cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BCL11B expression in intramembranous osteogenesis during murine craniofacial suture development

Sutures, where neighboring craniofacial bones are separated by undifferentiated mesenchyme, are major growth sites during craniofacial development. Pathologic fusion of bones within sutures occurs in a wide variety of craniosynostosis conditions and can result in dysmorphic craniofacial growth and secondary neurologic deficits. Our knowledge of the genes involved in suture formation is poor. Here we describe the novel expression pattern of the BCL11B transcription factor protein during murine embryonic craniofacial bone formation. We examined BCL11B protein expression at E14.5, E16.5, and E18.5 in 14 major craniofacial sutures of C57BL/6J mice. We found BCL11B expression to be associated with all intramembranous craniofacial bones examined. The most striking aspects of BCL11B expression were its high levels in suture mesenchyme and increasingly complementary expression with RUNX2 in differentiating osteoblasts during development. BCL11B was also expressed in mesenchyme at the non-sutural edges of intramembranous bones. No expression was seen in osteoblasts involved in endochondral ossification of the cartilaginous cranial base. BCL11B is expressed to potentially regulate the transition of mesenchymal differentiation and suture formation within craniofacial intramembranous bone.
CSF Bcl-2 and cytochrome C temporal profiles in outcome prediction for adults with severe TBI.

The biochemical cascades associated with cell death after traumatic brain injury (TBI) involve both pro-survival and pro-apoptotic proteins. We hypothesized that elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Bcl-2 and cytochrome C (CytoC) levels over time would reflect cellular injury response and predict long-term outcomes after TBI. Cerebrospinal fluid Bcl-2 and CytoC levels were measured for 6 days after injury for adults with severe TBI (N=76 subjects; N=277 samples). Group-based trajectory analysis was used to generate distinct temporal biomarker profiles that were compared with Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) scores at 6 and 12 months after TBI. Subjects with persistently elevated temporal Bcl-2 and CytoC profiles compared with healthy controls had the worst outcomes at 6 and 12 months (P0.027). Those with CytoC profiles near controls had better long-term outcomes, and those with declining CytoC levels over time had intermediate outcomes. Subjects with Bcl-2 profiles that remained near controls had better outcomes than those with consistently elevated Bcl-2 profiles. However, subjects with Bcl-2 values that started near controls and steadily rose over time had 100% good outcomes by 12 months after TBI. These results show the prognostic value of Bcl-2 and CytoC profiles and suggest a dynamic apoptotic and pro-survival response to TBI.
Restoring Mood Balance in Depression: Ketamine Reverses Deficit in Dopamine-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity

Background One of the most novel and exciting findings in major depressive disorder research over the last decade is the discovery of the fast-acting and long-lasting antidepressant effects of ketamine. Indeed, the therapeutic effects of classic antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, require a month or longer to be expressed, with about a third of major depressive disorder patients resistant to treatment. Clinical studies have shown that a low dose of ketamine exhibits fast-acting relatively sustained antidepressant action, even in treatment-resistant patients. However, the mechanisms of ketamine action at a systems level remain unclear. Methods Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed to inescapable, uncontrollable footshocks. To evaluate learned helplessness behavior, we used an active avoidance task in a shuttle box equipped with an electrical grid floor. After helplessness assessment, we performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings first from ventral tegmental area dopaminergic (DA) neurons and second from accumbens neurons responsive to fimbria stimulation. Ketamine was injected and tested on helpless behavior and electrophysiological recordings. Results We show that ketamine is able to restore the integrity of a network by acting on the DA system and restoring synaptic dysfunction observed in stress-induced depression. We show that part of the antidepressant effect of ketamine is via the DA system. Indeed, injection of ketamine restores a decreased dopamine neuron population activity, as well as synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation) in the hippocampus-accumbens pathway, via, in part, activation of D1 receptors. Conclusions This work provides a unique systems perspective on the mechanisms of ketamine on a disrupted limbic system.
Thermal characteristics of running waters

This chapter reviews available data on thermal conditions prevailing in lotic ecosystems of the Southern Hemisphere. The primary factors (hydrology, climate, insolation) that interact to determine the thermal regime are examined in the context of southern waters. Maximum temperatures are plotted against annual ranges for equatorial (0–10° latitude), tropical (l0–231/2° latitude), and temperate sites. In regions with seasonal climates, running waters exhibit diel and annual thermal periodicity patterns, the phasing of which varies between and within lotic systems. The universality of Illies’ river zonation system is analyzed in the context of thermal conditions in Southern Hemisphere running waters.
Binding of recA protein to single- and double-stranded polynucleotides occurs without involvement of its aromatic residues in stacking interactions with nucleotide bases

Phosphorescence and optically detected triplet state magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectroscopy studies of recA protein and its complexes with poly(5-HgU) and poly(dA-5BrdU) show that the two tryptophan residues are not involved in stacking interactions with the nucleotide bases of either single- or double-stranded polynucleotides. Solvent conditions which induce preferential binding to single-stranded ligands result in a shortening of the tyrosine phosphorescence lifetime, which is further reduced upon binding to poly(5-HgU). This suggests a change in the global conformation or self-aggregation state of the protein. Binding to poly(dA-5BrdU) induces small changes in the tryptophan zero field splittings of recA, but significant changes on those of 5BrdU, which are consistent with recA binding to the minor groove of the polynucleotide.
Memory and anxiety in prepubertal boys at risk for delinquency.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the association between memory and anxiety symptoms in young urban-dwelling boys. Method A series of 111 boys, aged 7 to 11 years, at risk for disruptive psychopathology received standardized assessments of psychopathology and neuropsychological abilities, including verbal and design memory ability. While neuropsychological ability was rated at an initial study wave, psychopathology was rated at both an initial and a follow-up study wave, separated by approximately 18 months. Results Anxiety symptoms were more strongly correlated with poor memory ability than with reduced intelligence. Disruptive symptoms, in contrast, were more strongly correlated with reduced intelligence than with poor memory ability. Finally, boys with an anxiety disorder exhibited reduced memory abilities relative to other boys in the sample. Relationships generally appeared strongest in longitudinal analyses, such that poorer memory ability at study intake predicted increased anxiety at follow-up. Conclusions Anxiety is associated with reduced memory ability in young urban boys at risk for disruptive psychopathology. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1999, 38(8):1024–1031.
Epidermal growth factor receptor blockade: an emerging therapeutic modality in gastroenterology.

Background & Aims: The cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and ErbB/HER pathways are important modulators of cancer cell growth. We sought to determine the effects of treatment with a specific COX-2 inhibitor and/or a monoclonal antibody against the ErbB receptor subtype HER-2/neu on carcinoma cell growth. Methods: A cell-proliferation assay was used to determine the response of HCA-7 cells to the HER-3/HER-4 ligand heregulin β-1 (HRGβ-1). Both in vitro and in vivo assays were used to determine the effects of the selective COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, and/or an anti-HER-2/neu monoclonal antibody (either Herceptin [Genetech Inc., S. San Francisco, CA] or 2C4) on cell growth. Results: HCA-7 cells express HER-2/neu messenger RNA and protein, and exposure of these cells to HRGβ-1 results in a significant stimulation of cell growth. Celecoxib or Herceptin inhibits HCA-7 cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Combination therapy with celecoxib plus Herceptin or celecoxib plus 2C4 resulted in additive effects that resulted in almost complete inhibition of tumor growth. Conclusions: Combined treatment with COX-2 and HER-2/neu inhibitors more effectively reduces colorectal carcinoma growth than either agent alone. Therefore, targeting of both the COX-2 and ErbB signaling pathways may represent a novel approach for the treatment and/or prevention of colorectal cancer in humans.
A micro-pipette method for water dispersible clay

Abstract The clay percentage determined by mechanical means in distilled water without the removal of organic matter and soluble salts and use of a chemical dispersant, is referred to as water dispersible clay (WDC). In this study, a “micro‐pipette” WDC method is developed and described. The method increases laboratory production, i.e., number of samples per day, and yet requires less laboratory space and time. In addition, this method yields, for most soils, WDC values comparable to those values obtained by the standard SCS “macro‐pipette” method. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) for determination of WDC percent indicates nonsignificant effects at α = 0.05 for both method and method times soil but significant effects for method times soil interaction term at α=0.10. In order to characterize the particle‐size distributions, a moment analysis was run on each of the 14 soils. In this study, the distributions of most soils measured by the “macro‐pipette” method are not significantly different by the ...
Improved design of a heterodyne angle-resolved low coherence interferometry system used for new chemoprevention and carcinogenesis studies

Improvements have been made in existing angle-resolved interferometry system to enable greater accuracy and angular range for use in new chemopreventive/carcinogenisis studies.
Stress Transfer and Nonlinear Stress Accumulation at Subduction-type Plate Boundaries — Application to the Aleutians

A study of stress accumulation in seismic gaps and of stress transfer along linear plate boundaries is presented. Time-dependent reloading of plate boundaries following seismic ruptures is modeled by a modified Elsasser model of a coupled lithosphere/asthenosphere plate system. This model is applied to study a series of large earthquakes in the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska peninsula in 1938–1965. It is found that the Rat Island earthquake and the 1948 earthquake in the central Aleutians are likely to have been triggered by adjacent ruptures, in the sense that their occurrence would have come at a later time had their neighboring segments not been ruptured. Stresses in the Unalaska Gap and the Shumagin gap are at a relatively high level and these segments of the plate boundary may be expected to rupture in the near future. In general, in the ten years (about 16% of the earthquake cycle for the Aleutians) following an earthquake, the stress recovery in the rupture zone is highly nonlinear, resulting in a much more rapid stress accumulation than the linear case. Even at a later stage of an earthquake cycle, adjacent ruptures can cause an acceleration of loading rate in addition to the coseismic stress jump. A good example is the influence of the 1964 Alaska earthquake on the 1938 rupture zone. A general conclusion of this work is that long term earthquake prediction models must take into account the nonlinear stress accumulation behavior in seismic gaps. Also, we have shown the interaction of adjacent plate boundary segments, which suggests that some large earthquakes may have been triggered by nearby ruptures.
Spatial Dimensionality of a Liquid Crystal Lattice

The principal importance of uniaxial orientational order of anisotropic molecules in forming bulk phases with an effectively reduced spatial dimensionality of the crystal lattice is shown. The conditions under which such phases are formed in liquid crystals are determined within the framework of the Landau theory of weak crystallization. The peculiarities of the nematic molecular orderic observed in liquid crystal mesophases are explained
Implementation of a suicide nomenclature within two VA healthcare settings.

Suicide and suicide attempts are significant issues for military, Veterans Affairs (VA), and civilian healthcare systems. The lack of uniform terms related to self-directed violence (SDV) has inhibited epidemiological surveillance efforts, limited the generalizability of empirical studies of suicide and non-lethal forms of SDV, and complicated the implementation of evidence-based assessment and treatment strategies for individuals with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. The Department of Veterans Affairs recently adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) SDV Classification System (SDVCS). This paper describes an implementation study of the SDVCS in two VA Medical Centers. The Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) training program for the SDVCS, including the SDVCS Clinical Tool (CT), will be discussed. Although preliminary data suggest that the CT and SDVCS are generally perceived as being acceptable and useful, further work will likely be required to facilitate widespread adoption. Potential next steps in this process are presented.
Seeing the Social Studies Curriculum through New Eyes: Student Interns as Ethnographers

(1992). Seeing the Social Studies Curriculum through New Eyes: Student Interns as Ethnographers. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 9-13.
Closed-loop stability and performance analysis of least-squares and minimum-variance control algorithms for multiconjugate adaptive optics.

Recent progress has been made to compute efficiently the open-loop minimum-variance reconstructor (MVR) for multiconjugate adaptive optics systems by a combination of sparse matrix and iterative techniques. Using spectral analysis, I show that a closed-loop laser guide star multiconjugate adaptive optics control algorithm consisting of MVR cascaded with an integrator control law is unstable. To solve this problem, a computationally efficient pseudo-open-loop control (POLC) method was recently proposed. I give a theoretical proof of the stability of this method and demonstrate its superior performance and robustness against misregistration errors compared with conventional least-squares control. This can be accounted for by the fact that POLC incorporates turbulence statistics through its regularization term that can be interpreted as spatial filtering, yielding increased robustness to misregistration. For the Gemini-South 8-m telescope multiconjugate system and for median Cerro Pachon seeing, the performance of POLC in terms of rms wave-front error averaged over a 1-arc min field of view is approximately three times superior to that of a least-squares reconstructor. Performance degradation due to 30% translational misregistration on all three mirrors is approximately a 30% increased rms wave-front error, whereas a least-squares reconstructor is unstable at such a misregistration level.
Joint modeling of multivariate censored longitudinal and event time data with application to the Genetic Markers of Inflammation Study

The Genetic Markers of Inflammation Study (GenIMS) was conceived to investigate the role of severe sepsis, which is typically defined as system-wide multi-organ failure, on survival. One major hypothesis for this systemic collapse, and reduction in survival, is a cascade of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In this paper, we devised a novel joint modeling strategy to evaluate the joint effect of longitudinal anti-inflammatory marker IL-6 and pro-inflammatory marker IL-10 on 90-day survival. We found that, on average, patients with high initial values of both IL-6 and IL-10, that tend to increase over time, are associated with a reduction in survival expectancy and that accounting for their assumed correlation was justified.
Image Processing Using Optical Disk Technology At The Library Of Congress

The Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the Library of Congress working with Xerox Electro-Optical Systems, Inc. of Pasadena, California has succeeded in developing and implementing one of the first image processing document delivery systems in the world using optical disk storage technology. The system uses automated file management and demand printing capability to replace a very costly, labor intensive, manual operation. The system includes a high resolution 480 bpi laser scanner, high capacity (4.5 gigabytes/surface) optical disk storage and a high resolution (480 bpi) laser printer. Through the implementa-tion of this system the Library of Congress has shown initiative and leadership, and has demonstrated that the automated systems of the future will process not only character code data but imaginal data in an attempt to move away from paper as a means of transmitting information.
Use of hemodialysis and hemoperfusion in poisoned patients.

Extracorporeal removal techniques such as hemodialysis, charcoal hemoperfusion, and peritoneal dialysis have been used to remove toxins from the body. To define trends in the use of these techniques for toxin removal, we analyzed the 19,351 cases requiring extracorporeal removal reported to U.S. poison centers from 1985–2005. The number of such patients who received hemodialysis, excluding those with other medical indications, (normalized per million calls) increased from 231 to 707 whereas hemoperfusion decreased from 53 to 12 in the years 1985–2005. Peritoneal dialysis decreased from 2.2 in 1985 to 1.6 in 1991. The most common toxins removed by hemodialysis were lithium and ethylene glycol. There were more dialysis treatments for poisonings with valproate and acetaminophen in 2001–2005 than for methanol and theophylline, although hemodialysis for acetaminophen removal is generally not recommended. Theophylline was the most common toxin removed by hemoperfusion from 1985–2000, but carbamazepine became the most frequent toxin for removal during 2001–2005. Our study shows that the profile of toxins and the type of extracorporeal technique used to remove the toxins have changed over the years.
A Comparison of For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Hospitals on the Cost of Mental Health Admissions

The debate around health reform has raised questions about costs of care and the nature of competition in the delivery of care. This study examines whether the profit incentive leads to more-cost-e...
ARMA systems in wind engineering

The time domain solution of the equations of motion of structures subjected to a stochastic wind field is often obtained by a step-by-step integration approach. The loading is described by simulated time histories of the aerodynamic force. Recently, autoregressive and moving average (ARMA) recursive models have been utilized to simulate the time series of wind loads. Based on the system dynamic characteristics, the time-integration schemes require that the time increment should not exceed a prescribed value. This study focuses on the development of procedures to simulate realizations of wind loading with small time increments which are required by the time-integration schemes. An ARMA algorithm based on a three-stage-matching method and a scheme which combines ARMA and digital interpolation filters are presented to efficiently simulate realizations of wind loads at the prescribed time increments.
Angle of approach of aerosol particles during aerodynamic capture

Abstract Under experimental conditions, when the surface of a collector is perfectly sticky and the surfaces of aerosol particles are perfectly nonsticky, only a monolayer of particles will be deposited on a collecting surface. A particle deposited on a surface will block a certain area around itself from further deposition. The size of the blocked area depends upon the angle of approach of later aerosol particles. It is therefore possible to estimate the angle of approach from the area density of deposited particles. Some of the blocking areas will overlap, and the correction for this overlap was derived. This permits precise estimation of the actual angle of approach of aerosol particles to the collecting surface during aerodynamic capture. The theoretical calculation developed in this paper is found to agree well with experimental data.
Sensitivity of negative subsequent memory and task-negative effects to age and associative memory performance

Abstract The present fMRI experiment employed associative recognition to investigate the relationships between age and encoding-related negative subsequent memory effects and task-negative effects. Young, middle-aged and older adults (total n =136) were scanned while they made relational judgments on visually presented word pairs. In a later memory test, the participants made associative recognition judgments on studied, rearranged (items studied on different trials) and new pairs. Several regions, mostly localized to the default mode network, demonstrated negative subsequent memory effects in an across age-group analysis. All but one of these regions also demonstrated task-negative effects, although there was no correlation between the size of the respective effects. Whereas negative subsequent memory effects demonstrated a graded attenuation with age, task-negative effects declined markedly between the young and the middle-aged group, but showed no further reduction in the older group. Negative subsequent memory effects did not correlate with memory performance within any age group. By contrast, in the older group only, task-negative effects predicted later memory performance. The findings demonstrate that negative subsequent memory and task-negative effects depend on dissociable neural mechanisms and likely reflect distinct cognitive processes. The relationship between task-negative effects and memory performance in the older group might reflect the sensitivity of these effects to variations in amount of age-related neuropathology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Memory .
Experimental design for the evaluation of high-temperature superconductive materials as electronic leads in cryogenic infrared detector sensors

The goal of this work is to design a space experiment that will evaluate the thermal savings on a cryogenic subsystem when manganin leads are replaced by the high temperature superconductor (HTS) leads printed onto a substrate with a low thermal conductivity. A conductive mathematical model has been developed and used as a key tool in the design process and subsequent analysis. The results indicate at least a 50% reduction in total heat load on the cryogen by replacing the currently used manganin wires with HTS leads.
FLUX-ROPE CORONAL MASS EJECTION GEOMETRY AND ITS RELATION TO OBSERVED MORPHOLOGY

A simple parameterization of a three-dimensional flux rope is used to determine a "typical flux-rope geometry" that corresponds to observed flux-rope coronal mass ejection (CME) morphologies (average apparent angular widths) at a leading-edge height of about 5.5 R☉. The parameterized flux rope, the curved axis of which is assumed to trace out an ellipse, is described in terms of the eccentricity of the ellipse, the width (minor diameter d) of the flux rope at the apex, and the height of the apex above the solar surface 2R1. Assuming self-similar expansion, there are only two geometrical parameters to be determined: the eccentricity and the axial aspect ratio Λa ≡ 2R1/d. For each pair of geometrical parameters, an ensemble of 72 orientations is considered, with each being specified in terms of a latitude angle, a longitude angle, and a rotation about the direction of motion. The resulting ensemble of synthetic coronagraph images is used to produce statistical measures of the morphology for comparison to corresponding observational measures from St. Cyr et al. (2004). We find that a typical flux-rope CME has = 0.7 ± 0.2 and Λa = 1.1 ± 0.3.
Performing data flow testing on classes

The basic unit of testing in an object-oriented program is a class. Although there has been much recent research on testing of classes, most of this work has focused on black-box approaches. However, since black-box testing techniques may not provide sufficient code coverage, they should be augmented with code-based or white-box techniques. Dataflow testing is a code-based testing technique that uses the dataflow relations in a program to guide the selection of tests. Existing dataflow testing techniques can be applied both to individual methods in a class and to methods in a class that interact through messages, but these techniques do not consider the dataflow interactions that arise when users of a class invoke sequences of methods in an arbitrary order. We present a new approach to class testing that supports dataflow testing for dataflow interactions in a class. For individual methods in a class, and methods that send messages to other methods in a the class, our technique is similar to existing dataflow testing techniques. For methods that are accessible outside the class, and can be called in any order by users of the class, we compute dataflow information, and use it to test possible interactions between these methods. The main benefit of our approach is that it facilitates dataflow testing for an entire class. By supporting dataflow testing of classes, we provide opportunities to find errors in classes that may not be uncovered by black-box testing. Our technique is also useful for determining which sequences of methods should be executed to test a class, even in the absence of a specification. Finally, as with other code-based testing techniques, a large portion of our technique can be automated.
The impact of victim participation in Saiban-in trials in Japan: Insights from the American jury experience *

The introduction of new lay participation systems such as those in Japan has much to teach scholars of lay adjudication. The Japanese experience with lay participation can offer fresh scientific insights into the role of lay persons as legal decision makers. Many other jury and mixed tribunal systems are generations or even centuries old, making it difficult to identify their effects. Because Saiban-in seido is a new system with unique characteristics, its immediate and long-term effects can be studied. One important new feature of the Saiban-in seido system is that victims of crime can participate in significant ways in criminal trials (Goto, 2013; Saeki, 2010). Therefore, studying the impact of Saiban-in seido has the potential to add to our knowledge about the best methods for incorporating lay decision makers as well as to provide
Transcriptional activation by the Myb proteins requires a specific local promoter structure

The biological effects of the cellular c-Myb and the viral v-Myb proteins are strikingly different. While c-Myb is indispensable for normal hematopoiesis, v-Myb induces acute leukemia. The v-Myb DNA-binding domain (DBD) differs from that of c-Myb mainly by deletion of the first of three repeats which correlates with efficient oncogenic transformation and a decrease in DNA-binding activity. To investigate the difference in DNA-binding and transcriptional activation, oligonucleotide selection and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were employed. The v-Myb DBD (R2R3) shows an intrinsic DNA-binding specificity for an AT-rich downstream extension of the Myb recognition element (MRE) PyAACT/GG for efficient binding to this site, whereas R1 within the c-Myb DBD allows for more flexibility for this downstream extension. Therefore, due to the presence of repeat R1, c-Myb can bind to a greater number of target sites. The intrinsic DNA-binding specificity of R2R3 is further supported with the results from in vivo transcriptional activation experiments which demonstrated that both the v-Myb and c-Myb DBDs require an extension of the MRE (motif #1) by a downstream T-stretch (motif #2) for full activity. Surprisingly, the T-stretch improves binding when present on either strand, but is required on a specific strand for transcriptional activation.
The Impact of Tobacco Use on Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes

Preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM) occurs in 0.7 to 3.0% of all pregnancies and has been implicated in 30% of preterm deliveries.1–3 The perinatal morbidity linked to this event is directly related to the gestational age at delivery. In addition to the risks inherent in prematurity (e.g., respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis), pregnancies complicated by pPROM are at an increased risk for intra-amniotic infection, neonatal sepsis, pulmonary hypoplasia, placental abruption, and cord compression. The reported risk factors for pPROM include previous preterm delivery, previous pPROM, uterine overdistension, intrauterine infections, sexually transmitted diseases, cervical conization, vaginal bleeding, and drug use including tobacco.4,5 Although most studies have suggested an increase in the incidence of pPROM among patients who use tobacco,6–11 others, including data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project,12 have demonstrated no such association. In addition, the data addressing the possibility that pregnancies complicated by pPROM and tobacco use may be at risk for shorter latent periods and an increase in overall perinatal morbidity are both limited and contradictory. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine whether tobacco use was associated with an increase in the incidence of pPROM and (2) to evaluate the possibility that tobacco use further worsened perinatal morbidity (shorter latent period, increased risk of infection) among pregnancies complicated by pPROM. If tobacco use is associated with pPROM, this would represent a potentially “modifiable” risk factor for this common perinatal complication.
Highly Efficient Zirconium-Catalyzed Batch Conversion of 1-Butene: A New Route to Jet Fuels

Quantitative conversion of 1-butene to a Schultz−Flory distribution of oligomers has been accomplished by use of Group 4 transition-metal catalysts in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). The o...
A nonparametric test for stationarity based on local Fourier analysis

In this paper we propose a nonparametric hypothesis test for stationarity based on local Fourier analysis. We employ a test statistic that measures the variation of time-localized estimates of the power spectral density of an observed random process. For the case of a white Gaussian noise process, we characterize the asymptotic distribution of this statistic under the null hypothesis of stationarity, and use it to directly set test thresholds corresponding to constant false alarm rates. For other cases, we introduce a simple procedure to simulate from the null distribution of interest. After validating the procedure on synthetic examples, we demonstrate one potential use for the test as a method of obtaining a signal-adaptive means of local Fourier analysis and corresponding signal enhancement scheme.
Isolation of 1-(1′-2′ S-Nornicotino)-1-deoxy-β-d-fructofuranose and Its Formation in Flue-curing Process of Tobacco Leaves

1-(1′-2′ S-Nornicotino)-1-deoxy-β-d-fructofuranose was first isolated from flue-cured leaves of Cherry Red tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, cv. Bright Yellow. Its structure was established spectrometrically and synthetically. This substance was shown to be formed from nornicotine during flue-curing. Its smoking effect was mild.
Fragments of symmetry in circular rows

Suppose we can and do place k distinct symbols a"1, a"2, ..., a"k on the vertices of n - 1 directed n-gons in such a way that each symbol appears exactly once on each n-gon, and each pair of symbols occurs once in some n-gon at each of the n - 1 possible directed distances. Then for k = 3 and k = 4, as above, and for each circular order (@pa"1, @pa"2,..., @pa"k), the number of n-gons with the symbols in that order clockwise must be equal to the number of n-gons with the symbols in that order counterclockwise. A counterexample found by Tuvi Etzion shows that when k = 5, the conclusion does not necessarily follow.
CONSTRAINED INDIRECT UTILITY FUNCTIONS

Recent years have been marked by an extensive empirical testing of profit, cost, expenditure, and demand equations based on duality theory and the development of specific functional forms as approximations compatible with any neoclassical production or utility function. In estimating systems of demand equations, the approach taken is almost always to assume consumers maximize utility of current period consumption subject to a budget constraint (or combined time‐budget constraint). There are many times that consumers face other constraints on their purchases. Many of these cases are associated with price discrimination and other market imperfections that result in several products being sold in packages (or, equivalently, several characteristics being contained in one product). This constraint on the proportions in which commodities must be purchased presents some significant problems for using an indirect utility function, particularly if one is interested in testing if the proportions are equal to or differ from what consumers would desire. One example of this problem is whether merged charities allocate funds in accordance with donor's preferences. Franklin Fisher showed, using a Stone‐Geary utility function, that there were reasonable cases where a merged charity could increase contributions by allocating funds differently than donors prefer.
Further development of a graduate program in nuclear and radiochemistry at the University of Texas

Over the last three years we have developed a very robust nuclear and radiochemistry program at The University of Texas at Austin. The cornerstone of support was the DOE Radiochemistry Educational Award Program (REAP) that was awarded from 2002–2005. A second award for the period of 2005–2008 was just received. This award has enabled us to support many educational activities from vanguard classroom instruction, to laboratory enhancements, to research activities at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Both traditional radiochemistry and advanced topics in nuclear instrumentation have been supported. Various DOE university programs, national lab funding and IAEA fellowship grants, have allowed the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program at the University of Texas to be at the forefront of nuclear and radiochemistry educational and research activities and help secure the next generation of needed expertise.
An Unusual Cause of Acute Hypercapneic Respiratory Failure

We present a rare cause of hypercapneic respiratory failure through this case report of a 72-year-old man presenting with progressive dyspnea and dysphagia over two years. Hypercapneic respiratory failure was acute on chronic in nature without an obvious etiology. Extensive workup for intrinsic pulmonary disease and neurologic causes were negative. Laryngoscopy and diagnostic imaging confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, also known as DISH, as the cause of upper airway obstruction leading to hypercapneic respiratory failure.
Melanoma: new biology; new therapy.

III. Riskfactors 300 A. Ultravioletexposure 300 B. Genetic abnormalities 301 C. Melanocyticnevi 302 D. Immunosupression 303
Measurement of the Long- and Short-Range Hydrophobic Attraction between Surfactant-Coated Surfaces

We have measured the attractive long-range ‘hydrophobic' forces in water between double-chained surfactant monolayers physisorbed on mica. We used both normal and high-speed video cameras to follow...
Predicting Rodent Carcinogenicity from Four in vitro Genetic Toxicity Assays: An Evaluation of 114 Chemicals Studied by the National Toxicology Program

Abstract Four widely used in vitro assays for genetic toxicity were investigated for their ability to predict the carcinogenicity of chemicals evaluated in long-term rodent studies by the National Toxicology Program (NTP). These assays were mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium and in mouse lymphoma cells and chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Our evaluation compared results previously reported for 73 chemicals (Tennant et al. 1987) with results of similar analyses carried out for 41 additional chemicals tested subsequently by the NTP (Zeiger, Haseman, Shelby, Margolin, and Tennant, in press). For the combined data, Salmonella performed best, achieving a 66% (75/114) concordance, an 89% (32/36) positive predictivity, and a 55% (43/78) negative predictivity with regard to rodent carcinogenicity. The predictivity of Salmonella was even higher when attention was restricted to the multisite and/or two-species carcinogens. Chromosome aberrations also showed a ...
A Look at Galvanic Distortion in the Tasman Sea and the Juan de Fuca Plate

We have examined magnetotelluric (MT) data from the Juan de Fuca plate and the Tasman Sea to understand the influence of galvanic distortion by local and regional topography. Galvanic (non-inductive) distortion, caused by the build up of charge along conductivity gradients, is present in both regions. Its effects can be removed by decomposition of the impedance tensor assuming that both electric and magnetic field distortion are present. Unlike for most land-based data, magnetic field distortion is necessary to explain the seafloor data. Electric field distortion parameters resulting from the full decomposition can be interpreted equivalently in terms of either 2-D or 3-D distorting bodies, but these interpretations cannot be differentiated using MT observations alone. The data are compared to the overall geology to determine whether 2-D or 3-D distortion is more probable. The electric field distortion parameters in both locations behave appoximately frequency-independently, as expected for galvanic distortion. When interpreted in terms of 2-D distorting bodies, the superficial strikes were found to parallel the trends of coastlines and large-scale submarine features (e.g. mid-ocean ridges). This suggests that distortion both in the Tasman Sea and on the Juan de Fuca plate is dominantly galvanic and appears to be caused by regional, large-scale, 2-D features rather than small-scale, 3-D distorting bodies.
HOSO2−H2O Radical Complex and Its Possible Effects on the Production of Sulfuric Acid in the Atmosphere

The optimized structure, rotational constants, vibrational frequencies, changes in spin density, and binding energy are calculated for HOSO2−H2O using ab initio molecular methods. Structurally, the...
Huc pater o Lenaee veni: the cultivation of wine in Vergil's Georgics

The second book of Vergil's Georgics is dedicated to Bacchus, god of the winepress. Much of the book contains highly poetic instructions on the cultivation of the vine, and particularly of the vines of Italy. Included also in this book is the earliest extensive list of preferred wines in antiquity, many of them personified according to their special qualities. This paper examines Vergil's list of wines and his method of conveying the individual personalities of the vine‐plants and their products.
Removal of low-density lipoproteins in patients by extracorporeal immunoadsorption☆

A new technique called LDL-pheresis was used in patients to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. This procedure combines continuous extracorporeal plasma separation with immunoadsorption of low-density lipoprotein on columns containing monospecific antibody to human apolipoprotein B. Six patients underwent a total of 164 procedures without significant side effects or nonspecific protein depletion. Acutely, LDL-pheresis lowered plasma cholesterol levels by removing up to 82 percent of the circulating low-density lipoprotein. Weekly LDL-pheresis combined with a portacaval shunt in a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia resulted in normalization of plasma cholesterol levels and rapid regression of skin xanthomata. Three of four patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease have noted improvement in their angina. LDL-pheresis appears to be a promising new technique capable of safely and efficiently lowering plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
A remark on the homotopical dimension of some moduli spaces of stable Riemann surfaces

Using a result of Harer, we prove certain upper bounds for the homotopical/cohomological dimension of the moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces of compact type, of Riemann surfaces with rational tails and of Riemann surfaces with at most $k$ rational components. These bounds would follow from conjectures of Looijenga and Roth-Vakil.
Rat liver carboxylesterase: cDNA cloning, sequencing, and evidence for a multigene family.

Summary A cDNA clone was isolated from a rat liver lambda gt11 expression library by screening with polyclonal antibodies raised against a rat liver microsomal carboxylesterase. This clone of 1.8 kb contained an open reading frame encoding a mature protein of 531 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 58,084. The 5′ portion of the clone coded for 9 amino acids of a putative signal peptide. The 3′ end of the clone included an untranslated region and a poly (A) tail. Carboxylesterase active site regions, five potential N-linked glycosylation sites, and 2 postulated cystine disulfide bridges were found in the cDNA-deduced amino acid sequence. Sequences obtained from tryptic peptides and the NH2-terminus of the purified native carboxylesterase were aligned with the deduced amino acid sequence, and the overall identity was 84%. Southern blot analysis suggested the presence of multiple genes. Thus it is concluded that we have cloned a rat liver carboxylesterase, and that this enzyme is a member of a multigene family.
A Unified, Self-Consistent Theory for the Plastic-Creep Deformation of Metals

A unified, self-consistent scheme is formulated to determine the plastic-creep behavior of metals under combined stress. It is pointed out that such a deformation involves the transition from the inhomogeneity to transformation problem in the sense of Eshelby. The plastic deformation is studied by the Berveiller and Zaoui modification of Hill's model. Following plastic deformation the structure of selfconsistent relation for subsequent creep is analyzed and found to be independent of prior plastic strains. These self-consistent relations are used in conjunction with one set of unified constitutive equations for slip systems, in which the effect of prior plastic strains on the subsequent creep is considered. This unified, self-consistent scheme is applied to predict the plastic-creep strains of a 304 stainless steel. As compared to the experimental data, the self-consistent scheme is found to consistently provide reasonably accurate estimates for the total inelastic strains, while the predictions by the von Mises theory are seen to be less favorable.
Hydrogen in ``anhydrous'' minerals

Trace concentrations of water and hydroxide are commonly bound in minerals which are normally considered anhydrous. These hydrous species influence the physical and chemical properties of the host mineral to an extent far disproportionate to their low concentration. These properties include mechanical strength, internal structural order, optical properties, dielectric constant, response to external ionizing radiation, and internal diffusion. Low concentrations of hydrous species are conveniently detected by infrared spectroscopy, but the IR method is not self-calibrating. Nuclear reaction analysis has proven to be one of the more sensitive methods to determine the absolute concentration of the hydrous species, but in practice, is subject to a variety of limitations which have reduced the accuracy of analyses of samples with water contents below 0.1%.
Model-Based Life Extending Control for Aircraft Engines

** * * The objective of this work is to extend the on-wing life of aircraft engines using advanced control techniques. Previous studies demonstrated that, out of various schemes that have a positive impact on engine life, improved active clearance control (ACC) is the one with the best potential. Modern commercial turbofan engines are already implementing various forms of ACC schemes to maintain turbine tip clearances within appropriate ranges for safety and efficiency reasons. However, one limitation of these schemes is that they are designed for a "nominal" engine, and as the engine deteriorates over time the ACC performance degrades. The present paper proposes to improve the high-pressure turbine ACC in a high bypass commercial engine to account for deterioration. A key component of this new ACC scheme is an estimator of the clearance variation due to deterioration. This estimator processes the difference between some of the actual engine outputs and outputs from a model of the nominal engine running in real-time. The new ACC scheme was implemented on a high-fidelity model of the commercial engine. Extensive simulations show that exhaust gas temperatures are clearly lowered by the new ACC, which translate into more cycles between engine overhauls.
Core loss reduction in electrical steels through materials processing

Research has been conducted into the effects of laser scribing on the core losses of soft magnetic materials. Various types of lamination steels for use in electric motors and transformers were studied including iron based alloys containing carbon, silicon, nickel, and cobalt. The results show that the change in core losses for carbon, nickel, and cobalt alloys was small for the scribing conditions examined, but core loss reductions of up to 18% were achieved with iron–silicon alloys.
Laryngeal Cancer and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Case-Control Study

Abstract Purpose Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in patients with laryngeal cancer. However, the role of GERD in laryngeal cancer remains controversial because of poor matching and selection of inappropriate control groups in prior studies. We aimed to better understand this relationship by conducting a matched case-control study. Methods This study was based in a single tertiary care center over a 2-year period. Cases included all patients with a diagnosis of new laryngeal cancer presenting to the otolaryngology clinics. Two controls, derived from the internal medicine clinics, were matched to the cases on an individual basis for age (within 1 year), gender, ethnicity, and time of first visit to the institution (within 1 month). Data were extracted by chart review. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between laryngeal cancer and GERD, tobacco, and alcohol consumption. Results A total of 96 cases were matched to 192 controls. On univariable analysis, the significant risk factors were current smoking, odds ratio (OR) 5.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.59-11.50); alcohol, OR 1.97 (CI, 1.19-3.26); and GERD, OR 1.79 (CI, 1.03-3.11). On multivariable analysis, only smoking and GERD continued to be significantly associated with laryngeal cancer, OR 6.08 (CI, 2.82-13.10) and OR 2.11 (CI, 1.16-3.85), respectively. Conclusions Smoking and GERD are significant risk factors for laryngeal cancer and may have an independent incremental risk for laryngeal carcinogenesis.
Direct demonstration and quantitation of the first complement component in human serum

The first component of complement, C1, can be demonstrated and quantitated in normal and pathological human serums by simple immunochemical techniques. All of the C1q, C1r, and C1s detected in normal serum was found to be in the C1 complex. A simple modification of these methods permitted the quantitation of free C1s in the presence of macromolecular C1, a technique which may prove useful in screening pathological serums.