cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time synchronization in wireless sensor networks: A survey

Wireless sensor networks consist of small devices distributed over geographical area. Each one of these devices has sensing, computing, and communicating components. Wireless sensor networks are used in many applications where partial or full time synchronization in the network is required. Time synchronization aims at equalizing the local times for all nodes in the network, if necessary. Since wireless sensor networks are limited in energy resources, computation capability, storage capacity, and bandwidth, traditional time synchronization algorithms like Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Global Positioning System (GPS) are impractical to synchronize the network. This paper explains the time synchronization problem in wireless sensor networks and details the basic algorithms proposed in this area.
Alternating current polarography: Theoretical predictions for systems with first-order chemical reactions following the charge transfer step

Summary Results are presented of a detailed study of theoretical predictions for the fundamental harmonic a.c. polarographic response with systems involving rate control by diffusion, first-order following chemical reactions and/or heterogeneous charge transfer kinetics. A general theoretical formulation based on a rigorous solution of the expanding plane boundary value problem by the Matsuda method is the subject of study. The calculated a.c. polarographic behavior is examined for a wide range of kinetic conditions. Approaches to data analysis are recommended.
Application of simple-shear model to the evolution of passive continental margins of the Gulf of Mexico basin

The asymmetrical distribution of different crustal types under the Gulf of Mexico basin and sharp differences in the sedimentary record between the northern and southern parts of the gulf are the main arguments used to invoke the lithospheric simple-shear model in interpreting the evolution of the basin9s conjugate passive margins. In the framework of this model,we interpret the northern and southern gulf margins as proximal and distal margins, respectively.
The partial purification and properties of indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Abstract The enzyme which converts I - o -carboxyphenyl- I -deoxyribulose-5-phosphate (anthranilic deoxyribulotide) to indole-3-glycerol phosphate has been partially purified from cell extracts of Escherichia coli and some of its properties examined. By growing tryptophan auxotrophs on media in which the available tryptophan was limited, crude extracts were obtained with up to 60 times the specific activity of similar extracts from wild type E. coli . A further 17-fold increase in specific activity was achieved by acetone precipatation followed by ammonium sulphate fractionatation. Experiments employing the mixing of fractions obtained during purification and the mixing of crude extracts of a number of tryptophan auxotrophs of E. coli strongly suggest that the conversion of anthranilic deoxyribulotide to indole-3-glycerol phosphate is carried out by a single enzyme. A number of compounds with structural similarities to the substrate were tested as possible inhibitors of indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase. Anthranilic acid and certain of its derivatives were found to inhibit the enzyme.
Dendritic closomers: novel spherical hybrid dendrimers

We report construction of monodisperse PAMAM-type dendrimers based on a dodecahydroxy closo-dodecaborane scaffold. The ideal sphericity and high functional group density of the icosahedral core permits ready access to hybrid dendrimers (dendritic closomers) having rigid, uniformly shaped exterior surfaces.
Effects of dietary magnesium and halothane genotype on performance and carcass traits of growing-finishing swine

Halothane-negative (NN) and halothane-carrier (Nn) pigs were assigned randomly to one of three dietary treatments: (1) control corn–soybean meal diets; (2) control diets supplemented with 1.25% magnesium mica (MM); or (3) control diets supplemented with 2.5% MM. When the lightest block averaged 108.8 kg, pigs were harvested at a commercial pork slaughter plant, and bone-in pork loins were captured, vacuum-packaged and transported back for measurement of pork quality traits. The NN pigs had greater average daily gain (ADG) during the grower (P 0.10) on ADG, pigs fed 1.25% MM had a higher (P<0.05) gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) during the grower phase than pigs fed 2.5% MM; whereas, pigs fed control diets had an intermediate G:F. Carcasses from Nn pigs were leaner (P<0.05) and heavier (P<0.05) muscled than carcasses from NN pigs. In contrast, a greater (P<0.05) percentage of carcasses from Nn pigs received color scores characteristic of the pale, soft and exudative (PSE) condition. Although there were distinct genotype effects on performance and carcass traits, long-term supplementation of diets with MM had no beneficial, or deleterious, effects on pork quality or carcass yield.
Hard magnetic properties of rapidly annealed NdFeB thin films on Nb and V buffer layers

Abstract NdFeB thin films of the form A (20 nm)/NdFeB(d nm)/A(20 nm), where d ranges from 54 to 540 nm and the buffer layer A is Nb or V were prepared on a Si(1 0 0) substrate by magnetron sputtering. The hard Nd 2 Fe 14 B phase is formed by a 30 s rapid anneal or a 20 min anneal. Average crystallite size ranged from 20 to 35 nm with the rapidly annealed samples having the smaller crystallite size. These samples also exhibited a larger coercivity and energy product than those treated by a 20 min vacuum anneal. A maximum coercivity of 26.3 kOe at room temperature was obtained for a Nb/NdFeB (180 nm)/Nb film after a rapid anneal at 725°C. Initial magnetization curves indicate magnetization rotation rather than nucleation of reverse domains is important in the magnetization process. A Brown's equation analysis of the coercivity as a function of temperature allowed us to compare the rapidly annealed and 20 min annealed samples. This analysis suggests that rapid annealing gives higher quality crystalline grains than the 20 min annealed sample leading to the observed large coercivity in the rapidly annealed samples.
On testing the convexity of hedonic price functions

Recent work on hedonic price functions for the urban housing market has centered on the choice of an appropriate functional form. For example, the work of Goodman [2], Linneman [3], and Quigley [4] has suggested use of the Box-Cox transformation of the dependent variable to estimate hedonic functions. While these and other writings on the topic emphasize the choice of an optimal functional form and the resulting misspecification bias if the optimal form is not used, another reason for interest is to determine the curvature of the corresponding budget constraint faced by the housing consumer. The important work of Rosen [5] has demonstrated that the hedonic price function is a joint envelope of bid functions of consumers and offer functions of producers. Consumers’ bids are expected to be concave, reflecting convex preferences (the consumer being willing to bid a higher price for “mean” homes than “extreme” homes). On the other hand, we expect producers’ offers to be convex, perhaps indicating lower cost of producing mean homes than extreme homes. The joint envelope of the consumer’s bid function and the producer’s offer function is the hedonic price function, which may be concave or convex. The reason for interest in its curvature lies in the corresponding nonlinearity of the budget constraint for the consumer of housing. Whether the budget constraint is concave or convex in characteristics space is important since equilibrium is determined by the tangency of a convex indifference curve and this budget constraint. Quigley illustrates the budget constraint as possibly having both convex and concave segments but does not investigate the question of estimating the degree of convexity or concavity of the constraint since his focus is on determining the demand for housing components. It is the purpose of this note to present a method by which hedonic functions estimated using Box-Cox transformations can be tested for convexity. Specific examples are taken from Linneman [3] and Anderson [l]. A Box-Cox transformation of house price (or rent) p(‘) = ( px 1)/A can be used as the dependent variable to determine the optimal functional form of the hedonic function, giving the estimating equation
STOX1: A New Player in Preeclampsia?

See related article, pp 662–668 One of the most vexing and long-lasting conundrums in obstetrics is the underlying cause of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, which typically exhibits after the 20th week of gestation, and is characterized by proteinuria, edema, an increased maternal inflammatory response, and widespread maternal vascular dysfunction. Unfortunately, despite intensive research into the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, effective therapeutic interventions for the disorder remain elusive. Currently, the only definitive treatment is parturition and removal of the placenta. It is this last fact which gives a clue to the pathological origins of the disease. Extensive work during the past 20 years on both human subjects and experimental animal models has suggested that a central causative factor in the manifestation of the disorder is placental ischemia, brought about by inadequate remodeling of the maternal spiral arteries that supply the placenta. Under normal circumstances, invasive fetal cytotrophoblasts migrate into the spiral arteries, displacing the endogenous endothelial lining. In the process, they convert the arteries from small high-resistance vessels into distended high-capacity vessels. This process allows for adequate delivery of blood to the developing fetoplacental unit during gestation development. Failure of this process to proceed normally results in chronic hypoxia and ischemia.1 In response, the placental tissue begins producing factors that enter the maternal circulation and are responsible for the symptomatic phase of the disorder, in particular the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor protein soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and the soluble transforming growth factor-β receptor soluble endoglin.2 What remains unclear, however, are the underlying reasons why cytotrophoblast invasion is commonly deficient in preeclamptic placentas. Several mechanisms have been proposed, ranging from maternal immune intolerance to genetic defects in trophoblast signaling. Several recent works have used placental microarray profiling to identify dysregulated genes and genetic screens, including …
Analyticity properties in energy of the complex J partial wave amplitudes in the scattering of particles with spin

Abstract The energy dispersion relations for the complex J partial wave amplitudes for the scattering of particles with arbitrary spin are derived. A discussion is given of the Gribov-Pomeranchuk-Azimov essential singularities, and of a mechanism which might prevent their propagation to indefinitely large values of J . Some properties of Jacobi functions are collected in an appendix.
The abnormal pap smear—what to do next?

The patient with an abnormal Papanicolaou smear must have proper and adequate diagnostic evaluation to determine the degree of cervical abnormality. Gross clinical evaluation alone is inadequate for definitive diagnosis because cytologic screening identifies patients with preclinical disease. Outpatient diagnostic evaluation must include colposcopy, colposcopic-directed biopsies, endocervical curettage, and pelvic examination. Conization of the cervix is required whenever these techniques are unsatisfactory or are unable to rule out invasive cancer. When outpatient diagnostic procedures including cytologic analysis rule out invasive disease, one may elect cryosurgery, electrocautery, or laser in treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Nevertheless, conization or hysterectomy may be inpatient treatments for selected patients.
TU‐D‐L100J‐06: Detector Technologies for Photon Counting/energy Resolving X‐Ray and CT Imaging

Purpose: To evaluate existing and a new detector technologies for photon counting/energy resolving x‐ray and CTimaging.Materials and Methods:Digital mammography with photon counting Si and gaseous Xe detectors is now available. Although CZT and CdTe detectors are more attractive for photon counting x‐ray and CTimaging, they suffer from hole trapping and charge sharing between pixels, which decrease energy resolution, count rate, and spatial resolution. We have proposed using CZT/CdTe crystals in a tilted angle configuration when the x‐ray hits the crystal surface at a small angle. This allows decreasing crystal thickness significantly while maintaining high photon absorption. The tilted angle CZT/CdTe was simulated for 0.3–1 mm crystal thickness, 10°–90° tilting angles, and 50–150 keV photon energies. The results were compared to a crystal with 3 mm thickness used in normal irradiation. Experiments were performed with a tilted angle CZT with 2 mm crystal thickness using 59 keV and 122 keV photons and 110 kVp x‐ray. Results: The count rate of the tilted angle CZT detector was higher by 10–20 times for 0.3–1 mm crystal thickness and 50–150 keV photon energies compared to CZT with normal irradiation. The electron collection time was shorter by 3–6 times. The charge diffusion and charge sharing between pixels was decreased correspondingly. The experiments have shown significant decrease in tailing of the energy spectrum with tilted angle detector. The peak/tail ratio of the measured energy spectrum was increased by 2.4 and 2 times for 59 keV and 122 keV photons, respectively, when 20° tilting angle was used. Conclusion: The proposed tilted angle CZT/CdTe detector allows significant increase in count rate, energy resolution, and spatial resolution, as compared to currently used CZT/CdTe detectors. This potentially enables using tilted angle CZT/CdTe detectors for photon counting/energy resolving x‐ray and CTimaging.
PCR detection of a putative manganese oxidation gene (mofA) in environmental samples and assessment of mofA gene homology among diverse manganese‐oxidizing bacteria

Nondegenerate PCR primers were designed to amplify a 706‐bp portion of the putative manganese oxidizing factor gene, mofA, from several Leptothrix strains (“L. discophora” SS‐1 and SP‐6, L. cholodnii IMG 7171. and Leptothrix sp. NC‐1). Elec‐trophoresis of amplification products revealed significant amplification only in the strain from which mofA was originally cloned (“L. discophora” SS‐1). Very weak amplification (as witnessed by faint bands in ethidium bromide‐stained agarose gels) was observed with both L. cholodnii IMG 7171 and Leptothrix sp. NC‐1, while no amplification was observed with “L. discophora” SP‐6. In order to determine whether the manganese‐oxidizing genes of Leptothrix spp. were closely related, these primers were used to synthesize a 706‐bp digoxigenin‐labeled mofA probe from “L. discophora” SS‐1 for use in variable stringency hybridization analyses. These analyses showed that the manganese oxidation genes of Leptothrix spp. were closely related to one another, but they are not homolog...
Site-specific Fluorescence Reveals GABA-induced Structural Movements Near the Extracellular End of the Pore-lining M2 α-helices of the GABA-A Receptor

Binding of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to the extracellular domain of the heteropentameric GABA-A receptor induces a rapid cascade of structural rearrangements which ultimately opens a transmembrane chloride-conducting channel. The conformational movements associated with channel opening, however, are largely unclear. Here, we used voltage clamp fluorometry to monitor GABA-induced movements near the extracellular mouth of the channel. Residues at the C-termini of the α1, β2 and γ2 channel-lining M2 α-helices (19′ - 28′) were individually mutated to cysteine and co-expressed with wild-type subunits in Xenopus oocytes to form α1β2γ2 GABA-A receptors. The cysteine mutant subunits all formed functional receptors that were activated by GABA. We labeled the cysteine mutant receptors with the sulfhydryl-reactive, environmentally-sensitive fluorescent probe tetrametylrhodamine-6-maleimide (TMRM). Combined voltage clamp and fluorometry monitored GABA-induced channel activity and local protein movements simultaneously in real time. GABA induced decreases in fluorescence from TMRM tethered to three residues in α1M2 (N274C (20′), P277C (23′), Y281C (27′)), four residues in β2M2 (P273C, (23′), K274C (24′), I275C (25′), P276C (26′)) and two residues in γ2M2 (K285C (20′), P288C (23′)). The decreases in fluorescence at these sites suggest that these residues become more exposed to a hydrophilic or aqueous chemical environment in response to GABA-induced gating transitions. The fluorescence change from TMRM at β2 K274C (24′) initiates earlier and rises faster than the current response, suggesting that the probe is detecting a movement prior to channel gating. Further study of the fluorescence and current responses in combination with structural modeling will help us understand the role of these movements in GABA-A receptor activation.
Preventing Lung Cancer by Treating Tobacco Dependence

Tobacco use is a chronic medical disorder. Providing evidence-based treatment of tobacco-dependent patients is a challenge, and a team approach provides an efficient treatment model. Tobacco treatment specialists could expand the collective tobacco treatment expertise in the medical setting. Effective tobacco dependence treatment frequently requires tailoring and intensifying of interventions to meet the needs of the individual patient. Stopping smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer and many other cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease. Treating tobacco dependence is one of the most cost-effective therapies in medicine and it deserves adequate reimbursement for it to be more widely available.
An episode of increased hemolysis due to a defective pneumatic air tube delivery system.

Abstract Objectives To study an episode of excessive sample hemolysis associated with a recently installed pneumatic tube system from the Accident and Emergency Department. Design and methods Hemolysis rates in samples delivered with a tube system installed 3–4 months previously were followed up retrospectively and prospectively. The laboratory database was searched over a 3-year period for serum potassium results and the number of hemolyzed samples rejected that had been delivered by pneumatic tube or by hand. Results Before the tube system was installed, the weekly mean hemolysis rate was 3.3%. After installation, the rate was 10.9% for 12 weeks but then it increased to 54%. After a fault was corrected, values fell to 9.0% and to 7.1% after samples were bubble-wrapped. Other wards served as controls. Conclusion Laboratories should be aware that defects may arise in tube systems that may result in rapid sample deceleration and excessive hemolysis.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF TOWING DAMAGED VESSELS: A REVIEW OF PAST CASES

ABSTRACT When a damaged vessel is leaking oil and there is significant risk of further release, spill responders often consider towing the vessel into a harbor of refuge in order to protect it from rough seas and thus prevent a catastrophic discharge of oil, or out to sea to protect the coastline. This paper reviews three cases on the west coast of North America where vessels were towed out to sea (the Puerto Rican, Nestucca, New Carissa). Using actual spill data and modeled trajectories, the environmental impacts associated with towing are compared to the likely environmental impacts that would have occurred with alternative scenarios. We conclude that, in at least two of these cases, the environmental impacts may have been magnified as a direct result of towing the vessel. Thus, when towing damaged vessels, the environmental risks and tradeoffs should be carefully evaluated.
Customizing and improving medical workflows using ODK survey

Open Data Kit (ODK) has been a successful data collection platform for many organizations; however, some users have struggled to adapt their use case to JavaRosa's XForm standard. In this paper we describe a new questionnaire-rendering tool (named Survey) that expands ODK's toolkit to support complex and highly adaptable workflows. Survey improves an organization's ability to build customized domain specific applications by providing interactive, non-linear navigation capability and question widgets defined in JavaScript/HTML; thereby, enabling runtime customizable navigation and question data types. To verify that Survey can simplify the creation of complex workflows, we present a case study that implements the World Health Organization's Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) customized for field deployments in Ghana and India.
Cognitive behavioral perspectives on women and guilt

This paper discusses the application of cognitive behavior therapies to the treatment of the guilt difficulties that women experience in Western industrialized societies. Evidence on the relevance of guilt to women is reviewed, including psychological problems common to women that involve high guilt, sex differences in personality traits, and sex-typing in social roles. Cognitive behavioral theories of guilt are summarized. Areas of inquiry in assessment of dysfunctional guilt are discussed. Three cognitive behavioral treatment strategies for women's guilt are presented. In permission-giving, guilt-provoking behavior is reframed as acceptable. Interventions to lessen discrepancies between guilt-provoking behavior and core roles that are central to self-definition can focus on revising core role requirements and on making behavior more consistent with core roles. Rational-emotive therapy focuses on reduction of irrational beliefs that support self-blame and conditional selfworth and developing more adaptive cognitions. Treatment recommendations for specific guilt problems in assertive refusal and in the aftermath of assault are also reviewed.
A Call to Understanding, Solidarity, and Action: An Agency Perspective

Through collaborations with community partners and academic institutions agencies can build their capacity to more effectively serve the United States' growing migrant population. This article presents several innovative collaborative initiatives that Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago has developed toward this end. These include the creation of an Office of Latino Affairs, a Latino Advisory Committee, numerous community collaborations, and a transnational student exchange program that offers a unique opportunity for students to serve, learn, and reflect.
How verbal memory loads consume attention

According to a traditional assumption about working memory, participants retain a series of verbal items for immediate recall using covert verbal rehearsal, without much need for attention. We reassessed this assumption by imposing a speeded, nonverbal choice reaction time (CRT) task following the presentation of each digit in a list to be recalled. When the memory load surpassed a few items, performance on the speeded CRT task became increasingly impaired. This CRT task impairment depended only on attention-related components of working memory; it was not alleviated by the presence of an auditory memory trace that automatically helped the recall of items at the ends of spoken lists. We suggest that attention-demanding refreshing of verbal stimuli occurs along with any covert rehearsal.
Evaluating Professional Development of American History Teachers

The first Teaching American History (TAH) grants were made available to K-12 schools from the Department of Education in 2002. They provide money to school systems for three-year projects to form partnerships with area organizations with the goal of increasing the American history knowledge of teachers and students. This study focuses on the evaluation plan, project implementation, and results from one such TAH grant. The teacher participants were from targeted elementary and secondary schools. Where possible, teams of teachers (history and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or Special Education (SPED) participated. A formative and summative evaluation was designed to ensure the efficacy of the project design and to guarantee its outcomes. This is a report on year one of the evaluation, focusing on the design, its impact on the conduct of the grant, and the prospects for success in meeting the goals of the grant.
The bingo model of survivorship. III. Genetic principles

The broad relationships are explored between the genetic and the phenotypic structures of the bingo-gamma model (ie, the shortest waiting time among competing, independent, multiple-hit systems). Finite algorithms are derived to compute in closed form the joint and marginal distributions; the distribution, density, and hazard functions of time to failure; the respective total probabilities of dying from failure of each competing system; and the raw and central moments. The algorithm is the computer counterpart of a generating function. The number of competing systems and their individual orders and transition parameters may be chosen at will. Classical Galton-Fisher theory does not apply: neither means nor variances are additive nor are their effects homogeneous; rather, those systems with shorter mean survival more or less mask the impact of those with longer means. Thus even huge differences among means for alleles of any one component may be almost totally concealed phenotypically; even the maximal genetic covariation may in practice remain totally unrecognized and the heritability estimated close to zero. The proportional specific mortality is a less capricious index and is naturally additive, but, though a monotonic function of the underlying parameters, it is neither linear nor homogeneous.
A new species of Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) from the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Mentzelia hualapaiensis, a new species of Mentzelia sect. Bartonia, is described from the Grand Canyon region of Arizona. The new species is closely related to M. puberula, which is found west of M. hualapaiensis along the Colorado River, and to M. oreophila, M. polita, and M. tiehmii. It shares with these species a suffrutescent shoot system characterized by a subterranean, branching caudex, multiple annual branches, and similar leaves that have shallowly lobed or toothed to entire laminas. The flowers of M. hualapaiensis differ from those of its closest relatives in having cream-white, linear to narrowly spatulate petals and staminodes, characteristics that are convergent with those of the flowers of the Chihuahuan Desert species M. humilis.
Sex-specific gene expression in distinct tissues of the shrimp Penaeus vannamei

Abstract 1. 1. Soluble proteins extracted from male and female Penaeus vannamei tissues such as eyes, eyestalks, brain, nerve cord, hemolymph, heart, muscle, hepatopancreas, hepatopancreas membrane and cuticular epidermis were analyzed and compared by high-resolution mini-two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (mini-2D-PAGE). 2. 2. In each shrimp tissue a large number of discrete polypeptides was observed. 3. 3. The polypeptide patterns from the same tissue of female and male shrimp were mostly similar but both qualitative and quantitative differences were noted, suggesting the presence of sex-specific gene products in various shrimp tissues. 4. 4. Future applications of these results are discussed.
Cyclin T1 Expression Is Mediated by a Complex and Constitutively Active Promoter and Does Not Limit Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tat Function in Unstimulated Primary Lymphocytes

Cyclin T1 (CycT1), a component of positive-transcription-elongation factor-b (P-TEFb), is an essential cofactor for transcriptional activation by lentivirus Tat proteins. It is thought that low CycT1 expression levels restrict human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) expression levels and replication in resting CD4+ lymphocytes. In this study, we undertook a functional analysis of the cycT1 promoter to determine which, if any, promoter elements might be responsible for cellular activation state-dependent CycT1 expression. The cycT1 gene contains a complex promoter that exhibits an extreme degree of functional redundancy: five nonoverlapping fragments were found to exhibit significant promoter activity in immortalized cell lines, and these elements could interact in a synergistic or redundant manner to mediate cycT1 transcription. Reporter gene expression, mediated by the cycT1 promoter, was detectable in unstimulated transfected primary lymphocytes and multiple sites within the promoter could serve to initiate transcription. While utilization of these start sites was significantly altered by the application of exogenous stimuli to primary lymphocytes and two distinct promoter elements exhibited enhanced activity in the presence of phorbol ester, overall cycT1 transcription was only modestly enhanced in response to cell activation. These observations prompted a reexamination of CycT1 protein expression in primary lymphocytes. In fact, steady-state CycT1 expression is only slightly lower in unstimulated lymphocytes compared to phorbol ester-treated cells or a panel of immortalized cell lines. Importantly, CycT1 is expressed at sufficient levels in unstimulated primary cells to support robust Tat activity. These results strongly suggest that CycT1 expression levels in unstimulated primary lymphocytes do not profoundly limit HIV-1 gene expression or provide an adequate mechanistic explanation for proviral latency in vivo.
Cyclotron isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals—XXXV astatine-211☆

Abstract The excitation functions for the 209Bi(α,2n)211At and 209Bi(α,3n)210At reactions were measured between 21.1 and 29.2 MeV. A target was designed to optimize the production of 211At with cyclotron beam currents of ≤ 10 μA. A novel radiochemical separation apparatus was developed to permit elution of 211At− into small controlled volumes, using solvents required for subsequent radiopharmaceutical chemistry. Polonium-210 (t 1 2 =138 d , E α =5.3 MeV ) , a previously ignored co-produced radiocontaminant arising via the 209Bi(α,t) reaction, was observed at the ppm level. The nuclear decay properties (α, x-ray and γ emissions) were evaluated for 211At and its daughter 211Po in order to refine or to obtain the prerequisite nuclear data for subsequent radiopharmaceutical development and therapeutic applications of 211At.
On the Mechanism of Toluene-Induced Renal Tubular Acidosis

This study was aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of toluene-induced renal tubular acidosis (RTA). In 5 individuals addicted to toluene sniffing we documented the occurrence of hypokalemia and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis associated with inability to lower urine pH below 5.5 (6.06 +/- 0.24). Overall kidney bicarbonate reabsorption was normal or enhanced, a feature characteristic of the distal form of RTA (DRTA). These findings resemble those found during the administration of amphotericin B, a drug felt to cause DRTA by increasing hydrogen ion (H+) back-diffusion in the collecting tubule. In toluene sniffers, the urine pCO2 measured in a highly alkaline urine was reduced (47 +/- 8.8 mm Hg), suggesting a decrease in the rate of collecting tubule H+ secretion rather than H+ back-diffusion. To investigate these two mechanisms of altered distal acidification more directly we studied the effect of toluene on acidification by the urinary turtle bladder, an epithelial analogue of the mammalian collecting tubule. In this preparation, toluene resulted in a decrease in the rate of H+ secretion measured by either the pH stat technique or the reverse short circuit current. When mucosal pH was progressively lowered to examine H+ secretion against an H+ gradient, toluene-treated bladders displayed a significant decrease in proton conductance but the lowest mucosal pH required to nullify H+ secretion, (MpH) JH = O, was not different from that of control bladders (4.05 +/- 0.29 and 3.90 +/- 0.13, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Observed and expected variation in hominid evolution

Abstract All of the major groups of fossil hominids (australopithecines, pithecanthropines, Neandertals, and early sapiens) were discovered by 1925, and therefore prior to the formulation of the synthetic theory of evolution that revolutionized the concept of the species in systematics. While these fossil finds were being made the framework for their interpretation included several assumptions: (1) that the number of living hominoid species was great, and that intraspecific variation was slight (authoritative sources recognized as many as 14 separate species of chimpanzees and 15 species of gorillas); (2) that the timescale of human evolution was brief (measured in tens or hundreds of thousands of years). As a result of these premises the consensus that hominid evolution was characterized by a large number of sympatric and synchronic species was virtually inevitable. In contrast, recent molecular studies demonstrate that genetic diversity among recent hominoids is so slight that even humans and chimpanzees differ at only about 1% of the loci that have been sampled so far; evidently, very small genetic differences can produce rather great contrasts in morphology. At the same time, geological break-throughs have increased the timescale for human evolution to several million years. It is concluded that morphological differences among fossil hominids, even if very appreciable and complex, do not necessarily reflect a great degree of either genetic or taxonomic diversity. Potential effects of evolutionary change through time should be incorporated into models of hominid evolution as a means of assessing the minimum number of lineages required to account for observed variations among hominid specimens.
Potential impact of soil microbiomes on the leaf metabolome and on herbivore feeding behavior.

Summary It is known that environmental factors can affect the biosynthesis of leaf metabolites. Similarly, specific pairwise plant–microbe interactions modulate the plant's metabolome by stimulating production of phytoalexins and other defense-related compounds. However, there is no information about how different soil microbiomes could affect the plant growth and the leaf metabolome. We analyzed experimentally how diverse soil microbiomes applied to the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana were able to modulate plant growth and the leaf metabolome, as assessed by GC-MS analyses. Further, we determined the effects of soil microbiome-driven changes in leaf metabolomics on the feeding behavior of Trichopulsia ni larvae. Soil microbiomes differentially impacted plant growth patterns as well as leaf metabolome composition. Similarly, most microbiome-treated plants showed inhibition to larvae feeding, compared with unamended control plants. Pyrosequencing analysis was conducted to determine the soil microbial composition and diversity of the soils used in this study. Correlation analyses were performed to determine relationships between various factors (soil microbial taxa, leaf chemical components, plant growth patterns and insect feeding behavior) and revealed that leaf amino acid content was positively correlated with both microbiome composition and insect feeding behavior.
Pharmacologic basis of pantoprazole dosing

Abstract Objective This paper reviews the pharmacological properties of the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) pantoprazole, with a focus on the relationship between pantoprazole dosage and acid suppression in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Background Pantoprazole is a new PPI available in both oral and intravenous (IV) formulations. Like other PPIs, pantoprazole is efficacious in the treatment of GERD and other acid-related diseases. It has high specificity for the relevant binding sites on activated proton pumps, and its profile of pH activation suggests that its activated cationic sulfenamide derivative should reach much higher concentrations at the site of acid production on the parietal cell than elsewhere in the body. These features suggest that pantoprazole will act specifically on parietal cells, with little propensity to cause unwanted systemic effects. Pantoprazole has minimal interaction with the cytochrome P-450 enzymes and no known drug interactions, suggesting that no dosage adjustment will be needed when it is taken concurrently with other medications that are metabolized by the cytochrome P-450 system. Its bioavailability is unaffected by food intake. Pantoprazole follows linear pharmacokinetics; studies indicate a linear dose response increasing up to 40 mg once daily, with some additional benefit at higher dosages for patients with chronic hypersecretory conditions. The recommended dosage of pantoprazole in GERD is 40 mg once daily. This dosage suppresses intragastric pH throughout the day and some of the night, providing relief of nighttime gastroesophageal reflux. Both the oral and IV formulations of pantoprazole can be dosed at 40 mg once daily for patients with GERD, and apparent dose equivalence makes it possible to switch a patient from IV to oral pantoprazole without a change in dosage or loss of efficacy in either acid suppression or disease healing. Dosage adjustments are rarely needed for special situations such as severe ulcer disease. No dosage adjustment is necessary in elderly patients or in those with renal impairment or mild to moderate hepatic impairment. Conclusion The pharmacological characteristics of pantoprazole—its ability to relieve GERD symptoms, long duration of action, equivalence of oral and IV formulations, and low potential for adverse drug interactions—make it a valuable option for the treatment of acid-related diseases.
A Case of Possible Pacemaker Undersensing

Aman inhis90swith a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sinus node dysfunction, and prior dual-chamber pacemaker implantation presented with 1 month of abdominal pain radiating to his back. The initial chest radiograph demonstrated a dualchamberpermanentpacemakerwith anatrial lead in the right atrial appendage and ventricular lead at the right ventricular (RV) apex. A computed tomography angiogram demonstrated a 5.3 × 5.3-cm infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm with thrombus. The patient was urgently taken to the operating room for percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair. Preoperatively,anelectrocardiogram(ECG)demonstratedatrialventricular (AV) pacing with atrial capture and ventricular pacing “spikes” (or stimuli) just after the onset of a narrow QRS complex (Figure 1). A postoperative ECG (Figure 2) obtained in the postanesthesia care unit did not demonstrate evidence of atrial or ventricular pacing. The fact that the paced narrow QRS complex in Figure 1 is identical to the patient’s nonpaced baseline QRS complex in Figure 2 raises concern (in Figure 1) that the pacemaker was undersensing the intrinsic QRS complex. Question: Did the RV lead undersense (fail to recognize) the patient’s intrinsic QRS complex?
A highly polymorphic locus on chromosome 16q revealed by a probe from a chromosome-specific cosmid library.

A cosmid library was constructed from genomic DNA of a human-mouse somatic cell hybrid containing an 11q–16q translocation chromosome as the only human DNA. Cosmids with human inserts were prehybridized with total human DNA and were screened to find probes that revealed highly polymorphic loci. From one such cosmid, CF33-79, a single-copy subclone was isolated which revealed an insertion/deletion polymorphism with at least 11 alleles and a PIC of 0.77. Using a somatic cell hybrid mapping panel, the subclone was mapped to chromosome 16. By in situ hybridization with the entire cosmid used as a probe, chromosomal localization was shown at 16q22→24.
Group majorization, the convex hulls of sets of matrices, and the diagonal element-singular value inequalities

Abstract A group induced preorder on matrix space permits the description of the convex hulls of sets of proper and improper real matrices with given singular values, and also permits a new proof of the necessity of the known relations between the diagonal elements and singular values of a real matrix.
A Polynomial-Time Algorithm for a Stable Matching Problem with Linear Valuations and Bounded Side Payments

We study an extension of the Gale-Shapley marriage model and the Shapley-Shubik assignment model by considering linear valuations and bounded side payments. Our model includes the Eriksson-Karlander hybrid model as a special case. We propose a polynomial-time algorithm which finds a pairwise-stable outcome.
Managing Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA) Records in a Multiple Model Environment

Academic libraries have widely embraced patron-driven acquisition (PDA) models for electronic and print books. Vendors supply title level MARC records to facilitate discovery through library catalogs, and managing these records can be challenging. Colorado State University Libraries (CSUL) implemented four PDA models over the past two years. Since these records constitute a growing portion of the collection, CSUL recognizes the importance of developing careful record management policies and workflows to handle various acquisitions models. In this article the author describes the four PDA models, the cataloging policies and processes, and staffing levels needed for managing the records.
Analysis and control of a kinematically redundant manipulator

Abstract To study space applications of telerobotics, Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) has recently built a testbed composed mainly of a pair of redundant slave arms having 7 degrees-of-freedom and a master hand controller system. This paper presents the mathematical developments required for the computer simulation study and motion control of the slave arms. First the slave arm forward kinematic transformation is derived using the Denavit-Hartenberg notation and is then reduced to its most simplified form suitable for real-time control applications. The vector cross product method is then applied to obtain the slave arm Jacobian matrix. Using the developed forward kinematic transformation and quaternion representation of the slave arm end-effector orientation, computer simulation is conducted to evaluate the efficiency of the Jacobian in converting joint velocities into Cartesian velocities and to investigate the accuracy of the Jacobian pseudo-inverse for various sampling times. In addition, the equivalence between Cartesian velocities and quaternion is also verified using computer simulation. Finally three control schemes, the joint-space adaptive control scheme, the Cartesian adaptive control scheme and the hybrid position/force control scheme are proposed for controlling the motion of the slave arm end-effector and some preliminary results of the proposed control schemes are presented and discussed.
Stochastic and global sensitivity analyses of uncertain parameters affecting the safety of geological carbon storage in saline aquifers of the Michigan Basin

Geological carbon storage (GCS) has been proposed as a favorable technology to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. One of the main concerns about GCS is the risk of CO2 escape from the storage formation through leakage pathways in the sealing layer. This study aims at understanding the main sources of uncertainty affecting the upward migration of CO2 through pre-existing “passive” wells and the risk of fissuring of target formation during GCS operations, which may create pathways for CO2 escape. The analysis focuses on a potential GCS site located within the Michigan Basin, a geologic basin situated on the lower Peninsula of the state of Michigan. For this purpose, we perform a stochastic analysis (SA) and a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) to investigate the influence of uncertain parameters, such as: permeability and porosity of the injection formation, passive well permeability, system compressibility, brine residual saturation, and CO2 end-point relative permeability. For the GSA, we apply the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST), which can rank parameters based on their direct impact on the output, or first-order effect, and capture the interaction effect of one parameter with the others, or higher-order effect. To simulate GCS, we use an efficient semi-analytical multiphase flow model, which makes the application of the SA and the GSA computationally affordable. Results show that, among model parameters, the most influential on both fluid overpressure and CO2 mass leakage is the injection formation permeability. Brine residual saturation also has a significant impact on fluid overpressure. While influence of permeability on fluid overpressure is mostly first-order, brine residual saturation’s influence is mostly higher-order. CO2 mass leakage is also affected by passive well permeability, followed by porosity and system compressibility through higher-order effects.
Indomethacin Decreases the Severity of Oxygen Induced Retinopathy in the Mouse |[dagger]| 288

BACKGROUND:Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a developmental vascular retinopathy of multifactorial origin including oxygen exposure, occuring in the incompletely vascularized retina of the premature infant, which may have devastating consequences. Indomethacin is widely used in the perinatal period, for tocolysis, prevention of cerebral hemorrhage, and for nonsurgical closure of the patent ductus arteriosus. Its impact on ROP is controversial, with published studies showing a worsening, no effect, or improvement in ROP. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that indomethacin administration during the hyperoxic injury phase reduces the severity of oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR) in the mouse model. METHODS: The mouse (C57BL6)model of OIR was used. Pups were exposed either to normoxia or hyperoxia (75% FiO2) from postnatal day 7 through 12(P7-P12) with or without indomethacin (0.5mg/kg/day SQ). Animals were sacrificed between P17-P21. The severity of OIR was assessed using a scoring system with fluorescein conjugated dextran angiography of the retinal vasculature. These findings were corroborrated using periodic acid Schiff(PAS) staining of retinal sections. Statistical significance was evaluated using the students t test. RESULTS: Pups exposed to indomethacin and oxygen had significantly lower retinopathy scores (5.6 ± 1.4)than animals exposed to oxygen alone (8.1 ± 2.1). There was also a statistically significant decrease in the severity of blood vessel tufts, extraretinal neovascularization, central vasoconstriction and plus disease, when compared to animals exposed to hyperoxia alone. PAS staining for extraretinal neovascularization in the indomethacin and hyperoxia group showed a significantly lower number of nuclei (11.8± 6.6) as compared to hyperoxia alone (38.4 ± 10.4) per retinal section. CONCLUSION: Indomethacin decreases the severity of OIR without having an adverse effect on the normal retinal vasculature development in the mouse model. We postulate a protective mechanism of indomethacin because of its inhibition of cyclooxygenase which may modulate the inflammatory response during the hyperoxic injury phase and improve OIR.