cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Quine’s Thinking on the Thesis of Underdetermination and Scott Soames’s Accusation of Paradoxicality

Scott Soames argues that interpreted in the light of Quine’s holistic verificationism, Quine’s thesis of underdetermination leads to a contradiction. It is contended here that if we pay proper attention to the evolution of Quine’s thinking on the subject, particularly his criterion of theory individuation, Quine’s thesis of underdetermination escapes Soames’s charge of paradoxicality.
Beam-beam deflection as a beam tuning tool at the SLAC linear collider

Abstract To achieve maximum integrated luminosity at the SLAC Linear Collider, a method of noninvasive beam tuning is required. Traditional luminosity monitors based on Bhabha scattering are inadequate because of low instantaneous counting rates. Coherent deflections of one beam by the electromagnetic field of the other are sensitive not only to the relative steering of the two bunches but also to their spot sizes. A brief description of beam-beam deflection theory forms the basis for a discussion of this phenomenon as a tool for single-beam tuning and for luminosity optimization at the interaction point of the SLC.
Synthesis, structure, electronic spectroscopy, photophysics, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of highly-electron-deficient [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(perfluoroalkyl)porphinato]zinc(II ) complexes and their free base derivatives

The synthesis, optical spectroscopy, photophysical properties, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of a series of [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(perfluoroalkyl)porphinato]zinc(II) complexes and their free base analogs are reported. The title compounds were prepared by a condensation methodology that utilizes perfluoro-1-(2‘-pyrrolyl)-1-alkanol precursors and employs continuous water removal throughout the course of the reaction to yield the meso perfluorocarbon-substituted porphyrins. The nature of the porphyrin-pendant meso-perfluoroalkyl group exerts considerable influence over the macrocycle's solubility properties. The structure of the monopyridyl adduct of [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(heptafluoropropyl)porphinato]zinc(II) features an S4-distorted porphyrin core; X-ray data are as follows: P1 with a = 15.1330(5) A, b = 19.2780(6) A, c = 14.6030(4) A, α = 110.220(2)°, β = 103.920(2)°, γ = 85.666(2)°, V= 3880.1(2) A3, dcalc = 1.887 g cm-3, and Z = 4. Electrochemical studies carried out on these porph...
Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Thermal Science and Engineering

The use of artificial intelligence methodologies in a variety of real-world applications has been around for some time. However, the application of such methodologies to thermal science and engineering is relatively new, but is receiving ever-increasing attention in the published literature since the mid 1990s. Such attention is due essentially to special requirements and needs of the field of thermal science and Engineering (TSE) in terms of its increasing complexity and the recognition that it is not feasible to approach many critical problems in this field by the use of traditional analysis. The purpose of the present brief review is to point out the recent advances in the artificial intelligence (AI) field and the successes of such methodologies to the current problems in thermal science and engineering. Some shortfalls and prospect for future applications will also be indicated.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Home Sleep Testing in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disordered Breathing

Sleep-disordered breathing is a growing public health concern and an integral part of head and neck surgery. Multichannel home sleep testing is a cost-effective, patient-friendly, scientifically valid technique of evaluating patients who present with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, typically snoring or daytime sleepiness. Home sleep tests can be dispensed from the physician's office. They have a 95% successful recording rate. Scoring can be autoscore or manual score. There are several protocols that can be followed based on diagnostic outcomes.
Predictive Model of Rat Reproductive Toxicity from ToxCast High Throughput Screening

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ToxCast research program uses high throughput screening (HTS) for profiling bioactivity and predicting the toxicity of large numbers of chemicals. ToxCast Phase I tested 309 well-characterized chemicals in more than 500 assays for a wide range of molecular targets and cellular responses. Of the 309 environmental chemicals in Phase I, 256 were linked to high-quality rat multigeneration reproductive toxicity studies in the relational Toxicity Reference Database. Reproductive toxicants were defined here as having achieved a reproductive lowest-observed-adverse-effect level of less than 500 mg kg(-1) day(-1). Eight-six chemicals were identified as reproductive toxicants in the rat, and 68 of those had sufficient in vitro bioactivity to model. Each assay was assessed for univariate association with the identified reproductive toxicants. Significantly associated assays were linked to gene sets and used for the subsequent predictive modeling. Using linear discriminant analysis and fivefold cross-validation, a robust and stable predictive model was produced capable of identifying rodent reproductive toxicants with 77% ± 2% and 74% ± 5% (mean ± SEM) training and test cross-validation balanced accuracies, respectively. With a 21-chemical external validation set, the model was 76% accurate, further indicating the model's potential for prioritizing the many thousands of environmental chemicals with little to no hazard information. The biological features of the model include steroidal and nonsteroidal nuclear receptors, cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibition, G protein-coupled receptors, and cell signaling pathway readouts-mechanistic information suggesting additional targeted, integrated testing strategies and potential applications of in vitro HTS to risk assessment.
Infrared spectroscopy of fluid lipid bilayers.

Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful technique for examining lipid bilayers; however, it says little about the fluidity of the bilayera key physical aspect. It is shown here that it is possible to both acquire spectroscopic data of supported lipid bilayer samples and make measurements of the membrane fluidity. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) is used to obtain the spectroscopic information and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is used to determine the fluidity of the samples. In the infrared spectra of lipid bilayers composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, the following major peaks were observed; νas(CH3) 2954 cm-1, νs(CH3) 2870 cm-1, νas(CH2) 2924 cm-1, νs(CH2) 2852 cm-1, ν(CO) 1734 cm-1, δ(CH2) 1463−1473 cm-1, νas(PO2-) 1226 cm-1, νs(PO2-) 1084 cm-1, and νas(N+(CH3)3) 973 cm-1. The diffusion coefficient of the same lipid bilayer was measured to be 3.5 ± 0.5 μm2/s with visual recovery also noted through use of epifluoresc...
Alteration of spinal protein kinase C expression and kinetics in morphine, but not clonidine, tolerance.

Abstract Antinociceptive synergism between spinally administered morphine and clonidine decreases to an additive interaction in morphine- and clonidine-tolerant mice. Spinally administered protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors also decrease the synergism to addition. To determine whether chronic morphine or clonidine treatment alters spinal PKC activity, the present studies measured PKC activity and expression of PKC isoform proteins in spinal cord cytosol and membrane fractions. Mice were treated for 4 days with either placebo pellets, morphine pellets, s.c. saline, or s.c. clonidine. Morphine pellet-implanted mice were tolerant to morphine-induced tail flick antinociception, but not cross-tolerant to clonidine. Clonidine-pretreated mice were tolerant to clonidine, but not cross-tolerant to morphine. Induction of morphine tolerance produced a 2-fold lower K m value for PKC (8.24 ± 1.67 μM in placebo pellet vs 4.43 ± 1.24 μM in morphine pellet) in cytosol, but not membrane fractions from spinal cord. V max values were not different. No difference in K m or V max values was found between proteins from saline- and clonidine-pretreated animals. Immunoreactive cPKCα, βI, and γ isoforms decreased 14, 26, and 17%, respectively, in cytosol from morphine-tolerant animals. No difference in PKC isoforms was found in the membranes or in fractions from clonidine-tolerant mice. Morphine tolerance, but not clonidine tolerance, enhanced PKC activity while decreasing protein expression.
LABORATORY ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL METABOLIC BONE DISEASE IN INFANTS

Objectives: There are numerous laboratory investigations available for the assessment of an infant with suspected metabolic bone disease (MBD); thus, comprehensive laboratory investigations on every aspect of MBD would impose unnecessary stress to the infant and the costs involved would be prohibitive. An overview of the assessment of an infant with suspected MBD, in particular, nutrition-related bone disease, is presented. Our objectives include an understanding of: 1. the importance of appropriate information from history and physical examination to guide the laboratory investigations; 2. relevance and limitations of specific laboratory investigations: a. radiologic studies include diagnostic radiographs and quantitative bone mass determination by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, b. biochemical measurements to determine mineral homeostasis and bone turnover, c. vitamin (vitamin D metabolites) and hormonal (parathyroid hormone and calcitonin) measurements; with respect to diagnosis and monitoring of the natural progress or response to therapy. Conclusion: Relevant information from clinical history and physical examination, and an understanding of the role and limitations of various laboratory investigations, would allow the optimal utilization of laboratory tests in the assessment of an infant with MBD.
The surface properties of pure and modified precipitated calcium carbonate by adsorption of nitrogen and water vapor

Abstract Representative laboratory samples of pure and modified precipitated calcium carbonate were characterized by nitrogen and water vapor adsorption measurements. All the nitrogen isotherms were analysed by means of α s and Frenkel—Halsey—Hill (FHH) plots in order to evaluate the porosity and surface energetics of the samples. The water vapor sorption isotherms for the samples showed pronounced low pressure hystereses and those of pure unmodified samples showed anomalous negative hystereses which have been related to an ageing process. All the samples underwent a change in the Brunauer—Emmett—Teller (BET) nitrogen surface area after exposure to water vapor, the effect (loss of surface area) being more significant in the case of the pure unmodified sample. An ageing mechanism has been suggested in terms of the cementation of the particles. In contrast, the stearate-coated sample showed an increase in the BET nitrogen surface area after exposure to water vapor. It has been suggested that adsorbed water caused a substantial deaggregation of the particles. These effects have been explained in terms of the presence of surface cations which appear to be directly responsible for the ageing of the particles. In addition the interaction of calcium carbonate fillers with some polyolefin-based polymers has been discussed in terms of acid—base interactions.
648 TRANSFUSION OF YOUNG RBCs WITH IMPROVED SURVIVAL: A NEW APPROACH TO THE THERAPY OF COOLEY'S ANEMIA

In Cooley's anemia, maintenance of a mean Hgb level of 12g improves quality of life and prevents cardiac dysfunction. The resulting Fe overload (FO), which ultimately leads to death, could be reduced by transfusion of RBCs with improved survival. Age-dependent separation of RBCs can be obtained by buoyant density centrifugation on isotonic solutions of arabinogalactane (AG). Rabbit RBCs were divided into 2 equal parts: light-young (LY) and heavy-old (HO) RBCs, by centrifugation through a single layer of AG. LY-RBCs, HO-RBCs, mixtures of the two and unfractionated RBCs were washed, labelled with 51Cr and reinfused into the donors. RBCs survival was corrected for 51Cr elution and random cell loss by an appropriate mathematical model. Mean survival (MS) of LY-RBCs was 28d; for HO-RBCs, 14d; for both and unfractionated RBCs, 19d, indicating excellent age-dependent separation.(AG toxicity was negligible: LD50 in mice > 10g; AG antigenicity was undetectable in guinea pigs.) These results indicate that human LY-RBCs with MS of 88d (vs 60d in unfractionated RBCs) can be prepared. A mean Hgb of 12g can be maintained by transfusion of LY-RBCs, with less fluctuation and with only 2/3 of the Fe. This avoids transfusion of HO-RBCs that contribute as much to FO as LY-RBCs, yet offer the patient short and inefficient oxygen transport. Combination of improved transfusion modality with modern chelation therapy may lead to Fe balance in Cooley's anemia, which ultimately may permit prolonged survival.
Evaluation of a Video Storage System for Intrusion Detections

The paper reports an evaluation of a video storage system used in conjunction with closed circuit televisions for surveillance purposes. When multiple intrusions occur simultaneously, video storage permits the user to assess intrusions that might otherwise be missed. A study of specific display characteristics was undertaken to optimize the effectiveness of the video storage system.
Multiple-year black carbon measurements and source apportionment using delta-C in Rochester, New York.

Black carbon (BC), an important component of the atmospheric aerosol, has climatic, environmental, and human health significance. In this study, BC was continuously measured using a two-wavelength aethalometer (370 nm and 880 nm) in Rochester, New York, from January 2007 to December 2010. The monitoring site is adjacent to two major urban highways (I-490 and I-590), where 14% to 21% of the total traffic was heavy-duty diesel vehicles. The annual average BC concentrations were 0.76 μg/m3, 0.67 μg/m3, 0.60 μg/m3, and 0.52 μg/m3 in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) modeling was performed using PM2.5 elements, sulfate, nitrate, ammonia, elemental carbon (EC), and organic carbon (OC) data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) speciation network and Delta-C (UVBC370nm – BC880nm) data. Delta-C has been previously shown to be a tracer of wood combustion factor. It was used as an input variable in source apportionment models for the first time in this study...
A Fry Distribution System for Large‐Scale Colonization Stocking

Abstract A system is described for the large-scale stocking of unfed salmon fry over large distances (200–300 km). The system is based on the principle of a box within a box and uses recirculated water. Fry are transported by helicopter, and the system can be powered by the helicopter's power supply (24 V) or by a battery (12 V). A maximum of 150,000 fry can be transferred per trip. Individual containers, stocked at required densities, allow for control of stocking density.
Aging alters mechanical and contractile properties of the Fisher 344/Nnia X Norway/Binia rat aorta.

Vascular mechanical and contractile properties were compared in adult (6 months old) and very-aged (36 months old) Fischer 344/NNiaHSd X Brown Norway/BiNia (F344/NXBN) rats. Our previous work has indicated that aging is associated with aortic medial thickening. This morphological alteration was accompanied by a leftward shift in the aortic stress/strain curve indicating increased vessel stiffness in very-aged animals. Disruption of the endothelium as well as pretreatment of tissues with the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside eliminated differences, suggesting a link between deficient endothelial NO release and reduced compliance in very-aged aortae. In addition, the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 increased vessel compliance in both adult and very-aged tissues suggesting that the Rho cascade contributed to the stress/strain relationship. Maximal force developed in response to high potassium (K+) was reduced by ∼70% in intact and endothelium-denuded aortae from very-aged rats. In contrast to contractile force development, calcium-dependent stress relaxation was increased in very-aged aorta. Finally, gel electrophoresis indicated a significantly higher tissue content of myosin heavy chain and a higher ratio of SM1/SM2 isoforms with aging. The results suggest multiple molecular changes with aging, which may be expected to alter vascular tissue function.
Suicide among Carpenters: A Multivariate Analysis:

Previous Work On Broad Occupational Groups Has Noted That Suicide Rates Are Higher Among Manual Workers Than Nonmanual Workers. However, it is not clear if this is due to occupational strains per se, or the covariates of manual worker status such as gender, and marital strain. The present study explores suicide risk among a group of skilled manual workers: carpenters. Data are taken from the U.S. Public Health Service Annual Mortality Detail File tapes for 1990. A bivariate analysis finds that carpenters are 1.996 times more likely than the rest of the working age population to die of suicide. However, once controls are introduced for gender, race, marital status and other socio-demographic variables, carpenters are only 1.15 times more at risk of suicide than the working age population. The results are consistent with those of an earlier study of laborers. While working class occupations are marked by suicide risk, the risk may be due more to the covariates of these occupations than the occupations thems...
Anisotropic diffusion of electrons in liquid xenon with application to improving the sensitivity of direct dark matter searches

Electron diffusion in a liquid xenon time projection chamber has recently been used to infer the z coordinate of a particle interaction, from the width of the electron signal. The goal of this technique is to reduce the background event rate by discriminating edge events from bulk events. Analyses of dark matter search data which employ it would benefit from increased longitudinal electron diffusion. We show that a significant increase is expected if the applied electric field is decreased. This observation is trivial to implement but runs contrary to conventional wisdom and practice. We also extract a first measurement of the longitudinal diffusion coefficient, and confirm the expectation that electron diffusion in liquid xenon is highly anisotropic under typical operating conditions.
Brachytherapy-related complications for medically inoperable Stage I endometrial carcinoma

Abstract Purpose : The current study was conducted to investigate the incidence and risk factors for medical complications associated with low dose rate brachytherapy in patients with medically inoperable Stage I endometrial cancer treated with irradiation alone. Methods and Materials : From 1965 through 1991 at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiologym 150 implants were performed on 96 patients who were deemed medically unfit for hysterectomy because of advanced age, obesity, and various medical problems. The recors of these patients were examined retrospectively to determine the incidence of medical complications that occurred in the first 30 days following the initiation of brachytherapy. The association of risk factors that precluded major surgery and the occurrence of brachytherapy-related complications was examined by logistic regression. Results : Of these 96 patients, 40 patients were older than 75 years, and 31 patients were deemed morbidity obese. Medical problems included hypertension in 45 patients, and diabetes in 37; there was a history of congestive heart failure in 23, stroke in 11, myocardial infarction in 10, and thromboembolism in 8. There were concurrent malignancies in five patients. Implants were performed using intrauterine Simon-Heyman capsules, tandems, and vaginal ovoids in all patients. General anesthesia was used for 98 implants, spinal anesthesia for 26, local anesthesia for 25, and epidural anesthesia for 1. The duration of anesthesia ranged from 30 to 120 min (median, 60 min). The duration of radioisotope application ranged from 11 to 96 h (median, 46 h). Preventive measurems included low dose subcutaneous heparin in 55 patients (since 1978), and intermittent pneumatic compression boots in 29 (since 1985). Four patients developed life-threatening complications including myocardial infarction (two patients), congestive heart failure (one patient), and pulmonary embolism (one patient). Two of these four patients died; one with a myocardial infarction and the other with pulmonary embolism. The morbidity rate was thus 4.2% (4 out of 96), and the mortality was 2.1% (2 out of 96). Although the four serious complications occurred within 30 days of the procedure, only one complication and one death occurred during treatment. There was no correlation between occurrence of complications and medical risk factors, type and duration of anesthesia, or type and duration of implant. Conclusions : There is a low incidence of complications associated with conventional low dose rate brachytherapy. The procedure is well tolerated in patients with medically inoperable Stage I endometrical cancer. In comparison to the predicted serious complication rate of surgery in these patients, the number of life-threatening complications from brachytherapy appears to be quite acceptable.
Abstract 4210: Oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis mediated by arsenic trioxide in lung carcinoma cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Lung cancer is one of the most lethal and common of cancers in the world, causing up to 3 million deaths annually. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been used in the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute promyelocytic leukemias. However, its effects on lung cancer are not known. We hypothesize that ATO may also have a bioactivity against lung cancer, and its mechanisms of action may involve apoptosis, DNA damage and changes in stress-related proteins in lung cancer cells. Using lung cancer (A549) cells as test model, mthe effects of ATO were examined by 6-diamidine-2 phenylindole (DAPI) nuclear staining for apoptosis, commet assay for genotoxicity ane western blotanalysis for stress protein (Hsp 70 and cfos) expression. Morphological changes of apoptosis (condensed chromatin and apoptotic bodies) were observed with DAPI and cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing without DAPI at 4 and 6µg/ml of ATO. The comet assay data revealed that DNA damage was significant as indicated by increased of the precent of DNA damage, tailmoment and tail length. There was significant increase in Hsp70 expression and significant decrease in cfos in ATO-treated cells compared to controls. ATO is cytotoxic to lung cancer cells and its toxicity is mediated via oxidative stress and DNA damage leading to apoptosis. However, further studies are warranted to understand its specific molecular mechanisms of toxicity. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4210. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4210
Psychometric Properties of the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery

The recent incorporation of genomics into clinical neuroscience has generated an unprecedented need for behavioral assessment of domains that can be linked to brain systems and serve as “biomarkers” of psychopathology (Insel & Cuthbert, 2009). The scale of such studies requires efficient computerized testing of a broad range of abilities using tests that have been validated with functional neuroimaging. Such “neurobehavioral probes” (Gur, Erwin and Gur, 1992) have been assembled into a computerized neurocognitive battery (CNB) in which these tasks have been adapted to assure adequate psychometric properties, such as reliability and validity (Gur et al., 2001, 2010) and its linkage to brain systems (Roalf et al., 2013). The CNB has been applied in large-scale genomic studies (Aliyu et al., 2006; Greenwood et al., 2007; Gur et al., 2007a,b; Almasy et al., 2008), treatment research (Gur et al., 2001b; Grant et al., 2013), and the military (Thomas et al., 2013). Although its individual tests’ scores have been largely reliable (and their inferences valid), the overall latent structure of the battery has not been sufficiently evaluated. Using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, we aimed to examine the factor structure of the CNB, which is of paramount importance in justifying how the instrument is scored and interpreted. The CNB currently comprises fourteen tests grouped into five domains of neurobehavioral function. These broad domains were selected because they represent well-established brain systems, and each test in the battery was used in functional neuroimaging studies to probe aspects of these domains (Roalf et al., 2013). There are three tests in each of four domains measuring “Executive Control,” “Episodic Memory,” “Complex Cognition,” and “Social Cognition” as summarized in Table 1. A fifth domain (Sensorimotor speed) was measured by two tests, but the current analysis examined accuracy and these tests only provide speed measures and were therefore not included. Here we examined the factorial structure of the CNB in a sample of over 9,000 individuals age 8 to 21 who were administered the CNB as part of their participation in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC; Gur et al., 2012, 2013). Table 1 Domain-Specific scales of the Computerized Neurocognitive Battery, by neurobehavioral function
Microphysical Properties of Convectively Generated Fall Streaks within the Stratiform Comma Head Region of Continental Winter Cyclones

AbstractThis paper presents analyses of the microphysical structure of comma head stratiform precipitation in 14 continental cyclones, focusing on fall streaks of hydrometeors produced by cloud-top convective generating cells. Data were obtained at temperatures between −4° and −45°C using in situ instrumentation and the W-band University of Wyoming Cloud Radar, all operated aboard the National Science Foundation/National Center for Atmospheric Research C-130. Analyses are presented first for a case study of one cyclone, followed by statistical analyses of the full dataset.Using radar-based objective classifications, the statistical percentile number concentrations averaged 1.9 times larger within the fall streaks compared to the regions between them, and the corresponding ice water content and median mass diameter values averaged 2.2 and 1.1 times larger. Ice-phase conditions were predominant within the stratiform precipitation, with deposition and aggregation the primary ice growth mechanisms. No distinc...
Differential response of cytosolic, microsomal, and mitochondrial glutathione S-transferases to xenobiotic inducers.

Subcellular levels of different isoenzymes of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and their catalytic activities in rat liver, lung and brain tissues were compared following treatment with phenobarbital (PB), -naphthoflavone (BNF) and dexamethasone (DEX). The constitutive expression of a and mu classes of GSTs, but not the GST , was maximum in the liver cytosol as compared to other tissues. Cytosolic GST activity using 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) as a substrate was 2-4 fold higher than that in the microsomal and mitochondrial fractions. Glutathione peroxidase activity with cumene hydroperoxide as a substrate was also highest in the rat liver cytosol. PB and BNF treatments markedly induced the amount of GST proteins in all the tissues studied with the maximum induction in the cytosol after 4 days of PB and 10 days of BNF treatments, respectively. The longer duration of treatments had a suppressive effect on the GST activity, particularly in the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. DEX treatment, on the other hand, only marginally induced the cytosolic GST, while the mitochondrial GST and the membrane bound microsomal GST activities were mostly decreased. Northern blot analysis also showed an increase in the GST-a mRNA level indicating a possible upregulation of the GST gene expression by the xenobiotic agent. Differences between the subcellular GSTs were studied by the in vitro addition of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a selective activator of the microsomal GST. The cytosolic GST activity, both in livers of uninduced and PB-treated, was inhibited to about 50% of the control levels by NEM. The mitochondrial activity, on the other hand, was significantly activated by the addition of NEM, similar to that reported for the microsomal GST. These results suggest selectivity in the effects of different xenobiotics on the expression and catalytic activity of GST isoenzymes from different subcellular compartments of tissues. More importantly, these observations are also relevant in studies on xenobiotic induced organ-specific toxicity and carcinogenicity.
Rationale and Design for the Defibrillators to Reduce Risk by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation (DETERMINE) Trial

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can accurately determine infarct size. Prior studies using indirect methods and CMR to assess infarct size have shown that patients with larger myocardial infarctions have worse prognoses. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) have been shown to improve survival among patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. However, the majority of cardiac arrests occur in patients with higher ejection fractions. Methods: The Defibrillators To Reduce Risk By Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation study (DETERMINE) is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, clinical trial in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and mild-to-moderate LV dysfunction. The purpose of this trial is to test the hypothesis that patients with an infarct size ≥10% of LV mass, randomized to ICD plus appropriate medical therapy will have improved survival compared with patients randomized to medical therapy alone. Cine and myocardial delayed contrast CMR will be performed in patients with CAD. The primary endpoint will be death from any cause. At least 10,000 patients with CAD will undergo CMR. The target enrollment is 1,550 patients with an estimated 36-month enrollment period. The patients will be followed up for 24 months after the last patient randomization. During the follow-up period, 330 deaths are estimated to occur. This study is powered to detect a 28% reduction in mortality by ICD therapy. Conclusion: The DETERMINE trial will assess the efficacy of ICD therapy to improve survival among patients with CAD, mild-to-moderate LV dysfunction, and infarct size ≥10% of LV mass as measured by CMR.
Investigations of different loading conditions in a high speed mechanical press

Abstract At high operating speeds, usually greater than 200 strokes per minute (spm), mechanical presses exhibit dynamic effects that may influence the process conditions. In order to maximize the advantages of high speed presses and maintain reproducible part quality, it is necessary to monitor and understand these dynamic phenomena. To study the behavior of a high-speed press under various loading conditions, a series of experiments was performed with a mechanical high speed press. This press is capable of reaching stroke rates up to 1200 spm. The goal was to simulate several real process loading conditions, by means of calibrated load cells, in order to monitor the dynamic behavior of the press. Changes in shutheight, load, and slide deflection were measured for different press speeds and tonnages. By damping the impact on the load cells, the shape of the load-time curve was made to better represent that of a real process such as blanking. The results of these tests will help to improve understanding, allowing future press applications to be set up faster and more precisely. The information gained from this study will help to improve the practical utilization of high speed presses by (a) improving instrumentation and monitoring techniques, (b) facilitating rapid and precise tool set-up, and (c) incorporating dynamic considerations in process and tool design.
Nuclidic mass relationships and mass equations (II)

Abstract Several explicit numerical solutions of generalized nuclidic mass relationships (partial difference equations) have been derived. These solutions are mass equations with about 230 parameters which reproduce more than 1000 experimental masses with N, Z ≧ 20 with a standard deviation of about 300 keV. The internal consistency of the solutions and other aspects such as the ability to describe the experimental Coulomb displacement energies are explored. The solutions are compared to the transverse and longitudinal mass equations of Garvey and Kelson and the shell-model mass equations of Liran and Zeldes for their reliability to predict masses of very neutron-rich and proton-rich nuclei.
The stability of vertical thermal buoyancy induced flows in cold pure and saline water

Abstract Buoyancy driven flows in cold pure and saline water very commonly arise. The anomalous density behavior of cold water, for example, a density extremum at about 4°C in pure water at atmospheric pressure, commonly has very large effects on flow and transport. Resulting mechanisms have been studied for various geometries and conditions, primarily for laminar flow. This study assesses the stability and instability mechanisms of developing flows adjacent to a vertical surface subject to both uniform flux and isothermal bounding conditions, in pure water at two pressure levels. The specific condition treated is that in which the quiescent ambient medium is at the density extremum condition. It is found that even this relatively weak effect, the variation to a density extremum across the thermal layer in the fluid, has important effects on instability and disturbance growth downstream. However, the nature of the instabilities and their selective amplification are similar to those well known for more ordinary fluid conditions. The new results here are compared with recent measurements of disturbance behavior, with excellent agreement.
Coarsening of Ni3Si precipitates in binary NiSi alloys at intermediate to large volume fractions

Four Ni-rich binary NiSi alloys containing 5.98, 6.50, 6.88, and 7.42 wt% Si were aged at 650°C to produce dispersions of coherent Ni3Si particles with volume fractions, f, of 0.092, 0.171, 0.228, and 0.306, respectively. The alloys were aged for times as long as 2760 h, and the kinetics of particle growth and the particle size distributions were measured using transmission electron microscopy. As has been observed in previous work, the particles are spherical in shape when small and evolve to a cuboidal shape, with flat faces parallel to 〈100〉, as they grow. No evidence was found for bifurcation into twofold symmetrical shapes; instead, the precipitates remain cuboidal for “diameters” as large as 400 nm. The γ′ precipitates in all four alloys tend to become spatially correlated parallel to the cube directions, but they are extremely resistant to coalescence or rafting. The coarsening kinetics are for the most part consistent with data from previous investigations. The rate constant for coarsening, k, remains essentially constant as f increases, though it can be argued that there is a tendency for k to increase weakly as f increases. The particle size distributions become slightly broader as f increases. This is manifested most obviously in the standard deviation of the distribution, which increases systematically with increasing f in a manner that is in fair agreement with the predictions of the theory of Tokuyama and Kawasaki. It is argued, however, that the observed agreement might be fortuitous because k is independent of f.
Photoacoustic cavitation and heat transfer effects in the laser-induced temperature jump in water

The finite element method is employed to analyze photoacoustic cavitation and heat transfer occurring when modest temperature jumps (T-jumps) are induced by a laser in D2O solution, which may contain a small concentration of a protein or peptide sample. Cavitation can be initiated through a photoacoustic mechanism at intensities well below optical breakdown thresholds. Cavitation probability is related to test medium properties, initial temperature, T-jump magnitude and test region geometry. Parameters affecting thermal conduction losses are also examined because such losses limit the useful duration of the T-jump induced in protein folding experiments. From this study, guidelines are offered for reducing the occurrence of cavitation and extending the useful duration of the T-jump.
Eco-efficiency analysis of an agricultural research complex

The Model Sustainable Agricultural Complex (MSAC) is a 600-acre experimental farm in south-central Louisiana, in the very southern reaches of the United States, approximately 40 km north of the Gulf of Mexico. The MSAC consists of many land uses and facilities, including a dairy, crawfish center, beef herd, sugarcane crop, and equestrian center, as well as numerous features and programs for research, education, and residence. The mission of the MSAC, which is operated by the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has been to accommodate research and education in production agriculture, while generating revenues through the delivery of food products into the local economy. In recent years, environmental conservation has been increasingly important at the MSAC. Best management practices (BMPs) were implemented to reduce soil loss and mitigate nonpoint source pollution. Research was initiated to quantify the effectiveness of these BMPs, and workshops were conducted to explain preliminary results to local farmers. However, environmental improvements at the MSAC had until 2000 been piecemeal, which may be said as well for agriculture overall. What is needed is a comprehensive integrated approach to analyzing and improving environmental performance, as is possible when implementing an environmental management system (EMS). This manuscript describes our efforts to integrate piecemeal environmental improvements into a farm-wide program of systematic improvement. This process began with a qualitative ranking of the MSAC's inputs and outputs, followed by a quantification of certain key parameters related to the consumption of resources and provision of services at the Complex. Certain measures related to the Complex's eco-efficiency were combined into a ratio that provides a useful target for management and continuous improvement. Eco-efficiency, which is defined as 'the efficiency with which receivables are converted into deliverables', is a good way to apply the lessons of industry to the agricultural sector, for instance, by monitoring and managing resource efficiency as an aspect in an EMS such as prescribed by ISO 14000. This will require disciplined recordkeeping and managed conservation, and will promote long-term environmental improvement.
Scal-Tool: Pinpointing and Quantifying Scalability Bottlenecks in DSM Multiprocessors

Distributed Shared-Memory (DSM) multiprocessors provide an attractive combination of cost-effective commodity architecture and, thanks to the shared-memory abstraction, relative ease of programming. Unfortunately, it is well known that tuning applications for scalable performance in these machines is time-consuming. To address this problem, programmers use performance monitoring tools. However, these tools are often costly to run, especially if highly-processed information is desired. In addition, they usually cannot be used to experiment with hypothetical architecture organizations. In this paper, we present Scal-Tool, a tool that isolates and quantifies scalability bottlenecks in parallel applications running on DSM machines. The scalability bottlenecks currently quantified include insufficient caching space, load imbalance, and synchronization. The tool is based on an empirical model that uses as inputs measurements from hardware event counters in the processor. A major advantage of the tool is that it is quite inexpensive to run: it only needs the event counter values for the application running with a few different processor counts and data set sizes. In addition, it provides ways to analyze variations of several machine parameters.
The coming wave of HCV-related liver disease: Dilemmas and challenges

Infections that target the liver appear to have targeted Egypt in a manner that has been likened to a curse [1]. The general population prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Egypt is nearly an order of magnitude higher than in most other countries, with estimates ranging from 9% to over 20% [2,3]. This modern epidemic has its roots in a debilitating disease that has afflicted Egypt since ancient times, schistosomiasis. It is now generally accepted that mass inoculation campaigns with parenteral antischistosomal therapy that continued until the early 1980s were the catalyst for widespread HCV transmission [2–5]. Although the incidence of new infections in Egypt appears to have decreased in recent years, HCV has continued to be transmitted via iatrogenic exposures, blood transfusion, and other means [3,4,6,7]. Thus, an enormous swath of the population has been left with chronic HCV infection and the impact of the HCV epidemic in Egypt, which is already substantial, will manifest itself for decades to come. The actual course of Egypt’s HCV epidemic is uncertain and will be influenced by a variety of ill-defined factors. These include past and future trends in incidence of infection, the natural history of infection within the affected population, and large-scale prevention or treatment efforts. In this issue of the Journal, Deuffic-Burban and colleagues report the results of a detailed modeling effort that projects the future course of HCV-related mortality in Egypt, based on the estimated incidence of HCV infection before 2000 [8]. The model used available HCV seroprevalence data and liver cancer mortality rates as benchmarks for fitting key model parameters such as the past incidence of HCV infection and rates of cirrhosis progression in Egypt. Despite
A programmable shape-changing scaffold for regenerative medicine

Conventional tissue engineering scaffolds have limited ability to undergo programmed changes in physical properties. Here we present a thermo-responsive and biocompatible tissue engineering scaffold prepared by electrospinning a shape memory polymer (SMP). SMPs have characteristics which allow them to be manipulated and fixed in a temporary shape and later recover back to their permanent shape on command. We hypothesized that a programmed change in scaffold architecture could control cell body orientation. To test this hypothesis, we uniaxially stretched an initially random mesh (the permanent state) and fixed it to a temporarily aligned mesh. After first seeding cells on the temporarily aligned mesh, we triggered a change in shape by increasing the temperature from 30 °C to 37 °C which resulted in the scaffold structure recovering back to its initial random structure. Alignment of cell bodies was quantified by two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2D FFT) analysis of filamentous actin fibers. We found that before triggering a change in shape, cells aligned preferentially along the direction of fiber orientation. After the shape-memory-activated structure change, cells lost their preferential alignment. Shape-changing scaffolds based on this concept are anticipated to provide a powerful tool to study cell mechanobiology and increase tissue engineering scaffold functionality.
Effects of early anosmia on two classes of granule cells in developing mouse olfactory bulbs

Quantitative morphometric methods were used to examine the effects of early unilateral anosmia on two classes of granule cells in developing mouse olfactory bulbs. Volumetric results show that the internal granule cell layer in the deprived olfactory bulb is significantly smaller than the same layer in the experienced olfactory bulb. The major factor contributing to this retarded development is a selective loss of one class of interneurons; dark granule cell number is substantially reduced, while light granule cell number is not. This selective effect appears to be related to the time course of cell proliferation and differentiation and provides clues to the way early experience regulates neural development.
Increased inactivation of messengers in Escherichia coli ts mutant.

WE recently described some of the properties of a temperature sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli (refs. 1–3 and unpublished work) in which RNAase II activity is increased on transfer to the non-permissive temperature1,2, while the functional half-life of β-galactosidase mRNA1 and the chemical half-life of the lac Operon mRNA3 are decreased. Questions raised by these studies were (a) can the strain be considered a general messenger RNAase mutant and (b) what is the direction of messenger inactivation in this strain? The latter question is particularly interesting since the increased RNAase activity in this strain is that of RNAase II (unpublished work) which degrades RNA molecules in the 3′ to 5′ direction4, while mRNA is known to be degraded in the 5′ to 3′ direction5,6.
Sub-100 nm confinement of magnetic nanoparticles using localized magnetic field gradients

Ferromagnetic rods containing thin sections of diamagnetic metal create intense magnetic field gradients that attract and confine magnetic nanoparticles to regions of space as small as 20 nm. The rods (80 nm diameter) comprised alternating sections of CoNi ( approximately 350 nm) and Au (20-160 nm) formed by electrodeposition into porous polycarbonate membranes. Upon magnetizing the rods, large magnetic gradients (106-107 T/m) form at the boundaries between ferromagnetic and diamagnetic sections. These gradients attract and confine magnetic nanoparticles to attoliter volumes of space surrounding the rod. This method provides a new tool for generating intense, highly localized magnetic field gradients, by design, and confining magnetic nanoparticles in these gradients.
Feasibility Analysis of On-Wafer Microfocal Lens for Optical Coupling in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording Systems

An on-wafer microfocal lens was previously reported to assist external optical coupling in heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) systems. In this paper, we report a thorough analysis of lens performance over the range of industry practical wavelengths (400-830 nm) with discussion on the beam polarization dependence. Manufacturing tolerance of the on-wafer microfocal lens is also evaluated based on industry conventional top-down fabrication process. The 3-D numerical simulation results show that the lens design is robust for industry manufacturability. Further comparison of the focal spot sizes and dimensions of other reported optical components shows that high-efficiency internal optical coupling is also achievable between the lens output beam and other near-field transducers. Thus, the on-wafer microfocal lens could potentially provide a low-cost large-volume manufacturing solution for HAMR optical coupling in the hard disk drive industry.
Combined immunocytochemistry and autoradiography after in vivo injections of monoclonal antibody to substance P and 3H-serotonin: Coexistence of two putative transmitters in single raphe cells and fiber plexuses.

A novel approach is presented for combining immunocytochemistry and autoradiography after in vivo injections of monoclonal antibody to Substance P and 3H-serotonin. These experiments provide convincing evidence that the soma and processes of a single neuron can contain serotonin and immunoreactivity with another putative peptide transmitter Substance P in a single permanent preparation suitable for study with light and electron microscopy. The serotonin-Substance P cells have uptake systems for low molarity 3H-serotonin that are not affected by reserpine treatment. They are sensitive to serotonin uptake inhibitors and monoamine oxidase inhibitors and the cells are destroyed by 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine. They contain endogenous stores of serotonin detectable by the Flack-Hillarp technique and microspectrofluorimetry and immunofluorescence by antibody to serotonin. Their Substance P content is identified by specific binding with monoclonal antibody, and by animal antisera against Substance P.