathogenicity may be less severe with extreme repeats. Both diminished mutant protein and reduced nuclear entry may contribute to phenotype attenuation.
On the Comparison between Population Balance Models for CFD Simulation of Bubble Columns

CFD simulations of bubble columns have received much attention, and several multiphase models have been developed, tested, and validated through comparison with experimental data. It is well-known that bubble coalescence and breakup can lead to significant variations in the bubble size distribution and that, to model the evolution of the dispersed gas phase, the population balance equation has to be solved. In this work, a classes method (CM) and a method of moments (MOM) are investigated and compared. The MOM represents an attractive alternative in which, instead of tracking the entire bubble distribution, only the lower-order moments of the distribution are tracked. The above two approaches have been implemented in the commercial CFD code FLUENT, version 6.0, in conjunction with the Eulerian multiphase model.
Inhibition of Dengue Virus Replication by a Class of Small-Molecule Compounds That Antagonize Dopamine Receptor D4 and Downstream Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling

Dengue viruses (DENV) are endemic pathogens of tropical and subtropical regions that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. To date, no vaccines or antiviral therapeutics have been approved for combating DENV-associated disease. In this paper, we describe a class of tricyclic small-molecule compounds—dihydrodibenzothiepines (DHBTs), identified through high-throughput screening—with potent inhibitory activity against DENV serotype 2. SKI-417616, a highly active representative of this class, displayed activity against all four serotypes of DENV, as well as against a related flavivirus, West Nile virus (WNV), and an alphavirus, Sindbis virus (SINV). This compound was characterized to determine its mechanism of antiviral activity. Investigation of the stage of the viral life cycle affected revealed that an early event in the life cycle is inhibited. Due to the structural similarity of the DHBTs to known antagonists of the dopamine and serotonin receptors, we explored the roles of two of these receptors, serotonin receptor 2A (5HTR2A) and the D4 dopamine receptor (DRD4), in DENV infection. Antagonism of DRD4 and subsequent downstream phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-related kinase (ERK) were found to impact DENV infection negatively, and blockade of signaling through this network was confirmed as the mechanism of anti-DENV activity for this class of compounds. IMPORTANCE The dengue viruses are mosquito-borne, reemerging human pathogens that are the etiological agents of a spectrum of febrile diseases. Currently, there are no approved therapeutic treatments for dengue-associated disease, nor is there a vaccine. This study identifies a small molecule, SKI-417616, with potent anti-dengue virus activity. Further analysis revealed that SKI-417616 acts through antagonism of the host cell dopamine D4 receptor and subsequent repression of the ERK phosphorylation pathway. These results suggest that SKI-417616, or other compounds targeting the same cellular pathways, may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of dengue virus infections.
Significance of axillary lymph node extranodal soft tissue extension and indications for postmastectomy irradiation

BACKGROUND Extranodal soft tissue extension of axillary lymph node metastases (ETE) has been considered an indication for postmastectomy radiotherapy, including the axilla. However, it is unclear whether patients with ETE are at an increased risk of axillary recurrence. METHODS From a single institutional database of 2362 patients with breast carcinoma treated between 1974–1994, a total of 487 patients who underwent mastectomy for lymph node positive, infiltrating (T1-T3) breast carcinoma was found. All the patients had pathologically confirmed axillary lymph node metastases and negative surgical margins; none had received postoperative irradiation. Of these patients, 50 had histologically documented axillary ETE. Forty-three patients had a minimum follow-up of at least 1 year and comprise the study population. The median follow-up time of surviving ETE positive patients was 79 months. Twenty-five patients (58.1%) received adjuvant systemic therapy. Sites of first failure were local or distant. Local failure was categorized further as chest wall failure, axillary failure, supraclavicular lymph node failure, or internal mammary lymph node failure. RESULTS For the 43 patients with ETE, the median patient age was 59.5 years (range, 38–81 years) and the median tumor size was 3.6 cm (range, 0.5–12.0 cm). The median number of positive axillary lymph nodes was 6 (range, 1–36 lymph nodes) versus 2 (range, 1–30 lymph nodes) for all T1-T3 ETE positive patients compared with ETE negative patients (P < 0.001). The risk of ETE increased significantly with increasing numbers of axillary lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). Of the patients with ETE, 16 (37.2%) developed recurrent disease. ETE positive patients with disease recurrence had significantly greater numbers of positive axillary lymph nodes (median, 10 lymph nodes) than those patients who were recurrence free (median, 4 lymph nodes) (P = 0.02). The site of first failure was local in 7 patients (16.3%) and distant in 9 patients (20.9%). All patients with local recurrence had chest wall failures; there were no isolated lymph node recurrences. The only simultaneous local and distant failure was in one patient presenting with supraclavicular and intraabdominal metastases. CONCLUSIONS The risk of axillary recurrence, either as an isolated event or as part of simultaneous failure, is extremely low, even in patients with ETE. These data suggest that patients with ETE frequently have higher numbers of positive axillary lymph nodes and on that basis are at risk for local recurrence and as a rule would be considered for postmastectomy irradiation. However, these data suggest that the presence of ETE is not an indication for routine postmastectomy axillary lymph node irradiation. Cancer 1999;86:1258–62. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Micrometastasis in the sentinel lymph node of breast cancer does not mandate completion axillary dissection.

Objective: To determine if micrometastatic disease in the sentinel lymph node is a predictor of non-sentinel lymph node (non-SLN) involvement in breast cancer. Summary Background Data: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLN) is an accepted alternative to axillary dissection in staging breast cancer. If the SLN contains metastatic foci, the standard recommendation is completion axillary node dissection (CAD). However, a large subset of patients with metastasis limited to the SLN is unnecessarily subjected to the morbidity of CAD. Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively gathered breast cancer patients having SLN was conducted. Patients with metastasis to the SLN were selected for analysis. Various clinicopathologic features were analyzed for association with metastasis to the non-SLN. Results: A total of 194 women underwent successful SLN dissection. Metastasis to the SLN was found in 48 patients (21 had micrometastases, 27 had macrometastases). Of those with micrometastases, 16 underwent CAD with 1 patient having metastasis to the non-SLN. In patients with macrometastases, 26 had CAD with 14 patients having non-SLN metastasis. Multivariable logistic regression identified only macrometastatic disease in the SLN as significantly associated with involvement of the non-SLN (P = 0.03). None of the patients with micrometastases, including those without CAD, has evidence of local recurrence to date (3-30 months). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the incidence of non-SLN involvement is low in SLN that contains only micrometastatic foci and is within the accepted range of the false-negative rate of SLN. This suggests that a CAD may be omitted in patients with micrometastatic disease.
Effect of Post Heat Treatment on Corrosion Resistance of Phytic Acid Conversion Coated Magnesium

An environment friendly chemical conversion coating for magnesium was obtained by using a phytic acid solution. The effect of post-coating 1heat treatment on the microstructures and corrosion properties of phytic acid conversion coated magnesium was investigated. It was observed that the microstructure and corrosion resistive properties were improved for the heat treated samples. The corrosion current density for bare magnesium, phytic acid conversion coated magnesium, and post-coating heat treated magnesium was calculated to be 2.48 × 10−5, 1.18 × 10−6, and 9.27 × 10−7 A/cm2, respectively. The lowest corrosion current density for the heat treated sample indicated its highest corrosion resistive effect for the magnesium. The maximum corrosion protective nature of the heat treated sample was further confirmed by the largest value of impedance in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies.
A study of the pigmented tumors of jaws of infants (melanotic ameloblastoma, retinal anlage tumor, progonoma)

Abstract A review of the literature yielded thirty-three cases of pigment-producing tumors of the jaws of infants, and three new cases have been added in this article. The clinical data available on the reported cases indicate that the lesion is more common in females, with a ratio of 3:2. It occurs in almost all cases before the age of 1 year, and in the majority of cases the lesions developed before the age of 6 months. Five of the thirty-six lesions were mandibular. There is little tendency toward recurrence following total surgical excision. No evidence of extensive local spread or metastasis has been reported. The various suggested histogeneses have been indicated, and it has been suggested that the tumors are of odontogenic origin and should be designated as melanotic ameloblastomas.
Design considerations for an OPAC workstation: an introduction to specifications and a model configuration

Academic libraries that are replacing the traditional card catalog with the online public access catalog (OPAC) are faced with a number of complex and difficult decisions regarding the shape and design of the OPAC workstation. This article provides guidelines and recommendations for an OPAC workstation that will support the terminal, printer, and other peripherals. Emphasis is placed on the library's commitment to flexibility when designing a workstation that will serve the needs of users for several years.
Chloride in cheese manufacturing wastes to be landspread on agricultural land

Abstract Landspreading remains an environmentally acceptable option for disposal of liquid dairy wastes, such as whey, whey permeate and drug residue-contaminated milk, if proper application rates are followed. Recent groundwater quality concerns have led to new restrictions on total chloride concentrations of liquid waste used for landspreading. This study assessed the total chloride content of milk, whey and whey permeate from Wisconsin cheese plants from September 1991 to September 1992. No significant seasonal variation in milk or whey total chloride content was observed. Whey from Mozzarella, Brick and Colby cheese had significantly higher total chloride concentrations than whey from Swiss and Cheddar cheese production. There was no correlation between total chloride in whey and pH or per cent total solids of the whey. Based on the current study, landspreading rates for whey and whey permeate will need to be reduced to comply with new chloride limitations.
A Review of Ntd-Induced Defects in Silicon

Neutron transmutation doping (NTD) has become the preferred method of phosphorus doping of float zone silicon for the Si power device industry. This doping process is accomplished by thermal neutron irradiation in a nuclear reactor. One of the stable isotopes, 30Si, is transmuted to the desired dopant, 31p, by thermal neutron capture and beta decay. This transmuted product becomes electrically active only after suitable annealing of the accompanying radiation damage which is the result of a number of different displacement mechanisms. This paper will present a review of our present understanding of the production and annealing of these displacement defects.
The Political Economy of Simultaneous Transitions: An Empirical Test of Two Models

During periods of strained economic circumstances, voters who are most hurt by their government’s policies will punish elected officials by removing them from office and replacing them with ones more likely to enact policies sympathetic to the voters’ plight. Because the benefits of economic reforms are dispersed while the costs are concentrated, disadvantaged voters are likely to be effective in undermining economic reform efforts by destabilizing their government under democratic regimes. The alternative view holds that economic reforms generate a pattern of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs, which enables the groups most favored by the reform to capture the government and freeze the reform programs in a state most beneficial to them. Despite many case-studies and statistical analyses of related questions, there has been no attempt to construct a statistical test that will examine the hypotheses generated by the two different models directly. This article bridges this gap and addresses several questions: Are the losers from economic reforms threatening to the progress of these reforms? Does their influence vary across countries? What are the policy implications that we can derive from the results? Can a democracy sustain socially costly economic reforms? The results from the statistical analysis of 25 former communist countries are strong, internally consistent, and startling: democracies do universally better than nondemocracies when unemployment is low; when unemployment is high, democracies do as well as nondemocracies in short-term reforms, but consistently outperform nondemocracies in long-term reforms. Government stability has no impact on the performance of democracies, but has a weak beneficial impact on the performance of nondemocracies. As a whole, the results provide strong support for the view that losers from reform do not endanger the success of reforms, and that it is possible (and probably necessary) to create democratic institutions for these reforms to succeed. These results have special relevance in theorizing about simultaneous political and economic transitions in former communist countries. Traditionally, it is assumed that building and maintaining a stable democratic regime require an advanced capitalist society. The problem in former communist states is especially acute because their governments are conducting a transition from command to market economy while building democratic norms and institutions at the same time. Depending on which of the two theoretical views about the pattern of gains and losses is correct, one would prescribe diametrically opposed policies. In the first case, one would seek to isolate the government from the pressure of reform losers to enable it to conduct economic policies that hurt a substantial segment of voters. In the other case, one would attempt to open the government to voter pressure and minimize the influence of reform winners.
Autonomous configuration of spatially aware sensor services in service oriented WSNs

Service-oriented Architectures (SOA) for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are an active research topic. Yet, autonomous configuration of services for real life constraints (spatio-temporal, input/output interoperability, policies, security etc.) is still a challenging problem. In this demonstration we describe the results of our research into the automated and intelligent configuration and composition of services for complex tasks. We present a service-oriented system capable of performing service configuration under spatial and relevancy constraints. It can configure services in one of the three following modes: distributed, centralized and hybrid. It also supports automatic reconfiguration in the event of service failures. This system uses a generic cost representation for services that may include spatial coverage of the services in an area of interest along with other service configuration cost metrics. We demonstrate our system using state-of-the-art emulation frameworks with a real life scenario.
Decomposed multidimensional control grid interpolation for common consumer electronic image processing applications

Interpolation is an essential and broadly employed function of signal processing. Accordingly, considerable development has focused on advancing interpolation algorithms toward optimal accuracy. Such development has motivated a clear shift in the state-of-the art from classical interpolation to more intelligent and resourceful approaches, registration-based interpolation for example. As a natural result, many of the most accurate current algorithms are highly complex, specific, and computationally demanding. However, the diverse hardware destinations for interpolation algorithms present unique constraints that often preclude use of the most accurate available options. For example, while computationally demanding interpolators may be suitable for highly equipped image processing platforms (e.g., computer workstations and clusters), only more efficient interpolators may be practical for less well equipped platforms (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers). The latter examples of consumer electronics present a design tradeoff in this regard: high accuracy interpolation benefits the consumer experience but computing capabilities are limited. It follows that interpolators with favorable combinations of accuracy and efficiency are of great practical value to the consumer electronics industry. We address multidimensional interpolation-based image processing problems that are common to consumer electronic devices through a decomposition approach. The multidimensional problems are first broken down into multiple, independent, one-dimensional (1-D) interpolation steps that are then executed with a newly modified registration-based one-dimensional control grid interpolator. The proposed approach, decomposed multidimensional control grid interpolation (DMCGI), combines the accuracy of registration-based interpolation with the simplicity, flexibility, and computational efficiency of a 1-D interpolation framework. Results demonstrate that DMCGI provides improved interpolation accuracy (and other benefits) in image resizing, color sample demosaicing, and video deinterlacing applications, at a computational cost that is manageable or reduced in comparison to popular alternatives.