cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis

Although Cr(VI)-containing compounds are well documented carcinogens, their mechanism of action is still not well understood. Recent studies have suggested that reduction of Cr(VI) to its lower oxidation states and related free radical reactions play an important role in Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis. This article summarizes recent studies from our laboratory on (a) the reduction of Cr(VI) by ascorbate, diol-and thiol-containing molecules, certain flavoenzymes, cell organelles, intact cells, and whole animals; (b) free radical production in both non-cellular and cellular systems; and (c) Cr(VI)-induced DNA damage, activation of nuclear transcription factor KB (NF-KB), activator protein-1, p53, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, tyrosine phosphorylation, apoptosis, cell growth arrest, and gene expression profile. (Mol Cell Biochem 234/235: 293-300, 2002)
Ideology, Equality, and the New Right

Michael W. AppleUniversity ofWisconsinIntroductionWe live in a period in which our educational system has becomeincreasingly politicized. The curriculum and the values thatunderpin it and that are included and excluded from it are nowbeing placed under intense ideological scrutiny. The Spencerianquestion, “What knowledge is of most worth?” has now beenreplaced with an even more pointed question, “Whose knowledge is ofmost worth?” That this latter question has become sopowerful highlights the profoundly political nature of educational policy and practice. This is not simply an abstract issue. Itis made strikingly clear in the fact that the curriculum of manyschool districts throughout the country has been turned intowhat can best be described as a political football. Conservativegroups in particular have attacked the school and, in the process, have had a major impact on educational debate, not only inthe United States, but in other nations as well.As is evident all around us, there has been a significant shift inpublic discourse around education. The rapid growth of evangelical schooling (Rose, 1988), the court cases involving “secularhumanist” tendencies in textbooks, the increasing attempts toraise the standards ofteaching and teachers, and the calls in theliterature to return to a core curriculum ofa common culture allsignify a deep suspicion among many social groups of what isgoing on in our classrooms. There are very real fears—usuallyamong right-winggroups, but also to be found in official statements coming out of the federal and state governments—thatfor the past decade things have gotten out of control. In thisvision, we are losing control both ofour children and of the paceof
Resource provisioning for dynamic multi-domain WDM networks: Effectiveness and fairness

In this paper, we approach new problems of resource dimensioning and routing for multi-domain networks supporting future user-driven dynamic traffic. Three basic dimensioning approaches-independent, global, and normalized-are studied in conjunction with the appropriate routing schemes that match each dimensioning policy based on how much information is shared across domains. We quantify the performance of inter-domain and intra-domain traffic while considering changes in traffic loads as well as network rescaling. We introduce the notion of fairness, which raises questions about how network domains with separate ownership and possibly conflicting economic interests should decide on co-providing bandwidth-on-demand services. The results motivate further research in fair, multi-domain resource provisioning, and highlight the need for new cost-models that are critical in designing multi-domain provisioning and peering policies.
Satisfying multiple rated-constraints in a knowledge based decision aid

The Maneuver Decision Aid (MDA) is a knowledge-based planner currently being developed at the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center. the goal of MDA is to generate an optimal next-maneuver recommendation, to support the submarine commander's decision making process which includes absorbing an extensive amount of complex information in the short time interval between maneuvers. The model for the maneuver generation process decomposes into three main parts: situation assessment, goal formulation, and constraint satisfaction. It is essential for an automated reasoning system in this domain to consider all factors and concerns in a given situation to put forth its best recommendation. A key aspect of this model is that all identified situation goals and constraints are represented and combined according to their varying degrees of importance. The authors describe how constraint ratings are evaluated and combined within an object-oriented blackboard framework. The focus is on how rated-constraints are formed, represented, and combined to provide optimal solutions. >
Wold-Cramer evolutionary spectral estimators

A nonstationary signal can be represented as the output of a linear time-varying system, characterized by Zadeh's system function, with white noise as input. The Wold-Cramer evolutionary spectrum is defined as the magnitude squared of this system function. Estimators are obtained by expressing the signal as a random time-varying amplitude modulating a complex exponential of a certain analysis frequency, by representing this amplitude function by an expansion of orthonormal functions, by computing a minimum-mean-square-error estimate of the amplitude function, and by repeating the estimation over all frequencies. Estimators analogous to the stationary periodogram and Capon's minimum-variance estimators are obtained. They compare favorably with traditional estimators, as well as with recent techniques. >
Abstract LB-282: Loss of PTP-PEST promotes tumor invasion, apoptosis resistance and activation of STAT3 in metastatic colon cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The transcription factor STAT3 is hyperactivated by phosphorylation on Y705 in over 75% of metastatic colon cancers and is associated with EMT, cancer stem cells, survival and chemoresistance. However, the mechanisms of STAT3 inactivation are not well-defined. Here, we identified the protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-PEST, as a novel negative regulator of STAT3 in colon carcinoma cells. Using lentiviral-mediated shRNA silencing of PTP-PEST in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells, we show that PTP-PEST knockdown enhances activation of STAT3. Whereas STAT3 is activated by cell attachment to collagen in control cells expressing non-targeting shRNA, PTP-PEST knockdown leads to constitutive, anchorage-independent STAT3 activity. Silencing of PTP-PEST enhances anchorage-independent survival in soft agar, tumor sphere growth and matrigel invasion in vitro. Consistent with increased invasion and survival, PTP-PEST knockdown cells showed enhanced expression of STAT3 target genes, MMP2 and mcl-1. Significantly, PTP-PEST knockdown enhanced apoptosis resistance in three-dimensional matrigel cultures in response to the chemotherapy drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). PTP-PEST knockdown cells treated with 5-FU in 3-D matrigel spheroid cultures showed increased cell viability, reduced caspase-3 activation and enhanced activation of STAT3 relative to non-targeting controls. Furthermore, in subcutaneous nude mouse xenografts, although overall tumor growth was not affected by PTP-PEST knockdown, immunohistochemistry showed reduced caspase-3 and elevated P-STAT3 levels in these tumors. Intrasplenic injection of PTP-PEST knockdown cells in athymic nude mice resulted in enhanced metastatic potential as assessed by quantitative PCR for human DNA content in mouse liver. Finally, reduced PTP-PEST expression correlates with metastasis in clinical specimens from colon cancer patients. Taken together, these findings suggest that down-regulation of PTP-PEST in colon cancer may promote metastasis through increased invasion and apoptosis resistance, mediated, in part, by enhanced activation of STAT3. Citation Format: Rosario Espejo, Yowjiun Jeng, Camille Johnson, Russ Carmical, Allan Brasier, Celia Chao, Sarita K. Sastry. Loss of PTP-PEST promotes tumor invasion, apoptosis resistance and activation of STAT3 in metastatic colon cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-282. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-282
Equity in the Context of a Crisis: Funding for Higher Education Post-Katrina

This manuscript examines the context for the inequities relative to funding for postsecondary institutions, particularly historically black institutions, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A discussion of the formula used to distribute federal monies presents data on the allocation of funds relative to losses of the institutions. Specifically, differences across institutional type (characteristics and size of student population, damage received, location, etc.) provide an in-depth understanding of the inequities for higher education institutions in New Orleans, particularly those with extensive physical damage. The conclusion discusses the disparate impact of the distribution of federal funds to historically black colleges and universities.
Effects of Tocopherol Depletion on the Regional Differences in Adrenal Microsomal Lipid Peroxidation and Steroid Metabolism

Studies were done to assess the contribution of α-tocopherol to the regional differences in microsomal lipid peroxidation (LP) and steroid metabolism in the guinea pig adrenal cortex. In normal guinea pigs, ferrous ion (Fe2+)- and ascorbic acid-induced LP are far greater in microsomal preparations from the inner adrenal zone (zona reticularis) than in those from the outer zones (zona fasciculata plus zona glomerulosa). The amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, substrates for LP, are similar in the two zones, but α-tocopherol concentrations are 4–5 times greater in outer than inner zone microsomes. Tocopherol depletion by dietary deprivation had little effect on LP in vitro in inner zone microsomes, but substantially increased LP in outer zone preparations. As a result, tocopherol deficiency eliminated the zonal differences in microsomal LP. Unsaturated FFA concentrations were lower in tocopherol-deficient microsomal preparations than in those from tocopherol-sufficient animals, suggesting peroxidative losse...
A weighted probabilistic approach to face recognition from multiple images and video sequences

To date, advances in face recognition have been dominated by the design of algorithms that do recognition from a single test image. Recently, an obvious but important question has been put forward. Will the recognition results of such approaches be generally improved when using multiple images or video sequences? To test this, we extend the formulation of a probabilistic appearance-based face recognition approach (which was originally defined to do recognition from a single still) to work with multiple images and video sequences. In our algorithm, as it is the case in most appearance-based approaches, we will need to use a feature extraction algorithm to find those features that best describe and discriminate among face images of distinct people. We will show that regardless of the algorithm used, the recognition results improve considerably when one uses a video sequence rather than a single still. Hence, a positive answer to our question (in the general sense) seems reasonable. The probabilistic algorithm we propose in this paper is robust to partial occlusions, orientation and expression changes, and does not require of a precise localization of the face or facial features. We will also show how these problems are more easily solved when one uses a video sequence rather than a single image for testing. The limitations of our algorithm will also be discussed. Understanding the limitations of current techniques when applied to video is important, because it helps identify those weak points that require further consideration.
Preventive medicine 2000: changing contexts and opportunities.

The teaching of preventive medicine in the medical school curriculum occurs both in independent and in interdisciplinary courses and units. A survey was conducted to examine the changes in preventive medicine context, content, and allotted hours that have occurred in the transition from the traditional Flexnerian curriculum to the more interdisciplinary, centrally controlled curriculum. Data on medical school curricula for 1990-91, 1993-94, 1995-96, and 1998-99 were examined for the 126 U.S. and 16 Canadian medical schools. By 1998-99, 35 schools moving to the new interdisciplinary format had retained preventive medicine teaching as a separate course, although the courses usually had incorporated topics that went beyond the traditional ones. In another 35 schools, preventive medicine hours had been lost in the transition; but in 25 of these new courses it was clear that preventive medicine played a very significant role. It can be assumed that the lost hours were more than replaced as preventive medicine concepts permeated these courses. Of greatest importance were the hallmark courses of the six nontraditional curricula that had designated preventive medicine a major-theme course. However, at ten schools, preventive medicine listings disappeared in the move to nontraditional curricula. Preventive medicine educators must step forward to use curricular restructuring to expand the role of preventive medicine in the curricula of their institutions, whether in stand-alone or in interdisciplinary courses. The goal, as always, is to provide future physicians with the knowledge and skills they need to provide proper care to their patients.
Model predictive control strategies for supply chain management in semiconductor manufacturing

Abstract This paper examines the application of model predictive control (MPC), an advanced control technique originating from the process industries, to supply chain management (SCM) problems arising in semiconductor manufacturing. The main goal of this work is to demonstrate the usefulness of MPC as a tactical decision policy that is an integral part of a comprehensive hierarchical decision framework aimed at achieving operational excellence. A fluid analogy is used to describe the dynamics of the supply chain. Compared to traditional flow control problems, challenges of SCM in semiconductor manufacturing result from high stochasticity and nonlinearity in throughput times, yields and customer demands. The advantages of the control-oriented receding horizon formulation behind MPC are presented for three benchmark problems which highlight distinguishing features of semiconductor manufacturing. The effects of tuning, model parameters, and capacity are shown by comparing system robustness and multiple performance metrics in each case study.
STUDIES ON BACTERIOPHAGES OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI : I. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE INTERACTION OF PHAGE AND SUSCEPTIBLE HOST CELL

The host ranges of bacteriophages for group A, types 1, 6, 12, and 25 and group C streptococci have been determined. The findings indicate that the susceptibility to these phages is primarily a group-specific phenomenon, although it is modified by several factors such as the hyaluronic acid capsule, lysogeny, and possibly the presence of surface proteins. Phage antibody studies indicate that while the group A phages are antigenically related, they are distinct from the group C phage. This is in agreement with the observation that group A phages are not specific for their homologous streptococcal types. The purified group C carbohydrate inactivates group C phage but not the group A phages, thus suggesting that the carbohydrate, a component of the cell wall, may serve as the phage receptor site. It has not been possible to inactivate the group A phages with group A carbohydrate. Phage lysis of groups A and C streptococci is accompanied by fragmentation of the cell wall since the C carbohydrate has been identified serologically and chemically in the supernate of centrifuged lysates. The immediate lysis of groups A and C hemolytic streptococci and their isolated cell walls by an accesory heat-labile lytic factor in fresh group C lysates is also described.
NLFM waveform generation using tunable integrated optical ring resonators: simulation and proof of concept experiment

The NLFM waveform resulting from a tunable integrated optical ring resonator is simulated. The metrics of interest are the first sidelobe levels and FWHM times of the autocorrelation, as these directly relate to the long-range performance and fine range resolution of a LADAR system, and should ideally be as small as possible. Through simulation, the maximum sidelobe level of the autocorrelation of an NLFM waveform generated by a series of tunable integrated optical ring resonators is shown to be −20 to −30 dB or lower. A proof of concept experiment employing an off-the-shelf thermally tunable silicon-nitride optical ring resonator is shown to generate NLFM chirped waveforms with a bandwidth of 28 kHz.
Effect of stimulus class on transfer and RI in the A-B, C-B paradigm

The main purpose of this study was to test the Twedt and Underwood (1959) hypothesis of the origin of negative transfer in A-B, C-B. A second purpose was to extend previous investigations of unlearning of backward associations in C-B. Stimulus differentiability was varied by using either the same or different classes of materials in the two lists. The results failed to support the prediction that transfer in C-B should be less negative with high differentiability, but were considered inconclusive as a test of the hypothesis because overall negative transfer was slight. RI was greater for C-B than for C-D and greater for adjectives than for letters. In both paradigms, recall of List-1 stimuli was favored by high differentiability. It was concluded that contextual rather than backward associations are primarily sensitive to the factor of stimulus differentiability.
Wrist kinematic coupling and performance during functional tasks: effects of constrained motion.

Purpose To quantify the coupled motion of the wrist during selected functional tasks and to determine the effects of constraining this coupled motion using a radial-ulnar deviation blocking splint on performance of these tasks. Methods Ten healthy, right-handed men performed 15 trials during selected functional tasks with and without a splint, blocking radial and ulnar deviation. The following tasks were performed: dart throwing, hammering, basketball free-throw, overhand baseball and football throwing, clubbing, and pouring. Kinematic coupling parameters (coupling, kinematic path length, flexion-extension range of motion, radial-ulnar deviation range of motion, flexion-extension offset, and radial-ulnar deviation offset) and performance were determined for each functional task. A generalized estimation equation model was used to determine whether each kinematic coupling parameter was significantly different across tasks. A repeated-measures generalized estimation equation model was used to test for differences in performance and kinematic coupling parameters between the free and splinted conditions. Results Wrist motion exhibited linear coupling between flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation, demonstrated by R 2 values from 0.70 to 0.99. Average wrist coupling and kinematic path lengths were significantly different among tasks. Coupling means and kinematic path lengths were different between free and splinted conditions across all tasks other than pouring. Performance was different between wrist conditions for dart throwing, hammering, basketball shooting, and pouring. Conclusions Wrist kinematic coupling parameters are task specific in healthy individuals. Functional performance is decreased when wrist coupling is constrained by an external splint. Clinical relevance Surgical procedures that restrict wrist coupling may have a detrimental effect on functional performance as defined in the study. Patients may benefit from surgical reconstructive procedures and wrist rehabilitation protocols designed to restore kinematic coupling.
Homeownership Among Mexican Americans in Later Life

While more about the homeownership characteristics of Mexican Americans in the early and middle stages of the adult life course has recently been learned, far less is known about homeownership amon...
Evolution of evolution: Self-constructing Evolutionary Turing Machine case study

The goal of this paper is to study the process of evolution of evolution. In other words, we study evolution that adapts evolutionary algorithms in parallel with their solutions. For this purpose, we define and investigate several extensions of evolutionary Turing machine model: self-constructing evolutionary Turing machines (SETM), self-constructing evolutionary Turing machines with a basic constructor (SBETM), self-constructing evolutionary Turing machines with a basic constructor and control information (CSBETM), and self-constructing evolutionary Turing machines with evolvable control information (CSETM). Such properties as expressiveness and complexity of different types of self-constructing evolutionary Turing machines are studied. It is demonstrated how self-constructive abilities allow one to essentially increase efficiency of evolutionary processes in general and evolutionary computations, in particular. We also investigate computation and construction universatility in the context of these new models.
The care and nurture of the company yuppie

Abstract The popular press may sneer at the subsection of the baby-boomers called the “yuppies,” but the author says that they can be a boon to corporations.
Long-term outcome in treated combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinemia.

Purpose: To describe the clinical and biochemical features and long-term outcome of a cohort of eight patients with methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria (cblC). Methods: Documentation of clinical features at birth and longitudinal follow-up of the biochemical and clinical response to treatment with daily oral carnitine and intramuscular hydroxocobalamin observed during continuous follow-up for an average of 5.7 years. Results: Our patients had an increased incidence of congenital malformations including microcephaly (<5%) at birth (2 of 8), congenital heart disease (2 of 8), dysmorphic facial features (1 of 8), and thyroglossal duct cyst (1 of 8). Postnatal hydrocephalus (2 of 8) and hip dislocation caused by ligament laxity (1 of 8) were also noted. One patient had profound visual impairment before 6 months of age secondary to cblC retinopathy, and two patients had abnormal retinal pigmentation with normal visual function. All patients presented with poor growth, feeding problems, and/or seizures. No patients had acute acidotic crises before or after treatment. All patients had dramatic reduction of plasma free homocystine and urine methylmalonic acid excretion after initiation of therapy with carnitine, intramuscular (IM) hydroxocobalamin (OHcbl) and, in two cases, oral betaine. Growth was significantly improved in most cases after the initiation of therapy, and microcephaly was resolved in one patient. All patients were developmentally delayed regardless of age of treatment onset, although two patients had relatively mild developmental delay. Conclusion: cblC patients may have an increased incidence of congenital malformations suggesting prenatal effects of abnormal cbl metabolism. Treatment with IM OHcbl and carnitine successfully corrects the biochemical abnormalities and improves growth. Developmental delay of variable severity is always present regardless of age at diagnosis or treatment onset.
Patterned Inequality?: Reexamining the Role of Distributive Politics in Urban Service Delivery

Numerous scholars have concluded that bureaucratic decision rules best explain urban service distributions. These studies have led to a conventional wisdom in urban politics that professionalism do...
Application-driven strategies for efficient transfer of medical images over very high speed networks

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) in 1982 formed the ACR-NEMA committee to develop a standard to enable equipment from different vendors to communicate and participate in a picture archiving and communications system (PACS). The standard focused mostly on interconnectivity issues and communication needs of PACS. It was patterned after the international standards organization open systems interconnection (ISO/OSI) reference model. Three versions of the standard appeared, evolving from simple point-to-point specification of connection between two medical devices to a complex standard of a network environment. However, fast changes in network software and hardware technologies makes it difficult for the standard to keep pace. This paper compares two versions of the ACR-NEMA standard and then describes a system that is used at the University of Arizona Intensive Care Unit. In this system, the application should specify the interface to network services and grade of service required. These provisions are suggested to make the application independent from evolving network technology and support true open systems.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Desirable attributes for computing graduates: is there agreement?

Students selecting information-based degree programs such as Information Systems (IS), Computer Science (CS), and Information Technology (IT) are entering into programs comprised of many analytical and technical classes. It would seem that if these programs are meeting their objectives, the skills and attributes these students believe lead to academic success would be viewed as critical by the faculty who teach in these programs or those approved by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET, Inc. Students and faculty from three universities were surveyed on the importance of skills/attributes.
Acculturation as a Predictor of the Onset of Sexual Intercourse Among Hispanic and White Teens

Objective To investigate ethnic differences in onset of sexual intercourse among Hispanic/Mexican American and white adolescents based on acculturation. Design/Methods Preprogram survey data from 7270 Hispanic or white teens in 7th to 12th grade involved in the Arizona Abstinence-Only Education Program were used to predict the probability of onset of sexual intercourse based on age, sex, family structure, program location, religiosity, free school lunch, grades, rural residence, acculturation, and ethnicity. Specific attention was given to the influence of acculturation among Hispanic teens. The primary language spoken by the respondents (English, Spanish, or both) was used as a proxy measure for acculturation. Results Hispanic youth were at a greater risk for experiencing onset of intercourse than white youth, while controlling for all other predictors (odds ratio [OR], 1.40 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-1.63]). This risk was amplified for highly acculturated Hispanic teens (OR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.43-1.99]). However, less acculturated Hispanic youth were actually less likely to have experienced first intercourse than white youth (OR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.42-0.82]), English-speaking Hispanic youth (OR, 0.35 [95% CI, 0.25-0.49]), or bilingual Hispanic youth (OR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.31-0.64]). Conclusions Low acculturation emerges as a significant protective factor while controlling for other social and cultural factors, in spite of the increased risk of initiating sexual intercourse for Hispanic teens overall. Hispanic Spanish speakers were least likely to have initiated intercourse, while Hispanic English speakers were the most likely.
Heat-flow data suggest large ground-water fluxes through Fruitland coals of the northern San Juan basin, Colorado-New Mexico

Temperature logs and heat-flow data from wells in the northern San Juan basin, Colorado-New Mexico, suggest that coals of the Fruitland Formation are an aquifer with appreciable horizontal ground-water movement. Calculated hydraulic conductivities, based on ground water flow rates estimated from heat-flow data, are several orders of magnitude greater than hydraulic conductivities measured in laboratory or pumping tests. Fractures and other preferential pathways probably create high regional hydraulic conductivity that allows significant heat advection.
Human leukocyte antigen class II associations with hepatitis C virus clearance and virus-specific CD4 T cell response among Caucasians and African Americans.

The outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with antiviral CD4 T cell response, human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class II genotypes, and ethnicity. However, HLA class II molecules restrict the nature of CD4 T cell response, and HLA distributions differ between ethnic groups. In this study, we asked whether HLA class II genotypes associated with HCV clearance are shared between Caucasian and African Americans and whether they contribute to enhanced antiviral CD4 T cell response. In a cohort of 93 HCV-seropositive subjects from Northeast America with defined ethnicity, virological outcome, and HCV-specific CD4 T cell proliferation, we confirm the previously reported associations between HCV clearance and two HLA types (DQB1*03, DRB1*11) while identifying a new association with DRB3*02. Strikingly, these associations were identified only among Caucasian [DQB1*03: odds ratio (OR), 10.4; P = 0.031, DRB1*11: OR, 7.0, P = 0.019; DRB3*02: OR, 8.3, P = 0.005; DQB1*03–DRB3*02: OR, 13.5, P = 0.001) but not among African American patients. Furthermore, although HLA DQB1*03, DRB1*11, and DRB3*02 genotypes were associated with increased HCV-specific CD4 T cell response in univariate analyses, these associations were lost when controlling for virological outcomes. Conclusion: We conclude that the immunogenetic basis for HCV clearance differs between ethnic groups and that the association between HLA class II and HCV clearance is not directly explained by antiviral CD4 T cell response. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Use of zirconium-palladium windows for the separation of tritium from the liquid metal breeder-blanket of a fusion reactor

Abstract Any first generation fusion power reactor must be surrounded by a heat tranfer medium and a tritium breeder-blanket containing lithium in some form. Liquid lithium and liquid lithium alloys are considered to be particularly attractive choices for both purposes; the main disadvantage of these materials is the difficulty of tritium separation. The use of zirconium-palladium windows for tritium separation is shown to have many advantages over the best alternative devices. This is based on the materials properties and costs as they stand in 1983. The design of a typical permeation window resembles that of a shell and tube heat exchanger; liquid lithium or lithium alloy loaded with tritium from the reactor, flows through on the zirconium side of the window, while a purge stream of argon and oxygen flows through on the side with the palladium coating. Oxygen is present so that sufficiently low tritium pressures may be maintained on the downstream side of the window. Tritium is recovered as T2O. Data ar...
“People Are Enemies to What They Don’t Know” Managing Stigma and Anti-Muslim Stereotypes in a Turkish Community Center:

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, anti-Muslim discourse and sentiment has become pervasive in the West. Using a collaborative ethnographic approach, we observe ho...
Some more nonabelian Q-balls

Abstract Q-balls are a class of nontopological solitons that arise in many self-interacting scalar field theories with unbroken global continuous symmetry. By definition, these objects are stable against decay into the vacuum and against decay into mesons. Earlier work (Nucl. Phys. B297 (1988) 498) dealt with a simple renormalizable model in 3 + 1 dimensions with the fields transforming according to the adjoint representation of SU(3). The octet of conserved charges Qa were assembled into a traceless 3 × 3 hermitian matrix Q , and it was shown that in this model there are two possible types of Q-balls, those with det Q =0 , in the earlier work called minimal Q-balls, but here called “small” Q-balls, and those with det Q ≠0 , here called “large” Q-balls. In ref. [1] it was shown both that “small” Q-balls exist in this model, and that if “large” Q-balls exist, then they must be unstable against fission into two “small” Q-balls. The question of the existence of “large” Q-balls was left unsettled. In this paper it is shown, numerically, that “large” Q-balls do exist, and the energetics of their fission is illustrated.
Functionalizing multiple-walled carbon nanotubes with aminopolymers

Multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) produced using the chemical vapor deposition method were functionalized via attaching aminopolymer poly(propionylethylenimine-co-ethylenimine) to the nanotubes. Two different reaction conditions based on acylating the nanotube-bound carboxylic acids and on directly heating nanotubes in the polymer melt were used and compared. Both methods were effective in the nanotube functionalization, and the polymer-attached MWNTs were found to be soluble in many common organic solvents and in water. Results from the characterization of the functionalized nanotube samples using electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, NMR, and thermal analysis techniques are presented and discussed.
Does the dopamine transporter protein allele predict growth hormone testing results or response to growth hormone therapy

Animal studies have shown dopamine transporter protein (DAT1) knock out mice are growth retarded and hyperactive. DAT1 has been researched in several human psychiatric studies with varying results regarding phenotype and DAT1 alleles. However, the relationship between DAT1 and short stature in humans has not been explored. Buccal swabs were collected from patients receiving growth hormone (GH) therapy and were genotyped for variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) by polymerase chain reaction. Forty subjects were included; twenty-three patients had the 10/10 DAT1 genotype and thirteen had the 9/10 genotype. Fifteen of the patients with the 10/10 genotype tested GH deficient. Seven patients with the 9/10 genotype tested GH sufficient. The linear growth rate during the first year of GH therapy was equivalent in both genotypes. In conclusion, polymorphisms in the DAT1 40 base pair (bp) VNTR genotype do not predict GH deficiency or response to GH therapy in short children.
30–60 Day Atmospheric Oscillations: Composite Life Cycles of Convection and Circulation Anomalies

Abstract Life cycles of the 30–60 day atmospheric oscillation were examined by compositing 30–60 day filtered NMC global wind analyses (250 mb and 850 mb) and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) for the years 1979–84. Separate composite life cycles were constructed for the May–October and November–April seasons using empirical orthogonal function analysis of the large-scale divergent wind field (250 mb velocity potential) to define the oscillation's phase. Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the statistical significance of the composite OLR and vector wind fields. Large-scale (wavenumber one) tropical divergent wind features propagate eastward around the globe throughout the seasonal cycle. The spatial relationships between these propagating circulation features and OLR are shown using sequences of composite maps. Good agreement exists between areas of upper-air divergence and areas of convection inferred from the OLR satellite data. Convection anomalies are smaller over tropical Africa and South Am...
3‘-Chloro-3α-(diphenylmethoxy)tropane But Not 4‘-Chloro-3α- (diphenylmethoxy)tropane Produces a Cocaine-like Behavioral Profile†

A series of 2'- and 3'-substituted and 3',3"-disubstituted 3 alpha-(diphenylmethoxy)tropane analogs were designed and synthesized as novel probes for the dopamine transporter. All the analogs were evaluated for displacement of [3H]WIN 35,428 binding at the dopamine transporter and for inhibition of [3H]dopamine uptake in rat caudate putamen. Compounds were observed to monophasically displace [3H]WIN 35,428 binding to the dopamine transporter with affinities of 21.6-1836 nM (Ki). Generally, meta-substituted compounds were more potent than benztropine and equipotent to or slightly less potent than their previously reported para-substituted homologs in inhibiting [3H]WIN 35,428 binding. However, these same meta-substituted analogs were typically less potent than the 4'-substituted analogs in inhibiting [3H]dopamine uptake. Ortho-substituted analogs were generally less potent in both binding and inhibition of uptake at the dopamine transporter than either benztropine or other aryl-substituted homologs. The analogs were also tested for binding at norepinephrine and serotonin transporters as well as muscarinic m1 receptors. None of the compounds in the present study bound with high affinity to either the norepinephrine or serotonin transporters, but all bound to muscarinic m1 receptors with high affinity (K1 = 0.41-2.52 nM). Interestingly, 3'-chloro-3 alpha-(diphenylmethoxy)tropane (5c) produced effects like cocaine in animals trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg cocaine from saline, unlike its 4'-Cl homolog and all of the previously evaluated benztropine analogs. Further evaluation of compound 5c and the other benztropine analogs will undoubtedly prove useful in the elucidation of the role of the dopamine transporter in the reinforcing effects of cocaine and the ultimate identification of a cocaine-abuse treatment.
The yeast homolog of the U1 snRNP protein 70K is encoded by the SNP1 gene

Abstract The product of the yeast SNP1 gene has high homology to two domains of the metazoan U1 snRNP protein 70K, which binds to stem/loop I of the U1 RNA. However, the absence of other domains conserved in metazoan 70K and the minimal effect of yeast U1 RNA stem/loop I deletion make the assignment of SNP1 as yeast 70K less clear. To address this question, we have expressed the SNP1 gene as a fusion protein in E. coli and developed a gel shift assay for U1 RNA binding. We show here that the product of the yeast SNP1 gene binds directly and specifically to the first 47 nucleotides of yeast U1 RNA, which include the stem/loop 1 structure. We therefore conclude that the SNP1 gene product is the yeast 70K homolog. This is the first yeast protein to be identified as a homolog of a metazoan snRNP protein.
Federal research impact assessment: Axioms, approaches, applications

This paper describes the practice of Federal research impact assessment. Evaluation of research impact is described for three cases : Research selection, where the work has not yet been performed ; Research review, where work and results are ongoing ; and Ex-post research assessment, where research has been completed and results can be tracked. Retrospective methods (such as projects Hindsight an TRACES), qualitative methods (such as peer review), and quantitative methods (such as cost-benefit analysis and bibliometrics) are described. While peer review in its broadest sense is the most widely used method in research selection, review, and ex-post assessment, it has its deficiencies, and there is no single method which provides a complete impact evaluation.
A shut‐down in expression of an insulin‐like peptide, ILP‐1, halts ovarian maturation during the overwintering diapause of the mosquito Culex pipiens

Short day-length is used to programme adult diapause in the mosquito, Culex pipiens. The downstream endocrine event that halts ovarian maturation is a shut-down in juvenile hormone (JH) production, and recent evidence suggests that the insulin signalling pathway may be a key upstream player in executing this developmental arrest. Genes encoding insulin-like peptides-1, -2 and -5 were identified in C. pipiens, and we report that transcript levels of insulin-like peptides-1 and -5 were significantly lower in diapausing females than in their nondiapausing counterparts. Genes encoding both insulin-like peptides-1 and -5 were suppressed using RNA interference in mosquitoes programmed for nondiapause, and ovarian maturation was monitored. Knocking down insulin-like peptide-1 with RNAi in nondiapausing mosquitoes resulted in a cessation of ovarian development akin to diapause, and this arrest in development could be reversed with an application of JH. Knocking down insulin-like peptide-5 did not alter ovarian development. These results are consistent with a role for insulin-like peptide-1 in the signalling pathway leading from the perception of short day-lengths to the shut-down in JH production that characterizes adult diapause in C. pipiens.
The Thermal Characterization of Novel Complex Hydrides

Abstract The novel complex hydrides, [HC(Me 2 pz) 3 ]Li(BH 4 ) and {[H 2 C(Me 2 pz) 2 ]Li(BH 4 )} 2 , involving the stabilization of LiBH 4 with pyrazole (pz)-derived ligands have been prepared for use as potential new hydrogen sources for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The evolution of hydrogen via hydrolysis of these compounds has been investigated. The heats of reaction by hydrolysis of the novel compounds have been measured to be −247 kJ/mol for [HC(Me 2 pz) 3 ]Li(BH 4 ) and −268 kJ/mol for {[H 2 C(Me 2 pz) 2 ]Li(BH 4 )} 2 .
Facilitation in olfactory detection.

Olfactory sensitivity to n-aliphatic alcohols was determined by use of a yes-no signal detection procedure. The values of d’ for these compounds indicated higher sensitivity and less variability than has been shown previously by classical threshold methods. Self- and cross-adaptation studies demonstrated the usual decrement in sensitivity to one stimulus, following exposure to another stimulus, and in addition, cross-facilitation with certain stimulus pairings. The facilitating effects of one odorant upon the detection of another may be related to the differences in water solubilities of the odorants.
Potato cytogenetics and germplasm utilization

The potato is unexcelled among important economic plants in the abundance of related germplasm and the ease of incorporating this germplasm into cultivated forms. It is usually possible to obtain interspecific hybrids through sexual crosses; the hybrids are vigorous, chromosome pairing and crossing-over occur normally (due to lack of extensive chromosome differentiation among taxons), and fertility is good. Thus, we can either incorporate small segments of chromosomes from related species into cultivars to obtain specific characters or many segments to either contribute to quantitative characters or to increase genetic diversity. The potato is also unsurpassed in the facility with which sets of chromosomes can be manipulated. This allows for a germplasm enhancement strategy that involves species, haploids, 2n gametes, and Endosperm Balance Number (EBN). The species are the source of genetic diversity, haploids ofTuberosum andAndigena provide a method of capturing the diversity (putting wild germplasm in a usable form), and 2n gametes and EBN are involved in an effective and efficient method of transmitting diversity to cultivars. Knowledge and use of EBN, 2n gametes, and haploids have made it possible to make relatively inaccessible germplasm available to the potato breeder.
A new look at the Jaynes-Cummings model for large fields: Bloch sphere evolution and detuning effects

Abstract This paper elaborates on the recently discovered asymptotic solution for the Jaynes-Cummings model for large, coherent-like initial fields. The nature of the asymptotic solution and its physical meaning are explored. A connection to the prediction of the neoclassical theory is established. The various aspects of the atomic state evolution, including collapses and revivals, quasi-pure state evolution, and state preparation, are illustrated using the Bloch sphere. It is shown that the asymptotic solution provides qualitative insights even for rather low initial fields. The results are also extended to include the effects of detuning. Quasi-pure state evolution is still obtained when the initial state is one of the semiclassical stationary states, but for large detuning an atom prepared in an arbitrary initial state no longer evolves towards a unique pure state at half-revival time.
Bottlenecks, soft selection, and Phase III of Wright's ‘Shifting Balance’ theory

An argument is presented, using the spread of the African honeybee through the American tropics, Mexico, and into the southern United States, that the geographic spread of a novel, highly successful gene combination does not necessarily occur as commonly viewed under Phase 3 of Wright's shifting-balance theory. Rather, migrants from the deme possessing the new genetic system may populate sites previously left vacant and subsequently, when their numbers have swelled, overwhelm the populations in previously occupied sites. The outcome, the argument continues, gives the (false) appearance of the species having gone through a bottleneck.
Health-care camps for the poor provide mass sterilisation quota.

This article presents a letter to the editor discussing the World Bank-financed India Population Project VIII in the urban slums of four cities in India (Delhi Calcutta Bangalore and Hyderabad). The project aimed to provide a full range of reproductive and child health services to the urban poor. The author mentioned the Bank s concern about allegations of forced sterilization and the use of incentives. But the state government had already assured that the practices of targets and incentives for sterilization had not been reinstated and that appropriate necessary actions would be taken. The Bank is a strong advocate of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The ICPD shifted from demographic targets and controls to a people-centered rights-based approach. India was one of the first countries to adopt this approach. The World Bank has provided its support to the national and state governments shift. In addition the Government of Andhra Pradesh plans to reduce its population growth by increasing womens literacy and by total commitment to reproductive and child health.
The adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence in the large bowel: Variations on a theme

Most adenocarcinomas of the colorectum arise in a visible benign precursor lesion, the adenoma, which is a monoclonal proliferation of dysplastic nonmalignant epithelial cells. The resultant adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence represents the predominant pathogenetic pathway, in contrast to de novo carcinoma. Therefore, the adenoma is a tempting endpoint for chemoprevention trials. The adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence occurs in diverse clinical settings. In familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrome, autosomal dominant inheritance of the mutated APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene on chromosome 5q21 typically results in thousands of adenomas in the colorectum and in lesser numbers in the proximal small bowel. Adenocarcinoma usually develops in only a few of these adenomas, typically in the left colon and duodenum. In hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome, autosomal dominant inheritance of an unidentified gene appears to result in small numbers of adenomas which progress frequently to adenocarcinoma, predominantly in the right or transverse colon. In familial aggregation of colorectal cancer without a recognizable syndrome, cancer and/or adenomas occur in pedigree members. In "sporadic" cancers and adenomas, family history is absent and the tumors are mainly in the left colon. Colorectal adenomas have variable characteristics including size, shape (polypoid vs. flat), villous architecture, and dysplasia. A variety of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are altered during progression. Epigenetic factors are important as evidenced by the disappearance of adenomas in FAP patients after ileorectal anastomosis or treatment with the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug sulindac. Several variations on the theme of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence are evident. Identification of the inherited and acquired genetic alterations as well as the interacting environmental factors will provide a rational basis for chemoprevention.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)