cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Potential Role of DNA Methylation in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex disorder that has a significant impact on the aging population. While both genetic and environmental risk factors have been implicated in AAA formation, the precise genetic markers involved and the factors influencing their expression remain an area of ongoing investigation. DNA methylation has been previously used to study gene silencing in other inflammatory disorders and since AAA has an extensive inflammatory component, we sought to examine the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in mononuclear blood cells of AAA cases and matched non-AAA controls. To this end, we collected blood samples and isolated mononuclear cells for DNA and RNA extraction from four all male groups: AAA smokers (n = 11), AAA non-smokers (n = 9), control smokers (n = 10) and control non-smokers (n = 11). Methylation data were obtained using the Illumina 450k Human Methylation Bead Chip and analyzed using the R language and multiple Bioconductor packages. Principal component analysis and linear analysis of CpG island subsets identified four regions with significant differences in methylation with respect to AAA: kelch-like family member 35 (KLHL35), calponin 2 (CNN2), serpin peptidase inhibitor clade B (ovalbumin) member 9 (SERPINB9), and adenylate cyclase 10 pseudogene 1 (ADCY10P1). Follow-up studies included RT-PCR and immunostaining for CNN2 and SERPINB9. These findings are novel and suggest DNA methylation may play a role in AAA pathobiology.
Clinical applications of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract Pulsed echo ultrasound is a valid and reliable procedure and is being employed with increasing frequency in the study of many obstetric and gynecologic problems. Experience with over 3,000 patients indicates a high degree of accuracy in diagnosis of early pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, hydatid mole, and fetal death; in placental localization, and in the measurement of biparietal diameter of the fetal head. Serial measurements of the biparietal diameter are valuable in following growth and development and in determining maturity. This is particularly useful in establishing the time for elective repeat cesarean section. In conjunction with other diagnostic procedures and clinical judgement, ultrasound is helpful in the differential diagnosis of pelvic masses, in following the progress of cancer cases under therapy, and in localization of intrauterine contraceptive devices. Toxicity studies indicate low-intensity ultrasound is safe for both the mother and fetus.
Chapter 4 Electroanalytical applications of diamond electrodes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electroanalytical applications of diamond electrodes. No other material shows as much versatility as an electrode as does electrically conducting, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond. The electrode can be used for high current density electrolysis in aggressive solution environments, without any microstructural or morphological degradation, as a corrosion-resistant electrocatalyst support, as an optically transparent electrode for spectroelectrochemical measurements, and in electroanalysis to provide sensitive, reproducible, and stable detection of a variety of analytes. Diamond offers significant advantages over other electrodes, in particular sp 2 carbon electrodes, in terms of linear dynamic range, limit of detection, response time, response precision, and response stability. Some important areas of future work include growth and characterization of diamond films deposited on fiberous substrates of 10 μm diameter or less, chemical modification of diamond surfaces to control adsorption and electron-transfer kinetics, and patterning of electrically conductive diamond electrodes into microarray geometries.
The Greatest Learning Return on Your Pedagogical Investment: Alignment, Assessment or In-Class Instruction?

Critical thinking is often considered an essential learning outcome of institutions in higher education. Previous work has proposed three pedagogical strategies to address this goal: more active, student-centered in-class instruction, assessments which contain higher-order cognitive questions, and greater alignment within a classroom (i.e., high agreement of the cognitive level of learning objectives, assessments, and in-class instruction). Our goals were to determine which of these factors, individually or the interactions therein, contributed most to improvements in university students’ critical thinking. We assessed students’ higher-order cognitive skills in introductory non-majors biology courses the first and last week of instruction. For each of the fifteen sections observed, we also measured the cognitive level of assessments and learning objectives, evaluated the learner-centeredness of each classroom, and calculated an alignment score for each class. The best model to explain improvements in students’ high-order cognitive skills contained the measure of learner-centeredness of the class and pre-quiz scores as a covariate. The cognitive level of assessments, learning objectives, nor alignment explained improvements in students’ critical thinking. In accordance with much of the current literature, our findings support that more student-centered classes had greater improvements in student learning. However, more research is needed to clarify the role of assessment and alignment in student learning.
libHOG: Energy-Efficient Histogram of Oriented Gradient Computation

Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features are the underlying representation in automotive computer vision applications such as collision avoidance and lane keeping. In these applications, we have observed that HOG feature computation is often a slow and energy-intensive component of the overall pipeline. In this paper, we focus on reducing both the time taken and the energy used for computing Felzenszwalb HOG features. We achieve our results though a combination of reduced precision, SIMD parallelism, algorithmic changes, and outer-loop parallelism. In particular, we address a bottleneck in histogram accumulation by phrasing the problem as a gather instead of the (traditional) scatter. Additionally, we explore the tradeoffs of using L1 instead of L2 norms to compute gradients, which enables smaller operands and more SIMD parallelism. Overall, we are able to compute multiresolution HOG pyramids at 70fps for 640x480 images on a multicore CPU. This is a 3.6x speedup over the best known HOG implementation and a 29x speedup over the popular voc-release5 HOG code. This is also a 3.6x - 22x reduction in energy per frame compared to previous HOG implementations. Our open-source implementation is available for download.
Beyond non-integer Hill coefficients: A novel approach to analyzing binding data, applied to Na+-driven transporters

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic Na+-driven transporters couple the movement of one or more Na+ ions down their electrochemical gradient to the active transport of a variety of solutes. When more than one Na+ is involved, Na+-binding data are usually analyzed using the Hill equation with a non-integer exponent n. The results of this analysis are an overall Kd-like constant equal to the concentration of ligand that produces half saturation and n, a measure of cooperativity. This information is usually insufficient to provide the basis for mechanistic models. In the case of transport using two Na+ ions, an n < 2 indicates that molecules with only one of the two sites occupied are present at low saturation. Here, we propose a new way of analyzing Na+-binding data for the case of two Na+ ions that, by taking into account binding to individual sites, provides far more information than can be obtained by using the Hill equation with a non-integer coefficient: it yields pairs of possible values for the Na+ affinities of the individual sites that can only vary within narrowly bounded ranges. To illustrate the advantages of the method, we present experimental scintillation proximity assay (SPA) data on binding of Na+ to the Na+/I− symporter (NIS). SPA is a method widely used to study the binding of Na+ to Na+-driven transporters. NIS is the key plasma membrane protein that mediates active I− transport in the thyroid gland, the first step in the biosynthesis of the thyroid hormones, of which iodine is an essential constituent. NIS activity is electrogenic, with a 2:1 Na+/I− transport stoichiometry. The formalism proposed here is general and can be used to analyze data on other proteins with two binding sites for the same substrate.
φX174 gene A protein does not cleave at a mouse mitochondrial DNA sequence homologous to the φX and G4 cleavage site

Abstract The light strand origin of replication of mouse mitochondrial DNA contains a 30-nucleotide region which is 60% homologous to the 30-nucleotide conserved sequence in φX174 and G4 viral DNAs known to contain the viral gene A protein cleavage site. Gene A protein does not cleave closed circular mouse mitochondrial DNA under conditions in which φX174 closed circular DNA is cleaved.
The stability of the Roman arch

Abstract An analysis is presented to determine the conditions obtaining when the classical semicircular Roman arch is on the verge of collapse. In general, the analysis is rather involved although surprisingly simple results are obtained in one limiting case.
The use of religious symbol systems and ritual in Turkey: women's activities at muslim saints' shrines

En Turquie, l'activite des femmes autour des tombeaux des saints musulmans est remarquable. Toute aussi importante que la manipulation des symboles religieux dans les systemes d'echange, la place des textes religieux dans ces activites est essentielle. L'A. tente de decrire et d'analyser le sens de ces textes pour les femmes qui les utilisent. Ces tombes peuvent etre gardees par des femmes, rester a ciel ouvert ou faire partie d'une mosquee dirigee par un imam. Ces textes sont utilises comme rites de passage au cours des circoncisions, mariages, deces. Ils sont recites aussi bien en public qu'en prive. Ils se composent de textes sacres du Coran, mais aussi de la tradition seculaire turque
THE INFLUENCE OF SEA ANEMONES ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF TWO INTERTIDAL SEAWEEDS1

The intertidal seaweeds Corallina vancouveriensis Yendo and Gelidium coulteri Harv. respond to the experimental removal of associated mats of the clonal anemone Anthopleura elegantissima Brandt with morphological changes that affect their photosynthetic performances. With the removal of anemones, these seaweeds develop a tight compaction of thalli which aids in the retention of moisture during aerial exposure. The morphological response, however, results in greatly reduced net photosynthesis in C. vancouveriensis (–98%) and G. coulteri (–73%) on an areal basis. Association with the clonal anemones allows these seaweeds to maintain a morphology that is more highly productive yet inconsistent with the exposure stresses in many microhabitats at similar tidal levels.
SABER: smart analysis based error reduction

In this paper, we present an approach to automatically detect high impact coding errors in large Java applications which use frameworks. These high impact errors cause serious performance degradation and outages in real world production environments, are very time-consuming to detect, and potentially cost businesses thousands of dollars. Based on 3 years experience working with IBM customer production systems, we have identified over 400 high impact coding patterns, from which we have been able to distill a small set of pattern detection algorithms. These algorithms use deep static analysis, thus moving problem detection earlier in the development cycle from production to development. Additionally, we have developed an automatic false positive filtering mechanism based on domain specific knowledge to achieve a level of usability acceptable to IBM field engineers. Our approach also provides necessary contextual information around the sources of the problems to help in problem remediation. We outline how our approach to problem determination can be extended to multiple programming models and domains. We have implemented this problem determination approach in the SABER tool and have used it successfully to detect many serious code defects in several large commercial applications. This paper shows results from four such applications that had over 60 coding defects.
ELECTRONICALLY INDUCED MOLECULAR DISTORTIONS THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF BIS(TERPYRIDINE)COPPER(II) NITRATE

Abstract Although a large number of mono- and bis-terpy1 complexes have been prepared,2 only a few structural studies of the mono-terpy complexes have been reorted. Our study of bis(terpy)copper(II) nitrate the first crystal structure determination of bis(terpy) complex and reveals an unusual and unexpected angular distortion of the terpy ligand. This distortion results from the d9 consguration the Cuoion and from the fact that all six nitrogen atoms of the terpy ligand are coordinated to copper atom.
Size effects on the mechanical properties of thin polycrystalline metal films on substrates

An analysis of the effects of the thickness and grain size of polycrystalline thin films on substrates is presented with the objective of linking the film mismatch stress to the underlying characteristic size scales. The model is predicated on the notion that the relaxation of mismatch strain in the film is accommodated by the introduction of dislocation loops whose population, dimensions and interaction energies are controlled by the film thickness and microstructural dimensions. The model is capable of capturing the combined effects of these size scales by accounting for the interaction energies of the constrained dislocation structure, and provides quantitative predictions of the evolution of film stress during thermal excursions. The predictions of the analysis are compared with available experimental results for polycrystalline films of face-centered cubic materials on Si substrates. It is shown that the model correctly predicts the observed influence of film thickness and grain size on stress evolution during thermal excursions. Aspects of strain hardening in thin polycrystalline films with high dislocation densities are also discussed.
The Adrenal Gland and Lactogenesis

Pregnant rats injected subcutaneously with aqueous suspensions of hydrocortisone acetate in doses of 2–6 mg/day for various periods of time around midpregnancy did not show evidence of induced lactation as measured by appearance of a casein-like protein, greater amounts of RNA or high rate of incorporation of 32P into polysomal RNA in the mammary gland. If injections were begun on day 14 and continued through day 19 of pregnancy, traces of lactation were detected which were similar in amount to that found in saline-injected controls at the same stage of pregnancy. Prior adrenalectomy diminished markedly the levels of protein and RNA which could be attained on ovariectomy of pregnant subjects. Administration of hydrocortisone acetate or corticosterone, but not ACTH peptide, promoted the formation of approximately normal levels of the casein-like protein in adrenalectomized-ovariectomized animals. The data support the concept that glucocorticoids are essential for the initiation of lactation but do not supp...
Extracellular Calcium and Parathyroid Hormone- Related Peptide Signaling Modulate the Pace of Growth Plate Chondrocyte Differentiation

An adequate supply of Ca2+ is critical for normal growth plate development. Previous studies suggest that changes in extracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]e) modulate the function of chondrocytes with high [Ca2+]e promoting cell differentiation. In contrast, signal transduction by the PTH/PTHrP type I receptor (PTH1R) slows down chondrocyte differentiation. This study addressed whether changes in [Ca2+]e modulate the differentiation of mouse growth plate chondrocytes by interacting with PTHrP/PTH1Rs. Raising [Ca2+]e from 0.5–3.0 mm dose-dependently promoted the development of mouse growth plate chondrocytes as indicated by decreases in proteoglycan accumulation and in the expression of early differentiation marker genes and by increases in mineral deposition and in the expression of markers of terminal differentiation. The effects of high [Ca2+]e on gene expression and matrix synthesis were blunted by incubating cells with PTHrP and vice versa. High [Ca2+]e also suppressed the expression of PTH1Rs. Chronic stimulat...
Fractionation of nuclear proteins by extraction with solutions of different ionic strength

Abstract 1. 1. Rat liver nuclear proteins were fractionated according to their solubility in solutions of different ionic strength. The extracted fractions separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into 17–22 main polypeptide bands (with an apparent molecular weight from 98,000 to 14,600) six of which were histones. 2. 2. Only a few of the proteins were selectively extracted in one given fraction. Most of the bands were found in the electrophorograms of all fractions but in different quantitites. 3. 3. The proteins of the informofers were in part solubilized by extraction with 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer pH 7.6 and completely solubilized by extraction with 0.35 NaCl. 4. 4. Only eight bands were found to be exclusively present in the electrophorograms of proteins removable from the nucleus by extraction with 0.14 M NaCl-0.01 M sodium citrate. Other proteins extracted at this salt concentration had identical mobility with the bands found in electrophorograms of chromosomal proteins.
Deserts and oases: the continuing concentration of population in the American Mountain West

Abstract The Mountain West is a region that seems to be simultaneously rural and urban. With its wide-open spaces, many national parks, monuments, and forests, and high degree of federal land ownership the West appears as the quintessential rural area. However, over 70 percent of the West's population live in metropolitan areas. This simultaneous rural and urban nature of the West is important in understanding the changing population geography of the region. We examine this by focusing on changing patterns of population concentration among metro and nonmetro counties. Unlike other regions in the US, the Mountain West has never experienced a period of counterurbanization or population deconcentration. Not only is current in-migration to the region increasingly concentrated in old and new metro areas, it is also concentrated in a select number of nonmetro areas as well—particularly nonmetro counties adjacent to metro areas, in retirement destinations, and in recreation centers.
Paleoenvironmental and paleoecological implications of Permian (Guadalupian) radiolarian and geochemical variations in the Lamar Limestone, Delaware Basin, West Texas (USA)

Abstract Geochemical proxies integrated with well-preserved radiolarian data from the Lamar Limestone and lower part of the Reef Trail Member of the Bell Canyon Formation provide insights into paleoceanographically and climatically driven controls on radiolarian distribution in the northern part of the Delaware Basin of west Texas, during late Guadalupian time. Data from a section of the Lamar Limestone (~ 8.9 m; ~ 500 kyr interval), indicate that major variations between sphaerellarian-dominated and Follicucullus -dominated faunas appear to be controlled by fluctuations in nutrient supply and salinity. Geochemical parameters of bulk carbonate carbon and oxygen isotopes (δ 13 C carb and δ 18 O carb ), organic carbon isotope (δ 13 C org ), and total organic carbon (TOC) were analyzed and show variations on two scales. On a fine‐scale, sphaerellarian-dominated beds are associated with a relatively siltier lithology, higher TOC, and higher radiolarian richness but lower diversity, and are interpreted as the result of a rise in productivity stimulated from increased terrestrial input. The radiolarian variations and geochemical evidence imply that the Permian spongiose spumellarians are more opportunistic than Follicucullus (albaillellids) in response to eutrophication. On a broad-scale, δ 18 O carb variations in limestone samples are interpreted mainly as a proxy for paleosalinity in response to changes in basin circulation. Mg/Ca ratios from the carbonate fraction co-vary with δ 18 O carb and are used as an additional paleosalinity proxy in this basin. The limestone beds in the middle part of the section have lighter δ 18 O carb values compared to limestone beds above and below, and likely represent the interval when the Delaware Basin was less restricted and had relatively normal marine salinity. Impacts of diagenesis are mild but are likely the cause for systematically light δ 18 O carb values in silty limestone beds in the middle interval. The Mg/Ca ratios and δ 18 O carb values in the limestone samples both increase from the middle to the top of the section, implying a gradually enhanced evaporitic environment coupled with increased salinity towards the top section. Collectively, these data paint a picture of intermittent restriction in the Delaware Basin, prior to the change to a dominantly evaporative regime in the late Permian, and on a finer scale, show pronounced and frequent ecological fluctuations that appear to be driven by fluxes in terrestrial input and, to some extent, paleoproductivity.
Age perceptions of jobs: convergence of two questionnaires.

Summary.-Purpose of this study is to provide empirical information on the age perceptions of 40 managerial jobs. 120 managers were ashd to complete either a frequency grid questionnaire or a numerically anchored racing scale describing their perceptions of the age distribution in each job. Jobs were classified as older, younger, or age-neutral only if results obtained using the two questionnaires provided converging classifications. Of these jobs 62% were classified as older, younger, or age-neutral using the convergence criteria. The consideration of contextual variables such as job characteristics is discussed in relation to decision outcomes. Attitudes and decisions regarding older workers should become an increasingly important issue for industrial/organizational psychologists in the
The use of pyrolysis and barium distributions to assess the areal extent of drilling fluids in surficial marine sediments

The influence of drilling fluid dispersion on the chemistry of surficial sediments was determined by an integrated study of organic and inorganic parameters. Pyrolysis characteristics and barium, organic carbon, and carbonate content were determined for sediments associated with six drilling sites in coastal Gulf of Mexico waters. The areal extent and magnitude of influence of dispersed fluids were related to water depth, prevailing currents, density of the dispersed material, history of the drill site and platform-induced biological activity. The potential use of pyrolysis techniques for defining the impact area and the various types of inputs derived from off-shore drilling operations was demonstrated.
Cryopreservation and in vitro culture of primary cell types from lung tissue of a stranded pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps).

Current models for in vitro studies of tissue function and physiology, including responses to hypoxia or environmental toxins, are limited and rely heavily on standard 2-dimensional (2-D) cultures with immortalized murine or human cell lines. To develop a new more powerful model system, we have pursued methods to establish and expand cultures of primary lung cell types and reconstituted tissues from marine mammals. What little is known about the physiology of the deep-sea diving pygmy sperm whale (PSW), Kogia breviceps, comes primarily from stranding events that occur along the coast of the southeastern United States. Thus, development of a method for preserving live tissues and retrieving live cells from deceased stranded individuals was initiated. This report documents successful cryopreservation of PSW lung tissue. We established in vitro cultures of primary lung cell types from tissue fragments that had been cryopreserved several months earlier at the stranding event. Dissociation of cryopreserved lung tissues readily provides a variety of primary cell types that, to varying degrees, can be expanded and further studied/manipulated in cell culture. In addition, PSW-specific molecular markers have been developed that permitted the monitoring of fibroblast, alveolar type II, and vascular endothelial cell types. Reconstitution of 3-D cultures of lung tissues with these cell types is now underway. This novel system may facilitate the development of rare or disease-specific lung tissue models (e.g., to test causes of PSW stranding events and lead to improved treatments for pulmonary hypertension or reperfusion injury in humans). Also, the establishment of a “living” tissue bank biorepository for rare/endangered species could serve multiple purposes as surrogates for freshly isolated samples.
A resolution measure for three-dimensional microscopy

A three-dimensional (3D) resolution measure for the conventional optical microscope is introduced which overcomes the drawbacks of the classical 3D (axial) resolution limit. Formulated within the context of a parameter estimation problem and based on the Cramer-Rao lower bound, this 3D resolution measure indicates the accuracy with which a given distance between two objects in 3D space can be determined from the acquired image. It predicts that, given enough photons from the objects of interest, arbitrarily small distances of separation can be estimated with prespecified accuracy. Using simulated images of point source pairs, we show that the maximum likelihood estimator is capable of attaining the accuracy predicted by the resolution measure. We also demonstrate how different factors, such as extraneous noise sources and the spatial orientation of the imaged object pair, can affect the accuracy with which a given distance of separation can be determined.
Issues and challenges for antiangiogenic therapies.

Angiogenesis is defined as the growth and proliferation of blood vessels from the existing vasculature, allowing a developing tissue to obtain the nutrients necessary to maintain growth. This fundamental mechanism underlies the processes of reproduction, development and repair and occurs in both normal and tumor tissues. Since this process is confined to rapidly growing tissues, and is quiescent in normal tissues, it was hypothesized by Folkman [1] that any therapeutic intervention that inhibited angiogenesis would be relatively specific to tumors, sparing normal tissue. The mechanisms by which tumors induce angiogenesis are complex. Tumors rapidly outgrow the capacity of the vasculature in their host tissue to provide nutrition and oxygenation, and are inherently hypoxic. In response to hypoxia, they produce a number of potent protein-mediators that stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. These angiogenic factors are not specific to tumors – they are produced by all tissues in response to hypoxia. Many of the mechanisms have been elucidated at a molecular level, and a number of ligands, receptors and signal-transduction pathways defined. Many of these represent potential targets for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Several drug candidates that target angiogenic mechanisms are currently being evaluated in breast cancer. The ultimate goal of all such development is to improve disease outcome, and to augment currently available therapies. However, the evaluation of these drug candidates in clinical studies is complex and requires a fundamental re-appraisal of conventional clinical trial methodology and the application of advanced bioscientific technology to facilitate understanding of the complex pharmacology that they may produce.
Temperature increases in the human achilles tendon during ultrasound treatments with commercial ultrasound gel and full-thickness and half-thickness gel pads.

Abstract Context: Although originally manufactured for use in diagnostic imaging of internal structures, 2-cm-thick gel pads are also used as conducting media for therapeutic ultrasound over areas ...
Transesophageal echocardiography for the noncardiac surgical patient.

Abstract Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been established as a very valuable asset for patient monitoring during cardiac surgery. The value of perioperative TEE for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery is less clear. This article reviews the technical aspects of TEE and comments on the potential benefit of using TEE as a monitoring modality apart from cardiac surgery. Based on patient's comorbidities and/or injury pattern, TEE is a fast and minimally invasive approach to obtain important hemodynamic information, especially useful in a hemodynamically unstable patient. However, certain requirements for the use of the technique are necessary, most important the development of sufficient echocardiographic skills by the anesthesiologists. Indications, skill requirements, and possible complications of the technique are reviewed.
Phylogenetic structure of Floridian plant communities depends on taxonomic and spatial scale

Consideration of the scale at which communities are defined both taxonomically and spatially can reconcile apparently contradictory results on the extent to which plants show phylogenetic niche conservatism. In plant communities in north central Florida, we collected species abundances in 55 0.1-ha plots in several state parks. When communities were defined narrowly to include a single phylogenetic lineage, such as Quercus, Pinus, or Ilex, neighbors tended to be less related than expected (phylogenetic overdispersion) or there was no pattern. If the same communities were defined more broadly, such as when all seed plants were included, neighbors tended to be more related than expected (phylogenetic clustering). These results provide evidence that species interactions among close relatives influence community structure, but they also show that niche conservatism is increasingly evident as communities are defined to include greater phylogenetic diversity. We also found that, as the spatial scale is increased to encompass greater environmental heterogeneity, niche conservatism emerges as the dominant pattern. We then examined patterns of trait evolution in relation to trait similarity within communities for 11 functional traits for a single phylogenetic lineage (Quercus) and for all woody plants. Among the oaks, convergent evolution of traits important for environmental filtering contributes to the observed pattern of phylogenetic overdispersion. At the broader taxonomic scale, traits tend to be conserved, giving rise to phylogenetic clustering. The shift from overdispersion to clustering can be explained by the increasing conservatism of traits at broader phylogenetic scales.
Ophiolite belts in the Koryak Upland, Northeast Asia

Abstract In the packets of tectonic slices there are preserved large-size fragments of Late Precambrian-Early Paleozoic, Late Paleozoic-Triassic, Late Jurassic-Valanginian, Albian-Campanian, and Late Cretaceous ophiolite suites developed in both oceanic and marginal (back-arc) basins. Same belts (or zones) of ophiolites often comprise fragments of different-age complexes. In the Paleozoic ophiolites which, judging from the volcanic series compositions, were formed in different paleo-oceanic environments, mafic complexes are the thickest and include gabbro-norite and gabbro-troctolite series; they are associated with less depleted metamorphic peridotite complexes (lherzolite and pyroxene-rich harzburgite). Marginal basin ophiolites of Late Jurassic-Valanginian age incorporate thin mafic rock bodies of gabbro-norite composition; they are associated with lherzolites, pyroxene-rich harzburgites, olivine-rich harzburgites, and major dunite bodies. Petrochemical types of metamorphic peridotite massifs are given and it is assumed that the latter are fragments of an ancient peridotite layer which throughout the Phanerozoic served as the mantle basement for the crust of oceanic or marginal basins occurring in the northwestern Paleo-Pacific.
Pharmacogenomic Analysis of Mechanisms Mediating Ethanol Regulation of Dopamine β-Hydroxylase

Abstract We previously showed that ethanol regulates dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) mRNA and protein levels in human neuroblastoma cells (Thibault, C., Lai, C., Wilke, N., Duong, B., Olive, M. F., Rahman, S., Dong, H., Hodge, C. W., Lockhart, D. J., and Miles, M. F. (2000) Mol. Pharmacol. 58, 1593-1600). DBH catalyzes norepinephrine synthesis, and several studies have suggested a role for norepinephrine in ethanol-mediated behaviors. Here, we performed a detailed analysis of mechanism(s) underlying ethanol regulation of DBH expression in SH-SY5Y cells. Transient transfection analysis showed that ethanol (25-200 mm) caused concentration- and time-dependent increases in DBH gene transcription. Progressive deletions identified ethanol-responsive sequences in the -262 to -142 bp region of the DBH gene promoter. Mutagenesis of cAMP-response element (CRE) sequences in this region abolished ethanol responsiveness while maintaining responsiveness to phorbol esters. Coexpression of dominant-negative CRE-binding protein greatly reduced ethanol induction of DBH. Inhibitors of protein kinase A, casein kinase II, and MAPK reduced ethanol induction of DBH promoter activity. Pharmacogenomic studies with microarrays showed that protein kinase A, MEK, and casein kinase II inhibitors blocked induction of DBH and a large subset of ethanol-responsive genes. These genes had diverse functional groupings, including multiple members of the MAPK and phosphatidylinositol signaling cascades. Real-time PCR analysis validated select microarray results. Taken together, these results suggest that ethanol regulation of DBH requires a functional CRE and its binding protein and may require interaction of multiple kinase pathways. This mechanism may also mediate ethanol responsiveness of a complex subset of genes in neural cells. These studies may have implications for behavioral responses to ethanol or mechanisms underlying ethanol-related neurological disease.
Fast life histories, not pathogens, account for state-level variation in homicide, child maltreatment, and family ties in the U.S.

Abstract Parasite stress theory has recently been used to account for an array of cross-cultural differences in human cognition and social behavior, including in-group bias, interpersonal violence, child maltreatment, and religious adherence. Here, we re-assess the apparently ubiquitous effects of parasite stress on behavior observed in the U.S., using the cross-sectional, cross-population approach implemented by prior pathogen stress studies. Our results raise two challenges to previous findings. First, we show that the observed effects of pathogen stress in the U.S. data are due exclusively to one type of infectious disease – sexually transmitted diseases (STD) – while non-STD infections have no effect. Second, we find that controlling for life history measures of extrinsic risk and a fast life history erases the observed associations with family ties, interpersonal violence, child fatalities, and religious adherence. Thus, after appropriate variable specification, stratification, and control, U.S. cross-state population differences provide no support for the pathogen stress hypothesis in these various domains of behavior. Rather, the findings are more consistent with predictions from life history theory.
Organization and education among Salvadoran political prisoners

During twelve years of war, the Salvadoran government imprisoned thousands of activists. Confronting massive violations of their human rights, prisoners struggled against prison authorities to resist the abuses to which they were subjected. They also educated themselves mutually, applying the principles of popular education widespread in the Salvadoran popular movement, which emphasized close integration between pedagogy and politics both in the content of education and in the political process. In opposing oppressive confinement and in mutually educating themselves, prisoners continued the political struggle they had been waging outside. Human rights movements working to protect them against violations of their rights used a rhetoric which presented them as helpless victims, but the prisoners' own testimonies reveal that they were active protagonists opposing injustice even in prison.
A phosphorimetric investigation of several representative alkaloids of the isoquinoline, morphine and indole groups

Abstract The phosphorescence emission and excitation peaks of several representative alkaloids of the isoquinoline, morphine and indole groups in neutral, basic and acidic ethanol at 77°K are given. In addition, the phosphorescence decay times and approximate limits of detection in μg ml of ethanol are given for the same alkaloids.
Evidence for an α-ecdysone cytochrome P-450 mixed function oxidase in insect fat body mitochondria

IT is now evident that α-ecdysone, a polyhydroxylated steroid, is synthesised and secreted by the insect prothoracic (ecdysial) glands1–3, β-ecdysone (20-hydroxy-α-ecdysone) seems, however, to have the major role in eliciting moulting during the post-embryonic development of insects4. If α-ecdysone functions as a pro(pre)-hormone as has been suggested1,4, then it must undergo hydroxylation at C-20 of the side chain to form the moulting hormone, β-ecdysone. This conversion of α- to β-ecdysone is carried out by a hydroxylase which is located in tissues peripheral to the prothoracic glands1,5,6. Little is known about the subcellular distribution of this enzyme complex and there is virtually no information regarding the type of enzyme complex responsible for the oxygenation of steroids in insects in general. Using the vertebrate mixed function oxidase system as a model, we have investigated the subcellular distribution and enzymatic characteristics of the insect C-20 hydroxylase in last instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta.
Initial Clinical Experience with Intensity-Modulated Whole-Pelvis Radiation Therapy in Women with Gynecologic Malignancies

Abstract Objective. Our goal in this article to describe our initial experience with intensity-modulated whole-pelvis radiation therapy (IM-WPRT) in gynecologic malignancies. Methods. Between February and August 2000, 15 women with cervical (9) or endometrial (6) cancer received IM-WPRT. All patients received a treatment planning computed tomography (CT) scan. On each scan, the target volume (upper vagina, parametrial tissues, presacral region, uterus, and regional lymph nodes) and normal tissues (small bowel, bladder, and rectum) were identified. Using commercially available software, an IM-WPRT plan was generated for each patient. The goal was to provide coverage of the target with the prescription dose (45 Gy) while minimizing the volume of small bowel, bladder, and rectum irradiated. Acute gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxic effects in these women were compared with those seen in 25 patients treated with conventional WPRT. Results. IM-WPRT plans provided excellent coverage of the target structures in all patients and were highly conformal, providing considerable sparing of the bladder, rectum, and small bowel. Treatment was well tolerated, with grade 0–1 GI and GU toxicity in 46 and 93% of patients, respectively. IM-WPRT patients had a lower rate of grade 2 GI toxicity (53.4% vs 96%, P = 0.001) than those treated with conventional WPRT. Moreover, the percentage of women requiring no or only infrequent antidiarrheal medications was lower in the IM-WPRT group (73.3% vs 20%, P = 0.001). While grade 2 GU toxicity was also lower in the IM-WPRT patients (6.7% vs 16%), this difference did not reach statistical significance ( P = 0.38). Conclusion. IM-WPRT provides excellent coverage of the target structures while sparing critical neighboring structures in gynecology patients. Treatment is well tolerated with less acute GI toxicity than conventional WPRT. More patients and longer follow-up are needed to evaluate the full merits of this approach.
Troubling the Politics of Engagement, Ethics, and Educational Research: Reframing Our Work

This reflective essay draws on the personal experiences of the author in negotiating various tensions of engaged research and raises several troubling questions about research with immigrant populations, particularly concerning engagement, ethics, and educational contexts. Three “lenses” (or, three theoretical framings) serve as springboards for this analysis—the paradoxes of activism, the promises of mutuality, and the privileges of “ethics”—with concluding reflections about the power of framing and reframing our work.
Low-power high-performance FinFET sequential circuits

Scaling of single-gate bulk MOSFET faces great challenges in the nanometer regime due to the severe short-channel effects that cause an exponential increase in the leakage power. Double-gate MOSFET technologies mitigate this limitation by providing an excellent control over a thin silicon body with two electrically coupled gates. FinFET is the most attractive choice among the double-gate transistor architectures because of the self alignment of the two gates and the similarity of the fabrication steps to the existing standard CMOS technology. In this paper, new sequential circuits based on independent-gate FinFETs are proposed to simultaneously reduce the power consumption and the circuit area. With the proposed independently biased double-gate FinFET sequential circuits, the active power consumption, the leakage power, the clock power, and the circuit area are reduced by up to 46%, 42%, 26%, and 20%, respectively, as compared to the standard sequential circuits with tied-gate FinFETs.
Experimental and theoretical studies of the kinetics of the reactions of OH and OD with 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol between 300 and 415 K at low pressure.

The rate constants for the reactions of OH and OD with 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO) have been measured at 2, 3, and 5 Torr total pressure over the temperature range 300−415 K using a discharge-flow system coupled with laser induced fluorescence detection of OH. The measured rate constants at room temperature and 5 Torr for the OH + MBO reaction in the presence of O2 and the OD + MBO reaction are (6.32 ± 0.27) and (6.61 ± 0.66) × 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, respectively, in agreement with previous measurements at higher pressures. However, the rate constants begin to show a pressure dependence at temperatures above 335 K. An Arrhenius expression of k0 = (2.5 ± 7.4) × 10-32 exp[(4150 ± 1150)/T] cm6 molecule-2 s-1 was obtained for the low-pressure-limiting rate constant for the OH + MBO reaction in the presence of oxygen. Theoretical calculations of the energetics of the OH + MBO reaction suggest that the stability of the different HO−MBO adducts are similar, with predicted stabilization energies between 27.0 a...
SYNERGY OF AMPICILLIN AND CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAINST HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE

The interaction of ampicillin and chloramphenicol against Haemophilus influenzae was studied because the combination is commonly used as initial therapy for meningitis and because little information was available about in vitro synergy or antagonism. Two dimensional ‘checkerboard’ dilutions of drugs were made in Mueller-Hinton broth containing 2% supplement C using a micro-titer apparatus. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was the smallest concentration of antibiotic(s) preventing a visible button of growth after incubation at 37C for 18h. Synergy, determined by isobolograms made from MICs, occurred against 6 of 13 ampicillin-susceptible and against 5 of 8 ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae type b isolates using 104 CFU/ml. Using a large inoculum of 107 CFU/ml, synergy occurred against 9 of 13 ampicillin-susceptible and against 2 of 8 resistant strains. Additive effects were observed against the remainder of the type b strains and against single isolates of chloramphenicol-resistant nontypable H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae. These data indicate that ampicillin and chloramphenicol may be synergistic against a significant number of H. influenzae isolates depending upon inoculum size, and antagonism did not occur. They support the recommendation that both be used as initial therapy for patients with suspected H. influenzae meningitis.
Self-Sustained Oscillations past Perforated and Slotted Plates: Effect of Plate Thickness

A. Previous Related Investigations G ENERATION of highly coherent oscillations caused by grazing flow past a cavity, in the absence of a perforated or slotted plate, has been the subject of a variety of investigations in recent decades. The conditions for the onset of oscillation, characterization of the dimensionless frequency and amplitude, and techniques for control are addressed in the works of DeMetz and Farabee,1 Knisely and Rockwell,2 Blake,3 Gharib and Roshko,4 Burroughs and Stinebring,5 Howe,6,7 Rockwell,8 Ziada,9 Zoccola and Farabee,10 Kuo and Huang,11 and Rowley et al.,12 and Cattafesta et al.13 When a perforated or slotted plate is placed along the cavity opening, it is also possible to generate highly coherent oscillations caused by coupling between 1) the shear-layer instability along an individual orifice or gap opening and 2) a resonant mode of a cavity(ies) on the backside of the plate. This category of studies includes the works of Howe,7 Kirby and Cummings,14 Dickey et al.,15 and Jing et al.16 for a perforated plate and Bruggemann et al.17 and Looijmans and Bruggeman18 for a plate with louvers (inclined slats). More recently, it has been demonstrated that, in absence of coupling with a resonant acoustic mode of the cavity, it is possible to generate highly coherent oscillations that scale on the length L of the perforated or slotted plate, rather than an individual hole or slot. These investigations include Celik and Rockwell19,20 and Ozalp et al.,21 and Sever and Rockwell.22 In the event that this type of purely hydrodynamic instability couples with an acoustic resonant mode of the cavity, then the concept of lock-on is prevalent, and sharply coherent oscillations are attainable. Ekmekci and Rockwell23 investigated this concept using a free-surface simulation, and Zoccola24,25 has characterized resonant coupled instabilities caused by flow past a variety of slotted-plate configurations. The focus of the present investigation is on purely hydrodynamic oscillations past perforated and slotted plates, with emphasis on the effects of plate thickness, heretofore uninvestigated.
Electron-proton resonances at low energy from a relativistic two-body wave equation

Abstract The K -matrix for electron-proton scattering is evaluated in the 0 − channel from 0.05 to 5.0 eV using a relativistic wave equation derived from QED. We find very narrow resonances at E cm =0.748, 1.347, 2.095, 3.032, and 4.707 eV. Since these are short-distance phenomena, these resonances may provide a super screening mechanism for fusion reactions.
Less winter cloud aids summer 2013 Arctic sea ice return from 2012 minimum

In September 2012, Arctic sea ice cover reached a record minimum for the satellite era. The following winter the sea ice quickly returned, carrying through to the summer when ice extent was 48% greater than the same time in 2012. Most of this rebound in the ice cover was in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, areas experiencing the greatest decline in sea ice over the last three decades. A variety of factors, including ice dynamics, oceanic and atmospheric heat transport, wind, and solar insolation anomalies, may have contributed to the rebound. Here we show that another factor, below-average Arctic cloud cover in January–February 2013, resulted in a more strongly negative surface radiation budget, cooling the surface and allowing for greater ice growth. More thick ice was observed in March 2013 relative to March 2012 in the western Arctic Ocean, and the areas of ice growth estimated from the negative cloud cover anomaly and advected from winter to summer with ice drift data, correspond well with the September ice concentration anomaly pattern. Therefore, decreased wintertime cloud cover appears to have played an important role in the return of the sea ice cover the following summer, providing a partial explanation for large year-to-year variations in an otherwise decreasing Arctic sea ice cover.