cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Brush Shelters as Cover by Spawning Black Basses (Micropterus) in Bull Shoals Reservoir

Abstract Brush shelters were placed along alternate 100-m shoreline sections in two coves, and examined underwater weekly, for 7 weeks during the spawning season, to compare the use of sheltered and unsheltered habitat for nesting by three species of bass-largemouth (Micropterus salmoides), spotted (M. punctulatus), and smallmouth (M. dolomieui). Spotted bass consistently preferred the sheltered habitat; largemouth bass were most selective for sheltered segments early in the spawning season during their most intensive nesting period. Smallmouth bass showed no preference for the brush shelters as nesting sites.
Transverse energy and multiplicity distributions of p-p and A + A interactions

Abstract Data from AGS-E802 have been presented at the recent HIPAGS workshop at BNL1, published in journals2,3,4 and in conference proceedings (St. Malo5, Moriond6), to which the reader is referred. Two results are mentioned here. The Lead Glass distribution dET0/dη from central O + Au collisions5 can be compared to the spectrometer dn(π−)/dy from central Si + Au collisions4. The agreement of the two distributions is excellent and confirms that the estimated5,6 position and value of the maximum in the distribution η|max, dET/dη|max, and the width δηFWHM, from the PbGl data are reasonable, and that nothing exceptional is occurring outside of the PbGl acceptance. Additionally, these data, and previous measurements of pseudorapidity distributions of multiplicity and Transverse Energy at both the AGS and CERN are analyzed in an acceptance-independent and model-independent method, with the conclusion that simple considerations of nuclear geometry do not provide an explanation of the different S NN dependences observed in 16O + Au and pp reactions.
To LEED or Not to LEED: Analysis of Cost Premiums Associated With Sustainable Facility Design

Abstract:Many organizations have established policies authorizing a “green” cost premium to fund sustainable design. In order to determine whether or not this practice is supported, we collected construction, cost, and utility data on a sample of 160 LEED certified buildings. Using simple correlation and descriptive statistics to analyze the resulting database, we found operating costs in LEED certified buildings were $0.70 per square foot less than non-LEED buildings, energy costs were 31% lower, and cost premiums ranged from 2.5 to 9.4% with a mean of 4.1%. Correlation analysis suggests there are very few statistically significant correlations among the design variables.
Development of narcotic tolerance and physical dependence: effects of Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 and cyclo (Leu-Gly).

Abstract Administration of Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 (MIF) and cyclo (Leu-Gly) blocked the development of tolerance to and physical dependence on morphine, induced by the pellet implanation procedure in mice. Inhibition of tolerance development by peptides was evidenced by the presence of an analgesic response (increase in jump threshold) as determined by measuring the jump threshold to an increasing electric current, after a challenge dose of morphine (40 mg/kg). The same dose of morphine did not alter the jump threshold in morphine tolerant mice which were injected with saline prior to pellet implantation. The inhibition of the development of physical dependence on morphine by these peptides was evidenced by the antagonism of the hypothermic response which occurs during abrupt or naloxone-induced withdrawal. The naloxone-induced withdrawal jumping response was unaffected by these peptides. Dose-response experiments indicated that cyclo (leu-Gly) was much more potent than MIF in these tests. These peptides, when given after the development of tolerance and dependence, did not modify either the analgesic response to morphine or the symptoms of abrupt and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. The inhibition of development of analgesic tolerance and physical dependence was not associated with changes in brain morphine concentration. The data indicate that these peptides do not interfere with the morphine-morphine receptor complex formation but alter a subsequent step in the genesis of some aspects of tolerance and dependence processes.
Intergroup dialogue and democratic practice in higher education

Participants in intergroup dialogue examine the significance of social identities and social inequalities and practice intergroup communication and collaboration skills.
Expanding rare disease drug trials based on shared molecular etiology.

Current clinical trial approaches in rare disease test one drug on one indication defined by a clinical phenotype. For targeted drugs, grouping patients by molecular etiology would make much more sense.
Geographic imbalances of physician supply: an international comparison.

: This study was undertaken to compare geographic imbalances of physician manpower in developed and developing countries and to evaluate the success of policies designed to alleviate the imbalances. Data were drawn from a mail survey of countries conducted by the World Health Organization, from national statistical summaries, and from published information on national policies and programs. Information was available from 26 developing countries and 15 developed countries. Among developing countries, the degree of urbanization and rural economic development appeared to be the most important determinants of the level of geographic imbalance. Among developed countries, those with very high overall physician/ population ratios tended to have the least degree of imbalance, but this effect was not consistent. At the national level in most countries, the effect of policies or programs specifically designed to redistribute physician manpower appeared to be limited.
Wordwidth, instructions, looping, and virtualization: the role of sharing in absolute energy minimization

When are FPGAs more energy efficient than processors? This question is complicated by technology factors and the wide range of application characteristics that can be exploited to minimize energy. Using a wire-dominated energy model to estimate the absolute energy required for programmable computations, we determine when spatially organized programmable computations (FPGAs) require less energy than temporally organized programmable computations (processors). The point of crossover will depend on the metal layers available, the locality, the SIMD wordwidth regularity, and the compactness of the instructions. When the Rent Exponent, p, is less than 0.7, the spatial design is always more energy efficient. When p=0.8, the technology offers 8-metal layers for routing, and data can be organized into 16b words and processed in tight loops of no more than 128 instructions, the temporal design uses less energy when the number of LUTs is greater than 64K. We further show that heterogeneous multicontext architectures can use even less energy than the p=0.8, 16b word temporal case.
SCALAR VARIABLES FOR THE S MATRIX IN STRONG INTERACTIONS

Abstract A method is presented by which 3n−9 scalar variables can be selected in a systematic way for the complete kinematical description of processes with n participating particles (n external lines) of non-vanishing mass. One relation between these variables exists and limits them to 3n−10 independent scalar variables appropriate to the number of degrees of freedom. For n = 4 they are equivalent to the Mandelstam variables s, t and u. The additional information required to determine the momenta on the basis of the scalar variables and the masses is also specified.
Effects of the Synthesis Parameters on the Size and Composition of Pt–Sn Nanoparticles Prepared by the Polyalcohol Reduction Method

Platinum–tin alloy nanoparticles with cubic and hexagonal structure have been prepared by the “heating up” method using metal–acetylacetonates as precursors and 1,2-hexadecanediol as the reducing agent dissolved in dioctyl ether containing oleyl amine and oleic acid as capping agents. The influence of the principal reaction parameters—the concentration of the capping agents, final reaction temperature, reaction time, and ratio of metal precursors—on the size and composition of the Pt–Sn nanoparticles was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results show that decreasing the amount of capping agents increases not only the size of the nanoparticles but also the extent of alloying. It is proposed that the reaction between the metal precursors is the primary step of the nucleation process leading to Pt–Sn bimetallic particles. In a competitive reaction that depends on the concentration of capping agents, metal oleate complexes are formed. The balance between the rates of these p...
Characterization of the malate dehydrogenase from Thermoleophilum album NM

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH; EC 1.1.1.37) was characterized from Thermoleophilum album NM, a gram-negative aerobic bacterium obligate for thermophily and n-alkane substrates. The enzyme was purified by affinity chromatography and electroelution. The MDH had a mol.wt. of 61,000 and consisted of two subunits, each with a mol.wt. of 32,500. T. album NM MDH migrated further on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels than did other MDHs. The MDH was active from 30°–95° C with optimum activity occurring at 60° C and pH 7.5. Kinetic data were determined at 60° C and pH 7.5. The Km values for malate and NAD were 1.41 mM and 0.26 mM, respectively. The Km for reduction of oxalacetate was 5.43 mM and 0.31 mM for NADH. The amino acid composition of T. album NM MDH differed in the amounts of Arg, Lys, Gly, Pro and His from the MDHs of other thermophilic and mesophilic organism. The N-terminal amino acid sequence had no appreciable homology with MDHs of other species.
Variation in apparent attenuation of the Earth's normal modes due to lateral heterogeneity

Study of 3242 full first order synthetic seismograms of isolated normal mode multiplets shows that constructive and destructive interference of the singlets comprising a multiplet can account for the noise-corrected variance of free oscillation attenuation measurements in the frequency band 3.0-4.0 mHz. This interference gives rise to a distribution of synthetic Q measurements which is sensitive to the short wavelength velocity features of a model. While individual attenuation measurements depend also on the moment tensor, the overall variance of Q fluctuations is insensitive to the characteristics of the source employed and depends little on the length of the time series processed. The Woodhouse-Dziewonski model M84A of upper mantle velocity structure causes a scatter in the synthetics large enough to interfere significantly with any signal from lateral Q structure. Correlation of individual synthetics with data is poor, however, which suggests that either there are remaining uncertainties in the velocity model, that mode-mode coupling occurs in the data in a way that is poorly understood, or that lateral attenuative structure contributes to the observed scatter. Resolution of any such Q structure will be difficult given the present data set.
The complexity of restricted regular expressions and the synthesis problem for finite automata

Abstract It is known that for every restricted regular expression of length n there exists a nondeterministic finite automaton with n + 1 states giving rise to the upper bound of 2 n + 1 on the number of states of the corresponding reduced automaton. In this note we show that this bound can be attained for all n ⩾ 2, i.e., the upper bound 2 n + 1 is optimal. An observation is then made about the synthesis problem for nondeterministic finite automata.
Functional Brain Connectivity and Cognition: Effects of Adult Age and Task Demands

Previous neuroimaging research has documented that patterns of intrinsic (resting state) functional connectivity (FC) among brain regions covary with individual measures of cognitive performance. Here, we examined the relation between intrinsic FC and a reaction time (RT) measure of performance, as a function of age group and task demands. We obtained filtered, event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging data, and RT measures of visual search performance, from 21 younger adults (19e29 years old) and 21 healthy, older adults (60e87 years old). Age-related decline occurred in the connectivity strength in multiple brain regions, consistent with previous findings. Among 8 pairs of regions, across somatomotor, orbitofrontal, and subcortical networks, increasing FC was associated with faster responding (lower RT). Relative to younger adults, older adults exhibited a lower strength of this RTconnectivity relation and greater disruption of this relation by a salient but irrelevant display item (color singleton distractor). Age-related differences in the covariation of intrinsic FC and cognitive performance vary as a function of task demands.
Determination of trace concentrations of citrate in aqueous systems

A fluorimetric method for the determination of citrate is described. Through a series of reactions, citrate is converted into citrazinic acid. The ammonium salt of this compound exhibits a fluorescence maximum at 430 nm when an excitation source of 340 nm is used. The method does not suffer from the normal interferences. The limit of detection is 0.01 μg ml-, and the best working range is 0.1–10 μg ml-1.
Samuel Roth: Infamous Modernist Jay A. Gertzman. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.

Samuel Roth: Infamous Modernist Jay A. Gertzman. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.The complete story of Samuel Roth's life, told in fiction, would beggar plausibility. Born in a Ukrainian shtetl, Roth somehow managed over the course of one lifetime to become, in turn, one of the most promising young poets in the United States; the vilified target of a massive international literary protest on behalf of James Joyce; the author of a classic anti-Semitic screed quoted by the Nazis; a leading American mail order publisher and grey-market entrepreneur; and the defendant in the most influential obscenity case of the twentieth century. These accomplishments earn him frequent mention not only in studies of the history of obscenity in the United States and of Anglo-American modernism, but also in the pages of Joyce's Finnegan's Wake itself, while some of the less bizarre aspects of the early phases of Roth's life provided the model for the protagonist of Charles Reznikoff's 1930 novel By the Waters of Manhattan.Jay Gertzman offered an impressively thorough study of Roth's interwar career as a dealer in mailorder erotica in one chapter of his excellent 1999 book, Bookleggers and Smuthounds: The Trade in Erotica, 1920-1940. Gertzman has now drawn from a trove of archival material made available by Roth's family in 2005 to produce Samuel Roth: Infamous Modernist, a fascinating and highly detailed biography of one of the strangest characters in American literary history.Gertzman describes each stage of Roth's life and career, regularly checking Roth's self-mythologizing claims against historical sources to substantiate or debunk them. When Gertzman has little in the way of corroborating sources, as in the case of Roth's childhood, he includes fantastic details culled from Roth's imagination and unpublished memoirs-about Roth's religious visions, a rabbinic exorcism, and dream-visits from Jesus. Gertzman takes these fantasies seriously for the insight they provide into Roth's attitudes. Gertzman also defends the publisher from some of the harshest claims made about him by his literary and legal enemies-showing, for example, that Ernest Hemingway exaggerated wildly in his statements about Roth's piracy of Joyce's Ulysses and that Roth bowdlerized Ulysses less than The Little Review didwithout attempting to hide or deemphasize Roth's own dishonesty and mistakes.By the same token, Gertzman notes that many of the sex pulps that Roth published under his William Faro Inc. …
Selective chlorination of alkanes and hydrogenation of chloroflouroethane with high g-values in the radiolysis of their liquid mixture: High resolution NMR study

Abstract It was found that γ-radiolysis of n-alkanes (Cn=6–8) and cyclohexane in CFCl2CF2Cl and CF3CCl3 in the liquid phase produces corresponding monochlorinated alkanes with a high G-values (⩾ 600). This chlorination occured selectively at the positions C2 and C3, and the yield of 1-chlorohexane was
Cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) metabolism : Prediction of in vivo activity in humans

CYP3A is one of the most important cytochrome P450 isoforms responsible for drug metabolism by humans because it is the major such enzyme in critical tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract and liver, and it is involved in the oxidative biotransformation of numerous clinically useful therapeutic agents. Many factors regulate CYP3A expression but these are being increasingly defined so that the disposition characteristics of a drug whose metabolism is importantly mediated by this isoform can be reasonably well predicteda priori. For example, metabolic clearance is distributed within a population in a unimodal fashion but marked (5- to 20-fold) interindividual variability is present as a consequence of both genetic and nongenetic factors. In addition, firstpass metabolism occurs following oral drug administration and this may be extensive so that bioavailability is low. CYP3A activity can also be readily modulated by inducers like rifampicin and several anticonvulsant agents, and many potent inhibitors exist such as azole antifungal agents and macrolide antibiotics. Accordingly, the potential for drug interactions with these drugs as well as other CYP3A substrates, when given concomitantly, is high. Metabolism involving CYP3A is also likely to be affected by liver disease as well as aging, and modest differences may be present between men and women but these are often clinically unimportant. Because of such predictability, knowledge of the role and importance of CYP3A in the metabolism of a putative drug candidate is becoming increasingly desirable at an early stage in the development process.In vitro studies using human liver preparations, including microsomes, cultured hepatocytes and heterologous expressed enzymes, can provide important insights in this regard. This is particularly the case for identifying potential drug interactions whose clinical significance can be subsequently assessed. Data with respect to terfenadine and cyclosporine obtained several years after their approval and marketing, indicate that, if available and applied during their development, the paradigm of usingin vitro studies to rationally direct and prioritize clinical studies would have prospectively prevented the serious adverse effects and inefficacy that were only recognized during their empiric clinical use. Such examples, along with those associated with the genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6, provide strong justification for establishing the role and importance of individual CYP isoforms in a candidate drug's metabolism at an early stage.
27 Early Recurrence of Cresentric Glomerulonephritis After Pediatric Renal Transplantation

Introduction: Recurrence of primary disease such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or hemolytic uremic syndrome may cause early graft dysfunction after pediatric kidney transplantation. We report the unusual occurrence of early graft dysfunction following kidney transplant in two pediatric cases due to biopsy proven recurrence of cresentric glomerulonephritis (CGN) which is very rare.
Gamma-ray and pair creation using ultra-intense lasers and astrophysical applications

Abstract Ultra-intense laser irradiating high-Z solid targets has become a new, powerful and efficient tool to create electron–positron pairs and intense gamma-ray beams. This paper reviews the recent developments in this field, both in theory and experiments. We will also discuss potential astrophysical applications of such laboratory experiments using ultra-intense lasers.
Improved Screw–Nut Interface Model for High-Performance Ball Screw Drives

Emerging applications of ball screw drives such as semiconductor inspection, fiber optic alignment, medical equipment, and miniature robotic actuators typically make use of ball screws that are compact, stiff, and precise. Existing models for the screw–nut interface stiffness of ball screw drives are however unable to accurately describe the dynamics of compact and stiff ball screws because they are derived based on the assumption that the portion of the screw within the nut is rigid. This paper proposes a new screw–nut interface stiffness model, which incorporates the elastic deformation of the screw within the nut using Timoshenko beam shape functions. The new model is shown, via simulation and experiments, to provide more accurate predictions of the natural frequencies of compact and stiff ball screw/nut assemblies compared to the existing models. It is therefore more suitable for use in the design simulation/evaluation of high-performance ball screw drives where compactness and rigidity are required.
Eigenvalue and Eigenvector Determination for Damped Gyroscopic Systems

We derive and examine a new method that uses the undamped gyroscopic system as the unperturbed system. The accuracy and convergence of the new method are independent of the size of the gyroscopic terms. Futhermore, the method permits a numerically efficient solution of the eigen problem for damped gyroscopic systems because it can use the approach of Meirovitch (1974) to solve the eigenproblem for the unperturbed system
A moving boundary approach for one-dimensional free surface flows

Numerical analysis of open channel flows has largely confined to using fixed boundaries in the numerical codes. Given the size of the problem domain, using fixed boundaries often taxes the computational resources since the effect of the boundary is transferred on to its adjacent node in the first few iterations. In this work, we explore the performance of a moving boundary in conjunction with central differencing (classical Runge Kutta (RK)) and high resolute (Essentially Non-Oscillatory (ENO)) shock capturing schemes. The performance of this algorithm is tested with flows containing discontinuities. By correlating the velocity of the boundary to the location of the wave front, the results obtained indicate that no flow information is lost. Moving the boundary with time helps in constricting the size of flow domain and thus accelerating the solution to the desired transient state.
Contract enforcement in sellers' markets

Abstract I present an infinitely repeated game model where a monopolist seller has a contractual obligation with several buyers in each period. If a contract is violated the buyer can collect some compensation and impose a penalty on the seller. There are an infinite number of subgame perfect equilibria in this model, but I employ the concept of e-validated equilibrium to pick out a unique equilibrium outcome for the game where the seller is able to dominate the buyers. This model is clearly applicable to supply problems of Soviet-type economies, but it can explain certain phenomena of Western economies as well.
Effect of vertical mixing on the Atlantic Water layer circulation in the Arctic Ocean

[1] An ice-ocean model has been used to investigate the effect of vertical mixing on the circulation of the Atlantic Water layer (AL) in the Arctic Ocean. The motivation of this study comes from the disparate AL circulations in the various models that comprise the Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (AOMIP). It is found that varying vertical mixing significantly changes the ocean's stratification by altering the vertical distribution of salinity and hence the structure of the arctic halocline. In the Eurasian Basin, the changes in ocean stratification tend to change the strength and depth of the cyclonic AL circulation, but not the basic circulation pattern. In the Canada Basin, however, the changes in ocean stratification are sufficient to alter the direction of the AL circulation. Excessively strong vertical mixing drastically weakens the ocean stratification, leading to an anticyclonic circulation at all depths, including both the AL and the upper layer that consists of the surface mixed layer and the halocline. Overly weak vertical mixing makes the ocean unrealistically stratified, with a fresher and thinner upper layer than observations. This leads to an overly strong anticyclonic circulation in the upper layer and an overly shallow depth at which the underlying cyclonic circulation occurs. By allowing intermediate vertical mixing, the model does not significantly drift away from reality and is in a rather good agreement with observations of the vertical distribution of salinity throughout the Arctic Ocean. This realistic ocean stratification leads to a realistic cyclonic AL circulation in the Canada Basin. In order for arctic ice-ocean models to obtain realistic cyclonic AL circulation in the Canada Basin, it is essential to generate an upward concave-shaped halocline across the basin at certain depths, consistent with observations.
Craniopagus: the Thessaloniki-Rome experience.

A case of two female Greek twins conjoined at the left frontal and orbital regions is described. These conjoined twins were transferred to the Pediatric Neurosurgical Unit of the Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University Medical School, at the age of 4 months for possible surgical division. Multiple diagnostic investigations, which included in particular advanced imaging techniques, demonstrated an independent cerebral vascularization of the two babies and excluded significant intracranial malformations. Such an accurate evaluation of the anatomy of the craniopagus at the level of the cranial junction allowed the feasibility of the surgical correction to be established. The operation was carried out by a multidisciplinary team in a single stage. The operating team included two distinct teams of neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists as well as a plastic surgeons’ team. Both babies survived the operation. The postoperative course was uneventful. Both twins were discharged in good clinical and neurological condition after a 3-week period of hospitalization.
A double-label study demonstrating that enkephalin and somatostatin are localized in separate populations of amacrine cells in the larval tiger salamander retina

Previous studies have localized enkephalin and somatostatin to amacrine cell populations in the larval tiger salamander retina. Double-label immunocytochemistry was utilized to examine if enkephalin- and somatostatin-like immunoreactivities are colocalized to tiger salamander amacrine cells. Of the more than 2000 labelled cells observed in double-labelled preparations, none were found to express both enkephalin and somatostatin immunoreactivity. Therefore, these studies demonstrate that in the larval tiger salamander retina, enkephalin and somatostatin are localized to separate populations of amacrine cells.
A calculation of the optical and X–ray photoemission transitions of K2PtCI4

The self–consistent–field–Xa scattered–wave (scF–Xa–sw) method can be used in conjunction with the transition–state concept to obtain the excitation energies for transitions between the ground state and various singlet and triplet excited states of square planar metal complexes. The results of such calculations for PtCI4− are presented as well as a comparison between calculated ionization energies and recent X–ray photoemission (xps or esca) data for this system.
Carbon monoxide inhalation protects rat kidney grafts from ischemia/reperfusion injury

Abstract Introduction: Carbon monoxide (CO), a product of heme metabolism by heme oxygenases(HO), is known to provide protection against oxidative stress via anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic actions. We hypothesized in this study that a low concentration of inhaled CO would protect transplanted kidney grafts from cold ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods: Lewis rat kidney grafts, preserved in UW at 4°C for 24 hrs was orthotopicaly transplanted into binephrectomized syngeneic Lewis rats. Recipients were exposed to CO (250 ppm) in air for 1hr before and then continuously for 24 hrs post-transplantation. Animals were sacrificed 1, 3, 6, and 24 hrs after transplantation. The efficacy of CO was assessed by evaluating serum creatinine levels, graft cytokine mRNA levels (real time RT-PCR), HO-1 expression (mRNA levels and Western blot), measurement of graft microcirculation, serum IL-6 and NO2/NO3, immunopathology, vascular casting and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Rapid upregulation of mRNA for IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, ICAM-1, HO-1 and iNOS was observed in the grafts obtained from air-exposed control recipients within 3 hrs after transplantation, resulting in histopathological evidences of acute tubular necrosis, interstitial hemorrhage and edema, apoptotic debris and protein casts inside the tubular lumen. Serum creatinine levels were significantly elevated by 6 and 24 hrs. In contrast, the increase of these inflammatory mediators was markedly inhibited in CO-treated animals, which correlated with significantly lower serum creatinine levels and improved renal cortical blood flow. CO was able to preserve the glomerular vascular architecture and podocyte viability in the kidney graft. Transplant-induced HO-1 protein expression was downregulated in CO treated recipients at 6 and 24 hrs post-reperfusion. There was less tubular cell apoptosis as evidenced by caspase-3 immunostaining. In addition, markedly less ED-1 macrophage infiltration was observed in grafts treated with CO. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that exposure of kidney graft recipients to CO at a low non-toxic concentration can impart important protective effects in renal I/R injury and improve function of renal grafts following extended cold preservation and transplantation.
Transfer of NO2 through pulmonary epithelial lining fluid.

Abstract Absorption of inhaled NO 2 across the pulmonary gas/tissue interface is principally governed by chemical reaction(s) rather than by physical solubility. While the kinetics of NO 2 transfer into reactant-containing aqueous solutions appear to be bulk phase independent, it is unclear whether unreacted NO 2 diffuses appreciably through the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) to cellular compartments. We avoided the difficulties associated with directly quantifying NO 2 dissolved in biological fluids by indirectly determining the potential for NO 2 penetration to underlying tissues. An in vitro system was developed which horizontally suspended a wettable, gas permeable, fibrous material between two gas chambers. Aqueous substrates were applied to the sieve material and NO 2 (10.9 ppm) was introduced into one chamber and sampled for in the other. O 2 served as a tracer gas. We determined the influence of ELF, a model biochemical (reduced glutathione; GSH), and PO 4 buffer (control) on NO 2 transfer as evaluated by “breakthrough time”. (A) Both O 2 and NO 2 rapidly diffused through the sieve material when dry. Under PO 4 wetted conditions, O 2 continued to penetrate rapidly but NO 2 transfer was slightly inhibited relative to O 2 . (B) Addition of GSH (1 m m ) significantly prolonged NO 2 breakthrough time. Increasing initial [GSH] resulted in concomitant prolongation of NO 2 breakthrough time. (C) We observed a direct correlation between oxidation of sieve GSH and NO 2 breakthrough. (D) Freshly harvested rat ELF inhibited NO 2 transfer in a concentration-dependent manner similar to GSH. These data suggest that in the presence of reactant solutes, unreacted NO 2 does not penetrate through the ELF layer. Reactive absorption must, therefore, occur primarily within the ELF compartment so that reaction products which induce subsequent toxicity are generated as a result of the initial uptake interactions.
Incremental changes in deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) core temperatures during behavioral challenges

Abstract 1. 1. Second generation deer mice bearing temperature-sensitive radiosondes respond by increasing body temperatures incrementally as a result of exposure to novel environments, visual, physical and contact, with opponents during intra-specific tests of aggression. 2. 2. Physical contact with an opponent results in additional increase in core temperature if the opponent is either of nearly equal or lower social rank. 3. 3. Physical contact with a more aggressive opponent does not result in an increase in core temperature over that recorded during visual contact, but is associated with a drop in core temperature of the submissive animal.
Suppression of neutral and trauma targets: Implications for posttraumatic stress disorder

Recent findings suggest that thought suppression may lead to increased intrusive thoughts for trauma survivors, paradoxically increasing symptoms. Participants with trauma history, 31 with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 34 without PTSD, engaged in neutral white bear and trauma suppression tasks. A group difference was found for the trauma task and not for the neutral task. For the trauma task, both groups demonstrated an increase of trauma thoughts during suppression, but the PTSD group continued to report trauma thoughts at a higher level than the no-PTSD group post-suppression. These findings suggest that it is not an individual's general suppression ability, but the content of thoughts suppressed that leads to problems with intrusions for those with PTSD.
A method for calculating the maximum number of mutational events in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract Mutagenesis in Drosophila is complicated by the occurrence of mosaicism. This is minimal in radiation mutagenesis but predominant in chemical and spontaneous mutagenesis. Techniques for detecting mutations suffer from two limitations. In specific visible tests, “cryptic” mosaics which are phenotypically non-mutant may carry the altered gene in the gonad and hence require an additional generation for their detection. In sex-linked lethal tests only mutations affecting all gametes in a gonad are usually scored and detected. For chemical mutagens, the mosaic origin of many or most mutations may be observed by testing non-mutant lines for an additional generation. A theory resolving the differences between the two techniques is proposed. It permits the prediction of the F 2 : F 3 sex-linked lethal ratio from a specific visible test; it provides a method for calculating the maximum number of detectable mutational events induced by a mutagen in post-meiotic gametes; and under certain conditions it predicts that the ratio of sex-linked lethals to specific visible mutations, rather than varying with different mutagens, will be constant. The theory, if experimentally verified, will permit direct comparisons of mutagenesis in microbial systems with those in Drosophila . It will also provide guide lines for a similar quantification of the developmental complexities which obscure mutation studies in man.
Orbital forcing in a stochastic resonance model of the Late-Pleistocene climatic variations

Applying a number of simplifying assumptions, we have used a zero-dimensional energy balance climate model (EBM) of the Budyko-Sellers type to investigate the degree to which the climatic variability of the Late Pleistocene can be explained by the mechanism of stochastic resonance. As a logical extension of an earlier version of this model we have included a more complete representation for the orbital forcings to show that a reasonably good agreement with the paleoclimatic record can be obtained. This zerodimensional EBM is appealing because of its simplicity and its ability to reproduce some of the most striking qualitative features of the observed climatic variability with a very limited number of parameters, several of which can be derived from either the observations or general circulation model (GCM) simulations of ice-age conditions.
Mononucleotide Repeat Instability Is Infrequent in Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric malignancy of the sympathetic nervous system and is frequently characterized by genetic aberrations (including aneuploidy, chromosomal deletions, translocations, and gene amplification) that suggest inherent genomic instability. Mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes have been associated with genomic instability in several human cancers, such as those of the hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome. In these cases, replication errors at microsatellite repeats lead to microsatellite instability (MSI) and mutagenesis. In neuroblastoma, we and others have detected MSI infrequently when analyzed at di- or tetranucleotide repeat polymorphic markers. More recently, however, mutations in the MMR gene GTBP/hMSH6 have been associated with a limited phenotype of instability at mononucleotide repeats only (e.g., polyadenine tracts). Furthermore, mononucleotide repeats appear to be common downstream targets of MSI-related mutagenesis and are present in the transforming growth factor-β receptor-II gene (TGFβRII), the BAX proapoptosis gene, and the insulin-like growth factor II receptor gene (IGFIIR) frequently in tumors arising in HNPCC kindreds. Therefore, we analyzed 46 matched normal and tumor DNAs representing all clinical stages of neuroblastoma with the use of five polymorphic mononucleotide repeat markers to assess for MSI at mononucleotide repeats. Only one tumor (2%) demonstrated mononucleotide repeat instability, and the instability was at a single locus. We conclude that MSI, including mononucleotide repeat instability, is infrequent in human neuroblastoma, and therefore defects in DNA mismatch repair are not responsible for the genomic instability seen in this neoplasm.
Epididymal Specificity and Androgen Regulation of Rat EP2

In primates, expression of the EP2 gene is androgen-dependent and epididymis-specific. EP2 mRNA expression was investigated in caput, corpus, and cauda regions of rat epididymis and in 15 other rat tissues. Polymerase chain reaction and Northern analyses showed that rat EP2 is expressed predominantly in the proximal caput epididymidis. EP2 mRNA expression was determined in proximal epididymides from castrated, sham-operated, and efferent duct-ligated rats. In castrated rats, EP2 mRNA decreased to <10% of that in sham-operated rats between Days 3 and 4 postcastration, demonstrating the androgen dependence of EP2 expression. In epididymides ligated unilaterally at the efferent ducts, EP2 mRNA levels were approximately equal to those in the unligated contralateral epididymides or in sham-operated rats, indicating that EP2 expression does not depend on testicular factors. In bilaterally castrated rats, immediate and delayed testosterone replacement showed the dependence of EP2 expression on circulating androgens. Injection of testosterone propionate (TP) on Days 0, 1, 2, and 3 postcastration maintained EP2 mRNA levels approximately equal to those in sham-operated rats. Starting at Day 4 postcastration, daily injection of TP for 7 days restored EP2 mRNA to approximately normal levels. These data indicate for the rat that EP2 is expressed specifically in the proximal caput epididymidis and that its expression depends on circulating androgens but not on testicular factors.
Nonlinear responses of wolverine populations to declining winter snowpack

Understanding the population-level impacts of climate change is critical for effectively managing ecosystems. Predators are important components of many systems because they provide top−down control of community structure. Ecological theory suggests that these species could be particularly susceptible to climate change because they generally occur at low densities and have resource-limited populations. Yet, our understanding of climate-change impacts on predators is hindered by the difficulty in assessing complex, nonlinear dynamics over the large spatial scales necessary to depict a species’ general response to abiotic forcing. Here we use fur-return data to characterize population dynamics of a snow-adapted carnivore, the wolverine, across most of its North American range. Using novel modeling techniques, we simultaneously measured the impact of winter snowpack on wolverine dynamics across critical thresholds in snowpack depth and two domains of population growth. Winter snowpack declined from 1970 to 2004 in nearly the entire region studied, concordant with increases in Northern Hemisphere temperature anomalies. Fur returns have declined in many areas; our models show that snowpack has strong, nonlinear effects on wolverine population dynamics. Importantly, wolverine harvests dropped the fastest in areas where snowpack declined most rapidly and also where snowpack had the greatest effect on population dynamics. Moreover, declining snow cover appears to drive trends in wolverine population synchrony, with important implications for overall persistence. These results illustrate the vulnerability and complex responses of predator populations to climate change. We also suggest that declining snowpack may be an important and hitherto little-analyzed mechanism through which climate change alters high-latitude ecosystems.
"Purpose" in a cognitive theory of reference

Two experiments examined the creation of name expressions for reference, with specific regard to Olson’s (1970) “cognitive theory of semantics.” In the first experiment, subjects were merely asked to make up names for each of a series of abstract symbols embedded in displays. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to make up names in order to verbally distinguish between symbols in each display. Only under the second procedure were the predictions of Olson’s analysis confirmed. These results suggest that naming, and therefore reference in general, cannot be comprehensively treated in a theory that fails to explicitly deal with referential purposes.
Emergency relief adequacy for acrylic polymerization processes

Acrylic polymerizations are highly exothermic processes which must be carefully evaluated to ensure safe manufacture. In particular, failure to remove the heat of reaction can lead to runaway polymerizations, characterized by sudden and rapid increases in reaction rate, temperature, and pressure. If not adequately vented, runaway polymerizations can quickly lead to reactor overpressure, possible vessel rupture, and release of flammable or toxic materials. Because of complex polymerization kinetics and the large number of industrial acrylic polymer processes, practical application of DIERS two-phase flow methodology for sizing reactor emergency vents required development of a computer model to simulate specific commercial polymerizations. This model is currently used to determine the emergency vent adequacy of reactors prior to manufacture of new resins in existing equipment, as well as to assist in design of new reactor systems. The purpose of this paper is to discuss practical application of DIERS technology for ensuring safe acrylic resin manufacture through use of computer simulation.
The State of the Art of the Zebrafish Model for Toxicology and Toxicologic Pathology Research—Advantages and Current Limitations:

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is now the pre-eminent vertebrate model system for clarification of the roles of specific genes and signaling pathways in development. The zebrafish genome will be completely sequenced within the next 1-2 years. Together with the substantial historical database regarding basic developmental biology, toxicology, and gene transfer, the rich foundation of molecular genetic and genomic data makes zebrafish a powerful model system for clarifying mechanisms in toxicity. In contrast to the highly advanced knowledge base on molecular developmental genetics in zebrafish, our database regarding infectious and noninfectious diseases and pathologic lesions in zebrafish lags far behind the information available on most other domestic mammalian and avian species, particularly rodents. Currently, minimal data are available regarding spontaneous neoplasm rates or spontaneous aging lesions in any of the commonly used wild-type or mutant lines of zebrafish. Therefore, to fully utilize the potential of zebrafish as an animal model for understanding human development, disease, and toxicology we must greatly advance our knowledge on zebrafish diseases and pathology.
Intramural Myocardial Shear During the Cardiac Cycle

Instantaneous and continuous shearing strains at various sites in the wall of the left ventricle were measured in 19 dogs with a specially designed transducer. Relatively large shearing strains occurred during the "isovolumic" and immediately prediastolic portions of systole. Shearing strain during diastole was small. Under control conditions the average shearing strain during the ejection period of systole was 0.0218 radians (1.25°) at a 6 mm depth into the myocardium. Intravenous infusion of norepinephrine (approximately 0.001 mg/kg per minute) increased myocardial shear from 0.0177 radians (1.01°) to 0.0274 radians (1.57°) during the ejection period. It is concluded that shearing strain in the myocardium during the ejection period is relatively small.
Climbing fiber synaptic changes correlate with clinical features in essential tremor

Changes in the Purkinje cells (PCs) and climbing fibers (CFs) have been postulated to be involved in essential tremor (ET) disease pathogenesis.1 PCs receive 2 excitatory inputs: CFs and parallel fibers (PFs). CFs form synapses predominantly on the thick, proximal PC dendrites, whereas PFs form synapses on the thin, distal PC dendritic branchlets. CF-PC and PF-PC innervation territories on PC dendritic arbors are tightly regulated for proper PC function. We recently reported more CF-PC synapses on the thin, distal PC dendritic branchlets in ET cases than controls,2 and this pathologic feature was associated with tremor severity in a small sample of 8 ET cases. We now expand the ET case sample nearly fivefold (37 cases) and assess the association between abnormal CF-PC connections and a wider range of clinical features. The overarching goal was to begin to mark out clinical characteristics that track with pathologic features in ET.
Fuzzy clustering in drug design: Application to cocaine abuse

This paper describes a fuzzy clustering methodology for selecting representative clusters for conformational analysis. A novel feature extraction procedure based on the structural properties of the molecule is presented. A composite feature vector is developed and the practical applicability of two fuzzy relational clustering techniques, NERF c-means and FRC, is demonstrated. Several cluster validity measures are applied and are shown to provide reliable information about the validity of the partitions produced by the clustering techniques.
Effects of Pharmacokinetic Processes and Varied Dosing Schedules on the Dynamics of Acquired Resistance to Erlotinib in EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer

Introduction Erlotinib (Tarceva) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which effectively targets EGFR-mutant driven non–small-cell lung cancer. However, the evolution of acquired resistance because of a second-site mutation (T790M) within EGFR remains an obstacle to successful treatment. Methods We used mathematical modeling and available clinical trial data to predict how different pharmacokinetic parameters (fast versus slow metabolism) and dosing schedules (low dose versus high dose; missed doses with and without make-up doses) might affect the evolution of T790M-mediated resistance in mixed populations of tumor cells. Results We found that high-dose pulses with low-dose continuous therapy impede the development of resistance to the maximum extent, both pre- and post-emergence of resistance. The probability of resistance is greater in fast versus slow drug metabolizers, suggesting a potential mechanism, unappreciated to date, influencing acquired resistance in patients. In case of required dose modifications because of toxicity, little difference is observed in terms of efficacy and resistance dynamics between the standard daily dose (150 mg/d) and 150 mg/d alternating with 100 mg/d. Missed doses are expected to lead to resistance faster, even if make-up doses are attempted. Conclusions For existing and new kinase inhibitors, this novel framework can be used to rationally and rapidly design optimal dosing strategies to minimize the development of acquired resistance.