cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using area-based socioeconomic measures to study social disparities in cancer.

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 SY09-01 Despite longstanding US evidence of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequalities in health, US cancer registries lack socioeconomic data, thus precluding routine monitoring and analysis of US socioeconomic inequalities in cancer and their link to racial/ethnic disparities in the burden of cancer. Also problematic is a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the definition of cancer disparities, with the most commonly employed definitions being descriptive rather than analytic. To address these empirical and conceptual gaps, this presentation will address three topics: first, it will offer a conceptual analytic definition of cancer disparities ([1][1]), premised on ecosocial theory ([2][2]–[4][3]) and its concern with how we literally embody, biologically, social inequality, thereby producing population patterns of health, disease and well-being, including health inequities. Second, it will present the methods and results of the The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project ([5][4]–[8][5]), which geocoded and linked public health surveillance data from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to 1990 census-derived area-based socioeconomic measures (ABSMs) to determine which ABSMs, at which geographic level (census block group, census tract, ZIP Code) could validly be used to monitor socioeconomic inequalities in health. Outcomes comprised: birth, childhood lead poisoning, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, non-fatal weapons-related injuries, cancer incidence, and mortality. Key findings were that in both the total population and diverse racial/ethnic-gender groups, measures of economic deprivation proved most sensitive to expected socioeconomic gradients in health, with census tract (CT) ABSMs yielding the most consistent results and maximal geocoding across outcomes, and the CT poverty measure performing as well as more complex composite measures. These results imply that geocoding and use of the CT poverty measure permits routine monitoring of US socioeconomic inequalities in health, using a common and accessible metric. Third, to demonstrate the additional utility of geocoding and using ABSMS for etiologic investigations, selected results of analyses on socioeconomic trends in breast cancer incidence will be presented ([9][6]). The central message is that the science of health disparities requires both rigorous concepts and rigorous methods, and puts to the test our understanding of determinants of population health, including cancer. [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-4 [4]: #ref-5 [5]: #ref-8 [6]: #ref-9
Rotational barriers: Part 3. 2-Haloethanols

Abstract The geometries of the lowest energy gauche and trans conformers of 2-fluoroethanol (2FE) and 2-chloroethanol (2CE) have been calculated at the 6-31G* level, and the energies calculated with several basis sets and the inclusion of electron correlation. The global minimum for both compounds is found to be the gauche conformer, in agreement with experiment. At the MP3/6-31G* level, trans 2CE is 1.66 kcal mol−1 higher in energy than gauche, while trans 2FE is 2.34 kcal mol−1 higher than gauche. Geometries were also optimized for various fixed values of the HOCC dihedral angle, from which the barrier to OH rotation was derived. Further calculations at the MP3/6-311+ +G** level lowered the relative energy of trans 2FE by only 0.3 kcal mol−1 to 2.03, but had a much larger effect on the HOCC rotational barrier. Calculations at the MP3/6-311++G** level were also done for ethanol, and a comparison of the ethanol and 2FE rotational profiles indicates a strongly attractive HF interaction which, after elimination of non-bonding and bending contributions, may be most simply modelled as a coulombic term. Vibrational frequencies were estimated for 2FE and 2CE at the 6-31G* level, and do not support the idea that a small HF separation is responsible for the frequency differences between trans and gauche.
Die zweite Revolution: E-Man

Als das Bauerntum das typische Jagerdasein verdrangte, war der Bauer nicht etwa glucklicher als der Jager. Das ist ja hoffentlich schon aus der zweiten Einleitung und der blosen Darstellung der Charaktere hervorgegangen. Ich mache es dennoch hier deutlich, damit es ganz, uberganz klar ist.
The Interdependence of Science and Law

The practice of science depends upon sound law, and vice versa. The law must seek decisions that fall within the boundaries of scientifically sound decisions and approximately reflect the scientific state of the art. One means for this is the use of court-appointed scientific experts in technical cases to assist judges in gleaning unbiased information and determining the validity of scientific evidence.
Goldilocks Meets Gertrude Stein: Poetry Explication for the Verse-Averse.

Abstract Literature students often fear poetry explication, supposing it is beyond their intellectual reach. As with many preconceptions that surface in the classroom, this is an impression I find helpful to tackle forthrightly. Years of teaching literature have convinced me that even English majors can become timid in the face of assignments calling for poetry explication. Given this common response, I have experimented with many methods for acclimating students to poetry as a form. The activity described here has proven helpful in this regard.
Quantifying the flux of CaCO3 and organic carbon from the surface ocean using in situ measurements of O2, N2, pCO2, and pH

[1] Ocean acidification from anthropogenic CO2 has focused our attention on the importance of understanding the rates and mechanisms of CaCO3 formation so that changes can be monitored and feedbacks predicted. We present a method for determining the rate of CaCO3 production using in situ measureme nts of fCO2 and pH in surface waters of the eastern subarctic Pacific Ocean. These quantities were determined on a surface mooring every 3 h for a period of about 9 months in 2007 at Ocean Station Papa (50°N, 145°W). We use the data in a simple surface ocean, mass balance model of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity (Alk) to constrain the CaCO3: organic carbon (OC) production ratio to be approximately 0.5. A CaCO3 production rate of 8 mmol CaCO3 m−2 d−1 in the summer of 2007 (1.2 mol m−2 yr−1) is derived by combining the CaCO3: OC ratio with the a net organic carbon production rate (2.5 mol C m−2 yr−1) determined from in situ measurements of oxygen and nitrogen gas concentrations measured on the same mooring (Emerson and Stump, 2010). Carbonate chemistry data from a meridional hydrographic section in this area in 2008 indicate that isopycnal surfaces that outcrop in the winter in the subarctic Pacific and deepen southward into the subtropics are a much stronger source for alkalinity than vertical mixing. This pathway has a high enough Alk:DIC ratio to support the CaCO3:OC production rate implied by the fCO2 and pH data.
Stress Evolution During the Formation and Transformation of Titanium Silicide

The evolution of stress vs. temperature was measured during the formation of TiSi 2 in the reaction of Ti with (100) Si and with polycrystalline Si, and during the phase transformation from C49 to C54 TiSi 2 . The formation of C49 TiSi 2 causes an increase in compressive stress, followed by relaxation before the transformation to C54 TiSi 2 , which causes no significant stress change. C54 TiSi 2 is shown to be elastic in the temperature range of 750–860 °C. This difference in the deformation mechanisms of C49 and C54 TiSi 2 affects the morphological stability of TiSi 2 in fine line structures.
Activation of PyMT in β Cells Induces Irreversible Hyperplasia, but Oncogene-Dependent Acinar Cell Carcinomas When Activated in Pancreatic Progenitors

It is unclear whether the cellular origin of various forms of pancreatic cancer involves transformation or transdifferentiation of different target cells or whether tumors arise from common precursors, with tumor types determined by the specific genetic alterations. Previous studies suggested that pancreatic ductal carcinomas might be induced by polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT) expressed in non-ductal cells. To ask whether PyMT transforms and transdifferentiates endocrine cells toward exocrine tumor phenotypes, we generated transgenic mice that carry tetracycline-inducible PyMT and a linked luciferase reporter. Induction of PyMT in β cells causes β-cell hyperplastic lesions that do not progress to malignant neoplasms. When PyMT is de-induced, β cell proliferation and growth cease; however, regression does not occur, suggesting that continued production of PyMT is not required to maintain the viable expanded β cell population. In contrast, induction of PyMT in early pancreatic progenitor cells under the control of Pdx1 produces acinar cell carcinomas and β-cell hyperplasia. The survival of acinar tumor cells is dependent on continued expression of PyMT. Our findings indicate that PyMT can induce exocrine tumors from pancreatic progenitor cells, but cells in the β cell lineage are not transdifferentiated toward exocrine cell types by PyMT; instead, they undergo oncogene-dependent hyperplastic growth, but do not require PyMT for survival.
Taxanes in the Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer, Emerging Consensus and Unanswered Questions

Anthracyclines were standard chemotherapy agents in the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. Taxanes are newer tubulin-targeting agents that have little cross-resistance and limited overlapping toxicities with anthracyclines. In the past decade, large number of randomized phase-III clinical trials has been conducted worldwide to determine if the addition of taxanes to anthracyclines would improve the disease-free or overall survival of patients with early breast cancer. Many of these first-generation taxane trials are now mature with available survival data. Pooled analyses from these trials consistently demonstrated survival advantage when taxanes were added to anthracyclines or nonanthracycline regimen. The second-generation taxane trials are focusing on how to optimally combine taxanes with the anthracyclines, sequentially, or concurrently, dosing and frequency of administration, duration of therapy and measures to reduce the taxane toxicity. The future direction of clinical research on taxanes or third-generation taxane trials involves identification of predictive markers for response to taxanes, application of novel taxanes and combination of taxanes to other biological agents in order to offer taxanes to selected patients with early breast cancer to increase the efficacy and minimize the toxicity. While many of the second-generation taxane trials are still ongoing, the choice of specific taxane regimen should be based on evidence from the published clinical trials and tailoring to the particular needs of individual patient.
Decarboxylation of DL-2,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (2,4-DOPA) to 2,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine in mouse striatal slices

Decarboxylation of an unnatural analogue of DOPA by brain aromatic amino acid decarboxylase was measured by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Incubation of striatal slices with DL-2,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (2,4-DOPA) resulted in biosynthesis and accumulation of 2,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine, which was completely blocked by carbidopa. 2,4-DOPA induced a significant decrease in endogenous dopamine, but the loss was not prevented by carbidopa. Since 2,4-DOPA is a potential pro-drug for melanoma chemotherapy, further evaluation of its neurobiologic properties is needed.
The rhythms of learning.

Projections from the amydala to the ventral striatum are important for learning and expressing goal-directed behavior guided by environmental cues. New data presented in this issue indicate that fleeting epochs of coherent gamma oscillations between these brain areas may be important for reinforcement learning.
P2X4 receptor-eNOS signaling pathway in cardiac myocytes as a novel protective mechanism in heart failure.

We have demonstrated using immunoprecipitation and immunostaining a novel physical association of the P2X4 receptor (P2X4R), a ligand-gated ion channel, with the cardioprotective, calcium-dependent enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Treatment of murine ventricular myocytes with the P2XR agonist 2-methylthioATP (2-meSATP) to induce a current (mainly Na+) increased the formation of nitric oxide (NO), as measured using a fluorescent probe. Possible candidates for downstream effectors mediating eNOS activity include cyclic GMP and PKG or cellular protein nitrosylation. A cardiac-specific P2X4R overexpressing mouse line was protected from heart failure (HF) with improved cardiac function and survival in post-infarct, pressure overload, and calsequestrin (CSQ) overexpression models of HF. Although the role of the P2X4R in other tissues such as the endothelium and monocytes awaits characterization in tissue-specific KO, cardiac-specific activation of eNOS may be more cardioprotective than an increased activity of global systemic eNOS. The intra-myocyte formation of NO may be more advantageous over NO derived externally from a donor. A small molecule drug stimulating this sarcolemmal pathway or gene therapy-mediated overexpression of the P2X4R in cardiac myocytes may represent a new therapy for both ischemic and pressure overloaded HF.
Relationship of changes in cardiac output to changes in heart rate in medical ICU patients.

To determine whether changes in cardiac output are correlated with changes in other commonly measured covariables (heart rate, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, and temperature). Case series. Medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a Veterans Administration Medical Center. Twenty-three patients with Swan-Ganz catheters placed by the primary care team were studied on 25 occasions. Patients were managed by the primary team as clinically indicated. Thermodilution cardiac output and covariables were determined at baseline and at hourly intervals for the next 5 h. Each cardiac output measurement was calculated by averaging the last four of five individual measurements at each time point. The mean cardiac output (9.2l/min), heart rate (107/min), and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (19 mmHg) were elevated. The hourly mean change in cardiac output was 10.2%. Using least-squares linear regression analysis, we found clinically significant changes in cardiac output (>6.4%) to be most closely correlated with changes in heart rate (R 2=0.29,p<0.001). Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that none of the other covariables added significantly to this relationship. No significant relationship was found between changes in cardiac output and changes in pulmonary artery occlusion pressure. Despite these correlations clinically significant changes in cardiac output were accompanied by changes in heart rate in the same direction only 62% of the time. Changes in cardiac output were best correlated with changes in heart rate. Changes in pulmonary artery occlusion pressure were not correlated with changes in cardiac output in this population of medical ICU patients. A change in any of the covariables (alone or in combination) cannot be reliably used to indicate a simultaneous change in cardiac output.
Rapid Assessment of Urban Wetlands: Do Hydrogeomorphic Classification and Reference Criteria Work?

The Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment method is predicated on the ability of hydrogeomorphic wetland classification and visual assessment of alteration to provide reference standards against which functions in individual wetlands can be evaluated. The effectiveness of this approach was tested by measuring nitrogen cycling functions in forested wetlands in an urbanized region in New Jersey, USA. Fourteen sites represented three HGM classes and were characterized as “least disturbed reference” or “non-reference” based on initial visual assessment. Water table levels and in situ rates of net nitrogen mineralization, net nitrification, and denitrification were measured over one year in each site. Hydrological alterations, resulting in consistently low or flashy water table levels, were not correlated with a priori designations as reference and non-reference. Although the flat-riverine wetland class had lower net nitrification and higher denitrification rates than riverine or mineral flat wetland classes, this difference was attributable to the lack of hydrologically-altered wetlands in the flat-riverine class, and thus more consistently wet conditions. Within all HGM classes, a classification based on the long-term hydrological record that separated sites with “normal,” saturated hydrology from those with “altered,” drier hydrology, clearly distinguished sites with different nitrogen cycling function. Based on these findings, current practices for designating reference standard sites to judge wetland functions, at least in urbanized regions, are ineffective and potentially misleading. At least one year of hydrological monitoring data is suggested to classify wetlands into groups that have different nutrient cycling functions, particularly in urban landscapes.
Abnormal platelet membrane composition in Alzheimer's-type dementia.

Abstract An abnormality of membranes, possibly representing an increase in internal membranes, has been reported in fluorescence spectroscopic and electron microscopic studies of platelets of patients with Alzheimer's-type dementia (AD). To further define this abnormality, the cholesterol and phospholipid content of platelet and erythrocyte membranes was determined and compared for patients with AD and matched control subjects. No significant differences in either cholesterol or phospholipid, per se, were observed in comparing platelets from subjects in the two study groups. However, the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid was significantly lower (p s = 0.53, p
The impact of the Multi-jurisdiction Disclosure System on audit fees of cross-listed Canadian firms

Abstract The Multi-jurisdiction Disclosure System (MJDS), a treaty between Canada and the United States (U.S.), was intended to facilitate the cross-listing of a firm's securities in the neighboring country. Under this system, eligible Canadian companies are allowed to use home-country documents to meet U.S. disclosure requirements and these documents are generally not reviewed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We posit that the single-reporting requirement and lower SEC scrutiny may result in lower audit fees for MJDS firms. Based on audit-fee disclosures mandated by the SEC rule-making authority granted by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, we find a negative association between audit fees paid by U.S. cross-listed Canadian companies and their use of the MJDS. This result suggests that the lower audit fees provide an economic incentive to use the MJDS. Thus, our study provides evidence that the implementation of the MJDS may help facilitate cross-border listings by reducing audit costs. Additionally, this study confirms, for Canadian firms, some of the audit-fee determinants reported in earlier studies.
Opioids and their complicated receptor complexes.

No field more eagerly awaits a molecular clarification for G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) dimerization than the opioid receptor field. Extensive evidence of pharmacological and functional interactions between opioid receptor types has primed this field for such a resolution. In retrospect, much of the data collected on synergy between different opioid receptor types may represent the functional correlate for the newly found opioid receptor dimerization. While previous reports of functional synergy have been, for the most part, consistent in demonstrating cross-regulation between two receptor types, the lack of highly receptor-selective ligands allowed skeptics to remain doubtful over the interpretations of these results. Today, two important developments in the opioid receptor field help reinvigorate the hypothesis of functional, cross-modulating opioid receptor complexes: (1) The existence of highly selective ligands which eliminate any possibility of cross-reactivity between receptor types, and (2) the discovery that opioid receptors and a number of other GPCRs exist as dimers in biochemical, functional and pharmacological assays. It is with these new tools that we seek to understand the mechanisms and implications of dimerization. Initial results of these studies have demonstrated that the dimerization of opioid receptors may help consolidate several pharmacological findings that have remained unanswered. In this review we present biochemical, pharmacological and functional evidence for opioid receptor complexes and add evidence from our recent studies on opioid receptor dimerization. We believe a thorough understanding of receptor dimerization is crucial in clarifying the mechanism of action of opioids and other drugs and may serve a more practical purpose in aiding the development of novel therapeutic drugs. [Neruopsychopharmacology 23:S5–S18, 2000]
Prepubertal Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Study

Abstract A group of 13 prepubertal children fitting unmodified Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depressive disorder in adults was identified. The clinical characteristics of the group are described as well as the results of an open trial of imipramine. Pilot data from this study point to the possibility that adult and prepubertal major depressive disorders are basically the same illness occurring at different points in development.
Tread Cracking of Natural and Synthetic Rubber Stocks

Abstract The development of cracks in the base of the tread grooves of tires has long been recognized as a major factor governing their useful life. A number of laboratory tests have been employed in an effort to evaluate crack initiation and growth. Dumbbell strips, rings, and grooved blocks have been flexed through various tension cycles. Grooved belts and tire treads have been flexed by weaving over pulleys and thereby producing a cycle which involves both tension and compression. Tires themselves have been flexed under load on rotating drums. The strains which produce cracking along the length of a tire groove are complex. They occur on and near the surface in the base of the groove. For the purpose of this discussion, they are defined as the strains at right angles to the groove length and in the plane of the groove base. To devise a flexing machine which reproduces these strains qualitatively, one must consider the forces acting to produce them. The force acting upward on the ribs of the tire tread ...
The Videocassette Recorder and Information Inequity

L'etude analyse les caracteristiques socio-demographiques, le niveau d'education et l'usage general des moyens mediatiques, chez les utilisateurs de videocassettes
Evidence for strong clustering effects in high-multiplicity final states at 30 GeV

Abstract A statistical analysis of the event-to-event fluctuations of the langitudinal-momentum distributions is applied to 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-pion production data in 28 GeV c proton-nucleon collisions, as well as to several models. The results indicate that a dominant feature of these final states is the formation of high-multiplicity clusters of particles.
Transpassive behaviour of titaniummolybdenum alloys in 1 N H2SO4

Abstract The electrochemical behaviour of titaniummolybdenum alloys (10, 20,30 wt.%Mo) in boiling, deaerated 1 N H 2 SO 4 was investigated. Attention was focused on the potential region of transpassive dissolution of molybdenum. Potentiostatic polarization curves in conjunction with Auger electron spectroscopy were used to correlate the current-potential relationship in this region with the composition of the oxide films. It was shown that at open-circuit potential, for Ti—20 and 30Mo an accumulation of molybdenum in the oxide film results in alloy passivity. However, in the region of the transpassivation with respect to the molybdenum, the presence of Mo in the oxide led to a higher dissolution rate than that exhibited by pure titanium. In the transpassivation region, the steady state currents increased with increasing potential up to a characteristic anodic potential. At potentials more positive than this point, the anodic currents declined. This decrease in current was correlated with a depletion of Mo from the outer layers of the oxide with the consequent formation of a more protective titaniumoxide film structure.
Leaky channels make weak muscles

Mutations in the skeletal muscle voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV1.1) have been associated with hypokalemic periodic paralysis, but how the pathogenesis of this disorder relates to the functional consequences of mutations was unclear. In this issue of the JCI, Wu and colleagues recapitulate the disease by generating a novel knock-in CaV1.1 mutant mouse and use this model to investigate the cellular and molecular features of pathogenesis. They demonstrated an aberrant muscle cell current conducted through the CaV1.1 voltage-sensor domain (gating pore current) that explains an abnormally depolarized muscle membrane and the failure of muscle action potential firing during challenge with agents known to provoke periodic paralysis. Their work advances understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying an inherited channelopathy.
Using digital logic circuit simulation to build demonstrations of IT concepts

This paper describes using an open source, freely available logic simulation package to build visualizations to teach IT concepts. The first visualization is of an XOR based, symmetric encryption/decryption process. While it is not the actual process used in modern encryption, it illustrates concepts that are used in encryption/decryption and are often used in IT, particularly in computer and Internet technology to protect files and secure transactions. While actual encryption would be over a much larger word size and use several passes in the encryption process, this tool clearly illustrates the basics of the process. A second visualization shows Hexadecimal numbers with their binary and decimal counterparts. These are important concepts in understanding how bit patterns can represent many different things within a computer. The flexibility of these visualizations is shown by a small circuit addition that can add ASCII characters to this display. Building these visualizations could be done with many different software tools; however, using a logic simulator for some visualizations has the advantages of being easy and also providing insight into the logic of the process that are being visualized.
Proliferative capacity of cell cultures derived from the human placenta

The placenta consists largely of fetal tissue, yet at term it displays histological signs of deterioration not apparent in the fetus. To determine whether the apparent degeneration of the placenta is genetically determined, the life-spans of placental cell cultures and the proportion of placental cells capable of incorporating [3H]thymidine for replicative DNA synthesis in vitro were measured. Under the culture conditions employed, the placental cells were removed from the influence of many extrinsic factors thought to play a role in the degeneration of the placenta in vivo. Cultures of fibroblast-like cells derived from the placenta exhibited a reduced life-span and correspondingly reduced proportion of cells able to incorporate [3H]thymidine for DNA synthesis in comparison to cultures derived from the fetal skin and the maternal decidua. These results suggest that intrinsic cellular processes may be involved in the apparent degeneration of the placenta.
Effects of natal departure and water level on survival of juvenile snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida

Abstract Survival rate from fledging to breeding, or juvenile survival, is an important source of variation in lifetime reproductive success in birds. Therefore, determining the relation-ship between juvenile survival and environmental factors is essential to understanding fitness consequences of reproduction in many populations. With increases in density of individuals and depletion of food resources, quality of most habitats deteriorates during the breeding season. Individuals respond by dispersing in search of food resources. Therefore, to understand the influence of environmental factors on juvenile survival, it is also necessary to know how natal dispersal influences survival of juveniles. We examined effects of various environmental factors and natal dispersal behavior on juvenile survival of endangered Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in central and southern Florida, using a generalized estimating equations (GEEs) approach and model selection criteria. Our results suggested yearly effects and an...
Isocyanides Inhibit Human Heme Oxygenases at the Verdoheme Stage

Heme oxygenases (HO) catalyze the oxidative cleavage of heme to generate biliverdin, CO, and free iron. In humans, heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) is overexpressed in tumor tissues, where it helps to protect cancer cells from anticancer agents, while HOs in fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans, function as the primary means of iron acquisition. Thus, HO can be considered a potential therapeutic target for certain diseases. In this study, we have examined the equilibrium binding of three isocyanides, isopropyl, n-butyl, and benzyl, to the two major human HO isoforms (hHO-1 and hHO-2), Candida albicans HO (CaHmx1), and human cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 using electronic absorption spectroscopy. Isocyanides coordinate to both ferric and ferrous HO-bound heme, with tighter binding by the more hydrophobic isocyanides and 200-300-fold tighter binding to the ferrous form. Benzyl isocyanide was the strongest ligand to ferrous heme in all the enzymes. Because the dissociation constants (KD) of the ligands for ferrous heme-hHO-1 were below the limit of accuracy for equilibrium titrations, stopped-flow kinetic experiments were used to measure the binding parameters of the isocyanides to ferrous hHO-1. Steady-state activity assays showed that benzyl isocyanide was the most potent uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to heme with a KI = 0.15 microM for hHO-1. Importantly, single turnover assays revealed that the reaction was completely stopped by coordination of the isocyanide to the verdoheme intermediate rather than to the ferric heme complex. Much tighter binding of the inhibitor to the verdoheme intermediate differentiates it from inhibition of, for example, CYP3A4 and offers a possible route to more selective inhibitor design.
A hardware-software codesign methodology for DSP applications

The authors describe a systematic, heterogeneous design methodology using the Ptolemy framework for simulation, prototyping, and software synthesis of systems containing a mixture of hardware and software components. They focus on signal-processing systems in which the hardware typically consists of custom data paths, finite-state machines (FSMs), glue logic and programmable processors. The software is one or more embedded programs running on the programmable components. >
Electrode recovery potential

In some instances the same electrodes are used for stimulation and then for recording a bioelectric event immediately after the stimulus. However, after the current pulse there remains an electrode potential that decays quasiexponentially. We have designated this falling potential the electrode-recovery potential. This study investigated the recovery potentials of single electrodes of rhodium, stainless steel, platinum and platinum-iridium in contact with 0.9% saline at room temperature (25°C) over a current density ranging from 0.1 to 100 mA/cm2 using a constant-current pulse. In all cases, with increasing current density, there was a decrease in the time for the electrode potential to fall to one half of the immediate post-stimulus value. Above about 20 mA/cm2 the decrease in recovery time was smooth with increasing current density. Below 20 mA/cm2, the recovery time was slightly irregular. The shortest recovery times were for platinum and platinum-iridium. The largest decrease in recovery time with increasing current density was for stainless steel, which decreased 10 fold from 0.1 to 100 mA/cm2. The recovery time for rhodium decreased about three-and-one half fold over the same current density range. It was found that the waveform of the recovery potential is not a simple exponential because the Warburg and Faradic components of the electrode-electrolyte interface are current-density dependent. In general, for all current densities studied (0.1–100 mA/cm2), there was a sudden initial fall in electrode potential with cessation of current flow, followed by a very gradual nonexponential decrease in potential.
Kinetics of Hydrolyses of Sorghum Molasses with Dilute Mineral Acids and Oxalic Acid and Melibiose with Oxalic Acid

Investigations were carried out on the kinetics of hydrolyses of sorghum molasses with dilute mineral acids and oxalic acid and melibiose with oxalic acid at relatively high temperatures. Kinetic equations for hydrolysis of sorghum molasses and melibiose have been derived from the experimentally determined hydrolysis rate constants as functions of the acid concentration and temperature. It has been shown that the hydrolysis activity of oxalic acid is weaker than those of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid, and that the second hydrogen atom in oxalic acid does not significantly participate in hydrolysis.
Effect of Postweaning Age on Rate of In Situ Protein Disappearance in Calves Weaned at 5 Weeks of Age

Four rumen-cannulated calves were used in a block design to evaluate the in situ rate of protein disappearance in the rumen of soybean meal, heat-treated soybean meal, corn gluten feed, and corn distillers grains at 2, 4, and 8 wk after weaning. The rates of degradation of the four feeds also were evaluated in an in situ experiment using lactating cows and in an enzymatic in vitro experiment using Streptomyces griseus to determine whether the in vitro method could predict protein degradation in the rumen of calves. An interaction between protein source and age after weaning occurred for rate of CP disappearance. For soybean meal and corn gluten feed, the rate of disappearance of CP increased with age, but no age effect on rate of CP disappearance occurred for heat-treated soybean meal or distillers grains. Rates of CP disappearance between cows and calves were similar for distillers grains and corn gluten feed, but no similarities existed between the in vitro and in situ methods. During the first 4 wk after weaning, feedstuffs high in degradable protein have lower rumen degradation rates than they do at 8 wk after weaning. Rumen degradation rates of low degradable proteins do not change during the first 8 wk after weaning. In addition, the cow in situ and in vitro methods were not suitable for prediction of rumen protein degradability of early weaned calves.
On variations in static stability along Lagrangian trajectories

Abstract By causing an isopycnal float to rise and sink to neighboring density surfaces, one can measure layer thickness along a float trajectory and thus variations in static stability. We report here on layer thickness measurements that were obtained from the nearly 100 isopycnal floats that were deployed in the 1993–1995 Lagrangian study of the North Atlantic Current. Layer thickness variations depend significantly upon location and process: In the high velocity core of the meandering North Atlantic Current, layer thickness changes correlate with curvature of the flow—stretching in troughs, compression in crests, but this correlation fails in unsteady flows or outside the high velocity center of the current. Floats also register significant changes in stratification when they cross between the warm waters in the Newfoundland Basin and the cold waters from the Labrador Sea. As floats enter and exit what appear to be coherent eddy structures, significant but not necessarily predictable changes in layer thickness can occur. While the technology to measure layer thickness variations performed as well and reliably as we had hoped for, the presence of ubiquitous small-scale features in the density field together with the fact that the thickness measurements sampled only O(100) m of the total water column limited our ability to isolate and identify the cause of thickness variations to only relatively energetic features.
Ultraviolet radiation produced in low-energy Ar + Ar and Kr + Kr collisions

Absolute cross sections for the emission of ultraviolet resonance line radiations from Ar and Kr atoms resulting from Ar + Ar and Kr + Kr collisions are reported. The energy range covered extends from near the reaction thresholds to 150 eV in the center-of-mass system. The emission cross sections are found to have energy dependencies very similar to those exhibited by the total ionization cross sections for the same reactants. The techniques used to make the measurements are described and the results are discussed in terms of a current theoretical model of the interactions.
The serial concatenation of rate-1 codes through uniform random interleavers

Until the analysis of repeat accumulate codes by Divsalar et al. (1998), few people would have guessed that simple rate-1 codes could play a crucial role in the construction of "good" binary codes. We construct "good" binary linear block codes at any rate r<1 by serially concatenating an arbitrary outer code of rate r with a large number of rate-1 inner codes through uniform random interleavers. We derive the average output weight enumerator (WE) for this ensemble in the limit as the number of inner codes goes to infinity. Using a probabilistic upper bound on the minimum distance, we prove that long codes from this ensemble will achieve the Gilbert-Varshamov (1952) bound with high probability. Numerical evaluation of the minimum distance shows that the asymptotic bound can be achieved with a small number of inner codes. In essence, this construction produces codes with good distance properties which are also compatible with iterative "turbo" style decoding. For selected codes, we also present bounds on the probability of maximum-likelihood decoding (MLD) error and simulation results for the probability of iterative decoding error.
HOST DEFENSE RESPONSES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIMENTAL HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN WHITE-TAILED DEER

Our objectives were to examine the immunity conferred by epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 (EHDV-2) infection in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and determine if this immunity was protective during challenge with homologous (EHDV-2) or heterologous (bluetongue virus serotype 10; BTV-10) virus. Trials were conducted in the fall of 1992 and 1993. In the first experiment, naive white-tailed deer were infected intradermally and subcutaneously with EHDV-2 and monitored via physical examinations, complete blood counts, a and P interferon (IFN) assays, viral isolation, and serology. Infected deer had a wide range of clinical signs in response to infection. Eleven of the 16 deer had body temperature elevations ≥0.5 C between post-infection day (PID) 4 and 8. Infected deer had decreased lymphocyte counts between PID 6 and 10 that returned to normal levels by PID 17. Severely lymphopenic animals had the most severe clinical signs; five of 10 deer with lymphocyte counts less than 1000 cells/μ...
Scanning fiber-optic nonlinear endomicroscopy for in vivo histology

We present our recent development of fiber-optic endomicroscopy technology capable of performing nonlinear optical imaging of unstained biological tissues at histology resolution. Its potential applications for disease detection and basic research will also be discussed.
Antagonism by IL-4 and IL-10 of Endotoxin-Induced Tissue Factor Activation in Monocytic THP-1 Cells: Activating Role of CD14 Ligation

Abstract Background. Monocytic tissue factor (TF), initiating the extrinsic blood coagulation pathway, is often upregulated under septic or inflammatory conditions. The complex activating mechanism remains largely unclear and no effective strategy has been firmly established. In this study, we used a model monocytic cell line (human leukemic THP-1 promonocytes) to address (1) the nature of TF activation in response to bacterial endotoxin and (2) the application of anti-inflammatory cytokines in relieving monocytic hypercoagulation. Results. TF in THP-1 cells was substantially activated by exposure to bacterial endotoxin (LPS; 5 μg/ml) for 6 h. Human recombinant IL-4 (500 ng/ml) and IL-10 (500 ng/ml) inhibited TF activation induced by LPS. To determine if these cytokines depressed LPS recognition resulting in such inhibition, we employed an anti-CD14 mAb (UCHM-1; Sigma Chemical) to address the role of CD14 in LPS transmembrane signaling. LPS-induced TF activation was depressed by 35% upon inclusion of the anti-CD14 mAb (1:10 dilution). This antibody alone mimicked TF activation which accounted for 35% of the LPS-induced TF activation, suggesting the activating role of CD14 ligation. In addition, the anti-CD14 mAb elicited the production of nitric oxide (NO) which was found to be independent of TF activation. NO production could serve as an independent index for monitoring LPS recognition. IL-4 depressed the anti-CD14 mAb-induced TF activation as well as NO elicitation, indicating the blockade of CD14 ligation. In contrast, IL-10 showed differential inhibitory activities. TF activation induced by either LPS or anti-CD14 mAb was inhibited by IL-10 which did not show any inhibition on NO elicitation under these conditions. In a separate approach, neither IL-4 nor IL-10 inhibited phorbol ester-induced NO elicitation. More direct evidence came from an epifluorescent demonstration showing that IL-4 blocked binding of FITC-conjugated LPS and anti-CD14 mAb to THP-1 cells. Conclusions. Taken together, the results suggest that LPS action in relation to TF activation consists of CD14-independent and -dependent signaling including CD14 ligation. We also showed that anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and -10) significantly depressed TF activation. IL-4 antagonized CD14-dependent LPS recognition leading to the depression in TF activation.
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is a potential pathway leading to podocyte dysfunction and proteinuria.

Podocyte dysfunction plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis. However, the mechanism underlying podocyte dysfunction in many common forms of chronic kidney diseases remains poorly understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that podocytes may undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition after injury. Conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes were incubated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, a potent fibrogenic cytokine that is up-regulated in the diseased kidney. TGF-β1 suppressed the slit diaphragm-associated protein P-cadherin, zonula occludens-1, and nephrin, a change consistent with loss of the epithelial feature. Meanwhile, TGF-β1 induced the expression of the intermediate filament protein desmin and interstitial matrix components fibronectin and collagen I. Furthermore, TGF-β1 promoted the expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by podocytes. Functionally, TGF-β1 increased albumin permeability across podocyte monolayers, as demonstrated by a paracellular albumin influx assay. The expression of Snail, a key transcriptional factor that has been implicated in initiating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, was induced by TGF-β1, and ectopic expression of Snail suppressed P-cadherin and nephrin in podocytes. In vivo, in addition to loss of nephrin and zonula occludens-1, mesenchymal markers such as desmin, fibroblast-specific protein-1, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 could be observed in glomerular podocytes of diabetic nephropathy. These results suggest that podocyte dedifferentiation and mesenchymal transition could be a potential pathway leading to their dysfunction, thereby playing a role in the genesis of proteinuria.
Automatic classification of grains via pattern recognition techniques

Abstract During production, storage and shipment, a crop of feed grain is often contaminated with admixtures of other grains or foreign material. Failure to meet the contractural limits of purity can result in monetary penalties or may prevent completion of the sales transaction. Presently, purity is established by human inspectors. They subject a carefully selected sample to 100 per cent visual inspection. This paper describes part of the development of a high speed, automatic sorting and grading procedure. A recursive learning pattern classification scheme is described which yields an overall accuracy of about 98 per cent.
Bethe--Salpeter equation: numerical experience with a hydrogenlike atom

As a test of the accuracy of numerical techniques used in solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation, we compute the binding energy of a hydrogenlike atom including one-photon exchange only. A 5% deviation from the result predicted from the Dirac equation with a Coulomb potential is in agreement with a result which we derive analytically, ${E}_{b}=(\frac{1}{4})m{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}[1\ensuremath{-}(\frac{4\ensuremath{\alpha}}{\ensuremath{\pi}})\mathrm{ln}(\frac{2}{\ensuremath{\alpha}})+\ensuremath{\cdots}]$. ${E}_{b}$ cannot be expanded in a power series in ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}$ similar to the series expansion of the Sommerfeld expression for ${E}_{b}$ resulting from the Dirac theory. This apparently startling result is not due to a failure of quantum electrodynamics, of course, but to the fact that we have used the relativistic interaction ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{(1)}(\frac{1}{{k}^{2}}){\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{(2)}$ rather than working in the Coulomb gauge as is usually done. Salpeter remarked in 1952 that doing the calculation as we have done it would result in a slowly convergent series for ${E}_{b}$; nevertheless the precise magnitudes involved are surprising.
Multi-Attribute Value Approach to Business Airplane Product Assessment

A new approach to airplane product specification and assessment is introduced for the early, fuzzy frontend product development process. A highly adaptable and generalizable multi-attribute method is developed for rapidly assessing the value of new product designs relative to proposed or existing product portfolios. A process for determining the empirical role product attributes have played in differentiating products in competitive markets is introduced through the use of consumer-revealed preference data. The value approach is applied specifically to the business airplane industry with a discussion of how model parameters were selected, a sensitivity analysis, and comments on the data used in the analysis. Advantages of the new approach vis ` a vis existing aircraft industry assessment methods include the simplicity of the method, its adaptability to the changing needs of designers, and its ability to more correctly portray aspects of the current and historical business aviation market.