cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implications of clinical trial data sharing for medical writers

Major clinical research funders are increasingly adopting policies supporting or mandating data sharing. These moves should improve the transparency and availability of clinical trial data and are likely to impact the work and responsibilities of medical writers. Medical writers are likely to play a prominent role in standardising policies and procedures and have the opportunity to lead the development of an efficient and feasible system for promoting clinical trial data sharing. These efforts will ensure that the research community can derive the full benefit from the enormous resources devoted to human clinical trial research and will help build patient trust in the research process.
Thermal analysis and optimization of 2.5-D integrated voltage regulator

Integrated voltage regulators (IVRs) promise to improve performance-per-watt for microprocessors and systems-on-chip by reducing supply voltage margins, resistive losses in the power distribution network, and by enabling power management with greater temporal resolution. However, the thermal impact of IVRs has not been well studied, and the methodologies for thermal analysis of analog/digital mixed-signal designs, such as voltage regulators on chip, have not yet been developed. In this paper, we present a thermal analysis methodology for 2.5-D IVR. Our results show that (1) the integrated power inductor is the hottest component in the IVR, and (2) the temperature of the IVR rises rapidly when the power inductor and the circuitries of the IVR chip overlap. In order to address these issues, we propose two design optimization techniques: design block relocation and inductor spreading. Related experiments show the effectiveness of these methods.
A novel trapped-ion mass spectrometer for the study of ion-molecule reactions

Abstract A high pressure trapped-ion mass spectrometer for the study of ion—molecule reactions is described. Ion trapping results from the combined action of electric and magnetic fields. Typical trapping times are 1 msec and pressures can exceed 10 −2 torr. Average ion energies are generally less than 1 eV and thermal energies can be achieved. The ion—molecule reactions of methane and acetylene have been investigated using this new technique. Accepted values of relative and absolute rate constants are reproduced demonstrating the reliability of the technique. In the case of acetylene, the formation of C 6 H 4 + from C 4 H 2 + and C 6 H 5 + from C 4 H 3 + is found to be bimolecular. Additional evidence is presented which suggests lifetimes for (C 6 H 4 + ) ‡ and (C 6 H 5 + ) ‡ in excess of 10 msec at near thermal ion kinetic energies. A detailed comparison of this instrument with other trapped-ion techniques is presented.
Cyclotron isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals—XXVII. 73Se

Abstract Excitation functions for the production of 73 Se with 37 MeV 3 He and 40 MeV 4 He activation were determined using Ge of natural isotopic composition and 72 Ge isotopically enriched to 96.4%. The 72 Ge ( 3 He , 2n) 73 Se nuclear reaction on isotopically enriched 72 Ge with 3 He degraded from 37 MeV on a 151 mg cm −2 target of GeO 2 is preferred. A thick target production rate of 933 μCi/μAh and a radionuclidic purity of >99.99% was obtained. Data on 3 He and 4 He nuclear reactions resulting in 75 Se, 71 As, 72 As, 74 As and 76 As are provided.
Bridged di(alkyl- and 4,4,4-trifluorobutylimidazolium) quaternary salts based on p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene.

Di(alkyl- and 4,4,4-trifluorobutylimidazolium) quaternary halides of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene, 5a−8a and 11a, were prepared and characterized. Metathetical reactions of these compounds with LiN(SO...
Preventive mechanisms of gibberellin4+7 and light on low-temperature-induced leaf senescence in Lilium cv. Stargazer

Abstract Lilium cv. Stargazer plants were held for 2 weeks at 4°C, either in darkness or in light (40 μmol m −2 s −1 ). Another series of plants was held in darkness after pre-treatment with 100 mg l −1 GA 4+7 . Changes in major senescence parameters were determined during storage at 4°C and during 6 days after transferring the plants to 22°C. Foliar sprays of GA 4+7 or supplemental light prevented rapid leaf senescence induced by dark low-temperature storage. During storage at 4°C, basal leaves showed no significant changes in concentrations of chlorophyll, soluble proteins, lipid peroxidation, and activity of catalase. However, shifting from 4 to 22°C induced a series of changes in basal leaves of dark-held plants including rapid loss of chlorophyll, proteolysis, increased lipid peroxidation and loss of catalase activity. Both light and GA 4+7 treatments prevented these changes. Total soluble carbohydrates decreased gradually during 4°C dark storage and after transferring to 22°C. GA 4+7 treatments did not prevent the decline in carbohydrate levels at 4°C, but prevented it upon transferring to 22°C. Supplemental light during 4°C storage significantly increased soluble carbohydrate concentration. The abrupt increases in metabolic activities by shifting from 4 to 22°C accompanied by oxidative stress in leaves already depleted in reserves during 4°C storage seem to induce leaf senescence in dark-held plants.
INTEREST GROUPS AND LITIGATION

Interest groups engaged in litigation are faced with questions of litigation strategy and of allocation of resources. Planned constitutional litigation, part of mobilization of the law, is problematic, as is the choice of forum in which the litigation is brought. Litigation by interest groups is affected by the political environment, including judicial rulings; the complexity of litigation itself; inter-organizational relations; and, most importantly, a series of intra-organizational factors. The latter include control of litigation, group longevity, relations between lawyers and organization, and organizational structure. These elements of interest group litigation are explored in this article.
Sequential elution liquid chromatography can significantly increase the probability of a successful separation by simultaneously increasing the peak capacity and reducing the separation disorder

Abstract This paper demonstrates that sequential elution liquid chromatography (SE-LC), an approach in which two or more elution modes are employed in series for the separation of two or more groups of compounds, can be used to separate not only weak acids (or weak bases) from neutral compounds, but weak acids and weak bases from neutral compounds (and each other) by the sequential application of either of two types of an extended pH gradient prior to a solvent gradient. It also details a comparison, based on peak capacity and separation disorder, of the probability of success of this approach with the unimodal elution approach taken by conventional column liquid chromatography. For an HPLC peak capacity of 120 and samples of moderate complexity (e.g., 12 components), the probability of success (Rs ≥ 1) increases from 37.9% (HPLC) to 85.8% (SE-LC). Different columns were evaluated for their utility for SE-LC using the following criteria: (1) the prediction of the elution order of the groups based on the degree of ionization of the compounds; and (2) the closeness of the peak shape to the ideal Gaussian distribution. The best columns overall were the Zorbax SB-AQ and Waters XBridge Shield columns, as they provided both between-class and within-class separations of all compounds, as well as the lowest degree of tailing of 4-ethylaniline using the pH 2 to pH 8 gradient.
Prostaglandin modification of membrane-bound enzyme activity: a possible mechanism of action?

Abstract Prostaglandins E 1 and E 2 and their antagonist 7-oxaprostynoic acid modify Mg 2+ -dependent Na + /K + -activated ATPase and adenylate kinase activities i human erythrocytes and platelets, rat liver mitochondria, and rabbit skeletal muscle. The kinetics of these interactions are suggestive of a possible allosteric mechanism. Specific differences in enzyme response to the different prostaglandins were observed and may be related to the membrane composition of the respective cell types. It is proposed that a common site for the wide variety of prostaglandin actions on different tissues may be a number of membrane-associated enzymes, and that the final cellular effect is the result of their individual responses.
High degree modes & instrumental effects

Full-disk observations taken with the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, or the upgraded Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) instruments, have enough spatial resolution to resolve modes up to ι = 1000 if not ι = 1500. The inclusion of such high-degree modes (i.e., ι ≤ 1000) improves dramatically inferences near the surface. Unfortunately, observational and instrumental effects cause the characterization of high degree modes to be quite complicated. Indeed, the characteristics of the solar acoustic spectrum are such that, for a given order, mode lifetimes get shorter and spatial leaks get closer in frequency as the degree of a mode increases. A direct consequence of this property is that individual modes are resolved only at low and intermediate degrees. At high degrees the individual modes blend into ridges and the power distribution of the ridge defines the ridge central frequency, masking the underlying mode frequency. An accurate model of the amplitude of the peaks that contribute to the ridge power distribution is needed to recover the underlying mode frequency from fitting the ridge. We present a detailed discussion of the modeling of the ridge power distribution, and the contribution of the various observational and instrumental effects on the spatial leakage, in the context of the MDI instrument. We have constructed a physically motivated model (rather than an ad hoc correction scheme) that results in a methodology that can produce unbiased estimates of high-degree modes. This requires that the instrumental characteristics are well understood, a task that has turned out to pose a major challenge. We also present our latest results, where most of the known instrumental and observational effects that affect specifically high-degree modes were removed. These new results allow us to focus our attention on changes with solar activity. Finally, we present variations of mode frequencies resulting from solar activity over most of solar cycle 23. We present the correlation of medium and high degree modes with different solar indices. Our results confirm that the frequency shift scaled by the relative mode inertia is a function of frequency alone and follows a simple power law.
Interlayer Tunneling and Gap Anisotropy in High-Temperature Superconductors

A quantitative analysis of a recent model of high-temperature superconductors based on an interlayer tunneling mechanism is presented. This model can account well for the observed magnitudes of the high transition temperatures in these materials and implies a gap that does not change sign, can be substantially anisotropic, and has the same symmetry as the crystal. The experimental consequences explored so far are consistent with the observations.
Rare genetic causes of lissencephaly may implicate microtubule-based transport in the pathogenesis of cortical dysplasias

The causative genes for lissencephaly—including LISI, DCX, and TUBAIA-highlight the importance of a microtubule-based transport pathway in cortical development and potentially in pathogenesis of focal cortical dysplasias. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Home parenteral nutrition in infants.

The effects of prolonged total parenteral nutrition on growth and psychomotor development were studied in eight infants during a two-year period. Each patient was begun on HTPN in the first 60 days of life, using a Broviac silastic catheter for venous access. Normalization of somatic growth has been observed in all patients during the study period. Six of eight patients have normal psychomotor development following discharge from the hospital into the home environment. Catheter-related complications in this group have been infrequent; one episode of sepsis was documented during 121 patient-months. The major metabolic complication observed was the development of rickets despite provision of recommended doses of vitamin D. HTPN appears to be useful in providing nutritional support for selected infants during the first two years of life.
Isospin effects on two nucleon correlation functions in heavy ion collisions at intermediate energies

Using an isospin-dependent transport model, we study isospin effects on two-nucleon correlation functions in heavy-ion collisions induced by neutron-rich nuclei at intermediate energies. We find that these correlation functions are sensitive to the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy, but not to the incompressibility of symmetric nuclear matter and the medium dependence of nucleonnucleon cross sections. This sensitivity is mainly due to effects of nuclear symmetry energy on the emission times of neutrons and protons as well as their relative emission sequence. We also study the variations of the symmetry energy effects on nucleon-nucleon correlations with respect to the impact parameter, incident energy, and mass number of heavy ion collisions.
Influences of allergic rhinitis on sleep

Abstract Background Allergic rhinitis is classically characterized by sneezing, pruritus, rhinorrhea, and nasal congestion. These symptoms can lead to impaired nocturnal sleep, and this impairment results in daytime fatigue and somnolence, reducing both learning and work efficiency and decreasing quality of life. Study design In addition, the mediators of AR, including histamine, leukotrienes, cytokines, and prostaglandins, may play a role in sleep regulation and, thus, may be directly involved in this impairment independent of nasal obstruction. Recumbency and/or diurnal variation augments turbinate swelling, causing nasal blockage during nocturnal sleep. Medications directed toward reversal of nasal congestion often concomitantly work through suppression of inflammatory mediators and constitute the primary therapy for sleep disturbance associated with allergic rhinitis. Some pharmaceutical interventions that reduce nasal congestion have adverse effects on sleep. Decongestants effectively reduce nasal congestion but frequently produce stimulatory effects and even insomnia. Antihistamines reduce sneezing and pruritus, but are less effective in relieving congestion. Earlier, “first-generation” antihistamines are associated with significant sedation. They also have anticholinergic properties, which can cause dry mouth and make mouth breathing even more uncomfortable in the allergic individual with nasal obstruction. The absence of anticholinergic properties in second-generation, largely nonsedating antihistamines limits their efficacy in rhinorrhea. Azelastine, a topical antihistamine, significantly reduces rhinorrhea and congestion and improves subjective sleep quality, but is also associated with increased sedation. Intranasal corticosteroids and oral leukotriene receptor antagonists effectively reduce rhinorrhea, congestion, and inflammatory mediators. Conclusions The efficacy of these medications at improving subjective sleep quality has been established through multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
Gene products encoded by cymbidium mosaic virus RNA: proteins translated in vitro

Abstract The potexvirus, cymbidium mosaic virus (CyMV), a major pathogen of cultivated orchids, has a single-stranded RNA genome that serves, all or in part, as messenger for translation of viral proteins during infection. As a first step in investigating the mechanisms of gene expression in CyMV infection, we have focused on the question of the protein-encoding potential of the viral RNA. CyMV particles have been highly purified from infected Datura stramonium leaves using Percoll gradient sedimentation and intact RNA has been extracted from the virus and used as messenger in an in vitro translation system from wheat germ. Translated polypeptides were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. CyMV genomic RNA encoded at least eight major polypeptide species in the in vitro translation system. Our results suggest that some protein processing by specific cleavage might occur as part of the process of gene expression.
The senescence-associated secretory phenotype promotes benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by increased tissue mass in the transition zone of the prostate, which leads to obstruction of urine outflow and considerable morbidity in a majority of older men. Senescent cells accumulate in human tissues, including the prostate, with increasing age. Expression of proinflammatory cytokines is increased in these senescent cells, a manifestation of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Multiplex analysis revealed that multiple cytokines are increased in BPH, including GM-CSF, IL-1α, and IL-4, and that these are also increased in senescent prostatic epithelial cells in vitro. Tissue levels of these cytokines were correlated with a marker of senescence (cathepsin D), which was also strongly correlated with prostate weight. IHC analysis revealed the multifocal epithelial expression of cathepsin D and coexpression with IL-1α in BPH tissues. In tissue recombination studies in nude mice with immortalized prostatic epithelial cells expressing IL-1α and prostatic stromal cells, both epithelial and stromal cells exhibited increased growth. Expression of IL-1α in prostatic epithelial cells in a transgenic mouse model resulted in increased prostate size and bladder obstruction. In summary, both correlative and functional evidence support the hypothesis that the senescence-associated secretory phenotype can promote the development of BPH, which is the single most common age-related pathology in older men.
The electronic classroom: workstations for teaching

Abstract This article describes an “electronic classroom” consisting of a network of 55 powerful Apollo DN300 workstations running the BALSA algorithm simulation and animation environment. Several examples (parameter passing and linked-list manipulation) from an introductory programming course are briefly discussed, and some conclusions abbut the user interface are drawn, based on participant observation and student responses to detailed questionnaires.
Effects of seed material and solution composition on calcite precipitation

Abstract We studied the effects of seed material and solution composition on calcite crystal precipitation using a pH-stat system. The seed materials investigated included quartz, dolomite, two calcites with different particle size and specific surface area, and two dried precipitates from precipitative softening water treatment plants. Our results indicated that, of the seed materials examined, only calcite had the ability to initiate calcite precipitation in a solution with a degree of supersaturation of 5.3 over a period of two hours, and that the precipitation rate was proportional to the available surface area of the seed. For different solution compositions with the same degree of supersaturation, the calcite precipitation rate increased with increasing carbonate/calcium ratio, which contradicts the generally accepted empirical rate expression that the degree of supersaturation is the sole factor controlling precipitation kinetics. By applying a surface complexation model, the surface concentrations of two species, >CO3− and >CaCO3−, appear to be responsible for catalyzing calcite precipitation.
Focal myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins is associated with previous trauma in surgical specimens

Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins (IMHMV) is a rare and poorly understood disease that occurs in the rectosigmoid colon of predominantly young, previously healthy, male patients. This disease is often confused with chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease clinically, and pathologists may miss the diagnosis unless elastin stains are performed because diseased veins may readily be mistaken for arteries. The etiology of IMHMV is unclear, but a traumatic pathomechanism resulting in arterialization of the veins has been proposed. Review of bowel resection specimens (n=68) for non-neoplastic disease within a 1-year period in patients younger than 50 years of age revealed 10 cases with focal mesenteric vein myointimal hyperplasia. Significantly more cases with focal myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins (MHMV) were associated with pre-resection trauma to the involved bowel segment (5/11 vs. 5/57; p=0.0016). A significant association of MHMV with pre-resection trauma supports the hypothesis that idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of the mesenteric veins may be the result of trauma through torsion/stretching of the sigmoid colon and, subsequently, increased mesenteric venous pressure through arterialization.
Fiscal commissions, consensus and informal representation: taxation in the Savoyard domains, 1559–1580

SUMMARY In this article, Matthew Vester examines how Duke Emanuel Filibert of Savoy set about re-establishing the ducal revenues after he recovered control of his duchy in 1559. Ducal commissioners were sent into the provinces to gather data on their tax obligations, and the control of the ducal castles and manors, something that could only be done with the help of the local communities and their officers, who were generally cooperative about providing information. The process of investigation was mainly one of negotiation rather than coercion, though the use of quartering soldiers to encourage compliance where concealment or obstruction was suspected was occasionally practised. The article re-examines the standard textbook account of the re-establishment of ducal authority, which treats it as an early exercise in royal absolutism. It is usually represented that in 1560 the duke summoned the estates of Piedmont and having secured their consent to an increase in taxation, dismissed them. Thereafter there w...
The chromosome banding patterns of the aardvarkOrycteropus afer (Tubulidentata, Orycteropidae)

C- and G-banding patterns ofOrycteropus afer are described on the basis of fibroblast cultures obtained from a female individual.
Generation of corticosteroid binder IB from binder II by a sulfhydryl dependent renal cytosolic factor.

Abstract It has long been debated whether binder IB represents a unique form of the glucocorticoid receptor or is derived from the larger molecular weight form, binder II, by limited proteolysis. Transformed glucocorticoid receptors in kidney, liver and mixed kidney/liver cytosols were examined using anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The transformed receptor in liver cytosols chromatographs as binder II on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 anion exchange columns and has a Stokes radius of approx 6.0 nm. The transformed receptor in kidney cytosols chromatographs as binder IB on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 anion exchange columns and has a Stokes radius of 3.0–4.0 nm (3.2 nm on agarose; 3.0–4.0 nm on Sephadex G-100). Using cytosols prepared from mixed homogenates (2 g kidney plus 8 g liver tissue), our experiments show that binder II is converted to a lower molecular weight form Rs = 3.2 nm on agarose; Rs = 3.9 nm on Sephadex G-100) that is identical to binder IB in its elution position from DEAE-Sephadex anion exchange resin. Identical results are obtained using kidney/liver/cytosols mixed in vitro in which only the hepatic receptor, binder II, is labelled with [3H]TA. These results support the hypothesis that the renal receptor, binder IB, is a proteolytic fragment of binder II and does not represent a polymorphic form of the glucocorticoid receptor. The renal converting activity is dependent on free-SH for full activity but is insensitive to the protease inhibitors leupeptin, antipain, and PMSF. The conversion of hepatic binder II to binder IB in in vitro mixing experiments can be prevented if kidney cytosol is gel filtered on Sephadex G-25 and the eluted macromolecular fraction is adjusted to 10 mM EGTA (or EDTA) prior to mixing with the [3H]TA labelled hepatic cytosol.
Leibniz on Memory and Consciousness

In this article, I develop a higher-order interpretation of Leibniz's theory of consciousness according to which memory is constitutive of consciousness. I offer an account of Leibniz's theory of memory on which his theory of consciousness may be based, and I then show that Leibniz could have developed a coherent higher-order account. However, it is not clear whether Leibniz held (or should have held) such an account of consciousness; I sketch an alternative that has at least as many advantages as the higher-order theory. This analysis provides an important antecedent to the contemporary discussions of higher-order theories of consciousness.
Investigation of reactions and atomization of arsine in a heated quartz tube using atomic absorption and mass spectrometry

Abstract Experiments were carried out to investigate reaction mechanisms of arsine and the atomization of arsenic in a heated quartz tube atomizer using atomic absorption and mass spectrometry detector systems. Arsine was generated in a reaction with sodium tetrahydroborate and collected in a cold trap. After revolatilization, the arsine was transported into the heated quartz tube with a flow of pure gas. Hydrogen, deuterium, helium and nitrogen, respectively, were used as transport gases. Evidence for the equilibrium reaction AsH3 + H ⇌ AsH2 + H2 was found at temperatures around 600°C and for the back-reaction 2 As + 3 H2 → 2 AsH3 at 900°C. In the absence of hydrogen, arsine is thermally decomposed but not atomized; elemental arsenic is retained quantitatively in the heated quartz tube under these conditions. In the presence of hydrogen, arsenic atoms form at temperatures above 650°C by reacting with hydrogen radicals. Arsenic atom attrition occurs by formation of molecular arsenic (As2 etc) and/or arsenic clusters. These forms of arsenic are retained in the heated quartz tube only to a small extent and can be transported over relatively long distances. At about 900°C free arsenic atoms react with hydrogen to form arsine. Hydrogen also reacts with deposited arsenic to form arsine at this temperature. Arsenic species containing oxygen were not detected in any of the experiments.
Biomass and productivity ofRuppia taxa in Western Europe

A brief account of investigations into the biomass and cumulative annual net production of two EuropeanRuppia species in localities in S.-Finland, The Netherlands and S.-France is given. TheRuppia decline in eutrophicated waters due to excessive phytoplankton growth is discussed.
Intra-organizational networking for innovation-based corporate entrepreneurship

Abstract This study takes a network theoretical perspective in its examination of innovation-based corporate entrepreneurship (ICE), focusing on how project-specific ties can form for non-routine phenomena. A comparative case analysis of 246 interviews in twelve industry-leading global corporations identifies constructs associated with individual network capacity at the individual level, organizational network capacity at the organization level, and program network capacity at the ICE program level. In addition, we recognize the managerial facilitating roles of cultivator and broker. We develop propositions aimed at providing insights about the relationships among these constructs, and identify implications for managerial and ICE program responsibilities.
A new criterion for acquisition of nicotine self-administration in rats☆

Background Acquisition of nicotine self-administration in rodents is relatively difficult to establish and measures of acquisition rate are sometimes confounded by manipulations used to facilitate the process. This study examined acquisition of nicotine self-administration without such manipulations and used mathematical modeling to define the criterion for acquisition.
Association of alkanes with the aqueous liquid–vapor interface: a reference system for interpreting hydrophobicity generally through interfacial fluctuations

We report free energy calculations and fluctuation profiles of single alkanes (from methane to pentane) along the direction normal to the air–water interface. The induced fluctuations and the interfacial stabilities of alkanes are found to be correlated and similar to the results of inorganic monovalent ions (Ou et al., J. Phys. Chem. B, 2013, 117, 11732). This suggests that hydrophobic solvation of solutes and ions is important in determining the adsorption behavior.
Excessive stem cell competition in the competitive long-term repopulation assay - development of a solution

Abstract The competitive long-term repopulating stem cell assay is widely used as the standard method for detecting murine hematopoietic stem cells. An integral part of this assay is the competition between the test stem cells and those in the irradiated recipient, as well as the carrier cell population which ensures the short-term survival of the animal. Recently, we and others have observed that some populations of primitive stem cells repopulate the hematopoietic system poorly, if at all using the standard assay. We have determined that the explanation for this inability is that the competition from the recipient and carrier stem cells is too great, resulting in inadequate and inconsistent representation of the test cells in the reconstituted animal. This is particularly a problem when transplanting stem cells which are proliferatively quiescent and/or low in number. We have overcome this problem by developing a quantitative assay in which there is minimal stem cell competition. This has been achieved by firstly removing all stem cells in the recipient by significantly increasing the radiation dose to 1400 cGy. In addition, the ratio of stem cells to radioprotective cells in the carrier cell population has been decreased by compromising the stem cells prior to transplantation using a soluble, injectable form of Busulfan (Busulfex™). This is a chemical whose toxic effect is related to the stage of hematopoietic development, the primitive stem cells being affected more than later progenitors. In addition to its improved sensitivity the resulting REpopulating Stem Cell Unit (RESCU) assay has the added advantage of been much faster. The increased pressure to repopulate the recipient animal as a result of decreased competition enabling the presence of repopulating stem cells to be consistently determined and quantitated as early as 1-2 months after transplantation.
Case Fatality Rate with Pulmonary Embolectomy for Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Abstract Background There are insufficient data to assess the potential role of pulmonary embolectomy in patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Methods In-hospital all-cause case fatality rate with pulmonary embolectomy was assessed from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1999 through 2008. Results Among unstable patients (in shock or ventilator-dependent), case fatality rate with embolectomy was 380 of 950 (40%). Among stable patients, case fatality rate was lower: 690 of 2820 (24%) ( P P =.01). Case fatality rates were lower in patients with a primary diagnosis of pulmonary embolism and even lower in patients with a primary diagnosis who had none of the comorbid conditions listed in the Charlson Index. Within each stratified group, patients with vena cava filters had a lower case fatality rate. Conclusions Case fatality rate in unstable patients who underwent pulmonary embolectomy remained at 39%-40% from 1999-2003 to 2004-2008, and in stable patients it decreased only from 27% to 23%. Case fatality rates were lower in those with fewer comorbid conditions and in those who received a vena cava filter. Our data reflect average outcome in the US. It may be that experienced surgeons and an aggressive multidisciplinary team could obtain a lower case fatality rate.
Controversial topic: return to competitive sport after severe traumatic brain injury

Various guidelines have been proposed for returning to sport after concussion or mild TBI. However, no such guidelines exist for severe TBI. This study presents three cases of athletes who sustained severe TBIs and returned to competition. The rational for their clearance will be discussed.
Mapping tRNA and 5S RNA tertiary structures by charge dependent Fe(II)-catalyzed cleavage.

Chemical and enzymatic footprinting experiments have made it possible to identify protein binding sites in DNA and RNA, and to localize structural differences within nucleic acids to a resolution of a single base pair. We show here that by combining three reagents, Fe(II).EDTA2-, Fe(II).EDDA and Fe2+, differential maps of sites in RNA that vary in their local conformation and/or charge can be constructed. Comparison of profiles with respect to controls in the absence of a counterion such as Mg2+ allows analysis of sites responsive to tertiary structure. A single site that is labile to metals such as Pb2+ exists in tRNA(Phe) and a number of other tRNA's; this site is hyper-reactive to Fe(II), but not to the other probes. Scission induced by the neutral complex, Fe(II).EDDA, offers the most general measure of surface accessibility, since its distribution about the target molecule is insensitive to charge. Enhanced cleavage by Fe(II) relative to the other agents is detected at several adjacent sites in 5S RNA, consistent with conformational mobility. Protection at a series of positions in the arm formed by loops E and D with helix IV suggests further that at low temperature this arm interacts with loop A and helix I.
Field-flattened high-order modes

We present a method for designing circularly-symmetric waveguides that support a field-flattened higher order mode and show that adding these flattened, concentric rings does not alter the effective index or flattened nature of the mode.
The interpretation of service: an anthropological view.

The behavioral model of service which has typified the hospitality industry is challenged. A study of complaints from restaurant guests supports a model of service which is based not on a set of actions and behaviors but upon the interpretation of these behaviors. Factors influencing these perceptions are viewed as culturally determined and the application of anthropological techniques is suggested to study the culture of the restaurant guest. Such studies will lead to an understanding of how actions are interpreted and will facilitate the ultimate goal of addressing perceptual factors directly. Until such studies are undertaken, simple methods of focusing upon factors affecting interpretation are suggested for the restaurant staff in order to improve service and to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Implementing qubits in an entangled Bose-Einstein condensate

An experimentally realized Bose-Einstein spinor condensate is analyzed. The condensate of sodium atoms in their F equals 1 hyperfine state is optically trapped by a focused, near- infrared laser beam which eliminates many limitations associated with magnetic traps. A minimal theoretical description of the system is formulated and solved for motion along one dimension. The significance of the results of the solution, for possible use in quantum computing, is discussed.
Aspects of Combustion Stability in Liquid Propellant Rocket Motors Part I: Fundamentals. Low Frequency Instability With Monopropellants

Existing theories are able to explain part of the observed ffects of low-frequency unstable combust ion with the issumption of a constant t ime lag between the propellants ujection and their transformation into hot gases. A discussion shows that the t i m e lag cannot be constant if the pressure oscillates, but m u s t be correlated to the pressure listory during the t ime lag itself. A reasonable formula is uggested to represent this correlation, and this formula s applied to the determination of the critical condit ions, t is first shown that instabil ity can arise even for contant rate of inject ion. Secondly, it is shown how the ariation of the inject ion rate affects the critical condit ions or monopropel lant feeding systems of constant rate or jonstant pressure type, having given characteristics of nertia and elasticity. Finally, the influence of n o n miform values of the t ime lag for different portions of the njected propellant is discussed. The bipropellant case md the case of h igh frequency instabi l i ty will be discussed n Part II, to be published in next issue of the " Journal of ;he American Rocket Society."
Phase I study of sorafenib in combination with everolimus (RAD001) in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors.

Purpose Sorafenib and everolimus are both active against neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Because of potential synergy between VEGF pathway and mTOR inhibitors, we performed a phase I study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of combining sorafenib and everolimus in patients with advanced NET.
TCDD elevates erbB2 expression and signaling in T47D cells by reversing serum potentiation of estrogen receptor activity, independent of estrogen levels and enhanced ER down-regulation

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induced erbB2 and erbB3 in estrogen receptor (ER) positive T47D (T47D+) cells, but substantially slower than the direct induction of CYP1A1 or CYP1B1. Similar maximum erbB levels were observed in ER- T47D cells or in T47D+ cells cultured in estrogen (E2)-free, defined media (SFM) or serum media with anti-estrogen ICI 182,780. Serum greatly potentiated E2-suppression of erbB expression, which required, at most, 1 pM E2, relative to SFM (20- vs. fourfold). TCDD stimulation (fivefold) was only observed in serum, suggesting that increases arise from reversal of this serum potentiation process (phosphorylation, nuclear co-factors, etc.). ER-degradation was increased by TCDD, but this required high levels of E2 and was independent of serum. E2-hydroxylation is excluded by the lack of effect of excess E2. TCDD enhanced heregulin-stimulated signaling in T47D+ cells, in a parallel manner to erbB2 and erbB3 induction.
AN EVALUATION OF LABORATORY TESTING TECHNIQUES IN SOIL MECHANICS

ABSTRACT An extensive soil testing program was conducted on clay and sand materials using three different devices, namely the standard triaxial, the N. G. I. simple shear device and the thin long hollow cylinder. Both monotonic and cycling loadings were used and led to results that dramatize the influence of the boundary conditions present in each device. The use of the simple shear test to simulate the conditions that prevail during landslides or earthquakes is found to lead to erroneous results when compared to the thin hollow cylinder. For both static and dynamic tests the triaxial tests is definitely an improvement over the simple shear one. The thin hollow cylinder is shown to be the most desirable configuration to be used in the soils laboratory for studies related to strength and stability under both static and earthquake situations.
One-Meson Contribution to the Deuteron Quadrupole Moment

When both thc deuteron pole and the one-meson branch cut are included in the calculation of the mixing amplitudes the requirement that this amplitude vanish to zero momentum then givcs the residue of the deuteron pole in tcrms of the meson-nucleon coupling constant. This residue is simply related to the ratio of the asymptotic s and d wave funetions of the deuteron. The result is in good agreement with those of the phenomenological deuteron wave functions which have been adjusted to the observed quadrupole moment as well as other low-encrgy data. (A.C.)
A Stopping Rule for Variable Selection in Multiple Regression

Abstract Stepwise regression is a member of a class of statistical methods which may be called opportunistic. The statistician is naturally concerned that an artifact should not be reported so he needs a stopping rule that is geared to the way in which variables are selected. A sampled permutation test is outlined which offers such a stopping rule for forward stepping.
Recipes for fun

Summertime means hours of outdoor play! Children of all ages will enjoy these games and nature activities whether in their own backyards or at a playground, or a nearby park or forest preserve.
Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in precursor B-cells.

DNA methylation is responsible for regulating gene expression and cellular differentiation and for maintaining genomic stability during normal human development. Furthermore, it plays a significant role in the regulation of hematopoiesis. In order to elucidate the influence of DNA methylation during B-cell development, genome-wide DNA methylation status of pro-B, pre-BI, pre-BII, and naive-B-cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood was determined using the methylated CpG island recovery assay followed by next generation sequencing. On average, 182–200 million sequences were generated for each precursor B-cell subset in 10 biological replicates. An overall decrease in methylation was observed during the transition from pro-B to pre-BI, whereas no differential methylation was observed in the pre-BI to pre-BII transition or in the pre-BII to naive B-cell transition. Most of the methylated regions were located within intergenic and intronic regions not present in a CpG island context. Putative novel enhancers were identified in these regions that were differentially methylated between pro-B and pre-BI cells. The genome-wide methylation profiles are publically available and may be used to gain a better understanding of the involvement of atypical DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of malignancies associated with precursor B-cells.
Mechanistic steps in the production of PCDD and PCDF during waste combustion

Abstract Research has shown that synthesis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) during municipal waste combustion can proceed through a three step mechanism including 1) production of Cl2 from a metal-catalyzed reaction of HCl and O2, 2) Cl2 chlorination of aromatic rings through substitution reactions, and 3) formation of dual ring structures by a second metal-catalyzed reaction. Formation of the dual ring PCDD structure, likely through condensation reactions of chlorophenols, is enhanced up to three orders of magnitude in the presence of metal catalysts, such as Cu (II), reaching a maximum around 400°C.
A Valuable Snail Poison

A mash made of one part calcium arsenate and sixteen parts bran was used successfully as a poison bait in eradication work against Helix pisana at La Jolla, California. It is now giving splendid results in the control of Helix aspersa.
The physiology of deciduous fruits in storage

The various deciduous fruits like apples, pears, peaches and plums are living organisms, even after being separated from the parent tree at harvest time. This means that these fruits carry on physiological processes like respiration and transpiration during storage. Of course, they finally"die", and it is the job of the owner of the fruit to dispose of them long before death is reached. Just when an apple is "dead" is not easily discernible. It is true that parasitic fungi are often the cause of death, but very often old age is the cause of the "demise". It is the obligation of the storage operator to so manipulate conditions in storage that the longest possible life of the fruit may be expected. That means he must provide conditions for controlled respiration, transpiration and possibly other physiological processes. It is the obligation of the plant physiologist to tell the storage operator what the optimum conditions for storage are. This review purports to summarize the available information on the physiology of fruits and how it may be controlled in storage. The behavior of fruit in storage is often strongly affected by conditions in the orchard during the growing season or by the handling of the fruit by the owner after harvest. Since these pre-storage factors have a bearing on storage behavior, they will be dealt with whenever they seem pertinent.
The Role of Surface Defects in CO Oxidation, Methanol Oxidation, and Oxygen Reduction on Pt ( 111 )

Some surface reactions of interest to electrocatalysis in alkaline media are promoted by crystalline defects, while others occur preferentially on defect-free terraces. Different forms of structure sensitivity, and the underlying causes of this structure sensitivity, have been examined using several fuel-cell-relevant surface reactions in alkaline media as model reactions. Oxidation of CO serves as a model for defect favored reactions, while reduction of oxygen serves as a model for terrace favored reactions. More complicated reactions, such as methanol oxidation, can be interpreted as containing multiple steps that are either defect favored or terrace favored. The role of defects in each of these reactions was interpreted in terms of geometric and electronic effects, with different types of defects kink type and step type showing different effects for the different electrocatalytic processes. CO oxidation is promoted by both step-type and kink-type defects, as a result of electronic structure, but methanol dehydrogenation is promoted only by step-type defects, as a result of geometric structure. © 2007 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/1.2792335 All rights reserved.
Structure-function-folding relationship in a WW domain.

Protein folding barriers result from a combination of factors including unavoidable energetic frustration from nonnative interactions, natural variation and selection of the amino acid sequence for function, and/or selection pressure against aggregation. The rate-limiting step for human Pin1 WW domain folding is the formation of the loop 1 substructure. The native conformation of this six-residue loop positions side chains that are important for mediating protein–protein interactions through the binding of Pro-rich sequences. Replacement of the wild-type loop 1 primary structure by shorter sequences with a high propensity to fold into a type-I′ β-turn conformation or the statistically preferred type-I G1 bulge conformation accelerates WW domain folding by almost an order of magnitude and increases thermodynamic stability. However, loop engineering to optimize folding energetics has a significant downside: it effectively eliminates WW domain function according to ligand-binding studies. The energetic contribution of loop 1 to ligand binding appears to have evolved at the expense of fast folding and additional protein stability. Thus, the two-state barrier exhibited by the wild-type human Pin1 WW domain principally results from functional requirements, rather than from physical constraints inherent to even the most efficient loop formation process.