cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydroxylated and sulfated metabolites of commonly occurring airborne polychlorinated biphenyls inhibit human steroid sulfotransferases SULT1E1 and SULT2A1.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are associated with varied adverse health effects. Lower chlorinated PCBs are prevalent in indoor and outdoor air and can be metabolized to their hydroxylated derivatives (OH-PCBs) followed by sulfation to form PCB sulfates. Sulfation is also a means of signal termination for steroid hormones. The human estrogen sulfotransferase (SULT1E1) and alcohol/hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase (SULT2A1) catalyze the formation of steroid sulfates that are inactive at steroid hormone receptors. We investigated the inhibition of SULT1E1 (IC50s ranging from 7.2 nM to greater than 10 μM) and SULT2A1 (IC50s from 1.3 μM to over 100 μM) by five lower-chlorinated OH-PCBs and their corresponding PCB sulfates relevant to airborne PCB-exposure. Several congeners of lower chlorinated OH-PCBs relevant to airborne PCB exposures were potent inhibitors of SULT1E1 and SULT2A1 and thus have the potential to disrupt regulation of intracellular concentrations of the receptor-active steroid substrates for these enzymes.
A Quadratic Model for the Kurtosis of Decay Centrality

Decay centrality (DEC) is a measure of the closeness of a node to the rest of the nodes in the network, with the importance given to the distance weighted on the basis of a decay parameter, δ (0 0, b < 0 and c in the vicinity of 1.0). We estimate the coefficients a, b and c of the quadratic models for a suite of 70 real-world networks of diverse degree distributions, with R2 values of at least 0.99. Using the coefficients a, b and c of the quadratic model for a real-world network, we could estimate the δ critical value (given by: −b/2a) for which the Kurtosis(DEC δcritical )/Kurtosis(DEG) ratio is the lowest (given by: c − b2/4a) for the real-world network.
Direct Vision Cold Knife Urethrotomy

AbstractDuring a 3-year period urethral strictures in 75 patients were treated by cold knife urethrotomy. Analysis of the etiology, diagnosis, surgical technique, complications and postoperative management is described. Satisfactory results were achieved in 71 per cent of the cases. The over-all morbidity rate was 9 per cent. Patients with strictures more than 2cm. long had unsatisfactory results, while those managed with a silicone catheter postoperatively for less than 7 days had better results. Direct vision cold knife urethrotomy is a safe technique that should be exercised as a therapeutic trial before a final decision is made to perform definitive urethroplasty.
Basu’s Work on Randomization and Data Analysis

Sir R. A. Fisher put forward the idea that randomization is a necessary component of any designed experiment. It is accepted without question by most practitioners of statistics. Yet in the two papers
Combined Cognitive Therapy and Pharmacotherapy

Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy have developed as separate, and at times, competitive entities. Theoretical constructs and treatment strategies of the two approaches are quite different. Cognitive therapists seek to correct faulty patterns of thinking and behavior with psychological procedures, whereas pharmacotherapists attempt to regulate brain biochemistry with medication. Cognitive therapy has found its largest audience among professionals who are not licensed to prescribe drugs. Pharmacotherapy is largely the province of the physician.
Compile-Time Code Generation for Embedded Data-Intensive Query Languages

Many emerging Big Data programming environments, such as Spark and Flink, provide powerful APIs that are inspired by functional programming. However, because of the complexity involved in developing and fine-tuning data analysis applications using the provided APIs, many programmers prefer to use declarative languages, such as Hive and Spark SQL, to code their distributed applications. Unfortunately, current data analysis query languages, which are typically based on the relational model, cannot effectively capture the rich data types and computations required for complex data analysis applications. Furthermore, these query languages are not well-integrated with the host programming language, as they are based on an incompatible data model, and are checked for correctness at run-time, which results in a significantly longer program development time. To address these shortcomings, we introduce a new query language for data-intensive scalable computing, called DIQL, that is deeply embedded in Scala, and a query optimization framework that optimizes and translates DIQL queries to byte code at compile-time. In contrast to other query languages, our query embedding eliminates impedance mismatch as any Scala code can be seamlessly mixed with SQL-like syntax, without having to add any special declaration. DIQL supports nested collections and hierarchical data and allows query nesting at any place in a query. With DIQL, programmers can express complex data analysis tasks, such as PageRank and matrix factorization, using SQL-like syntax exclusively. The DIQL query optimizer can find any possible join in a query, including joins hidden across deeply nested queries, thus unnesting any form of query nesting. Currently, DIQL can run on three Big Data platforms: Apache Spark, Apache Flink, and Twitter's Cascading/Scalding.
The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales (RCADS): Psychometric Evaluation in Children Evaluated for ADHD

Co-occurring internalizing symptoms are common and important to assess in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One frequently used child self-report measure of internalizing symptoms is the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales (RCADS), yet the psychometric properties of the RCADS remain unexamined in children referred for ADHD specifically. The present study evaluated the RCADS in 117 children (ages 8-12; 66% male) evaluated for suspected ADHD at an ADHD specialty clinic (83% met criteria for ADHD). In addition to the RCADS, children completed measures of social anxiety and depression. Parents completed the RCADS-Parent Version (RCADS-P) in addition to other measures of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Children and parents both completed a measure of aggression. Factor structure, reliability, and convergent/discriminant validity of the RCADS were examined. Results supported the six-factor structure of the child-report RCADS (Separation Anxiety, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder). The RCADS demonstrated adequate reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity with other child ratings. The total anxiety score on the RCADS also demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity with parent measures, though the depression score on the RCADS did not. Findings provide preliminary psychometric support for the RCADS in children referred for ADHD.
Decision contamination in the wild: Sequential dependencies in online review ratings

Current judgments are systematically biased by prior judgments. Such biases occur in ways that seem to reflect the cognitive system’s ability to adapt to statistical regularities within the environment. These cognitive sequential dependencies have primarily been evaluated in carefully controlled laboratory experiments. In this study, we used these well-known laboratory findings to guide our analysis of two datasets, consisting of over 2.2 million business review ratings from Yelp and 4.2 million movie and television review ratings from Amazon. We explored how within-reviewer ratings are influenced by previous ratings. Our findings suggest a contrast effect: Current ratings are systematically biased away from prior ratings, and the magnitude of this bias decays over several reviews. This work is couched within a broader program that aims to use well-established laboratory findings to guide our understanding of patterns in naturally occurring and large-scale behavioral data.
School Teasing and Bullying After the Presidential Election

In response to media reports of increased teasing and bullying in schools following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we investigated its prevalence with a Virginia school climate survey complet...
Abstract 596: Disruption of Cholesterol Metabolism and Substrate Stiffness Coordinate to Regulate Cellular Biomechanics and Induce Cytoskeletal Remodeling in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Cholesterol is the main culprit contributing to the development of atherosclerosis by inducing the endothelial dysfunction, triggering the inflammatory response in the blood vessel wall, and deposi...
Journeying through the Field of Medicinal Chemistry: Perspectives from Graduate Researchers

The training of new medicinal chemists is vital to the future of the field, and as graduate students at this critical stage, we are uniquely positioned to comment on our training. Herein, we discuss the perspectives from graduate researchers before, during, and after graduate school by utilizing survey data obtained from five medicinal chemistry programs in the Midwest and recent alumni of the University of Minnesota. We also reflect on the female perspective within the field of medicinal chemistry. Finally, we offer recommendations to both students and faculty in the hopes of helping future generations succeed in the field.
Anticipating unfair uses of genetic information.

The Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) Program was established by the Human Genome Initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to anticipate problems that might result from the development of a host of new genetic tests (Watson 1991; Healy 1992). Although the commonly accepted indication for any genetic test is its potential to benefit the individual, the founders of the ELSI program recognized that a series of social problems, including stigmatization, unfair discrimination, and uninformed decision making, might arise from increased availability of genetic information. The areas that were highlighted for investigation included employment, insurance, privacy, informed consent, and education. By bringing more investigators into the field of medical and nonmedical uses of genetic information, the ELSI program has fostered new research and has increased awareness both for the genetics community and for the public at large about the workings of some of our basic social institutions. The American Journal of Human Genetics has supported the ELSI program by publishing results of new investigations, analytical reviews, and letters. In so doing, theJournal has risen to the challenge of one investigator who noted a paucity of publications in human genetics journals about the social implications of genetic information (Lippman 1991). Among the publications in the Journal have been a statement from The American Society of Human Genetics to the U.S. Con-
This Surgical Life - An Exploration of Surgical Department Podcasting.

OBJECTIVE Surgical departments are increasingly utilizing media to disseminate knowledge, discuss ideas, and mentor future surgeons. Podcasts are a form of media where digitally recorded content can be downloaded or streamed. This study aims (1) to describe the audience reached by a single surgical department podcast and (2) to evaluate what sources of information surgery residency applicants use to formulate a rank list. DESIGN In Fall 2017, the Rocky Mountain Surgery Podcast (RMSP) was created, produced, and edited by 2 general surgery (GS) residents at a large academic training program. Each episode discussed a topic within GS training and/or educational experiences specific to the program. Interviewing GS applicants for the 2019 match were asked to complete an anonymous voluntary survey on their familiarity and opinion of RMSP and the role of podcasts in the application process. RESULTS Twenty-two episodes were completed over a 16-month period (October 4, 2017 - February 11, 2019). A total of 7002 individual listens occurred in 644 cities across 46 states. Ninety-eight interviewing applicants responded to the survey (99% response rate), and one-fourth had previously listened to the RMSP. Only half felt that the traditional interview experience provided enough information about a GS program, and a significant majority (97%) stated they would listen to one or more podcast episodes to gain information regarding a GS residency program. CONCLUSIONS Applicants to GS residency commonly feel inadequate information is gained during the interview process. Podcasts are a tool familiar to applicants that allow for exploration of topics which cannot be adequately addressed in a typical interview day, thus expanding an applicant's knowledge of a GS training program.
Photolability of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter from a thermal series of laboratory-prepared chars.

Abstract While pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (pyDOM) is known to be photolabile, the rates and components of pyDOM that are lost via photochemical degradation, and how these vary with pyrogenic source, are poorly understood. Thus, pyDOM was leached from an oak thermal series and a grass chars (250–650 °C) and photoirradiated in a solar simulator. About 10–20% of oak char leachate organic C was mineralized over five days, with greater proportions lost from leachates of higher temperature parent chars. Ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that mainly aromatic components (e.g., fulvic-, humic-, aromatic-like) were lost. Quantification of benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCAs), molecular markers indicated that 75–94% of condensed aromatic C was lost during the first five days of photoincubation, with preferential loss of larger aromatic clusters. Using a 2-component exponential decay model, this most photolabile fraction was calculated to have experimental half-lives of about 1 day. It represented 16 to 23% of the dissolved C, was primarily condensed aromatics, and was likely lost through primary photoreactions. A non-condensed component was lost at half-lives of about 1–2 d, likely through radical-driven propagation reactions. Using the same model, about 43% of pyrogenic C was predicted to be photomineralized over the course of 1 year. These results highlight the contrasting reactivity of condensed and non-condensed portions of pyDOM, and both should be considered when evaluating the potential of pyDOM to alter aquatic ecology and the environmental mobility of priority pollutants.
Therapeutic modulation of estrogen receptor in ovarian cancer cells by ER-β agonist nanoparticles

1223 Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. Several studies have shown that aromatase is expressed in the epithelium compartment, either in normal human ovarian surface epithelial cells or in cancer tissues. Studies have shown that ovarian epithelial normal cells and tumor cells express estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ and are thus potential targets of ER-mediated effects on cell proliferation. In our study we have tested the efficacy of selective estrogen receptor β modulator, diarylpropionitrile (DPN) in blocking the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and investigated whether DPN is an effective adjuvant in combination with aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) in blocking the growth of ovarian cancer cells employing nanoparticle mediated active and sustained drug delivery method. The down regulation of steroid receptors as well as proliferation markers and decreased aromatase activity was noticed in ovarian cancer (SKOV3) cells treated with PLGA-PEG based DPN+letrozole nanoparticles (NP’s) when compared with letrozole alone. Increased payload of letrozole and DPN and better intracellular delivery to inhibit unwanted side effects and drug resistance can be achieved through PLGA based DPN/Letr nanoparticles. 95% of NP’s were found internalized in SKOV3 cells after 6h of incubation. The drug concentration of NP’s is 0.76 % w/w detected by ultracentrifugation. The direct function of the effect of intracellular drug accumulation was determined by cytotoxicity assay, showed 75% cytotoxicity was observed after 42 h of incubation with drug-NP’s. The apoptotic activity of combined letrozole and DPN NP’s was more than either combined or individual compounds alone. FITC conjugated DPN/Letrozole nanoparticles could serve as effective sustained drug delivery method as well probes for studying drug interaction, retention, and distribution in vitro and in vivo. Our studies suggest that combination therapy employing DPN may be useful as an adjuvant with aromatase inhibitors to treat ovarian cancer. (Supported by NCI/NIH P30 CA 54174 to RRT).
Transferring L1 reading attitudes to EFL reading habits

The aim of the current study is to find out the possibility of transfer of affective domains of reading specifically reading habits and attitudes from L1 to EFL and the role of learnersâ€™ proficiency level on these reading habits and attitudes. The study was designed as a descriptive research. The participants were 273 university-level students who enrolled in English classes in a state university in Turkey. 136 of them were at beginner level (A1) and 137 of them were at elementary (A2) level according to the proficiency level based on CEFR. Attitudes Towards Reading Habits Scale, English Reading Habits Scale and reading parts of English Comprehension Level Test were used to collect data. The results of the study have revealed that there is not any significant and meaningful relation between beginner (A1) level learnersâ€™ L1 reading attitudes and EFL reading habits (r=.016 and p >.01). However, the relation between elementary (A2) level learnersâ€™ L1 reading attitudes and EFL reading habits is positive and significant (r=.208 and p <.01). L1 reading attitudes can predict the 10% of the EFL reading habits in a positive and significant manner (R= .306, R Â² = .10, F = 2,233, p <.05).Â In terms of learnersâ€™ reading proficiency level, the results of the study have showed that for elementary (A2) level learners, the relation between EFL reading habits and their reading proficiency is positive and significant (r=395 and p <.01). Their reading proficiency level can predict the 15% of the EFL reading habits in a positive and significant manner (R= .395, RÂ²= .15, F = 24.921, p<.01).
A Novel Concept using Derivative Superposition at the Device-Level to Reduce Linearity Sensitivity to Bias in N-polar GaN MISHEMT

N-polar GaN MISHEMTs have recently demonstrated excellent power performance and power-added efficiency at 94 GHz [1] . At mm-wave frequencies and high data rates, the linearity of an RF transistor is an important requisite. Third-order non-linearities lead to undesirable effects such as in-band signal distortion and are therefore important to control. This study presents a novel device concept to enhance the linearity of N-polar GaN MISHEMTs at millimeter wave frequencies (30 GHz and beyond) for low-power receiver application. We have recently reported linearity data on N-polar GaN MISHEMTs with OIP3/P DC of 11.4 dB [2] and 15 dB [3] at 30 GHz. We have observed in [2] , [3] that the peak linearity performance is limited to a narrow input-bias range, resulting in susceptibility to process and temperature variations. Therefore, we explore a novel device structure that can provide its best OIP3/P DC performance over a wide input-bias range.
Forced Savings and Political Malinvestment

Steven Horwitz's book, Micro-foundations and Macroeconomics has been at the center of the post-crisis revival of Austrian business cycle theory. Much of the work that has been done on this topic has either extended or refined Horwitz's framework. This paper's aim is more modest. In it, I apply Horwitz's framework to the Confederate monetary experience during the U.S. Civil War. While there was an excess supply of money, I do not find any evidence that it generated a credit boom - quite the contrary. That said, there is evidence of forced savings, which the state and Confederate governments used to fund large-scale investment projects, among other things. While this is not malinvestment in the traditional sense, I argue that allocating credit in response to political incentives is unlikely to result in a sustainable capital structure. This finding points to the need to incorporate the notions of forced savings and malinvestment into a broader political-economy perspective.
A Trimodal Ultrasound, Photoacoustic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Approach for Longitudinal Post-operative Monitoring of Stem Cells in the Spinal Cord.

Abstract Longitudinal monitoring of stem cells in the spinal cord could unveil critical information needed to understand regenerative processes, thereby expediting therapy development and translation. We introduce a post-operative trimodal imaging approach to monitor stem cells in the spinal cord over time. A key aspect of the approach is to label the stem cells with Prussian blue nanocubes (PBNCs), which simultaneously possess optical and magnetic properties for ultrasound-guided photoacoustic (US/PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast. PBNC-Labeled stem cells were injected into the spinal cord of immunodeficient rats and tracked with US/PA imaging and MRI up to 14 d post-injection. Good agreement was observed between imaging modalities in vivo. Our results suggest that further development of the US/PA/MR imaging approach may create a powerful tool to aid development of regenerative therapies of the spinal cord, and the non-invasive imaging approach can ultimately be deployed in intra- and post-operative environments.
Deep Phenotyping in Cardiovascular Disease

To review the opportunities and challenges of phenotyping cardiovascular diseases in the modern era. More recently, the emerging field of precision medicine aims to provide the best available care for each patient based on stratification into new disease subclasses with a common biological basis. The discovery of such subclasses at the correct scale and speed, as well as the translation of this knowledge into clinical care, will depend critically upon digital and computational resources to capture, store, and exchange phenotypic data and upon sophisticated algorithms to integrate these data with genomic variation, functional genomics profiles, and existing clinical information. Deep phenotyping can be defined as the comprehensive and precise analysis of phenotypic traits/abnormalities for such stratification. Recently, the term phenotype has largely been used to understand the “binary” output of a specific genetic code, in so-called genotype-phenotype correlations, but this has tended to constrain the use of the terminology to artificially dichotomized disease syndromes. In the modern world, as we incorporate functional genomics into disease analysis, there has been a call to transform our understanding of individual patients via deep phenotyping or a more comprehensive study of the phenotype, i.e., multidimensional phenomics. Cardiovascular medicine, with its heterogeneity, prevalence, and therapeutic options, is a prime focus of precision medicine. In this article, we outline the current state of deep phenotyping in cardiovascular disease, including the rationale, current challenges, and opportunities for the future.
Synthesis of macrocyclic α-ketoamide as a selective and reversible immunoproteasome inhibitor

In recent years, the human immunoproteasome has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for various diseases, leading to a growing interest in the discovery of immunoproteasome inhibitors that selectively target specific subunits. Herein we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new immunoproteasome inhibitor that feature a macrocyclic ring containing an internal α-ketoamide warhead. This compound is a selective and reversible inhibitor of immunoproteasome subunits β1i and β5i and shows essentially no inhibition of constitutive proteasome subunits.
Automated Material Handling Systems: System of Systems Architecture Examination Semiconductor Manufacturing Perspective

In semiconductor manufacturing, as the silicon wafer diameter continued to increase, the challenges of handling the wafers in a manufacturing environment were manageable until the wafer size was transitioned from 200mm to 300mm diameter. For 300mm, handling wafers manually was deemed unmanageable at high volume due to wafer size, weight of the fully loaded carrier, safety and ergonomics, and fab productivity. Consequently, the industry architects in the mid-1990s leading up to first 300mm fab in 2000, defined a very well thought out vision and strategy of introducing Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) that are pervasive throughout the fab.The 300mm AMHS System of Systems was unprecedented and required an industry wide effort to make it a reality. Hence, to enable such a system, industry standards and a fully integrated architecture needed to be developed. This effort required hardware and software components and systems from multiple domains throughout the industry. This paper examines the System of Systems (SoS) architecture concepts of AMHS, the attributes that it delivers, and new capabilities that must be deployed to ensure that the SoS can continue to deliver on the objectives of the client in a volatile requirements and demand profile overtime, given that semiconductor fabs have a long life span of more than two decades.
Preview of "Interpretable systems biomarkers predict response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors".

Lapuente-Santana et al. (2021) developed Estimate Systems Immune Response (EaSIeR), a method for assessing the immune response to cancer using systems biology traits.
Building a pipeline of community-engaged researchers: How interdisciplinary translational research training programs can collaborate with their Community Research Advisory Councils

Community research advisory councils (C-RAC) bring together community members with interest in research to support design, evaluation, and dissemination of research in the communities they represent. There are few ways for early career researchers, such as TL1 trainees, to develop skills in community-engaged research, and there are limited opportunities for C-RAC members to influence early career researchers. In our novel training collaboration, TL1 trainees presented their research projects to C-RAC members who provided feedback. We present on initial evidence of student learning and summarize lessons learned that TL1 programs and C-RACs can incorporate into future collaborations.
Estimation of Walking Speed and Its Spatiotemporal Determinants Using a Single Inertial Sensor Worn on the Thigh: From Healthy to Hemiparetic Walking.

We present the use of a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) worn on the thigh to produce stride-by-stride estimates of walking speed and its spatiotemporal determinants (i.e., stride time and stride length). Ten healthy and eight post-stroke individuals completed a 6-min walk test with an 18-camera motion capture system used for ground truth measurements. Subject-specific estimation models were trained to estimate walking speed using the polar radius extracted from phase portraits produced from the IMU-measured thigh angular position and velocity. Consecutive flexion peaks in the thigh angular position data were used to define each stride and compute stride times. Stride-by-stride estimates of walking speed and stride time were then used to compute stride length. In both the healthy and post-stroke cohorts, low error and high consistency were observed for the IMU estimates of walking speed (MAE 0.98), stride time (MAE 0.97), and stride length (MAE 0.96). This study advances the use of a single wearable sensor to accurately estimate walking speed and its spatiotemporal determinants during both healthy and hemiparetic walking.
The Nalorphine (Pupil) Test in the Detection of Narcotic Use

While there is little doubt that preventive rather than punitive measures will eventually prevail in the control of drug abuse, methods for the detection of narcotic use have simplified the work of parole and probation officers in their attempts to control the illicit use of narcotics in known drug users under their supervision. In California, which has an estimated 18,000 heroin users, the nalorphine test introduced by Terry and Braumoeller in 1955(1) has been used extensively for this purpose, and more recently analysis of urine for narcotics or their metabolites has been used either independently or to supplement the nalorphine test. The tests are not compulsory, but usually willingness to undergo them is made a condition of parole and they are used at the discretion of the parole officer. The tests may be performed at specified times in metropolitan testing centers or, better, parolees are brought in for testing by surprise. The scale of the testing program is impressive. In 1964 the nalorphine test was administered to about 3000 parolees, an average of three times a month. Urinalysis was started in May 1964, and within a few months 1200 specimens a month were being examined; by December 1965, 2000 specimens a month were collected.
Experimental Evaluation of TCP-Probing in Mobile Networks

Performance of standard TCP is significantly degraded during hand-off periods of mobile communications. We show here that carefully designed probing mechanisms can cancel this incompetent behavior of TCP. We compare TCP Tahoe and Reno with TCP-Probing under various scenarios of hand-off duration, propagation delay and mobility conditions of the user. We measure the goodput efficiency of data transfer as well as the energy efficiency of the protocols' mechanisms in terms of overhead and time. Our results show that TCP-Probing demonstrates significant gains in both energy and throughput efficiency by avoiding unnecessary timeout extensions and retransmission of data which is likely to be lost during hand-offs.
Effect of Nalidixic Acid on Semiconservative Replication and Repair Synthesis After Ultraviolet Irradiation in Escherichia coli

Both semiconservative deoxyribonucleic acid replication and “extensive repair” synthesis, after ultraviolet irradiation, appear to be blocked by nalidixic acid. These findings suggest that the agent(s) responsible for both of these modes of replication, or some necessary common process or structure, is affected by this drug.
Performance Measurement at Thomas J. Lipton

Lipton has about 50 branded product lines, each of which has a product-line income statement. For many years, the company had used trading profit as a key measure of performance; in recent years, however, other measures have been used, and now a radically different product-line P&L has been proposed. The new "economic profit" is computed by using a capital charge on assets and inflation-adjusted depreciation. The product-line managers are confused and upset. See also "Thomas J. Lipton, Incorporated (A)" (UVA-C-0914) and "Thomas J. Lipton, Inc. (B)" (UVA-C-0957).
Update Propagation Network - A Framework for Constraint Programming

As a framework for constraint programming, a Network model named CellR while the former is generating a hypothesis dynamically, the latter evaluates it and controls the propagation. Some heuristics are incorporated to localize the effects of the propagation. An extension to Prolog, named Constraint Prolog, is also included to deal with hypothetical reasoning and lazy evaluation. Constraint Prolog is the interpreter of the update propagation mechanism.
Progress In Kinetic Inductance Thermometers For X-Ray Calorimeters

Conventional X-ray microcalorimeters have so far used ionimplanted resistors for thermometers. Recently, however, several new methods for sensing small temperature changes have been suggested that are nondissipative. Such devices may have intrinsically better energy resolution by eliminating the Johnson noise present in resistive devices. The use of kinetic inductance thermometers for X-ray microcalorimeters is being investigated. This technique exploits the strong temperature dependence of magnetic penetration depth of thin superconducting films. The prototype system, designed for operation at 1.5 K, uses films of aluminum and tin. Once the expected temperature sensitivity and alpha particle detection have been demonstrated, aluminum will be replaced with titanium or another material with a suitable critical temperature and the device will be operated at 0.3 K. At this temperature, the energy resolution from thermal noise should be sufficiently good to allow X-ray detection.
Cartilage formation in a hollow fiber bioreactor studied by proton magnetic resonance microscopy

The ideal in vitro system for investigating the regulation of cartilage formation and maintenance would allow for three-dimensional tissue growth, a wide range of biochemical interventions, and non-destructive evaluation. We have developed a hollow fiber bioreactor (HFBR) system which meets these criteria. After injection with embryonic chick sternal chondrocytes, neocartilage is elaborated around the hollow fibers, reaching a thickness of up to a millimeter after four weeks of growth. This process was monitored over time with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microimaging and correlative biochemical and histologic analyses. Tissue volume and cellularity increased greatly during development. This was accompanied by changes in magnetic resonance properties consistent with increased macromolecular content. Further, tissue heterogeneity, observed as regional variations in cell size in histologic sections, was also observed in quantitative NMR images.
Solving Navier- Stokes Equations On a Massively Parallel Processor: Beyond the 1 Gflop Performance

This paper reports on our experience in solving large- scale fluid dynamics problems on the Connection Ma chine model CM_2. We have implemented a parallel version of the MacCormack scheme for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. By using triad floating point operations and reducing the number of interprocessor communications, we have achieved a sustained perfor mance rate of 1.42 GFLOPS.
Effects of phloretin on lipid organization in the erythrocyte membrane as measured by EPR

Abstract Phloretin is a lipophilic compound which has been widely studied as a broad spectrum effector of metabolite transport in red blood cells (RBC). Phloretin effects on the organization of lipids in the RBC membrane are investigated using the spin-labeled fatty acids, 5 and 16-nitroxyl stearate (5-NS and 16-NS, respectively). Phloretin at different concentrations produced biphasic effects on the lineshape of the EPR response from 16-NS-labeled RBC. The dependence of these changes on the flat cell orientation with respect to the magnetic field suggested that phloretin promoted lipid order at low concentrations (5 to 40 μM) and disorder at high concentrations (40 to 250 μM). The biphasic effects of phloretin occurred at concentrations which parallel its dual actions on metabolite transfer. Phloretin generally inhibits transport (protein-mediated) and stimulates diffusion (lipid-mediated) processes. The spectroscopic effects were best characterized through second-harmonic, in-phase detection. The possible contribution of other factors to the spectroscopic changes is discussed. When RBC were spin labeled with 5-NS, higher concentrations of the probe were required for adequate detection and only monophasic effects of phoretin were observed. The results suggest that membrane lipids are important in phloretin effects on transport and diffusion processes.
Diffuse F-18 FDG uptake in skeletal muscles secondary to chills resulting from sepsis: a cause for underestimation of viable tumor.

FDG PET was performed on a 42-year-old male patient with B-cell, low-grade follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma to evaluate the response to chemotherapy. The bone marrow lesions appeared to have improved compared with the prior PET scan, but there was intense skeletal muscle FDG uptake. Repeated scanning performed after 1 week revealed an increase in the size and intensity of bone marrow lesions compared with the pretherapy study, suggesting worsening. The authors present this case of generalized intense skeletal muscle uptake secondary to chills resulting from sepsis causing a falsely reduced tumor-to-normal tissue ratio.
Considerations for a biological basis of civil rights and liberties

Abstract The hypothesis is advanced that civil rights and liberties are a product of the evolution of behavior, in a biocultural sense. According to this hypothesis, civil rights and liberties have an evolutionary component in terms of the ‘modern synthesis’ (Darwinian evolution and Mendelian genetics), and—in contrast to estabished conventional thinking in the humanities and social sicences—they are not the result of cultural development mistakenly conceived as being independent of biological foundations. First, the development of hypothesis is examined. The problems and the possibilities of empirical verification of the proposed hypothesis then are considered. Finally, the implications of the hypothesis with respect to ethical criteria in the political process and ramifications for policy formulation and implementation are discussed.
First layer compression and transition to standing second layer of terephthalic acid on Cu(100)

Terephthalic acid on metal surfaces is a system of high interest for interfacial layers as well as for use in generating surface nanostructures by supramolecular self-assembly. Here we demonstrate structural transitions upon compression of the first layer as well as a significant transition from a flat lying chemisorbed first monolayer to a standing second layer. The second layer structure is stable at 150 °C, but a weakly bound state is observed to desorb molecularly below that temperature, likely a transient mobile state during annealing. Molecular resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy is complemented by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermal desorption spectroscopy in this study. These results provide general insight in the development of self-assembled organic thin films at surfaces, especially with regard to the nature of the metal/organic interface and growth transitions to maximize first layer packing and obtain a second layer that bridges commensurability with the substrate and a more bulk-like structure.
Active-site titration of serine proteases in organic solvents.

Calculation of kinetic constants of an enzymatic reaction in organic solvents requires knowledge of the functional active-site concentration in organic solvents, and this can be significantly different than that in water. An experimental method for active-site titration of serine proteases in organic media has been developed based on the kinetics of inhibition by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), a serine-specific inhibitor (or suicide substrate). This kinetic approach is fundamentally different from other techniques that require complete titration of all accessible enzyme active sites. This active site titration method was applied to subtilisins BPN′ and Carlsberg and α-chymotrypsin and resulted in fractions of active sites that ranged from 8 to 62% (of the fraction active in water) depending on the enzyme, the method of enzyme preparation, and the organic solvent used. The active-site concentration of subtilisin BPN′ and Carlsberg increased with increasing hydrophobicity of the solvent and with increasing solvent hydration in tetrahydrofuran. The dependence of the fraction of active sites on the nature of the organic solvent appears to be governed largely by solvent-induced inactivation caused by direct interaction of a hydrophilic solvent with the enzyme. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms for immune modulation by deoxynivalenol and other trichothecenes: unraveling a paradox

Macrophages, T cells, and B cells of the immune system are central targets of deoxynivalenol (DON) and other trichothecenes-mycotoxins that can be immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive depending on dose, exposure frequency and timing of functional immune assay. Notably, low dose trichothecene exposure transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally upregulates expression of cytokines, chemokines and inflammatory genes with concurrent immune stimulation, whereas high dose exposure promotes leukocyte apoptosis with concomitant immune suppression. DON and other trichothecenes, via a mechanism known as the ribotoxic stress response, bind to ribosomes and rapidly activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The latter are important transducers of downstream signaling events related to immune response and apoptosis. Using cloned macrophages, our laboratory has identified two critical upstream transducers of DON-induced MAPK activation. One transducer is double-stranded RNA-(dsRNA)-activated protein kinase (PKR), a widely-expressed serine/theonine protein kinase that can be activated by dsRNA, interferon, and other agents. The second transducer is hematopoetic cell kinase (Hck), a non-receptor associated Src family kinase. Inhibitors and gene silencing studies have revealed that Hck and PKR play roles in DON induced gene expression and apoptosis. Future studies should focus on the molecular linkages between these kinases and trichothecene toxicity.
Utility of transtelephonic ECG monitoring in evaluating discharges from a third-generation implantable cardioverter defibrillator

The authors report the case of a 60-year-old man with a third-generation implantable cardioverter defibrillator whose rate-sensing lead malfunction was diagnosed only after surface loop electrocardiographic (ECG) monitor recording. The stored R-R intervals suggested an irregular ventricular rhythm, but the loop ECG monitor demonstrated inappropriate shocks delivered during sinus rhythm.
Quantifying phenotypic plasticity using genetic information for simulating plant height in winter wheat.

Abstract A challenge for crop simulation modelling is to incorporate existing and rapidly emerging genomic information into models to develop new and improved algorithms. The objective of this effort was to simulate plant height in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) across a range of environments in Nebraska using genetic information. Plant height is influenced by major genes that are discrete and well characterized genetically and phenotypically. Although plant height is a complex trait, it is far simpler than many other traits. Two datasets were used in this study, one from a study where final plant heights were measured at five locations across Nebraska in two years (dataset 1) and another study where plant height was measured 13 times before anthesis in one year at one location for one genotype (dataset 2). The crop simulation model CropSyst was modified by incorporating a different phenology algorithm and adding a plant height algorithm. The plant height algorithm was based on the ratio of the mean optimum final height of a height class (tall semi-dwarf, semi-dwarf, short semi-dwarf) to the mean optimum final heights for two tall cultivars, an environmental index based on the fraction of transpirable soil water, and the development stage. Final plant heights were simulated reasonably well for the different height classes with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 7.3 cm (dataset 1). For dataset 2, the simulated plant height of a short semi-dwarf line was always greater than the observed plant height, resulting in observed and simulated final plant heights of 82 and 88 cm, respectively (RMSE = 8.8 cm). The least accurate simulations, in which heights were overpredicted, occurred when precipitation during the growing season was above average.
Alarm systems in higher plants

The defenses of higher plants against a variety of biotic and abiotic stress agents can be grouped into two categories: Preformed and Induced. Induced defensive responses by the plant, or “alarms”—the subject of the present review—can be localized or systemic. Certain alarms, especially those which are induced by necrotizing pathogens, are protective against a wide variety of biotic stress agents. Other responses appear protective but the degree of host plant involvement is unclear. Finally, there are a few induced plant responses which, although protective, do not easily fit our criteria of an “alarm.” Oligosaccharins may be involved as signals in both anti-herbivore and anti-pathogen alarm systems. Other specific components of plant alarms appear to be induced by only one type of stress agent. The specificity of protection, mechanisms of various alarms and comparisons between them are presented.
Long‐time Solutions of the Ostrovsky Equation

The Ostrovsky equation is a modification of the Korteweg-de Vries equation which takes account of the effects of background rotation. It is well known that the usual Korteweg-de Vries solitary wave decays and is replaced by radiating inertia gravity waves. Here we show through numerical simulations that after a long-time a localized wave packet emerges as a persistent and dominant feature. The wavenumber of the carrier wave is associated with that critical wavenumber where the underlying group velocity is a minimum (in absolute value). Based on this feature, we construct a weakly nonlinear theory leading to a higher-order nonlinear Schrodinger equations in an attempt to describe the numerically found wave packets.
Structure and Energetics of Standing Eddies in the Winter Northern Hemisphere Simulated by the NCAR Community Climate Model and the GLA Climate Model

The structure and maintenance of standing eddies in the NCAR Community Climate Model and the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres Climate Model are examined. The energy equations and data used in the study, and the differences between the two GCMs are discussed. The three-dimensional structure (height, temperature, and vertical velocity) and potential and kinetic energies and thermal and dynamic interactions of the standing eddies are described.
Tobacco industry issues management organizations: Creating a global corporate network to undermine public health

The global tobacco epidemic claims 5 million lives each year, facilitated by the ability of transnational tobacco companies to delay or thwart meaningful tobacco control worldwide. A series of cross-company tobacco industry "issues management organizations" has played an important role in coordinating and implementing common strategies to defeat tobacco control efforts at international, national, and regional levels. This study examines the development and enumerates the activities of these organizations and explores the implications of continuing industry cooperation for global public health. Using a snowball sampling strategy, we collected documentary data from tobacco industry documents archives and assembled them into a chronologically organized case study. The International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICOSI) was formed in 1977 by seven tobacco company chief executives to create common anti-tobacco control strategies and build a global network of regional and national manufacturing associations. The organization's name subsequently changed to INFOTAB. The multinational companies built the organization rapidly: by 1984, it had 69 members operating in 57 countries. INFOTAB material, including position papers and "action kits" helped members challenge local tobacco control measures and maintain tobacco-friendly environments. In 1992 INFOTAB was replaced by two smaller organizations. The Tobacco Documentation Centre, which continues to operate, distributes smoking-related information and industry argumentation to members, some produced by cross-company committees. Agro-Tobacco Services, and now Hallmark Marketing Services, assists the INFOTAB-backed and industry supported International Tobacco Growers Association in advancing claims regarding the economic importance of tobacco in developing nations. The massive scale and scope of this industry effort illustrate how corporate interests, when threatened by the globalization of public health, sidestep competitive concerns to coordinate their activities. The global network of national and regional manufacturing associations created and nurtured by INFOTAB remains active, particularly in relation to the recently negotiated global health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Policymakers should be aware that although these associations claim to represent only national or regional interests, they are allied to and coordinated with a confederation of transnational tobacco companies seeking to protect profits by undermining public health.