cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of menopausal estrogens and medroxyprogesterone in the United States, 1982-1992

Objective To describe trends in the prescription of menopausal estrogens and medroxyprogesterone in the United States. Methods Annual estimates of the number of prescriptions for menopausal estrogens and medroxyprogesterone and descriptive information on patients and providers were obtained from two pharmaceutical marketing research data bases, the National Prescription Audit and the National Disease and Therapeutic Index of IMS America. Results An estimated 13.6 million prescriptions were dispensed for oral menopausal estrogens in 1982, and 31.7 million in 1992, a 2.3-fold increase ( P = .0001). in 1992, Premarin, the only oral conjugated estrogen currently approved for use, was the most frequently dispensed brandname pharmaceutical in the United States. Dispensed prescriptions for Estraderm, a transdermal estradiol first marketed in 1986, increased from 1.5 million in 1987 to 4.7 million in 1992. Dispensed prescriptions for oral medroxyprogesterone also increased from 2.3 million prescriptions in 1982 to 11.3 million in 1992, a 4.9-fold increase ( P = .0001). An estimated one in six to one in four postmenopausal women were taking menopausal hormones in 1992. These drugs were prescribed mainly by obstetrician-gynecologists. Conclusion The use of menopausal estrogens and medroxyprogesterone has increased substantially over the past decade. These trends indicate that American women are widely exposed to menopausal hormone replacement.
Student Perceptions towards Using Clickers and Lecture Software Applications in Hospitality Lecture Courses

Personal response systems (i.e., “clickers”) have been used in classes for about 10 years, whereas lecture software that students access on their own devices is a relatively new technology in education. This study examined student engagement by integrating technology to promote active learning in lecture classrooms. A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate students’ perceptions of clickers and lecture software applications compared to traditional lecture methods in three sections of the same hospitality undergraduate course. The findings revealed that “clickers” enhanced student engagement whereas a lecture software application did not. The findings have implications for using technology to enhance student learning.
Tool support for statically checking the structural conformance of an object-oriented system to its runtime architecture

Maintaining the conformance of an implementation to its architecture is difficult in practice since developers often make changes that degrade the architectural structure. We present tools for statically checking the structural conformance of a system to its runtime architecture.
Smithsonian Widefield Infrared Camera

The Smithsonian Widefield Infrared Camera (SWIRC) is a Y -, J-, and H-band imager for the f/5 MMT. Proposed in May 2003 and commissioned in June 2004, the goal of the instrument was to deliver quickly a wide field-of-view instrument with minimal optical elements and hence high throughput. The trade-off; was to sacrifice K-band capability by not having an internal, cold Lyot stop. We describe SWIRC's design and capabilities, and discuss lessons learned from the thermal design and the detector mount, all of which have been incorporated into the upcoming MMT & Magellan Infrared Spectrograph.
Combustion-torch ignition: Fluorescence imaging of NO2

Combustion-torch ignition of a lean methane-air mixture (=0.65) in a divided-chamber combustion vessel was studied using planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) doped into the reactants at a trace concentration (700 ppm). In the experiments the gas velocity of the combustion torch was systematically increased by reducing the diameter of the exit orifice of the prechamber used to form the torch. With this increase in velocity, the character of the flow field of the combustion torch was altered from laminar to turbulent conditions with the Reynolds number increased from 4290 to 17183. At the highest Reynolds number condition, significant enhancement of the rate of combustion was indicated by a factor of 10 increase in the rate of pressure rise and a 20 percent increase in peak pressure in the combustion chamber. This enhanced combustion rate is a consequence of mixing the combustion products from the combustion torch with unburned reactants. Reactive intermediate species, high-temperature gas and turbulent fluid motion in the combustion products have all been suggested as important elements in enhancing combustion with torch ignition. The NO2 fluorescence-imaging measurements indicate that intermediate radicals and high-temperature gas from the combustion torch do not initiate any significant chemical reaction in the unburned reactants ahead of the propagating flame, which could enhance the rate of combustion.
Hall-effect studies of the mixed state of Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7- delta (0 <= x <= 0.42) and YBa2Cu3Oy (6.65 <= y <= 6.84) single crystals.

The maximum value [Delta] of the negative Hall resistivity [rho][sub [ital xy]] of Y[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Pr[sub [ital x]]Ba[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] (0[le][ital x][approx lt]0.13) and YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub [ital y]] (6.73[approx lt][ital y][le]6.84) single crystals scales with [ital T]/[ital T][sub [ital c]], exhibiting a maximum [Delta][sub max] for [ital T]/[ital T][sub [ital c]][approx]0.96 and vanishing for [ital T]/[ital T][sub [ital c]][approx lt]0.87. [Delta][sub max] scales with [ital T][sub [ital c]] and decreases monotonically with decreasing [ital T][sub [ital c]] to zero for [ital T][sub [ital c]][approx lt]70 K. The Hall conductivity [sigma][sub [ital xy]] vs [ital B] data have been analyzed using the expression [sigma][sub [ital xy]]=[ital C][sub 1]/[ital B]+[ital C][sub 2][ital B], where the two terms are associated with motion of the magnetic vortices and the quasiparticles in the vortex cores, respectively, yielding [ital C][sub 1] and [ital C][sub 2] as functions of [ital x], [ital y], and [ital T].
The effects of Forest Stand Improvement Practices on occupancy and abundance of breeding songbirds

Abstract Silviculture can play an important role in managing avian habitat. In 2010 the Vermont Natural Resource Conservation Service, in conjunction with Audubon Vermont, implemented a Forest Stand Improvement initiative designed to improve timber quality while increasing habitat diversity for forest breeding songbirds. To evaluate the effectiveness of this program in improving avian habitat, we conducted point count surveys of breeding birds in harvested and control sites in 2012 and 2013, 1–3 years post-harvest. Harvesting resulted in mean decreases of 18% in basal area, 10% in canopy cover, and 10% in canopy tree density while piles of woody debris per ha increased by 402%. Occupancy and abundance estimates for 24 and 18 bird species respectively were derived using Program MARK. Compared to controls, occupancy rates of four songbird species were greater on harvested sites – rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica), and mourning warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)—while occupancy of one species—black-and-white warbler (S. fusca)—was significantly lower. Two species were significantly more abundant at harvested sites—rose-breasted grosbeak and yellow-bellied sapsucker—while two species were less abundant—hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) and black-and-white warbler. Piles of woody debris left after harvests were negatively associated with site occupancy for 3 out of 10 understory species. Overall, our results suggest that this program retains all interior forest species and has a slight positive impact on gap and early successional species abundance and occupancy in the first 1–3 years post-harvest. This study provides the first quantitative examination of the impact that Vermont NRCS’s Forest Stand Improvement program has had on forest breeding birds.
Southey the Epic-Headed

Dubious though the honour may be, if anybody dominated the anglophone epic poetry scene across the Romantic period it was Robert Southey. For forty years he was at work on one or another extended verse narrative, with topics that represented, on four continents, cultures from medieval Christendom, Islam, Hindustan, and the indigenous New World. Between the two quite different versions of Joan of Arc that he published in 1796 and 1837 appeared Thalaba the Destroyer (1801), Madoc (1805), The Curse of Kehama (1810), Roderick, the Last of the Goths (1814), and A Tale of Paraguay (1825). Southey’s chosen themes of contest and conquest threw into high relief the profile of each culture he seized on, as in a different register did his characteristically bookish and condescending notes. Enlightened skepticism about alien systems of belief, joined to antinomian indifference to the internal logic of social patterns, disposed Southey’s epics to forms of causal overdrive that impoverish their narrative interest, even as they fulfill a whole set of now widely discredited cliches about Romantic alienation, transcendence, unstoppable will and insatiable desire. To Southey’s known importance for his Laker contemporaries, and his impact on Byron and Shelley in the next generation, may be added an extensive legacy to Victorian verse and prose narrative art: an influence that is the stranger given the extremity of his example. Action after action in Southey’s epic poems illustrates the incompatibility with heroic virtue of any course of action – i. e., any plot – that does not result in personal, national, or (at the imaginative bedrock these slighter levels imply) cosmic catastrophe.
Testing experience with the National Transonic Facility

The National Transonic Facility (NTF) was designed for high productivity within the constraints of operation in a cryogenic environment using nitrogen as a test gas. This environment has a significant impact on overall operation. The facility has been operational since August, 1984, and experience has been gained with respect to the facility operation and aerodynamic testing. This paper describes the experience to date with the pretest preparation and testing operations including liquid N2 supply constraints. The instrumentation system is discussed including force, pressure, angle of attack, and model deformation measurements. Selected data from models tested in the NTF, and a status of the static calibration, are also presented.
Out with the old, in with the new: More valid measures of switch cost and retrieval time in the task span procedure

Two experiments provided new measures of switch cost and retrieval time in the task span procedure. In Experiment 1, subjects were given lists of six task names to remember, followed by six targets on which to perform the tasks named in the list. The lists contained alternations and repetitions, and switch costs were estimated by comparing reaction time (RT) on alternation and repetition trials. The experiment also included memory span and single task conditions, so switch costs could be estimated by subtracting the sum of the RT in those conditions from the task span RT, as in the original report (Logan, 2004). The data suggested that the original measure of switch cost was invalid and that the new measure was preferable. In Experiment 2, subjects performed each task on the list twice. Retrieval was required on the first but not on the second trial in each pair. Retrieval time was estimated by comparing the RT on trials that required retrieval with trials that did not require retrieval. This measure was more valid than the RT in the memory span condition of Experiment 1, which was used in the original report.
Benign eyelid lesions.

background . Benign eyelid lesions include a diverse group of tumors, infections, and degenerative lesions that require specialized care for identification and treatment. objective . Diagnosis of benign eyelid lesions based on their clinical characteristics with pathological confirmation by biopsy where indicated. methods . Clinical evaluation, biopsy, and treatment with medication, surgery, and laser surgery are utilized. results . Improvement or complete resolution of these eyelid lesions is possible. conclusion . Special care is necessary to avoid ocular complications that could compromise vision, comfort, and cosmesis. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1992;18:1051–1055.
Injection of Thyrotrophin-Releasing Hormone in Turkey Embryos Elevates Plasma Thyroxine Concentrations

The effectiveness of thyrotrophin-releasing-hormone (TRH) as a secretagogue in turkey embryos was tested. Fertilized turkey eggs were injected with TRH after 24 d of incubation. In an experiment to determine an effective route and dose for TRH administration, it was shown that a single manual injection of 200 microL containing 2.15 microg of TRH, into the air cell or the same injection containing 5.0 microg through the bottom of the egg, was effective in elevating plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) 60 min after injection. In a second experiment, 5 microg of TRH in a volume of 200 microL was injected through the bottom of each egg. Injections were performed mechanically into eggs held in a commercial incubator. The injection increased blood plasma T4 for 5 h after a 30-min lag. Eggs from two genetic strains of turkeys were injected in Experiment 3. The TRH elicited a persistent response for 120 min from one strain but resulted in a slightly depressed response from the other, suggesting that subtle differences in the maturation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-thyroid axis may exist in commercial strains of turkeys. We concluded that TRH is an effective secretagogue for T4 in 24-d-old turkey embryos.
Optical microscope imaging of lines patterned in thick layers with variable edge geometry: theory

A monochromatic waveguide model that can predict the optical microscope images of line objects with arbitrary edge geometry is presented. The lines may be patterned in thick layers, including multilayer structures with sloping, curved, and undercut edges; granular structures such as lines patterned in polysilicon; and asymmetric objects. The model is used to illustrate the effects of line edge structure on the optical image. Qualitative agreement with experimentally obtained optical image profiles is demonstrated. Application of the model to studying the effects of variations in layer thickness and edge geometry on linewidth measurements made at different stages of manufacturing integrated-circuit devices is discussed.
Moving to markets: A review essay

(1993). Moving to markets: A review essay. Journal of Baltic Studies: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 395-402.
tRNA-dependent Aminoacyl-adenylate Hydrolysis by a Nonediting Class I Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase.

Glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase generates Gln-tRNA(Gln) 10(7)-fold more efficiently than Glu-tRNA(Gln) and requires tRNA to synthesize the activated aminoacyl adenylate in the first step of the reaction. To examine the role of tRNA in amino acid activation more closely, several assays employing a tRNA analog in which the 2'-OH group at the 3'-terminal A76 nucleotide is replaced with hydrogen (tRNA(2'HGln)) were developed. These experiments revealed a 10(4)-fold reduction in kcat/Km in the presence of the analog, suggesting a direct catalytic role for tRNA in the activation reaction. The catalytic importance of the A76 2'-OH group in aminoacylation mirrors a similar role for this moiety that has recently been demonstrated during peptidyl transfer on the ribosome. Unexpectedly, tracking of Gln-AMP formation utilizing an alpha-32P-labeled ATP substrate in the presence of tRNA(2'HGln) showed that AMP accumulates 5-fold more rapidly than Gln-AMP. A cold-trapping experiment revealed that the nonenzymatic rate of Gln-AMP hydrolysis is too slow to account for the rapid AMP formation; hence, the hydrolysis of Gln-AMP to form glutamine and AMP must be directly catalyzed by the GlnRS x tRNA(2'HGln) complex. This hydrolysis of glutaminyl adenylate represents a novel reaction that is directly analogous to the pre-transfer editing hydrolysis of noncognate aminoacyl adenylates by editing synthetases such as isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase. Because glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase does not possess a spatially separate editing domain, these data demonstrate that a pre-transfer editing-like reaction can occur within the synthetic site of a class I tRNA synthetase.
A genome-wide study of DNA methylation patterns and gene expression levels in multiple human and chimpanzee tissues.

The modification of DNA by methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that affects the spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression. Methylation patterns have been described in many contexts within and across a range of species. However, the extent to which changes in methylation might underlie inter-species differences in gene regulation, in particular between humans and other primates, has not yet been studied. To this end, we studied DNA methylation patterns in livers, hearts, and kidneys from multiple humans and chimpanzees, using tissue samples for which genome-wide gene expression data were also available. Using the multi-species gene expression and methylation data for 7,723 genes, we were able to study the role of promoter DNA methylation in the evolution of gene regulation across tissues and species. We found that inter-tissue methylation patterns are often conserved between humans and chimpanzees. However, we also found a large number of gene expression differences between species that might be explained, at least in part, by corresponding differences in methylation levels. In particular, we estimate that, in the tissues we studied, inter-species differences in promoter methylation might underlie as much as 12%–18% of differences in gene expression levels between humans and chimpanzees.
Light quarks, zero modes, and exceptional configurations

In continuum QCD, nontrivial gauge topologies give rise to zero eigenvalues of the massless Dirac operator. In lattice QCD with Wilson fermions, analogs of these zero modes appear as exactly real eigenvalues of the Wilson-Dirac operator, leading to poles in the quark propagator in the vicinity of the critical hopping parameter. It is shown that {open_quotes}exceptional configurations,{close_quotes} which arise in the quenched approximation at small quark mass, are the result of the fluctuation of the position of zero mode poles to subcritical values of hopping parameter on particular gauge configurations. We describe a procedure for correcting these lattice artifacts by first isolating the contribution of zero mode poles to the quark propagator and then shifting the subcritical poles to the critical point. This procedure defines a modified quenched approximation in which accurate calculations can be carried out for arbitrarily small quark masses. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Calorimetric Studies on Whey Freeze Concentration

The freezing point of whey was determined at 3,5, 10,15, and 20% solids content in an automatic Osmometer, and effective molecular weight of the solute was determined to be 235 using freezing point depression equations. Differential Scanning Calorimetery was used to estimate the specific heat of whey in the temperature range -40 to 20°C. The frozen water fraction and refrigeration requirements are predicted as a function of temperature. Correlations of enthalpy and the freezing point of whey are presented. With these correlations, energy required for freezing whey can be computed. The application of therm odynamic data to whey freeze concentration is demonstrated.
Ferrate and Alkaline Chlorination Treatment of Cyanide-Heavy Metal Maritime Wastewater

AbstractFerrate [Fe(VI)] and alkaline chlorination (AC) were investigated for the treatment of a maritime wastewater (CN, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in a seawater matrix. AC reduced CN concentrations but large dosages were required (0.018–0.056 mol CN consumed/mol HOCl). Metal removal occurred during the first stage (pH>10) but the amount of sludge produced was large due to Mg(OH)2(S) formation. Fe(VI) was effective in oxidizing CN and removing heavy metals to low levels without pH adjustment. Fe(VI) requirements [0.12 mol CN/mol Fe(VI)] were higher than those observed for other wastes but are considered more manageable compared with HOCl. Metal removal occurred by adsorption and coprecipitation with Fe(III) oxide, which results from the oxidation of Fe(VI). During staged treatment, metal removal and CN destruction increased [2× for Cd, 3× for Cu, 2.7× for Ni, 0.12 to 0.18 mol CN consumed/mol Fe(VI)]. Fe(III) oxide was relatively easy to separate using ultrafiltration tubular membranes and the amount of slu...
Metabolism of diethylstilbestrol in the C3H mouse: Chromatographic systems for the quantitative analysis of DES metabolic products

Abstract Initial excretion studies with orally administered [monoethyl-1- 3 H] DES demonstrated the feces to be the principal mode of elimination of DES in the C3H mouse. Metabolic studies with tritiated DES and/or [UL- 14 C] DES were performed with orally dosed C3H high (MTV+) and low (MTV−) titer MMTV female mice. Extraction and partitioning of the fecal radioactivity demonstrated 77 to 86% (n = 4) to be benzene soluble and the remainder H 2 O soluble. The principal product in the organic phase following Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC purification was DES. The aqueous phase was resolved by LH-20 into two conjugate fractions that were partially hydrolyzed by β-glucuronidase. The principal aglycone was chromatographically identical with authentic DES. The urinary conjugates were resolved into six fractions. The four major fractions were 80% hydrolyzable with β-glucuronidase. Two of these fractions had trans -DES as the principal aglycone, whereas the other two had a major peak similar to but not chromatographically coincident with cis -DES. In certain experiments mice were sequentially dosed with tritium (24 hr) followed by a 14 C dose (24 hr). Two mice (MTV+) were also previously fed 1000 ppb DES prior to these experiments. The tritiated and 14 C products were combined and analyzed simultaneously. This experiment did not reveal significant differences in the metabolism due to the modes of radioactive labeling, MMTV titer, or the prior feeding of DES. The developed methodology was judged to purify quantitatively 90% or more of the DES radioactive products.
States and International Courts: The Politics of Prosecution in Sierra Leone

We examine the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) from the perspective of a principal-agent analysis. How much control did states exercise over the Court's prosecutor and what strategies did the prosecutor use to expand the Court's discretion? Although states generally delegate substantial discretion to international courts in order to maintain credibility, we find that states still exercised important influence over the SCSL by controlling resources vital to the Court's success. At the same time, the SCSL prosecutor implemented some strategies that enabled him to indict Charles Taylor against the wishes of the United States. The case suggests that states have figured out ways to achieve both credibility and influence, but that savvy international agents can have some success in circumventing the controls of state principals.
The argument for aggressive coiling of aortopulmonary collaterals in single ventricle patients

Aortopulmonary collaterals are present in up to 80% of single ventricle anatomy patients undergoing pre-Fontan catheterization. There is generally no consensus as to their impact in the mid-long term course of these patients. We present arguments that aggressive coiling of these vessels is warranted to prevent deterioration of ventricular function long-term. Non-invasive modalities for measuring APC are needed. Multi-institutional, prospective, randomized, double blind studies are also needed to confirm our hypotheses.
Möglichkelten und Grenzen der wirtschaftlichen und finanziellen Staatsinterventlon im Fremdenverkehr

Der Fremdenverkehr ist zu einer der bedeutsamsten Erscheinungen unserer Zeit geworden. Gesichtspunkte des wirtschaftlichen Wachstums, der nationalen und internationalen Marktbeziehungen und des okonomischen Gleichgewichts sind entscheidend mit ihm verknupft. Dazu treten solche sozialen Charakters. Wie der Tourisraus selbst, haben sie derartiges Gewicht erhalten, dass sich die offentliche Hand immer mehr damit befassen musste. Hieraus erwuchs eine Interventionsbewegung, die folgende Fragen aufwarf:
Seasonal NH3 emissions for the continental united states: Inverse model estimation and evaluation

Abstract Significant uncertainty exists in the seasonal distribution of NH3 emissions since the predominant sources are animal husbandry and fertilizer application. Previous studies that estimated bottom–up and top–down NH3 emissions have provided the most comprehensive information available about the seasonality of NH3 emissions. In this study, this bottom–up and top–down emission information is combined with the most recent 2001 USEPA National Emission Inventory (NEI) to construct a best prior estimate of seasonal NH3 emissions. These emission estimates are then used in an annual 2001 USEPA Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model simulation for the continental United States. A key objective of this study is to evaluate these prior NH3 emission estimates and test the top–down inverse modeling method for a different year and a larger modeling domain than used previously. Based on the final posterior NH3 emission estimates, the inverse modeling results suggest that the annual total NEI NH3 emissions are reasonable and that a previous high bias in older USEPA emission inventories has been addressed in the updated inventory. Inverse modeling results suggest that the prior NH3 emission estimates should be increased in the summer and decreased in the winter, while results for the spring and fall are questionable due to precipitation prediction biases. A final conclusion from this study is that total NHx (NH3 and aerosol NH4+) air concentration data are essential for quantitative top–down analyses of NH3 emissions that can extend beyond what is possible using precipitation chemistry data.
Methodological Triangulation in the Analysis of Terrorist Networks

The conceptualization of terrorist groups as networks is increasingly common to terrorism studies, although methods of analysis vary widely. Contrary to common understandings, the integration of computational and qualitative methods is possible even with limited (small-n) data. The triangulation of different methods can produce insights overlooked by the use of any single method and validate findings across methods. This article demonstrates some of the possibilities for integrating qualitative and quantitative methods for network analysis using Raffaello Pantucci's recent article, “The Tottenham Ayatollah and The Hook-Handed Cleric: An Examination of All Their Jihadi Children.”
Antigens from Thermopolyspora polyspora Involved in Farmer' Lung.

SummaryThe trichloroacetic acid (TCA-) soluble antigens from T. polyspora had the same immunoelectrophoretic properties as the 3 farmer' lung antigens in a moldy hay sample from which this organism was isolated. The antigens cross reacted with one another and had similar properties on DEAE-cellulose columns. T. polyspora was grown in liquid culture. The mycelia were broken by sonication and extracted in order with pH 7.2 phosphate buffer, cold TCA, hot TCA and NaOH. Three antigens were extracted by cold TCA, and the phosphate buffer extract contained 2 additional TCA-insoluble antigens; the hot TCA and NaOH extracts were also antigenic. An extracellular, TCA-soluble antigen was found in the growth medium which did not cross react with the other TCA-soluble antigens. Pronase digestion did not destroy the 3 TCA-soluble antigens, but a residual peptide remained which was composed primarily of lysine, glutamic acid, alanine and allo-isoleucine. This peptide appeared to be part of a cell wall glycopeptide. The...
FRACTURE ANALYSIS BY USE OF ACOUSTIC EMISSION.

Abstract This report contains results of acoustic emission studies on flawed and unflawed specimens of aluminum and beryllium. Acoustic emission from the flawed specimens is found to begin at stress levels far below the general yield stress. A theoretical model given here indicates that the total number of acoustic emission signals from a specimen containing a crack should be proportional to the fourth power of the stress intensity factor obtained from a sharp-crack fracture mechanics analysis. This is in disagreement with experimental data from single-edge-notched fracture toughness specimens of the two materials, which indicate that acoustic emission varies more like the sixth to eighth power of the stress intensity factor. An example is given to show how the acoustic emission data obtained on fracture toughness specimens can be used to nondestruetively test the fracture strength of an engineering structure.
Threshold of singularity formation in the semilinear wave equation

Solutions of the semilinear wave equation are found numerically in three spatial dimensions with no assumed symmetry using distributed adaptive mesh refinement. The threshold of singularity formation is studied for the two cases in which the exponent of the nonlinear term is either $p=5$ or $p=7$. Near the threshold of singularity formation, numerical solutions suggest an approach to self-similarity for the $p=7$ case and an approach to a scale evolving static solution for $p=5$.
Preparation of a monoclonal antibody to a melanoma growth‐stimulatory activity released into serum‐free culture medium by Hs0294 malignant melanoma cells

Autostimulatory growth factors may contribute to the ability of malignant cells to escape normal growth controls. We have previously shown that Hs0294 human malignant melanoma cells release into culture medium an acid-soluble, heat-stable, trypsin-sensitive, autostimulatory monolayer mitogen which can be purified from acetic acid extracts of conditioned medium by gel filtration, reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and preparative electrophoresis. The majority of this melanoma growth-stimulatory activity (MGSA) resides in a 16-Kd moiety, though bioactivity is also associated with 24-26 and less than 14-Kd forms of MGSA (Richmond and Thomas: J Cell Physiol 129:375, 1986). In order to further characterize this growth factor, monoclonal antibodies were prepared against a partially purified preparation of the autostimulatory melanoma mitogen. Monoclonal antibody clones were selected based on supernate inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation in serum-free Hs0294 melanoma cultures. One of these, termed FB2AH7, slows, but does not completely block, the growth of Hs0294 cells in serum-free medium in a dose-dependent manner. This antibody does not slow the growth of normal rat kidney fibroblasts, which neither produce nor require this mitogen, in either serum-free medium or medium containing 0.8% calf serum. This monoclonal antibody also blocks the mitogenic effects of partially purified preparations of this melanoma growth stimulatory activity (MGSA) on both Hs0294 cells and normal rat kidney fibroblasts. The FB2AH7 antibody has been demonstrated to bind MGSA by Western blot and by immunoprecipitation procedures. Western blot analysis of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography purified growth factor demonstrated that FB2AH7 antibody binds to the 16-Kd and approximately 13-14-Kd forms of MGSA. FB2AH7 antibody can be used in immunoprecipitation experiments to bind the approximately 13-16-Kd forms of MGSA. The specificity of the binding of FB2AH7 antibody for MGSA but not other growth factors has been demonstrated in a modified dot blot assay. These data thus support the hypothesis that MGSA is an autostimulatory melanoma mitogen distinct from other growth factors.
Modeling Laser-Pulse Evolution during Production of High-Harmonics in a Semi-Infinite Gas Cell

We numerically simulate the propagation of high-intensity laser pulses in helium during high-harmonic generation. Results explain an experimentally observed double focus and illuminate the roles of geometric and nonlinear effects in high-harmonic phase matching.
Mesoscale Wind Fields for a Severe Storm Situation Determined from SMS Cloud Observations

Abstract An attempt is made to obtain fully three-dimensional mesoscale wind fields from satellite cloud displacement data for an area over the continental United States. A method to derive such fields and their likely accuracy is discussed prior to the presentation of a test case for 30 October 1974. The computed divergence and vertical motion fields are consistent with features of the observed mesoscale weather systems, particularly the locations of subsequent severe convective storms.
Genomic Maintenance: The p53 Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation Connection

The integrity of the genome in higher eukaryotes, as well as the modulation of its complex structure and functions, is exquisitely regulated. This genomic regulation occurs as a function of time in a very sophisticated and elaborate biological process called cell cycle progression, resulting in cell division, and is also controlled by a highly coordinated and intricate network of molecular signaling pathways, which in turn orchestrate very specific macromolecular interactions among nuclear proteins and DNA at the biochemical level. Among the latter, a prominent enzymatic cycle that is involved in maintaining the integrity of mammalian chromosomes is covalent protein-poly[adenosine diphosphate (ADP)–ribosyl]ation. The importance of this posttranslational modification is illustrated by the close cooperation between two "guardian angels" of the genome, one constitutive and one inducible protein, namely poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase–1 (PARP-1) and p53, and the integration of these pivotal signaling processes with genomic maintenance.
SRB measures for Axiom A endomorphisms

Let Λ be a basic set of an Axiom A endomorphism on ndimensional compact Riemannian manifold. In this paper, we provide equivalent conditions for the existence of a SRB measure on Λ. In particular, we show that under the assumption that the closure of the postcritical set of f is disjoint from Λ, the existence of a SRB measure is equivalent to the condition that the stable set of Λ has packing dimension n. Our approach uses the theory of thermodynamic formalism. In particular, we consider the topological pressure on the inverse limit space.
Dissipative anomalies in singular Euler flows

Abstract We discuss Onsager’s conjecture that non-vanishing energy dissipation in high-Reynolds-number turbulence is associated to singular (distributional) solutions of the incompressible Euler equations. We carefully explain the physical and mathematical meaning of the conjecture and also review relevant theoretical, experimental and numerical work, emphasizing some of the dramatic successes of Onsager’s point of view. Finally, we present several new ideas and results on Lagrangian dynamics of circulations and vortex-lines that we believe will be important for future progress.
Influence of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and MgATP on rat liver phosphofructokinase at pH 7: evidence for a complex interdependence.

Abstract The relationship between fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-BP) activation and MgATP inhibition of rat liver phosphofructokinase has been comprehensively evaluated at pH 7. When either ligand is varied at a fixed concentration of the other, its influence on the concentration of fructose 6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) required to produce half-maximal velocity, K a , is usually well described by the same simple, single-modifier linkage expression that described the actions of these ligands at pH 9. However, the effects of both ligands together cannot be described by the same overall linkage relationship that described their actions at pH 9. Specifically, despite an overall antagonistic relationship between the binding of MgATP and that of Fru-2,6-BP, very low concentrations of Fru-2,6-BP appear to facilitate the binding of MgATP to an appreciable degree. Also, MgATP at high concentration appears to inhibit the binding of Fru-2,6-BP to a significantly greater extent than its actions at lower concentration would predict. These additional features of MgATP-Fru-2,6-BP interaction have been incorporated into an overall linkage expression describing the actions of both MgATP and Fru-2,6-BP on K a for Fru6-P. The best fit parameters predict the data to within an average standard error of ±21%.
Effects of consecutive wideband tympanometry trials on energy absorbance measures of the middle ear.

Purpose Wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) is a new technique for assessing middle ear transfer function. It includes energy absorbance (EA) measures and can be acquired with the ear canal pressure varied, known as wideband tympanometry (WBTymp). The authors of this study aimed to investigate effects of consecutive WBTymp testing on EA. Method Data were collected in 29 young adults with normal hearing and middle ear status. Before and after 8 successive WBTymp runs, EA was also measured at ambient pressure. Subsequently, two 226-Hz tympanometry tests were performed. Results EA systematically changed over the WBTymp trials in a frequency-specific manner: increase for low frequencies (below 1.5 kHz) and decrease for high frequencies (around 2 kHz and 5 to 6 kHz). The changes, although small, were significant. Much larger EA changes were measured at ambient pressure. The test–retest difference of 226-Hz tympanogram measures was much smaller than previously reported. Conclusion Consecutive tympanometry testin...
The Maslov index on the simply connected covering group and the metaplectic representation

Abstract In this paper we define a half-integer valued function on the simply connected covering group of the symplectic group, related to the Maslov index of curves on the Lagrangian Grassmannian and use it to write down explicitly the operators of the metaplectic or Oscillator representation. We also elucidate the relationship of the so-called Maslov bundle (as defined by Hormander) to the metaplectic representation.
Karyotypic stability of serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cells.

Mouse embryo cultures derived in serum-containing medium undergo growth crisis or senescence after fewer than 20 population doublings, followed by the emergence of genetically altered, polyploid ‘immortalized’ cells capable of growing indefinitely. Serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cells, derived in medium in which serum is replaced with growth factors and other supplements, do not exhibit growth crisis or gross chromosomal aberrations when cultured for well over 100 population doublings and display other unique properties. We examined culture conditions and physiological factors affecting karyotypic stability in long term cultures of SFME cells derived from several mouse strains. Cloning SFME cells consistently isolated colonies with altered karyotype, even when the clones were derived from parent cultures with no karyotypic alterations. After 140–200 population doublingsin vitro, the percentage of SFME cells showing hyperdiploidy or structural chromosomal abnormalities increased, although the modal chromosome number remained diploid. SFME cells transformed with molecularly cloned oncogenes did not show alterations in karyotype beyond that expected from the clonal origins of these cells, indicating that malignant transformation of SFME cells does not result in general karyotypic instability.
Use of the American Diabetes Association Risk Test to Determine Type 2 Diabetes Risk Among a College Age Population

Text: Type 2 diabetes is associated with the threat of serious health complications. Most people develop “pre-diabetes” prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes. Those with pre-diabetes may delay or prevent type 2 diabetes with early diagnosis and lifestyle changes. To determine risk of type 2 diabetes among college students, a paper-pencil survey was developed which included demographic information and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) risk test. This survey was completed by 245 students at a Southeastern coastal university [86.5% White, 65.3% female, mean age 21.13 (SD 3.99), mean Body Mass Index 23.87 (SD 4.57)]. Based on ADA test results, 6.3% of students were at risk for type 2 diabetes. Using General Linear Model Analysis of Variance, no differences were found in ADA risk scores by gender; however, significant differences were found by race with African Americans scoring higher (p .0080, M 4.27, SD .55) than Whites (M 2.65, SD .23). Logistic regression revealed African American students’ ADA test scores placed them 5.3 times more likely to be at risk for type 2 diabetes than Whites (O.R. 5.34, 95% CI .52, 2.82). Prior testing for diabetes was reported by 17.1% of students. Because the ADA test is a quick assessment of type 2 diabetes risk, dietitians might consider collaborating with college health center practitioners to screen and educate college-age students. This is of particular importance at institutions with high student enrollment from populations at increased risk for the disease.
Comparison of Two Measures of Gestational Age Among Low Income Births. The Potential Impact on Health Studies, New York, 2005

Recently, the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems considered changing the definition of gestational age from the current definition based on mother’s last normal menstrual period (LMP) to the clinical/obstetric estimate determined by the physician (CE).They determined additional information was needed. This study provides additional insight into the comparability of the LMP and CE measures currently used on vital records among births at risk for poor outcomes. The data consisted of all New York State (NYS) (excluding New York City) singleton births in 2005 among mothers enrolled in the NYS Women Infants and Children (WIC) program during pregnancy. Prenatal WIC records were matched to NYS’ Statewide Perinatal Data System. The analysis investigates differences between LMP and CE recorded gestations. Relative risks between risk factors and preterm birth were compared for LMP and CE. Exact agreement between gestation measures exists in 49.6% of births. Overall, 6.4% of records indicate discordance in full term/preterm classifications; CE is full term and LMP preterm in 4.9%, with the converse true for 1.5%. Associations between risk factor and preterm birth differed in magnitude based on gestational age measurement. Infants born to mothers with high risk indicators were more likely to have a CE of preterm and LMP full term. Changing the measure of gestational age to CE universally likely would result in overestimation of the importance of some risk factors for preterm birth. Potential overestimation of clinical outcomes associated with preterm birth may occur and should be studied.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1–Dependent Induction of Intestinal Trefoil Factor Protects Barrier Function during Hypoxia

Mucosal organs such as the intestine are supported by a rich and complex underlying vasculature. For this reason, the intestine, and particularly barrier-protective epithelial cells, are susceptible to damage related to diminished blood flow and concomitant tissue hypoxia. We sought to identify compensatory mechanisms that protect epithelial barrier during episodes of intestinal hypoxia. Initial studies examining T84 colonic epithelial cells revealed that barrier function is uniquely resistant to changes elicited by hypoxia. A search for intestinal-specific, barrier-protective factors revealed that the human intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) gene promoter bears a previously unappreciated binding site for hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1. Hypoxia resulted in parallel induction of ITF mRNA and protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis using ITF-specific, HIF-1 consensus motifs resulted in a hypoxia-inducible DNA binding activity, and loading cells with antisense oligonucleotides directed against the α chain of HIF-1 resulted in a loss of ITF hypoxia inducibility. Moreover, addition of anti-ITF antibody resulted in a loss of barrier function in epithelial cells exposed to hypoxia, and the addition of recombinant human ITF to vascular endothelial cells partially protected endothelial cells from hypoxia-elicited barrier disruption. Extensions of these studies in vivo revealed prominent hypoxia-elicited increases in intestinal permeability in ITF null mice. HIF-1–dependent induction of ITF may provide an adaptive link for maintenance of barrier function during hypoxia.
Redox modulation of basal and β-adrenergically stimulated cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel activity by phenylarsine oxide

1. Phenylarsine oxide (PAO) is commonly used to inhibit tyrosine phosphatase activity. However, PAO can affect a variety of different processes because of its ability to promote sulfhydryl oxidation. In the present study, we investigated the effects that PAO has on basal and beta-adrenergically stimulated L-type Ca(2+) channel activity in isolated cardiac myocytes. 2. Extracellular application of PAO transiently stimulated the basal L-type Ca(2+) channel activity, whereas it irreversibly inhibited protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent regulation of channel activity by isoproterenol, forskolin and 8-CPT-cAMP (8-p-chlorophenylthioadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate). PAO also inhibited channel activity irreversibly stimulated in the presence of adenosine 5'-(3-thiotriphosphate) tetralithium salt. 3. Neither the stimulatory nor the inhibitory effects of PAO were affected by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin A, suggesting that tyrosine phosphorylation is not involved. 4. Extracellular application of the sulfhydryl-reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) antagonized both the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of PAO. Yet, following intracellular dialysis with DTT, only the inhibitory effect of PAO was antagonized. 5. The inhibitory effect of PAO was mimicked by intracellular, but not extracellular application of the membrane impermeant thiol oxidant 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). 6. These results suggest that the stimulatory effect of PAO results from oxidation of sulfhydryl residues at an extracellular site and the inhibitory effect is due to redox regulation of an intracellular site that affects the response of the channel to PKA-dependent phosphorylation. It is concluded that the redox state of the cell may play a critical role in modulating beta-adrenergic responsiveness of the L-type Ca(2+) channel in cardiac myocytes.
Asynchronous PRAMs are (almost) as good as synchronous PRAMs

A PRAM (parallel random-access-machine) model that allows processors to have arbitrary asynchronous behavior is introduced. The main result shows that any n-processor CRCW (concurrent-read, concurrent-write) PRAM program can be simulated on an asynchronous CRCW PRAM using O(n) expected work per parallel step and up to n/log n log*n asynchronous processors. It is shown that a synchronization primitive for n parallel instructions can be computed using O(n) expected work by a system of asynchronous processors. Since a special case of asynchronous behavior is a fail-stop error, the simulation technique described above can convert any PRAM program into a PRAM program that is resistant to all fail-stop errors and has the same expected work as the original program. >