cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of the selectivity of catalytic consecutive reactions by poisoning

Abstract The intrinsic selectivity of a heterogeneous catalyst may be modified by addition of poisons when a different number of catalytic sites are occupied by various reacting species. We extend here a model of Herington and Rideal to account for modification of intrinsic selectivity of catalytic first order consecutive reactions. A study of the interactions between the catalytic selectivity, poisoning and diffusional limitations reveals the existence of several interesting and surprising behavioral features. For example, the intrinsic selectivity is predicted to be a monotonic function of θ (the fraction of poisoned sites). However, when diffusional resistances exist, the graph of the observed selectivity versus θ may attain one or more local extremal values.
Assessment of structural damage from natural frequency measurements

Abstract A method is developed for the estimation of structural damage using measured changes in the natural frequencies. The relationship of the variation in the eigenvalues to the localized reductions in the stiffness of the undamaged structure is a set of underdetermined simultaneous equations derived from the first-order perturbation of the eigenvalue problem. An optimality criterion is introduced to solve these equations by minimizing the difference between the eigenvalue problems for the undamaged and damaged structures. The overall formulation leads to a quadratic optimization problem with linear equality and inequality constraints. Numerical tests are performed on a beam and a frame. By using exact or noise-polluted natural frequency data, reduction in the stiffness of up to 40% at single or multiple sites is detected.
Temperature and wavelength dependence of nitrite photolysis in frozen and aqueous solutions

While the photolysis of nitrite is an important source of hydroxyl radical (•OH) in some natural waters, its wavelength and temperature dependence have not been fully described in solution. In addition, there are no studies of this reaction on ice, although there is evidence of nitrite production in snow. To address these gaps, we have measured the wavelength and temperature dependence of the quantum yields of •OH from the photolysis of frozen and aqueous NO2-. From our solution and ice results, we derive a master equation that describes the •OH quantum yield from NO2- photolysis as a function of both temperature (240−295 K) and illumination wavelength (302−390 nm): Φ(N → OH•)T,λ = (y0 + a/(1 + exp((λ − c)/b)))exp(((eλ + f)/R) × (1/295 − 1/T)) where y0 = 0.0204 ± 0.0010, a = 0.0506 ± 0.0022, b = 11.2 ± 1.2, c = 332 ± 1, e = 20.5 ± 3.2, f = 7553 ± 1204, uncertainties represent 1 standard error, T is the temperature (K), R is the gas constant (8.314 J mol-1 K-1), and λ is the wavelength (nm). Using these r...
Fast reaction, slow diffusion, and curve shortening

The reaction-diffusion problem \[ u_1 = \varepsilon \Delta u - \varepsilon ^{ - 1} V_n ( u ),\quad u( {x,0,\varepsilon } ) = g( x ),\quad\partial _n u = 0\text{ on }\partial \Omega \] for a vector $u( x,t,\varepsilon )$ is considered in a domain $\Omega \in R^m $. An asymptotic solution is constructed for $\varepsilon $ small. It shows that at each $x,u$ tends quickly to a minimum of $V( u )$. When V has several minima, When u tends to a piecewise constant function. Boundary layer expansions are constructed around the resulting surfaces of discontinuity or fronts. Each front is found to move along its normal with a constant velocity determined by the discontinuity $[ V ]$ in V across it. When $[ V ] = 0$, the front's normal velocity is $\varepsilon \kappa $, where $\kappa $ is its mean curvature. The motion of fronts in this manner is studied for arcs in the plane which are normal to $\partial \Omega $ at their endpoints, and for fronts that are closed curves. It is shown a front can shrink to a point in ...
A screen of the NIH Clinical Collection small molecule library identifies potential anti-coronavirus drugs

Abstract With the recent emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus in humans and the outbreak of devastating porcine epidemic diarrhea coronavirus in swine, therapeutic intervention is urgently needed. However, anti-coronavirus drugs currently are not available. In an effort to assist rapid development of anti-coronavirus drugs, here we screened the NIH Clinical Collection in cell culture using a luciferase reporter-expressing recombinant murine coronavirus. Of the 727 compounds screened, 84 were found to have a significant anti-coronavirus effect. Further experiments revealed that 51 compounds blocked virus entry while 19 others inhibited viral replication. Additional validation studies with the top 3 inhibitors (hexachlorophene, nitazoxanide and homoharringtonine) demonstrated robust anti-coronavirus activities (a reduction of 6 to 8 log 10 in virus titer) with an IC 50 ranging from 11 nM to 1.2 μM. Furthermore, homoharringtonine and hexachlorophene exhibited broad antiviral activity against diverse species of human and animal coronaviruses. Since the NIH Clinical Collection consists of compounds that have already been through clinical trials, these small molecule inhibitors have a great potential for rapid development as anti-coronavirus drugs.
Shallow-water propagation of the toadfish mating call

Abstract 1. 1. A mismatch between sound production and hearing in the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau L., suggests the hypothesis that toadfish communicate over short distances. 2. 2. Low frequency acoustic signals (tones, noise and toadfish courtship calls) broadcast in 1 m deep water, attenuated rapidly, thereby restricting communication within a range of only several meters. 3. 3. Ambient noise does not appear to exert a strong selection pressure on the frequency spectrum of the boatwhistle or on the distance over which it is audible.
Inhibition of postcardiac arrest brain protein oxidation by acetyl-L-carnitine.

Abstract Free radical mediated, site-specific protein oxidation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion brain injury. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this form of molecular damage could be detected in a clinically relevant model employing 10-min cardiac arrest in dogs followed by restoration of spontaneous circulation for up to 24 h. The effects of postichemic acetyl-L-carnitine administration of protein oxidation were also tested due to its previously reported improvement of brain energy metabolism and neurological outcome in this model. Following the experimental period, soluble proteints were extracted froma sample of frontal cortex and reacted with dinitrophenylhydrazine for spectrophotometric measurement of protein carbonyl groups. The most importance results of this study were that brain protein carbonyl groups were significantly elevated following 2 and 24 h of reperfusion compared to nonischemic controls, and that postichemic IV administration of acetyl-L-carnitine eliminated the increase in carbonyl groups observed at the 24-h period. These results indicate that brain protein oxidation does occur in a clinically relevant model of complete global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, and that oxidation is inhibited under treatment conditions that improve neurological outcome.
Growth performance and intestinal morphology responses in early weaned pigs to supplementation of antibiotic-free diets with an organic copper complex and spray-dried plasma protein in sanitary and nonsanitary environments

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of addition of spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) and Cu to nonmedicated diets on growth performance and intestinal morphology in weaned pigs reared in sanitary or nonsanitary environments. Weanling pigs (n = 192, 18 +/- 2 d of age, 6.0 +/- 0.2 kg of BW) were assigned to 8 treatments arranged factorially, including 2 dietary levels of SDPP (0 or 6% for the initial 10 d), 2 levels of added dietary Cu (0 or 200 ppm for the entire 35-d experiment), and 2 pen sanitation conditions (sanitized or nonsanitized before pig placement). The nonsanitary pen condition was created by 3 applications of swine manure slurry to all pen surfaces in 1 room and not washing or disinfecting. In an identical adjacent room, sanitary pens were washed and disinfected before weaning. There were 4 pigs per pen, and feed and water were available ad libitum. Growth performance was determined at the end of each diet formulation phase (d 10, 20, and 35 after weaning). On d 10, 1 pig per pen was euthanized, and cross sections of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected for microscopic assessment of mucosal morphology. During the initial postweaning period, SDPP, and Cu supplementation improved ADG and ADFI (P 0.30). By d 35, there were no main or interaction effects of treatment on ADG or G:F (P > 0.17). Pen sanitation condition produced morphological effects, with shorter villous length and less crypt depth observed in each intestinal segment for pigs reared in the nonsanitary pens (P < 0.05), but these effects must be considered conditional based on the potential confounding influence of separate nursery rooms. In the duodenum, reduced crypt depth with Cu supplementation (P = 0.01) and a tendency for greater villous length with SDPP supplementation (P = 0.09) were observed. In this study, SDPP and Cu supplementation improved pig growth performance during the initial 10-d postweaning. These modifications to nonmedicated diets acted independently with regard to their impacts on postweaning performance and, therefore, could have additive effects.
Pattern formation in viscous fingering: A diffusion-limited aggregation approach.

A modification of diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) is proposed for the investigation of pattern formation during immiscible displacement in a Hele-Shaw cell. The method accounts for the effects of viscous and capillary forces by postulating an expression for the sticking probability of the particles in the DLA in terms of the mobility ratio and the capillary number. The previously taken approaches arise as special limiting cases of the present method. Extension of the technique to displacement processes in porous media and the connection with the invasion percolation are also discussed.
Oral contraceptive steroids: effects on various nutrient balances and body composition in adult female rats.

A study was undertaken to determine whether the digestibility and re tention of various nutrients were affected by feeding female rats for sh ort and long periods norethynodrel and mestranol. The study was also undertaken to investigate whether the oral steroids would alter body composition and to determine whether the alterations were reversible upo n withdrawal of the steroids. Norethynodrel and mestranol reduced the food consumption and body weight gain in the 11-week-old female rats. When oral steroids were withdrawn for 42 days the growth rates of treated rats were not accelerated when they had been previously fed the steroids for 28 or 180 days. Treatment with steroids for a short and long period did not affect digestibility of protein fat sodium or potassium. Retention of dietary nitrogen was higher for control rats than for treated rats after 22 days of steroid treatment (p less than .05) and the treated rats retained significantly more dietary sodium than the control rats (p less than .05). The treated rats retained more dietary nitrogen than did the control rats after being fed the oral steroids for 178 days. No statistically significant effect on sodium retention was observed at that time. The oral steroids did not significantly alter the retention of dietary potassium. With the increased retention of sodium there was an increased proportion of water in the carcasses of treated rats compared to the control rats. This effect disappeared after 178 days of treatment or after refeeding of control diet subsequent to 22 or 180 days of treatment. There was no difference in body moisture concentration when it was expressed as a percentage of lean body masses.
Formulating second-hand market value as a function of product specifications, age, and conditions

Second-hand market value is important for manufacturers in that it affects the profitability of both new product sales and end-of-life recovery. To gain a better understanding of second-hand market value, this paper presents an empirical study of buy-back price using laptop computers and mobile phones as examples. A thousand items that were on the market in recent years were examined, and their current buy-back prices were estimated using the pricing engine of a real buy-back company. The statistical analysis provided a model that could assess the value of used products. The model links a product’s specifications to its second-hand market value. It also incorporates the impacts of product age and cosmetic and hardware conditions. Based on the results of the analysis, the design implications for improving the value of used products were discussed. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005858]
Chemoreception in an arctic amphipod crustacean: A field study

Abstract Traps baited with meat or fish were set through the ice in 5 m of water near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. They were monitored by divers and surface observers. Over 99% of the animals attracted to the bait were the lysianassid amphipod Boeckosimus (= Onisimus) affinis (Hansen). Up to 20000 individuals were collected during each 24-h trapping period. Animals moved to the trap only from a downcurrent direction, and from a distance of up to at least 30 m away. It is suggested that chemoreception is the method used to find bait: animals swam into the current after receiving the stimulus and required a constant presence of stimulus at some threshold level to continue moving to the bait.
Maternal Physiological Response to Infant Signals

The present study reports the use of maternal physiologic responses as an index of maternal attention to infant signals. Thirty-two women, each of whom had a 3-month-old infant, were shown 10-sec silent images on a videotape monitor of a 3-month-old infant, en face, exhibiting either a smiling or a crying facial expression. Heart rate and skin conductance were recorded continuously while each woman viewed a sequence of 6 identical episodes of one expression followed by 6 episodes of the other expression. Both cardiac and skin conductance responses to the smile expression decreased following repeated presentations of the cry stimulus. Cardiac deceleration to the cry was prolonged following the viewing of the smiling infant. Mothers' perception of their own infants' temperament assessed by the Carey Infant Temperament Questionnaire (1970) was systematically related to maternal heart rate response. Mothers who described their infants as more difficult were physiologically less sensitive to changes in infant expressions. Results are discussed in terms of the impact of infant signals upon developing mother-infant reciprocity.
Management of cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis C

In 1999, the World Health Organization reported that there were 169.7 million cases of hepatitis C (HCV) worldwide with 31.9 million in Africa, 13.1 million in the Americas, 21.3 million in Eastern Mediterranean, 8.9 million in Europe, 32.3 million in South-East Asia (included India and Indonesia), and 62.2 million in the Western Pacific (includes China and Japan) [1]. An analysis of 21,241 serum samples from US citizens greater than 6 years of age who participated in NHANES III [2] indicated a prevalence of 1.8% or 3.9 million. Seventy four percent of those with positive HCV antibody also test positive for HCV RNA, yielding an estimated 2.7 million Americans with active infection. Another analysis has suggested that 1.7 million Americans have had hepatitis C (HCV) for over 20 years, and by the year 2015 this number will swell to 3 million [3]. Given a rate of 12.5% progression to cirrhosis over 20 years of infection [4–8], there are now 212,500 Americans with hepatitis C and cirrhosis and this number will increase to 375,000 by the year 2015. If one applies the US rates for proportion of HCV RNA positivity, duration of infection, and time required for development of cirrhosis to the world’s population of individuals with HCV, then 7.8 million currently have cirrhosis. By 2015, there will be 13.8 million cases of cirrhosis due to HCV. Obviously, management of cirrhosis due to hepatitis C will continue to be a major issue for the foreseeable future for hepatologists, gastroenterologists, and primary care providers throughout the world.
The Uncanny Valley: The Effects of Rotoscope Animation on Motivational Processing of Depression Drug Messages

The purpose of this study was to investigate how rotoscope animation affects cognitive and emotional processing of depression drug ads. A 2 (animation) × 2 (position of tone) × 4 (message) experiment was conducted. Participants (N = 100) viewed 4, 90-s messages. STRTs (secondary task reaction times) and self-report of emotional responses were collected. Participants also completed an audio recognition task following each message. Among the key findings from this study were that participants in the animated condition showed signs of cognitive withdrawal and descent into a defensive cascade reflective of increasingly fast STRTs and poor encoding of drug side effects.
Parametric instabilities in the discrete sine-Gordon equation

Abstract The one-dimensional sine-Gordon equation is an example of an exactly solvable nonlinear partial differential equation. When discretized on a periodic lattice in space and in time, it corresponds to a lattice of pendula coupled by linear springs. We show that the discretized system is unstable to a parametric mode when the frequency of time discretization is sufficiently small, and we obtain the instability condition and growth rate. By considering the effects of two finite amplitude modes, we also obtain the nonlinear saturation of the instability. We also examine how solutions of the exact sine-Gordon equation behave under this map, both in and away from the parametrically unstable regime.
Alzheimer's disease caregiving information and skills. Part I: care recipient issues and concerns.

Increasing attention has been given to testing clinical trials with family caregivers of the elderly. More recent intervention studies indicated that caregiver skill-building interventions may be more effective than information/support interventions. Researchers have given considerable attention to the content and support needed by family caregivers, but we know less about how this content and support translates into caregiver skills. This is the first in a series of three articles on a study in which qualitative methods were used to analyze summaries from the group component of a larger caregiver clinical trial. In this article we identify content and skills that dementia family caregivers need in addressing three major care recipient issues and concerns: (a) difficult behaviors and emotional responses, (b) personal and instrumental activities of daily living, and (c) cognitive decline.
Synthesis and stereochemical analysis of the cubane-like Fe4(CO)12(μ3-S)4 and Fe4(CO)12(μ3-Se)4 tetramers: conversion of the tetrametal-bonding Fe4X4 cores in Fe4(NO)4(μ3-X)4 (where X - S, Se) into tetrametal-nonbonding cores by substitution of carbonyl for nitrosyl ligands

Abstract )). A qualitative structural-bonding analysis of the presume cubane-like “tetramethylplatinum” points to its possible existence in that it is an electronically equivalent analog of the cubane-like Re4(CO)12(μ3-H)4; however, it is Pt-Pt distances vs. expected bonding ones for such an electron-deficient 56-electron system that its true composition is indeed the previously suggested Pt4Me12(μ3-OH)4.
Fever and Fervor: The Seductions, Dynamics, and Travails of War Discourse

This article addresses the seductions, dynamics, and consequences of war discourse from psychoanalytic and theological perspectives. Following a brief definition and description of war discourse, I argue that war discourse and the narratives of exceptionalism manifest an existential insecurity that keeps people captive to the seductions of this type of discourse. Relying on psychoanalytic concepts, I contend that war discourse functions as a transformational object, transforming shared existential anxiety and insecurity into hostility and aggression. This existential anxiety results, in part, from an unstable, idealized identity that is rooted in a paranoid-schizoid mode of organizing experience and maintained by rationalization, moralization, projection, and denial. From a theological perspective, I argue that war discourse signifies the presence of idolatry and totalizing faith.
I Think I Can, I Think I Can: Examining the Within-Person Coupling of Control Beliefs and Cognition in Older Adults

We examined short-term intraindividual variability in control beliefs (competence and locus of control) and cognitive performance and the extent to which the constructs travel together over time. Thirty-six older adults (M = 74 years, SD = 5.51) completed questionnaires and cognitive tests twice each day for 60 consecutive days. Results indicated that control beliefs fluctuate within people across time. Multilevel models revealed that control and competence are coupled with concurrent and subsequent performance, but the benefit of occasion-level increases in control depends on individuals' average control. These findings underscore the importance of examining constructs using a within-person approach to identify dynamic processes in cognitive aging.
Multiple tilings of Euclidean space by unit cubes

Abstract We will say that a tiling F has property M if two of its members have a common ( n − 1)-dimensional face. We will prove that every tiling of R 2 has property M , but that if n ≥ 3 and k ≥ 2, there is a k -fold tiling of R n which does not have property M .
The publication rate of scientific papers depends only on the number of scientists

In the fields of physics, astronomy, geophysics, mathematics, and chemistry, the numbers of American papers published depend only on the membership numbers of their scientific societies and not upon improved facilities or instrumental breakthroughs, although those improvements have caused the scientific contents of those papers to be far better in recent decades. In the past 30–35 years there have been no increases in the average annual number of published papers per scientist in those fields.
Ability of spermine to differentiate between DNA sequences--preferential stabilization of A-tracts.

Abstract The regulatory roles fulfilled by polyamines by governance of chromatin structure are made possible by their strong association with cellular DNA, and hence by their ability to modulate DNA structure and function. Towards this end, it is crucial to understand the manifestation of sequence-dependent polyamine binding at the secondary and tertiary structural levels of DNA. This study utilizes circular dichroism (CD) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to address this relationship by using 20 bp oligonucleotides with sequences–poly(dA):poly(dT), poly(dAdT):poly(dAdT), poly(dG):poly(dC), poly(dGdC):poly(dGdC)–that yield physiologically relevant structures, and poly(dIdC):poly(dIdC). CD studies show that at physiological ionic strength (150 mM NaCl), spermine preferentially stabilizes A-tracts, and increases flexibility of the G-tract oligomer; the latter is also suggested by the larger change in entropy (ΔS) of spermine binding to G-tracts. Given the chromatin destabilizing property of these sequences, these findings suggest a role for spermine in stabilization of non-nucleosomal A-tracts, and a compensating mechanism for incorporation of G-tracts in the chromatin structure. Other implications of these findings in sequence dependent DNA packaging are discussed.
An Investigation of the Cyclic Fatigue and Final Fracture Behavior of a Titanium Alloy

In this technical manuscript the cyclic stress amplitude controlled fatigue properties and fracture behavior of an emerging titanium alloy (referred to by its designation as ATI 425TM by the manufacturer) is presented and discussed. The alloy was provided as rod stock in the fully annealed condition. Test specimens of the as-received alloy were cyclically deformed under total stress amplitude control at two different stress ratios (R = 0.1 and R = 0.3) with the purpose of establishing the conjoint and mutually interactive influences of magnitude of cyclic stress, load ratio and intrinsic microstructural effects on cyclic fatigue life, final fracture behavior and viable mechanisms governing failure at the microscopic level. The high cycle fatigue resistance of this titanium alloy is described in terms of maximum stress, load ratio, and maximum elastic strain. The final fracture behavior of the alloy under cyclic loading conditions is discussed in light of the mutually interactive influences of intrinsic microstructural features, magnitude of cyclic stress, load ratio and resultant fatigue life.
Free-Solvent Model of Osmotic Pressure Revisited: Application to Concentrated IgG Solution under Physiological Conditions

Abstract The osmotic pressure measurements of bovine immuno-gamma globulin in phosphate-buffered solution at pH 7.4 and 0.13 M total salt concentration were extended to near saturation concentrations for ambient temperature. The osmotic pressure at the highest measured concentration of 424 g/L was 4.18 psi (28.3 kPa). A free-solvent model, considering solute–solvent interaction in the concentration variable, provided an excellent fit to observed osmotic pressure nonideality at even the highest protein concentration. The calculated mass of hydrated solvent compared with amounts determined from water– 17 O magnetic resonance for other globular proteins. This model provides an improved correlation to the data over virial equations (truncated to the third term) when only solute–solute interactions are considered. The use of mole fraction as the composition variable was critical in obtaining the excellent fit of the free-solvent model. A combination of the free-solvent correction for the concentration variable coupled with models incorporating solute–solute interaction, such as a virial expansion, will be necessary to generally describe the osmotic pressure of protein solutions for all concentrations.
Noncash Charitable Giving: Evidence of Aggressive Taxpayer Reporting Following a Compliance Change

Treasury Decision (TD) 8002 significantly relaxed the substantiation requirements for deducting noncash charitable contributions under $501 for tax years 1985 and after. We present evidence that TD 8002 caused a significant change in taxpayer behavior. Specifically, the relatively stable percentage of taxpayers who claimed zero noncash charitable deductions in years prior to TD 8002 decreased consistently and significantly after TD 8002's implementation. The decrease in zero noncash deduction taxpayers was largely replaced by taxpayers who reported noncash charitable deductions for amounts just under TD 8002's relaxed substantiation requirement (i.e., amounts just under $501). We present a series of tests supporting the contention that the increase in reported noncash charitable deductions is largely attributable to more aggressive reporting behavior rather than increased charitable giving.
Transcription factor induction of human oligodendrocyte progenitor fate and differentiation

Human oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) specification and differentiation occurs slowly and limits the potential for cell-based treatment of demyelinating disease. In this study, using FACS-based isolation and microarray analysis, we identified a set of transcription factors expressed by human primary CD140a(+)O4(+) OPCs relative to CD133(+)CD140a(-) neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs). Among these, lentiviral overexpression of transcription factors ASCL1, SOX10, and NKX2.2 in NPCs was sufficient to induce Sox10 enhancer activity, OPC mRNA, and protein expression consistent with OPC fate; however, unlike ASCL1 and NKX2.2, only the transcriptome of SOX10-infected NPCs was induced to a human OPC gene expression signature. Furthermore, only SOX10 promoted oligodendrocyte commitment, and did so at quantitatively equivalent levels to native OPCs. In xenografts of shiverer/rag2 animals, SOX10 increased the rate of mature oligodendrocyte differentiation and axon ensheathment. Thus, SOX10 appears to be the principle and rate-limiting regulator of myelinogenic fate from human NPCs.
Trans-Arterial Chemoembolization with Irinotecan-Loaded Drug-Eluting Beads (DEBIRI) and Capecitabine in Refractory Liver Prevalent Colorectal Metastases: A Phase II Single-Center Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate feasibility, safety, tolerance, and efficacy of drug-eluting beads loaded with irinotecan (DEBIRI) in combination with capecitabine in the treatment of mCRC refractory to chemotherapy in patients affected by liver predominant metastatic disease.
Spectral Energy Distributions of Gamma-Ray Bursts Energized by External Shocks

Sari, Piran, & Narayan have derived analytic formulae to model the spectra from gamma-ray burst blast waves that are energized by sweeping up material from the surrounding medium. We extend these expressions to apply to general radiative regimes and to include the effects of synchrotron self-absorption. Electron energy losses due to the synchrotron self-Compton process are also treated in a very approximate way. The calculated spectra are compared with detailed numerical simulation results. We find that the spectral and temporal breaks from the detailed numerical simulation are much smoother than the analytic formulae imply and that the discrepancies between the analytic and numerical results are greatest near the breaks and endpoints of the synchrotron spectra. The expressions are most accurate (within a factor of ~3) in the optical/X-ray regime during the afterglow phase and are more accurate when e, the fraction of swept-up particle energy that is transferred to the electrons, is 0.1. The analytic results provide at best order-of-magnitude accuracy in the self-absorbed radio/infrared regime and give poor fits to the self-Compton spectra because of complications from Klein-Nishina effects and photon-photon opacity.
Serum levels of neural protein S-100B in phenylketonuria.

Abstract Background: Serum neural protein S-100B concentration is considered as a marker of CNS lesions. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high phenylalanine (Phe) levels in blood and foci of myelin absence in the CNS of untreated patients. Aim: To evaluate S-100B blood levels in PKU patients. Methods: Twenty-five ( N = 25) PKU patients of comparable age, who were diagnosed by neonatal screening and “followed up” in our Inborn Error of Metabolism Department, were divided into two groups: group A ( N = 13) with almost normal Phe levels and group B ( N = 12) “off diet” with high Phe concentrations. Their MRI examinations were normal 12–14 months before the beginning of the study. Twenty-three ( N = 23) healthy children were the controls. Serum S-100B levels, measured with an immunoluminometric assay, were greatly elevated in the group B (0.48 ± 0.6 μg/l) as compared to those of group A (0.16 ± 0.4 μg/l, P P r = 0.46, P Conclusions: (a) Serum S-100B protein level, for the first time evaluated in PKU, was positively correlated with Phe blood level in PKU patients. (b) S-100B blood estimation could be a useful peripheral marker of CNS lesions in patients with demyelinated disease such as PKU.
Expanding treatment options for metastatic prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is an androgen-receptor–dependent disease, and the blocking of androgen-receptor signaling is a hallmark of prostate-cancer therapeutics. Although most patients initially benefit from therapy involving deprivation of gonadal androgen, the disease eventually progresses after 12 to 48 months, depending on the disease burden, host factors, and inherent tumor biology. After progression, the disease evolves into a new clinically and molecularly heterogeneous state known as castration-resistant prostate cancer, which is invariably fatal. The clinical course of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has changed considerably, primarily because of factors such as earlier diagnosis, stage migration, and changes in practice patterns. Earlier initiation . . .
Gene expression profiles of a mouse congenic strain carrying an obesity susceptibility QTL under obesigenic diets.

Genetic factors are strongly involved in the development of obesity, likely through the interactions of susceptibility genes with obesigenic environments, such as high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diets. Previously, we have established a mouse congenic strain on C57BL/6 J background, carrying an obesity quantitative trait locus (QTL), tabw2, derived from obese diabetic TALLYHO/JngJ mice. The tabw2 congenic mice exhibit increased adiposity and hyperleptinemia, which becomes exacerbated upon feeding HFS diets. In this study, we conducted genome-wide gene expression profiling to evaluate differentially expressed genes between tabw2 and control mice fed HFS diets, which may lead to identification of candidate genes as well as insights into the mechanisms underlying obesity mediated by tabw2. Both tabw2 congenic mice and control mice were fed HFS diets for 10 weeks beginning at 4 weeks of age, and total RNA was isolated from liver and adipose tissue. Whole-genome microarray analysis was performed and verified by real-time quantitative RT–PCR. At False Discovery Rate adjusted P < 0.05, 1026 genes were up-regulated and 308 down-regulated in liver, whereas 393 were up-regulated and 187 down-regulated in adipose tissue in tabw2 congenic mice compared to controls. Within the tabw2 QTL interval, 70 genes exhibited differential expression in either liver or adipose tissue. A comprehensive pathway analysis revealed a number of biological pathways that may be perturbed in the diet-induced obesity mediated by tabw2.
Regeneration in the sea cucumber Leptosynapta. I. The process of regeneration.

The process of regeneration of a lost posterior by an anterior piece of the sea cucumber Leptosynapta crassipatina (Apoda) is described. The methods used were histological study and direct observation of regenerating animals. Vital stains were used to define growth patterns. The regeneration process is morphallaxis; the residual tissues are remodeled to produce a smaller but functionally complete animal. The process can be seen by sing the divisions of the gut as linear markers. Leptosynapta has a straight, unlooped digestive tract consisting of three externally visible division: the esophagus, the stomach and the intestine. The esophagus and stomach are suspended in the dorsal mesentery; the intestine is suspended in the ventral mesentery. Near the middle of the animal, the mesenteric attachment of the gut to the body wall changes from dorsal to ventral and the digestive tract crosses the coelomic cavity. This is the crossover point. In anterior pieces, produced by sectioning animals just anterior to the crossover point the posterior end of the stomach crosses the coelom creating a new crossover point near the amputation surface. This crossover point then moves anteriad to restore the normal location of a crossover. crossing over is accompanied by redifferentiation, so that normal gut proportions and structure are attained. Crossover is faster at more posterior levels of transection. The vital stain technique showed a region of elongation just anterior to the amputation surface. No elongation was ever shown within, or just posterior to, the oral complex. Histological study revealed low mitotic activity in all parts of the oral complex.
Defensive dysregulation in preschool children's attachment story narratives and its relation to attachment classification and externalizing behaviour

This study examines the relationship between disorganized attachment representations, defensive dysregulation in preschool children's doll play story narratives and child externalizing behaviour. Preschool children (n = 53) participated in the George and Solomon (1990, 1996, 2000) Six-Year Attachment Doll Play Procedure and their mothers completed a measure on child behaviour. Disorganized children's stories contained the most dysregulated content and their behaviour during the doll play interview was the most dysregulated. Ambivalent children exhibited the highest level of externalizing behaviour and dysregulated story content was only associated with externalizing behaviour for children classified as ambivalent. Implications for interventions and teacher—student relationships are discussed.
Methodology, inference and causation: environmental lead exposure and childhood intelligence.

Abstract Kaufman's critique of the literature on the associations between lead exposure and child intelligence raises important methodological and inferential points. We address the concerns he raises regarding measuring known and unknown confounders, statistical modeling, reverse causality and quality control. Mismeasurement of potential confounders of the lead–IQ relationship, such as parenting skills, parental intelligence, maternal smoking during pregnancy, or otitis media can either strengthen or weaken the estimated association between exposure and child intelligence. Despite some variability in design and measurement, a series of comprehensive prospective investigations in varied populations, by different sets of investigators, provided consistent replication; taken together these studies point to the conclusion that lead exposure has adverse consequences for child development, and that the deficits are likely to be small in comparison to the contribution of measured social factors.
Quality of Life (QoL) Assessment in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2).

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a multidimensional metric for assessing quality of life (QoL) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2).Study DesignElectronically distributed qu...
Impact of noise on bistable ecological systems

The existence and implications of alternative stable states in ecological systems have been studied extensively within deterministic models. In this paper, we study the influence of random fluctuations in environmental parameters (e.g. nutrient input and rainfall) on the behavior of two simple bistable, ecological models with a single dynamical variable. We describe the changes in the bifurcation diagram of the bistable system: we find that the region of bistability is reduced for small amounts of noise while for noise beyond a critical width bistability vanishes completely. In the regime where bistability is eliminated by the noise, the time series of the solution shows that the system can undergo frequent catastrophic regime shifts. We also discuss how some of the results depend on model-specific details. We comment on the robustness of our results to changes in the noise characteristics and the implications for modeling real systems.
Unscheduled dna synthesis induced in mouse spermatids after combined treatment with methyl methanesulfonate and x-rays.

Abstract Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS), which is considered to be DNA repair, has been studied in early-to mid-spermatid stages of the mouse after combined treatments with X-rays and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). UDS in spermatids was detected by giving testicular injections of [methyl-3]thymidine ([3H]dThd) and making use of the fact that no scheduled DNA synthesis occurs in the germ cells after the last S period in primary spermatocytes. X-rays and MMS are each able to induce UDS in mouse spermatids. However, there was a statistically significant reduction in the amount of UDS observed when X-ray exposures of from 200 to 600 R were given 4 h before an i.p. injection of 75 mg/kg of MMS and concurrent testicular injections of [3H]dThd. This reduction in UDS is more than can be explained by the completion of repair of X-ray-induced DNA lesions. We suggest that the reduction in UDS is the result of an X-ray-produced impairment of at least a part of the repair mechanism involved in correcting MMS-induced DNA lesions. When the time interval between a 600-R X-ray exposure and MMS treatment was between 3 and 20 h (latest time interval studied) there was a statistically significant reduction of UDS in the spermatids. No significant decrease in UDS response occured when the time interval between radiation exposure and MMS treatment was less than ∼3 h.
The T box riboswitch: a novel regulatory RNA that utilizes tRNA as its ligand

The T box riboswitch is a cis-acting regulatory RNA that controls expression of amino acid-related genes in response to the aminoacylation state of a specific tRNA. Multiple genes in the same organism can utilize this mechanism, with each gene responding independently to its cognate tRNA. The uncharged tRNA interacts directly with the regulatory RNA element, and this interaction promotes readthrough of an intrinsic transcriptional termination site upstream of the regulated coding sequence. A second class of T box elements uses a similar tRNA-dependent response to regulate translation initiation. This review will describe the current state of our knowledge about this regulatory system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Riboswitches.
Classical kinematics for Lorentz violation

Abstract Classical point-particle relativistic lagrangians are constructed that generate the momentum–velocity and dispersion relations for quantum wave packets in Lorentz-violating effective field theory.
Optimism and manic-depressive tendencies

Scores on an optimism scale were negatively associated with both music and depressive tendencies in a sample of 65 college students.
Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) growth in off-channel and main-channel habitats on the Sacramento River, CA using otolith increment widths

Few studies have quantified juvenile salmon growth among different habitats or evaluated the mechanisms controlling salmon growth and survival. We used otolith microstructure to compare daily relative growth rates among main-channel riverine areas, off-channel ponds, and non-natal seasonal tributaries of the Sacramento River, CA. We compared prey availability, prey preference, and stomach fullness between these sites. We observed larger average otolith growth increments, higher prey densities, and warmer water temperatures in both off-channel ponds and non-natal seasonal tributaries compared to the main-channel areas in both 2001 and 2002. Our findings suggest that warmer temperatures and abundant prey in off-channel habitats during Central Valley Chinook salmon rearing periods may lead to higher growth rates, which in turn may improve juvenile survival. Our results suggest that off-channel habitats may be critical habitats to include in conservation and management plans for juvenile salmon.
Evidence for a continuum limit in causal set dynamics

We find evidence for a continuum limit of a particular causal set dynamics which depends on only a single ``coupling constant'' p and is easy to simulate on a computer. The model in question is a stochastic process that can also be interpreted as one-dimensional directed percolation, or in terms of random graphs.
Analysis of Mass Transfer with Reversible Chemical Reaction

An approximate analytical technique is presented for solving nonlinear differential equations that govern steady-state mass transfer with reversible reaction. Its essential feature, which K. A. Smith devised to analyze membrane transport with rapid reaction, is linearization of the kinetics on the assumption of small local departures from equilibrium. It is shown here to yield precise estimates of enhancement factors for absorption and effectiveness factors for catalysis over complete ranges of operating regimes, from exceedingly slow reaction to instantaneous reaction.
Current and emerging therapies in irritable bowel syndrome: from pathophysiology to treatment

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder with characteristic symptoms of abdominal pain/discomfort with a concurrent disturbance in defecation. It accounts for a significant healthcare burden, and symptoms may be debilitating for some patients. Traditional symptom-based therapies have been found to be ineffective in the treatment of the entire syndrome complex, and do not modify the natural history of the disorder. Although the exact etiopathogenesis of IBS is incompletely understood, recent advances in the elucidation of the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of IBS have resulted in the development of novel therapies, as well as potential future therapeutic targets. This article reviews current and emerging therapies in IBS based upon: IBS as a serotonergic disorder; stimulating intestinal chloride channels; modulation of visceral hypersensitivity; altering low-grade intestinal inflammation; and modulation of the gut microbiota.
Intramolecular ene reaction of glyoxylate esters: an anisatin model study

Abstract A highly regio- and stereoselective Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular ene reaction of the glyoxylate ester 9 has been used to synthesize the trihydroxylactone 2 .
Turning off: Cessation of Marijuana use After College

Marijuana use among recent alumni reflects prior diffusion of a student subculture with a variety of correlated norms and values. Constraints of family and job, and change of associates after graduation, foster cessation of such drug use more often than complete change from the other values of this subculture. Diffusion of norms and values of the student subculture among educated young adults off campus is evident in many alumni not much involved in this subculture as students, especially in those who are late starters at marijuana use. Twice as high a rate of volunteering for interviews was elicited from long-term users as from non-users, suggesting that non-conformity and aberrant behavior foster opposite types of pluralistic ignorance of the prevalence of deviance.
Intravascular ultrasound imaging and intracardiac echocardiography: recent developments and future directions

Recent advances in catheter-based ultrasound imaging technology have led to the clinical reality of imaging coronary arteries and other vasculature in a manner that was not possible in the past. For the first time dynamic cross-sectional views of blood vessels can be obtained in patients in real time. Currently available instruments include catheters that contain a mechanically rotating ultrasound probe, catheters in which the ultrasound crystal is fixed but a rotating mirror transmits and receives ultrasound in a circumferential format and catheters with synthetic aperture array processing. Considerable amount of in vitro work has given a fundamental basis for interpreting intravascular ultrasound images and for using the technique in a quantitative manner to assess vascular anatomy. The feasibility studies, the current cited clinical applications and the areas where further work is required are reviewed.
Out with the old in with the new

Abstract The materials issues facing the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) community can be understood best in terms of the historical context. The field began almost as an afterthought among those engaged in integrated circuit production. These researchers recognized early on that the same processes used in the production of circuits could be re-ordered to make very small mechanical devices. The huge investment made by the electronics community in silicon technologies — and the relative ease with which these techniques could be adapted to device production — made them an obvious resource for early MEMS designers. It is no accident that polycrystalline silicon is the most commonly used structural material. But with the continued expansion of MEMS devices into new areas of application, the limitations of silicon (Si) usefulness became clear. The need to combine electronics and MEMS on the same chip ( iMEMS ), improve the wear characteristics of moving parts, and achieve a greater mass of moving parts in MEMS inertial sensors have led researchers away from a ‘one-material-fits-all’ approach. Instead the search is on for materials that more directly serve specific ends. The need for biocompatibility in the emerging field of bio-MEMS has added urgency to the quest for new materials, since Si-based materials cannot meet every bio-MEMS need.