cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of 2,5-disubstituted-indazolo[4,3-gh]isoquinolin-6(2h)-ones (9-aza-anthrapyrazoles)

The synthesis and antitumor evaluation of 2, 5-disubstituted-indazolo[4,3-gh]isoquinolin-6(2H)-ones (9-aza-APs) are described. The key intermediates in the synthesis are benz[g]isoquinoline-5,10-diones which are substituted at positions 6 and 9 with groups of different nucleofugacity for SNAr displacements. The initial displacement of fluoride by a substituted hydrazine leads to the pyrazole analogues. Substitution of the remaining leaving group by an amine or BOC-protected amines leads to the 9-aza-APs 12. These analogues were converted into their maleate or hydrochloride salts 13. In two cases, namely, 13x and 13z, sidearm buildup was also employed in the synthetic pathway. In vitro evaluation of 9-aza-APs against the human colon tumor cell line LoVo uncovered for most of the compounds a cytotoxic potency lower than that of DuP-941 or mitoxantrone and comparable to that of doxorubicin. Only analogues 13c, 13n, and 13ff were as cytotoxic as DuP-941. Interestingly, while DuP-941 was highly cross-resistant in the LoVo cell line resistant to doxorubicin (LoVo/Dx), the 9-aza-APs carrying a distal lipophilic tertiary amine moiety in both chains were capable of overcoming the MDR resistance induced in this cell line. The 9-aza-APs show outstanding in vivo antitumor activity against both systemic P388 murine leukemia and MX-1 human mammary carcinoma transplanted in nude mice. At their optimal dosages, congeners 13a-c, 13f, 13n, 13q, 13x, and 13dd were highly effective against P388 leukemia with T/C% of 200-381, while the T/C% value of DuP-941 was 147. In the MX-1 tumor model, 24 compounds elicited percentages of tumor weight inhibitions (TWI) ranging from 50% to 99%. Congeners 13d, 13k, 13l, 13x, 13z, and 13ee emerged as the most effective ones, with TWI% 96, simliar to that of DuP-941 (TWI% = 95). On the basis of their efficacy profile in additional experimental tumors and lack of cardiotoxicity in preclinical models, two congeners have surfaced as potential clinical candidates.
Composite grid generation code for general 3-D regions - The EAGLE code

A three-dimensional grid generation code based on a composite block structure is discussed. The code can operate either as an algebraic generation system or as an elliptic generation system. Provision is made for orthogonality at boundaries and complete continuity at block interfaces. The code can operate in two or three dimensions or on a curved surface. The input is structured to be user-oriented, and arbitrary block configurations can be treated.
Network properties and social sharing of emotions in social awareness streams

The relationship between social sharing of emotions, social networks and social ties is an ongoing topic of research. Such sharing of emotions occurs frequently in "social awareness streams" platforms like Twitter and Facebook. We use Twitter to address research questions about the association of properties of a user's network, such as size and density, with expression of emotion in the user's Twitter posts. Our analysis suggests that expression of emotion can explain some of the variance in users' Twitter networks, and that the use of emotion in interactions between users is a strong explaining factor.
Secondary flows in cone and plate flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid

Abstract The cone and plate flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid in the limit of small gap angle was investigated and regions in De -β- Re space in which there are either zero, one, or infinitely many steady axisymmetric solutions for the infinite cone and plate problem were found. Closed-form analytic expressions for the leading terms in an asymptotic expansion of a steady axisymmetric solution were obtained. This solution is valid for Re of order unity (i.e. for flows with inertia). The effect of Deborah number De , retardation parameter β, and Reynolds number Re , on secondary flow is discussed.
Perceived Sibling Use of Verbally Aggressive Messages Across the Lifespan

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine perceived siblings' use of verbally aggressive messages across the lifespan and the impact of these messages on liking, trust, and commitment. Participants were 272 individuals who reported on their relationship with a sibling. Results indicated that (a) the perceived sibling use of verbally aggressive messages decreases across the lifespan in that verbally aggressive messages are used more frequently in young adulthood than in either middle adulthood or late adulthood and (b) perceived use of some of these verbally aggressive messages are related indirectly to sibling liking, trust, and commitment. Future research should examine how siblings respond to these verbally aggressive messages and whether their response is mediated by liking, trust, and commitment.
Changes in the memory operating characteristic during recognition learning

Four S s learned to recognize 30 lists of paired associates. Confidence judgments were obtained with all responses. The learning data were in agreement with a Markov model which requires a constant error probability in the initial state. The The confidence judgments were used to construct memory-operating characteristics. The MOC based upon all scores of the first test trial is smooth and symmetric and indicates good discrimination. MOCs were also constructed from scores of the first test trial which were followed by an error on some later trial, and from all scores before the last error. These two MOCs overlapped and were in between the MOC based upon all first-trial scores and the chance line. It is concluded that on trials before the last error S s possess some information about the learning material but that the amount of information does not increase during those trials.
The influence of diabetes on free flap transfer: I. Flap survival and microvascular healing.

Abstract Although recent clinical case presentations suggest that diabetes does not predispose free tissue transfers to increased risk of failure, this remains an open question. The present study used a syngeneic rat strain (Lewis) for free groin flap transplantations between normal rats and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (2 months' duration of symptoms), to investigate the influence of diabetes on flap transfer. Flap survival at 1 week, vascular patency, flap histology and ultrastructure, and scanning electron microscopy of anastomotic sites and of corrosion casts of flap vasculature were used as bases for comparison. No differences were found in comparisons of flap survival between any groups of transfer combinations (normal flap onto normal recipient, diabetic flap onto normal recipient, normal flap onto diabetic recipient, and diabetic flap onto diabetic recipient); 100% success was achieved in each group. No differences were found in histology or corrosion casts. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a thickening of the capillary basement membrane in rat diabetic skin after only 8 weeks of symptoms. This ultrastructural finding is consistent with similar capillary basement membrane thickening seen in many other tissues of short- and long-term diabetic animals and humans. Re-endothelialization across the arterial anastomosis at 2 weeks postoperatively was significantly faster in normal versus diabetic animals (p less than 0.05). The predominantly negative findings of this study support the application of free flap transfers in diabetic patients. It is concluded that reconstructive efforts involving free tissue transfer may not be contraindicated in diabetic patients.
Immunological differences among the cholera/coli family of enterotoxins

Abstract Pure enterotoxins from two strains of Vibrio cholerae and choleragen-related heat-labile enterotoxins (LTs) from strains of Escherichia coli of human and porcine origin were examined by Ouchterlony-type immunodiffusion assays and by neutralization tests in Y-1 adrenal cells using specific and immunopurified antisera. In accordance with previous findings, the results indicated that each of the toxins shared antigens with each of the others and that each, in addition, possessed unique antigenic determinants. The present study, however, indicates further that enterotoxin-type specific antibodies, in some instances, account for a major portion of the neutralizing activity. The full extent and importance of the antigenic drift in the cholera/coli] family of ADP-ribosylating, adenylate cyclase-activating, heat-labile enterotoxins remains to be determined. The results will be pertinent to efforts to develop broad-spectrum antitoxic immunity as well as in the development of methods for the rapid detection and identification of enterotoxigenic strains.
Estimating Temperature-Dependent Thermal Properties

Parameter estimation techniques are applied to estimate temperature-dependent thermal properties from a series of transient experiments. Several experiments with one and two-dimensional heat flow that cover a range from room temperature to 500°C are analyzed. Temperature-dependent thermal properties are estimated by connecting the independent experiments in the series during the analysis. The techniques are applied to estimate effective properties of carbon-carbon composite. The temperature dependence of two components of thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity are estimated to characterize the assumed orthotropic material. The techniques can be equally applied to other homogenous materials. Combining experiments during the analysis is referred to as a sequential analysis, which uses the concepts of regularization and prior information. Regularization controls variations in the estimated parameters. Prior information carries information from a previous analysis into a subsequent analysis
Integrating Cognitive Science and Technology Improves Learning in a STEM Classroom

The most effective educational interventions often face significant barriers to widespread implementation because they are highly specific, resource intense, and/or comprehensive. We argue for an alternative approach to improving education: leveraging technology and cognitive science to develop interventions that generalize, scale, and can be easily implemented within any curriculum. In a classroom experiment, we investigated whether three simple, but powerful principles from cognitive science could be combined to improve learning. Although implementation of these principles only required a few small changes to standard practice in a college engineering course, it significantly increased student performance on exams. Our findings highlight the potential for developing inexpensive, yet effective educational interventions that can be implemented worldwide.
Raman and infrared spectra, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, vibrational assignment, and ab initio calculations for 3‐iodopropene

The Raman spectra (3200—10 cm−1) of gaseous, liquid and solid and infrared spectra (3200—40 cm−1) of gaseous and solid 3-iodopropene, H2CCHCH2I, were recorded. The fundamental asymmetric torsional transition of the most stable gauche conformer was observed in the Raman and far-infrared spectra of the gas at 95 cm −1. In the Raman spectrum of the liquid a second CI stretch and two skeletal bending modes were identified for the less stable cis conformer. From a study of the Raman spectrum of the liquid at various temperatures, a value of 648±81 cm−1 (1.85±0.23 kcal mol−1)was determined for the enthalpy difference between the higher energy cis and preferred gauche conformers. These data, along with the dihedral angle for the gauche conformer obtained from an electron diffraction study, combined with results obtained from ab initio calculations, allow for an estimate of the potential function governing internal rotation about the CC bond. The values for the torsional potential coefficients are V1 = −208 ± 10, V2 = −532 ± 10, and V3 = 534 ± 8 cm−1. This potential is consistent with a dihedral angle (∠ CCCI) of 113.0° for the gauche conformer cis to gauche, gauche to gauche and gauche to cis barriers of 160, 904 and 738 cm−1, respectively, and an enthalpy difference between the conformers of 580 ± 30 cm−1 (1.66 ± 0.09 kcal mol−1). The asymmetric torsional potential surface, complete equilibrium geometries and vibrational frequencies were calculated using restricted Hartree-Fock calculations with the STO-3G*, 3-21G*/medium, a medium-sized combination basis set suitable for a DZ-type contraction of the valence shell orbitals, and the LANL1DZ basis sets. All of these results are discussed and compared with the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
Strategies in Neuroendocrine Neurophysiology

SYNOPSIS. Hormonal effects on selected indicators of neural activity are reviewed with reference to neuroendocrine mechanisms. The nature of brain recordings and their advantages and disadvantages in neuroendocrine applications are discussed. The problems of localization of neuroendocrine mechanisms in place and time are presented, with indications of which processes may be best suited to neurophysiological analysis.
Formal definition and verification of data flow diagrams

Abstract Data flow diagrams (DFD) are widely used to specify large complex software systems. A DFD is visual and informal, hence, easy to learn and use. However, its informality makes it difficult to conduct formal verification of the consistency and completeness of a DFD specification. The objective of this article is to provide a formal basis for the DFD. A DFD is defined as a diagraph together with a binary relation, called the precedence relation. The nodes of the digraph represent the processes, data stores, and external entities, and the directed edges represent the data flows. The precedence relation for a DFD is an abstraction of the functional semantics and specifies the “is-used-to-produce” relationships among the data flows. Based on this definition, the notion of consistency in process decomposition is defined. The child DFD that results from decomposition is consistent with the parent process if the child DFD preserves the precedence relation for the parent process and does not introduce additional precedence relationships between the input and output flows of the parent process. This consistency criterion is shown to be stronger than those found in the literature. Moreover, a number of completeness criteria are discussed and formalized. The results of this paper can be easily incorporated into some existing CASE tools.
Genome rearrangements detected by SNP microarrays in individuals with intellectual disability referred with possible Williams syndrome.

Background Intellectual disability (ID) affects 2–3% of the population and may occur with or without multiple congenital anomalies (MCA) or other medical conditions. Established genetic syndromes and visible chromosome abnormalities account for a substantial percentage of ID diagnoses, although for ∼50% the molecular etiology is unknown. Individuals with features suggestive of various syndromes but lacking their associated genetic anomalies pose a formidable clinical challenge. With the advent of microarray techniques, submicroscopic genome alterations not associated with known syndromes are emerging as a significant cause of ID and MCA.
Selective pressurized liquid extraction of pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in a whale earplug (earwax): a novel method for analyzing organic contaminants in lipid-rich matrices.

Abstract Lipid-rich matrices are often sinks for lipophilic contaminants, such as pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Typically methods for contaminant extraction and cleanup for lipid-rich matrices require multiple cleanup steps; however, a selective pressurized liquid extraction (SPLE) technique requiring no additional cleanup has been developed for the simultaneous extraction and cleanup of whale earwax (cerumen; a lipid-rich matrix). Whale earwax accumulates in select whale species over their lifetime to form wax earplugs. Typically used as an aging technique in cetaceans, layers or laminae that comprise the earplug are thought to be associated with annual or semiannual migration and feeding patterns. Whale earplugs (earwax) represent a unique matrix capable of recording and archiving whales’ lifetime contaminant profiles. This study reports the first analytical method developed for identifying and quantifying lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a whale earplug including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The analytical method was developed using SPLE to extract contaminants from ∼0.25 to 0.5 g aliquots of each lamina of sectioned earplug. The SPLE was optimized for cleanup adsorbents (basic alumina, silica gel, and Florisil ® ), adsorbent to sample ratio, and adsorbent order. In the optimized SPLE method, the earwax homogenate was placed within the extraction cell on top of basic alumina (5 g), silica gel (15 g), and Florisil ® (10 g) and the target analytes were extracted from the homogenate using 1:1 (v/v) dichloromethane:hexane. POPs were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with electron capture negative ionization and electron impact ionization. The average percent recoveries for the POPs were 91% (±6% relative standard deviation), while limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.00057 to 0.96 ng g −1 and 0.0017 to 2.9 ng g −1 , respectively. Pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs, were measured in a single blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ) cerumen lamina at concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 150 ng g −1 .
Wave function of an anisotropic universe

The wave function of the Bianchi type-IX universe with small anisotropy is calculated using the Hartle-Hawking prescription.
Supercell calculations of the valence photoemission spectra of CeSb, PrSb, and NdSb

Photoemission spectra, as calculated using a transition-state analysis within a supercell approach, are found to be in good agreement with experimental data for both PrSb and NdSb. The model assumes localized f electrons in the ground state and a localized f photohole in the final state. By comparing these results to previous ones for CeSb, we determine how the photoemission peak due to f emission moves further away from the Fermi energy for higher Z. Finally, we predict where a second f feature might be seen if resonant photoemission were done on these two compounds.
Concordance Between Original Screening and Final Diagnosis Using Imager vs. Manual Screen of Cervical Liquid-Based Cytology Slides

OBJECTIVE To compare agreement of pathologists and cytotechnologists and technologist productivity before and after implementation of the Cytyc ThinPrep Imager. STUDY DESIGN Using the Cytyc ThinPrep Imaging System, a retrospective analysis was conducted, from the first 6 months in 2004 and in 2005. Total cases in January through June were 79,791 in 2004 and 76,887 in 2005. Data on the number and type of changes from one impression to another were collected in a "confusion matrix". The chi2 test with 1 degree of freedom was used to calculate the significance of the difference between the groups. RESULTS Changes in diagnosis were most frequently seen in negative for intraepithelial lesion, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Interobserver agreement before the imager (weighted kappa) was 0.74 and after was 0.73. CONCLUSIONS The number of high-grade lesions detected increased with the imager (p < 0.01). Technologist productivity increased by an average of 2.2 slides/hour.
Enforced expression of the tumor suppressor p53 renders human leukemia cells (U937) more sensitive to 1-[β-D-arabinofuranosyl]cytosine (ara-C)-induced apoptosis

The effects of enforced expression of p53 on the sensitivity of p53(-/-) human monocytic leukemia cells (U937) to apoptosis following exposure to the S-phase-specific antimetabolite 1-[beta-D-arabinofuranosyl]cytosine (ara-C) were examined. Cells were stably transfected with a plasmid containing a chimeric DNA construct encoding a temperature-sensitive p53 variant (135(ala-->val)), which transactivates at 32 degrees but is non-functional at 37 degrees. A significant reduction in the S-phase population was observed in ptsp53 mutants incubated at 32 degrees. Nevertheless, while vector controls did not exhibit differential sensitivity to ara-C at 32 degrees versus 37 degrees, temperature-sensitive p53 mutants displayed a significant increase in apoptosis at the permissive temperature. This was not accompanied by increased ara-CTP formation, DNA incorporation of [3H]ara-C, or altered expression of Bcl-2 or Bax. Enhanced sensitivity was associated with increased mitochondrial injury (e.g. cytochrome c release), caspase activation, and loss of clonogenic survival. Significantly, ptsp53 cells synchronized in S phase were markedly more sensitive to ara-C-mediated mitochondrial injury and apoptosis at 32 degrees, indicating that wild-type p53 specifically enhances the susceptibility of this subpopulation to ara-C lethality. Consistent with these results, transient transfection of human wild-type p53 cDNA rendered parental U937 cells more sensitive to ara-C-mediated cell death. Collectively, these findings indicate that p53 expression renders S-phase U937 cells more susceptible to ara-C-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, apoptosis, and loss of clonogenic survival without enhancing ara-C metabolism. Such findings raise the possibility that loss of functional p53 activity allows leukemia cells to circumvent ara-C lethality.
Removal of Plutonium-239, Tungsten-185 and Lead-210 from Soils

THE increasing use of plutonium and the possibility of the activation of tungsten and lead by intense neutron flux produced by nuclear devices suggested a need for some investigations of the plant–soil interrelationship of these elements. Lead-210, 185W and 239Pu were the nuclides used.
Organic Complexation of Fe(II) and Its Impact on the Redox Cycling of Iron in Rain

More than 80% of the iron(II) present in a dilute (pH 4.5) H2SO4 solution was oxidized by hydrogen peroxide (3 μM) in 24 h, whereas in rainwater Fe(II) remained stable for days indicating that a complexed form of Fe(II) exists in rainwater that protects it against oxidation. When a rain sample was irradiated for 2 h with simulated sunlight, there was a 57 nM increase in Fe(II) resulting from photoreduction of organic Fe(III) complexes. Once irradiation ceased, the photoproduced Fe(II) rapidly oxidized back to its initial concentration of 32 nM prior to irradiation, but not to zero. These photochemical studies demonstrate that during the daytime when sunlight is present there are dynamic interconversions between complexed and uncomplexed Fe(II) and Fe(III) species in rainwater. During the night, after the photochemically produced Fe(II) is reoxidized to Fe(III), virtually all remaining Fe(II) is complexed by ligands which resist further oxidation. Rain samples oxidized under intense UV light lost their abi...
The Pharmacology of Some Bis-Quaternary Ammonium Compounds*

Four experimental hypotensive agents [JB-520 (1,6-bis-N, N-dimethylamino-2-hexyne dimethobromide), JB-540 (1,6-bis-N, N-morpholino-2-hexyne dimethobromide), JB-549 ( beta -[3-dimethylamino (propylamino)]-N-methylpiperidine dimethobromide), and JB-591 ( beta -dimethylaminoethyl-N-methyl-pipecolinate dimethobromide)], and chlorisondamine dimethochloride were investigated for their pharmacological activities. All of the compounds blocked transmission in the cat superior cervical ganglion, blocked the hypertensive activity of DMPP in the rat, and dilated the mesenteric blood vessels of the rat. JB-520 and chlorisondamine depressed the auricular musculature of the perfused turtle heart, and JB-520 produced a negative inotropic effect on the isolated rabbit heart. All of the compounds increased the activity of the isolated rabbit ileum except JB-591, which was inactive. None of the compounds produced alterations in the blood pressure of the pithed rat.
Interrelationships among the levels of ATP, adenosine and cyclic AMP in incubated slices of guinea-pig cerebral cortex: effects of depolarizing agents, psychotropic drugs and metabolic inhibitors.

—Adenine nucleotides of guinea-pig cerebral cortical slices were labelled during a 40 min incubation with [14C]adenine. Subsequent incubation of cortical slices with depolarizing agents, such as veratridine, ouabain, batrachotoxin and high concentrations of potassium ions, or with certain psychotropic drugs such as chlorpromazine, chlorimipramine or prenylamine resulted in a reduction in both endogenous and radioactive ATP, accompanied by a marked increase in levels of both endogenous and radioactive cyclic AMP. Reduction of ATP levels during incubation with depolarizing agents, such as veratridine, is probably associated with increased activity of membranal Na+-K+-activated ATPase, while the reduction elicited by psychotropic drugs is proposed to be due to inhibition of mitochondrial synthesis of ATP. With both classes of compounds reduction of ATP levels results in enhanced formation and efflux of adenosine which stimulates formation of cyclic AMP from intracellular ATP in the compartments of brain slices which contain the cyclic AMP-generating systems. Certain classical metabolic inhibitors such as 2,4-dinitrophenol, azide, 1,2-naphthoquinone-8-sulfonate and cyanide also reduce ATP levels and in the case of 2,4-dinitrophenol, cyanide, and azide elicit small but significant accumulations of cyclic AMP. With certain metabolic inhibitors reduction of ATP within the cyclic AMP generating compartments would appear to prevent or reduce the accumulation of cyclic AMP elicited by amines, adenosine or veratridine.
The Case of "CG": Balancing Supportive and Insight-Oriented, Psychodynamic Therapy with a Client Undergoing Intense Life Stresses

"CG," a 28-year-old graduate student, initially presented with complaints of depression, in response to social isolation and academic problems that had resulted in being placed on probation. Based on a history with non-nurturing parents who either neglected or physically abused him, CG had developed as an independent, interpersonally cut-off individual with a suspicious, paranoid view of the world, making initial therapeutic access to him quite challenging. Not surprisingly, in spite of a very problematic personal history, he had never before sought any kind of therapy, stating at intake that he was trying it as a &uotlast resort." As the therapist, I employed a broadly defined, object-relations-focused, psychodynamic framework, with a particular emphasis upon balancing supportive versus insight-oriented modes of therapy. This balance turned out to be a key factor in developing an effective therapeutic relationship with this client and in helping him to move towards a more engaged and connected bond with his social world.
Specificity and Evolutionary Conservation of the Escherichia coli RNA Pyrophosphohydrolase RppH

Background: In bacteria, RppH triggers mRNA degradation by converting the 5′-terminal triphosphate to a monophosphate. Results: The substrate specificity of E. coli RppH has been determined, along with residues important for this property and species in which they are conserved. Conclusion: The specificity of RppH is species-dependent. Significance: These findings help to explain the selective influence of RppH on rates of mRNA decay. Bacterial RNA degradation often begins with conversion of the 5′-terminal triphosphate to a monophosphate by the RNA pyrophosphohydrolase RppH, an event that triggers rapid ribonucleolytic attack. Besides its role as the master regulator of 5′-end-dependent mRNA decay, RppH is important for the ability of pathogenic bacteria to invade host cells, yet little is known about how it chooses its targets. Here, we show that Escherichia coli RppH (EcRppH) requires at least two unpaired nucleotides at the RNA 5′ end and prefers three or more such nucleotides. It can tolerate any nucleotide at the first three positions but has a modest preference for A at the 5′ terminus and either a G or A at the second position. Mutational analysis has identified EcRppH residues crucial for substrate recognition or catalysis. The promiscuity of EcRppH differentiates it from its Bacillus subtilis counterpart, which has a strict RNA sequence requirement. EcRppH orthologs likely to share its relaxed sequence specificity are widespread in all classes of Proteobacteria, except Deltaproteobacteria, and in flowering plants. By contrast, the phylogenetic range of recognizable B. subtilis RppH orthologs appears to be restricted to the order Bacillales. These findings help to explain the selective influence of RppH on bacterial mRNA decay and show that RppH-dependent degradation has diversified significantly during the course of evolution.
The role of remittances and decentralization of forest management in the sustainability of a municipal-communal pine forest in eastern Guatemala

At the national scale, forest cover in Guatemala declined at an annual rate of 1.2% during the past quarter century because of settlement that removed primary forests in the northern region of the country; however, the majority of the population of Guatemala still resides in the densely populated central highlands and has extracted timber and fuelwood from adjacent forests for centuries. Using baseline data recorded in 1987 and 1996, this article reexamined the sustainability of a municipal-communal pine forest in San Jose La Arada, a municipality in eastern Guatemala. The pine forest declined from the period 1987 to 1996 because of overextraction of timber and fuelwood. Forest structure and forest use were reexamined from the period 1996 to 2007 to test the hypothesis that the forest continued to decline. Forest characteristics such as stand density, basal area, tree height, and evidence of forest use were measured to replicate the procedures from previous work at the study area. To understand changes in forest structure and forest use in the context of the rise in remittances and the introduction of decentralized forest governance that emerged since 1996, a household survey was conducted in two adjacent villages. Forest structure improved from 1996 to 2007. From 1996 to 2007, forest characteristics such as stand density, basal area, tree height, and forest regeneration improved and evidence of forest use decreased in the municipal-communal pine forest. The influence of large amounts of remittances from the United States and other regions of Guatemala to households in the adjacent villages and the decentralization of forest governance largely explains the shift toward forest sustainability in San Jose La Arada.
Melanchthon's Role in the Reformation of the University of Tübingen

temberg.1 From the outset, however, their mutual opposition, combined with determined Roman Catholic resistance in some areas, led to difficulties beyond Ulrich's expectations. The ducal commissioners for the Reformation in the southern half of Wiirttemberg was Ambrosius Blarer, the reformer of Constance and a firm ally of both Martin Bucer and Zurich. Part of his responsibility was the University of Tiibingen, a center of particularly strong Roman Catholic opposition to the Reformation. Blarer appealed to Duke Ulrich for assistance, asking for the Basel Greek scholar Simon Grynaeus, another Swiss partisan. Ulrich, however, took far more dramatic steps to reform the University of Tiibingen. Under instructions from Ulrich, Chancellor Knoder and Erhard Schnepff, Blarer's counterpart in northern Wiirttemberg, wrote to Philip Melanchthon, requesting that he return to his homeland to teach in the University of Tiibingen, his alma mater.2
The gravitational anomaly: an elementary, coordinate-space approach.

Alvarez-Gaume and Witten have shown that energy-momentum conservation must be violated in certain parity-violating quantum field theories involving gravity. In two dimensions this effect can be studied without the aid of Feynman diagrams or calculations in momentum space. The arguments parallel those for the conformal (trace) anomaly; as in that case, there are two kinds of arguments, one based on the conservation equations themselves with some very general assumptions, and the other based on explicit calculations and renormalization in a model theory with a linear field equation. The basic point is that if matter is created at all by the gravitational field, it must appear in both left-moving and right-moving modes if the conservation law is to hold always.
Assessment of assertiveness in female psychiatric patients: Motor and autonomic measures

Abstract Sixteen role-played situations requiring assertive responding were administered to 46 female psychiatric patients. Responses to these situations were videotaped while two physiological measures (heart rate, finger pulse volume) were monitored concurrently. One half of the situations involved the expression of positive assertion; the other half the expression of negative assertion. In one half of the situations the response was directed to a female partner; in the other half to a male partner. Analysis of behavioral and physiological data tend to support a “stimulus-specific” conception of assertiveness, confirming the work of Eisler et al. (1975).
Automatic evaluation of aspects of document quality

Coh-Metrix is a web-based application currently in development that automatically evaluates text. It uses two central concepts from discourse processing: text-based cohesion and situation-model based coherence. Cohesion is the degree to which components of the text are linked. Coherence is the representation of the world that the text conveys. Our intention is for Coh-Metrix to eventually map the cohesion of a text to the background knowledge and reading skills of the reader. Coh-Metrix will then be able to give feedback to a writer about which aspects of the text are cohesive and which lack cohesion. This will enable the writer to determine which aspects of the text need to be improved. Applications of Coh-Metrix on document quality as well as other future directions for the development of Coh-Metrix are discussed.
Multiframe information fusion for multispectral imaging through atmospheric turbulence

A multiframe selective information fusion technique derived from robust error estimation theory has versatile image processing applications, including those for multispectral information fusion and for obtaining a wide-angle focused synthetic frame integrating small angle focused regions in distinct video-frames. An example combining both applications is presented in the processing of a color video of a scene imaged through turbulent air. The three multispectral Red-Green-Blue components of each color image is first transformed into gray-scale images that are fused as independent video streams to achieve three focused wide-angle fields of view. The multispectral fusion of the resulting synthetic RGB frames, using the same multiframe information fusion technique, combines all significant details from the three multispectral synthetic frame into a single synthetic output frame.
Similarity between systems and direct sum decomposition

Abstract Structural homomorphisms, structural epimorphisms and structural isomorphisms of systems are studied. The concepts of the direct sum of systems and the controllability of general systems are introduced. An open question (Ma and Lin 1988) is answered. Some similarity theorems, characterizations of systems, and elementary properties of the general controllability of systems are given; and open questions are posed.
Learning styles of information technology students

This poster presents research into the learning styles of information technology students. The study reveals that, similar to the general student population, IT students exhibit a high level of preference for kinesthetic learning.
Regulation of Myocardial Blood Flow by Oxygen Consumption Is Maintained in the Failing Heart During Exercise

Abstract—The hemodynamic abnormalities and neurohumoral activation that accompany congestive heart failure (CHF) might be expected to impair the increase in coronary blood flow that occurs during exercise. This study was performed to determine the effects of CHF on myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow during exercise. Coronary blood flow was measured in chronically instrumented dogs at rest, during 2 stages of graded treadmill exercise under control conditions (n=10), and after the development of CHF produced by 3 weeks of rapid ventricular pacing (n=9). In the normal dogs, coronary blood flow increased during exercise in proportion to the increase in the heart rate×the left ventricular systolic blood pressure product (RPP). After the development of CHF, resting myocardial blood flow was 25% lower than normal (P<0.05). Myocardial blood flow increased during the first stage of exercise, but then failed to increase further during the second stage of exercise despite an additional increase i...
Neurologic Injury Associated with CABG Surgery: Outcomes, Mechanisms, and Opportunities for Improvement

Neurologic injuries, whether subtle or overt, are a major source of morbidity secondary to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. A comprehensive review of research in the area of neurologic injury is provided. We conclude this article by providing insight regarding areas requiring further investigation in order to reduce sustainably the risk of these iatrogenic events among patient undergoing CABG surgery.
The relationship between surface dust lead loadings on carpets and the blood lead of young children.

The final clean-up of residential lead abatement projects in federally-supported housing, as well as in other housing in a number of states, must meet surface dust lead clearance levels expressed as μg of lead per square foot. These clearance levels were established because hand-to-mouth ingestion of lead-contaminated dust is recognised as a major pathway through which many children are exposed. A dilemma exists because many floors in housing undergoing abatement are carpeted and the established clearance levels are generally not recommended for use on carpets. These clearance levels are also used as 'action levels' to determine whether exposure reduction activities are needed. The US Environmental Protection Agency is currently in the process of issuing standards for hazardous levels of lead in interior dust and bare soil under Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, ‘The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992’. An effort to develop a potential surface dust lead clearance level for carpets was made using an existing vacuum dust collection method that has previously been shown to be a reliable indicator of childhood lead exposure. This method was designed for use on carpeted and non-carpeted surfaces. Using data from the Cincinnati Soil Lead Abatement Demonstration Project, the suggested floor-dust lead level where an estimated 95% of the population of children would be expected to have blood lead values below the national goal of 10 μg dL−1, was more than an order of magnitude lower than the current floor-dust lead clearance level of 1080 μg m−2 (100 μg ft−2). Further comparisons of blood lead and carpet lead levels in other parts of the country should be performed before a risk-based lead loading clearance level is established.
STABILISATION AND RISK REDUCTION IN AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE

Agricultural producers typically are faced with risk about the yields they will experience and the prices they will receive. Stabilisation schemes can spread risk and thereby reduce the risk faced by individual producers. The risk-reducing capacity of a scheme and the cost of risk reduction depend upon the design of the scheme. In particular, it is important to distinguish between risk and instability. A classification of scheme designs is presented to bring out the effects of various design types. Schemes for the wheat industry are given most attention.
The failure of the Lennard–Jones n,m intermolecular potentials to represent some common gases

Abstract It is shown that none of the Lennard–Jones n,m intermolecular potentials can represent any of the gases, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, methane, ethane, and propane. In particular, the second and third virial coefficients B* and C*, and V T * = T * ( d B * / d T * ) , computed for these potentials cannot describe the experimental behavior of B, C, and VT. This is demonstrated by their inability to match the temperature dependence of the dimensionless variable, h = V T 2 / C , thus failing to satisfy a necessary condition for representing the PVT behavior of these gases.
The effect of cannabichromene on mean blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate responses to tetrahydrocannabinol in the anesthetized rat.

Abstract Experiments were conducted to investigate the potential for interaction of cannabichromene (CBC), a major cannabinoid present in cannabis, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active principle in cannabis. Male Wistar rats (220–260 g) were anesthetized with urethane and then given 2 mg/kg THC, 10 mg/kg CBC, or bovine serum albumin vehicle according to a factorial (crossed) design. We demonstrated that CBC has a hypotensive effect at the dose used in this study. CBC also causes a depression in respiration rate. When given alone, CBC had no effect on heart rate. The hypotensive effect and decreased respiration rate caused by THC did not appear to be altered by simultaneous administration of CBC, CBC did, however, potentiate the decrease in heart rate caused by THC. The mechanism of this interaction is unknown.
Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and gold compounds

Abstract purpose: To investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intolerance and the effect of gold use on the seroprevalence of H. pylori . patients and methods: We examined the frequency of discontinuation of NSAIDs in 132 unselected patients with rheumatoid arthritis attending an outpatient subspecialty clinic, and the effect of gold compound use on the seroprevalence (by IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) of H. pylori infection in this population. Logistic and multivariate regression analysis was performed adjusting for age, gender, ethnic origin, history of ulcer, and duration of rheumatoid arthritis. results: Fifty-four patients had a positive serology for H. pylori (41%). Twenty-seven of the seropositive patients (50%), versus 45 of the seronegative patients (57.7%), had to discontinue NSAIDs (aspirin and/or nonaspirin) at least once since their diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis because of gastrointestinal side effects (odds ratio [OR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63 to 1.38). Forty-one of the seropositive patients (76%) had received gold compounds as compared with 62 of the seronegative patients (79.5%) (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.61 to 1.50). conclusion: We did not find any relationship between H. pylori seropositivity and NSAID intolerance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, our results do not demonstrate a reduction in H. pylori seroprevalence in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with gold compounds.
Pedologic and climatic controls on RN‐222 concentrations in soil gas, Denver, Colorado

Soil-gas radon concentrations are controlled seasonally by factors of climate and pedology. In a swelling soil of the semiarid Western United States, soil-gas radon concentrations at 100 cm depth increase in winter and spring due to increased emanation with higher soil moisture and the capping effect of surface water or ice. Increased soil moisture results from a combination of higher winter and spring precipitation and decreased insolation in fall and winter, lowering soil temperatures so that water infiltrates deeper and evaporates more slowly. Radon concentrations in soil drop markedly through the summer and fall. The increased insolation of spring and summer warms and dries the soil, limiting the amount of water that reaches 100 cm. As the soil dries, radon emanation decreases, and deep soil cracks develop. These cracks aid convective transport of soil gas, increase radon's flux into the atmosphere, and lower its concentration in soil gas. Probable controls on the distribution of uranium within the soil column include its downward leaching, its precipitation or adsorption onto B-horizon clays, concretions, or cement, and the uranium content and mineralogy of the soil's granitic and gneissic precursors.
The Quantitative Determination of Crystalline Penicillin G by Infrared Analysis

Abstract The quantitative analysis of commercial samples of crystalline sodium, potassium, and buffered penicillins for the penicillin G content by means of the infrared spectrometer is presented. The analysis is conducted on a suspension (mull) of the crystals in liquid petrolatum. The proportion of the liquid petrolatum and the crystalline penicillin is kept constant and a cell of known thickness is used, thus eliminating the necessity of an internal standard. The same mull can also be used to identify other types of penicillin present in the sample. The spectra for potassium penicillin G, dihydro F, F, K, and × are given. Results obtained using the infrared technique and the N‐ethyl piperidine method for the determination of penicillin G are compared.
Host-Bacteriophage Relationships as Influenced by Antibiotics

Summary The effect of sublethal concentrations of selected antibiotics on the bacteriophage-host relationship of Streptococcus lactis C10 and bacteriophage C10 was studied by means of single-step growth curves. The addition of penicillin, terramycin, and nisin to the adsorption mixture resulted in average burst sizes of 84, 16, and 30, respectively, compared to 42 bacteriophage particles per infected bacterium in the absence of antibiotics. The corresponding latent periods were 20, 24, 23, and 16min. The reproduction of new phage particles may be hastened or retarded by exposure of susceptible cells to sublethal concentrations of antibiotics.
Interaction of thrombin with sucrose octasulfate.

The serine protease thrombin plays multiple roles in many important physiological processes, especially coagulation, where it functions as both a pro- and anti-coagulant. The polyanionic glycosaminoglycan heparin modulates thrombin’s activity through binding at exosite II. Sucrose octasulfate (SOS) is often used as a surrogate for heparin, but it is not known whether it is an effective heparin mimic in its interaction with thrombin. We have characterized the interaction of SOS with thrombin in solution and determined a crystal structure of their complex. SOS binds thrombin with a Kd of ~1.4 μM, comparable to that of the much larger polymeric heparin measured under the same conditions. Non-ionic (hydrogen bonding) interactions make a larger contribution to thrombin binding of SOS than to heparin. SOS binding to exosite II inhibits thrombin’s catalytic activity with high potency but with low efficacy. Analytical ultracentrifugation shows that bovine and human thrombins are monomers in solution in the presence of SOS, in contrast to their complexes with heparin, which are dimers. In the x-ray crystal structure, two molecules of SOS are bound non-equivalently to exosites II of a thrombin dimer, in contrast to the 1:2 stoichiometry of the heparin-thrombin complex, which has a different monomer association mode in the dimer. SOS and heparin binding to exosite II of thrombin differ on both chemical and structural levels and, perhaps most significantly, in thrombin inhibition. These differences may offer paths to the design of more potent exosite II binding, allosteric small molecules as modulators of thrombin function.