cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-chain acyl CoA synthetase in microsomes from rat brain gray matter and white matter

Long-chain acyl coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase in homogenates and microsomes from rat brain gray and white matter was studied. The formation of the thioesters of CoA was studied upon addition of [1-14C]-labeled fatty acids. The maximal activities were seen with linoleic acid, followed by arachidonic, palmitic, and docosahexaenoic acids in both gray and white matter homogenates and microsomes. The specific activities in microsomes were 3-5 times higher than in homogenates. The presence of Triton X-100 in the assay system enhanced the activity of long-chain acyl CoA synthetase in homogenates. The effect was more pronounced in palmitic and docosahexaenoic acid activation. The apparent Km values and Vmax values for palmitic and docosahexaenoic acids were much lower than for linoleic and arachidonic acids. The presence of Triton X-100 in the medium caused a definite decrease in the apparent Km and Vmax values for all the fatty acids except palmitic acid in which case the reverse was true. There were no significant differences observed in the kinetic measurements between gray and white matter microsomes. These findings are similar to those resulting from the known interference of Triton X-100 in the measurement of kinetic variables of long-chain acyl CoA synthetase of liver microsomes. In this work, no correlation was observed between the fatty acid composition of gray and white matter and the capacity of these tissues for the activation of different fatty acids.
Mercury species measured atop the Moody Tower TRAMP site, Houston, Texas

Atmospheric mercury speciation was monitored within Houston, Texas, USA, August 6–October 14, 2006 as part of the TexAQS Radical and Aerosol Measurement Program (TRAMP). On average, all mercury levels were significantly elevated compared to a rural Gulf of Mexico coastal site. Concentrations varied from very clean to very dirty. Multi-day periods of stagnant or low-wind conditions brought elevated concentrations of all mercury species, whereas multi-day periods of strong winds, particularly southerly winds off the Gulf of Mexico, brought very low values of mercury species. Over the entire mercury measurement period, the daily averages of mercury species showed distinct and consistent relationships with the average planetary boundary layer dynamics, with gaseous elemental and particulate-bound mercury near-surface concentrations enhanced by a shallow nocturnal boundary layer, and reactive gaseous mercury concentration enhanced by midday convective boundary layer air entrainment transporting air aloft to the surface. Mercury concentrations were not significantly correlated with known products of combustion, likely indicating non-combustion mercury sources from the Houston area petrochemical complexes. On the morning of August 31, 2006 an observed emission event at a refinery complex on the Houston Ship Channel resulted in extremely high concentrations of aerosol mass and particulate-bound mercury at the TRAMP measurement site 20 km downwind.
Hemodynamic responses of runners and water polo players during exertion in water

Six trained water polo swimmers and five trained runners exercised on a modified bicycle ergometer for 30 min at 60% \(\dot VO_2\) max while immersed to the neck in 20, 25, 30, and 35‡ C water. Metabolic rates in both groups were found to be independent of water temperature, averaging 33.9±2.7 ml·kg−1·min−1. Cardiac output averaged 16.4±1.2 l·min−1 for the runners and 17.6±1.6 l·min−1 for the swimmers and was found to be independent of water temperature or time. Runners were able to maintain stroke volume throughout the duration of the exercise at 30 and 35‡ C, while swimmers' stroke volumes declined significantly by 9.2 and 11.5% respectively, in these environments. Swimmers exercising in 20‡ C water maintained their stroke volume while the stroke volume of the runners declined significantly by 10.5% after the initial 10 min of exercise. The heart rates of the swimmers were consistently higher than the runners in all water temperatures. Percent changes in plasma volume were greater in the runners, with both groups following a parabolic response curve, the greatest efflux occurring in cold water. These results indicate that although cardiac output was similar for trained swimmers and runners during immersion exercise, differences in heart rate and stroke volume existed and were related to the duration of exercise and the temperature of the water. The mediums in which these athletes train may explain these differences in response.
Electrospray mass spectrometric detection of products and short-lived intermediates in aqueous aerosol microdroplets exposed to a reactive gas.

The intermediates ISO3- (m/z = 207) and IS2O3- (m/z = 239) generated in aqueous (NaI/Na2S2O3) microdroplets traversing dilute O3 gas plumes are detected via online electrospray mass spectrometry within ∼1 ms, and their stabilities gauged by collisionally induced dissociation. The simultaneous detection of anionic reactants and the S2O62-, HSO4-, IO3-, and I3- products as a function of experimental conditions provides evidence of genuinely interfacial reaction kinetics. Although O3(aq) reacts about 3 times faster with I- than with S2O32- in bulk solution, only S2O32- is significantly depleted in the interfacial layers of [I-]/[S2O32-] = 10 microdroplets below [O3(g)] ∼ 50 ppm.
JTC based concealed object detection in terahertz imaging

Detection of concealed objects under cloth or inside paper/lather/plastic box is a challenge for security applications. With terahertz (THz) imaging technology, it is possible to spot concealed objects inside plastic box, underneath cloths paper or similar scenarios. THz frequency domain (~100 GHz - 10 THz) shows a unique feature in the under-used domain of the electromagnetic spectrum which helps to acquire image of concealed objects. This property of THz wave makes it useful in a variety of applications. Previously millimeter wave imaging and infrared imaging were used for detection of concealed features in an image with limited success rate. THz imaging helps solving the problem to a great extent because it can transmit through substances like cloths, paper, plastic, dried food etc. THz images have poor quality and low signal-to-noise-ratio. Noises and related artifacts must be reduced for proper detection of concealed objects. In this paper, a new technique for artifact reduction and detection of concealed object is proposed by utilizing nonzero-order fringe adjusted joint transform correlation (NFJTC) technique. In the proposed NFJTC technique, the joint power spectrum (JPS) is modified to obtain the nonzero-order fringe-adjusted joint power spectrum. NFJTC is already been used for object detection but never been used to detect concealed objects in THz imagery. Test results using real life THz imagery confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Clinical Comparison of Simplexa Universal Direct and BD GeneOhm Tests for Detection of Toxigenic Clostridium difficile in Stool Samples

We compared the performance characteristics of the Simplexa universal direct (Focus Diagnostics, Cypress, CA) and BD GeneOhm (BD Diagnostics/GeneOhm Sciences, San Diego, CA) tests for detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in 459 stool samples (9.4% positive). The observed agreement for the results of the two tests with 452 samples with valid test results was 98.2% (kappa, 0.9; P value of 0.73 by the McNemar test). When samples with discordant or invalid results were retested, the agreement increased to 100%.
Anticipation echoes in vintage capital models

The paper analyzes the structure of optimal trajectories in the one-sector vintage capital model that optimizes the endogenous lifetime of age-structured capital under technological change. A new repetition pattern (anticipation echoes) is demonstrated in both optimal investment and optimal capital lifetime in the case of finite-horizon optimization. The anticipation echoes are caused by expectation of the future ''no-investment'' policy at the end of the planning horizon. It is shown that the anticipation echoes represent a general structural property of dynamic systems with endogenous delay. Mathematically, the problem under study is the optimal control of non-linear integral equations with unknowns in the integration limits.
uvby photometry of the chemically peculiar stars HD 15980, HR 1094, 33 Gem, and HD 115708

Differential Stromgren uvby photometry obtained with the Four College Automated Photoelectric Telescope shows that the hot HgMn star 33 Gem is photometrically constant. The Si star HD 15980 is found to be a variable whose period is significantly greater than 2 years. The unusual magnetic chemically peculiar Co star HR 1094 is discovered to be a low amplitude photometric variable with the magnetic field period of Hill & Blake, 2.9761 days. The ephemeris for the magnetic chemically peculiar star HD 115708 of Wade et al. is confirmed with the error in its period of 5.07622 days being greatly reduced. The u , v , b , and y light curves for both HR 1094 and HD 115708 exhibit differences which indicate complex elemental photospheric abundance distributions.
Organizations, decision making and strategy: overview and comment

In this overview to the Strategic Management Journal Winter 1993 Special Issue, we comment on the relationship between organization theory, strategy and decision making, and we review the contributions to this theme by our distinguished panel of authors. What is distinctive about strategic decisions? How does the organization function as an information processing mechanism? What information is strategic; when does information become strategic; and how do decision bias and locus affect competitive outcomes? How do process and structure, decision criteria, the layering of decisions, and domestic vs. global considerations affect performance? What is the role of beliefs and expectations; how do organizations effect proactive, creative behavior to recast their strategic decision patterns?
A Microcomputer-Based Simulation of Classroom Interaction

This article describes a microcomputer-based simulation which was developed to provide elementary teachers-in-training with experiences in realistic instructional interactions (with computer-defined students) before they proceed to classroom encounters with real children. Both the system's hardware base and its functional operations are discussed. Particular attention is directed toward enumerating the types of teacher origin, student participation and teacher consequation that comprise the simulation's interactional cycles. Finally, evidence verifying the utility of the simulation and its projected future applications are presented.
Trading jobs for health: ionizing radiation, occupational ethics, and the welfare argument.

Blue-collar workers throughout the world generally face higher levels of pollution than the public and are unable to control many health risks that employers impose on them. Economists tend to justify these risky workplaces on the grounds of the compensating wage differential (CWD). The CWD, or hazard-pay premium, is the alleged increment in wages, all things being equal, that workers in hazardous environments receive. According to this theory, employees trade safety for money on the job market, even though they realize some of them will bear the health consequences of their employment in a risky occupational environment. To determine whether the CWD or hazard-pay premium succeeds in justifying alleged environmental injustices in the workplace, this essay (1) surveys the general theory behind the “compensating wage differential”; (2) presents and evaluates the “welfare argument” for the CWD; (3) offers several reasons for rejecting the CWD, as a proposed rationale for allowing apparent environmental injustice in the workplace; and (4) applies the welfare argument to an empirical case, that of US nuclear workers. The essay concludes that this argument fails to provide a justification for the apparent environmental injustice faced by the 600,000 US workers who have labored in government nuclear-weapons plants and laboratories.
Augmentation of interleukin-1 induced prostacyclin production by endothelial cell growth factor: Implications for chronic synovitis

Abstract Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key inflammatory cytokine that has important effects both on endothelial cell (EC) growth and synthetic function. Fibroblast growth factors (FGF's), including endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF), are important regulators of EC growth, and their role in the pannus formation and synovial proliferation seen in chronic arthritis has been emphasized recently. While ECGF mediated EC proliferation is inhibited by IL-1, potential interaction of these peptides on other aspects of EC function has not been described. As both IL-1 and FGF may be important disease mediators in rheumatoid arthritis, we studied their combined effects on EC prostacyclin production. While ECGF alone had no measurable effects, it enhanced rIL-1α induced prostacyclin production in a dose time dependent fashion. Both pertussis and cholera toxins blocked the augmentation, suggesting a role for G proteins in mediating the synergism. These studies demonstrate that ECGF can alter certain effects of IL-1 on the endothelium, and point to an additional role that this family of growth factors may play in some inflammatory disorders.
The late phase of preconditioning and its natural clinical application—gene therapy

There is little doubt that the discovery of ischemic preconditioning (PC) has been one of the fundamental milestones in the field of ischemic biology in the past 20 years. The purpose of this article is to review the pathophysiology and molecular basis of the late phase of myocardial PC. The exploitation of late PC for the development of novel gene therapy strategies aimed at inducing a permanently preconditioned cardiac phenotype (prophylactic cardioprotection) will also be discussed. Deciphering the mechanism of late PC has not only conceptual interest but also a considerable therapeutic implications, since transfer of the genes that underlie late PC would be expected to replicate the salubrious effects of this response of the heart to stress.
First-order phase transitions in finite-size strips with interfaces

Finite-size rounding of the magnetization discontinuity at the magnetic phase transition atH=0 (T<T c ) in 2d Ising-type strips of sizeL⊥×L‖, with ± boundary conditions alongL⊥ inducing an interface of lengthL‖, is studied by phenomenological considerations and transfer matrix techniques. Scaling expressions are derived forL‖=O(L⊥) and also in the infinite strip limitL‖→∞. Most of the results can be extended to the 3d case.
The Impact of Environmental and Occupational Exposures on Reproductive Health

Environmental exposures during critical periods of susceptibility in utero may result in lifelong or intergenerational adverse health effects. Most chemicals in commercial use in the United States have not been tested for possible developmental toxicity to fetuses, infants, and children. Environmental and occupational exposures can result in adverse effects on female and male reproduction. Nurses can identify at-risk patients, provide education about the impact of chemical toxicants, and empower women to take precautionary action.
Complex repetitive discharges - A feature of the urethral continence mechanism or a pathological finding?

Purpose: We compared the proportion of women with complex repetitive discharges on urethral sphincter electromyography during filling cystometry among women with and without urinary disorders.Materials and Methods: After receiving institutional review board approval we recruited community dwelling women without urinary symptoms and women who presented for urinary incontinence treatment. Participants completed the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Women who responded affirmatively to an inventory item (“Do you have difficulty emptying your bladder?” or “Do you experience a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying?”) were classified with voiding dysfunction. Women with post-void residual urine greater than 100 ml, active urinary tract infection, prolapse greater than stage II or neuromuscular disease were excluded from study. Participants underwent standardized multichannel urodynamics with continuous concentric needle electromyography of the urethral sphincter throughout filling cystometry.Results: In the 31 ...
Dickkopf-3/REIC functions as a suppressor gene of tumor growth

To identify putative tumor suppressor genes in hepatocarcinogenesis, we combined the representational difference analysis and reverse northern blot identifying downregulated genes in human hepatoma tissues. One of them was Dkk-3/REIC. Dkk-3/REIC was downregulated in 11 out of the 20 human hepatoma tissues as compared to their counterparts of noncancerous liver tissues by northern blot analysis. It was also downregulated in 29 out of 48 human cancer samples including the kidney, urinary bladder, prostate, pancreas and lung cancers. Its gene product, Dkk-3/REIC, was found to be N-glycosylated and have two isoforms, the 55 kDa in the cytosol and 50 kDa secreted in the medium. Ectopic expression of Dkk-3/REIC in HeLa, Hep3B and Huh 7 cells led to suppression of cell growth, which was primarily attributable to induction of cell apoptosis. The suppression phenomenon was found to be cell-type related (most prominent in HeLa and least in Hep3B cells) and cell-density dependent (attenuated as the cell density increased). Transduction of Dkk-3/REIC into HeLa and Hep3B cells caused suppression on colony formation in vitro and reduced tumor growth rate in inoculated athymic nude mice. In conclusion, these data indicate that Dkk-3/REIC functions as a suppressor for human tumor growth.
Changes in the daily rhythm of lipid metabolism in the diabetic retina

Disruption of circadian regulation was recently shown to cause diabetes and metabolic disease. We have previously demonstrated that retinal lipid metabolism contributed to the development of diabetic retinopathy. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of diabetes on circadian regulation of clock genes and lipid metabolism genes in the retina and retinal endothelial cells (REC). Diabetes had a pronounced inhibitory effect on the negative clock arm with lower amplitude of the period (per) 1 in the retina; lower amplitude and a phase shift of per2 in the liver; and a loss of cryptochrome (cry) 2 rhythmic pattern in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The positive clock arm was increased by diabetes with higher amplitude of circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) and brain and muscle aryl-hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 1 (bmal1) and phase shift in bmal1 rhythmic oscillations in the retina; and higher bmal1 amplitude in the SCN. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α exhibited rhythmic oscillation in retina and liver; PPARγ had lower amplitude in diabetic liver; sterol regulatory element-binding protein (srebp) 1c had higher amplitude in the retina but lower in the liver in STZ- induced diabetic animals. Both of Elongase (Elovl) 2 and Elovl4 had a rhythmic oscillation pattern in the control retina. Diabetic retinas lost Elovl4 rhythmic oscillation and had lower amplitude of Elovl2 oscillations. In line with the in vivo data, circadian expression levels of CLOCK, bmal1 and srebp1c had higher amplitude in rat REC (rREC) isolated from diabetic rats compared with control rats, while PPARγ and Elovl2 had lower amplitude in diabetic rREC. In conclusion, diabetes causes dysregulation of circadian expression of clock genes and the genes controlling lipid metabolism in the retina with potential implications for the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Pain activation of human supraspinal opioid pathways as demonstrated by [11C]-carfentanil and positron emission tomography (PET)

Abstract The role of the supraspinal endogenous opioid system in pain processing has been investigated in this study using positron emission tomography imaging of [11C]-carfentanil, a synthetic, highly specific μ opioid receptor (μ-OR) agonist. Eight healthy volunteers were studied during a baseline imaging session and during a session in which subjects experienced pain induced by applying capsaicin topically to the dorsal aspect of the left hand. A pain-related decrease in brain μ-OR binding was observed in the contralateral thalamus consistent with competitive binding between [11C]-carfentanil and acutely released endogenous opioid peptides. This decrease varied directly with ratings of pain intensity. These results suggest that the supraspinal μ-opioid system is activated by acute pain and thus may play a substantial role in pain processing and modulation in pain syndromes.
Preconditioning protects the retinal pigment epithelium cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death

Purpose The cytotoxic effects of oxidative stress, which play an important role in ocular diseases, are well known. In this study, we investigated the effect of non-lethal doses of oxidative stress on various cell functions, namely cell viability, cell attachment and cell migration in a widely used retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell line (ARPE-19). Methods A single exposure to various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) was used to establish a dose response for H(2)O(2)-induced cell death. Other cellular responses, such as changes in cell attachment and migration, were monitored after exposure to increasing doses. Finally, the effects of preconditioning cells with increasing non-lethal doses of H(2)O(2), with and without a subsequent exposure to lethal doses of H(2)O(2), were determined. Results The optimum dose for inducing cell death in ARPE-19 cells was between 900 and 1000 microm H(2)O(2). Preconditioning the cells with 1, 10 and 50 microm of H(2)O(2) provided a dose-dependent protection against cell death induced by a lethal dose (900-1000 microm) of H(2)O(2). Preconditioning with higher doses caused cells to become more susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of the lethal dose. Although H(2)O(2) increased cell attachment in lower doses, it induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell attachment to the substrate in higher doses. H(2)O(2) did not affect cell migration in sub-lethal doses. Conclusion Preconditioning RPE cells with limited exposure to non-lethal oxidative stress confers significant protection against subsequent H(2)O(2)-induced cell death. It also affects cell attachment in a dose-specific manner. This finding may help in understanding the pathogenesis of diseases in which oxidative stress plays an important role and in determining the suitability of certain treatment strategies, in particular RPE transplantation in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.
Working memory for relations among objects

Across many areas of study in cognition, the capacity of working memory (WM) is widely agreed to be roughly three to five items: three to five objects (i.e., bound collections of object features) in the literature on visual WM or three to five role bindings (i.e., objects in specific relational roles) in the literature on memory and reasoning. Three experiments investigated the capacity of observers’ WM for the spatial relations among objects in a visual display, and the results suggest that the “items” in WM are neither simply objects nor simply role bindings. The results of Experiment 1 are most consistent with a model that treats an “item” in visual WM as an object, along with the roles of all its relations to one other object. Experiment 2 compared observers’ WM for object size with their memory for relative size and provided evidence that observers compute and store objects’ relations per se (rather than just absolute size) in WM. Experiment 3 tested and confirmed several more nuanced predictions of the model supported by Experiment 1. Together, these findings suggest that objects are stored in visual WM in pairs (along with all the relations between the objects in a pair) and that, from the perspective of WM, a given object in one pair is not the same “item” as that same object in a different pair.
A very low-carbohydrate diet improves symptoms and quality of life in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Background & Aims Patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) anecdotally report symptom improvement after initiating a very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD). This study prospectively evaluated a VLCD in IBS-D. Methods Participants with moderate to severe IBS-D were provided a 2-week standard diet, then 4 weeks of a VLCD (20 g carbohydrates/d). A responder was defined as having adequate relief of gastrointestinal symptoms for 2 or more weeks during the VLCD. Changes in abdominal pain, stool habits, and quality of life also were measured. Results Of the 17 participants enrolled, 13 completed the study and all met the responder definition, with 10 (77%) reporting adequate relief for all 4 VLCD weeks. Stool frequency decreased (2.6 ± 0.8/d to 1.4 ± 0.6/d; P Conclusions A VLCD provides adequate relief, and improves abdominal pain, stool habits, and quality of life in IBS-D.
Computational s-Block Thermochemistry with the Correlation Consistent Composite Approach

The correlation consistent composite approach (ccCA) is a model chemistry that has been shown to accurately compute gas-phase enthalpies of formation for alkali and alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides (Ho, D. S.; DeYonker, N. J.; Wilson, A. K.; Cundari, T. R. J. Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110, 9767). The ccCA results contrast to more widely used model chemistries where calculated enthalpies of formation for such species can be in error by up to 90 kcal mol-1. In this study, we have applied ccCA to a more general set of 42 s-block molecules and compared the ccCA DeltaHf values to values obtained using the G3 and G3B model chemistries. Included in this training set are water complexes such as Na(H2O)n+ where n = 1 - 4, dimers and trimers of ionic compounds such as (LiCl)2 and (LiCl)3, and the largest ccCA computation to date: Be(acac)2, BeC10H14O4. Problems with the G3 model chemistries seem to be isolated to metal-oxygen bonded systems and Be-containing systems, as G3 and G3B still perform quite well with a 2.7 and 2.6 kcal mol-1 mean absolute deviation (MAD), respectively, for gas-phase enthalpies of formation. The MAD of the ccCA is only 2.2 kcal mol-1 for enthalpies of formation (DeltaHf) for all compounds studied herein. While this MAD is roughly double that found for a ccCA study of >350 main group (i.e., p-block) compounds, it is commensurate with typical experimental uncertainties for s-block complexes. Some molecules where G3/G3B and ccCA computed DeltaHf values deviate significantly from experiment, such as (LiCl)3, NaCN, and MgF, are inviting candidates for new experimental and high-level theoretical studies.
A new negative resistance device

A new junction device exhibiting current-controlled negative resistance over a voltage range in excess of 150 volts is described. A theory for this device based on conductivity modulation is also presented.
Hydrodynamically tunable optofluidic cylindrical microlens

In this work, we report the design, fabrication, and characterization of a tunable optofluidic microlens that focuses light within a microfluidic device. The microlens is generated by the interface of two co-injected miscible fluids of different refractive indices, a 5 M CaCl2 solution (nD = 1.445) and deionized (DI) water (nD = 1.335). When the liquids flow through a 90-degree curve in a microchannel, a centrifugal effect causes the fluidic interface to be distorted and the CaCl2 solution bows outwards into the DI water portion. The bowed fluidic interface, coupled with the refractive index contrast between the two fluids, yields a reliable cylindrical microlens. The optical characteristics of the microlens are governed by the shape of the fluidic interface, which can be altered by simply changing the flow rate. Higher flow rates generate a microlens with larger curvature and hence shorter focal length. The changing of microlens profile is studied using both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and confocal microscopy. The focusing effect is experimentally characterized through intensity measurements and image analysis of the focused light beam, and the experimental data are further confirmed by the results from a ray-tracing optical simulation. Our investigation reveals a simple, robust, and effective mechanism for integrating optofluidic tunable microlenses in lab-on-a-chip systems.
An investigation of bacteriophage lambda, its protein ghosts and subunits.

Abstract The sedimentation coefficients and molecular weights of bacteriophage lambda and its ghost were determined as S o 20,w = 416 × 10 −13 second and M = 57 × 10 6 for the virus, and S o 20,w = 141 × 10 −13 second and M = 21 × 10 6 for the ghost. The protein portion of the virus consists of at least two distinct types of subunits, with molecular weights of 55,000 and 110,000, which differ markedly in their amino acid content.
Datacloud: expanding the roles and locations of information

This presentation traces the locations and roles of computer documentation over the latter half of the twentieth-century in order to construct a model of information/knowledge space as it relates to different forms of work. The paper then provides suggestions about future forms of documentation and interface based on ethnographic research of workers in recently emerging forms of work, including nonlinear audio/video production and videogame playing. The final section of the paper provides concrete suggestions about forms of documentation and interface that will be required to support these new forms of work.
Parallel construction of minimal perfect hashing functions with neural networks

The seeking of minimal perfect hashing functions (MPHF) has a long history and conventional construction methods are sequential algorithms. To parallelize the MPHF construction, a new method using neural networks is proposed in this paper. It constructs a MPHF by training a massive array of neural nets, and the training tasks can be carried out simultaneously. As the total MPHF construction time is proportional to the key set size, the new method can be applied to build MPHFs for large key sets. In one experiment, a MPHF for a dictionary of 24,464 English words is constructed by training an array of 764 multilayered feedforward neural nets. Network training time is reduced by employing an incremental training procedure. Implementation issues concerning persistent object storage and retrieval are also discussed.
The calculated and observed diurnal variation of the ionosphere over Millstone Hill on 23–24 March 1970

Abstract A numerical model of current F -region theory is use to calculate the diurnal variation of the mid-latitude ionospheric F -region over Millstone Hill on 23–24 March 1970, during quiet geomagnetic conditions. From the solar EUV flux, the model calculates at each altitude and time step primary photoelectron spectra and ionization rates of various ion species. The photoelectron transport equation is solved for the secondary ionization rates, photoelectron spectra, and various airglow excitation rates. Five ion continuity equations that include the effects of transport by diffusion, magnetospheric-ionospheric plasma transport, electric fields, and neutral winds are solved for the ion composition and electron density. The electron and ion temperatures are also calculated using the heating rates determined from chemical reactions, photoelectron collisions, and magnetospheric-ionospheric energy transport. The calculations are performed for a diurnal cycle considering a stationary field tube co-rotating with the Earth; only the vertical plasma drift caused by electric fields perpendicular to the geomagnetic field line is allowed but not the horizontal drift. The boundary conditions used in the model are determined from the incoherent scatter radar measurements of T e , T i and O + flux at 800km over Millstone Hill (Evans, 1971a). The component of the neutral thermospheric winds along the geomagnetic field has an important influence on the overall ionospheric structure. It is determined from a separate dynamic model of the neutral thermosphere, using incoherent scatter radar measurements. The calculated diurnal variation of the ionospheric structure agrees well with the values measured by the incoherent scatter radar when certain restrictions are placed on the solar EUV flux and model neutral atmospheric compositions. Namely, the solar EUV fluxes of Hinteregger (1970) are doubled and an atomic oxygen concentration of at least 10 11 cm 3 at 120 km is required for the neutral model atmosphere. Calculations also show that the topside thermal structure of the ionosphere is primarily maintained by a flow of heat from the magnetosphere and the night-time F 2-region is maintained in part by neutral winds, diffusion, electric fields, and plasma flow from the magnetosphere. The problem of maintaining the calculated night-time ionosphere at the observed values is also discussed.
The closed-circuit degassing of liquid aluminum by argon

This concept for the recycling of argon gas for degassing liquid aluminum upon the removal of hydrogen promises significant savings and only limited expense for system construction and maintenance. The size chosen for the system is somewhat arbitrary because the necessary control functions respond to an in-line sensor. The recycling of argon also promises a savings in fuel costs. Any unforeseen malfunction of the unit would not interfere with the degassing operation. Preliminary experiments show that a commercial catalyst can readily achieve the required reaction rates, and the optimization of bed temperatures has been studied. if future funding became available, a complete (two-column) model of the system with the associated valves, relays, etc., could be built to test the durability of one or more catalysts to repeated cycling. Otherwise, the system seems to be suited for commercial development and adoption. A companion innovation for the closedloop degassing/fluxing of nitrogen-chlorine represents a potentially complementary process for the treatment of liquid metal baths.
Validated solutions of initial value problems for parametric ODEs

In initial value problems for ODEs with interval-valued parameters and/or initial values, it is desirable in many applications to be able to determine a validated enclosure of all possible solutions to the ODE system. Much work has been done for the case in which initial values are given by intervals, and there are available software packages that deal with this case. However, less work has been done on the case in which parameters are given by intervals. We describe here a new method for obtaining validated solutions of initial value problems for ODEs with interval-valued parameters. The method also accounts for interval-valued initial values. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using several numerical examples involving parametric uncertainties.
Spontaneous adhesion of silicone rubber

Lightly crosslinked silicone rubber has been found to bond spontaneouly to polar substrates and to itself. The strength of adhesion increases linearly with time, eventually reaching the fracture strength of the rubber. The process is accelerated by raising the temperature (activation energy ⋍ 60 kJ/g. mol), by the presence of moisture, and by ammonia vapor. It is tentatively attributed to hydrolytic decomposition of the polymer leading to the formation of reactive groups which interlink with surface groups, probably hydroxyls, on polar substrates, or with each other in the case of selfadhesion.
Using simultaneous, tandem gene replacements to study expression of the multicopy ubiquitin-fusion (FUS) gene family of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Abstract Many genes in trypanosomes exist as members of multicopy gene families. Due to this fact it is frequently difficult to determine if specific members of a gene family are expressed. We describe here a strategy for simultaneous tandem gene replacement in T. cruzi which leads to the replacement of the gene of interest by a silent reporter gene, the expression of which can be assayed in stable transformants. To determine if the FUSI gene (one of 5 copies of the ubiquitin-fusion, FUS , gene family) was expressed, stable G418-resistant transformants were isolated in which the tandemly arrayed CUB2.65 and FUSI genes were precisely replaced by the neomycin phosphotransferase ( neo r ) and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase ( CAT ) genes, respectively. All stable clones carrying the tandem gene replacements were shown to express the CAT activity indicating that FUSI is expressed in mid-log epimastigotes. Northern blot analysis of parasites carrying the tandem gene replacements indicated that at least one other member of the FUS gene family is expressed and that there were no apparent polar effects on the expression of genes downstream of the replacement events. These experiments have demonstrated the utility of tandem gene replacements as a means of inserting a nonselected reporter gene into the chromosome, facilitating the molecular genetic analysis of the expression of multicopy gene families.
A meta-analysis of face recognition covariates

This paper presents a meta-analysis for covariates that affect performance of face recognition algorithms. Our review of the literature found six covariates for which multiple studies reported effects on face recognition performance. These are: age of the person, elapsed time between images, gender of the person, the person's expression, the resolution of the face images, and the race of the person. The results presented are drawn from 25 studies conducted over the past 12 years. There is near complete agreement between all of the studies that older people are easier to recognize than younger people, and recognition performance begins to degrade when images are taken more than a year apart. While individual studies find men or women easier to recognize, there is no consistent gender effect. There is universal agreement that changing expression hurts recognition performance. If forced to compare different expressions, there is still insufficient evidence to conclude that any particular expression is better than another. Higher resolution images improve performance for many modern algorithms. Finally, given the studies summarized here, no clear conclusions can be drawn about whether one racial group is harder or easier to recognize than another.
Mechanical Tissue Optical Clearing Devices: Evaluation of Enhanced Light Penetration in Skin using OCT

We report results of a study to evaluate effectiveness of a mechanical tissue optical clearing device (TOCD) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The TOCD consists of a pin array and vacuum pressure source applied directly to the skin surface. OCT images (850 and 1310 nm) of in vivo human skin indicate an increased light penetration depth (enhanced approximately 2 fold over peripheral tissue) which spatially correlates with TOCD pin indentations. Increased contrast of the epidermal-dermal junction in OCT images spatially correlates with indented zones. OCT M-scans (time sequence of depth scans) indicate optical penetration depth monotonically increased throughout the entire image acquisition period with most improvement at early times of TOCD application with vacuum. Results of our study suggest that mechanical optical clearing of skin may provide a means to deliver increased light fluence to dermal and subdermal regions.
Two-dimensional, multiregion analysis of temperature fields in reactor tube bundles

Abstract A multiregion method for predicting temperature fields in the coolant, cladding and fuel regions of clustered rod tube bundles is developed. Analytical expressions for the circumferential variations of the inside and outside cladding wall temperatures and heat fluxes and of the cladding wall temperature drop are given. Pitch-to-diameter ratios over which single coolant region analyses of energy transport in tube bundles are approximately valid are defined.
Scent of a Mystic Woman: Teresa de Jesús and the Interior Castle

In 1577 Teresa de Jesus composed the Interior Castle , an account of her spiritual experiences that deployed architectural images designed to incite readers to piety and devotion. Critical readings have identified the castle as a spiritual and aesthetic emblem of Christian hegemony, emplotting de Jesus's works in the rhetorical frame of Reconquista narratives. But the Castle , like the houses in the 1562 Book of Life and the palaces in the 1562-1564 Way of Perfection , moves readers to remember landscapes that differ from a monocultural event, as it narrates the ultimate spiritual encounter in frank dissidence with the hegemonic politics and aesthetics of Catholicism that became the law of the land in Spain after 1492. In line with a diversity of medieval mystical traditions from Europe and the Middle East, the choice of a castle—a key architectural sign of the Middle Ages—as the place of paradox, memory, and experience of the sublime offers clues that de Jesus figured out a way to communicate what seemed to be an unaccountable event in Counter-Reformation Spain: being in the presence of divinity and living to tell such story in cross-confessional terms. This essay analyzes the polysemic traces of the castle built by this mystic woman with the figurative fragrance of multicultural medieval Iberia, a space where she carefully negotiated war, crusades, and other kingdoms of heaven with contemplation, survival ( pervivencia ), and adaptation.
Oligopeptide Induction of a Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Response to HER-2/Neu Proto-oncogene in Vitro

The HER-2/neu proto-oncogene (HER-2) encodes a transmembrane protein whose expression is enhanced in a number of breast and ovarian tumors and correlates with tumor aggressiveness. Because of its expression on normal epithelial cells, HER-2 can be defined as a tumor associated antigen and is of interest as a target of a therapeutic anti-tumor T cell response. To investigate whether oligopeptides analogs of HER-2 isolated from a likely target area of T cells can induce an anti-tumor CTL response, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated in vitro with HER-2 synthetic peptides. CTL cultures generated recognized peptides used as immunogen. A CD3+CD8+CD4- line isolated from these cultures lysed HLA-A2+, HER-2+ ovarian tumors but not natural killer target K562 cells, and showed significantly higher lysis of HER-2high than of HER-2low ovarian tumors. This lysis was inhibited by HER-2 peptide-pulsed HLA-A2+ targets, suggesting that similar epitopes are presented on tumor cells associated with HLA-A2. The observation that peptide analogs of a proto-oncogene can induce CTL in vitro which express tumor lysis dependent on the levels of expression of HER-2 is novel for human tumor systems. Targeting by T cells of HER-2 may prove useful for understanding the mechanisms of recognition, tolerance, and therapeutic use of human tumor reactive T cells.
Reactions of pentafluorotellurium hypohalites with fluoroolefins

Abstract Both pentafluorotellurium hypochlorite, TeF 5 OCl, and hypofluorite, TeF 5 OF, react with fluoroolefins to form TeF 5 O- containing fluorocarbons, a new class of compounds. In the case of TeF 5 OF, yields of the adducts are high (60–86%) but are lower (22–30%) with TeF 5 OCl. In the latter case extensive chlorofluorination of the olefin occurs. Olefins studied include CF 2 CF 2 , CF 3 CFCF 2 , CF 2 CFCl, and perfluorocyclopentene. Details of the synthesis and characterization of these new fluorocarbons are presented.
Cortical β-adrenergic subsensitivity after desmethylimipramine may depend on the passage of time rather than daily treatment

Earlier data from our laboratory indicated that the effects of antidepressants on dopamine autoreceptors are dependent on the passage of time rather than repeated treatment. The present study inquired whether the same might be true of cortical beta-adrenergic receptors. Our findings indicate that beta-adrenergic subsensitivity is obtained whether rats were treated with desmethylimipramine daily for 17 days or only on day 1 and day 17. These data suggest that antidepressant-induced changes in beta-receptor sensitivity may, like those in dopamine autoreceptors, also depend on the passage of time.
Cliques for the identification of gene signatures for colorectal cancer across population

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. Studies have correlated risk of CRC development with dietary habits and environmental conditions. Gene signatures for any disease can identify the key biological processes, which is especially useful in studying cancer development. Such processes can be used to evaluate potential drug targets. Though recognition of CRC gene-signatures across populations is crucial to better understanding potential novel treatment options for CRC, it remains a challenging task. We developed a topological and biological feature-based network approach for identifying the gene signatures across populations. In this work, we propose a novel approach of using cliques to understand the variability within population. Cliques are more conserved and co-expressed, therefore allowing identification and comparison of cliques across a population which can help researchers study gene variations. Our study was based on four publicly available expression datasets belonging to four different populations across the world. We identified cliques of various sizes (0 to 7) across the four population networks. Cliques of size seven were further analyzed across populations for their commonality and uniqueness. Forty-nine common cliques of size seven were identified. These cliques were further analyzed based on their connectivity profiles. We found associations between the cliques and their connectivity profiles across networks. With these clique connectivity profiles (CCPs), we were able to identify the divergence among the populations, important biological processes (cell cycle, signal transduction, and cell differentiation), and related gene pathways. Therefore the genes identified in these cliques and their connectivity profiles can be defined as the gene-signatures across populations. In this work we demonstrate the power and effectiveness of cliques to study CRC across populations. We developed a new approach where cliques and their connectivity profiles helped elucidate the variation and similarity in CRC gene profiles across four populations with unique dietary habits.
Clinical decisions. Management of skin and soft-tissue infection--polling results.

This interactive feature presented the case of a 20-year-old basketball player with acute onset of a red, painful area on his right buttock over the previous 2 days. Readers were invited to vote for one of three possible treatment options.
Electrophoretic characteristics of macroamylasemic serum.

Abstract Serum samples from 28 patients with macroamylasemia were studied by paper electrophoresis. Amylase activity appeared as a single peak located between the γand β-globulin zones and did not differ appreciably from normal serum amylase in electrophoretic mobility. When segments of the electrophoretic paper strip showing amylase activity were eluted and the eluate examined by dextran gel chromatography, the single peak was found to contain both a macroamylase component and the amylase of normal molecular weight. The ratio of macroamylase to amylase of normal molecular weight differed to a variable degree, however, from that in the untreated whole serum. Although the mechanism responsible for this change in ratio is not clear, it is possible that the macroamylase complex was partially dissociated by the electric field.