cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of ejected particles during breakdown in fused silica by nanosecond laser pulses

The temporal evolution and kinetic properties of material particles ejected from the surface of fused silica under nanosecond laser irradiation are investigated using a time-resolved microscope system. The experiments provide information on the particle size, shape, and speed as a function of delay time, as well as on the duration of the material ejection process. The results suggest that the processes involved are much more complex than those predicted by current models.
On Integrity in Private Judging

> There are those among us who view arbitration primarily as a business. They are likely to concentrate more on self-interest than the interest of the profession.… We recognize that arbitrators are no less ambitious than other professionals; we recognize that many of us are dependent on arbitration fees for a livelihood. But self-serving instincts must always be subordinated to the need to uphold the integrity and honour of the profession.1 > > Deep below consciousness are other forces, the likes and the dislikes, the predilections and the prejudices, the complex of instincts and emotions and habits and convictions, which make the man, whether he be litigant or judge.2 If taken seriously, it can be an enormous responsibility to sit in judgment on the affairs of others. (For the moment, though, one sees no shortage of candidates for the job.) Certainly the motives that may lead someone to aspire to be an arbitrator are multiple and varied: there are of course the potential financial rewards – but also the opportunity to enhance one's education, one's familiarity with particular spheres of human endeavour, one's circle of contacts, or one's professional ‘profile’. For many, there may also be some sense of noblesse oblige or a desire to engage in public service. Nor should one neglect the pleasures of judging – it is, after all, a role for which every lawyer thinks himself admirably suited, and the object of the reveries of many. These are pleasures which may provide fertile soil for ‘a resurgence of omnipotence fantasies’ that once dominated our infancy.3 Certainly our received wisdom is that none of these motives should be allowed to work in such a way as to call into question the impartiality of the decision-maker. Whether for judicial officers or for arbitrators, our assumption is that methods …
Tight moments-based bounds for queueing systems

We present a new tool to analyze three queueing systems which have defied exact analysis so far: (i) the classical M/G/k multi-server system, (ii) queueing systems with fluctuating arrival and service rates, and (iii) the M/G/1 round-robin queue. We argue that rather than looking for exact expressions for the mean response time as a function of the job size distribution, a more fruitful approach is to find distributions which minimize or maximize the mean response time given the first n moments of the job size distribution.We prove that for the M/G/k system in light traffic, and given n=2 and 3 moments, these 'extremal' distributions are given by principal representations of the moment sequence. Furthermore, if we restrict the distributions to lie in the class of Completely Monotone (CM) distributions, then for all the three queueing systems, for any n, the extremal distributions under the appropriate "light traffic" asymptotics are hyper-exponential distributions with finite number of phases. We conjecture that the property of extremality should be invariant to the system load, and thus our light traffic results should hold for general load as well.
Deficits in facial emotion processing in mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Patients with Alzheimer disease consistently demonstrate impaired performance on tests of facial emotion processing. However, it remains unclear how early in the neurodegenerative process these deficits emerge. Methods: We approached this question by examining facial emotional processing in a ‘pre-dementia’ condition, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Nine single-domain amnestic MCI subjects, 14 multiple-domain amnestic MCI subjects (MCI-MD), and 68 normal control subjects were assessed with the Florida Affect Battery. Results: After adjustment for age and gender, analyses of performance across the facial affect processing subtests of the Florida Affect Battery demonstrated intact performance in the single-domain MCI group but significantly impaired performance in the MCI-MD group, particularly on a test of facial affect discrimination. Within the MCI-MD group, men performed disproportionately worse than women. Performance on facial affect discriminations in the MCI-MD group correlated most robustly with performance on tests of frontal/executive function. Conclusion: These data suggest that facial emotion processing can be impaired in MCI prior to the more marked cognitive deficits seen with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer disease.
Abstract A3: MicroRNA‐related polymorphisms are associated with clinical outcomes in early stage non‐small cell lung cancer patients

MicroRNAs (miRNA) can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In this study, to test the hypothesis that genetic variation within miRNA processing genes or miRNA binding sites on cancer‐related genes may alter clinical outcomes in non‐small cell cancer (NSCLC) patients, we genotyped 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from eight miRNA processing genes and 163 SNPs from 133 predicted miRNA binding sites in 598 patients with early stage (stage I, IIA and IIB) NSCLC to determine the effect of these variations on progression risk and overall survival. We further conducted a subset analysis to exclude potential bias due to different treatment regimens. We identified 37 SNPs associated with overall survival. In the surgery‐only patients, 22 SNPs modulated overall survival, including FZD4:rs713065 that remained significant for decreased risk after multiple comparisons (HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36–0.77). For progression risk, 21 and 25 SNPs were found to be significant in the entire and surgery‐only patient populations, respectively. Following multiple comparison, ICAM1:rs281437 (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.29–2.52) and MDM4:rs10900596 (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.26–3.19) remained significant increase in progression risk, while FAS:rs2234978 (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41–0.80) displayed a significantly protective effect. CDC7:rs12125947 (HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.37–3.51) remained significant risk effect in the surgery‐only patients. A strong cumulative, dose‐effect of these variant genotypes to increase risk and dramatically decrease median event‐free time was consistently observed. We also identified potential higher‐order gene‐gene interactions among these SNPs. With validation, our result can be used in the prognosis of clinical outcomes for early stage NSCLC patients. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A3.
The Efficiency and Fidelity of Translesion Synthesis past Cisplatin and Oxaliplatin GpG Adducts by Human DNA Polymerase β

DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) is the only mammalian DNA polymerase identified to date that can catalyze extensive bypass of platinum-DNA adducts in vitro. Previous studies suggest that DNA synthesis by pol beta is distributive on primed single-stranded DNA and processive on gapped DNA. The data presented in this paper provide an analysis of translesion synthesis past cisplatin- and oxaliplatin-DNA adducts by pol beta functioning in both distributive and processive modes using primer extension and steady-state kinetic experiments. Translesion synthesis past Pt-DNA adducts was greater with gapped DNA templates than with single-stranded DNA templates. In the processive mode pol beta did not discriminate between cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts, while in the distributive mode it displayed about 2-fold increased ability for translesion synthesis past oxaliplatin compared with cisplatin adducts. The differentiation between cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts resulted from a K(m)-mediated increase in the efficiency of dCTP incorporation across from the 3'-G of oxaliplatin-GG adducts. Rates of misincorporation across platinated guanines determined by the steady-state kinetic assay were higher in reactions with primed single-stranded templates than with gapped DNA and a slight increase in the misincorporation of dTTP across from the 3'-G was found for oxaliplatin compared with cisplatin adducts.
Aldose Reductase–Mediated Phosphorylation of p53 Leads to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Damage in Diabetic Platelets

Background—Platelet abnormalities are well-recognized complications of diabetes mellitus. Mitochondria play a central role in platelet metabolism and activation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is evident in diabetes mellitus. The molecular pathway for hyperglycemia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in platelets in diabetes mellitus is unknown. Methods and Results—Using both human and humanized mouse models, we report that hyperglycemia-induced aldose reductase activation and subsequent reactive oxygen species production lead to increased p53 phosphorylation (Ser15), which promotes mitochondrial dysfunction, damage, and rupture by sequestration of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL. In a glucose dose–dependent manner, severe mitochondrial damage leads to loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and platelet apoptosis (cytochrome c release, caspase 3 activation, and phosphatidylserine exposure). Although platelet hyperactivation, mitochondrial dysfunction, aldose reductase activation, reactive oxygen species produ...
Propensity Rule in Homogeneous Nucleation Processes

Abstract A linear relation is discovered between 1n J and 1/ T (where J is the nucleation rate at temperature T in K) for homogeneous nucleation from the analysis of experimental data and is explained for water nucleation on the basis of classical nucleation theory. Nucleation theory is then combined with experimental homogeneous nucleation rate data to yield a temperature-dependent sticking coefficient, β( T ), for water. It is found from this study that there exists a strong linear relationship between 1n β( T ) and T .
On the upstream length of turbulent boundary-layer separation.

Upstream length of turbulent boundary layer separation ahead of compression corner or flare
The physics and chemistry of room-temperature liquid-filled ionization chambers

Abstract The properties of excess electrons in non-polar liquids, such as tetramethylsilane and 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpentane, which are suitable for room-temperature liquid-filled ionization chambers are reviewed. Such properties as mobility, ionization yield, conduction band energy, trapping, and the influence of the electric field are considered.
Semiempirical Statistics of Correlation-Detector Performance

Abstract Statistical analyses were conducted on the capability of correlation detectors for similar events. Semiempirical synthetic runs took a 50-sec window on an Lg wave recorded at 750-km distance filtered from 1 to 3 Hz and embedded it 300,000 times in real continuous background seismic noise. The noise was selected for 36 days spread throughout the year to capture diurnal and seasonal variations. No screening for random, unknown signals in the noise was performed. A correlation detector has a 50% probability of detection with 1.5 false alarms per day for a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 0.32, which corresponds to a full magnitude unit reduction in detection threshold over a standard short-term average/long-term average (STA/LTA) technique. A scaled cross-correlation coefficient performs slightly better with one false alarm per day and has fewer false triggers on unknown, random signals. Summing the cross-correlation traces together for all three components enhances the detection signal similar to beamforming. A correlation detector summing the correlation traces for the three components together has a 96% probability of detection with zero false alarms in 36 days for an SNR of 0.32. The significant result of this study is that a correlation detector has more than an order of magnitude improvement in detection threshold for similar events with acceptably low false alarm rates to be used in practice.
The group-level consequences of sexual conflict in multigroup populations.

In typical sexual conflict scenarios, males best equipped to exploit females are favored locally over more prudent males, despite reducing female fitness. However, local advantage is not the only relevant form of selection. In multigroup populations, groups with less sexual conflict will contribute more offspring to the next generation than higher conflict groups, countering the local advantage of harmful males. Here, we varied male aggression within-and between-groups in a laboratory population of water striders and measured resulting differences in local population growth over a period of three weeks. The overall pool fitness (i.e., adults produced) of less aggressive pools exceeded that of high aggression pools by a factor of three, with the high aggression pools essentially experiencing no population growth over the course of the study. When comparing the fitness of individuals across groups, aggression appeared to be under stabilizing selection in the multigroup population. The use of contextual analysis revealed that overall stabilizing selection was a product of selection favoring aggression within groups, but selected against it at the group-level. Therefore, this report provides further evidence to show that what evolves in the total population is not merely an extension of within-group dynamics.
Measurement of G En from Elastic e-d Scattering: Relativistic Corrections and Model Dependence

Relativistic corrections to elastic $e\ensuremath{-}d$ scattering are evaluated and shown to be large enough to account for the discrepancy between $e\ensuremath{-}d$ scattering and thermal-neutron measurements of the slope of ${G}_{\mathrm{En}}$.
A practical algorithm for balancing the max-min fairness and throughput objectives in traffic engineering

One of the goals of traffic engineering is to achieve a flexible trade-off between fairness and throughput so that users are satisfied with their bandwidth allocation and the network operator is satisfied with the utilization of network resources. In this paper, we propose a novel way to balance the throughput and fairness objectives with linear programming. It allows the network operator to precisely control the trade-off by bounding the fairness degradation for each commodity compared to the max-min fair solution or the throughput degradation compared to the optimal throughput. We also present improvements to a previous algorithm that achieves max-min fairness by solving a series of linear programs. We significantly reduce the number of steps needed when the access rate of commodities is limited. We extend the algorithm to two important practical use cases: importance weights and piece-wise linear utility functions for commodities. Our experiments on synthetic and real networks show that our algorithms achieve a significant speedup and provide practical insights on the trade-off between fairness and throughput.
Pluripotent stem cell-derived pancreatic β-cells: potential for regenerative medicine in diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, which affects 346 million people, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Pancreatic β-cells, existing in the islets of Langerhans, play central roles in the progression of diabetes. An efficient strategy to produce functional pancreatic β-cells is important for both transplantation therapy and disease modeling of diabetes. Human pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, provide unlimited starting materials to generate differentiated cells for regenerative studies. Significant progress has been made in human embryonic/induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation in the last several years. However, efficient generation of mature pancreatic β-cells with complete functional capabilities has not yet been accomplished. Here, we review recent successes as well as the technical and theoretical challenges in the use of pluripotent stem cell-derived pancreatic β-cells for disease modeling and replacement therapy of diabetes.
A Catalog of Song Syllables of Indigo and Lazuli Buntings

Tape recording of singing male Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) and Lazuli Buntings (P. amoena) from allopatric populations produced catalogs of 127 indigo and 122 lazuli syllable types. These totals result from adding newly-described syllable types (29 indigo, 42 lazuli) to previous descriptions (Thompson 1970, 1976). While some syllable types are more variable than others, the overall variation is remarkably discontinuous and syllable types are usually easily recognized. The same syllable types occur and at similar frequencies of abundance in different populations and at different times. The patterns of commoness and rarity of syllable types fit a broken-stick distribution, a model developed to explain relative abundance of species in communities. Some syllable types are specialized in their position within songs, some are used virtually anywhere in the song, but many are intermediate in degree of specialization of position. Together with results from other studies of bunting songs, our data suggest that the individual syllables in bunting songs can be considered memes, the cultural equivalent of genes. These syllable memes constitute the units of recombination from which whole-song variation is generated. A minor amount of variation is introduced by mutation of syllables. The syllable types are geographically widely distributed and may be considered species universal song elements, similar to findings in the songs in populations of Swamp Sparrows (Melospiza georgiana, Marler and Pickert 1984). The stability of syllables over space and time raises the possibility of a canalizing factor that guides the learning process in young buntings even during cross-species syllable acquisition.
Antigrowth Politics or Piecemeal Resistance? Citizen Opposition to Olympic-Related Economic Growth

Regime theory predicts that opponents of a regime’s pursuit of economic development will have limited prospects for success. Some scholars, however, contend that evidence of widespread growth contr...
Nuclear proteins: IV. Deficiency of non-histone proteins in condensed chromatin of Drosophila virilis and mouse☆

Abstract Drosophila virilis egg nuclei were fractionated by a technique of multiple sonication and centrifugation in an isotonic buffer containing 0.15 M NaCl, Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ . This allowed the condensed chromatin to remain tightly condensed. By Hoechst 33258 staining this procedure resulted in brightly fluorescing and poorly fluorescing fractions. The brightly fluorescing fraction was enriched in satellite DNA. Examination of the non-histone proteins by SDS slab gel electrophoresis showed that this fraction was markedly deficient in non-histone proteins and contained no unique major non-histone proteins. The poorly fluorescing fractions were enriched in non-histone proteins. Similar results were obtained with mouse liver nuclei. Comparison of the non-histone proteins of D. virilis (40% satellite DNA), D. americana (35% satellite DNA), and D. ezoana (no satellites) confirmed the absence of major, satellite specific, non-histone proteins. These results, suggesting condensed chromatin is primarily a DNA-histone complex, agree with published cytochemical studies.
Electrophysiological characteristics of amygdaloid central nucleus neurons during Pavlovian fear conditioning in the rabbit

Recent evidence suggests that the amygdaloid central nucleus (ACE) may contribute importantly to cardiovascular adjustments in response to the presentation of conditioned emotional stimuli, possibly via direct ACE projections to cardiovascular regulatory nuclei in the medulla. The present experiment was conducted to obtain additional data relevant to this suggestion. Extracellular single-unit recordings were obtained from 85 histologically-verified ACE neurons during Pavlovian differentially conditioned heart-rate responding in rabbits. Conditioning involved pairing one tone (CS+), but not a second tone (CS-), with paraorbital shock. Those ACE neurons which project to the lower brainstem were identified by their antidromic responses to stimulation of a mesencephalic region through which descending ACE projections course. Under these conditions it was possible to classify ACE neurons as conforming to one of 6 general categories based on their spontaneous activity and conditioned response characteristics. In addition, it was determined that: (1) the electrophysiological characteristics of many ACE neurons were differentially altered in response to presentations of the CS+ versus the CS-; (2) the responses of many ACE neurons to presentations of the CS+ were correlated with the magnitudes of concomitant conditioned alterations in heart rate; and (3) the activity of antidromically-identified ACE neurons which project to the lower brainstem was decreased in response to presentations of each CS. These data provide additional support for the notion that the ACE contributes to cardiovascular regulation during the presentation of emotionally-arousing stimuli.
A procedure for calculating the damping in multi-element space structures

A procedure for analyzing the damping in a multielement space structure connected by joints is described, in which distributed material damping and discrete nonlinear joint properties are incorporated into a linear analysis. The procedure involves four steps: (1) creation of a linear undamped finite element model; (2) experimental measurements of the transient response of a truss member in free fall tests to obtain material damping properties; with these properties incorporated into a linear damped finite element model of the structure; (3) the identification of the nonlinear joint properties using the force-state mapping technique; and (4) linearization of the identified nonlinear components, which are then incorporated into the linear damped model to create the linearized damped finite element model.
Experimental studies of adaptive structures for precision performance

An experimental study was made of the adaptive structure concept. Experimental data were obtained for a three-longeron, thirteen-bay truss-type test structure. This test structure can be softly suspended as well as rigidly clamped at the central bay. The load-carrying active member consists of a stack of concentric piezoelectric wafers, an eddy current displacement sensor, and a strain gage force sensor. A bridge (or compound) feedback technique developed in communication engineering is applied to the problem of active damping augmentation in adaptive structures. Using collocated force and velocity feedback around the active member, a desired output mechanical impedance can be implemented to maximize energy absorption by the active members. In addition, large gains can be implemented to linearize the active member's nonlinear behavior. Good agreements with linear finite element analysis was found for both static and dynamic structural responses. An 11 percent damping in the first bending mode was demonstrated in the closed-loop damping experiment.
Systematic analysis of interference due to stutter in estimating chimerism following hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Stutter formed during amplification of short tandem repeats (STRs) interfere with accurate engraftment monitoring following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We describe a mathematical approach to minimize the contribution of stutter when estimating chimerism following HCT. Pretransplant DNA samples from 409 donors and recipients were used to define marker-specific stutter cut-off values for all makers used in the AMPFlSTR Profiler Plus amplification kit. Mock chimerism samples (5, 20, and 50%) were used to evaluate the contribution of stutter in estimating chimerism. Three markers, vWA, D13S317, and D18S51, had overlapping stutter in the mock chimerism samples. Only D18S51 had stutter from a shared allele, whereas the other two markers had stutter from nonshared alleles. Without adjustment for stutter, D18S51 showed a 8, 6, and 4% difference from expected chimerism values (5, 20, and 50%) and after adjusting for laboratory-defined marker-specific stutter cut-offs the corresponding difference from expected chimerism values was 1, 0, and 0%. Difference from expected chimerism values in the vWa and D13S317 markers were similar before and after adjustment of stutter. Adjustment for stutter from shared alleles may improve accuracy of estimated chimerism. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 23:308–313, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Low strain quantum dots in a double well infrared detector

We report the fabrication of low strain quantum-dots-in-a-double-well (DDWELL) infrared photodetector where the net strain on the system has been reduced by limiting the total indium content in the system. The detector consists of InAs dots embedded in In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As and GaAs wells with a Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 As barrier, as opposed to In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As wells and a GaAs barrier in standard dots-in-a-well (DWELL) detector. The structure was a result of multilevel optimization involving the dot, well layers above and below the dot for achieving the desired wavelength response and higher absorption, and the thickness of the barriers for reduction in dark current. Detector structures grown using solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) were processed and characterized. The reduction in total strain has enabled the growth of higher number of active region layers resulting in enhanced absorption of light. The detector shows dual color response with peaks in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and the long-wave infrared (LWIR) region. A peak detectivity of 6.7×10 10 cm.√ Hz/W was observed at 8.7μm. The detector shows promise in raising the operating temperature of DWELL detectors, thereby enabling cheaper operation.
Adenovirus viremia and disease: comparison of T cell-depleted and conventional hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients from a single institution.

Abstract Adenovirus (ADV) is an important cause of viral mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Recipients of T cell–depleted (TCD) HSCT are at increased risk for viral infections. We compared the rates and outcomes of ADV viremia and disease between TCD and conventional (CONV) HSCT at our institution. This was an observational study of 624 adult and pediatric recipients of myeloablative HSCT at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between January 1, 2006, and March 11, 2011. Viral cultures and ADV PCR were ordered as clinically indicated. ADV viremia by quantitative PCR assay was defined as 1 or more positive values ≥1,000 copies/mL or 2 or more consecutive positive values. Competing-risk regression analyses were used to identify predictors for ADV viremia. ADV viremia at 1 year after HSCT occurred in 8% of TCD HSCT recipients and in 4.0% of CONV HSCT recipients (P = .041). Among the TCD recipients, ADV viremia was seen in 15% of children, compared with 5% of adults (P = .008). Young age (hazard ratio [HR], 3.0; P
Substitute-Wrists to Aid in the Placing of Tools on Robots With 3-R Spherical Wrists

This paper treats the three-jointed spherical wrist on which the tool is placed at an angle δ ≠ 0. A two-parameter set of axes is identified for the wrist such that the angular velocities and accelerations at the three joints are within acceptable limits during a 2π-rotation of the end-effector at constant speed about each such axis. This set of axes is compared both to the total set of available axes of full rotation and to the set for which the determinant of the wrist Jacobian is greater than a specified minimum value. For each set of axes, hypothetical substitute-wrists permit the generalization of design conditions for robots with spherical wrists on which δ = 0 to robots with spherical wrists on which δ ≠ 0, and they provide geometrical limits on tool-placement which bound the velocities and accelerations at the wrist joints. Lastly, comments are made about balancing the velocity and acceleration characteristics of the actuators in a spherical wrist.
The effects of perceived justice on complainants' negative word-of-mouth behavior and repatronage intentions

Abstract Previous research has found that dissatisfied consumers choose to seek redress, engage in negative word-of-mouth behavior, and exit (i.e., vow never to repatronize the retailer) based upon the perceived likelihood of successful redress, their attitude toward complaining, the level of importance they attach to the defective product, and whether they perceive the problem to be stable or to have been controllable. The authors extend previous research by modeling consumer complaining behavior as a complex, dynamic process, hypothesizing that once a consumer seeks redress, negative word-of-mouth behavior and repatronage intentions are dependent (primarily) upon the consumer's postcomplaint perception of justice. As hypothesized, perceived justice was found to be the main determinant of complainants' negative word-of-mouth behavior and their repatronage intentions, and was found to mediate the effects of likelihood of success, attitude toward complaining, product importance, and stability and controllability on complaining behavior. The model fit the data very well, explaining 49.1 percent of the variance of negative word-of-mouth and 68.5 percent of the variance of repatronage intentions. These findings point to the importance of customer service/customer satisfaction, especially since the cost of keeping a current customer satisfied is much less than the cost of attracting a new customer.
61 The Association between Poor Socioeconomic Status and Poor Long-Term Outcomes Following Heart Transplantation

Purpose: While race is a risk factor for poor long-term outcomes after heart transplantation, little data exists examining the impact of socioeconomic status. Methods and Materials: We linked data from the UNOS/SRTR 19952009 with 2000 US Census data. A previously validated measure of socioeconomic status (SES) was calculated using 8 census variables for each patient based on zip code and race. Patients were stratified into three groups: low SES (score -30 to -2.1, n 10,441), medium SES (score -2.14 to 5.5, n 20,874), and high SES (score 5.5 to 23.4, n 10,438). Outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Lower SES patients had poorer long-term survival on the waitlist (p 0.0014) and were less likely to receive a transplant (p 0.0001). Following transplantation, 30-day mortality was unaffected by SES, but 1-year mortality was higher in the lowSES group (odds ratio 1.14, 95%CI 1.05-1.24). Long-term survival was significantly decreased by lower SES (Figure, p 0.0001). Patients in the low SES had a higher incidence of rejection (hazard ratio 1.1, 95%CI 1.0-1.2) and were more likely to be poorly compliant with medications (1.6, 1.3-1.9). In a Cox proportional hazard model, both low SES (hazard ratio 1.4, 95%CI 1.3-1.5) and mid SES (1.1, 1.0-1.2) were associated with decreased long-term survival after transplantation. Cause of graft failure did not differ significantly.
Biochemical evolution in fire ant venoms

Abstract The distribution of 2,6-dialkyl(and alkenyl-)piperidine alkaloids in the venom of fire ant workers of Solenopsis xyloni, S. geminata, S. richteri , and S. invicta has been compared with the occurrence of these compounds in the venom of alate queens of the same species. Whereas the venoms of workers of S. invicta and S. richteri contain piperidines with C 13 or C 15 side chains, the queens of these species produce venoms in which these compounds are essentially lacking. A comparison of the ratio of cis -2-methyl-6- n -undecylpiperidine to trans -2-methyl-6- n -undecylpiperidine in all of these venoms, together with the qualitative differences of other alkaloidal components, particularly in workers of S. richteri and S. invicta , has led to the proposal that the venoms of S. xyloni and S. geminata are similar to the ancestral type, whereas those of S. richteri and S. invicta are more highly evolved.
Differences in Peptic Ulcer Between the East and the West

Despite improved understanding of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) pathogenesis, advances in diagnostic modalities, and the availability of modern pharmalogical, endoscopic and surgical treatments, gastroduodenal ulcer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The predominant risk factors of this disorder remain Helicobacter pylori and ulcerogenic drugs. However, the proportion of idiopathic PUD is increasing worldwide often coinciding with the declining prevalence of H pylori infection. PUD heterogeneity worldwide is due to host genetic, bacterial and environmental factors. Variable ages in the acquisition of H pylori may influence the distribution of gastric versus duodenal ulcers as has the increasing use of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Pharmacogenetics affects the magnitude of PUD risk induced by ulcerogenic drugs such as NSAIDs and also efficacy of proton pump inhibitors. Parietal cell mass and maximal acid output is higher in Western populations but it remains uncertain whether susceptibility to drug-induced PUD is influenced by race. H pylori antibiotic resistance also varies throughout the world. This review summarizes the similarities and differences in PUD aetiology, clinical features and treatment between the East and the West. In particular, we focus on the recent publications on the prevalence of H pylori, which is declining rapidly in various parts of the world resulting in overlapping prevalence rates in the East and the West.
PROVISION OF MEDICINES IN ECUADOR

Abstract Part of the drug budget in Ecuador goes on expensive, non-essential, or unsafe proprietary medicines, while many drugs considered necessary in developed countries are unavailable. The promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies are unchecked and objective drug information is scarce.
Electron Transfer Between Biological Molecules by Thermally Activated Tunneling

A theory of electron transfer between two fixed sites by tunneling is developed. Vibronic coupling in the individual molecules produces an activation energy to transfer at high temperatures, and temperature-independent tunneling (when energetically allowed) at low temperature. The model is compared with known results on electron transfer in Chromatium and in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. It quantitatively interprets these results, with parameters whose scale is verified by comparison with optical absorption spectra. According to this description, the separation between linking sites for electron transfer is 8-10 A in Chromatium, far smaller than earlier estimates.
The relationship of pinocytosis and synaptic vesicles at the frog neuromuscular junction.

Abstract The fate of the extracellular marker horseradish peroxidase (HRP), following intense transmitter release was studied using identified muscle fibers from the frog sartorius nerve-muscle preparation. The muscle was stimulated indirectly via its nerve at 10 Hz or K + -depolarized for 15 min. Other preparations were also stimulated or K + -depolarized for 15 in and then rested for an additional 15 min. Endings from only identified muscle fibers were photographed with the electron microscope. It was found that in the paradigms studied above, less than 10% of the mean number of synaptic vesicle profiles per section contained the marker. Following electrical stimulation, therw was a statistically significant decrease in the mean number of synaptic vesicle profiles per section. After a 15 min rest period, the vesicle profile number had returned to the control value. At this time point, the endplate potential was but 25% of the control. K + -depolarization caused no significant change in the mean number of synaptic vesicle profiles per section. Experiments were also performed to rule out any direct effect of the label on the number of coated and synaptic vesicle profiles. The mean number of labeled coated vesicle profiles increased during either electrical stimulation or K + -depolarization, and then fell during the subsequent rest period. Their numbers accounted for less than 2% of the total number vesicles/section. A surprisingly high number of coated vesicle profiles (as high as 41%) contained no label. This findings is inconsistent with the exclusive role of coated vesicles associated with synaptic vesicle membrane recycling. The low level of HRP labeling of synaptic vesicles is also inconsistent with synaptic vesicles undergoing exo- and endocytosis along the presynaptic plasma membrane.
Current status of diabetic neuropathy

Abstract Clinically, new entities have been described and older ones reevaluated leading to improved clinical appraisal and better treatment. Pathologically, thickening of the vasa nervorum and ischemic infarcts in mononeuropathies have implicated the vascular system; motor end plate changes have been observed; and segmental demyelination of peripheral nerve fiber has been documented, suggesting metabolic alterations in the Schwann cell. Electrophysiologic measurements have revealed early involvement of the nervous system, even at onset, in juveniles as well as in adult-onset diabetes. Definite metabolic aberrations have been discovered, indicating this is an underlying factor in nerve affections. Biochemical activity in cord and peripheral nerve, the dependence of insulin response on the presence of an intact axon and myelin sheath, and most recently, the involvement of the polyol pathway in the intermediate metabolism of diabetic neural tissue has been demonstrated. The great diversity and seeming contradictory findings in all areas are reconciled by recognizing that these are diabetic neuropathies, rather than a single entity. A consideration of all the factors in onset suggests that diabetic neuropathy is a concomitant rather than a complication.
An infantile-onset, severe, yet sporadic seizure pattern is common in Sturge-Weber syndrome

The young age of onset and frequently intractable nature of seizures associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) have been well-reported in large studies. However, many clinicians also anecdotally describe prolonged but sporadic seizure clusters. Over a 5-year period, 77 children and adults with SWS and at least one reported seizure were referred to and evaluated at the Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The median age of seizure onset was 6 months with 43 (56%) presenting <1 year of age. Age at seizure onset < or = 6 months was associated with increased hemiparesis, but not seizures. A characteristic pattern of clustering, intense seizures followed by prolonged seizure-free periods was reported in 30 (39%), but was not associated with worse prognosis. This seizure pattern appears to be common with SWS and leads to difficult treatment decisions, especially in regard to the timing of potential surgical resection.
Computational studies of the farnesyltransferase ternary complex part I: substrate binding.

Farnesyltransferase (FTase) catalyzes the transfer of farnesyl from farnesyldiphosphate (FPP) to cysteine residues at or near the C-terminal of protein acceptors with a CaaX motif (a, aliphatic; X, Met). Farnesylation is a critical modification to many switch proteins involved in extracellular signal transduction pathway, which facilitates their fixation on the cell membrane where the extracellular signal is processed. The malfunction caused by mutations in these proteins often causes uncontrolled cell reproduction and leads to tumor formation. FTase inhibitors have been extensively studied as potential anticancer agents in recent years, several of which have advanced to different phases of clinical trials. However, the mechanism of this biologically important enzyme has not been firmly established. Understanding how FTase recruits the FPP substrate is the first and foremost step towards further mechanistic investigations and the design of effective FTase inhibitors. Molecular dynamic simulations were carried out on the ternary structure of FTase complexed with the FPP substrate and an acetyl-capped tetrapeptide (acetyl-CVIM), which revealed that the FPP substrate maintains an inactive conformation and the binding of the diphosphate group can be largely attributed to residues R291β, K164α, K294β, and H248β. The FPP substrate assumes an extended conformation in the binding site with restricted rotation of the backbone dihedral angles; however, it does not have a well defined conformation when unbound in solution. This is evident from multinanosecond MD simulations of the FPP substrate in vacuum and solution. Our conclusion is further supported by theoretical j-coupling calculations. Our results on the FPP binding are in good agreement with previous experimental kinetic studies on FTase mutants. The hypothetical conformational activation of the FPP substrate is currently under investigation.
Laumontite mineralization in rocks exposed north of San Andreas Fault at Cajon Pass, southern California

Laumontite of hydrothermal origin occurs in veins and as a replacement of the anorthite component of plagioclase in granitic and gneissic basement and overlying arkosic sandstone and conglomerate of the San Francisquito(?), Vaqueros and Cajon formations exposed in Cajon Pass north of the San Andreas fault. Accompanying alteration includes exsolution of albite from plagioclase, conversion of orthoclase to microcline and perthite, and oxidation of iron in biotite and magnetite to form a disseminated hematite stain. These changes are pervasive within 1 km of the fault but diminish to no alteration at 4 km. Granitic rocks close to the fault are crushed to highly fractured and contain a mosaic of laumontite veins. Veins occur along joints and minor faults in sedimentary rocks. Most veins are nearly vertical and trend northwest at a more northerly angle than the San Andreas. This mineralization is attributed to deep circulation of ground water in fractured and frictionally heated rocks along the San Andreas fault.
Additive Functionals on Groups

The kernel of a non-trivial linear functional φ on a linear space E is a maximal proper linear subspace of E which determines φ up to a non-zero multiple. Does a similar result hold for homomorphisms of a group G into the additive group R of the real numbers?
Biofeedback and relaxation treatments for headache in the elderly: A caution and a challenge

Results for 11 older (60 years or greater) headache patients treated with combinations of biofeedback and relaxation are presented. Overall, only 18.2% were clinically improved after treatment. None of the 5 tension headache patients were improved. Suggestions for future work with the older headache patient are offered.
How do we feel

Mammalian dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contain a diverse collection of sensory neuronal subtypes specialized to detect different sensory stimuli. Most of these cells respond to mechanical stimulation of some sort, be they proprioceptors detecting body movements, receptors for gentle touch or nociceptors activated by painful levels of pressure, and yet the proteins that detect mechanical stimuli remain unknown. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Gary Lewin and colleagues give insights into the developmental acquisition of mechanosensitivity by different classes of sensory neurons and in doing so, they offer a new approach for determining the molecular basis of this sensory modality.
pH-Dependent urea sensitivity of southern bean mosaic virus.

Abstract The behavior of southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) virions in urea was markedly pH dependent and revealed several novel features. In the absence of urea (5°, 1 hr) SBMV was stable as a 115 S entity between pH 2.5 and 9.5, yielded a slowly sedimenting (ca 60–65 S) entity at pH 10.5, and was degraded into a 35–40 S product at pH 11.0. In 4.0 M urea, SBMV was precipitated irreversibly at pH 2.5 or 10.0, yielded variously sedimenting aggregates at pH 3.0, was transformed progressively into a 80 S entity between pH 7.0 and 9.5, or remained structurally intact at pH 3.5 to 6.5. In 8.O M urea, SBMV was precipitated at pH 3.5 and below or pH 7.5 and above, showed a tendency for the particle:particle interaction at pH 6.5 and 7.0, but remained stable between pH 4.0 and 6.0. Under conditions where SBMV was somewhat destabilized with urea, increase in the temperature or ionic concentration caused virion precipitation without any detectable degradation. SBMV was dissociated with 4.0 or 8.0 M urea at pH 5.5 but only in the presence of 1.0 M NaCl and at the elevated temperatures (>50°). These results on the rather unusual SBMV behavior in urea, as compared to other viruses, are discussed in relation to the available information on the SBMV stabilizing interactions.
Necker cube and autokinetic illusions after awakening from REM and NONREM sleep: lack of effect.

St/mmary.-Earlier studies demonstrated differential perceptions of the visual illusions, beta movement and spiral aftereffect, following awakening from REM and NONRXM sleep. The present study tested the effects of awakening from the two phases of sleep on two additional visual illusions, the Necker cube and autokinetic illusions. 12 young adults were wakened from REM and NONRXM sleep and tested on both illusions for three l-min. trials, within 1 to 2 min. of the awakening. Comparison of the post-REM and post-NONREM illusions indicated a nonsignificant difference between the rwo waking conditions in the passive spontaneous reversal rates of the Necker cube. Data for the autokinetic illusion were not reported as they were unreliable. Several studies demonstrated differential effects of awakening from REM and NONREM sleep on perceptual phenomena. Fiss, et al. (1966) reported that post-REM responses to the Thematic Apperception Test were more bizarre and "dream-like" than post-NONREM responses. Lavie and Giora (1973) and Lavie (1974) showed that the duration of the spiral aftereffect apparent motion was longer following REM awakenings than NONREM awakenings. Lavie and Sutter (1975) extended these results to the perception of the beta movement (phi phenomenon) and showed that subjects observed the apparent motion following awakening from REM sleep for more frequencies than following awakening from NONREM sleep. The differential perception persisted up to 20 min. following the awakening. In the present study we tested the influence of awakening from the two phases of sleep on the perception of two other visual illusions, the Necker cube and the autokinetic illusions. Since the data on the autokinetic illusion were unclear, partly due to the unreliable nature of our dependent variable, this pan of the study will be repeated before reporting these data. Thus, only the data on the Necker cube are reported in the present paper.