cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Screening vs staging magnetic resonance imaging‐guided core needle breast biopsies: Does MRI indication impact upgrade rate?

Adjunct magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for both screening high-risk patients and staging for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer leads to an increased number of biopsies and increased detection of atypical lesions. We assessed whether the malignancy upgrade frequency for high-risk atypia identified via MRI-guided biopsies varied based on indication: high-risk screening vs staging for malignancy. Among 399 MRI-guided biopsies, 46 (11.5%) high-risk lesions (ADH, ALH, and LCIS) were identified. Surgical excision was performed on 37% of 46%, and 24.3% were upgraded to invasive malignancy or DCIS. Of lesions identified by staging MRI, a slightly higher percentage, 28.5%, were upgraded (P = .36). Our data suggest that surgeons should carefully consider excisional biopsy for atypia identified on MRI regardless of indication.
Inclusive innovation in telehealth

It has been 30 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and technological development has drastically changed the future for those with disabilities. As healthcare evolves toward promoting telehealth and patient-centered care, leaders must embrace persons with disabilities and caregivers as valued partners in design and implementation, not as passive "end-users". We call for a new era of inclusive innovation, a term proposed in this publication to describe accessible technological design for all. The next 30 years of the ADA leading to year 2050, should reflect a new era of access, whereby digital health surmounts geographic, social, and economic barriers toward an inclusive virtual society.
International Cooperation and the Interaction of Socialist and Capitalist Economies

China’s “Belt and Road” international cooperation in building transportation, health, education, and trading infrastructure, which develops local expertise in furtherance of future productive trading relationships, is contrasted with the US and other capitalist economies’ military support of foreign elites complicit in neo-colonializing exploitation of resources and labor to their own benefit. This, together with its “China 2025” investment in advanced energy, transportation, production, pharmaceutical, medical, communication, computing, and other high tech capacities, is enabling China to increasingly challenge many sectors of the previously technologically leading capitalist nations’ economies. While its financing of the debt incurred by capitalist economies by their extension of credit to ameliorate crises of overproduction, and their (capitalist economies’) concomitant corporate bailouts, has enabled China to acquire interests in much foreign real estate including ports, and many capitalist corporations and so on.
Characterization of Thrust Force, Temperature, Chip Morphology and Power in Ultrasonic-assisted Drilling of Aluminium 6061

In this study, a special resolution V design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to characterize the ultrasonic-assisted drilling (UAD) process of aluminum 6061. This characterization was done through developing mathematical models to study the effect of ultrasonic and drilling parameters including spindle speed, feed rate, and amplitude on thrust force, temperature, chip morphology, and power. The tests were done using an industrially hardened non-rotating UAD system mounted in a CNC turning center. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to find significant parameters of thrust force, temperature, chip morphology and power. Then, for all responses, the optimum drilling parameters that provide desired solutions for all responses were obtained. This was followed by out-of-sample testing to verify the accuracy of the developed models. The results of this study showed that in UAD of aluminum, the minimum values of thrust force and chip size were obtained at low spindle speed, low feed rate and high amplitude. The results also showed that amplitude was not a significant parameter affecting the tool temperature and cannot be used to analyze the effect of ultrasonic vibrations on generated heat during UAD. Instead, the interaction of amplitude and feed rate was significant and should be considered in the analysis. Finally, minimum consumed power, specially at higher amplitudes, can be obtained using high spindle speed and low feed rate.
Race, Ethnic Disparity and Discrimination in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Throughout history, differences between people in society have caused social separation (Isaac, 2006). Whether due to wealth, skin color, or family origin, people have found reasons to form groups and separate themselves from one another. One of the most powerful reasons for separation has been race and ethnicity. Racial and ethnic differences have been the spark of humanity’s worst atrocities, as far back as Biblical times. Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt all had systems of slavery based on race and ethnicity. In the context of the United States criminal justice system, race and ethnicity have also played an important role. This paper explores racial and ethnic discrimination in the American criminal justice system, arguing that race and ethnicity have been used to not only segregate individuals, but also submit certain people to injustice. This paper highlights racial inequality and disparity in the justice system and recommends some ways to eradicate discrimination. This paper is divided into three sections. Section I reviews the history of racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States. Section II examines and analyzes present-day discrimination in the justice system. Section III offers recommendations on how to lessen discrimination in the justice system.
Learning physics-based models from data: perspectives from inverse problems and model reduction

This article addresses the inference of physics models from data, from the perspectives of inverse problems and model reduction. These fields develop formulations that integrate data into physics-based models while exploiting the fact that many mathematical models of natural and engineered systems exhibit an intrinsically low-dimensional solution manifold. In inverse problems, we seek to infer uncertain components of the inputs from observations of the outputs, while in model reduction we seek low-dimensional models that explicitly capture the salient features of the input–output map through approximation in a low-dimensional subspace. In both cases, the result is a predictive model that reflects data-driven learning yet deeply embeds the underlying physics, and thus can be used for design, control and decision-making, often with quantified uncertainties. We highlight recent developments in scalable and efficient algorithms for inverse problems and model reduction governed by large-scale models in the form of partial differential equations. Several illustrative applications to large-scale complex problems across different domains of science and engineering are provided.
The Never-Ending Evolutionary Saga of Assessing and Demonstrating the Value of Information Services in a Biomedical Library

Demonstrating added value can be very challenging, yet it is becoming important in academic libraries. The current literature primarily discusses citation analysis and usage reports to demonstrate return on investment for collections or impact on scholarly activity. However, value is not only in our collections but also in the library staff who support the institutional mission. Vanderbilt University's Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library and Learning Center has been experimenting with several methods to supplement the collections data with services performed by the staff. This article discusses the project's four phases as part of the goal to strategically demonstrate the biomedical library's added value to the university and medical center.
Beyond black and white: divergent behaviour and performance in three rapidly evolving lizard species at White Sands

Determining which traits enable organisms to colonize and persist in new environments is key to understanding adaptation and ecological speciation. New environments can present novel selective pressures on colonists' morphology, behaviour, and performance, collectively referred to as ecomorphology. To investigate ecomorphological change during adaptation and incipient ecological speciation, we measured differences in morphology (body shape and size), behaviour (startle response), and performance (sprint speed) in three New Mexican lizard species: Holbrookia maculata, Sceloporus undulatus, and Aspidoscelis inornata. Each species is represented by dark morphs, cryptic on the brown adobe soils of the Chihuahuan Desert, and white morphs, cryptic on the gypsum substrate of White Sands. For each species, we then determined the effects of morphology and startle response on sprint speed on matched and mismatched substrate. For two of the three species, white morphs had larger body size and longer limbs. However, we found no statistical evidence that these morphological differences affected sprint speed. Colour morphs also exhibited different escape responses on the two substrates: in all species, dark morphs were less likely to immediately sprint from a simulated predator on white sand. As a result, escape response had a significant effect on sprint speed for two of the three species. Not surprisingly, all lizards sprinted faster on dark soil, which was probably due to the lizards' more immediate escape response and the higher compaction of dark soil. The relationship between escape response and sprint performance across the dark soil and white sand habitats suggests that behavioural differences may be an important component of adaptation and speciation in new environments. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111, 169–182.
The Distribution of the Quadratic Symbol in Function Fields and a Faster Mathematical Stream Cipher

We present a stream cipher based on mathematical considerations which is much faster then many other mathematical ciphers. Its security is based on the uniformity of the distribution of the quadratic symbol in function fields.
Wastewater treatment microbiology: An annotated selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to the topics in Microbial biotechnology

Wastewater microbiology http://uctm-biotechnology.org/Wastewater_Microbiology. pdf This site provides a link to a comprehensive book on wastewater microbiology with chapters on public health, general microbiology and fate of chemicals in wastewater. Wastewater microbiology: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epAh6hHOq3c This YouTube video is well-made and informational. It is very useful to see the treatment plant, sludge mixtures and micrographs of the microorganisms participating in the treatment process.
Current sensing schemes for use in BiCMOS integrated circuits

In integrated circuits it is often required to devise some scheme to measure or limit current in a power transistor. By using the properties of bipolar transistors several simple circuits can be manufactured that enable accurate sensing of transistor current without the usual bandwidth limitations.
New Wave Pluralism

The aim of this paper is to develop a pluralist interpretation of the phenomenal concept strategy (PCS). My starting point is Horgan and Tienson's deconstructive argument according to which proponents of PCS face the following dilemma: either phenomenal concepts or physical concepts allow us to conceive phenomenal states as they are in themselves. If phenomenal concepts allow us to conceive phenomenal states as they are in themselves, then phenomenal states are non-physical states and physicalism is wrong. If physical concepts allow us to conceive phenomenal states as they are in themselves, then phenomenal concepts are derivative and PCS is wrong. While Horgan and Tienson assume that their argument shows that PCS leads to dualism, I argue that one can also adopt an ‘epistemic pluralism’ that rejects the idea of only one fundamental way of conceiving phenomenal states as they are in themselves. However, I also argue that epistemic pluralism eventually leads to a position that is compatible neither with dualism nor physicalism. Instead of justifying a non-reductive ‘new wave materialism’, PCS may therefore lead to a ‘new wave pluralism’ that is at odds with all mainstream positions in philosophy of mind.
Do not scratch that mole

Nevi harbor some of the same oncogene mutations that also drive malign melanoma. Further tumor promoting events are required to unleash their carcinogenic potential. Using zebrafish whose melanocytes overexpress an HRAS-oncogene, a new study reports that injury induces melanoma, possibly through recruitment of neutrophils that trigger proliferation of preneoplastic melanocytes.
Submicroscopic structure of developing spermatid-nuclei of grasshopper

Submicroscopic structure of the spermatid nucleus during its maturation has been determined by an electron microscopic examination of ultrathin sections. The constituent filaments making up the developing spermatid nucleus display a hexagonal array in a cross-section and a parallel array in a longitudinal section.
A segmented 32P source Monte Carlo model to derive AAPM TG-60 dosimetric parameters used for intravascular brachytherapy.

A new high dose rate 20 mm 32 P intravascular brachytherapy (IVB) beta source used with automated stepping has recently been introduced. The AAPM Task Group 60 recommends that beta IVB sources should have well characterized dosimetric parameters in water. In this study, Monte Carlo simulations(MCNPX v 2.4) were used to derive these parameters for a 2 mm source segment rather than the entire 20 mm source to ensure the correct formulation using the traditional TG-60 and TG-43 polar coordinate system (r,θ) parameters. The dose rate at the reference depth of 2 mm, the radial dose function, and the anisotropy function were generated for the 2 mm 32 P source segment at the mid-plane, distal edge and proximal edge of the original 20 mm source. Our results indicate that the anisotropy of the 2 mm distal and proximal segments are the same, but differ from that of the mid-plane segment due to the perturbation of the adjacent tungsten marker. Using the TG-60 formulation of the mid-plane and edge segments resulted in dose distributions similar to those obtained for a 20 mm linear beta source model. The segmented formulation provides a method consistent with the familiar TG-60 formulation and ability to calculate the dose-distribution inside curved vessels.
Acoustic Scattering from Two- and Three-Dimensional Bodies

In this paper we consider the scattering of sound by two- and three-dimensional bodies with arbitrary geometries. Particular emphasis is placed on the methodology for the implementation of solid wall boundary conditions for high-order, high-bandwidth numerical schemes. The Impedance Mismatch Method (IMM) is introduced to treat solid wall boundaries. In this method the solid wall is simulated using a wall region in which the characteristic impedance is set to a different value from that in the fluid region. This method has many advantages over traditional solid wall boundary treatments, including simplicity of coding, speed of computation and the ability to treat curved boundaries. This method has been used to solve a number of acoustic scattering problems to demonstrate its effectiveness. These problems include acoustic reflections from an infinite plate, acoustic scattering from a two-dimensional finite plate and a cylinder, and acoustic scattering by a sphere and a cylindrical shell.
Exact Solution for Pure Torsion of SMA Curved Bars With Application to Analyzing SMA Helical Springs

In this paper, the pure torsion of SMA curved bars with circular cross sections is studied analytically. First, a three-dimensional phenomenological macroscopic constitutive model for polycrystalline SMAs is reduced to the one-dimensional pure shear case and then a closed-form solution for torsional response of SMA curved bars in loading and unloading is obtained. The effect of a direct shear force in the cross section is also considered in the solution which enables the formulation for analyzing SMA helical springs. Several case studies are presented in order to investigate the accuracy of the proposed method in predicting the torsional response of SMA curved bars, the stress distributions, and analyzing SMA helical springs.© 2011 ASME
Microradiographic observations on demineralization gradients in the pathogenesis of hard-tissue destruction.

Abstract Hard-tissue changes accompanying dental caries, idiopathic erosion, traumatic abrasion, lacunar resorption and post-mortem excavation have been examined by means of microradiography. Carious lesions exhibit very extensive sub-surface demineralization to a depth of up to 1000 μ, along preferential, incremental, interprismatic and intratubular pathways. Erosion is accompanied by a superficial demineralization gradient up to a maximum depth of 100 μ, characterized by a wide peripheral frontal attack rather than along preformed structural pathways. Abrasion, whether caused by toothbrush friction in vivo or in vitro , removes the organic and inorganic elements of the hard tissue simultaneously and in toto . Resorption of all hard tissues, be it in bone, cementum, dentine or enamel, follows a comparable histomorphological pattern, and all elements of the resorbable tissues disintegrate without any subsurface demineralization gradient beyond the depth of about 1 μ. Post-mortem destruction of calcified tissues takes the form of deeply penetrating canals, from which enamel is curiously spared, and which in dentine cut across the dentinal tubules and cause removal of inorganic and organic elements without any antecedent demineralization gradient detectable beyond the depth of about 1 μ.
The lipid-laden foam cell: an elusive target for therapeutic intervention.

Over the last decade, as our understanding of cellular cholesterol metabolism has advanced, a crucial role has emerged for acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol-acyltransferase (ACAT) at several stages in the development of atherosclerosis. ACAT, the enzyme principally responsible for esterifying intracellular free cholesterol (FC) to cholesteryl esters (CEs), participates most directly in this process by promoting storage of lipid in arterial macrophages. This uptake is key to the disease process, as it transforms macrophage into arterial foam cells, the hallmark of atherosclerosis (1). In addition to its role in lipid loading of macrophages, ACAT also modulates cholesterol absorption from the intestine, secretion of VLDL from the liver, and steroidogenesis (2–5). The FC that serves as a substrate for this enzyme may be derived directly from the diet or may be liberated from endocytosed lipoproteins by lysosomal hydrolases. The resulting CE can also be hydrolyzed back to FC in the cytoplasm by neutral CE hydrolase, and a cycle of cholesterol reesterification and hydrolysis ensues, providing both FC and CEs to satisfy the variable metabolic demands of different cells. ACAT’s role in the reesterification-hydrolysis cycle is of particular importance in modulating the concentration of membrane FC, which, in excess, can be toxic to cells.
Gabapentin-induced hypoglycemia in a long-term peritoneal dialysis patient

An end-stage renal disease patient on long-term peritoneal dialysis was admitted with dizziness, fatigue, hypoglycemia, and hypotension. The hypotension resolved with intravenous normal saline, but the hypoglycemia persisted for 3 days despite an intravenous dextrose drip and discontinuation of gabapentin. The patient became normoglycemic on the fourth day of admission. None of the known causes for the hypoglycemia were identified except gabapentin, the dose of which was recently doubled 1 month before admission. Insulin and C-peptide levels were high during the hypoglycemic episode and returned to normal after discontinuation of gabapentin. The patient remains off gabapentin and has had no further episodes of hypoglycemia. To our knowledge, this is the first case of hypoglycemia induced by gabapentin.
Findings from Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE): A case study of New Hampshire's pediatric SANE database

The purpose of this article is to provide child sexual abuse data gathered by sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in New Hampshire at the time of the medical/forensic examination. This study provides demographic, victim and assault characteristics from 696 child sexual abuse patients between 1997 and 2007. The study is a collaborative project between the SANE Advisory Board, a team of university researchers, and the Research Committee of the New Hampshire (NH) Governor's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Optimal multistream sequential prefetching in a shared cache

Prefetching is a widely used technique in modern data storage systems. We study the most widely used class of prefetching algorithms known as sequential prefetching. There are two problems that plague the state-of-the-art sequential prefetching algorithms: (i) cache pollution, which occurs when prefetched data replaces more useful prefetched or demand-paged data, and (ii) prefetch wastage, which happens when prefetched data is evicted from the cache before it can be used.A sequential prefetching algorithm can have a fixed or adaptive degree of prefetch and can be either synchronous (when it can prefetch only on a miss) or asynchronous (when it can also prefetch on a hit). To capture these distinctions we define four classes of prefetching algorithms: fixed synchronous (FS), fixed asynchronous (FA), adaptive synchronous (AS), and adaptive asynchronous (AsynchA). We find that the relatively unexplored class of AsynchA algorithms is in fact the most promising for sequential prefetching. We provide a first formal analysis of the criteria necessary for optimal throughput when using an AsynchA algorithm in a cache shared by multiple steady sequential streams. We then provide a simple implementation called AMP (adaptive multistream prefetching) which adapts accordingly, leading to near-optimal performance for any kind of sequential workload and cache size.Our experimental setup consisted of an IBM xSeries 345 dual processor server running Linux using five SCSI disks. We observe that AMP convincingly outperforms all the contending members of the FA, FS, and AS classes for any number of streams and over all cache sizes. As anecdotal evidence, in an experiment with 100 concurrent sequential streams and varying cache sizes, AMP surpasses the FA, FS, and AS algorithms by 29--172p, 12--24p, and 21--210p, respectively, while outperforming OBL by a factor of 8. Even for complex workloads like SPC1-Read, AMP is consistently the best-performing algorithm. For the SPC2 video-on-demand workload, AMP can sustain at least 25p more streams than the next best algorithm. Furthermore, for a workload consisting of short sequences, where optimality is more elusive, AMP is able to outperform all the other contenders in overall performance.Finally, we implemented AMP in the state-of-the-art enterprise storage system, the IBM system storage DS8000 series. We demonstrated that AMP dramatically improves performance for common sequential and batch processing workloads and delivers up to a twofold increase in the sequential read capacity.
Columella footplate motion and the cochlear microphonic potential in the embryo and hatchling chicken.

A piezoelectric (PZE) vibrator was used to mechanically drive the columella footplate and stimulate the cochlea of chicken embryos and hatchlings. Our objectives were to characterize the motion of the PZE driver and determine the relationship between columella footplate motion (displacement/velocity) and the cochlear microphonic recorded from the recessus scala tympani (CMrst). At each frequency, displacement of the PZE driver probe tip was linearly related to the applied voltage over a wide range of attenuation levels (−60 to −20dBre:50Vp-p). The mean displacement across frequencies (100–4000Hz) was 0.221±0.042μmp-p for a constant applied voltage level of −20dBre:50Vp-p. Displacement was within 1.5dB of the mean for this stimulus level at all frequencies except for 4000Hz, where it was ∼3dB higher (p<0.01). CMrst amplitudes in hatchlings were larger than amplitudes in embryos (p=0.003). For a given frequency, CM was linearly related to footplate displacement and velocity at both ages. The transform ratio...
Synesthesia in children: association of colors with pure tone frequencies.

(1956). Synesthesia in Children: Association of Colors with Pure Tone Frequencies. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 95-103.
Low molecular weight mitogenic factor produced by BRL-3A cultured rat liver cells.

Abstract A new mitogenic factor has been isolated from medium conditioned by BRL-3A rat liver cells. The factor has been partially purified by a two step procedure involving ion exchange chromatography on Dowex 50 followed by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-75 in 1 M acetic acid. The factor is eluted from the Sephadex G-75 column in the low molecular weight region, behin three peaks of multiplication stimulating activity. The factor is inactivated by treatment with trypsin and dithiothreitol, suggesting that it is a peptide that contains a disulfide linkage. Unlike multiplication stimulating activity, the new factor only weakly stimulates DNA synthesis in quiescent chick fibroblasts, whereas it strongly stimulates DNA synthesis in quiescent NIL8 hamster cells, BALB c 3T3 cells, and IMR-90 human fibroblasts.
The effects of load sequencing on the fatigue life of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy

Abstract Current fatigue life analysis of metallic rotorcraft dynamic components are based on a linear cumulative damage concept known as Miner's rule. This type of analysis assumes that there is no load sequence effect that occurs during the fatigue loading history. Past studies have shown that linear cumulative damage analysis of fatigue tests has produced life predictions that have been conservative as well as unconservative. Some of this uncertainty has been attributed to the fact that load sequence effects do exist in most fatigue load spectra. As a first phase the study reported herein was done to evaluate the load sequencing effects that could exist in commercial fixed-wing fatigue load spectra. To evaluate these effects a typical commercial wing spectra was reordered using a scheme that had previously been shown in fatigue block loading to produce the shortest fatigue lives. This scheme starts with the smallest load range in a load sequence and proceeds in ascending order until the largest load range is reached. Tests on open hole test specimens made of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy were conducted on the normal sequence of loads as well as the reordered scheme called lo–hi. Test results showed no significant differences between the fatigue lives of the normal load sequence and the reordered load sequence. A computer program called FASTRAN which calculates total fatigue life using only crack growth data was shown to predict the fatigue life of the spectrum tests with acceptable accuracy.
Behavior of Erythrocytes in Various Solvent Systems IV: Water—Dimethylsulfoxide

Hemolytic behavior of human erythrocytes in water-DMSO solutions was investigated. Complete hemolysis of erythrocytes took place in all DMSO solutions, with discoloration and precipitation occurring at DMSO concentrations greater than 35 per cent. The addition of 0.9 per cent NaCl or isotonic concentrations of other compounds (CaCl2, dextrose, lactose, KBr, Na citrate, NaBr, Nal, and Na salicylate) prevented hemolysis in solutions containing 0.0 to 40 per cent DMSO. The addition of these compounds to solutions containing more than 40 per cent DMSO did not prevent hemolysis, discoloration, or precipitation of human red blood cells. When possible, the data were used to calculate van't Hoff i values for sodium chloride in various aqueous DMSO solutions. The DMSO concentration which afforded the greatest protection to erythrocytes against osmotic hemolysis was 26–27 per cent. In aqueous ternary solvent systems, DMSO did not affect the concentrations at which propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol 300 damage erythrocytes.
Active I-V Characteristic Measurement

The use of I-V characteristics to determine the behavior of active devices is increasing. The standard swept frequency schemes suffer from frequency limitations. A technique for pulsed I-V measurements that can be employed in most laboratories is described and its application to measuring the active behavior of an IMPATT device is demonstrated.
Altered hemodynamics, endothelial function, and protein expression occur with aortic coarctation and persist after repair

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with substantial morbidity despite treatment. Mechanically induced structural and functional vascular changes are implicated; however, their relationship with smooth muscle (SM) phenotypic expression is not fully understood. Using a clinically representative rabbit model of CoA and correction, we quantified mechanical alterations from a 20-mmHg blood pressure (BP) gradient in the thoracic aorta and related the expression of key SM contractile and focal adhesion proteins with remodeling, relaxation, and stiffness. Systolic and mean BP were elevated for CoA rabbits compared with controls leading to remodeling, stiffening, an altered force response, and endothelial dysfunction both proximally and distally. The proximal changes persisted for corrected rabbits despite >12 wk of normal BP (~4 human years). Computational fluid dynamic simulations revealed reduced wall shear stress (WSS) proximally in CoA compared with control and corrected rabbits. Distally, WSS was markedly increased in CoA rabbits due to a stenotic velocity jet, which has persistent effects as WSS was significantly reduced in corrected rabbits. Immunohistochemistry revealed significantly increased nonmuscle myosin and reduced SM myosin heavy chain expression in the proximal arteries of CoA and corrected rabbits but no differences in SM α-actin, talin, or fibronectin. These findings indicate that CoA can cause alterations in the SM phenotype contributing to structural and functional changes in the proximal arteries that accompany the mechanical stimuli of elevated BP and altered WSS. Importantly, these changes are not reversed upon BP correction and may serve as markers of disease severity, which explains the persistent morbidity observed in CoA patients.
Reactions of bis(η4-1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) with transition metal halides, and the crystal structure of μ-dichloro-bis(tetrahydrofuran)hexacarbonyldimanganese

Abstract Bis-(η4-1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) reacted with η5-C5H5Fe(CO)2Cl, η3-C5H5Fe(CO)3Cl, Mn(CO)5Cl and {Mn[P(OMe)3](CO)4}2 to form metal metal bonded coupling products. Partial reduction of Mn(CO)5Cl gave [MnCl(CO)3(THF)]2 shown to have a chlorine-bridged C2h structure by X-ray diffraction analysis. Ligand transfer also accompanied the reduction of Fe[P(OMe)3]2(CO)2Br2 and Fe(CO)4Cl2 to Fe[P(OMe)3]2(CO)3 and Fe(CO)5, respectively. Only partial reduction was observed for Ti(acac)2Cl2 and (η5-C5H5)2TiCl2 which gave [Ti(acac)2Cl]2 and (η5-C5H5)2Ti(py)Cl, respectively.
A cw laser absorption diagnostic for methyl radicals

Abstract Absorption of narrow-line laser radiation by methyl radicals produced at high temperatures was studied in the Herzberg β 1 band near 216nm. cw radiation for these measurements was generated in a ring dye laser system using intracavity BBO frequency doubling. Methyl radicals were produced by the shock wave heating of five selected source compounds: azomethane, methyl iodide, tetramethyl tin, tetramethyl silane and ethane. The variation with wavelength of the CH 3 absorption coefficient between 210 and 225 nm was measured at 1625 K and 1.25 atm using ethane/Ar and methyl iodide/Ar gas mixtures. The variation of the absorption coefficient with temperature from 1350 to 2450 K was measured at 216.615 nm using four source compounds. Using this wavelength for CH 3 measurements resulted in a typical detectivity limit of 2ppm at 1650 K, 1 atm, L = 10 cm, with a SNR of unity and a detection bandwidth of 500 kHz.
Medical co-morbidity and validity of DSM-IV depression criteria.

Background. Clinicians have questioned the validity of depression criteria in patients with chronic medical illness, but few empirical data address this question. Method. Computerized records identified two samples of managed care patients beginning depression treatment: 235 with diabetes, ischemic heart disease, or chronic obstructive lung disease and 204 without those conditions. Telephone assessments at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and other measures of depression severity and functional status. Item Response Theory analyses compared patterns of depressive symptoms across groups and specifically evaluated somatic symptoms (fatigue, change in weight or appetite, psychomotor agitation/retardation, and sleep disturbance) as indicators of depression. Logistic regression examined how change in somatic symptoms during treatment varied between patient groups. Results. Overall item response analysis indicated differential item functioning between groups (Χ 2 =33.7, df=18, p=0.017). Two of eight item-level comparisons were statistically significant; one in the predicted direction (patients with co-morbidity reported more fatigue at low levels of depression: Χ 2 =17.9, df= 1, p<0.001) and one in the opposite direction from predicted (patients with co-morbidity reported less psychomotor agitation/retardation at low levels of depression: Χ 2 =8.0, df=1, p=0.005). Observed differences were modest: at the midpoint of the depression severity scale, patients with medical co-morbidity had a 54% probability of reporting fatigue compared to 45 % in those without co-morbidity. All four somatic symptoms showed robust improvement with treatment, and this improvement did not differ significantly between patients with and without medical co-morbidity. Conclusions. We find only limited evidence that fatigue, changes in weight or appetite, psychomotor agitation/retardation, and sleep disturbance are less valid indicators of depression in patients with chronic medical illness. DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis of depression do not require significant modification for patients with medical co-morbidity.
Temperature Dependence of the Folding and Unfolding Kinetics of the GCN4 Leucine Zipper via 13Cα-NMR

Studies by one-dimensional NMR are reported on the interconversion of folded and unfolded forms of the GCN4 leucine zipper in neutral saline buffer. The peptide bears 99% 13C(alpha) labels at three sites: V9, L12, and G31. Time-domain 13C(alpha)-NMR spectra are interpreted by global Bayesian lineshape analysis to extract the rate constants for both unfolding and folding as functions of temperature in the range 47-71 degrees C. The data are well fit by the assumption that the same rate constants apply at each labeled site, confirming that only two conformational states need be considered. Results show that 1) both processes require a free energy of activation; 2) unfolding is kinetically enthalpy-opposed and entropy-driven, while folding is the opposite; and 3) the transition state dimer ensemble averages approximately 40% helical. The activation parameters for unfolding, derived from NMR data at the elevated temperatures where both conformations are populated, lead to estimates of the rate constant at low temperatures (5-15 degrees C) that agree with extant values determined by stopped-flow CD via dilution from denaturing media. However, the corresponding estimated values for the folding rate constant are larger by two to three orders of magnitude than those obtained by stopped flow. We propose that this apparent disagreement is caused by the necessity, in the stopped-flow experiment, for initiation of new helices as the highly denaturant-unfolded molecule adjusts to the newly created benign solvent conditions. This must reduce the success rate of collisions in producing the folded molecule. In the NMR determinations, however, the unfolded chains always have a small, but essential, helix content that makes such initiation unnecessary. Support for this hypothesis is adduced from recent extant experiments on the helix-coil transition in single-chain helical peptides and from demonstration that the folding rate constants for coiled coils, as obtained by stopped flow, are influenced by the nature of the denaturant used.
Examination of the in vitro degradation of [14C] pentaerythritol tetranitrate in rat and human blood with an improved thin-layer radiochromatographic procedure.

Abstract Improvements were made on a reported thin-layer radiochromatographic assay for the determination of [14C] pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and its metabolites in whole blood, using methanol instead of dioxane as the extracting solvent. Recovery of total radioactivity for the entire work-up procedure was greater than 90%, and the distribution of PETN and its metabolites in degraded blood samples was found to be reproducible. This modified method appeared simpler and yielded better recovery of radioactivity than the literature method. In vitro metabolism of [14C]PETN in rat and human blood was examined by incubation of the drug with fresh blood at 37°C for 60 min. In rat blood, the half-life of PETN degradation was about 15 min producing the trinitrate, dinitrate and mononitrate metabolites. Human blood was also capable of degrading PETN in vitro, but at a lower rate than rat blood, yielding only the trinitrate metabolite in quantifiable amounts during the incubation period. Equilibrium of PETN between plasma and red blood cells was observed within 1 min after PETN addition to both rat and human blood. The apparent plasma/red blood cells partition ratios of PETN were 1.1 and 1.7 for rat and human blood, respectively. PETN degradation was approximately ten times slower in rat plasma than in rat blood, suggesting that enzymes in erythrocytes are important for PETN metabolism in rat whole blood.
Do Markets Respond More to More Reliable Labor Market Data? A Test of Market Rationality

Since 1979, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has nearly quadrupled the size of the sample used to estimate monthly employment changes. Although first-reported employment estimates are still noisy, the magnitude of sampling variability has declined in proportion to the increase in the sample size. A model of rational Bayesian updating predicts that investors would assign more weight to the BLS employment survey as it became more precise. However, a regression analysis of changes in interest rates on the day the employment data are released finds no evidence that the bond market’s reaction to employment news intensified in the late 1980s or early 1990s. For the time period as a whole, an unexpected increase of 200,000 jobs is associated with an 8 basis point increase in the interest rate on 30 year Treasury bonds, and a 9 basis point increase in the interest rate on 3 month bills, all else equal. Additionally, announced hourly wage increases are associated with higher long-tern interest rates, while announced changes in the unemployment rate and revisions to past months’ employment estimates have a statistically insignificant effect on long-term interest rates.
Increased cross-bridge cycling kinetics after exchange of C-terminal truncated troponin I in skinned rat cardiac muscle.

The precise mechanism of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) proteolysis in myocardial stunning is not fully understood. Accordingly, we determined the effect of cTnI C terminus truncation on chemo-mechanical transduction in isolated skinned rat trabeculae. Recombinant troponin complex (cTn), containing either mouse cTnI-(1–193) or human cTnI-(1–192) was exchanged into skinned cardiac trabeculae; Western blot analysis confirmed that 60–70% of the endogenous cTn was replaced by recombinant Tn. Incorporation of truncated cTnI induced significant reductions (∼50%) in maximum force and cooperative activation as well as increases (∼50%) in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and tension cost. Similar results were obtained with either mouse or human truncated cTn. Presence of truncated cTnI increased maximum actin-activated S1 ATPase activity as well as its Ca2+ sensitivity in vitro. Partial exchange (50%) for truncated cTnI resulted in similar reductions in maximum force and cooperativity; tension cost was increased in proportion to truncated cTnI content. In vitro, to determine the molecular mechanism responsible for the enhanced myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, we measured Ca2+ binding to cTn as reported using a fluorescent probe. Incorporation of truncated cTnI did not affect Ca2+ binding affinity to cTn alone. However, when cTn was incorporated into thin filaments, cTnI truncation induced a significant increase in Ca2+ binding affinity to cTn. We conclude that cTnI truncation induces depressed myofilament function. Decreased cardiac function after ischemia/reperfusion injury may directly result, in part, from proteolytic degradation of cTnI, resulting in alterations in cross-bridge cycling kinetics.
Drag reduction in two-phase annular-mist flow of air and water

As pointed out by the University of Tulsa, a number of potential applications exist for drag reduction in two-phase flow to gas production, transmission, and storage. Examples include the reduction of pumping and compressor requirements in gas-gas condensate pipelines, increased capacity of existing producing equipment, and increased flow from aquifers and other storage facilities. To demonstrate the possibility of drag reduction in two-phase, annular-mist flow, researchers from the university obtained pressure-drop data for the horizontal flow of air and water in a 0.5-in.-diameter pipe at a system pressure of 100 psig, using polyethylene oxide, a well-known water-soluble, drag-reducing polymer. The liquid/gas ratio was varied from 10 to 1000 bbl/million SCF. A plot of the experimental pressure gradient vs. the liquid flow rate for two-fixed gas rates verified that a significant pressure-gradient reduction was obtained, which increased to a maximum of 37% as the liquid flow rate increased.
Equations for the Prediction of Resting Energy Expenditure in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

Resting energy expenditure can be obtained either by indirect calorimetry or from prediction equations. Several prediction equations were compared to the measured value of REE in a group of COPD patients with moderate to severe disease. Then, using the same group of patients, a new equation was derived by regression analysis and was prospectively tested on patients with similar characteristics. Equations derived from normal populations (Harris-Benedict, Wilmore nomogram) were shown to underestimate REE by 300-400 Kcal. Equations that use body weight as the only variable were found to be easier to use and did not appear to sacrifice accuracy. Quebbeman Ausman body weight, Quebbeman Ausman body surface area and a regression equation derived from COPD patients (males, REE = 11.5 × wt [kg] + 952; females, REE = 14.1 × wt [kg] + 515) performed better than other currently used equations. In both stable COPD and COPD with exacerbation, the mean predicted values fell within a standard deviation (± 167 Kcal) of measured values. (Chest 1988; 94:1260-63)
Aging changes in the kidneys of two poeciliid fishes, the guppy Poecilia reticulatus and the Amazon molly P. formosa

Histological surveys of the kidneys of two poeciliid fishes, the Amazon molly Poecilia formosa and the guppy P. reticulatus, throughout their lifespans showed no regular aging trends. Few kidney lesions were found in the Amazon molly until very late in life, 60 months or more, when obsolescent glomeruli and dilated renal tubules occurred. Guppies showed involutional changes of the renal system earlier, and the lesions became more severe with age, particularly in male fish. Hemopoietic tissue was reduced in amount in older fish of both species. Guppies of a year and older had marked accumulation of melanin in the melanomacrophage centers of the kidney, and the amount present increased with age. By contrast, there was little melanin deposition in mollies until almost the end of the lifespan. Hyaline droplets were consistently seen in the renal tubules of the mollies, but were rare in guppies. The degenerative changes in the kidneys of these two teleosts are similar to those seen in the kidneys of aging mammals. Despite the loss of normal structure in older fish, it seemed unlikely that degeneration of the kidney was directly involved in aging and death.
Improved degradation of organophosphorus nerve agents and p-nitrophenol by Pseudomonas putida JS444 with surface-expressed organophosphorus hydrolase.

Pseudomonas putida JS444, isolated from p-nitrophenol (PNP) contaminated waste sites, was genetically engineered to simultaneously degrade organophosphorus pesticides (OP) and PNP. A surface anchor system derived from the ice-nucleation protein (INP) from Pseudomonas syringae was used to target the organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) onto the surface of Pseudomonas putida JS444, reducing the potential substrate uptake limitation. Engineered cells were capable of targeting OPH onto the cell surface as demonstrated by western blotting, cell fractionation, and immunofluorescence microscopy. The engineered P. putida JS444 degraded organophosphates as well as PNP rapidly without instability problems associated with the engineered Moraxella sp. The initial hydrolysis rate was 7.90, 3.54, and 1.53 μmol/h/mg dry weight for paraoxon, parathion, and methyl parathion, respectively. The excellent stability in combination with the rapid degradation rate for organophosphates and PNP make this engineered strain an ideal biocatalyst for complete mineralization of organophosphates.
Modernization, Dependency, and the State in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

A regression analysis of 92 Asian, African, and Latin American countries during 1970-85 produced the following results: (1) The effect of external debt on industrial growth is positive and statistically significant at high levels of state coercive capacity. (2) This effect is negative and statistically significant at low levels of state coercive capacity. (3) At middle levels of state coercive capacity external debt registered no effect. Based on these findings this paper puts forward the following three arguments: First, the "modernization" hypothesis of a positive relationship between external debt and industrial growth is more likely if state institutions are strong and capable. Second, the "dependency" hypothesis of a negative relationship between external debt and industrial growth is more likely when state institutions are weak and relatively incapacitated. Finally therefore, these two perspectives may be studied as special cases of a grander theory of development.
Identification of ergoline alkaloids in the genus Argyreia and related genera and their chemotaxonomic implications in the convolvulaceae

Abstract The results of the identification of 21 ergoline alkaloids of 14 species of Argyreia ; viz.: A. barnesii , A. capitata , A. cuneata , A. luzoninsis , A. mollis , A. maingayi , A. nervosa , A. obtusifolia , A. philippinensis , A. reticulata . A. ridleyi , A. rubicunda , A. splendens and A. sp. and 2 closely related genera; Stictocardia tiliafolia and Rivea corymbosa , by using 2-D TLC procedures are given. A brief discussion of the implications of the ergoline alkaloids and the chemotaxonomy of the Convolvulaceae is also presented.
An architecture to evaluate Scalability, Adaptability and Accuracy in cloud monitoring systems

In a cloud computing environment, multiple resources need to be properly managed to improve resource utilization and offer predictable performance to customers. One essential management function that gains a special importance in the context of clouds is monitoring. Nowadays, cloud monitoring solutions need to meet several requirements such as Scalability, Accuracy, and Adaptability. In This paper, we proposed an architecture to evaluate Scalability, Accuracy, and Adaptability in cloud monitoring systems based on local filters. The results show a mutual influence among these requirements. Moreover, the proposed architecture is simplified and the filtering methods show promising results to Scalability and Adaptability.