cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative comparison of sink efficiency of Cu–Nb, Cu–V and Cu–Ni interfaces for point defects

Abstract The efficacy of heterointerfaces as sinks for point defects in Cu was characterized using local measurements of tracer-impurity radiation-enhanced diffusion (RED). The measurements were performed as a function of irradiation temperature and Cu thickness in multilayer samples, with the results being compared to steady-state kinetic rate equations to determine sink strengths. Cu–Nb Kurdjumov–Sachs (KS) interfaces are found to be nearly ideal sinks for point defects, whereas Cu–Ni (1 1 1) heteroepitaxial interfaces are poor sinks; Cu–V KS interfaces are intermediate. Quantitative analysis of the RED data also yields the defect production efficiency for freely migrating defects in Cu, which is on the order of 1% for MeV Kr irradiation.
Procaine amide overdosage in myocardial infarction

Abstract A case of myocardial infarction has been presented in which ten times the prescribed dose of procaine amide (5.0 Gm.) was inadvertently administered. Recovery was uneventful and toxic symptoms disappeared eight hours later. No treatment was administered.
A Distinct Pathway Remodels Mitochondrial Cristae and Mobilizes Cytochrome c during Apoptosis

Abstract The mechanism during apoptosis by which cytochrome c is rapidly and completely released in the absence of mitochondrial swelling is uncertain. Here, we show that two distinct pathways are involved. One mediates release of cytochrome c across the outer mitochondrial membrane, and another, characterized in this study, is responsible for the redistribution of cytochrome c stored in intramitochondrial cristae. We have found that the "BH3-only" molecule tBID induces a striking remodeling of mitochondrial structure with mobilization of the cytochrome c stores (∼85%) in cristae. This reorganization does not require tBID's BH3 domain and is independent of BAK, but is inhibited by CsA. During this process, individual cristae become fused and the junctions between the cristae and the intermembrane space are opened.
Genetic Control of Drug Resistance: Assignment of ama-1 to Chinese Hamster Chromosome 7, Confirmation of Assignment of Genes Coding for TK, GALK, and ACP to Chromosome 7, and Tentative Assignment of TPI to Chromosome 8

The gene which specifies a subunit of RNA polymerase II, ama-1,is assigned to chromosome 7 in the Chinese hamster. The assignment of genes coding for TK, GALK, and ACP to chromosome 7 is confirmed, with a provisional regional assignment of TK and GALK to 7q. On the basis of one clone with six subclones, a provisional assignment of TPI to Chinese hamster chromosome 8 is made. With the assignment of tkand ama-1to chromosome 7 in the CHO cell line Amal, this chromosome is shown to have two selectable markers.
Study of purified bacteria and viruses by pyrolysis mass spectrometry

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (Py-MS), incorporating an in situ thermal hydrolysis and methylation (THM) step, was used to profile methylated lipids (e.g., fatty acids and cholesterol) from pathogenic viruses and bacteria by means of a field-portable ion-trap MS instrument referred to as the chemical/biological mass spectrometer (CBMS). The CBMS has been successfully tested for biological warfare agents to give correct classification (three classes—spore, vegetative cell, and toxin) in both field and chamber tests. Incorporating an in situ THM step in the CBMS will improve its capabilities to better identify biomarkers from bacteria and viruses. Mass spectra of one bacterial and two viral pathogens (grown by cell cultures) were produced with a total analysis time of 3 min per profile and could be separated when examined by principal-component analysis (PCA). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 3: 357–374, 1999
Radio self-interference cancellation by transmit beamforming, all-analog cancellation and blind digital tuning

Radio self-interference cancellation has been a technological challenge for more than a century while it is the most critical enabler for full-duplex radios. The eventual success of radio self-interference cancellation may well depend on not only improved hardware technology but also innovative signal processing schemes. In this paper, we present a few latest discoveries on such schemes. The first is an improvement of time-domain transmit beamforming with robustness against the IQ imbalances in radio circuits, which is supported by both simulation and hardware experimental results. A key innovation here is due to the use of real-valued linear model instead of complex-valued linear (or widely linear) model. The second is a numerical investigation of the performance limits of an all-analog cancellation channel based on clustered-taps of attenuators when the interference channel has a large number of random multipaths. The third is a blind digital tuning method which uses only the baseband waveforms to determine the values of the variable attenuators embedded in the all-analog cancellation channel. This method is robust against imperfections in the knowledge of the transfer function of any component in the system provided that a real-valued linearity property holds (except for the transmit chain). HighlightsTime-domain transmit beamforming robust against IQ imbalances.Advantage of real-valued linear model over complex-valued linear or widely-linear model.New architecture for all-analog cancellation.Blind digital tuning using the output of radio receiver chain.Hardware efficiency and robustness against transmitter noise and nonlinearity.
Downscaling CMIP5 climate models shows increased tropical cyclone activity over the 21st century

A recently developed technique for simulating large [O(104)] numbers of tropical cyclones in climate states described by global gridded data is applied to simulations of historical and future climate states simulated by six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) global climate models. Tropical cyclones downscaled from the climate of the period 1950–2005 are compared with those of the 21st century in simulations that stipulate that the radiative forcing from greenhouse gases increases by over preindustrial values. In contrast to storms that appear explicitly in most global models, the frequency of downscaled tropical cyclones increases during the 21st century in most locations. The intensity of such storms, as measured by their maximum wind speeds, also increases, in agreement with previous results. Increases in tropical cyclone activity are most prominent in the western North Pacific, but are evident in other regions except for the southwestern Pacific. The increased frequency of events is consistent with increases in a genesis potential index based on monthly mean global model output. These results are compared and contrasted with other inferences concerning the effect of global warming on tropical cyclones.
Probing charge scattering mechanisms in suspended graphene by varying its dielectric environment

Graphene with high carrier mobility μ is required both for graphene-based electronic devices and for the investigation of the fundamental properties of Dirac fermions. An attractive approach to increase the mobility is to place graphene in an environment with high static dielectric constant κ that would screen the electric field due to the charged impurities present near graphene's surface. Here we investigate the effect of the dielectric environment of graphene and study electrical transport in multi-terminal graphene devices suspended in liquids with κ ranging from 1.9 to 33. For non-polar liquids (κ<5), we observe a rapid increase of μ(κ), with room-temperature mobility reaching ~60,000 cm(2) Vs(-1) for devices in anisole (κ = 4.3). We associate this trend with dielectric screening of charged impurities adsorbed on graphene. We observe much lower mobility μ~20,000 cm(2) Vs(-1) for devices in polar liquids (κ ≥ 18) and explain it by additional scattering caused by ions present in such liquids.
Hegemonic order, September 11, and the consequences of the Bush revolution

The end of the Cold War brought forth a systemic change in world politics, from an international system dominated by two superpowers to a system dominated by one. This systemic shift is profound, and implies new patterns of interaction among states. It leads states, particularly major powers, to reconsider and possibly redirect their foreign policies. Systemic change also has consequences for order and stability in key regions of the world.
Worker exposure to styrene monomer in the reinforced plastic boat-making industry

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an industrial hygiene study of workers exposed to styrene monomer in the fiberglass reinforced plastic boat industry. This industry was chosen for study because of its length of operation and the high styrene monomer exposures experienced by these workers. The objective of the study was to provide extent of exposure data for specific jobs by including plants representing a cross-section of the industry. Industrial hygiene surveys were conducted at seven plants. Overall exposure to styrene monomer ranged from 2 parts per million (ppm) to 183 ppm. Mean exposures for the four primary job categories of hull lamination, deck lamination, small parts lamination and gel coating were found to be 78 ppm, 67 ppm, 44 ppm and 48 ppm respectively.
Co-administration of betulinic acid and methamphetamine causes toxicity to dopaminergic and serotonergic nerve terminals in the striatum of late adolescent rats

Psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH) is toxic to dopaminergic and serotonergic striatal nerve terminals in adult, but not in adolescent, brain. Betulinic acid (BA) and its derivatives are promising anti-HIV agents with some toxic properties. Many METH users, particularly young men, are HIV-positive; therefore, they might be treated with BA or its derivative for HIV infection. It is not known whether BA, or any of its derivatives, is neurotoxic in combination with METH in adolescent brain. The present study investigated the effects of BA and binge METH in the striatum in late adolescent rats. BA or METH alone did not decrease the levels of dopaminergic or serotonergic markers in the striatum whereas BA and METH together decreased these markers in a BA dose-dependent manner. BA and METH combination also caused decreases in the levels of mitochondrial complex I in the same manner; BA alone only slightly decreased the levels of the enzyme in striatal synaptosomes. BA or METH alone increased cytochrome c. METH alone decreased parkin, increased complex II and striatal BA levels. These results suggest that METH in combination with BA can be neurotoxic to dopaminergic and serotonergic striatal nerve terminals in late adolescent brain via mitochondrial dysfunction and parkin deficit.
An empirical investigation of the antecedents and consequences of manufacturing goal achievement in North American, European and Pan Pacific firms

Abstract Descriptions of the content of manufacturing goals, and in particular, the variations in the professed goals of manufacturing among firms are abundant in the manufacturing strategy literature. However, few empirical studies have addressed the process (i.e., causal linkages pertaining to and among supply management, process improvements, and information systems) relating to and affecting the degree of manufacturing goal achievement. The major objectives pursued in this study are: 1) To propose a conceptual model that examines the antecedents and consequences of manufacturing goal achievement and test its empirical validity; and 2) To verify whether the conceptual model is valid across North American, European and Pan Pacific regions using the GMRG database. This study examines relationships among supply management, process improvements, information systems, manufacturing goals, customer responsiveness, and firm performance across a sample of 576 manufacturing firms competing in the global arena, and tests the posited structural equation model. The results consistently support the validity of the proposed conceptual model in all three regions. The results also provide empirical support for the conclusion that manufacturing firms in the three geographical regions examined in this study emphasize different manufacturing goals. The results suggest that this differential emphasis on manufacturing goals leads firms to mobilize a different set of resources suggesting differences in manufacturing strategy. The paper suggests additional research issues that can be pursued.
Toroidal mantle flow through the western U.S. slab window

The circular pattern of anisotropic fast-axis orientations of split SKS arrivals observed in the western U.S. cannot be attributed reasonably to either preexisting lithospheric fabric or to asthenospheric strain related to global-scale plate motion. A plume origin for this pattern accounts more successfully for the anisotropy field, but little evidence exists for an active plume beneath central Nevada. We suggest that mantle flow around the edge of the sinking Gorda–Juan de Fuca slab is responsible for creating the observed anisotropy. Seismic images and kinematic reconstructions of Gorda–Juan de Fuca plate subduction have the southern edge of this plate extending from the Mendocino triple junction to beneath central Nevada, and flow models of narrow subducted slabs produce a strong toroidal flow field around the edge of the slab, consistent with the observed pattern of anisotropy. This flow may enhance uplift, extension, and magmatism of the northern Basin and Range while inhibiting extension of the southern Basin and Range.
Perioperative Management of Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension for Non-Cardiac Surgery

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While the advent of disease-modifying therapies in the treatment of PH has dramatically increased the life expectancy of these patients, they remain at high risk for perioperative complications. Outcome studies suggest that patients with PH undergoing non-cardiac surgery have higher morbidity and mortality than those without, independent of severity. Despite these risks, more and more of these patients are presenting for non-cardiac surgery. Patients with rheumatologic disorders in particular often have pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a group that is associated with a poorer prognosis. Yet, these patients invariably develop debilitating joint diseases and not uncommonly present for elective surgery. Preoperatively, patients with PH should be appropriately risk stratified based on functional class, etiology, exercise capacity, pulmonary hemodynamics, and the risk of surgery. If the risks and benefits assessment proves favorable, they should undergo optimization prior to surgery, with any chronic therapy continuing without cessation through the perioperative period. A multidisciplinary approach involving all intraoperative physicians is imperative to forming a safe intraoperative plan based on the inherent physiology underlying the patient’s disease. Finally, because complications in this patient population often occur postoperatively, patients should be monitored in an appropriate setting with a goal of preventing right ventricular dysfunction. In this review article, we focus on the evaluation, risk stratification, and optimization of patients with PH undergoing non-cardiac surgery.
Analysis of electrical resistivity of compositions within the Mo-Si-B ternary system, part I: single phase compounds

Abstract Electrical resistivity of nominally single phase polycrystalline compositions within the Mo-Si-B system was characterized as a function of temperature within the range of 25–1500°C. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and the experimental lattice parameters are shown to agree with literature values. Mo 5 SiB 2 (T2), MoB, Mo 3 Si and Mo 5 Si 3 all possess a similar temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR). T1 phase (Mo 5+y Si 3−y B x ) exhibited a higher resistivity and lower TCR at all temperatures than the parent Mo 5 Si 3 . Hall effect measurements showed that boron in T1 is electrically active, increasing the electron concentration an order of magnitude beyond that of Mo 5 Si 3 . The higher carrier concentration in T1 is thought to be responsible for the observed difference in TCR between the two phases, while microcracking in T1 is believed responsible for the higher resistivity. MoSi 2 was found to have a significantly higher TCR compared with all other compositions in this study. The resistivity of all phases is consistent with a description based on semi-metals or low density of states metals.
Effect of cell density of development of the antiviral state in interferon-producing cells: a possible model of in vivo conditions.

SummaryTissue culture conditions which mimic the high cell densities n vivo were used to elucidate further the virus, cell, and interferon interactions. To help define some of the variables which govern the action of interferon in the same cells which produce the interferon, the technique of altering the effective interferon concentration by varying the extracellular volume was used. Specifically, mouse L cells were treated with a high-multiplicity Newcastle disease virus at 0° and then resuspended at 37° in two different volumes of prewarmed medium such that each had the same total number of cells but the concentration of cells in one culture was 5 × 106 and that in the other was 5 × 104. Under these conditions both cell suspensions produced the same total amount of interferon, but at interferon concentrations of 320 and 4 units/ ml, respectively. Antiviral resistance developed more rapidly and to higher levels in the more concentrated cells. It was calculated that at the high cell density (closer to tha...
Noise constrained power optimization for dual V/sub T/ domino logic

In dual threshold voltage techniques, significant subthreshold leakage current is one of the most important design problems. When dual threshold voltage is applied to the domino logic, noise immunity has to be carefully considered because the significant subthreshold current makes dynamic nodes much more susceptible to noise. In this paper, an analytical model for proper keeper transistor sizing to meet noise constraint is presented. Based on the same noise constraint, we propose dual threshold voltage domino logic technique to save power consumption.
Chemical biology: hitting the sweet spot.

By taking advantage of the cell's carbohydrate metabolism, reactive sugar analogues can be used to tag specific cells, potentially singling them out for imaging studies or drug delivery.
The normal modes of the gramicidin-A dimer channel

The dynamics of the gramicidin-A dimer channel is studied in the harmonic approximation by a vibrational analysis of the atomic motions relative to their equilibrium positions. The system is represented by an empirical potential energy function, and all degrees of freedom (bonds lengths, bond angles, and torsional angles) are allowed to vary. The thermal fluctuations in the backbone dihedral angles phi and psi, atomic root mean square displacements, and the correlations between the different amide planes are computed. It is found that only adjacent dihedral psi i and phi i+1 are strongly correlated, while different hydrogen-bonded amide planes are only weakly correlated. Modes with relatively low vibrational frequencies (75–175 cm-1) make the dominant contributions to the carbonyl librations. The general flexibility of the structure and the role of carbonyl librations in the ion transport mechanism are discussed.
Dynamic Impacts of a Shock in Crude Oil Price on Agricultural Chemical and Fertilizer Prices

A monthly vector autoregression (VAR) model of the following prices was estimated over the 1962:l-1990:6 period: crude oil price (CRUDE), industrial chemical price (INDCHEM), agricultural chemical price (AGCHEM), and fertilizer price (FERT). The VAR was shocked with a rise in CRUDE, and dynamic impulse response patterns in AGCHEM and FERT were observed. Results suggest that AGCHEM and FERT responses would be increases; would be mild for half a year; would thereafter gain in strength and peak within 19 to 21 months; and would last for 2.0 to 2.3 years. AGCHEM and FERT would rise by about one-fourth of the percentage increase in CRUDE which occurs over the response period.
Diapiric penetration with melting

Abstract We consider a series of problems in which a solid or an immiscible fluid body melts its way through a solid medium. Both internal heat generation and viscous heating are considered. We hypothesize that the melted medium is confined to a thin squeeze film on the upstream portion of the body and that the lubrication approximation is valid in this squeeze film. We find that thermal runaway, the unbounded conversion of potential into thermal energy, will occur for spherical bodies with a radius greater than a critical value. For immisscible fluid bodies we find an infinite family of allowed shapes for a fixed volume of fluid. Thin bodies are more efficient at melting their way through a medium than blunt bodies.
63. Long lasting effects of smoking: Breast cancer survivors’ inflammatory responses to acute stress differ by smoking history

Cigarette smoking continues to be the most preventable cause of illness and death. Current smokers have dysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) activity and elevated levels of inflammation compared to nonsmokers. To date, data in former smokers has been limited to observing persistent inflammation even years following cessation, yet there is little published on HPA function. This study examined cortisol and interleukin-6 (IL-6) responses to a laboratory stressor in breast cancer survivors who formerly smoked compared to their counterparts who had never smoked. Participants included 90 women (age = 51.4 ± 9.4 years) who had completed treatment for stage 0-IIIA breast cancer within the past three years and were at least two months post surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, whichever occurred last. Cortisol and IL-6 were evaluated in response to a standardized laboratory speech and mental arithmetic stressor. Former ( n = 25) and never ( n = 65) smokers did not differ by cancer stage, cancer treatment, comorbidities, time since treatment, depression, or stress. Despite having similar cortisol responses to the stressor, former smokers had exaggerated IL-6 responses two hours post-stressor compared to never smokers ( p
Restoration of Nigrostriatal Pathway in Parkinson's Animals by the Bridge Transplantation Technique

Laboratory and clinical studies have indicated that fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue transplantation into the lesioned striatum improves the behavioral and biochemical symptoms of Parkinsonian animals and patients. Restoration of tyrosine hydroxylase immuno-reactivity and dopamine release is limited to the transplantation site. Unfortunately, clinical studies using this approach have demonstrated severe dyskinetic side effects. This may be because afferent fibers normally providing input to the nigra are not available at the heterotypic striatal site. In this review, we discuss a bridge transplantation technique that has been shown to be effective in restoring the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway of Parkinsonian animals, and that may have translational applications to humans.
Monte Carlo studies of positrons in matter. Temperature and electric field effects on lifetime spectra in low-temperature, high-density helium gas

Lifetime spectra of slow positrons in helium gas at low temperatures and high densities have been calculated using a Monte Carlo technique. Spectra are calculated both with and without applied electric fields using a two-parameter model based on the picture of helium cluster or droplet formation around the positron. The model is remarkably successful in reproducing the observed peak in the low-temperature spectra, the changes in the peak with variation of temperature and electric field, and the behavior of the "equilibrium" decay rate under a variety of conditions. At 5.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, the optimal model parameters, independent of electric field, are found to be ${E}_{R}=0.005$ eV for the threshold energy of droplet formation, and ${Z}_{R}=18.2$ for the enhanced decay-rate parameter. The simple slowing-down approximation is relatively successful in explaining the high-temperature spectra and in predicting the position of the peak in the low-temperature spectra when no electric field or only very small fields are present. The approximation breaks down at low temperatures and high electric fields, and consideration of the average positron energy and the width of the energy distribution as functions of time shows why this breakdown occurs.
Activists against hunger: Membership characteristics of a national social movement organization

This article presents results of the first study of the contemporary antihunger movement. We compare the membership characteristics of one its largest organizations, Bread for the World (BFW), with data on the general population of the United States drawn from the 1985 General Social Survey. When compared with the general population, BFW members are, among other things, unusually well educated, religious, politically liberal and efficacious, and active in church-related and political organizations. The differences in religious and political belief and organizational involvement persist even when BFW members are compared with their equally well educated counterparts in the general population. Our findings thus elucidate certain ideological and organizational bases for membership in BFW. We discuss the implications of the findings for issues in the contemporary study of social movements and for BFW's prospects in the political arena.
The role of catalyst support on the activity of nickel for reforming methane with CO2

Thermodynamic studies were conducted to determine the operating conditions needed to inhibit carbon deposition and nickel carbide formation as well as to study the possible solid-state reactions within the catalysts in reforming methane with CO2. Five nickel commercial catalysts, manufactured for steam reforming, on supports containing alumina in different forms were studied and their catalytic activity, selectivity and stability were established using different feed ratios, space velocities and temperatures. Fused α-Al2O3 was the only stable catalyst support but such a system yielded relatively lower conversion. Although γ-alumina partly transformed to the α-form with a resultant exothermic effect and drastic decrease in surface area, a decrease in conversion was not detected. α-Al2O3 in the presence of mullite caused a rapid irreversible deactivation which is accompanied by an increase in volume of 21%. On the other hand the presence of α-Al2O3 in the presence of MgAl2O4 or calcium aluminate gave high conversions which increase with time due to the formation of phases more active than metallic nickel. In both cases the resultant solid-state reactions are endothermic and are accompanied by a decrease in surface area. In the presence of MgAl2O4 the residual alumina forms NiAl2O4 which is soluble in MgAl2O4.
Palynological Survey of Certain Mesozoic-Tertiary Strata in California: ABSTRACT

NSF Grant GP-473 supported a 1-year preliminary palynological study of selected Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks in portions of the Central Valley and Coast Ranges in northern California to determine: (1) where and how palynology can contribute to solving geological problems in the area, and (2) what stratigraphic sequences contain organic microfossils suitable for fundamental paleontological study. After establishing a laboratory for processing samples, slides from about 800 samples were prepared and examined. These samples were, in part, matrix from specimens in Stanford collections, in part, provided by other agencies and individuals, and, in part, newly collected. Most of the samples are from outcrops. Principal conclusions are: 1. Problems of Franciscan geology are not likely to be solved quickly by use of palynology although contained microfossils permit dating of occasional samples. 2. Two areas of particular promise for future work are: (a) the uppermost Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sequence north and south of Paskenta west of the Sacramento Valley, and (b) the Upper Cretaceous-lower Tertiary sequence in the belt south of Tracy west of the San Joaquin Valley. 3. Cretaceous-Miocene clastics in the Santa Cruz Mountains generally contain abundant organic matter but only poorly preserved pollen and spores. 4. From lithology or appearance in hand specimens it is not possible to predict with satisfactory consistency how fossiliferous a sample may be or how well preserved its fossils. 5. In many of the better samples dinoflagellates are better preserved and seem to show more striking stratigraphic changes than spores and pollen in the same samples. As a follow-up of this survey, both taxonomic and stratigraphic studies of dinoflagellates in the areas mentioned in item 2 are now under way. At the same time sampling to delineate additional areas and topics for future research continues. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1760------------
SELF-REPORTED GANG INVOLVEMENT AND OFFICIALLY RECORDED DELINQUENCY*

Field studies and survey research have sometimes been critical of the utility of law enforcement data on gang activity. Survey information on gang involvement in early adolescence is linked to delinquent offending as recorded by the Chicago Police Department over a five-year period. Self-reported gang involvement is found to be a significant correlate of the probability of officially recorded delinquency even when ethnicity, prior self-reported offending, and prior officially recorded offending are controlled. The conclusion is that while survey and official records sources of data do not perfectly coincide, together they can enhance the view of gang involvement.
Performance of urinary and gene expression biomarkers in detecting the nephrotoxic effects of melamine and cyanuric acid following diverse scenarios of co-exposure.

Although standard nephrotoxicity assessments primarily detect impaired renal function, KIM-1, clusterin, NGAL, osteopontin and TIMP-1 were recently identified biomarkers proposed to indicate earlier perturbations in renal integrity. The recent adulteration of infant and pet food with melamine (MEL) and structurally-related compounds revealed that co-ingestion of MEL and cyanuric acid (CYA) could form melamine–cyanurate crystals which obstruct renal tubules and induce acute renal failure. This study concurrently evaluated the ability of multiplexed urinary biomarker immunoassays and biomarker gene expression analysis to detect nephrotoxicity in F344 rats co-administered 60 ppm each of MEL and CYA in feed or via gavage for 28 days. The biomarkers were also evaluated for the ability to differentiate the effects of the compounds when co-administered using diverse dosing schedules (i.e., consecutive vs. staggered gavage) and dosing matrixes (i.e., feed vs. gavage). Our results illustrate the ability of both methods to detect and differentiate the severity of adverse effects in the staggered and consecutive gavage groups at much lower doses than previously observed in animals co-exposed to the compounds in feed. We also demonstrate that these urinary biomarkers outperform traditional diagnostic methods and represent a powerful, non-invasive indicator of chemical-induced nephrotoxicity prior to the onset of renal dysfunction.
Heat produced upon neutron irradiation of containers of various materials and its effect upon the neutron activation products of disodium phosphate

Abstract The neutron irradiation of disodium phosphate in glass containers was often accompanied by secondary, chemical condensation of the phosphate to pyrophosphate. This condensation was produced by the action of heat, which was liberated in the containers themselves. The heat liberated was a function of the boron content of the containers and the neutron flux of the reactor. For the maintenance of low temperatures during neutron irradiation of various substances, containers of pure silica (quartz) or polyethylene are most effective. In the absence of thermal reactions, neutron activation of phosphate did not produce splitting or condensation of the phosphate group.
A new family of fluidic precursors for the self-templated synthesis of hierarchical nanoporous carbons

Hierarchical nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbons were prepared from task specific ionic liquids having a bis-imidazolium motif linked with various organic groups. While ethyl chains linking the imidazolium ions afforded microporous–mesoporous carbons, long or aromatic groups resulted in microporous samples.
Serial nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Recent studies show that proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging can detect myocardial ischemia and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in animal models1–3 and in humans.4–6 The area of AMI appears as increased signal intensity on the spin-echo NMR images and most likely reflects the regional edema associated with tissue necrosis.1 Thus, the time course of regional edema and the evolution of infarct healing may be revealed by serial NMR studies. In a recent canine study, Pflugfelder et al7 examined the time course of the increased NMR signal intensity associated with AMI. They found that the relative signal intensity increased between the day of AMI and 2 weeks after AMI and subsequently decreased by the 20th day. We examined the early time course of NMR changes in humans.
Enzyme pretreatment of grass lignocellulose for potential high-value co-products and an improved fermentable substrate.

Crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.), or napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) have the capacity to produce large quantities of lignocellulose for biofuel (1). To facilitate use of lignocellulosic material for ethanol, it will be necessary to determine cost-efficient pretreatments to enhance the conversion to fermentable sugars. The lignified residual products from ethanol production could also provide a value-added co-product for industrial feedstocks (e.g., nutritional antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, resins).
Immature Water Shrews Found in a Beaver Lodge

On May 11, 1954, George Knapp, Superintendent of Summer Brook Rearing Station, and two assistants discovered a nest of water shrews ( Sorex palustris albibarbis ) while tearing out a beaver lodge in Ossipee, N. H. The …
Technique for harvesting keratolimbal allografts from corneoscleral buttons.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a method for obtaining thin keratolimbal lenticules from cadaveric corneoscleral buttons for corneal epithelial stem cell allografts. METHOD: A standard silicone orbital sizing sphere and three 25-gauge needles were employed to fix the corneoscleral button to facilitate excision of keratolimbal lenticules. RESULT: Limbal stem cells in the form of keratolimbal lenticules were obtained without difficulty. CONCLUSION: With this technique, thin keratolimbal lenticules of good quality can be obtained efficiently, inexpensively, and without specialized instruments.
Early identification of cardiovascular risk using genomics and proteomics

Coronary heart disease (CHD) will soon become the leading cause of death and morbidity in the world. Early detection and treatment of CHD is thus imperative to improve global health. Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is a complex multifactorial disease process involving multiple pathways that can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. With the recent advances in genomics and proteomics, many new risk factors with small-to-moderate effects are likely to be identified. Additionally, individualized risk stratification and targeted therapy may become feasible; each individual could potentially be assessed with a panel of tests for genomic and proteomic markers and, on the basis of the individual's composite risk profile, preventive and therapeutic steps could then be undertaken. With a multimarker approach, it may also be possible to identify alterations in pathways involved in atherogenesis, rather than focus on individual risk factors. In this article, we use the specific example of atherosclerosis to discuss the role of genomics and proteomics in cardiovascular risk assessment.
Missed Diagnosis of an Arteriovenous Fistula by Penile Color Doppler Ultrasonography in a 20-year-old Male

Abstract High-flow priapism secondary to posttraumatic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) formation is a condition that can be easily diagnosed via penile color Doppler ultrasonography. In order to make the diagnosis, however, adequate coverage of the shaft and perineum is required when performing the scan. This case highlights failure to properly cover these areas, resulting in missed diagnosis of penile AVF.
Phase II Study of Donepezil in Irradiated Brain Tumor Patients: Effect on Cognitive Function, Mood, and Quality of Life

Purpose A prospective, open-label phase II study was conducted to determine whether donepezil, a US Food and Drug Administration–approved reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s type dementia, improved cognitive functioning, mood, and quality of life (QOL) in irradiated brain tumor patients. Patients and Methods Thirty-four patients received donepezil 5 mg/d for 6 weeks, then 10 mg/d for 18 weeks, followed by a washout period of 6 weeks off drug. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 12, 24 (end of treatment), and 30 weeks (end of wash-out). All tests were administered by a trained research nurse. Results Of 35 patients who initiated the study, 24 patients (mean age, 45 years) remained on study for 24 weeks and completed all outcome assessments. All 24 patients had a primary brain tumor, mostly low-grade glioma. Scores significantly improved between baseline (pretreatment) and week 24 on measures of attention/concentration, verbal memory, and figural memory and a...
Topographically driven groundwater flow and the San Andreas heat flow paradox revisited

[1] Evidence for a weak San Andreas Fault includes (1) borehole heat flow measurements that show no evidence for a frictionally generated heat flow anomaly and (2) the inferred orientation of σ1 nearly perpendicular to the fault trace. Interpretations of the stress orientation data remain controversial, at least in close proximity to the fault, leading some researchers to hypothesize that the San Andreas Fault is, in fact, strong and that its thermal signature may be removed or redistributed by topographically driven groundwater flow in areas of rugged topography, such as typify the San Andreas Fault system. To evaluate this scenario, we use a steady state, two-dimensional model of coupled heat and fluid flow within cross sections oriented perpendicular to the fault and to the primary regional topography. Our results show that existing heat flow data near Parkfield, California, do not readily discriminate between the expected thermal signature of a strong fault and that of a weak fault. In contrast, for a wide range of groundwater flow scenarios in the Mojave Desert, models that include frictional heat generation along a strong fault are inconsistent with existing heat flow data, suggesting that the San Andreas Fault at this location is indeed weak. In both areas, comparison of modeling results and heat flow data suggest that advective redistribution of heat is minimal. The robust results for the Mojave region demonstrate that topographically driven groundwater flow, at least in two dimensions, is inadequate to obscure the frictionally generated heat flow anomaly from a strong fault. However, our results do not preclude the possibility of transient advective heat transport associated with earthquakes.
Alkyl polyglycoside surfactant-alcohol cosolvent formulations for improved oil recovery

We examine here the suitability of alkyl polyglycosides (APG) for improved oil recovery (IOR) applications. In recent years, these nonionic carbohydrate-based surfactants have become a significant commercial product (80,000 tons/year) with widespread use in household and agricultural products. Our laboratory study determined several characteristics of common APG surfactant formulations, in particular their capability to create low interfacial tensions (IFT) with n-alkane hydrocarbons. Our formulations included a wide range of alcohol cosurfactants with APG surfactants. We found APG–cosurfactant combinations that exhibit low IFT values of 0.01 mN/m or less versus n-octane. Our laboratory tests confirmed these APG formulations can provide useful IFT properties that are largely independent of both salinity and temperature. We report a coreflood test conducted on a Berea sandstone core using a selected formulation that exhibits oil recovery as high as 85% IOIP.
Antitumor Effects of a Novel Small Molecule Targeting PCNA Chromatin Association in Prostate Cancer

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) plays an essential role in DNA replication and repair. Tumor cells express high levels of PCNA, identifying it as a potentially ideal target for cancer therapy. Previously, we identified nine compounds termed PCNA inhibitors (PCNA-Is) that bind directly to PCNA, stabilize PCNA trimer structure, reduce chromatin-associated PCNA, and selectively inhibit tumor cell growth. Of these compounds, PCNA-I1 is most potent. The purposes of this study were to further investigate the effects of targeting PCNA chromatin association on DNA damage and cytotoxicity and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of PCNA-I1 against tumors in mice. Given the important roles of tumor suppressor p53 in regulating sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics, we performed studies in two human prostate cancer cell lines differing in p53 expression: LNCaP cells (wild-type p53) and PC-3 cells (p53-null). PCNA-I1 induced DNA damage and apoptosis in both LNCaP and PC-3 cells and enhanced DNA damage and apoptosis triggered by cisplatin. PCNA-I1 also induced autophagy in PC-3 cells. A short-term pretreatment with PCNA-I1 reduced colony formation by 50% in both cell lines. These data suggest that, unlike many other cytotoxic drugs, the effects of PCNA-I1 on tumor cells do not depend on expression of p53. Intravenous administrations of PCNA-I1 significantly retarded growth of LNCaP tumors of in nude mice without causing detectable effects on mouse body weight and hematology profiles. These data provide proof of concept that targeting PCNA chromatin association could be a novel and effective therapeutic approach for treatment of cancer.
Robust relative pose estimation with integrated cheirality constraint

The cheirality constraint, which requires that reconstructed point correspondences lie in front of the cameras, has not typically been integrated into traditional RANSAC-based pose estimators. We have developed a new RANSAC-based relative pose estimator which incorporates the cheirality constraint not only to preempt invalid epipolar geometry hypotheses, but also as a criterion in identifying inliers for image feature correspondences. Because the application of the cheirality constraint is tightly related to the estimation of epipolar geometry, integrating them inside RANSAC can prevent inliers being falsely identified as cheirality outliers. The result is a more consistent and stable estimation which leaves denser feature correspondences for subsequent processing. Experimental comparison between the usual RANSAC-based approach and the proposed approach is performed.
"Race Coding" and White Opposition to Welfare

Crime and welfare are now widely viewed as “coded” issues that activate white Americans' negative views of blacks without explicitly raising the “race card.” But does the desire of whites to combat crime or curtail welfare really stem from their dislike of blacks? Are these not pressing problems about which Americans rightly should be concerned—apart from any associations these issues may have with race? In this paper I assess the extent to which white Americans' opposition to welfare is rooted in their attitudes toward blacks. Using conventional survey modeling techniques and a randomized survey-based experiment from a national telephone survey, I find that racial attitudes are the single most important influence on whites' welfare views. I also show that whites hold similar views of comparably described black and white welfare mothers, but that negative views of black welfare mothers are more politically potent, generating greater opposition to welfare than comparable views of white welfare mothers.
Performance evaluation of code-spread OFDM

When spectral nulls are present in a channel, they can severely degrade or cancel out OFDM tones, resulting in an irreducible error rate. In Code Spread OFDM, each sinewave carries a weighted sum of all the information symbols being transmitted in an OFDM block interval. This creates a more robust modulation scheme which provides substantial performance improvement relative to standard OFDM. In this paper, the MMSE estimator is derived for each symbol for a number of cases, including when the number of carriers is greater than the number of symbols. The performance of both OFDM and CS-OFDM are evaluated with and without error control coding using the FEC techniques typically employed in OFDM standards.
Exploiting Symbolic Techniques in Automated Synthesis of Distributed Programs with Large State Space

Automated formal analysis methods such as program verification and synthesis algorithms often suffer from time complexity of their decision procedures and also high space complexity known as the state explosion problem. Symbolic techniques, in which elements of a problem are represented by Boolean formulae, are desirable in the sense that they often remedy the state explosion problem and time complexity of decision procedures. Although symbolic techniques have successfully been used in program verification, their benefits have not yet been exploited in the context of program synthesis and transformation extensively. In this paper, we present a symbolic method for automatic synthesis of fault-tolerant distributed programs. Our experimental results on synthesis of classical fault-tolerant distributed problems such as Byzantine agreement and token ring show a significant performance improvement by several orders of magnitude in both time and space complexity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first illustration where programs with large state space (beyond 2100) is handled during synthesis.
Attentional resource and processing speed limitations during sentence processing in Parkinson's disease

Several studies have suggested that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have sentence comprehension difficulty in part because of their limited executive resources. However, these assessments confound the executive resources contributing to sentence comprehension with the resources needed for task performance. In the present study, we used a word detection technique that minimizes task demands in order to evaluate attentional and processing speed resources during the comprehension of simple sentences without subordinate clauses and sentences containing subject-relative and object-relative center-embedded subordinate clauses. We found that PD patients have poor sensitivity to phonetic errors embedded in unbound grammatical morphemes, regardless of the clausal structure of the sentence, suggesting difficulty attending to grammatical morphemes. We also found that PD patients are significantly slowed in their sensitivity to phonetic errors in content words embedded in object-relative center-embedded sentences. Slowed sensitivity to content words in object-relative sentences was correlated with timed executive measures of planning. On a traditional measure of comprehension, these PD patients were impaired for sentences containing object-relative center-embedded clauses compared to sentences with subject-relative center-embedded clauses, and comprehension of object-relative sentences was correlated with executive measures. Our findings are consistent with the claim that limited executive resources for strategic attention and processing speed contribute to the sentence comprehension difficulties of PD patients.