cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Strong and Weak Limit Theorems for Weighted Sums of i.i.d. Banach Space Valued Random Elements with Slowly Varying Weights

Abstract For a sequence of independent and identically distributed random elements {V n , n ≥ 1} in a real separable Banach space &#x1d4b3; and a monotone (increasing or decreasing) positive slowly varying function L, it is shown that the normed weighted sum converges almost surely to an element v ∈ &#x1d4b3; if and only if E‖V 1‖ < ∞ and E V 1 = v. No geometric conditions on &#x1d4b3; are required for this result. Moreover, when &#x1d4b3; is of Rademacher type p (1 < p ≤ 2), conditions are provided (which are weaker than E‖V 1‖ < ∞) which ensure that U n converges in probability to some element v ∈ &#x1d4b3;. This result can fail without the Rademacher type p hypothesis. Both of these limit theorems are new results even when &#x1d4b3; is the real line.
Phosphorus relaxation mechanisms in trimethyl phosphite, 2′,3′-cAMP, and 5′-AMP

Abstract 31 P NMR relaxation measurements ( T 1 , T 2 , and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE)) have been carried out on trimethyl phosphite ((CH 3 O) 3 P), 2′,3′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (2′,3′-cAMP), and 5′-adenosine monophosphate (5′-AMP) as a function of temperature and field strength in order to evaluate the relative contributions of various relaxation mechanisms to the total relaxation. In (CH 3 O) 3 P, the dominant relaxation arises from the spin-rotation mechanism (95%) and a small amount (5%) from the dipole-dipole mechanisms. In 2′,3′-cAMP, chemical shift anisotropy accounts for 60% of the total relaxation with dipolar interactions representing the remainder. In 5′-AMP, the relaxation is accounted for by a combination of spin-rotation and dipolar interactions, influenced by internal motion at the phosphate group. The results suggest that symmetry (or lack of) at the phosphate group plays a dominant role in determining the extent to which the chemical shift anisotropy mechanism contributes to relaxation of phosphorous-containing molecules.
In vitro cellular effects of δ-aminolevulinic acid sensitized photodynamic therapy

In this study, the subcellular targets and cellular mechanisms of the photodynamic action of (delta) -aminolevulinic acid (5ALA) were investigated in rat mammary carcinoma cells (MTF7) in vitro. A constant dose of 5ALA (200 (mu) g/ml) was given and the light dose was varied (20-480 J/cm 2 ). The effects of PDT were examined at 0 hr, 3 hr, and 24 hr after the treatment using the following assays: (1) Trypan Blue Dye Exclusion Assay for cell membrane damage; (2) MTT Assay for mitochondrial damage; (3) 3 H-Thymidine Incorporation Assay for DNA synthesis; (4) Cell Colony Formation Assay for cell survival. The MTT and colony formation assays are the best predictors of cell survival early and late after treatment. Cell membrane damage and almost complete disruption of mitochondrial function are early mechanisms of 5ALA PDT cytopathic effect. Reduction of DNA synthesis is a later, and possibly, a secondary effect of disruption of mitochondrial function although this conjecture has to be explored further. Reduction of DNA synthesis and cell membrane damage show complicated relationships with light dose while loss of mitochondrial function and long term survival are essentially complete with the lowest light dose used in this study.
EView-a workstation-based viewer for intensive clinical electroencephalography

A workstation-based electroencephalograph (EEG) viewer that satisfies the requirements for high-volume clinical EEG review is described. It currently supports two 24-h four-bed epilepsy monitoring units and a network of routine, intraoperative, and intensive care monitors, providing paperless review of over 5000 pages/day by a staff of clinical neurophysiologists. The design takes advantage of the development environment, processing and graphics resources, and networking capabilities of high-performance UNIX workstations. The user interface and operational infrastructure have been tailored to the demands of clinical neurophysiologists requiring rapid access to large volumes of EEG waveform data in a large clinical neurophysiology laboratory. The functional requirements, system architecture, and implementation details for the current system are described. >
An atomic funnel for atom interferometry

We have developed a rubidium atomic funnel for use as a matter-wave source in experiments in atom interferometry and atom optics. The funnel utilizes the techniques of laser cooling and trapping to produce a low-velocity beam of cold rubidium atoms. Atoms from a thermal beam are first slowed in a tapered magnetic field using 1D Zeeman slowing. The atoms are then loaded into a 2D magneto-optic trap or atomic funnel. The trap cools and compresses the atoms, which are then ejected from the trap by moving molasses formed with frequency-shifted laser beams. These slow atoms will be diffracted by microfabricated transmission gratings as part of a three-grating atom interferometer.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Unexpected insights into pelvic function following phosphodiesterase manipulation--what's next for urology?

The review article concerning phosphodiesterases (PDEs) submitted by Uckert et al. is both excellent and comprehensive in its evaluation of the PDE isoenzymes and their potential role in various urologic settings [1]. The location, physiologic role, and impact of manipulation of the PDEs in disease states have revealed much basic molecular biology. These recent understandings, as detailed by Uckert and others, have allowed us a glimpse of the translational science potential of this important regulatory cascade. Because studies involving the interactions between erectile dysfunction (ED), lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and the impact of PDE5 inhibitors have recently been presented, some expansion of Dr Uckert’s comments seem warranted [2,3]. The role of PDE5 and interaction with cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in the penile smooth muscle is the most prominent of many insights into this ubiquitous and highly regulated molecular cascade. Another emerging example relates to the data indicating the links in the epidemiologic, physiologic, pathophysiologic, and treatment aspects of LUTS secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and sexual dysfunction. It appears that LUTS/BPH and sexual dysfunction are more than coincidental, as supported by relevant clinical management implications related to this association. For example, the treatment of one condition such as LUTS/BPH may have an impact on other conditions, such as sexual dysfunction. The relationship between these two diseases,
Mesh Refinement and Modeling Errors in Flow Simulation

AIAA, Fluid Dynamics Conference, 27th, New Orleans, LA, June 17-20, 1996 We present a perspective on verification and validation of CFD tools for analysis and design, identifying principal sources of error due to approximations in the physical model, numerical discretization, and implementation. Issues in algorithm design and trade-offs between modelling accuracy and computational costs are discussed in detail. Computational examples are drawn from the authors work in several applications areas. (Author)
Metaplastic breast carcinoma: A cytohistologic and clinical study of 10 cases

Metaplastic breast carcinomas (MBC) account for < 5% of breast malignancies and have an uncertain prognostic significance. The tumors tend to grow rapidly, and most are negative for hormone receptors. Adenosquamous carcinomas and various types of carcinosarcomas may be classified as MBC. We evaluated the cytologic, histologic, and clinical parameters of 10 MBC to determine important diagnostic features of these tumors. A cytologic diagnosis of MBC, based on the identification of two distinct malignant components, was made preoperatively in five of 10 (50%) cases, and retrospectively in two additional cases; two specimens were inadequately cellular. Poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most frequently encountered component of MBC. It is recommended that malignant breast aspirates be carefully scrutinized for multiple neoplastic components. Our series of MBC differs from previous reports in that two cases presented as inflammatory breast cancer, one case was pregnancy-associated, and there was a higher incidence of estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity. No cancer-related deaths occurred during a mean follow-up period of over 6 yr.
Effect of aquatic macrophytes on the survival of Escherichia coli in a laboratory microcosm

Abstract Kleinheinz, G., A. Coenan, T. Zehms, J. Preedit, M.C. Leewis, D. Becker and C. McDermott. 2009. Effect of aquatic macrophytes on the survival of Escherichia coli in a laboratory microcosm. Recreational beaches are very important as engines for tourism revenue in many areas of Wisconsin, United States, and microbial contamination of beach water can be very costly. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the indicator organisms used in the Great Lakes region of the United States for recreational water monitoring. The overall objective of this study was to determine if aquatic macrophytes (Sagittaria sp., Myriophyllum sp.) allow for prolonged E. coli survival in the environment by using a laboratory microcosm as a test system. This study tested whether E. coli survival was greater in lake water alone or in lake water containing a high density of macrophytes (HDM), a low density of macrophytes (LDM), or plastic plant material. Water and plant substrate samples were analyzed for E. coli concentrations. ANOVA an...
Understanding trusted computing: will its benefits outweigh its drawbacks?

The Trusted Computing Platform Architecture (TCPA) and the Microsoft's Palladium have similar (though not identical) architectures and similar goals. Both systems are part of a more general approach called trusted computing (TC). In this article the author introduces TC's basic concepts and discusses their implications. However, the individual proposals are still in flux and some kind of convergence between them seems likely, so he only discusses the general features of TC.
Effects of water vapor pressure difference on leaf gas exchange in potato and sorghum at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide under field conditions

Abstract High leaf to air water vapor pressure differences often substantially reduce rates of assimilation of carbon dioxide, especially in C3 species. Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide [CO2] in the atmosphere could reduce the sensitivity of assimilation rate to partial stomatal closure caused by high vapor pressure difference by a variety of mechanisms. However, field data addressing this question are scarce. In this study, we examined day-to-day variation in midday gas exchange rates of upper canopy leaves of potato and sorghum grown at the current ambient [CO2] and ambient+350 μmol mol−1 [CO2] in field plots. Stomatal conductance and assimilation rate were negatively correlated with vapor pressure difference across days. Assimilation rate was not less sensitive to vapor pressure difference at elevated than at ambient [CO2] in either species. For both potato and sorghum short-term increases in vapor pressure difference for individual leaves produced significantly smaller responses of leaf gas exchange than did the day-to-day variation in vapor pressure difference, again with no reduced sensitivity at elevated [CO2]. The smaller response of gas exchange to short-term manipulations of vapor pressure difference than to day-to-day variation may indicate that much of the response to high vapor pressure difference apparent in the day-to-day variation resulted from leaf water deficits caused by exposure of the whole canopy to high vapor pressure difference, rather than from direct effects of high water vapor pressure difference. The lack of a [CO2] effect on the sensitivity of assimilation rate to vapor pressure difference, and the substantial sensitivity of assimilation rate to vapor pressure difference in the C4 species both resulted from reductions in assimilation at a given internal [CO2] at high vapor pressure difference. An implication of these results is that that high leaf to air water vapor pressure difference may continue to be a major limitation to assimilation rates in C3 and C4 crop species even at twice the current concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Regulation of the Mouse Treacher Collins Syndrome Homolog (Tcof1) Promoter Through Differential Repression of Constitutive Expression

Treacher Collins syndrome is an autosomal-dominant mandibulofacial dysostosis caused by haploinsufficiency of the TCOF1 gene product treacle. Mouse Tcof1 protein is approximately 61% identical and ...
Correlation of bedside cognitiveand neuropsychological tests inpatients with Cushing's syndrome

Abstract The validity of bedside clinical tests of cognition has been questioned, particularly in patients with affective symptoms. Using clinical tests of cognition and a full neuropsychological bauery, we studied 35 consecutive patients with untreated Cushing's syndrome, which is characterized by depressed mood and cognitive abnormalities. The results for serial sevens and recall of three cities after five minutes correlated significantly with a number of verbal and nonverbal subtests of the neuropsychological bauery. We conclude that in patients with both affective and cognitive disturbances these bedside clinical tests are a good measure of the degree of neuropsychological deficit.
Soft x-ray spectroscopic studies of the reaction of fractured pyrite surfaces with Cr(VI)-containing aqueous solutions

Abstract We have used synchrotron-based soft X-ray core-level photoemission and adsorption spectroscopies to study the reaction of aqueous sodium chromate solutions with freshly fractured pyrite surfaces. Pyrite surfaces were reacted with 50 μM sodium chromate solution at pH 7 for reaction times between 1 min and 37 hr. Additional experiments were performed at pH 2 and pH 4 with 50 μM sodium chromate solutions and at pH 7 with 5 mM solutions. At chromate concentrations of 50 μM, all chromium present on the pyrite surface was in the form of Cr(III), while at 5 mM, both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were present at the pyrite surface. Minor quantities of oxidized sulfur species (sulfate, sulfite, and zero-valent sulfur) were identified as reaction products on the pyrite surface. The amount of oxidized sulfur species observed on the surface was greater when pyrite was reacted with 5 mM Cr(VI) solutions because the rate of chromium deposition exceeded the rate of dissolution of pyrite oxidation products, effectively trapping Cr(VI) and oxidized sulfur species in an overlayer of iron(III)-containing Cr(III)-hydroxide. This work shows that pyrite, an extremely cheap and readily available waste material, may be suitable for the removal of hexavalent chromium from acidic to circumneutral waste streams. The reduced chromium ultimately forms a coating on the pyrite surface, which passivates the pyrite surface towards further oxidation.
Techno-economic analysis of transportation fuels from defatted microalgae via hydrothermal liquefaction and hydroprocessing

Abstract This study describes a techno-economic analysis to evaluate the economic feasibility of transportation fuel production by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of defatted microalgae followed by hydroprocessing of the resulting bio-crude. A 2000 dry tonne per day biorefinery produces 112 dam 3 of gasoline-range fuels and 121 dam 3 of diesel-range fuels per year. We estimate the total project investment is 504 M$ and the annual operating cost is 158 M$. The minimum fuel-selling price (MFSP) is 679 $ m −3 assuming a 10% internal rate of return assuming 30-year plant life. Sensitivity analysis shows that MFSP is most sensitive to product fuel yield indicating the relative importance of HTL conversion performance. Feedstock cost also strongly influences MFSP, which varied between 584 $ m −3 and 869 $ m −3 for feedstock cost of 33 and 132 $ dry tonne −1 , respectively. A Monte-Carlo analysis suggests an 80% probability of MFSP being between 607 and 833 $ m −3 .
Maspin and the order of signaling.

Commentary to:Maspin Regulates Different Signaling Pathways for Motility and Adhesion in Aggressive Breast Cancer CellsValerie A. Odero-Marah, Zhila Khalkhali-Ellis, Jirapat Chunthapong, Sumaira Amir, Richard E.B. Seftor, Elisabeth A. Seftor and Mary J.C. Hendrix
Warm-fluid collective mode excitations in intense charged particle beams with nonlinear equilibrium self-fields: test particle simulations

Abstract This paper examines analytically and numerically the effects of self-consistent collective oscillations, excited in a charged particle beam with nonlinear equilibrium self-fields, on the motion of a test particle in the beam core and halo region. The infinite set of linearized eigenmodes of a waterbag equilibrium beam have been found in previous work (Sean Strasburg and R.C. Davidson, Phys. Lett. A 269 (2000) 40) using the smooth-focusing approximation and assuming axisymmetric perturbations. These eigenmodes, in combination with the nonlinear equilibrium charge-density and applied fields, cause areas of phase space to break into islands and, in the case of sufficiently large-amplitude perturbations and intense beams, to become stochastic. Nonlinear shifts in the transverse oscillation frequency are determined analytically. Using this frequency shift and the eigenmode frequencies, the location of resonant islands as a function of particle orbit amplitude, beam intensity, and mode number is predicted analytically and confirmed numerically. The dependence of island width on perturbative mode amplitude and beam intensity is explored numerically. Using the Poincare technique, the particle phase space in the beam core and the beam halo region is investigated by numerically integrating the test particle equations over long periods.
An Ewald summation based multipole method

We present a method for evaluating Coulomb interactions in periodic molecular systems. The real space term in Ewald summation is accelerated using a tree code in which interactions between clusters and distant particles are approximated by multipole expansions. The performance is reported for water systems.
Interconnect Challenges for Nanoscale Electronic Circuits

This article provides an overview of the new challenges by nanometer-scale on-chip interconnects. Effects on performance and reliability are addressed, with an emphasis on resistivity, interconnect delay, and current-carrying capability.
Target-oriented stratigraphic processing for AVZ analysis

The advent of wide-azimuth, long-offset land seismic data makes possible more routine application of P-wave amplitude variation with azimuth (AVZ) analysis for fracture fairway and stress-field identification and characterization. Such analysis, however, requires revisiting the processing approach which prepares the data for inversion. We expand upon an industry standard amplitude variation with offset (AVO) processing flow, which is designed to achieve this end, by incorporating azimuth into surface-consistent processes without generation of azimuthal stack volumes.
Functions and applications of neurotrophic molecules in the adult central nervous system

Although neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor,are expressed in the adult central nervous system, the functions of their expression are largely unknown. The cholinergic basal forebrain provides a model system with which to test the functions of neurotrophins in the adult brain. Neurotrophic factors are present in the adult hippocampus, the target of the cholinergic septohippocampal projection, and nerve growth factor rescues cholinergic neurons following transection of the fimbria-fornix or in aging. By manipulating levels of exogenous neurotrophic factors in the adult brain, we may not understand the endogenous physiological role of NGF, but we gain insight into the effects of endogenous growth factors in vivo and the roles they might play in degeneration and regeneration.
In vitro synthesis of estrogens by midterm human placenta and fetal liver

Abstract Radioactive progesterone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, androstenedione and testosterone were incubated with midterm human fetal liver and placenta. After isolation of the radioactive phenolic metabolites, purification was achieved by paper chromatography and crystallization to constant specific activity. Fetal liver converted androstenedione and testosterone to estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol. Estriol, but no estrone and 17β-estradiol could be identified from the incubation of progesterone and 17α-hydroxy-pregnenolone. The corresponding midterm placenta readily aromatized androstenedione and testosterone to estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol. The conversion of progesterone and 17α-hydroxypregnenolone to estrogens was small and varied between 0.2 and 0.34%.
Glutathione pathway gene variation and risk of autism spectrum disorders

Despite evidence that autism is highly heritable with estimates of 15 or more genes involved, few studies have directly examined associations of multiple gene interactions. Since inability to effectively combat oxidative stress has been suggested as a mechanism of autism, we examined genetic variation 42 genes (308 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)) related to glutathione, the most important antioxidant in the brain, for both marginal association and multi-gene interaction among 318 case–parent trios from The Autism Genetic Resource Exchange. Models of multi-SNP interactions were estimated using the trio Logic Regression method. A three-SNP joint effect was observed for genotype combinations of SNPs in glutaredoxin, glutaredoxin 3 (GLRX3), and cystathione gamma lyase (CTH); OR = 3.78, 95% CI: 2.36, 6.04. Marginal associations were observed for four genes including two involved in the three-way interaction: CTH, alcohol dehydrogenase 5, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, catalytic subunit and GLRX3. These results suggest that variation in genes involved in counterbalancing oxidative stress may contribute to autism, though replication is necessary.
Calcium Isotope Effects in Atomic Absorption

Measurements are reported for the absorption of the 422.7 nm line of a natural-abundance calcium hollow cathode lamp by solutions of 40Ca, 44Ca, and 48Ca at 0.5 to 3.0 ppm levels in 0.06 M HCl (aqueous) when aspirated into air-acetylene and nitrous oxide-acetylene flames. In the case of the air-acetylene flame the relative absorptions per mole of calcium in solution were 1.00, 1.11, and 1.08 for the 40, 44, and 48 isotopes, respectively. With the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame similar experiments gave ratios of 1.00, 1.08, and 1.06 in the same order. These results may be rationalized with a model that considers the simultaneous effects of isotope shifting, Lorentz broadening and shifting, and Doppler broadening of the calcium resonance line in the flame. With the air-acetylene flame, solutions that also contained 5000 ppm of Sr as SrCl2 gave relative absorbances for the 40, 44, and 48 calcium isotopes of 1.00, 1.04, and 1.10. Flame-atomic-distribution studies lead to the conclusion that in the presence of 5000 ppm of Sr, calcium kinetic isotope effects are also important.
Pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas: analysis of 99 cases treated with radiation therapy.

Abstract A total of 85 cases of pituitary adenomas and 14 of craniopharyngiomas were treated in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at the Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1958 to 1973. The over-all control rate of the chromophobe adenomas were 86% at 5 years and 73% at 10 years. The results were similar in the groups treated with surgery followed by postoperative radiation and the group treated initially with radiation therapy alone , with surgery for the radiation failures. This report discusses 13 patients with eosinophilic adenomas; of these, half obtained control of the disease. In 4 of the 6 basophilic adenomas, endocrine abnormalities appear to be arrested. The results in the fourteen patients with craniopharyngioma were disappointing. The incidence of visual field loss after therapy was high. Complications were few and those attributed to the radiation therapy were present in patients who received unusually high fractions and often high total doses.
Self-determination and substance use: is effortful control a mediator?

Background Alcohol and other drug use among college students are highly common in the United States. This study examined the relationships between 2 motivational orientations (i.e., autonomy and controlled orientations) and substance use and related problems among college students. It also examined whether effortful control mediated the relationship between these motivational orientations and substance use. Methods Study participants were 644 undergraduate students (67.2% female; 87.2% Caucasian) who completed a series of online questionnaires as a part of a larger longitudinal study on sleep and substance use. The mean age of participants was 23.58 (SD = 6.861). Results Students with a higher autonomy orientation were more likely than their counterparts to report that they did not drink in the last 6 months. In contrast, students with a higher controlled orientation were less likely to report that they did not drink. Among those who drank in the last 6 months, effortful control significantly mediated the effects of autonomy orientation and controlled orientation on frequency of alcohol use within that time frame. Autonomy orientation positively predicted effortful control, which was associated with a decrease in the expected frequency of drinking. In contrast, controlled orientation negatively predicted effortful control, which was associated with an increase in the expected frequency of drinking. Controlled orientation also significantly predicted the presence of alcohol-related problems and illicit drug use. Conclusions Intervention and prevention programs on college drinking could incorporate education about strategies for self-control, including strategies for withstanding peer pressure and diverting one's attention to activities unrelated to substance use. Focusing on strategies of self-control may be a useful starting point for a more in-depth discussion about the motivations, values, and psychological needs satisfaction that are associated with drinking and other drug use.
Equilibrium selectivity alone does not create K + -selective ion conduction in K + channels

Potassium (K(+)) channels are selective for K(+) over Na(+) ions during their transport across membranes. We and others have previously shown that tetrameric K(+) channels are primarily occupied by K(+) ions in their selectivity filters under physiological conditions, demonstrating the channel's intrinsic equilibrium preference for K(+) ions. Based on this observation, we hypothesize that the preference for K(+) ions over Na(+) ions in the filter determines its selectivity during ion conduction. Here, we ask whether non-selective cation channels, which share an overall structure and similar individual ion-binding sites with K(+) channels, have an ion preference at equilibrium. The variants of the non-selective Bacillus cereus NaK cation channel we examine are all selective for K(+) over Na(+) ions at equilibrium. Thus, the detailed architecture of the K(+) channel selectivity filter, and not only its equilibrium ion preference, is fundamental to the generation of selectivity during ion conduction.
N-terminal Residues of the Vibrio cholerae Virulence Regulatory Protein ToxT Involved in Dimerization and Modulation by Fatty Acids

The regulatory protein ToxT is an AraC family protein that is responsible for activating transcription of the genes encoding cholera toxin and toxin coregulated pilus, which are required for virulence by the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae. The N terminus of ToxT contains dimerization and regulatory elements, whereas the C terminus contains the DNA binding domain. Bile and long chain fatty acids negatively regulate ToxT activity. Utilizing a comprehensive alanine substitution mutant library of ToxT, 19 N-terminal residues were found to be critical for dimerization and transcriptional activation. One of these mutant proteins (F151A) was confirmed to be monomeric via centrifugation and exhibited a weakened ability to bind to the tcpA promoter in a gel mobility shift assay. Moreover, a V. cholerae toxTF151A mutant failed to colonize the infant mouse intestine, emphasizing the importance of ToxT N-terminal dimerization to cholera pathogenesis. Six N-terminal alanine substitutions allowed ToxT transcriptional activity in the presence of inhibitory concentrations of bile, palmitoleic acid, and the small molecule inhibitor virstatin. Two of these mutations (N106A and L114A) enhance N-terminal dimerization in a bacterial two-hybrid system reconstituted in V. cholerae, which is otherwise disrupted by bile, palmitoleic acid, and virstatin. We demonstrate that V. cholerae toxTN106A and toxTL114A strains colonize the infant mouse intestine at significantly higher levels than the wild type strain. Our results demonstrate that ToxT N-terminal dimerization is required for transcriptional activation and cholera pathogenesis and that fatty acids modulate ToxT activity via modulation of dimerization.
Biological markers in breast carcinoma: II. Clinical correlations with human chorionic gonadotrophin

Serum hCG levels were measured in female patients with breast carcinoma and examined with respect to the clinical stage of disease, the clinical tumor burden, prognosis, and the organ sites of involvement. Elevated levels were observed in 65/134 (48.5%) patients with metastatic disease, 5/14 (35.7%) patients preoperatively, and in 9/33 (27.2%) N+ patients from one-six months postoperatively. The greatest proportion of elevated values (60.5%) was in patients with one metastatic site of involvement. Although no correlations were demonstrated between the preoperative or postoperative samples and subsequent disease recurrence, it was observed that 4/10 patients who did have a recurrence had preceding hCG elevations. In metastatic disease the level in 13 patients starting with values greater than 5.8 mIU/ml fell with the attainment of a response or rose with therapeutic failure. The hCG level rose from normal to greater than 6.1 mIU/ml in six additional patients that developed progressive disease. A normal hCG level was associated with a 94.5% response rate to combination chemotherapy whereas the response rate with levels greater than 5 mIU/ml was 71.4%. Only hepatic involvement was associated with a disproportionate incidence of elevations, being 63% compared to 42-47% for other sites. Monitoring hCG levels may be of prognostic use in patients being treated with selected chemotherapy programs for metastatic disease. It appears that further studies are warranted to ascertain if these results will extend to additional treatment approaches.
Optimal Partitioning of a Data Set Based on the p -Median Model

Although the K-means algorithm for minimizing the within-cluster sums of squared deviations from cluster centroids is perhaps the most common method for applied cluster analyses, a variety of other criteria are available. The p-median model is an especially well-studied clustering problem that requires the selection of p objects to serve as cluster centers. The objective is to choose the cluster centers such that the sum of the Euclidean distances (or some other dissimilarity measure) of objects assigned to each center is minimized. Using 12 data sets from the literature, we demonstrate that a three-stage procedure consisting of a greedy heuristic, Lagrangian relaxation, and a branch-and-bound algorithm can produce globally optimal solutions for p-median problems of nontrivial size (several hundred objects, five or more variables, and up to 10 clusters). We also report the results of an application of the p-median model to an empirical data set from the telecommunications industry.
On the linear stability of a toroidal plasma with resistivity viscosity and Hall current

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to study several mathematical questions regarding the linear stability analysis of a toroidal plasma equilibrium on the basis of the magnetohydrodymic equations with finite resistivity, viscosity, and Hall current. We show that the spectrum of the operator in an abstract evolution equation consists of at most finitely many unstable eigenvalues and infinitely many stable eigenvalues, and the set of the eigenfunctions is complete. The existence and uniqueness of a solution to the initial-boundary value problem of the linearized equations is proved. Finally the existence of a toroidal plasma equilibrium subject to a prescribed velocity with small norm on the boundary is established and its linear stability is proved.
CORRELATIONS BETWEEN EXERCISE AND ANGER IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

In a sample of 76 students (56 women, 20 men) from an upper division psychology class at this large university, men's and women's scores on the Anger subscale of the Profile of Mood States and self-reported exercise (-.34 and -.39, respectively) were significantly correlated. Men also reported exercising for longer periods, while women reported exercising more intensely. Researchers might well examine behavioral measures of anger and exercise over an extended period of time in an experimental design.
Formation of Superdense Hadronic Matter in High-Energy Heavy-Ion Collisions

We present the detail of a newly developed relativistic transport model (ART 1.0) for high energy heavy-ion collisions. Using this model, we first study the general collision dynamics between heavy ions at the AGS energies. We then show that in central collisions there exists a large volume of sufficiently long-lived superdense hadronic matter whose local baryon and energy densities exceed the critical densities for the hadronic matter to quark-gluon plasma transition. The size and lifetime of this matter are found to depend strongly on the equation of state. We also investigate the degree and time scale of thermalization as well as the radial flow during the expansion of the superdense hadronic matter. The flow velocity profile and the temperature of the hadronic matter at freeze-out are extracted. The transverse momentum and rapidity distributions of protons, pions, and kaons calculated with and without the mean field are compared with each other and also with the preliminary data from the E866/E802 Collaboration to search for experimental observables that are sensitive to the equation of state. It is found that these inclusive, single particle observables depend weakly on the equation of state. The difference between results obtained with and without the nuclear mean field is only about 20%. The baryon transverse collective flow in the reaction plane is also analyzed. It is shown that both the flow parameter and the strength of the ``bounce-off'' effect are very sensitive to the equation of state. In particular, a soft equation of state with a compressibility of 200 MeV results in an increase of the flow parameter by a factor of 2.5 compared to the cascade case without the mean field. This large effect makes it possible to distinguish the predictions from different theoretical models and to detect the signatures of the quark-gluon plasma which is expected to significantly soften the equation of state.
Early Presentation of a Congenital Coronary Artery Fistula in a Neonate

A neonate developed severe congestive heart failure secondary to a congenital coronary artery fistula requiring emergent surgery. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogaphy helped guide successful emergent closure of the fistula without complications.
U. S. gold production prior to the California gold rush

In the early 1830’s Americans of many persuasions noted the unprecedented discoveries of large amounts of domestic gold.’ Periodicals as diverse as The American Journal of Science and Niles National Register carried frequent reports of gold bonanzas in the mountain region stretching from Virginia to Alabama.2 However, it is now generally contended that U. S. gold output prior to the California discoveries was insignificant (Temin, 1969, p. 185). The current official statistics place production at $21,387,136 for the years 1801-1847 (Ridgway, 1929, p. 14). This estimate is based upon unsubstantiated extrapolations from mint deposits which are known to understate significantly actual production. This procedure was apparently adopted because of the absence of annual gold production data, the inadequacy of existing information on international bullion and specie flows, and the lack of any reliable measures of domestic gold consumption in industry and the arts. Because all of these data problems remain, new estimates of early American gold production must depend upon linking the annual mint deposits to contemporary testimony and later research findings on the percentage of domestic output deposited at the mints. The amount of domestic gold deposited at the U. S. mints prior to 1848 is shown in Table 1. The principal deficiency of these data is the absence of official per annum deposit information by state of origin for the branch mints during the period 1838-1847.3 This data gap is unfortunate because the branch mints at Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dahlonega, Georgia, received almost 65% of total domestic gold deposits between 1838 and 1847. The annual amounts of
Tc of the mode coupling theory evaluated from impulsive stimulated light scattering on salol.

Time-domain light scattering on ns--ms time scales has been performed on salol to probe the dynamics in the glass transition range and evaluate through a novel method the nonergodicity parameter ${f}_{q}(T)$ of mode coupling theory (MCT) in the wave vector limit $q\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Stretched-exponential structural relaxation dynamics were observed. In addition, a cusp in ${f}_{0}(T)$ was observed at a temperature ${T}_{c}$ of $\ensuremath{\sim}266$ K, consistent with earlier observations at high $q$. This supports the MCT prediction of a cusp at a $q$-independent temperature.
Observed properties and electronic structure of RNiSb compounds (R = Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Y). Potential thermoelectric materials

The RNiSb compounds (R=Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Y) and some selected solid solution members such as (Zr1-xErx)Ni(Sn1-xSbx) and ErNiSb1-xPnx (Pn=As, Sb, Bi) have been studied. They all crystallize in the MgAgAs structure type, which can be considered as a NaCI structure type in which half of the interstitial tetrahedral sites are occupied by Ni atoms. The measured values of the Seebeck coefficients, at room temperature, are positive for RNiSb (R=Ho, Er, Yb and Y) compounds and ErNiSb1-xPnx (Pn=As, Sb, Bi) solid solutions, but for (Zr1-xErx)Ni(Sn1-xSbx) members vary from negative to positive values when 0 < x < 1. Some of these compounds show metallic conductivity while others exhibit thermally activated charge transport. Solid solutions of these materials have lower thermal conductivities than the pure members, RNiSb (R=Ho, Er, Yb and Y) and ZrNiSn. The electronic structures of RNiSb compounds, where R is Y, La, Lu, and Yb, have been studied with density functional theory. The results of the calculations for these systems, except for the Yb compound, indicate narrow gap semiconductors with large effective masses near the conduction band extrema. The Yb system is expected to show heavy fermion characteristics.
Pulse pressure-I. Level and associated factors in four Chicago epidemiologic studies.

Because systolic blood pressure rises more sharply than diastolic blood pressure for those middle aged and beyond, leading to an increasing prevalence with advancing age of elevated systolic blood pressure without elevated diastolic pressure, i.e. so-called pure systolic hypertension, the question arises as to whether or not factors that have been shown to be related to blood pressure and hypertension are related to pure systolic hypertension or to 'classical' hypertension, i.e. hypertension defined solely by the level of the diastolic pressure. This question was examined in four Chicago epidemiologic studies by examining the associations between several variables and pulse pressure, with pulse pressure redefined so that the association between a variable and pulse pressure indicated whether the variable was more strongly related to systolic or diastolic blood pressure. In these four studies, glucose, heart rate and cigarette use tended to show a stronger association with systolic pressure, suggesting a possible association with pure systolic hypertension, while hematocrit, serum cholesterol, and uric acid tended to be more strongly associated with diastolic pressure, or equally associated with systolic and diastolic pressure, suggesting an association with 'classical' hypertension. Relative weight tended to be more strongly associated with systolic pressure under the age of 35 and more strongly associated with diastolic pressure after age 45.
Degradation of Micropatterned Surfaces by Cell-Dependent and -Independent Processes †

This paper describes a study to determine the role of active cellular processes in the initial patterning and eventual degradation of different micropatterned substrates. We compared the effects of serum and cell type on the ability of cells to crawl onto the nonadhesive regions of a variety of patterned substrates. Cells initially patterned in the presence of serum onto substrates manufactured using agarose, pluronics, hexa(ethylene glycol), or polyacrylamide as the nonadhesive. While polyacrylamide remained inert and patterned cells for at least 28 days, agarose and pluronics degraded by gradual desorption of the nonadhesive from the surface independently of the presence of cells. Hexa(ethylene glycol) degraded by a time-dependent mechanism that could be accelerated by cell-dependent oxidative processes. In contrast to the other substrates studied, bovine serum albumin (BSA) patterned cells only under serum-free conditions. The serum did not displace BSA from the surface but instead activated cell-secreted proteases that led to degradation of the substrate. These findings illustrate the importance of specific cellular and noncellular processes in the failure of different nonadhesive chemistries commonly used to pattern cells.
Polymer Brush Membranes for Pervaporation of Organic Solvents from Water

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate from initiators immobilized on porous supports yields high-flux pervaporation membranes that can be readily modified to co...
Roadside infrastructure planning for vehicle trajectory collection

Vehicle trajectories information can enable many promising applications, but obtaining the information is very challenging. Road-side infrastructure can collect trajectory data from vehicles in the area through wireless communication in addition to many other functionalities. In this paper, we suggest the deployment of roadside infrastructure for vehicle trajectory collection. More specifically, we select intersections to install access points for collecting moving trajectory of all the vehicles in the area, while at the same time minimize the number of selected intersections. We prove the intersection selection problem is NP-complete and propose a greedy heuristic to approximately address it. The performance, efficiency and practical issues such as broadcast intervals of the scheme are analyzed in this paper. The simulation shows that our greedy approach solves the intersection selection problem efficiently and effectively.
Ab-initio calculation of stability and structural properties of cadmium chalcogenides CdS, CdSe, and CdTe under high pressure

The structural phase transformations of Cd chalcogenide compounds (CdS, CdSe, and CdTe) under high pressure are studied using the local approximation to the density functional theory, and the one-electron equations are solved by means of the full potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method. CdS, CdSe, and CdTe are found to have nearly similar behaviour of the structural properties under high pressure. In the CdS compound, thePmmn phase is predicted to be thermodynamically stable after the rock-salt structure, and theCmcm structure is found to be thermodynamically stable before the rock-salt structure in both CdSe and CdTe. The resulting structural properties of the zinc-blende, wurtzite, cinnabar, rock-salt,Pmmn, CsCl,Cmcm, and β-Sn phases for these considered compounds are found to be in agreement with the existing experimental data.
Biodiversity and Ecotourism: Impacts of habitat disturbance on an endangered bird species in Madagascar

Abstract At the inaugural ceremony of the Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, ecotourism was hailed as a tool to achieve sustainable development and to conserve endangered species. This study shows however, that ecotourism has a negative impact on some species that it was intended to protect. In particular, the breeding success of the Pitta-like Ground Roller, Atelornis pittoides, (Family: Brachypteraciidae, Order: Coraciiformes) has been jeopardized by heavy tourism in some areas. From the years 2000 to 2002, I investigated nesting behavior, success, and distribution of A. pittoides at three study localities (Parcelle 1, Vohiparara-Sahamalaotra, and Talatakely) within the Park. Ranomafana is one of the biodiversity hotspots in Madagascar, making it particularly appealing to tourists. However, in an effort to promote tourism, vegetation around Ground Roller nests is often cleared to increase nest visibility. Because Pitta-like Ground Rollers are easily captured from their ground nests, tour guides often...
Conjugated polymers based on quinoxaline for polymer solar cells

Abstract Quinoxaline-based π-conjugated donor polymers with different substituent groups (phenyl, p -fluorophenyl, p -methoxyphenyl, methyl, or hydrogen) on the quinoxaline unit were synthesized and characterized, focusing on the effects of these substituent groups on the performance of bulk heterojunction (BHJ)-based polymer solar cells fabricated with phenyl C 71 butyric acid methyl ester ([70]PCBM) as an acceptor. Polymers with phenyl groups or p -methoxyphenyl groups showed nanometer-scale phase separation or uniform morphology in BHJ film, together with high field effect transistor (FET) hole mobility. On the other hand, polymers with methyl or hydrogen and a polymer with fluorine exhibited micrometer-scale domains in BHJ and low hole mobility. It is suggested that the mostly steric hindrance of the substituents regulate the polymer's aggregation properties and compatibility with [70]PCBM, which probably affects the hole transport properties and BHJ morphologies. We also investigated the effects of substituent groups on highest occupied molecular orbital energy level and optical band gap of the polymers.
Thyrotropin and Long-Acting Thyroid Stimulator Assays in Thyroid Disease

Assays for thyrotropin (TSH) and long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) have been carried out on sera and other biological material from subjects with and without thyroid disease. Circulating TSH has been detected only in hypothyroid patients and LATS has been found virtually only in treated or untreated patients with toxic diffuse goiter, a minority of those without exophthalmos, and the majority of those with exophthalmos. All of those with pretibial myxedema had positive assays. Correlation of LATS with exophthalmos was qualitative rather than quantitative, its level being best correlated with the presence of pretibial myxedema. Furthermore, only one of 7 subjects with exophthalmic ophthalmoplegia without history of thyrotoxicosis had detectable LATS activity in the serum. The incidence of positive LATS assays in patients treated with radioiodine (131I) was higher than in those untreated or treated with other therapeutic maneuvers. Serial assays disclosed that in some instances the administration of 131...