cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 - a tale of two vaccines.

The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines and their deployment in less than a year is a scientific and medical triumph that has raised a key question. Why do we have several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines but do not have a single HIV-1 vaccine? It took roughly 1 year for a COVID-19 vaccine to become available, yet, four decades after the first patient with HIV was described, we do not yet have a vaccine for HIV. Here, Barton Haynes examines the biological reasons why vaccine development for HIV is so exceptionally challenging.
Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe by Brian Greene

Brian Greene’s Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe, as the title suggests, is an ambitious work. Greene takes the reader on a vast tour which begins with the birth of the universe and ends with its (likely) dissolution. The staggering timescale that Greene considers here is perhaps unique among science books aimed at a wide audience. And Greene uses the backdrop of the universe’s emergence and demise as an effective platform to explore human meaning in a relatively wide range of inquiry. These subjects include consciousness, religion, language, and the arts. It appears significant for Greene that these, as important as they are, all play out in a relatively brief time in the context of the evolution and demise of the universe. At the end of the day, Greene submits that life is likely ephemeral. He provides a quote from Nabokov that characterizes human life as a “brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.” (p.13)
Peer influence processes for youth delinquency and depression

This study explores the multiple factors that account for peer influence processes of adolescent delinquency and depression using data from Waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Random-effects longitudinal negative binomial models were used to predict depression and delinquency, controlling for social connection variables to account for selection bias. Findings suggest peer depression and delinquency are both predictive of youth delinquency, while peer influences of depression are much more modest. Youth who are more connected to parents and communities and who are more popular within their networks are more susceptible to peer influence, while self-regulating youth are less susceptible. We find support for theories of popularity-socialization as well as weak-ties in explaining social network factors that amplify or constrain peer influence. We argue that practitioners working with youth should consider network-informed interventions to improve program efficacy and avoid iatrogenic effects.
Organometallic compounds—VII: Enthalpy and entropy values for the interaction several dialkylthallium(III) ions with dibenzoylmethanate ion

Abstract Thermodynamic parameters have been evaluated for the formation of compounds of the type R 2 Tl(C 6 H 5 CCOCHCOC 6 H 5 ) in 75 per cent (v/v) dioxane-water at 25°. The values of ΔH ° f are negative and small (10–17 per cent of ΔG ). The values of ΔS ° f are constant for the dimethyl- diethyl- and dipropyl-thallium derivatives. The variation of the formation constant and − ΔH ° f with chain length is ascribed to the effect of increasing hydrophobicity of the organothallium(III) ion.
Toward Automated Support for Transparent Interoperable Queries

Many Object-Oriented Databases (OODBs) use programming languages that predate Java, such as C++, CLOS and Smalltalk. Thus, there is a growing need for interoperating these OODBs with new applications that require Java. Unfortunately, there are few mechanisms that allow software developers to easily integrate Java applications with non-Java OODBs. Although various interoperability mechanisms have been developed over the years, these approaches have some significant drawbacks in practice. They are often difficult to use, provide little, if any, automated support, and produce software that is difficult to engineer and maintain. In this paper, we describe an interoperability approach that allows application developers to seamlessly and transparently access non-Java OODBs from Java applications. We first present JOQL, a Java-based object query language that we are developing. JOQL queries are embedded in Java applications and are used to perform queries over C++-based OODBs. We also describe an accompanying toolset that processes Java programs containing JOQL queries. The toolset produces all the necessary code allowing Java applications to access and manipulate a C++-based OODB. As a result, application developers are free to work in Java without having to concern themselves with the details of interoperating with C++. Finally, we provide some preliminary experimental data that demonstrates our approach incurs a reasonable performance overhead.
Living With Intensity. Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. M. (2008)

Susan Daniels and Michael Piechowski have coedited a volume geared toward understanding the theory and practical application of Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration (TPD). Readers interest...
Accounting for retail land sales: Analysis of a mandated change☆

Abstract This study assesses the stock market's reaction to a series of events leading up to a mandated change in accounting for retail land sales. Evidence is found to support the conclusion that the market reacted to some of these events in a manner consistent with the effects of the accounting change on debt annagement contracts. A distinctive aspect of the analysis is the efficient use of security returns data to detect market reactions and to derive empirical distributions of test statistics employed. The analysis is extended by a model for grouping regression equations known as seemingly unrelated regressions. However, the gains from this extension are modest.
Association of Radial Margin Positivity With Colon Cancer

Importance In colon cancer, radial margin positivity (RMP) is defined as primary disease involvement at the cut edge of the mesentery or nonserosalized portions of the colon. Although extensively studied for rectal malignancies, RMP has unclear prognostic implications for tumors of the colon. Objective To determine the effect of RMP on perioperative outcomes as well as survival and disease-free survival in colon cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study including all patients with surgically treated colon cancer at a tertiary care center from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2011. The cohort was retrospectively extracted from an institutional patient data repository and included in a data repository maintained prospectively starting June 1, 2011, to April 1, 2014. Participants included 984 patients with surgical colon cancer in the given period, excluding patients with intramucosal tumors (n = 47), palliative resections (n = 24), and patients where radial margin status was not assessable (n = 16). Main Outcomes and Measures Surgical characteristics, postoperative staging, and long-term outcomes, including recurrence and disease-free survival. Results Of the 984 included cases, 52 (5.3%) had an involved radial margin. Patients with RMP had much higher rates of multivisceral resection (40.4% vs 12.8%; relative risk, 3.16 [95% CI, 2.18-4.58]; P P = .01). All patients with RMP had American Joint Committee on Cancer stage II cancer or higher, with higher rates of node positivity (86.5% vs 38.8%; relative risk, 2.23 [95% CI, 1.95-2.55]; P P P P P P P = .04) metastasis. In multivariable Cox regression, the hazard ratio for survival adjusted for baseline staging, age, comorbidity, smoking, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy was higher (hazard ratio, 3.39; 95% CI, 2.41-4.77; P P Conclusions and Relevance An involved radial margin leads to high rates of conversion and multivisceral resection. Although occurring infrequently, RMP is an important stage-independent outcome predictor strongly associated with recurrence, risk of death, and shorter survival. Preoperative assessment, especially imaging, could play a key role in the timely identification of potential patients with RMP to take adequate preparatory surgical and therapeutic measures.
Recursive opening transform

The opening transformation on N-dimensional discrete space Z/sup N/ is discussed. The transform efficiently computes the binary opening (closing) with any size structuring element. It also provides a quick way to calculate the pattern spectrum of an image. The pattern spectrum is found to be nothing more than a histogram of the opening transform. An efficient two-pass recursive opening transform algorithm is developed and implemented. The correctness of the algorithm is proved, and some experimental results are given. The results show that the execution time of the algorithm is a linear function of n, where n is the product of the number of points in the structuring element. When the input binary image size is 256*256 and 50% of the image is covered by the binary-one pixels, it takes approximately 250 ms to do an arbitrary sized line opening and approximately 500 ms to do an arbitrary size box opening on the Sun/Sparc II workstation (with C compiler optimization flag on). >
Isolation and partial purification of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytokinetic apparatus

Cytokinesis is the process by which a cell physically divides in two at the conclusion of a cell cycle. In animal and fungal cells, this process is mediated by a conserved set of proteins including actin, type II myosin, IQGAP proteins, F-BAR proteins, and the septins. To facilitate biochemical and ultrastructural analysis of cytokinesis, we have isolated and partially purified the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytokinetic apparatus. The isolated apparatus contains all components of the actomyosin ring for which we tested—actin, myosin heavy and light chain, and IQGAP—as well as septins and the cytokinetic F-BAR protein, Hof1p. We also present evidence indicating that the actomyosin rings associated with isolated cytokinetic apparati may be contractile in vitro, and show preliminary electron microscopic imaging of the cytokinetic apparatus. This first successful isolation of the cytokinetic apparatus from a genetically tractable organism promises to make possible a deeper understanding of cytokinesis. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A review of alkali-silica reaction and expansion mechanisms 2. Reactive aggregates

Abstract Recent literature on the properties of aggregates that take part in alkali-silica or alkali-silicate reactions is reviewed, with special emphasis on those features which are thought to influence the mechanisms and kinetics of the alkali attack.
Evaluating the long-run impacts of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on US domestic airline travel

Although the US airline industry began 2001 with 24 consecutive profitable quarters, including net profits in 2000 totaling $7.9 billion, the impact of the 9/11 event on the industry was substantial. Whereas the recession that began in early 2001 signaled the end of profitability, the 9/11 terrorist attacks pushed the industry into financial crisis after air travel dropped 20% over the September–December 2001 period compared to the same period in 2000. Given the decline in domestic air travel, an important question is whether the detrimental impact of the attacks was temporary or permanent. That is, did airline travel return to the trend that existed prior to the terrorist attacks? There are theoretical reasons to the believe that it would not. Economists have long viewed travel-mode choices as the outcome of a comparison of opportunity costs and benefits. Thus, anything that permanently raises the opportunity cost of travel, holding benefits constant, should reduce the level of travel volume. To determin...
Gender differences in sexual jealousy: Adaptionist or social learning explanation?

Abstract It has often been speculated, and some evidence suggests, that men and women differ in the elicitation of jealousy: Men appear to be more likely than women to become upset over threats to sexual exclusivity; whereas women are more likely than men to react negatively to potential loss of partner time and attention. Both adaptionist and traditional social learning theories have been used to explain these apparent gender differences. In the present article we outline both explanations and review the relevant psychological literature on gender differences in the elicitation of jealousy. We propose that the difference in men's and women's psychological mechanisms for elicitation of jealousy is best characterized (at least in this culture) as a greater sensitivity among men to cues indicative of possible sexual infidelity rather than greater emotional upset in response to the occurence of extradyadic sex on the part of one's mate. We also provide data testing a traditional social learning explanation for the elicitation of jealousy. Results of a survey administered to college students ( N = 223) demonstrate the subtle nature of gender differences in the elicitation of jealousy within this culture. Men and women were most likely to differ (in the hypothesized directions) when items pertained to concern over a partner's potential extradyadic sex rather than to reactions to sexual infidelity that is suspected to have already occurred. Although men reported placing more value on sexual activity within dating relationships and women reported placing more value on emotional intimacy, these ratings of relationship rewards did not explain the gender differences in reported jealousy. Results failed to support a traditional social learning explanation of jealousy and are discussed with regard to evolutionary theory and directions for future research.
Porous Polymer Optical Fiber For Carbon Monoxide Detection

Porous polymer optical fiber for carbon monoxide detectionQuan Zhou and George H. Sigel, Jr.Fiber Optic Materials Research Program, Rutgers UniversityPiscataway, New Jersey 08854ABSTRACTA carbon monoxide fiber optic probe has been developed with a porous polymer optical fiber.The carbon monoxide sensing reagent is palladious chloride which was dissolved in the monomer
Mutagenicity of some congeners of benzidine in the salmonella typhimurium assay system

Summary The analogs of benzidine were assayed for mutagenicity using Salmonella typhimurium TA-98 and TA-100 and a mouse liver enzyme preparation. Only 4-aminobiphenyl produced both frameshift and base pair substitution mutations and 3, 3′-dichlorobenzidine was the only compound which was mutagenic without the mammalian enzyme factor. When hydrochloride salts of the parent compounds were made to improve their stability for animal feeding experiments, the mutagenicity for the Salmonella tester strains was reduced except for 3, 3′-dimethylbenzidine. Animal feeding trials in mice are underway to determine the dose response relationship of tumor incidence and molecular configuration.
Identification and dynamics of a heparin-binding site in hepatocyte growth factor.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a heparin-binding, multipotent growth factor that transduces a wide range of biological signals, including mitogenesis, motogenesis, and morphogenesis. Heparin or closely related heparan sulfate has profound effects on HGF signaling. A heparin-binding site in the N-terminal (N) domain of HGF was proposed on the basis of the clustering of surface positive charges [Zhou, H., Mazzulla, M. J., Kaufman, J. D., Stahl, S. J., Wingfield, P. T., Rubin, J. S., Bottaro, D. P., and Byrd, R. A. (1998) Structure 6, 109−116]. In the present study, we confirmed this binding site in a heparin titration experiment monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and we estimated the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of the heparin−protein complex by NMR and fluorescence techniques. The primary heparin-binding site is composed of Lys60, Lys62, and Arg73, with additional contributions from the adjacent Arg76, Lys78, and N-terminal basic residues. The Kd of binding is in the micromolar...
Leaving dualisms behind: Felt thinking and the social commentary of John Cromby, ‘Beyond belief’

From a metatheoretical critical perspective wary of theoretical dualisms, this commentary endorses Cromby's integrative proposal on the fusion of thought and affect. The proposal is discussed in relation to the current 'turn to affect' in the social sciences and to recent work in feminist theory. Specific arguments on the relation of cognition and discourse are appraised critically.
Fox-3 and PSF interact to activate neural cell-specific alternative splicing

Fox-1 family (Fox) proteins, which consist of Fox-1 (A2BP1), Fox-2 (Rbm9) and Fox-3 (NeuN) in mammals, bind to the RNA element UGCAUG and regulate alternative pre-mRNA splicing. However the mechanisms for Fox-regulated splicing are largely unknown. We analyzed the expression pattern of the three Fox proteins as well as neural cell-specific alternative splicing of a cassette exon N30 of nonmuscle myosin heavy chain (NMHC) II-B in the mouse central nervous system. Histological and biochemical analyses following fluorescence-activated cell sorting demonstrate a positive correlation of N30 inclusion and Fox-3 expression. Further, we identified polypyrimidine tract binding protein-associated splicing factor (PSF) as an interacting protein with Fox-3 by affinity-chromatography. In cultured cells, enhancement of N30 inclusion by Fox-3 depends on the presence of PSF. PSF enhances N30 inclusion in a UGCAUG-dependent manner, although it does not bind directly to this element. Fox-3 is recruited to the UGCAUG element downstream of N30 in the endogenous NMHC II-B transcript in a PSF-dependent manner. This study is the first to identify PSF as a coactivator of Fox proteins and provides evidence that the Fox-3 and PSF interaction is an integral part of the mechanism by which Fox proteins regulate activation of alternative exons via a downstream intronic enhancer.
Biological and Social Investigation of Human–Black Bear Conflicts in the Panhandle of Florida

As human–black bear conflicts increase, developing conflict mitigation strategies that account for both biological and social understanding has become a primary objective of managers. We examined b...
Russet Burbank rooting in sandy soils with pans following deep plowing

A dense, 5 cm plow pan is commonly found on Plainfield loamy sands in Wisconsin. Measurements have shown that when potatoes are grown on these soils, little root growth exists below the plow layer. To determine if rooting below the plow layer is restricted by the plow pan, soil was plowed with a moldboard “breaker” plow to 40 cm, 12 cm below the plow pan. No significant increase in the root density below the conventional plow layer resulted from destroying the pan.
Modeling and experimental studies on the effect of thermophysical properties on field-activated combustion synthesis reactions*

The influence of thermal and electrical conductivities and relative density on the dynamics of self-sustaining reactions activated by an electric field was investigated by mod- eling. Under a given field, the variation of the wave velocity and maximum temperature with normalized electrical and thermal conductivities and density exhibited a maximum at an optimum value of each of the three parameters. The results are discussed in terms of a Fourier relationship modified by the Joule heat contribution of the imposed field. A simulation was also made to investigate the configuration of the reaction front in systems that are ignited and sustained by a current. A transition from a volume (uniform) combustion reaction to a wave- like form was found to occur as the sample size is increased. These changes are also attrib- uted to the interrelation between the thermophysical parameters.
TH-C-204B-07: Development of Image-Guided Radiosurgery with Novalis TX for Small Animal Study

Purpose: Developing a protocol to accomplish small animal radiosurgery study conducted at our clinic in evaluating radiation‐induced erectile dysfunction. Method and Materials: Animals were sedated and scanned using commercial CT scanner. Scans were imported into clinical treatment planning system. All interested anatomic structures were contoured. Two dynamic arc plans (using conformal arc and RapidArc techniques) were created for all animals. On‐line target localization was conducted using 2D on‐board imaging (OBI) and 3D cone‐beam CT(CBCT). The treatment plans were finally delivered to animal on Novalis TX. Quality assurance (QA) for the delivered plans was conducted to evaluate delivery accuracy. Results: The mean conformity index (100% dose cloud/PTV volume) for all plans was 1.6 showing minimal inclusion of non‐target structures within the high‐dose region. Median rectal dose for conformal arc plans was 41.6% of prescription for RapidArc 19% of prescription. The mean shifts are −0.3 cm ±0.5 cm 2.0 cm ±0.3 cm and 0.2 cm ±0.1 cm in three dimensions based on 2D OBI matching and less than 0.1 cm based on 3D CBCT registration. Dose difference of QA plans are 2.6% and 1.6% for confromal and RapidArc plan at measured points (treatment isocenter) while the gamma indexes of pixels within range [0 1] are 98.4% and 97.3% for conformal and RapidArc plan Based on 2D dose measurement. Conclusion: The conformal arc plans were more homogeneous in treatment delivery and were well tolerated by the animals. The 2D on‐line target localization for small animal is feasible and efficient. All QA plans passed the acceptance criteria which is used in our clinic and demonstrated a strong agreement between doses of delivered plans and calculated plans. Tightly dynamic arc plans to treat small animal prostate with minimal injury of non‐target structures is feasible using Novalis TX and OBI.
Semi-parametric regression as a tool for assessing moderation: an analysis of the Fast Track intervention

When assessing the impact of a family or youth intervention, program evaluators often consider whether and how baseline characteristics moderate the effect of treatment. Parametric and non-parametric approaches are both possible, but each has limitations. In this article, we argue for and illustrate the use of semi-parametric methods. A hybrid of parametric and non-parametric approaches, semi-parametric modeling techniques combine the strengths of each approach. This article demonstrates how this approach can be used to evaluate whether an intervention effect was larger for those with most serious problems at baseline. Using data from the Fast Track project—a comprehensive intervention designed to prevent serious conduct problems among children at high risk—we investigated the moderating effect of two key baseline characteristics: parent-reported and teacher-reported problem behavior. Our analyses do not demonstrate a significant moderation of the intervention effect.
Association between septal strain rate and histopathology in symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing septal myectomy

Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is histopathologically characterized by myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, interstitial fibrosis, and small intramural coronary arteriole dysplasia, which contribute to disease progression. Longitudinal systolic and early diastolic strain rate (SR) measurements by speckle tracking echocardiography are sensitive markers of regional myocardial function. We sought to determine the association between septal SR and histopathologic findings in symptomatic HCM patients who underwent surgical myectomy. Methods We studied 171 HCM patients (documented on histopathology) who underwent surgical myectomy to relieve left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Various clinical and echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Segmental longitudinal systolic and early diastolic SRs (of the septal segment removed at myectomy) were measured from apical 4- and 2-chamber views (VVI 2.0; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Histopathologic myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, small intramural coronary arteriole dysplasia, and interstitial fibrosis were classified as none, mild (1%-25%), moderate (26%-50%), and severe (>50%). Results The mean age was 53 ± 14 years (52% men, ejection fraction 62% ± 5%, mean left ventricular outflow tract gradient 102 ± 39 mm Hg, and basal septal thickness of 2.2 ± 0.5 cm). Mean longitudinal systolic and early diastolic SRs were −0.91 ± 0.5 and 0.82 ± 0.5 (1/s), respectively. There was an inverse association between systolic and early diastolic septal SR and degree of myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and interstitial fibrosis (all P P Conclusion In HCM patients, there is inverse association between various histopathologic findings and septal SR. Strain rate might potentially provide further insight into HCM pathophysiology.
Time-dependent entropies associated with single mode radiation in a cavity

Abstract The time-dependent information theory entropy and generalized Gibbs entropy are evaluated for a continuous time Markov process (single mode radiation in a cavity).
Risks for Fetal Abnormalities after very and moderately elevated AF‐AFPs

In the 2 years between 1993 and 1995, we assayed alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in 48 412 amniotic fluids (AFs). One thousand and eighty-six (2.2 per cent) measured ≥2.0 MOM and these were subdivided into three groups; mildly (2.0–4.9 MOM), moderately (5.0–9.9 MOM), and very elevated (≥10.0 MOM). Abnormalities occurred in 25 per cent of the mildly elevated compared with 88 per cent of the moderately and 98 per cent of the very elevated cases. Forty-five per cent of the neural tube defects (NTDs) had AF-AFPs in the 5.0–9.9 and 36 per cent in the ≥10.0 MOM range. After a positive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) test, both the moderately and the very elevated groups had abnormalities in ≥95 per cent of cases, compared with 85 per cent in the mildly elevated group. After a negative AChE test, abnormalities occurred in 79, 52 and 18 per cent in the very elevated, moderately, and mildly elevated groups, respectively. Excluding chromosome abnormalities, an abnormal twin, and bloody samples, the risk of a fetal abnormality after a normal ultrasound was less than 1 per cent if the AChE was positive in both the moderately and the very elevated groups. If the AChE was negative, the risk was 18 per cent for the moderately and 55 per cent for the very elevated groups, of which congenital nephrosis accounted for 75 per cent; AFP levels usually increased in a later AF sample. Repeat amniocentesis may be offered to women with AF-AFPs ≥5.0 MOM if no abnormality is seen with high-resolution ultrasound. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparing the efficiency of sensory systems: A biophysical approach

This article is an exposition of the view that the complexity of biological systems permitsintensive (as opposed toextensive) research on any level. Specifically, (i) new views onstructural information theory used to compare the efficiency of sensory systems in measuring the theoretically derived maximum amount of information in the sensory environment, (ii) the concept of the brain system involving the amygdaloid complex and the hypothalamus as acoupled harmonic oscillator system, and (iii) the concept of the cerebral cortex as ane.m. interferometric (holographic) structure, are outlined.
Nd:YAG laser therapy for palliation of recurrent squamous cell carcinomas in the oral cavity.

Background and Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of laser photo-thermoablation for palliation of recurrent squamous cell tumors of the oral cavity. Study Design/Patients and Methods Seventeen patients were treated with the Nd:YAG laser (power output was 50 W) delivered through a curved oral handpiece. Results Ten patients are alive, 7 with tumor remission, and 3 with persistent disease with an average follow-up of 16 months (range = 2–36). A total of 29 tumor sites received laser treatment with 17 (58%) completely ablated. Stratified by tumor site Nd:YAG treatment led to complete local response in 8/10 buccal mucosa, 2/5 retromolar trigone, 2/2 tongue, 2/5 gingiva, 1/2 floor of mouth, 2/4 hard palate. Conclusions Nd:YAG laser treatment of recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma can be performed safely and repeated as needed to achieve tumor palliation. However, extended follow-up may be needed before convincing evidence of long-term therapeutic benefits is obtained. Lasers Surg. Med. 31:64–69, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A coupled tire structure/acoustic cavity model

The dynamic characteristic of the tires is a key factor in the road-induced interior noise in passenger vehicles. The tire acoustic cavity is a very important factor in the tire dynamics and it must be considered in analyses. This paper describes a closed form analytical model for tire-wheel structures. In order to incorporate the dynamics of the cavity on the tire response, the tire acoustic-structure coupled problem is solved simultaneously. The tire is modeled as an annular cylindrical shell where only the outside shell is flexible, i.e. tire sidewalls and wheel are assumed rigid. From the analytical solution of the eigenproblems, both the tire structure and cavity acoustic responses are expanded in terms of their eigenfunctions. The main objective of the model is to have an efficient tool to investigate the physical coupling mechanisms between the acoustic cavity and the tire structure without the need of complicated numerical model such as finite elements. The result shows that the proposed model captures the main mechanisms of the effect of the tire air acoustic on the tire dynamics.
Birthdates of medical school applicants

We determined if the “relative age” effect, wherein older students in an age cohort in early grades do better academically, extends to birthdates of applicants to medical schools, and if birthdates are related to the success of their applications. We examined birthdays of applicants from Michigan to Wayne State University’s School of Medicine, relative to December 1, the cut‐off date for eligibility to enter kindergarten in Michigan. Significantly fewer applicants ≤22 years of age were born in the three‐month period (September, October, November) immediately preceding the December 1 cut‐off date, but there was no statistically significant difference in the probability of their acceptance. We conclude that delayed entry to kindergarten influences applications for medical school acceptance, but does not affect the success of their applications.
A model for recursive propagations of reputations in social networks

We model the emergence and propagation of reputations in social networks with a novel distributed algorithm. In social networks, reputations of agents (nodes) are emerged and propagated through interactions among the agents and through intrinsic and extrinsic consensus (voting) among neighbors influenced by the network topology. Our algorithm considers the degree information of nodes and of their neighbors to combine consensus in order to model how reputations travel within the network. In our algorithm, each node updates reputations on its neighbors by considering past interactions, computing the velocity of the interactions to measure how frequent the interactions have been occurring recently, and adjusting the feedback values according to the velocity of the interaction. The algorithm also captures the phenomena of accuracy of reputations decaying over time if interactions have not occurred recently. We present two contributions through experiments: (1) We show that an agent's reputation value is influenced by the position of the agent in the network and the neighboring topology; (2) We also show that our algorithm can compute more accurate reputations than existing algorithms especially when the topological information matters. The experiments are conducted in random social networks and Autonomous Systems Networks to find malicious nodes.
Inhibition of skin tumor initiation, promotion, and progression by antioxidants and related compounds

Antioxidants have been shown to inhibit the induction of cancer by a wide variety of chemical carcinogens and radiation at many target sites in mice, rats, hamsters, and man. Evidence is accumulating that suggests that free radicals are important in all stages of chemical carcinogenesis. Both carcinogens and tumor promoters have also been shown to decrease the cellular activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. A number of antioxidants and related compounds were tested to determine if they would inhibit either skin tumor initiation, promotion, or progression. In terms of skin tumor initiation, compounds such as BHT, vitamins E and C, and CuDIPS have been found to inhibit DMBA skin tumor initiation. The mechanism of action of these compounds appears to be related to their effect on the metabolism of DMBA, as BHT and CuDIPS do not inhibit the initiating activity of BP-diol-epoxide and MNNG. Although several antioxidants do inhibit skin tumor initiation by procarcinogens, antioxidants are in general much more effective inhibitors of skin tumor promotion. BHT, BHA, parahydroxyanisole, disulfiran, and vitamins E and C as well as many other antioxidants are very effective inhibitors of skin tumor promotion. We also determined the effect of free radical scavengers on the progression process. Of the agents tested, glutathione and N-acyl dehydroalamines were the most effective in reducing carcinoma incidence. Diethyl maleate, a chemical that reduces glutathione levels, was effective in enhancing progression. In addition, overexpression of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), which leads to a reduction in cellular glutathione levels, also enhances progression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Housing policies in Central America: Political and economic constraints☆

This article summarises the results of a comparative study of housing policies in the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras.’ An attempt is made to relate policy performance to the strategies and intentions of decision-makers in different regimes in these countries over the past three decades, as well as to the significant constraints limiting housing policy choices and actions. The objective here is that of most comparative policy studies: to derive some generalisations about governmental problem-solving activity and policy innovation through a comparison of different national initiatives to deal with the same set of problems.2 By ‘housing policies’ we refer to that area of policy concerned with the provision of shelter and related essential services (water, sewage, electricity, and so forth). In recent years, however, housing policy has been more broadly conceived as a part of overall ‘human settlements’ concerns, which include urban planning and land use, transportation and communications, public health services and community development, as well as the provision of shelter.3 Such a conception is useful in that it draws attention to the wider policy environment, and those factors within it that may have an important bearing on housing policy. The distribution of incomes and income levels, for instance, may affect the limits on the kind of housing people can afford; national geography influences city size and locations, which in turn affects transportation costs and spatial arrangements. Urban growth rates and rural economic opportunities influence migration flows and housing demands; general economic policies affect money supply and interest rates on mortgages. In addition to these factors, external political variables shape policy choices in important ways. Human settlements, especially in an urbanising world, respond to powerful forces of specialised and sectoral interests. It would be hard to imagine any real consensus among landlords, tenants, transportation planners, real estate developers, and construction firms on what constitute ‘appropriate’ regulations for land use or building standards, for instance. Yet it would be impossible to imagine government policies in these housing areas emerging without consultation with representatives of such groups. Resulting policies inevitably will be influenced by political stratification patterns which affect exchange relationships between these groups and the regime.
Abnormal Function of Endocrine Pancreas and Anterior Pituitary in Friedreich's Ataxia: Studies in a Family

A family had three siblings affected with classic Friedreich's ataxia. One sibling died at age 20 with fulminant diabetic ketoacidosis. The other two affected siblings are identical twin sisters without clinical diabetes but with an abnormality in the metabolism of exogenously administered glucose. These twins also have abnormal hypothalamic-pituitary control of prolactin and possibly of growth-hormone secretion. This study extends the previous reports of endocrine deficienceis associated with Friedreich's ataxia. The mechanisms underlying this association are undetermined but could represent pleiotropic effects of the Friedreich's ataxia gene or secondary manifestations of the primary central nervous system degeneration, or both.
Local structure, transport, and rare-earth magnetismin the ferrimagnetic perovskite Gd 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 s

Bulk, single crystal, and metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition thin-film samples of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{0.67}$ ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.33}$ ${\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ were prepared and examined for their electrical, magnetic, and structural properties. ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{0.67}$ ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.33}$ ${\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ is ferrimagnetic with a transition temperature between 50 and 80 K and a compensation temperature of about 15 K. A molecular field model with a ferromagnetic manganese sublattice antiparallel to the gadolinium sublattice qualitatively explains the magnetism data. A large high-field susceptibility is observed at 5 K, suggesting a sublattice rotation. The resistivity and the magnetoresistance show no anomaly near the ferrimagnetic transition. There is no noticeable change in the structure, as seen from the x-ray-absorption fine structure between 40 and 69 K, indicating that there is no structural discontinuity across the paramagnetic insulator to ferromagnetic insulator phase boundary. The resistivity of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{0.67}$ ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.33}$ ${\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ is consistent with small polaron hopping at high temperatures (up to 1100 K), and possibly by a different mechanism at low temperatures.
Muscarinic receptor in house fly brain and its interaction with chlorobenzilate

Abstract Membranes from house fly heads were tested for the presence of mucarinic acetylcholine receptors using as a probe [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB). Based on the presence of saturable and reversible high-affinity binding of [3H]QNB, which is inhibited by muscarinic drugs, it is suggested that these sites may be muscarinic receptors. However, these putative muscarinic receptors differ in several characteristics from the ones in mammalian brain. They have lower affinities for muscarinic drugs and lower stereoselectivity, a relatively higher affinity for the nicotinic antagonist d-tubocurarine, a lower Hill coefficient for binding of muscarinic antagonists, and a lower concentration relative to α-bungarotoxin binding sites in the same membranes. Also, unlike mammalian muscarinic receptors, they are sensitive to treatments with N-ethylmaleimide and 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The effect of reduction of disulfide bonds by dithiothreitol or mercaptoethanol suggests that only the insect receptor has one or more disulfide bonds which are important to binding. On the other hand, the putative muscarinic receptors of both insect and mammalian brains have important SH group(s), whose alkylation by p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibits binding. Also, chlorobenzilate is equally effective in inhibiting [3H]QNB binding to muscarinic putative receptors of house fly and bovine brains.
Angular Dependence of Selective Reflection from the Blue Phase

Abstract We have measured the angular dependence of the selective reflection in the blue phases of cholesteryl oleyl carbonate and cholesteryl myristate. We have also measured the wavelength dependence of the index of refraction in the blue and isotropic phases and the intrinsic optical absorption in the isotropic phase of both materials. The angular dependence is explained by the equation of Ferguson, which also describes the angular dependence of the selective reflection in the cholesteric phase. Using the absorption and refractive index data we are able to explain the visual appearance of the blue phase.
Molecular dynamics simulations of heme reorientational motions in myoglobin

Molecular dynamics simulations of 2-ns duration were performed on carbonmonoxymyoglobin and deoxymyoglobin in vacuo to study the reorientational dynamics of the heme group. The heme in both simulations undergoes reorientations of approximately 5 degrees amplitude on a subpicosecond time scale, which produce a rapid initial decay in the reorientational correlation function to about 0.99. The heme also experiences infrequent changes in average orientation of approximately 10 degrees amplitude, which lead to a larger slow decay of the reorientational correlation function over a period of hundreds of picoseconds. The simulations have not converged with respect to these infrequent transitions. However, an estimate of the order parameter for rapid internal motions of the heme from those orientations which are sampled by the simulations suggests that the subnanosecond orientational dynamics of the heme accounts for at least 30% of the unresolved initial anisotropy decay observed in the nanosecond time-resolved optical absorption experiments on myoglobin reported by Ansari et al. in a companion paper (Ansari, A., C.M. Jones, E.R. Henry, J. Hofrichter, and W.A. Eaton. 1992. Biophys. J. 64:852–868.). A more complete sampling of the accessible heme orientations would most likely increase this fraction further. The simulation of the liganded molecule also suggests that the conformational dynamics of the CO ligand may contribute significantly to discrepancies between the ligand conformation as probed by x-ray diffraction and by infrared-optical photoselection experiments. The protein back-bone explores multiple conformations during the simulations, with the largest structural changes appearing in the E and F helices, which are in contact with the heme. The variations in the heme orientation correlate with the conformational dynamics of the protein on a time scale of hundreds of picoseconds, suggesting that the heme orientation may provide a useful probe of dynamical processes in the protein.
Evaluation of O(3alpha)-, O(21)-di-(N(1)-methyloxycarbonyl-2, 4-dioxo-5-fluoropyrimidinyl) 17alpha-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-20-one as a novel potential antiangiogenic codrug.

Intraocular neovascularization is a complication in a variety of eye diseases, and is a leading cause of visual loss. The purpose of this study was to design and synthesize three novel codrugs of the antiangiostatic steroid, 3α, 17α, 21-trihydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one (trihydroxy steroid, THS) with the cytotoxic agent 5-fluorouracil (5FU) which incorporates either one or two molecules of 5FU attached through carbonate ester linkages at positions O3, and/or O21 of the THS molecule. Furthermore, a kinetic study of the O3α-, O21-di-(N1-methyloxycarbonyl-2, 4-dioxo-5-fluoropyrimidinyL)17α-hydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one (THS-BIS-5FU) codrug was carried out. The overall goal of this codrug strategy was to improve sustained drug delivery of both compounds by overcoming their individual solubility problems, and to thus enhance their bioavailability. The codrug was found to be optimal with superior angiostatic activity using the CAM assay compared to the activity of the parent compounds alone. In the hydrolysis studies 5F...
Reduced expression of G protein-coupled receptor kinases in schizophrenia but not in schizoaffective disorder

Alterations of multiple G protein-mediated signaling pathways are detected in schizophrenia. G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) and arrestins terminate signaling by G protein-coupled receptors exerting a powerful influence on receptor functions. Modifications of arrestin and/or GRKs expression may contribute to schizophrenia pathology. Cortical expression of arrestins and GRKs was measured postmortem in control and subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Additionally, arrestin/GRK expression was determined in elderly patients with schizophrenia and age-matched control. Patients with schizophrenia, but not schizoaffective disorder, displayed a reduced concentration of arrestin and GRK mRNAs and GRK3 protein. Arrestins and GRK significantly decreased with age. In elderly patients, GRK6 was reduced, with other GRKs and arrestins unchanged. A reduced cortical concentration of GRKs in schizophrenia (resembling that in aging) may result in altered G protein-dependent signaling, thus contributing to prefrontal deficits in schizophrenia. The data suggest distinct molecular mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
The asymptotic connectivity of labelled regular graphs

It is shown that almost all labelled r -regular graphs are r -connected, for any fixed r ≥3. This is an instance of a more general result which applies to labelled locally restricted graphs whose points have degrees lying between r and R , where r and R are fixed, 3≤ r ≤ R . The proof employs a known asymptotic formula for the numbers of these locally restricted graphs. It is also demonstrated that for fixed k >0 and r ≥3, almost all labelled r -regular graphs with girth at least [ k /( r −2)] are cyclically k -connected. This provides an asymptotic formula for the number of labelled cyclically k -connected r -regular graphs with p points, for fixed k and r .
Directional Solidification of Metal Matrix Particulate Composite Materials

Metal matrix particulate composites (MMPCs) are made of a continuous metallic matrix and discontinuous reinforcing particles. An efficient solidification model for MMPCs is developed in this paper. The molten metal is considered as a continuous multi-component medium, while the particles are treated as a discrete Lagrangian entity that exchanges mass, momentum and energy with the melt. The particle entrapment model is developed to determine the possibility of the particles to interact with the interface. The forces acting on particles in front of an advancing solidification interface are quantified for particle engulfment and pushing (PEP), and this model is incorporated into the computational scheme for simulating particle dynamic distributions. The integrated numerical model is applied to Al alloy growth with ZrO2 particle inclusions in the directional solidification. The results show that particle movement and distribution are gready affected by the two-phase liquid flow pattern and intensity. The effect of particle size and solidification velocity on PEP and final particle distribution in the solid matrix are also determined.© 2005 ASME
Inhibition of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase by monovalent cations.

Abstract 1. 1. The polymerase and nuclease activities of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase are markedly affected by monovalent cations. Inhibition of polymerase activity by Li+ and Na+ appears to be competitive with Mg2+, whereas inhibition of the nuclease activity appears to be noncompetitive. 2. 2. The hyperbolic inhibition curves produced by Li+ and Na+ in the polymerase reactions, together with their linear inhibition curves produced in the nuclease reactions, indicate that the enzyme contains at least two sites for Mg2+, one for polymerase function and the other for nuclease function. 3. 3. In connection with the two sites for Mg2+, we offer evidence suggesting that the site for nuclease function may be better protected sterically by the enzyme from Li+ and Na+ than is the corresponding site for polymerase function. 4. 4. There seems to be an absolute requirement for the monovalent cation in the E. coli DNA polymerase reactions.