cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, structure, and conformation of anti-tumor agents in the solid and solution states: hydroxyl derivatives of Ftorafur.

The pyrimidine antimetabolite Ftorafur [FT; 5-fluoro-1-(tetrahydro-2-furyl)uracil] has shown significant antitumor activity in several adenocarcinomas with a spectrum of activity similar to, but less toxic than, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). It is considered as a prodrug that acts as a depot form of 5-FU, and hence the two drugs exhibit a similar spectrum of chemotherapeutic activity. Ftorafur is metabolized in animals and humans when hydroxyl groups are introduced into the tetrahydrofuran moiety. These metabolites are also thought to be as active as ftorafur but less toxic than 5-FU. Hydroxyl derivatives: 2'-hydroxyftorafur (III), 3'-hydroxyftorafur (IV) and 2',3'-dihydroxyftorafur (II) were synthesized and X-ray and NMR studies of these hydroxyl derivatives were undertaken in our laboratories to study the structural and conformational features of Ftorafur and its metabolites in the solid and solution states. X-ray crystallographic investigations were carried out with data collected on a CAD-4 diffractometer. The structures were solved and refined using the SDP crystallographic package of Enraf-Nonius on PDP 11/34 and Microvax computers. All of the compounds studied had the base in the anti conformation. The glycosidic torsion angles varied from -20 to 60 degrees. There is an inverse correlation between the glycosyl bond distances and the chi angle. Molecules with a lower chi angle have a larger bond distance and vice versa. The sugar rings show a wide variation of conformations ranging from C2'-endo through C3'-endo to C4'-exo. The crystal structures are stabilized by hydrogen bonds involving the base nitrogen atom N3 and the hydroxyl oxygen atoms of the sugar rings as donors and the keto oxygens O2 and O4 of the base and the hydroxyl oxygen atoms O2' and O3' as acceptors. The NMR studies were carried out on Bruker 400 and 600 MHz instruments. Simulated proton spectra were obtained through Laocoon, and pseudorotational parameters were solved by Pseurot. Presence of syn or anti forms was demonstrated with the use of NOE experiments. The glycosyl conformations in solution vary more widely than in the solid state. The conformations of the sugar molecules are in agreement with the values obtained in the solid state. The studies of the structure and conformation in the solid and solution states give a model for the Ftorafur molecule that could be used in structure, function and biological activity correlation studies.
Bayesian Analysis of DSGE Models by S. An and F. Schorfheide

The paper that An and Schorfheide have written is an excellent piece of work and will become a useful reference for teaching and consultation purposes. The paper discusses in an articulate and convincing manner almost everything that one could think of covering in such a review. This makes the task of the commentator difficult. Nevertheless, I will attempt to add few insights on three issues which, in my opinion, play an important role in applied work and in the interpretation of the estimation result. In particular, I will discuss a) the sensitivity of posterior distributions to prior spreads; b) the effects of model misspecification and an approach to model respecification; c) parameter identification and its consequences for posterior inference.
A Distribution-Free Test for Related Correlation Coefficients

Let (X 1, X 2, X s ) be a continuous, trivariate random vector for which it is of interest to compare the correlation between X 1 and X 2 with that between X 3 and X 1. This problem is important, for example when both X 2 and X 3 are potential linear predictors for X 1 or, more generally, whenever the variable (X 1. X 2, X 3) represents a triplet of measurements on the same individual and correlation comparisons are desired. In this note it is shown that an exact distribution-free test for such problems can he based on a single Kendall correlation coellicient.
Recognition of Human Actions using an Optimal Control Based Motor Model

We present a novel approach to the problem of representation and recognition of human actions, that uses an optimal control based model to connect the high-level goals of a human subject to the low-level movement trajectories captured by a computer vision system. These models quantify the high-level goals as a performance criterion or cost function which the human sensorimotor system optimizes by picking the control strategy that achieves the best possible performance. We show that the human body can be modeled as a hybrid linear system that can operate in one of several possible modes, where each mode corresponds to a particular high-level goal or cost function. The problem of action recognition, then is to infer the current mode of the system from observations of the movement trajectory. We demonstrate our approach on 3D visual data of human arm motion.
RUNX1 and its understudied role in breast cancer

The transcription factor Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) is critical for the earliest steps of hematopoiesis. RUNX1 was originally identified as a gene fusion in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and thus has garnered heavy attention as a tumor suppressor in hematopoietic malignancies. However, RUNX1 is also strongly expressed in breast epithelia and may be misregulated during tumorigenesis. Here, I discuss our recent work implicating RUNX1 in proliferation control during breast epithelial-acinar morphogenesis. My goal is to place these findings in the context of a handful of other reports, which together argue that RUNX1 could act as a tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer. Testing this hypothesis requires focused in vivo studies, because the major commercial platform for global mRNA expression profiling does not reliably reflect RUNX1 levels. Our in vitro results indicate that hyperproliferation in RUNX1-deficient breast epithelia relies on another family of transcription factors, the Forkhead box O (FOXO) proteins. FOXOs could, therefore, represent a synthetic-lethal target for RUNX1-deficient tumors if the hypothesized link to breast cancer is correct.
A quantitative model for the sedimentary rock cycle

Abstract A steady-state quantitative model for the sedimentary rock cycle is presented. The cycling of 11 major elements through the oceanic, atmospheric, biospheric, and rock reservoirs is shown. Flux rates are based on the estimated average geologic rates of transfer; the total flux of material through the oceans is about 1 3 that of today. The model is consistent with current estimates of the chemical composition of the average dissolved and suspended loads of streams, with the present-day composition of the oceans, that of the average sedimentary rock, and that of the average composition of precipitation. The mean residence time of the major elements in the cycle is about 400 million years; estimates are given for the cycling times of the individual elements.
Application and limitation of fission-track geochronology to quarternary tephras

Abstract Zircon and glass are the principal materials used for fission-track dating of Quaternary tephras. This is because zircon is a common accessory mineral in rhyolitic tephras, and it usually contains sufficient uranium to produce detectable quantities of spontaneous fission tracks over the time span of the Quaternary. Volcanic glass, though uranium-poor, is typically the dominant component of rhyolitic tephras, comprising up to 99% of some distal tephra-fall deposits. Low uranium contents, however, result in low spontaneous track densities that make the age measurement difficult and laborious, a condition exacerbated by very young glasses. In addition, fission tracks in glass shards are unstable and can partially anneal at ambient temperatures. Therefore, unless the glass age is corrected by plateau or isothermal heating experiments, partial annealing causes a reduction in the measured age compared to the true age of the sample. Fission-track dating has a large subjective component that can contribute systematic errors to the analysis; microlite inclusions and some structural defects resemble fission tracks, and if misidentified and included in the count of spontaneous tracks the calculated age would be too old. The most prevalent source of systematic error is contamination in the natural environment, for many tephras in the stratigraphic record are reworked tuffaceous sediments. These deposits may contain detrital components that could mask the primary age of the tephra. However, by using the external detector fission-track method it is possible to calculate ages of single mineral grains, and to distinguish contaminants from primary phases on the basis of their age distribution. This ‘grain-discrete’ capability is the major advantage of the fission-track method over ‘bulk’ geochronological systems.
Individual differences in the visual component of prism adaptation.

The centrality of individual differences in the visual component of perceptual adaptation was examined in a massed-practice-terminal-exposure, prism-viewing paradigm. With positive (adaptive) adjustments in the judgment of the visual straight-ahead, target-pointing aftereffects were found to be equivalent to the sum of the visual and proprioceptive (head-arm) aftereffects. For subjects showing negative visual adjustments to prism exposure, the target-pointing aftereffect was not significantly different from the change in proprioception alone. Implications of these findings for hypotheses concerning the process of perceptual adaptation are discussed. Language: en
Noisy inputs and the induction of on-off switching behavior in a neuronal pacemaker.

Neuronal oscillators can function as bistable toggle switches, flipping between quiescence and rhythmic firing in response to an input stimulus. In theory, such switching should be sensitive to sma...
A model of the inflationary process in six major O.E.C.D. economies: Empirical results and policy implications

Abstract In contrast to most recent empirical work on inflation which has concentrated on the size and stability of coefficients in the wage equation, this paper provides a reexamination of the price equation. Evidence is presented on the structural determinants of inflation in six large industrial nations. It is demonstrated that price equations which include capital costs and excess demand among the regressors perform exceedingly well according to the usual statistical criteria. The results of this study indicate that the inflationary process possesses a high degree of uniformity among the larger industrial countries. This pertains not only with respect to the specific independent variables in price equations, but also with respect to the high degree of uniformity of the estimated coefficients. Additionally, the findings indicate that lower productivity growth and higher capital costs have contributed significantly to the inflationary process since 1974. Furthermore, since higher capital costs are one consequence of tighter monetary policies, the adoption of such policies in response to the two oil price shocks of the 1970s may have offset their intended deflationary effects on prices through the linkage of wage costs and aggregate demand.
Professional Development: Setting the Context.

Community college professional development has evolved and grown as a movement for over three decades. Although professional development has struggled at times and still faces some challenges, the need is firmly established, and it has become an essential institutional function.
Role of β4 integrin phosphorylation in human invasive squamous cell carcinoma: regulation of hemidesmosome stability modulates cell migration

Hemidesmosomes (HDs) are multiprotein structures that anchor epithelia to the basement membrane. During squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) invasion, there is a reduction in the number of HDs, which may facilitate dissemination. Mechanisms of HD disassembly are incompletely understood. Previous work has shown that epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced phosphorylation of the β4 integrin on three of its serines, S1356S1360S1364, can induce HD disassembly in normal cells. Here, we examine the role of β4 integrin serine phosphorylation in SCC. We have found that around 60% of invasive cutaneous SCC show increased β4 phosphorylation on S1356 when compared with carcinoma in situ or normal tissue. To assess the mechanisms by which SCC increases β4 phosphorylation, we performed in vitro analyses. Compared with keratinocytes, SCC cells showed increased levels of S1356 phosphorylation in the absence of EGF, correlating with reduced HD-like structures. In addition, phospho-S1356 signal was largely segregated from other HD components. Epidermal growth factor receptor and PKC inhibitors inhibited basal levels of S1356 phosphorylation in SCC, suggesting that cells use intrinsic mechanisms to activate the EGF signaling pathway to induce β4 phosphorylation. Moreover, these inhibitors stabilized HD-like structures in SCC cells and reduced their migratory ability. Mutation of S1356S1360S1364 in SCC cells to non-phosphorylatable alanines stabilized HD-like structures and substantially reduced migration, while mutation into phosphorylation mimicking aspartate reduced HD-like structures but had no effect on migration, suggesting that serine phosphorylation function is releasing anchorage rather than promoting migration. Altogether these results suggest that β4 serine phosphorylation may have an important role during SCC invasion by destabilizing HDs and facilitating migration.
Group comparisons involving missing data in clinical trials: a comparison of estimates and power (size) for some simple approaches

When using 'intent-to-treat' approaches to compare outcomes between groups in clinical trials, analysts face a decision regarding how to account for missing observations. Most model-based approaches can be summarized as a process whereby the analyst makes assumptions about the distribution of the missing data in an attempt to obtain unbiased estimates that are based on functions of the observed data. Although pointed out by Rubin as often leading to biased estimates of variances, an alternative approach that continues to appear in the applied literature is to use fixed-value imputation of means for missing observations. The purpose of this paper is to provide illustrations of how several fixed-value mean imputation schemes can be formulated in terms of general linear models that characterize the means of distributions of missing observations in terms of the means of the distributions of observed data. We show that several fixed-value imputation strategies will result in estimated intervention effects that correspond to maximum likelihood estimates obtained under analogous assumptions. If the missing data process has been correctly characterized, hypothesis tests based on variances estimated using maximum likelihood techniques asymptotically have the correct size. In contrast, hypothesis tests performed using the uncorrected variance, obtained by applying standard complete data formula to singly imputed data, can provide either conservative or anticonservative results. Surprisingly, under several non-ignorable non-response scenarios, maximum likelihood based analyses can yield equivalent hypothesis tests to those obtained when analysing only the observed data.
The heavy section steel technology program an engineering investigation of the structural behavior of thick pressure vessels

Abstract The Heavy Section Steel Technology Program is a United States Atomic Energy Commission sponored effort which was initiated to study the structural behavior of the thick section plates and pressure vessels fabricated from such plates for use in light water power reactor systems. The major emphasis is on the effects of flaws and material inhomogeneities and discontinuities under in-service reactor operating and accident conditions. The fracture modes of these vessels are of special interest because of the dangers peculiar to nuclear reactors should a major failure of a pressure vessel occur while in service. The program is being carried out in very close cooperation with the materials, fabrication, and design interests of the United States nuclear power industry. The scope of the program is outlined and the objectives of the various tasks are identified. Some results obtained during the initial efforts of the program are presented.
Ability of structurally related polycyclic aromatic carcinogens to induce homologous recombination between duplicated chromosomal sequences in mouse L cells.

Abstract To investigate the role of DNA damage in the indcution of homologous recombination in mammalian cells, a series of structurally related, polycyclic aromatic carcinogens, i.e., 1-nitrosopyrene (1-NOP), N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF), and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO), were compared for their ability to cause intrachromosomal homologous recombination between two herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Htk) genes stably integrated in the genome of a tk− mouse L cell strain 333 M. Each Htk gene contains an 8-bp XhoI linker inserted at a unique site so that expression of a functional Htk enzyme requires a productive recombinational event between the two nonfunctional genes. Each carcinogen caused a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of recombination. The results were compared to what had been found previously for a structurally related carcinoge, (±)-7β-8α-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzol[a]pyrene (BPDE). As function of concentration, BPDE was the most active agent, followed by 4-NQO, and 1-NOP, and then N-AcO-AAF. When compared on the basis of equal cell killing, the most efficient carcinogen was 1-NOP, followed by N-AcO-AAF and BPDE, and then 4-NQO. Use of tritium-labeled compounds to determine the frequency of recombination as a function of the number of adducts initially bound to DNA showed that the most effective agent was BPDE, followed by 1-NOP and 4-NQO, and then N-AcO-AAF (ratio, 6.6:2.5:1.8:1.0). To determine if these differences in recombinagenic effectiveness reflected different rates of removal of the adducts from DNA, we measured the percentage of FNA adducts removed during the 24-h period post treatment and found that 1-NOP, 4-NQO and N-AcO-AAF residues were removed at approximately the same rate, i.e., 25%–30% off. Cellular analysis of a series of independent recombinants indicated that ∼82% of the recombinational events induced by each agent were consistent with gene conversion. DNA-DNA hybridization analysis confirmed this, and showed that each recombinant tested contained an XhoI-resistant (wild-type) Htk gene; with the majority retaining the Htk gene duplication, consistent with nonreciprocal transfer of wild-type genetic information. In the rest, only a single copy of the Htk gene remained, reflecting a single reciprocal exchange within a chromatid or a single unequal exchange between sister chromatids.
Restitution in America: Why the U.S. Refuses to Join the Global Restitution Party

In the past generation, restitution law has emerged as global phenomenon. From its Oxbridge home restitution migrated to the rest of the Commonwealth, and ongoing Europeanization projects have brought the common law of restitution into contact with the Romanist concept of unjust enrichment, further internationalizing this movement. In sharp contrast to the Commonwealth, in the United States, scholarly interest in restitution, in terms of books, articles, treatises, symposia and courses on restitution is meager, at best. Similarly, while restitution, equity and tracing cases receive considerable treatment at the highest levels of the English judiciary, U.S. courts do not seem interested in these issues, and unlike Commonwealth courts, rarely produce theory-laden opinions that attract scholarly attention. The situation is particularly curious because restitution is thought to be the invention of late nineteenth century American scholars. Moreover, as late as the 1970's, the vitality of American restitution was favorably contrasted with the dearth of such law and scholarship in England. This article explains this divergence. I argue that the Commonwealth restitution discourse is largely a product of pre- or anti-realist legal thought which generates skepticism within the American academic-legal establishment. The paper identifies the two dominant camps in American private law thought - the left-leaning redistributionalists and the center-right law and economics movement - and shows that neither has any use for the Commonwealth's discourse. I conclude by analyzing the emerging drafts of the Restatement of Restitution and forecast the future of American restitution law.
Light, Six-Sided, Paradoxical Fight

Built structures and their architectural representations are places where geometry, mathematics and construction discover their common nature, that is, the capability of human imagination to merge architectural objects with the telling of enjoyable tales. In this paper Marco Frascari takes aim at the forces that have shaped a system of critical thoughts on how to fight gravity with a happy architecture based on light structures combined with the dilettante’s approaches to hexagonal design, interweaving the thoughts of Alberti, Kahn and Le Ricolais with those of master storytellers Calvino and Rebelais.
Corticosteroid insensitivity of chemokine expression in airway smooth muscle of patients with severe asthma

Background Patients with severe asthma are less responsive to the beneficial effects of corticosteroid therapy. Objective We investigated whether corticosteroid insensitivity was present in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) of patients with severe asthma. Methods ASMCs cultured from bronchial biopsy specimens of nonasthmatic control subjects (n = 12) and patients with nonsevere (n = 10) or severe (n = 10) asthma were compared for the effect of dexamethasone on suppression of TNF-α– and IFN-γ–induced CCL11 (eotaxin), CXCL8 (IL-8), and CX3CL1 (fractalkine) expression. The mechanisms of corticosteroid insensitivity are also determined. Results CCL11 release was higher in ASMCs of patients with nonsevere but not severe asthma and nonasthmatic control subjects; CXCL8 and CX3CL1 release were similar in all groups. In patients with severe asthma, dexamethasone caused less suppression of CCL11 and CXCL8 release induced by TNF-α. Dexamethasone potentiated TNF-α– and IFN-γ–induced CX3CL1 release equally in all 3 groups. TNF-α–induced phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase levels were increased in ASMCs from patients with severe asthma compared with those from patients with nonsevere asthma and nonasthmatic subjects, whereas TNF-α–induced phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase and phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase levels were increased in all asthmatic groups. A p38 inhibitor increased the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone. Conclusions ASMCs of patients with severe asthma are corticosteroid insensitive; this might be secondary to heightened p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase levels.
Hierarchical optimization: a satisfactory solution

Abstract Hierarchical optimization or multi-level programming techniques are extensions of Stackelberg games for solving decentralized planning problems with multiple decision makers in a hierarchical organization. They become more important for contemporary decentralized organizations where each unit or department seeks its own interests. Traditional approaches include vertex enumeration algorithms and approaches based on Kuhn-Tucker conditions or penalty functions. These are not only technically inefficient, but also lead to a paradox that the follower's decision power dominates the leader's. In this study, concepts of memberships of optimalities and degrees of decision powers are proposed to solve the above problems efficiently. In the proposed hierarchy decision process, the leader first sets memberships of optimalities of his/her possible objective values and decisions, as well as his/her decision power; and then asks the follower for his/her optima calculated in isolation under given constraints. The follower's decision with the corresponding levels of optimalities and decision powers are submitted to and modified by the leader with considerations of overall benefit for the organization and distribution of decision power until a best preferred solution is reached.
Imputation of Missing Values in Time Series with Lagged Correlations

Missing values are a common problem in real world data and are particularly prevalent in biomedical time series, where a patient's medical record may be split across multiple institutions or a device may briefly fail. These data are not missing completely at random, so ignoring the missing values can lead to bias and error during data mining. However, current methods for imputing missing values have yet to account for the fact that variables are correlated and that those relationships exist across time. To address this, we propose an imputation method (FLk-NN) that incorporates time lagged correlations both within and across variables by combining two imputation methods, based on an extension to k-NN and the Fourier transform. This enables imputation of missing values even when all data at a time point is missing and when there are different types of missingness both within and across variables. In comparison to other approaches on two biological datasets (simulated glucose in Type 1 diabetes and multi-modality neurological ICU monitoring) the proposed method has the highest imputation accuracy. This was true for up to half the data being missing and when consecutive missing values are a significant fraction of the overall time series length.
Effects of cholesterol side chain cleavage inhibitors on 11β-hydroxylation: linkage of mitochondrial oxygenase systems

Potent inhibitors of cholesterol side chain cleavage were tested for inhibition of 11 beta-hydroxylation of 11-deoxycortisol by bovine adrenal cortex mitochondria. Compounds which inhibited 11 beta-hydroxylation were metyrapone, 4-phenylimidazole, 1-benzylimidazole, 17 beta-ureido - 1, 4- androstadien-3-one. SU-8000, 4-methylaminoglutethimide, and 20 alpha-hydroxycholestrol. Compounds which did not inhibit 11 beta-hydroxylation at concentrations of 0.5 mM were d-aminoglutethimide tartrate, 1-aminoglutethimide tartrate, N-methylaminoglutethimide, 16 alpha-methylpregnenolone, 16 beta-methylpregnenolone, 20-tolylpregnenediol, 16 alpha-chloropregnenolone-3-acetate, 16 alpha-benzyloxpregnenolone-3-acetate and cyanoketone. The results obtained indicate that aminoglutethimide and its congeners, the 16-halogenated and 16-benzoylated derivatives of pregnenolone and cyanoketone are specific inhibitors of cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme. The two mitochondrial steroid oxyganase systems are linked through their competition for a single electron source.
Silvio Berlusconi and the traditions of Italian foreign policy: a comment on Ambassador Romano's presentation

Abstract While open to criticism on many levels, the foreign policy of Italy under Silvio Berlusconi does not deviate in many significant ways from traditional approaches, especially on its management of Italy's relations with the United States and the European Union. Italy's ‘exceptionalism’ is also similar to that of many other European states.
Model Selection Under Limited Information Using a Value-of-Information-Based Indicator

Designers are continuously challenged by complexity, as well as by the excessive instantiation and execution times of models, particularly in the context of integrated product and materials design. In order to manage these challenges, a systematic strategy for evaluating and selecting models is presented in this paper. The systematic strategy is based on value-of-information for design decision making. It consists of a (i) process performance indicator (PPI) to quantify the impact of model refinement from a decision-centric perspective and (ii) a method involving model evaluation. Using this method, a least complex but valid model is evaluated, and, only if necessary, gradually refined it until the most appropriate one is selected. The systematic approach is particularly well suited for integrated product and materials design, and all other scenarios where the perfect knowledge of the true system behavior and bounds of error are not available throughout the design space. The proposed strategy is applied to the design of photonic crystal waveguides for use in a next-generation optoelectronic communication system. In this paper, it is shown that the systematic strategy based on the PPI is useful for evaluating and selecting models particularly when accuracy of the prediction or the associated error bounds are not know.
Mechanical release and lectin labeling of maize root protoplasts

An improved method for the mechanical release of protoplasts from plant tissues is described. The historically-low yield of mechanically-released protoplasts is greatly increased by use of a simple electrically-driven tissue sheer and by optimization of various other steps in the procedure. As counted by light microscopy of a purified preparation, the number of mechanically-released protoplasts obtained is about 6×104 per gram fresh weight of cortical tissue from the primary root of maize (Zea mays L. WF9×Mo 17) seedlings. Nuclear staining of the preparation, however, shows that about half of these protoplasts lack a nucleus and thus are actually subprotoplasts. Comparison of lectin binding to the plasma membranes of mechanically-and enzymatically-released protoplasts shows that both types contain binding sites forRicinus communis agglutinin. Binding sites for peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin are not naturally present on mechanically-released protoplasts but are generated by exposure to a mixture of Cellulysin and Pectolyase Y-23, the cell wall-degrading enzymes used to prepare enzymatically-released protoplasts.
Symbol manipulation in FORTRAN: SASP I subroutines

A set of subroutines for use in FORTRAN are described whose purpose is to synthesize output strings from (i) input strings which have been analysed by the SHADOW general syntactic analysis subroutine reported earlier, and/or (ii) packed BCD strings formed in any way. Function-type subroutines are included for intermediate manipulations, which are performed on the strings which are stored in an abbreviated internal representation. The automatic way in which an internal representation for each newly created substring is stored sequentially in a block of common storage, and the manner in which a storage block is dynamically allocated for that purpose, are discussed.
Recurrent anterior uveitis induced by multiple systemic injections of muramyl dipeptide

The development of new therapeutic modalities in the treatment of uveitis has been greatly aided by the availability of suitable animal models. The endotoxin model excellently mimics many features of acute anterior uveitis. A new model that exhibits many features of recurrent anterior uveitis is described here. Muramyl dipeptide, MDP, is a synthetic monomer of Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cell walls. The molecule is highly inflammatory, but unlike endotoxin does not elicit an antibody response. After a single injection (4 hr post-injection), acute anterior segment changes include massive engorgement of peri-limbal blood vessels, anterior chamber flare, fibrin deposits and heterophil (neutrophil) infiltration which subside within 24-48 hr. There is also break-down of the blood-aqueous barrier. With multiple injections the exacerbations and remissions continue to be observed after each injection but the disease progresses to a recurrent form including the development of synechiae and a mononuclear infiltrate into the anterior segment. The ocular changes are paralleled by changes in the bloodstream with recurrent heterophilia. Thus MDP does not elicit ocular or systemic tolerance. This new model of anterior uveitis should allow study of many of the events that occur in recurrent uveitis in man.
SCIENTOLOGY "ETHICS": DEVIANCE, IDENTITY AND SOCIAL CONTROL IN A CULT-LIKE SOCIAL WORLD

Qualitative research at the macrosocial level can be facilitated by examining the more fully articulated social worlds existing within advanced societies. Based on the author's field research, Scientology's structure, culture, and comparability to American capitalist society are discussed and “Ethics,” its institution of social control, is shown to involve a paradigm in which conduct flows from social identity and deviance is defined in terms of a progression of stages of identity loss through reference group confusion. A hypothetical case shows how each stage is treated through specific intervention formula designed to reverse the process. “Ethics” is shown to closely parallel symbolic interactionist theories of deviance. Its differences from symbolic interactionism are ascribed to the inherent contradiction between the individualistic and system-centered orientations permeating American capitalist society.
Durability of Prosthetic Heart Valves

Accelerated fatigue testing of clinical heart valves has been performed at cyclic rates of 33 to 35 cycles per second at 37 degrees C using water for non-biological valves and glutaraldehyde solutions for tissue valves. Flows were in the physiological range, and the pressure difference across each valve during closure was 100 +/- 25 mm Hg. The results showed that major fatigue occurred for the Starr-Edwards 2320 at 150 million cycles, the Hufnagel trileaflet at 124 million cycles, the Bjork-Shiley Delrin disc at 140, the Bjork-Shiley Pyrolite disc at 973, the Beall 103 at 60, the Hancock porcine at 62, the Carpentier-Edwards porcine at 34, and the Ionescu-Shiley porcine pericardial prosthesis at 65 million cycles. The Lillehei-Kaster was removed after 762 million cycles without discernible wear. Three facts emerged from the testing data: (1) the component worn in vitro wears in vivo; (2) the sites of in vitro fatigue on the component are identical to clinical specimens; and (3) those valves that have high durability in vitro have given similar performance in patients. The in vitro and clinical data for tissue valves do not correlate. The possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed, and a note of caution is made regarding realistic expectations of clinical durability of tissue valves.
Finite Element Analysis of Weld Area in Spot Bonding Process to Predict Bond Strength in Transparent Materials Using Ultrafast Lasers

Laser spot bonding is an approach to weld transparent materials at micro level or bonding in/for MEMs devices. This manuscript intends to investigate the dynamics of welding procedure in transparent materials with ultrafast lasers acting as the heat source. Spot bonding takes place when a laser beam creates a molten pool of the two materials to be bonded and subsequently the molten materials interact, gel with each other and solidify to create a bond. Thus, predicting the correct amount of molten matter is highly important for a reliable bond. Proper understanding of ultrafast laser matter interaction will provide the means to define ultrafast laser parameters for controlled molten volume leading to controlled bonding strength. This study will utilize the non linear breakdown caused by ultrafast lasers in borosilicate glass to determine the temperature profile and estimate the radial weld area. A finite element (FE) model of the system is presented and solved in ANSYS to estimate the weld area in borosilicate glass strips under action of a single ultrafast laser pulse. The effects of the focusing location of the laser beam, laser process parameters (energy level, focusing lens, pulse width) and material properties (optical and thermal absorptivity) will be discussed.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Rationales for Relevance in Higher Education.

The recent movement to increase relevance in education is examined from the perspective of how changes in the family have affected the needs of contemporary college students and their teachers. The discussion includes changes in sex-role distinctions in the family, young people's sense of intimacy and betrayal, and the effect on affluent students of the arrival of working-class people on college campuses. the role of feelings in academic work is examined by reviewing the role and purpose of the self-analytic group and its contribution to the psychological development of students.
Epoxy resins are mutagenic: implications for electron microscopists.

Epoxides, as highly reactive alkylating agents, must be suspect as mutagens. Using the Salmonella bacterial test system (the Ames test), we have confirmed the mutagenicity of 13 epoxy resins used as tissue-embedding agents in transmission electron microscopy: Quetol 651, DER 732, DER 736, vinyl cyclohexene dioxide (ERL4206), diglycidyl ether, Epon 812, Epon 828, Polybed 812, Effapoxy, and Araldite RD-2, 502, 506, and 6005. While of this group only vinyl cyclohexene dioxide is a documented animal carcinogen, the other resins have levels of mutagenicity in the same range as known epoxide carcinogens; some may be weak carcinogens which have escaped detection in animal tests. We conclude that epoxy resins should be labeled and handled as mutagens and suspect carcinogens. We discuss some factors affecting possible hazards to laboratory workers, and present a protocol for minimizing inhalation and skin contact during resin use.
A Commentary on: Probable Impact of Deforestation on Hydrological Processes

The thrust of this paper is to examine the observational basis for relating reductions in forest cover to changes in rainfall. It does not take up the simpler issue of relationships to changes in runoff, which are well known in small basins, independent of atmospheric effects. While there is considerable literature pointing to rainfall reduction with deforestation, it is fair to say that very little meets the standards of rigorous controlled experimentation. As the author discusses, at least some of these results can be interpreted in terms of changes in the exposure of the rain gauges independent of the actual rainfall. Little effort has been made to exclude natural variability of rainfall as an explanation, although such is recognized as a major factor in interpreting rainfall patterns in regions dominated by convective rainfall. How many of the results arise from authors finding data to match their prior conception of the answer? In spite of these difficulties, the large amount of supporting evidence certainly lends credence to the hypothesis that conversion of large areas in the tropics from forest to shorter cover can significantly reduce the overall amount of rainfall and perhaps extend the length of the dry season. This possibility is further supported by recent climate model experiments (Lean and Warrilow, 1989), (Shukla et al., 1990).
Effects of salt and some antioxidants upon the TBA numbers of meat

Abstract The effects of salt alone (2%) or coated with α-tocopherol or with Tenox 4 (BHA-citric acid-propylene glycol) or in a mixture containing BHA and BHT with salt on the TBA numbers of raw and cooked beef were determined after holding for 0 or 2 days at 4°C. Salt accelerated lipid oxidation both during cooking and subsequent storage. The α-tocopherol-coated salt also increased lipid oxidation, but only during storage after cooking. Both Tenox 4-coated salt and the mixture of BHA and BHT with salt completely inhibited lipid oxidation in cooked meat, both during cooking and upon subsequent storage. Results suggest that selected antioxidants can be used to inhibit the development of warmed-over flavor (WOF) in cooked meats.
Identification of Hydroperoxy Species as Reaction Intermediates in the Electrochemical Evolution of Oxygen on Gold

Efficient electrochemical splitting of H2 Ot o O 2 and H2 fuels has become an important goal in the quest for a renewable source of energy. [1] A major source of the inefficiency of this process is the significant overpotential associated with the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Understanding the mechanism of the OER could help in identifying the elementary processes contributing to OER overpotential and their relationship to the anode composition and morphology. While the OER has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically for over 50 years, its mechanism and the identity of the chemical intermediates involved remain uncertain. [2–7] Two principal pathways have been postulated for the OER on metal surfaces, such as gold (Au). The first involves a direct recombination of oxygen atoms to give O2, as shown in Equations (1)–(4):
Superficial gastric carcinoma simulating polypoid hypertrophic gastritis

An unusual case of gastric carcinoma, classified as the superficial or flat form (type IIb) of early gastric cancer, is reported. The unusual endoscopic impression was polypoid hypertrophic gastritis. A correct diagnosis was made employing, concomitantly, direct vision biopsy and contact smear cytology. Other methods of examination failed to detect the malignancy.
STRUCTURATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE IN A SUPPLY CHAIN CONTEXT

Abstract Supply chain is more and more studied by the enterprises to handle the reinforcement of the economic constraints and to meet the clients' cost requirement, quality and delay. They are aware that their partners' performance impact their own performance. The members of the supply chain need to communicate and share knowledge with their partners, to have a better diffusion of their objectives and constraints thereby favoring quick actions for problem solving. In order to favor the sharing of knowledge, we propose in this paper, an approach based on the relationships and interactions between the strategic partners to co-construct a common knowledge base. This approach facilitates communication and understanding of each actor's situation and context by showing their point of view in the supply chain. We also describe its utilization in collaborative relationships between a luxury stool producer with its suppliers and its distributors. We have assisted the implementation of the approach through the management of an ontology and knowledge cards on a specific logistic project.
Laparoendoscopic single site orchiopexy

We report a laparoendoscopic single site orchiopexy in a 2-year-old boy with a right nonpalpable testis. Diagnostic laparoscopy using a 5-mm port revealed a right intraabdominal testis. The 5-mm port site was extended to accommodate the smallest commercially available triport, and orchiopexy was performed. The operative time was 55 minutes, and the estimated blood loss was minimal. There were no complications, and surgical and cosmetic results were excellent. Laparoendoscopic single site surgery is a feasible technique for orchiopexy of the nonpalpable testis.
The Pupil Photostress Test

Purpose: An objective, pupillographic photostress test was developed to assess the initial sensitivity loss and its rate of recovery in healthy eyes and in eyes affected by optic neuropathy. Methods: Pupillary light reflexes were recorded with an infrared pupillometer after a binocular photostress that subtended 30° of the central visual field. The initial loss of light sensitivity (in log units) and its recovery with time were derived by analyzing subsequent increases in pupil contraction amplitude to a series of alternating light stimuli. The effects of photostress duration and intensity were studied in ten control subjects. Photostress recovery also was compared between eyes of nine patients with unilateral optic neuropathy. Results: In the ten control subjects, increasing photostress duration caused significantly increased sensitivity loss at time zero after the photostress (analysis of variance), but did not significantly affect the exponential recovery rate. Intense photostress brightness caused more initial sensitivity loss than did dimmer photostress lights. In addition, half-time of sensitivity recovery was prolonged after the brightest photostress. In nine patients with unilateral optic neuropathy, a 120-second photostress caused significantly less initial sensitivity loss in the affected eye than in the healthy fellow eye. Conclusions: The pupil photostress test objectively can measure the eye's loss of light sensitivity after a photostress and its exponential rate of recovery. Loss of optic nerve function diminishes the initial stress-induced loss of light sensitivity and does not significantly affect the poststress rate of recovery in the patients tested.
Variations in the chemical properties of landfill leachate

Landfill leachates were collected and their chemical properties analyzed once every two months over a ten-month period from the Gin Drinkers' Bay (GDB) and Junk Bay (JB) landfills. The contents of solids, and inorganic and organic components fluctuated considerably with time. In general, the chemical properties of the two leachates correlated negatively (P<0.05) with the amounts of rainfall prior to the sampling periods. However, magnesium and pH of the leachates remained relatively constant with respect to sampling time. The JB leachate contained higher average contents of solids and inorganic and organic matter than those of GDB with the exception of trace metals. Trace metals were present in the two leachates in trace quantities (<1.0 mg/liter). The concentrations of average ammoniacal nitrogen were 1040 and 549 mg/liter, while chemical oxygen demand (COD) values were 767 and 695 mg/liter for JB and GDB leachates, respectively. These results suggest that the leachates need further treatment before they can be discharged to the coastal waters.
Charged K ∗ production in e + e - annihilations at 29 GeV

Abstract We report a measurement of the charged K ∗ (892) production in e + e − annihilations at 29 GeV center-of-mass energy. The 300 pb −1 data sample used for this analysis is obtained with the High Resolution Spectrometer at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The total mean multiplicity is measured to be 〈n K ∗± (892) 〉=0.62±0.045±0.04 per hadronic event. Evidence is also given for the production of a charged K 2 ∗ (1430) tensor meson.
Convex normal functions revisited

The lattice L"u of upper semicontinuous convex normal functions with convolution ordering arises in studies of type-2 fuzzy sets. In 2002, Kawaguchi and Miyakoshi [Extended t-norms as logical connectives of fuzzy truth values, Multiple-Valued Logic 8(1) (2002) 53-69] showed that this lattice is a complete Heyting algebra. Later, Harding et al. [Lattices of convex, normal functions, Fuzzy Sets and Systems 159 (2008) 1061-1071] gave an improved description of this lattice and showed it was a continuous lattice in the sense of Gierz et al. [A Compendium of Continuous Lattices, Springer, Berlin, 1980]. In this note we show the lattice L"u is isomorphic to the lattice of decreasing functions from the real unit interval [0,1] to the interval [0,2] under pointwise ordering, modulo equivalence almost everywhere. This allows development of further properties of L"u. It is shown that L"u is completely distributive, is a compact Hausdorff topological lattice whose topology is induced by a metric, and is self-dual via a period two antiautomorphism. We also show the lattice L"u has another realization of natural interest in studies of type-2 fuzzy sets. It is isomorphic to a quotient of the lattice L of all convex normal functions under the convolution ordering. This quotient identifies two convex normal functions if they agree almost everywhere and their intervals of increase and decrease agree almost everywhere.
Distinguishing between Perceptual and Cognitive "Groundings" for Consistency Theories Epistemological Implications

Abelson's (1983) analysis of the dangers involved in treating cognitive, social network, and perceptual-stimulus field-based inconsistency disturbances as equivalent is examined and extended into the epistemological realm. The present exposition focuses on three problems: (I) the utility of Abelson's basic perceptual-cognitive distinction for clarifying a range of problems within the realm of social cognition; (2) the implications of mapping tie preceptual-cognitive distinction on to a broader epistemological level of analysis involving a differentiation between rule-conforming and law-driven explanatory systems; and (3) the implications of the rule/law distinctions for a broader range of theoretical and research problems within social psychology.