cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impairment of hepatic microsomal and plasma esterases of the rat by disulfiram and diethyldithiocarbamate.

Abstract Twenty-four hr after oral administration (0.2 to 2.0 g/kg) of disulfiram (DS) to male rats. significant impairment of hepatic microsomal carboxylesterase and plasma carboxyl- and cholinesterase was observed. Plasma esterase activities returned to control values between 48 and 72 hr after a single oral dose of DS (2.0 g/kg), but microsomal carboxylesterase activity was still significantly lower in treated animals at both times. Daily administration of DS (0.1 or 0.4 g/kg) resulted in decreased microsomal carboxylesterase activity after 2 days. However, continued administration of DS for a total of 12 days did not produce further depression of microsomal esterase activity. Microsomal and plasma carboxylesterase activities were also decreased 24 hr after oral administration (1.0 to 2.0 g/kg) of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), the reduced metabolite of DS. Hepatic microsomal esterases that migrated rapidly toward the anode during polyacrylamide disc gel elcctrophoresis were the most sensitive to impairment by DS or DDTC. Esterase activity in the lung was also impaired after DS or DDTC administration, whereas esterases of the heart, kidney and testis were essentially unaffected. Incubation in vitro of liver microsomes with DS decreased microsomal carboxylesterase activity, while incubation with DDTC had little effect. Plasma carboxylesterase was inhibited in vitro to a greater extent than microsomal esterases by both DS and DDTC. Diethylamine and CS2, the decomposition products of DDTC, were essentiallv inactive as esterase inhibitors in vitro.
SimpleGrid toolkit: Enabling geosciences gateways to cyberinfrastructure

Cyberinfrastructure science and engineering gateways have become an important modality to connect science and engineering communities and cyberinfrastructure. The use of cyberinfrastructure through gateways is fundamental to the advancement of science and engineering. However, learning science gateway technologies and developing science gateways remain a significant challenge, given that science gateway technologies are still actively evolving and often include a number of sophisticated components. A geosciences gateway must be designed to accommodate legacy methods that geoscientists use in conventional computational tools. The research described in this paper establishes an open-source toolkit-SimpleGrid for learning and developing science gateways based on a service-oriented architecture using a component-based approach that allows flexible separation and integration of the components between geocomputation applications and cyberinfrastructure. The design and implementation of SimpleGrid is based on the National Science Foundation TeraGrid-a key element of the U.S. and world cyberinfrastructure. This paper illustrates our experience of using SimpleGrid and a spatial interpolation method in a tutorial to teach TeraGrid science gateways.
Appearance of Rat Slow Alpha-two Globulin after Irradiation

SLOW alpha-two globulin1 (SA2G), although not demonstrable by the usual method in the sera of healthy, non-pregnant, adult rats, appears in rat sera under a large number of conditions involving growth, regeneration, necrosis, inflammation, infection or the administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide2,3. Consequently, it was considered of interest to determine whether or not SA2G could be demonstrated in the sera of rats subjected to irradiation alone or to irradiation followed by the administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharides.
Influence of gestational age and maternal height on fetal femur length calculations.

Abstract Objective: To determine whether current methods of detecting Down syndrome based on fetal femur length calculations are influenced by gestational age or maternal height. Methods: Four formulas were used to calculate expected femur length (FL) based on the fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) between 15 0/7 weeks’ gestation and 19 6/7 weeks’ gestation. For each gestational age, the BPD:FL ratio for women shorter than one standard deviation (SD) below the mean height was compared with the ratio for women taller than one SD above the mean height. A measured:expected FL ratio of 0.91 or less and a BPD:FL ratio greater than 1.5 SD above the mean was considered abnormal. Results: The four formulas used to calculate measured:expected FL ratios were significantly more likely to be abnormal at 15–16 weeks’ gestation, compared with 18–19 weeks’ gestation (P Conclusion: Early gestational age increases a woman’s risk of having an abnormal measured:expected FL ratio, whereas short stature increases a woman’s risk of having an abnormal BPD:FL ratio at later gestational ages. These findings indicate that risk assessment for fetal Down syndrome for such patients might be inaccurate. (Obstet Gynecol 2001;97:742–6.
Evidence for the mechanism of action of the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-mediated decrease of nuclear estrogen receptor levels in wild-type and mutant mouse Hepa 1c1c7 cells.

Treatment of wild-type Hepa 1c1c7 cells with 1 nM [3H]-17β-estradiol resulted in the rapid accumulation of the nuclear estrogen receptor complex whose levels were maximized within 1 hr. Cotreatment of the cells with 10 nM 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and [3H]-17β-estradiol did not affect the nuclear estrogen receptor levels 1 hr after addition of the radioligand; however, pretreatment of the cells for 1, 6, 24 or 42 hr with 10 nM TCDD prior to the addition of the radiolabeled hormone caused a greater than 50% decrease in nuclear estrogen receptor levels (determined by velocity sedimentation analysis) 1 hr after the addition of [3H]-17β-estradiol. In parallel experiments in which 10 nM TCDD was added 6 hr prior to the radiolabeled hormone, TCDD caused a 63 and 74% decrease in immunodetectable cytosolic and nuclear estrogen receptor protein levels, respectively, in the wildtype Hepa 1c1c7 cells. The nuclear estrogen receptor was also detected in two Hepa 1c1c7 mutant (class 1 and class 2) cell lines which have been characterized previously as TCDD non-responsive due to either decreased aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor levels or a defect in the accumulation of transcriptionally active nuclear Ah receptor complexes, respectively. Treatment of these mutant cell lines with TCDD and [3H]-17β-estradiol (as described above) caused only a minimum (class 1) or non-detectable (class 2) decrease in nuclear estrogen receptor binding activity or immunodetectable protein levels. These results, coupled with the structure-dependent differences in the activities of TCDD (a strong Ah receptor agonist) and 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (a weak Ah receptor agonist) in this assay system, support a role for the Ah receptor in the TCDD-mediated decrease of the nuclear estrogen receptor in mouse Hepa 1c1c7 cells. In addition, actinomycin D and cycloheximide both inhibited the TCDD-mediated decrease of nuclear estrogen receptor levels in the Hepa 1c1c7 wild-type cells, and these results suggest that TCDD may induce specific gene products which are involved in this process.
Built-in Self-Calibration of On-chip DAC and ADC

Linearity measurements are significant for assessing the performance of a modern mixed-signal system-on-chip. In this paper a new built-in self-test (BIST) scheme is presented for testing and calibration of on-chip high-resolution digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for better linearity using sigma-delta modulator and low-resolution dithering DAC. Ramp signals are used as testing stimuli and responses of DAC-under-test (DUT) are measured by a first-order 1-bit sigma-delta modulator with high oversampling rate (OSR) and a low-pass digital filter for noise cancellation. A polynomial fit algorithm is used to characterize DAC and to obtain calibrating coefficients that determine whether the DUT passes or fails the test. DUT output error is compensated for by a dithering DAC with dynamic element matching (DEM) technique, which is controlled by the calibrating coefficients, to reduce the integral non-linearity (INL) error. Simulation results show that a sigma-delta modulator with effective number of bits (ENOB) equivalent to 17-bit ADC and a 6-bit low-cost dithering DAC are sufficient to calibrate a 14-bit high-resolution on-chip DAC such that the maximum INL error is reduced from 3 LSB to approximate 0.25 LSB. Testing and calibration of on-chip ADC using the same scheme is also discussed.
Structural homeostasis in the nervous system: a balancing act for wiring plasticity and stability

Experience-dependent modifications of neural circuits provide the cellular basis for functional adaptation and learning, while presenting significant challenges to the stability of neural networks. The nervous system copes with these perturbations through a variety of compensatory mechanisms with distinct spatial and temporal profiles. Mounting evidence suggests that structural plasticity, through modifications of the number and structure of synapses, or changes in local and long-range connectivity, might contribute to the stabilization of network activity and serve as an important component of the homeostatic regulation of the nervous system. Conceptually similar to the homeostatic regulation of synaptic strength and efficacy, homeostatic structural plasticity has a profound and lasting impact on the intrinsic excitability of the neuron and circuit properties, yet remains largely unexplored. In this review, we examine recent reports describing structural modifications associated with functional compensation in both developing and adult nervous systems, and discuss the potential role for structural homeostasis in maintaining network stability and its implications in physiological and pathological conditions of the nervous systems.
Art-lab-bio-studio (abstract only)

In this studio, the concepts of creativity, interface and interaction are reframed and informed by techniques used to grow, and manipulate microorganisms and visualize biological processes. During the studio, participants experiment with techniques commonly used in basic biology labs to create living "drawings" in 100mm, round petri dishes. The studio is designed to provide a context for critical, generative discussion about biologicall-inspired hardware and software systems and interfaces. Further, it is organized around the premise that when we look to the environment for models, we look through the lens of biology, geology, and other related bioscience disciplines. Thus we must consider the technical and cultural limitations this imposes.
CLINICAL USE OF GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AND GRANULOCYTE COLONY- STIMULATING FACTOR IN NEUTROPENIA ASSOCIATED WITH MALIGNANCY

G-CSF and GM-CSF have been shown in each clinical setting to reduce the duration of neutropenia, with the exception of the scant data available in the unrelated bone marrow transplant setting. These growth factors also have been shown to have no leukemogenic effect during the observation periods of the trials discussed. In MDS, one major randomized trial has demonstrated a reduction in incidence of infection. This has not yet been demonstrated in AML and allogeneic BMT. Data from ongoing and future trials will be helpful in elucidating their effect on treatment-related morbidity and overall survival.
EVALUATION OF TACTILE PROMPTS WITH A STUDENT WHO IS DEAF, BLIND, AND MENTALLY RETARDED

We provided tactile cues to a student who was deaf, blind, and mentally retarded to guide her performance on a variety of packaging tasks. The student had previously received extensive training on multiple packaging and sequencing tasks through her vocational education program. Although she was able to complete these tasks, each change in materials necessitated that similar levels of retraining be conducted in order for her to perform revised tasks. Tactile cues were introduced and evaluated through a multiple baseline with sequential withdrawal design for two envelope-stuffing tasks and one bagging task. Results indicated that the tactile prompts were effective in guiding her performance on the training task and in promoting generalization to novel tasks and cues. Continued use of the cues was necessary to maintain the student's performance. Our findings suggest that tactile prompts function similarly to picture prompts and may be an effective alternative external prompting system for persons for whom picture prompts would not be appropriate.
Home energy use in nine OECD countries, 1960–1980

Abstract Government institutions and individuals have responded to fluctuations in energy supply and price with the implementation of policies and the initiation of conservation. While these activities have resulted in noticeable conservation of energy, primarily through behavioural actions, further savings could be achieved through the exchange of information regarding promising policies and technologies. Toward this end, data on residential sector energy use for nine OECD countries (Canada, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the UK and the USA) have been collected over the period 1960–1980 and have been analysed using both indicators of energy-use intensity and econometric methods.
Efficacy of Pregabalin monotherapy for improving sleep outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia: Results of a 14-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background and Aims:Sleep disturbance is prominent in fibromyalgia (FM). This 14-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, evaluated the effect of pregabalin on pain and sleep-related outcomes in FM.Methods:Patients meeting ACR (FM) diagnostic criteria were randomized to pregabalin 300, 450, or 600mg/d (BID) or placebo for 14 weeks (A0081077). Primary efficacy parameter: LOCF endpoint mean pain score (MPS). At baseline and endpoint, patients completed the Medical Outcomes Sleep (MOS) Sleep Scale. Mean Sleep Quality scores (11-point numeric ratings) were derived from patient daily diaries.Results:745 randomized patients: 95% female, mean age=50 years, baseline MPS: 6.7. Placebo-corrected differences from baseline to endpoint in MPS were: 300mg/d, -0.71 (p=.0009); 450mg/d, -0.98 (p<.0001); 600mg/d, -1.00 (p<.0001). For MOS Sleep Disturbance, all 3 pregabalin groups demonstrated significant improvements versus placebo (300, 450, and 600 mg/d, -8.91 [p=.0006]; -10.63 [p<.0001]; and -14.93 [p<.0001], respectively). Similar improvements were seen in Sleep Quality (300, 450, and 600mg/d; 0.42, p=0.0030; 0.48, p=.0006; and 0.68, p<.0001 respectively) and MOS Sleep Adequacy (300, 450 and 600mg/d; 5.86, p=.0324; 7.89, p=.0036, and 11.16, p<.0001 respectively). Endpoint Mean Sleep Quality scores across all 3 treatment groups showed significant improvements (300, 450 and 600mg/d; -0.74, p=.0006, -1.12, and -1.35, both p<.0001 respectively). Most common AEs: dizziness (all pregabalin, 35.8% vs placebo, 7.6%); somnolence (18.0% vs 3.8%). Incidence of AEs appeared to be dose-related; most were mild to moderate.Conclusions:Pregabalin treatment demonstrated significant improvements in pain and patient reported measures of sleep disturbance, adequacy, and quality.Study funded by Pfizer, Inc.
Reinforcement learning using swarm intelligence-trained neural networks

This article proposes a new reinforcement learning method using the swarm intelligence-trained neural network (SWINN) to generate solutions to various real-world problems efficiently. The swarm intelligence algorithm, particle swarm optimisation (PSO), is combined with a training resource allocator (TRA) in SWINN for specific problems. TRA, as a heuristic global search method, controls the allocation of training resources to different candidate topologies of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to expedite the system convergence, while PSO is applied as a local search algorithm to adjust the ANNs connection weights. To evaluate the performance of the SWINN algorithm, two reinforcement learning case studies: the double pole balance (a.k.a. double inverted pendulum) problem and a mobile robot localisation problem are conducted. Extensive simulation results successfully demonstrate that SWINN offers performance that is competitive with modern neuroevolutionary techniques, and is viable for real-world problems.
Thermal properties of poly(tetramethyl-p-silphenylene siloxane) and (tetramethyl-p-silphenylene siloxane-dimethyl siloxane) copolymers

Abstract Some physical properties of poly(tetramethyl- p -silphenylene siloxane) homopolymer and random block copolymers of tetramethyl- p -silphenylene siloxane-dimethyl siloxane have been determined and correlated with polymer structure. Differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), differential thermal analysis (d.t.a.), density gradient column measurements and optical hot stage melting point determination and diluent techniques were used. The thermodynamic melting temperature of the homopolymer was estimated to be 160°C and its heat of fusion, ΔH u , found to be 54.4 J/g (13 cal/g or 2710 cal/mol of monomer repeat units). Its limiting glass transition temperature, T g , was −20°C. T g of the copolymer was found to vary almost monotonically with increasing dimethyl siloxane (DMS) content ranging from −20° (0% DMS) to just above −123°C, for pure DMS polymer. The copolymer melting temperature was found to increase as the fraction of the crystalline (hard) TMPS constituent was increased. Based upon copolymer theory and extrapolated melting point data, it was estimated that the block size of soft DMS component in the copolymer most probably consists of twelve monomer units distributed amongst TMPS sequences of varying length.
Upper critical field of four-CuO 2 -layer TlBa 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O 11+ δ single crystals

Abstract Measurements of magnetization in the reversible region were performed as a function of temperature on TlBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ single crystals in magnetic fields up to 5.5 T with the field direction applied along the crystalline c-axis. A linear temperature dependence was observed between 70 and 116 K for the reversible magnetization and the slope, (dM)/(dT), decreased with increasing field strength. Near Tc (128 K), the magnetization showed a rounding. Both the field-dependent dM/dT – values in the linear region and the rounding behavior of the magnetization near Tc indicated that the upper critical field, Hc2, in the TlBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ system might be very large. Therefore, the reversible magnetization was measured in the low field range, i.e. H≪Hc2, and the traditional method used to obtain the Hc2 value based on the Abrikosov formula near Hc2 was not applicable. By using the model of Hao et al. [Z. Hao, J.R. Clem, M.W. McElfresh, L. Civale, A.P. Malozemoff, F. Holtzberg, Phys. Rev. B 43 (1991) 2844], the reversible magnetization data were analyzed to determine the Ginzburg–Landau parameter κ and the slope of the upper critical field at Tc, (dHc2/dT)|Tc. It was found that κ=109, and Hc2(0)=160 T in the TlBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ crystals with the field parallel to the c-axis.
End-to-End Mechanical Calibration of Strain Channels in Dynamic Health Monitoring Systems

The U.S. Air Force invented a calibration technique that allows one person to perform multiple, mechanical end-to-end calibrations of structural dynamics measurement systems. In Order to define the vibrations and acoustics environment, often an aircraft or engine structural health monitoring system collects airframe or engine structural integrity data. A recommended practice is to perform an end-to-end mechanical calibration of the system. This means a full calibration of instrumentation from the physical input to the transducer to the output where the analog or digital signal is normally analyzed. It is difficult to stimulate mounted and embedded transducers with a known physical input, especially strain gages bonded to a structure. This new technique uses a remote control structural exciter (RCSE) to stimulate transducers in structures, with a measurable input level, and the output signal is communicated to the data storage device of the structural health monitoring system. The Air Force demonstrated th...
Determination of Se in urine by flow injection hydride generation electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with in-atomizer trapping

Following digestion of the sample in a mixture of bromate and hydrobromic acid, the inorganic selenium produced was quantified by trapping hydrogen selenide, formed when a 500 μl sample volume injected into a hydrochloric acid carrier stream merged with a stream of sodium borohydride solution, on the iridium-pretreated interior of a graphite furnace atomizer. A number of parameters relating to the digestion, flow injection manifold and trapping in the atomizer were investigated, including a study of factors affecting the detection limit. It was found necessary to heat the digest under reflux at a temperature of 150°C for 2 h. Quantitative recoveries, from a human urine matrix, of selenite, selenate, trimethylselenium, selenocystine, selenopurine and selenomethionine spikes were obtained. The efficiency of hydride generation, transport and trapping was 75%. The major factors affecting the detection limit were the reagent purity and the volume injected. For high-purity hydrobromic acid and borohydride free of caking agent, the detection limit, based on three times the standard deviation of the blank, was 0.06 μg l−1 for a 1000 μl injection volume corresponding to a detection limit of 3 μg l−1 for a urine sample. The method was validated by the accurate analyses of Standard Reference Material 2670 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and urine samples from an interlaboratory comparison program. The procedure avoids the need for perchloric acid and produces selenium in the +4 oxidation state and thus no reduction is needed prior to generation of the hydrogen selenide. The use of a graphite furnace atomizer avoids the need for frequent reconditioning of the atomizer surface and the need for the standard additions method, both of which are drawbacks of procedures which make use of the quartz tube atomizer. All sample handling procedures following the digestion were automated by the use of flow injection technology.
Cia5d regulates a new fibroblast-like synoviocyte invasion-associated gene expression signature

Introduction The in vitro invasive properties of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) have been shown to correlate with disease severity and radiographic damage. We recently determined that FLSs obtained from pristane-induced arthritis (PIA)-susceptible DA rats are also highly invasive in the same in vitro assay through Matrigel. The transfer of alleles derived from the arthritis-resistant F344 strain at the arthritis severity locus Cia5d (RNO10), as in DA.F344(Cia5d) congenics, was enough to significantly and specifically reduce the invasive properties of FLSs. This genetically controlled difference in FLS invasion involves increased production of soluble membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) by DA, and is dependent on increased activation of MMP-2. In the present study we aimed to characterize the pattern of gene expression that correlates with differences in invasion in order to identify pathways regulated by the Cia5d locus. Methods Synovial tissues were collected from DA and DA.F344(Cia5d) rats 21 days after the induction of PIA. Tissues were digested and FLSs isolated. After a minimum of four passages, FLSs were plated on Matrigel-covered dishes at similar densities, followed by RNA extraction. Illumina RatRef-12 expression BeadChip arrays were used. Expression data were normalized, followed by t-test, logistic regression, and cluster analysis. Real-time PCR was used to validate the microarray data.
The Enhanced DNA Replication Fidelity of a Mutant Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 DNA Polymerase Is Mediated by an Improved Nucleotide Selectivity and Reduced Mismatch Extension Ability

We previously demonstrated that a recombinant herpes simplex virus containing a mutation within the finger domain of DNA polymerase replicated DNA with increased fidelity. In this study, we demonstrate that, compared with wild-type polymerase, the mutant enzyme exhibited improved nucleotide selectivity and a reduced ability to extend from mismatched primer termini, which would contribute to the increased DNA replication fidelity.
The electret effect in cellulose acetate reverse osmosis membranes

The electret potentials developed by reverse osmosis electret membranes help control the undesirable deposition of charged colloidal particles on the membrane surfaces during membrane desalination. These antifouling electret membranes should help prevent the costly flux declines normally associated with deposition of colloidal iron oxides on the reverse osmosis membrane surfaces. Homocharge and heterocharge behavior of cellulose acetate membrane electrets have been studied. Asymmetric reverse osmosis membranes and dense membrane films were studied. The homocharge and heterocharge of cellulose acetate reverse osmosis electret membranes have been explained.
Effects of irradiation on the generative cycle of the estrogen stimulated vaginal epithelium.

The effects of irradiation (300, 500 and 1500 rads) on mitosis and DNA synthesis in the estrogen primed vaginal epithelium have been studied. Dose—effect relations and the time sequence of effects on the two processes were investigated. The technique of tritiated thymidine labeling of DNA with autoradiography was used, in conjunction with the mitotic count, to study alterations in the generative cycle. Prior to irradiation, ovariectomized female rats were treated daily with diethylstilbestrol for a period of 2 weeks to create a steady state in the vaginal cell population.
The Carotenoid Content of Milk Fat Fractions

Summary A study was made of the relationship between the carotenoid content and the physico-chemical properties of different milk fat fractions. The data indicate an inverse relationship between the carotenoid content and the melting points of the fractions. They also indicate a definite relationship between the carotenoid content and the iodine numbers of the fractions. The data suggest that the efficiency of absorption of carotene by an animal from its feed might be influenced by the degree of unsaturation of the fat present in the feed. The flavor score of different fractions at the end of two years’ storage at 4°–5° C. revealed that the intensity of the oxidized flavor varied inversely with the carotenoid content of the fractions. It appears that the substances responsible for the reduction in the susceptibility of the fat to oxidized flavor are concentrated in the liquid fraction. The extreme low temperature fractions might well serve as the starting point in an attempt to identify the highly unsaturated acids and the anti-oxidant of butter fat.
NBTI aware workload balancing in multi-core systems

As device feature size continues to shrink, reliability becomes a severe issue due to process variation, particle-induced transient errors, and transistor wear-out/stress such as Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI). Unless this problem is addressed, chip multi-processor (CMP) systems face low yields and short mean-time-to-failure (MTTF). This paper proposes a new design framework for multi-core system that includes device wear-out impact. Based on device fractional NBTI model, we propose a new NBTI aware system workload model, and develop new dynamic tile partition (DTP) algorithm to balance workload among active cores while relaxing stressed ones. Experimental results on 64 cores show that by allowing a small number of cores (around 10%)to relax in a short time period (10 second), the proposed methodology improves CMP system yield. We use the percentage of core failure to represent the yield improvement. The new strategy improves the core failure number by 20 %, and extend MTTF by 30% with little degradation in performance (less than 6%).
Nanowire dye-sensitized solar cells

Excitonic solar cells1—including organic, hybrid organic–inorganic and dye-sensitized cells (DSCs)—are promising devices for inexpensive, large-scale solar energy conversion. The DSC is currently the most efficient2 and stable3 excitonic photocell. Central to this device is a thick nanoparticle film that provides a large surface area for the adsorption of light-harvesting molecules. However, nanoparticle DSCs rely on trap-limited diffusion for electron transport, a slow mechanism that can limit device efficiency, especially at longer wavelengths. Here we introduce a version of the dye-sensitized cell in which the traditional nanoparticle film is replaced by a dense array of oriented, crystalline ZnO nanowires. The nanowire anode is synthesized by mild aqueous chemistry and features a surface area up to one-fifth as large as a nanoparticle cell. The direct electrical pathways provided by the nanowires ensure the rapid collection of carriers generated throughout the device, and a full Sun efficiency of 1.5% is demonstrated, limited primarily by the surface area of the nanowire array.
A suppression of gonadotropin secretion by cortisol in castrated male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) mediated by the interruption of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone release.

Four orchidectomized rhesus monkeys (3-3.5 yr of age) were treated for 62 days with daily i.m. injections of hydrocortisone acetate (HCA) at a dose of 10-20 mg/(kg BW X day), and blood samples were obtained daily or every other day before, during, and after treatment. Hydrocortisone acetate injections resulted in a progressive rise in mean plasma cortisol from basal concentrations of 17-35 micrograms/100 ml prior to initiation of steroid treatment to approximately 150 micrograms/100 ml 5 wk later. When serum cortisol concentrations reached 100 micrograms/100 ml, 3-4 wk after the initiation of HCA treatment, circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) began to decline, reaching nondetectable concentrations 35 days later. Withdrawal of HCA resulted in a return in plasma cortisol concentrations to pretreatment control levels, which was associated with a complete restoration of gonadotropin secretion. In 2 animals, administration of an intermittent i.v. infusion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (0.1 micrograms/min for 3 min once every hour), which appears to stimulate the gonadotropes in a physiologic manner, reversed the cortisol-induced inhibition of gonadotropin secretion, restoring circulating LH and FSH concentrations to within 80-100% of control. These results suggest that, in the rhesus monkey, the major site of the inhibitory action of cortisol on gonadotropin release resides at a suprapituitary level and is mediated by interruption of hypothalamic GnRH release.
Two-hit model of brain damage in the very preterm newborn: small for gestational age and postnatal systemic inflammation

Two-hit model of brain damage in the very preterm newborn: small for gestational age and postnatal systemic inflammation
Comparison of Innovative Molecular Approaches and Standard Spore Assays for Assessment of Surface Cleanliness

A bacterial spore assay and a molecular DNA microarray method were compared for their ability to assess relative cleanliness in the context of bacterial abundance and diversity on spacecraft surfaces. Colony counts derived from the NASA standard spore assay were extremely low for spacecraft surfaces. However, the PhyloChip generation 3 (G3) DNA microarray resolved the genetic signatures of a highly diverse suite of microorganisms in the very same sample set. Samples completely devoid of cultivable spores were shown to harbor the DNA of more than 100 distinct microbial phylotypes. Furthermore, samples with higher numbers of cultivable spores did not necessarily give rise to a greater microbial diversity upon analysis with the DNA microarray. The findings of this study clearly demonstrated that there is not a statistically significant correlation between the cultivable spore counts obtained from a sample and the degree of bacterial diversity present. Based on these results, it can be stated that validated state-of-the-art molecular techniques, such as DNA microarrays, can be utilized in parallel with classical culture-based methods to further describe the cleanliness of spacecraft surfaces.
A Bayesian Optimal Foraging Model of Human Visual Search

Real-world visual searches often contain a variable and unknown number of targets. Such searches present difficult metacognitive challenges, as searchers must decide when to stop looking for additional targets, which results in high miss rates in multiple-target searches. In the study reported here, we quantified human strategies in multiple-target search via an ecological optimal foraging model and investigated whether searchers adapt their strategies to complex target-distribution statistics. Separate groups of individuals searched displays with the number of targets per trial sampled from different geometric distributions but with the same overall target prevalence. As predicted by optimal foraging theory, results showed that individuals searched longer when they expected more targets to be present and adjusted their expectations on-line during each search by taking into account the higher-order, across-trial target distributions. However, compared with modeled ideal observers, participants systematically responded as if the target distribution were more uniform than it was, which suggests that training could improve multiple-target search performance.
Fire, climate change and biodiversity in Amazonia: a Late-Holocene perspective.

Fire is an important and arguably unnatural component of many wet Amazonian and Andean forest systems. Soil charcoal has been used to infer widespread human use of landscapes prior to European Conquest. An analysis of Amazonian soil carbon records reveals that the records have distinct spatial and temporal patterns, suggesting that either fires were only set in moderately seasonal areas of Amazonia or that strongly seasonal and aseasonal areas are undersampled. Synthesizing data from 300 charcoal records, an age–frequency diagram reveals peaks of fire apparently coinciding with some periods of very strong El Nino activity. However, the El Nino record does not always provide an accurate prediction of fire timing, and a better match is found in the record of insolation minima. After the time of European contact, fires became much scarcer within Amazonia. In both the Amazonia and the Andes, modern fire pattern is strongly allied to human activity. On the flank of the Andes, forests that have never burned are being eroded by fire spreading downslope from grasslands. Species of these same forests are being forced to migrate upslope due to warming and will encounter a firm artificial fire boundary of human activity.
Reliable simulation with input uncertainties using an interval-based approach

Uncertainty associated with input parameters and models in simulation has gained attentions in recent years. The sources of uncertainties include lack of data and lack of knowledge about physical systems. In this paper, we present a new reliable simulation mechanism to help improve simulation robustness when significant uncertainties exist. The new mechanism incorporates variabilities and uncertainties based on imprecise probabilities, where the statistical distribution parameters in the simulation are intervals instead of precise real numbers. The mechanism generates random interval variates to model the inputs. Interval arithmetic is applied to simulate a set of scenarios simultaneously in each simulation run. To ensure that the interval results bound those from the traditional real-valued simulation, a generic approach is also proposed to specify the number of replications in order to achieve the desired robustness. This new reliable simulation mechanism can be applied to address input uncertainties to support robust decision making.
Modifications of the 5′ Cap of mRNAs during Xenopus Oocyte Maturation: Independence from Changes in Poly(A) Length and Impact on Translation

The translation of specific maternal mRNAs is regulated during early development. For some mRNAs, an increase in translational activity is correlated with cytoplasmic extension of their poly(A) tails; for others, translational inactivation is correlated with removal of their poly(A) tails. Recent results in several systems suggest that events at the 3′ end of the mRNA can affect the state of the 5′ cap structure, m7G(5′)ppp(5′)G. We focus here on the potential role of cap modifications on translation during early development and on the question of whether any such modifications are dependent on cytoplasmic poly(A) addition or removal. To do so, we injected synthetic RNAs into Xenopus oocytes and examined their cap structures and translational activities during meiotic maturation. We draw four main conclusions. First, the activity of a cytoplasmic guanine-7-methyltransferase increases during oocyte maturation and stimulates translation of an injected mRNA bearing a nonmethylated GpppG cap. The importance of the cap for translation in oocytes is corroborated by the sensitivity of protein synthesis to cap analogs and by the inefficient translation of mRNAs bearing nonphysiologically capped 5′ termini. Second, deadenylation during oocyte maturation does not cause decapping, in contrast to deadenylation-triggered decapping in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Third, the poly(A) tail and the N-7 methyl group of the cap stimulate translation synergistically during oocyte maturation. Fourth, cap ribose methylation of certain mRNAs is very inefficient and is not required for their translational recruitment by poly(A). These results demonstrate that polyadenylation can cause translational recruitment independent of ribose methylation. We propose that polyadenylation enhances translation through at least two mechanisms that are distinguished by their dependence on ribose modification.
Plasmonics Quenching and Enhancement of a Fluorescing Molecule Outside and Inside a Silver Metallic Nanoshell

Analytic expressions are derived for the enhancement and quenching of a fluorescing molecule outside and in the interior of a metallic spherical nanoshell. The competing effects of enhancement and quenching are a strong function of the radial location of a molecule exterior to the shell. For a fluorescing molecule inside the shell, the enhancement and quenching are a weaker function of radius and a stronger function of the shell thickness. The enhancement and quenching also have a strong wavelength dependence arising from plasmon resonances excited within the particle. For an external molecule, a shell produces a larger peak enhancement than a solid homogeneous sphere of the same diameter. Calculations are presented to illustrate these effects in a silver shell.
Air-surface exchange research and related studies: A scientific tribute to Marvin L. Wesely

Abstract This article is a tribute to a departed colleague and friend, Dr. Marvin L. Wesely. A senior meteorologist at Argonne National Laboratory, Wesely died from a rare form of heart cancer on January 20, 2003. He had achieved national and international prominence in the areas of atmospheric surface layer turbulence, eddy-covariance measurement, and analysis techniques, and dry deposition of air pollutants. With colleagues, he contributed to the development of methodologies for formulating dry deposition processes in atmospheric and biospheric models that are now in standard use worldwide. His research in this field was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy for 30 years.
Relative risk of stroke in head and neck carcinoma patients treated with external cervical irradiation

Objective To determine the rate of cerebrovascular events (stroke) in patients irradiated to high doses for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Study Design Retrospective chart review of 413 patients treated from 1987 to 2000 with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was performed to determine the risk of stroke compared with the expected rate. Methods Surgical, radiotherapeutic, radiological, and clinical or office records of 413 patients were analyzed, and data were collected regarding clinical risk factors for stroke, irradiation parameters, and follow-up on whether or not a stroke event occurred. The actuarial risk of stroke for this population was calculated and compared with expected risk from population-based data. Results Of the 413 patients, 20 had strokes in follow-up, occurring between 2 and 146 months after radiotherapy. The 5-year actuarial rate of stroke was 12%, which corresponded to a relative risk of 2.09 (P = .0007) compared with the population-based “expected” data. Median radiation therapy dose was 64 Gy; there was no correlation between radiation therapy dose and stroke risk. No correlation was identified between surgery near the carotids and stroke risk. Conclusions An association between high-dose cervical irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and stroke is demonstrated. Although the relative risk is approximately doubled, the absolute risk is modest in comparison to the risk of cancer recurrence. Further study of this association and possible interventions is warranted.
A demonstration of the meshtest wireless testbed

MeshTest is a laboratory-based multi-hop wireless testbed that can subject real wireless nodes to reproducible mobile scenarios. It uses shielded enclosures and an RF matrix switch to dynamically control the attenuation experienced between pairs of nodes. The testbed is an ideal platform for experimenting with MANET and DTN implementations, offering convenient experimental control and data management.
Parameterization of Pb X-ray contamination in simultaneous Tl-201 and Tc-99m dual-isotope imaging

In simultaneous Tl-201 and Tc-99m dual isotope imaging, Pb X-rays are a significant source of contamination in the Tl image. In order to characterize this contamination, we simulated images of line sources in the Tc and Tl photopeak windows using an experimentally verified Monte Carlo program. The line sources were placed at various distances from the collimator face and emitted photons with energies from 88 to 140.5 keV. The Ph X-ray contamination line source response function in the Tl window was fitted well by a Gaussian plus an exponential function. The width of these two functions changed linearly with distance. Parameterization of the Ph X-ray response was done by simultaneously fitting the Ph X-ray response functions at various distances with fitting functions that were determined empirically to model the distance dependence of the Gaussian and exponential components of the Ph X-ray response. The parameterized model of Ph X-ray contamination is useful in developing methods to model Ph X-ray contamination in Tl-201 data by Tc-99m. This Ph X-ray contamination model can be used in iterative reconstruction-based cross-talk compensation for simultaneous Tc/Tl dual isotope imaging.
ALTERATION OF WATER LEVELS IN A MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL PLAIN POND SUBJECT TO MUNICIPAL GROUND-WATER WITHDRAWALS

ABSTRACT The coastal plain ponds that occur within glacial deposits in the northeastern U.S. experience annual and inter-annual water level fluctuations. Periodic inundation and drying of coastal plain pond shorelines has led to the development of pondshore vegetation communities that are unusually diverse and restricted in distribution. Because water level fluctuations are the primary abiotic control on plant community composition and dynamics, ground-water extraction for municipal supply has the potential to alter pond hydroperiod and plant community structure. We assessed the influence of ground-water pumping on pond levels at Mary Dunn Pond in the Hyannis Ponds Complex in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Short-term well pumping tests, seepage rate measurements, and measurements of surface-water and ground-water temperatures during pumping tests provided unequivocal evidence of an intimate surface-water/ground-water connection. A regression model that related pond levels to pumping and natural background var...
Archival Description Standards: Scope and Criteria

The archival profession is witnessing a call for the development and adoption of archival description standards that stems from a desire to exchange descriptive information among repositories by taking advantage of more effective and affordable technology. This movement, however, has not fully comprehended the costs and limitations inherent in the development and use of standards. In particular, it has not addressed the need to make the most effective use of resources and to satisfy local requirements by defining the proper scope of standards and the criteria by which to evaluate them. This paper attempts to focus the standards process by offering a definition of its proper scope, and criteria for evaluating the quality of proposed standards.
STEM Crazy

The mythical STEM crisis has taken on a life of its own. As a society we need to debunk this myth before it adds another giant neoliberal heap to the national debt.
From the Andes to the Rockies : Native strawberry collection and utilization

Received for publication 22 May 2000. Accepted for publication 13 June 2000. The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. Under postal regulations, this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact. To whom reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail address: hancock@ pilot.msu.edu The commercial strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa Duchesne in Lamarck (Staudt, 1999), has a narrow germplasm base, even though its progenitor species have an extensive geographical range (Hancock, 1999; Luby et al., 1991). It originated about 250 years ago when a few New World clones of F. chiloensis (L.) Miller and F. virginiana Miller accidentally hybridized in European gardens (Wilhelm and Sagen, 1972). Thomas A. Knight began the systematic breeding of strawberries in England in 1817, but had at his disposal only a small number of native and cultivated clones. Likewise, North American genetic improvement began in the mid-1800s with a restricted group of European F. ×ananassa cultivars, South American F. chiloensis, and North American F. virginiana (Darrow, 1966). The cultivars originating from this background played the predominant role in most public and private breeding programs for the next 100 years. The majority of the genes in modern North American cultivars still comes from only seven nuclear (Hancock and Luby, 1995; Sjulin and Dale, 1987) and 10 cytoplasmic sources (Dale and Sjulin, 1990), even though at least eight native clones have been incorporated into cultivars in the last half century. These include: 1) two unnamed clones of F. chiloensis from the Pacific Northwest, 2) two unnamed clones of F. virginiana from Oregon and Alaska, 3) two selections of F. virginiana from the Rocky Mountains (Sjulin and Dale, 1987), 4) the Huachi Grande clone of F. chiloensis from Ecuador (Finn et al., 1998), and 5) the Del Norte clone of F. chiloensis from northern California (Moore et al., 1995). Since the germplasm base of strawberries remains narrow, native germplasm can be injected into the lineage of cultivars relatively easily. However, identification of more wild clones and their use in strawberry improvement would be beneficial. We have spent the last decade cataloging horticulturally useful traits in native populations (Cameron et al., 1993; Hancock, 1999; Hancock et al., 1990; Luby et al., 1991) and utilizing that variability (Dale et al., 1993; Hancock et al., 1993). Our primary goals have been to: 1) expand the germplasm base of F. ×ananassa by hybridizing it with elite native octoploid clones, 2) reconstruct F. ×ananassa using these clones, and 3) develop pure F. chiloensis cultivars. We would also like to construct a “supercore” group of native F. virginiana and F. chiloensis clones that can be used by other breeders to expand their germplasm base and serve as a reference point for future collections.