cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perineal Hernias After Proctectomy A New Approach to Repair

Summary Perineal herniation of pelvic organs rarely occurs after abdominoperineal resection of the rectum, but it does present a difficult surgical dilemma. The case of a patient with perineal herniation of the small bowel and urinary bladder into a proctectomy wound has been described. This was repaired using a transabdominal pelvic sling with Marlex followed by gracilis muscle transplantation. Review of the literature yielded 18 previous case reports of perineal hernia after proctectomy, and the results of various surgical approaches have been detailed and discussed. The technique of gracilis muscle transplantation offers a definite advantage when the hernia occurs in a contaminated perineal wound.
Mechanism of Amine-Catalyzed Ester Formation from an Acid Chloride and Alcohol.

Stopped-flow FT-IR spectroscopy has been used to study the amine-catalyzed reactions of benzoyl chloride with either butanol or phenol in dichloromethane at 0 degrees C. There is a paucity of detailed rate information available in the literature for this process. Our goal was to determine whether amine catalysis operated by a nucleophilic-, specific-base-, or general-base-catalyzed mechanism. A large isotope effect was observed for butanol versus butanol-O-d which is consistent with a general-base-catalyzed mechanism. Some anomalous rate dependencies on reactant concentration and the relative rate of benzoyl chloride loss versus butyl benzoate formation were observed. The analogous reaction of phenol was studied in more detailed. An overall reaction order of three, and a negligible isotope effect for phenol versus phenol-d(6) are consistent with either a base- or nucleophilic-catalyzed mechanism. The most interesting result with phenol was a large sensitivity of the rate of phenyl benzoate formation on small structural changes in the amine (e.g., diethylmethylamine versus triethylamine). We observed the key intermediate (acylammonium salt) in the nucleophilic process via NMR for solutions of benzoyl chloride and amine in the absence of alcohol; however, we did not observe this intermediate in the IR during ester formation [with the exception of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine]. While we can rule out specific-base catalysis (no evidence for phenoxide intermediates), it is difficult to completely eliminate nucleophilic catalysis.
Theoretical study of the thermal isomerization of fulvene to benzene

The potential energy surface for the thermal isomerization of fulvene to benzene was studied by modified Gaussian-2 (G2M) and the bond additivity-corrected fourth-order perturbation Moller-Plesset (BAC-MP4) methods. Three isomerization pathways were investigated. One involves the intermediate prefulvene by a concerted mechanism, which has a significantly higher barrier. The second, also involving prefulvene and cyclopenta-1,3-dienylcarbene intermediates, has a barrier of 84·0 kcal mol−1. The third, a multi-step pathway, includes bicyclo[3.1.0]hexa-1,3-diene and cyclohexadiene carbene intermediates. The activation energy of the multi-step pathway was calculated to be 74·3 kcal mol−1, which is 7–11 kcal mol−1 higher than the experimental value obtained by a brief very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) study. RRKM calculations were performed on the multi-step pathway in order to determine the rate of isomerization. These theoretical results cast doubt on the validity of the VLPP data. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Postnatal ablation of Foxm1 from cardiomyocytes causes late onset cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis without exacerbating pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling.

Heart disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic cardiovascular disorder and the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. Foxm1 transcription factor (also known as HFH-11B, Trident, Win or MPP2) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various cancers and is a critical mediator of post-injury repair in multiple organs. Foxm1 has been previously shown to be essential for heart development and proliferation of embryonic cardiomyocytes. However, the role of Foxm1 in postnatal heart development and in cardiac injury has not been evaluated. To delete Foxm1 in postnatal cardiomyocytes, αMHC-Cre/Foxm1fl/fl mice were generated. Surprisingly, αMHC-Cre/Foxm1fl/fl mice exhibited normal cardiomyocyte proliferation at postnatal day seven and had no defects in cardiac structure or function but developed cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis late in life. The development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis in aged Foxm1-deficient mice was associated with reduced expression of Hey2, an important regulator of cardiac homeostasis, and increased expression of genes critical for cardiac remodeling, including MMP9, αSMA, fibronectin and vimentin. We also found that following aortic constriction Foxm1 mRNA and protein were induced in cardiomyocytes. However, Foxm1 deletion did not exacerbate cardiac hypertrophy or fibrosis following chronic pressure overload. Our results demonstrate that Foxm1 regulates genes critical for age-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis.
Two issues in archaeological phylogenetics: taxon construction and outgroup selection.

Cladistics is widely used in biology and paleobiology to construct phylogenetic hypotheses, but rarely has it been applied outside those disciplines. There is, however, no reason to suppose that cladistics is not applicable to anything that evolves by cladogenesis and produces a nested hierarchy of taxa. This includes cultural phenomena such as languages and tools recovered from archaeological contexts. Two methodological issues assume primacy in attempts to extend cladistics to archaeological materials: the construction of analytical taxa and the selection of appropriate outgroups. In biology the species is the primary taxonomic unit used, irrespective of the debates that have arisen in phylogenetic theory over the nature of species. Also in biology the phylogenetic history of a group of taxa usually is well enough known that an appropriate taxon can be selected as an outgroup. No analytical unit parallel to the species exists in archaeology, and thus taxa have to be constructed specifically for phylogenetic analysis. One method of constructing taxa is paradigmatic classification, which defines classes (taxa) on the basis of co-occurring, unweighted character states. Once classes have been created, a form of occurrence seriation-an archaeological method based on the theory of cultural transmission and heritability-offers an objective basis for selecting an outgroup.
Murine natural killer cells express the Ly24 (Pgp-1) marker on their surface☆

Abstract The Ly24 (Pgp-1) marker is expressed on some, but not all, mature T lymphocytes. It has recently become apparent that the development of Ly24− T lymphocytes is dependent on the presence of an intact thymus and that virgin Ly24− T cells rapidly acquire this marker upon antigenic or mitogenic stimulation. Although natural killer (NK) cells can develop and function in the absence of an intact thymus, some NK cell subsets express certain markers normally associated with T lymphocytes. The experiments in this report were undertaken to determine if NK cells express Ly24 and whether such an expression could be used to delineate distinct NK cell subsets. We found that mature functional NK cells expressed the Ly24 marker as defined by the monoclonal antibody 9F3. Double-color fluorescence analysis using C57BL/6 splenocytes (whose NK cells express the NK1.1 marker) showed all the NK1.1+ cells to be Ly24+ as well. For C3H/HeN (an NK 1.1− strain), double-color fluorescence analysis utilizing asialo GM1 and Ly24 revealed a distinct subset positive for both markers and containing most of the functional NK cell activity. Whereas the Ly24 marker did not illuminate an NK cell subset, these findings demonstrate that this determinant can be useful for the further characterization and isolation of NK cells.
Use and Maintenance of Histograms for Large Scientific Database Access Planning: A Case Study of a Pharmaceutical Data Repository

Scientific databases, and in particular chemical and biological databases, have reached massive sizes in recent years due to the improvement of bench-side high throughput screening tools used by scientists. This rapid increase has caused a shift in the bottleneck in discovery and product development from the bench side to the computational side, thus, creating a need for new computational tools that can facilitate the access and interpretation of such massive data. This paper discusses the design and implementation of the computation of a histogram to speed up access to large pharmaceutical databases. As opposed to traditional histograms in which approximate value distributions is obtained by grouping attribute values into buckets, the computation histogram proposed in this paper records the retrieval time and the calculation time of descriptors in a pharmaceutical drug candidate database. Both on-line and off-line update techniques are proposed to update the computation histogram so that an efficient query plan can be generated. The efficiency of the proposed computation histogram is demonstrated by using a drug candidate database which is used in the pharmaceutical drug discovery process. The histogram allows the result of a query to be either computed using a computational algorithm or retrieved from the database. In addition to the pharmaceutical drug candidate database, the proposed approach is applicable to other scientific databases such as biological and agroscience databases.
Educational Attainment Skewed in California Community Colleges

We address the emphasis of the California Community College system upon credentials in their effort to document student outcomes. Statewide curricular awards (associate degrees and certificates) were collected over a four-year period. Data were organized descriptively and analyzed in order to identify long term trends. These curricular trends are analyzed in relation to their institutional implications and the labor market. There is evidence of a trend toward increasing training for low-wage vocations in the California Community College curriculum, including in traditionally academic areas.
Optical Stimulation of Peripheral Nerves In Vivo

A novel method of stimulation of neural tissue using pulsed, low-energy laser light is presented. Optical stimulation elicits nerve and muscle action potentials similar to responses obtained with conventional electrical stimulation. Results indicate wavelength dependence.
Surgical considerations after preoperative treatment

With the increased use of induction chemo(radio)therapy followed by surgical resection for locally advanced lung cancer, the surgeon must be aware of the potential toxicities of the various chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic strategies. Also, because of tumor necrosis and local toxicities of the treatment, surgical therapy can be difficult and therefore perioperative care is critical.
Carbon isotopes reveal soil organic matter dynamics following arid land shrub expansion

Over the past century, overgrazing and drought in New Mexico’s Jornada Basin has promoted the replacement of native black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda Torr.) grass communities by shrubs, primarily mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.). We investigated the effects of shrub expansion on the distribution, origin, turnover, and quality of light (LFC) and heavy (HFC) soil organic matter (SOM) fractions using δ13C natural abundance to partition SOM into C4 (grass) and C3 (shrub) sources. Soil organic matter beneath grasses and mesquite was isotopically distinct from associated plant litter, providing evidence of both recent shrub expansion and Holocene plant community changes. Our δ13C analyses indicated that SOM derived from mesquite was greatest beneath shrub canopies, but extended at least 3 m beyond canopy margins, similar to the distribution of fine roots. Specific 14C activities of LFC indicated that root litter is an important source of SOM at depth. Comparison of turnover rates for surface LFC pools in grass (7 or 40 years) and mesquite (11 or 28 years) soils and for HFC pools by soil depth (∼150–280 years), suggest that mesquite may enhance soil C storage relative to grasses. We conclude that the replacement of semiarid grasslands by woody shrubs will effect changes in root biomass, litter production, and SOM cycling that influence nutrient availability and long-term soil C sequestration at the ecosystem level.
Barcoded cDNA library preparation for small RNA profiling by next-generation sequencing

The characterization of post-transcriptional gene regulation by small regulatory (20–30 nt) RNAs, particularly miRNAs and piRNAs, has become a major focus of research in recent years. A prerequisite for characterizing small RNAs is their identification and quantification across different developmental stages, and in normal and disease tissues, as well as model cell lines. Here we present a step-by-step protocol for generating barcoded small RNA cDNA libraries compatible with Illumina HiSeq sequencing, thereby facilitating miRNA and other small RNA profiling of large sample collections.
The synthesis and characterization of the superconductor-related compound Pb 2 Sr 2 AmCu 3 O 8

A new member of the superconducting series Pb2Sr2(R/Ca)Cu3O8 has been synthesized with R = Am (Z = 95). X-ray diffraction, Am L3-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility data were used to characterize the sample. This actinide analog has a structure similar to the other members of the series, but it could not be made superconducting. Am L3-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) are used to show that Am is tetravalent in Pb2Sr2(Am/Ca)Cu3O8, a finding supported by the susceptibility data. The absence of superconductivity in this Am analog of the Pb-based system is discussed in terms of the presence of a tetravalent R-ion and the resulting charge compensation.
Air-Bearing Effects on Actuated Thermal Pole-Tip Protrusion for Hard Disk Drives

Flying height (FH) control sliders with thermal actuation have been introduced recently in commercial products for compensating the static FH loss and reducing the risk of head-disk contacts. In the research reported here, we investigated the effects of airbearing surface (ABS) designs on the thermal actuation. We created a three-dimensional finite element model of an entire slider with a detailed read/write transducer structure and conducted thermal-structural coupled-field analysis using velocity slip and temperature jump boundary conditions to formulate the heat transfer across the head-disk interface when a slider flies over a spinning disk. An iteration procedure was used to obtain the equilibrium solutions. Four ABS designs with distinct features were simulated. We defined five measures of merit, including protrusion rate, actuation efficiency, power consumption, pressure peak, and temperature rise of the sensor to evaluate the performance of thermal actuation. It is found that the effect of the pressure is more significant than that of the FH on the heat conduction from the slider to the disk. The efficiencies of three conventional designs decrease as the FHs are continuously reduced. A new ABS design, called “Scorpion III,” is presented and demonstrates an overall enhancement, including virtually 100% efficiency with significantly less power consumption. Transient thermal analysis showed that it requires 1–2 ms for the temperature to reach the steady-state values, and there is a trade-off between increasing the actuation bandwidth and decreasing the power consumption. DOI: 10.1115/1.2736456
Whey protein-based microcapsules prepared by double emulsification and heat gelation.

Abstract Whey protein-based microcapsules containing a model apolar core, anhydrous milkfat, were prepared using a process consisting of double emulsification and subsequent heat gelation. Wall solids concentration and core load ranged from 15 to 30 g/100 g and from 25 to 50 g/100 g (on dry basis), respectively. In all cases, spherical microcapsules, 10–100μ m in diameter, were obtained and their outer topography and inner structure was affected by the pH of the core-in-wall emulsion. Microcapsules prepared from pH 7.2 core-in-wall emulsions exhibited smooth, dent-free surfaces. Surface porosity of microcapsules prepared from pH 4.5, 5.5 and 5.5 core-in-wall emulsions was inversely related to pH. Core retention during microencapsulation was higher than 90% and core losses could be attributed mainly to removal of core droplets from the outer surface and to some core extraction from inner parts of microcapsules by the solvents used to wash the microcapsules. Water solubility of microcapsules prepared from pH 4.5 or pH 7.2 core-in-wall emulsions was very limited and ranged from 0.2 to 6.3%, was inversely related to the pH of core-in-wall emulsion and was affected by incubation conditions. Results suggested that the microencapsulation process might be used to prepare whey protein-based microcapsules for controlled core-release applications in food systems.
Traversing Sensor Platform for Environmental Measurements

Under conditions of high spatial variability, environmental sensors can be transported across or through the region of interest to obtain representative samples of the measured parameter. A traversing platform was designed to carry heavy sensors and instruments along a horizontal path under field conditions. The system was composed of a 0.17- by 0.13-m rolling platform atop a 2.2-m long aluminum channel. A motorized cable-chain drive was used to move the platform at a speed of 0.035 m s −1 . The system was powered with 12-V DC deep-cycle batteries and consumed ≃6 W of power when the sensor platform was in transit. On-board circuits can be used in conjunction with a programmable datalogger to sense the platform's location or stop the platform at user-specified locations along the traversing path [...]
Propagation of a Shock Wave Front through a Lens-Shaped Elastic Body,

Abstract : Ray theory is used to solve the problem of a plane pressure pulse with a discontinuous pressure front striking an elastic body whose cross section has the shape of a lens. Both plane strain and axisymmetric motions are considered. The front and back surfaces of the lens are assumed to be circular. The velocity and acceleration at the P-wave front and the discontinuity in acceleration at the S-wave front are obtained explicitly for points along the axis of the lens and at the center of the back surface where reflections occur. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of the curvatures of the lens on the velocity-time history at the center of the back surface of the lens which can be measured experimentally. Comparison with a labora-tory test shows excellent agreement between analytical and experimental results. (Author-PL)
Isolated Arteriovenous Dialysis Access Graft Segment Infection: The Results of Segmental Bypass and Partial Graft Excision

Arteriovenous (AV) access graft infection results in disruption of dialysis and usually necessitates graft removal when the entire graft is involved. The management of an isolated infected segment of an otherwise noninfected AV access graft, however, remains controversial. To evaluate the utility of segmental bypass and partial graft excision for the treatment of an isolated infected AV access graft segment, 17 consecutive cases in 12 patients (7 females/5 males; 14 arm grafts/3 leg grafts; median age = 69 years) were analyzed on a vascular teaching service that performed 1244 total access procedures from January 1995 through February 1999. Infections presented as a draining sinus or a sinus with hemorrhage emanating from an area over the graft. At operation, the infected sinus was covered by a transparent occlusive dressing and the graft was explored through clean incisions proximal and distal to the infected segment. If the graft was incorporated and free of infection, a piece of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) was anastomosed proximally end-to-end and tunneled through noninfected tissues around the infected sinus. After the distal anastomosis was performed, the skin incisions were closed and covered with occlusive dressings. The infected graft segment was then removed through the infected sinus wound. The technique of segmental bypass and partial graft excision results in predictable eradication of infection, graft salvage, and maintenance of uninterrupted dialysis in patients presenting with an isolated AV dialysis access infection.
Paul E. Green Jr. on communications: Progress in fiber optics, LANs, and PBXs

In the wake of the Bell System divestiture, Bell's operating companies, AT&T Long Lines, and the product offerings of the former system have gone their separate ways. The effects of the divestiture on technological innovation are not yet known, but the divestiture was the big communications event of 1984.
Distribution of maximum burial temperatures across northern Appalachian Basin and implications for Carboniferous sedimentation patterns

Clay-mineral diagenesis and apatite fission-track age data indicate that the maximum burial temperatures to which the Middle Devonian Tioga metabentonite was exposed rise abruptly from low values in western New York State to higher values in the east. The highest temperatures, which approach 175/sup 0/C, were reached just west of Syracuse. Neither the pattern nor the magnitude of burial temperatures can be explained solely by burial of the metabentonite beneath Upper Devonian sediments. Although spatial variations in the geothermal gradient could have produced the observed pattern of burial temperatures, it is more likely that Carboniferous sediments, no longer preserved in the area, were responsible for the indicated burial. The inferred presence of thick Carboniferous sequences in western New York State suggests that the Allegheny orogeny had a stronger influence on sedimentation in the northern Appalachian Basin than has been previously recognized. 25 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.
Prediction of Neurologic Morbidity and its Determinants in ELBW Infants & 1197

Intro: Poor neurologic outcome in extremely low birth weight(ELBW; <1000g) infants is common and its determinants have been difficult to identify. Neural networks are nonparametric pattern recognition techniques useful in detecting complex non-linear relationships.
Human Information Processing Rates during Certain Multiaxis Tracking Tasks with a Concurrent Auditory Task

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the information processing rates of several subjects performing one- and two-axis compensatory tracking tasks with a secondary auditory task. The experimental variables were the order of controlled element dynamics, the forcing function, and the addition of a secondary task. Human information processing rates decreased slightly on each tracking channel with the addition of the second tracking channel or the secondary auditory task. Other than this effect, the information processing rates were additive until a limit in the total information processing rate was reached. This limit was related to the order of the controlled element.
Retrograde Amnesia: Electroconvulsive Shock Effects after Termination of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Deprivation

Mice that were deprived of rapid eye movement sleep for 2 days immediately after one-trial training in an inhibitory avoidance task and were given an electroconvulsive shock after deprivation displayed retrograde amnesia on a retention test given 24 hours later. Electroconvulsive shock produced no amnesia in comparable groups of animals that were not deprived of rapid eye movement sleep.
Static light scattering studies of OmpF porin: Implications for integral membrane protein crystallization

Integral membrane proteins carry out some of the most important functions of living cells, yet relatively few details are known about their structures. This is due, in large part, to the difficulties associated with preparing membrane protein crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis. Mechanistic studies of membrane protein crystallization may provide insights that will aid in determining future membrane protein structures. Accordingly, the solution behavior of the bacterial outer membrane protein OmpF porin was studied by static light scattering under conditions favorable for crystal growth. The second osmotic virial coefficient (B22) was found to be a predictor of the crystallization behavior of porin, as has previously been found for soluble proteins. Both tetragonal and trigonal porin crystals were found to form only within a narrow window of B22 values located at approximately -0.5 to -2 X 10(-4) mol mL g(-2), which is similar to the "crystallization slot" observed for soluble proteins. The B22 behavior of protein-free detergent micelles proved very similar to that of porin-detergent complexes, suggesting that the detergent's contribution dominates the behavior of protein-detergent complexes under crystallizing conditions. This observation implies that, for any given detergent, it may be possible to construct membrane protein crystallization screens of general utility by manipulating the solution properties so as to drive detergent B22 values into the crystallization slot. Such screens would limit the screening effort to the detergent systems most likely to yield crystals, thereby minimizing protein requirements and improving productivity.
Brewing up citizen engagement: the coffee party on facebook

With this study we seek to provide an understanding of the discourse and agenda setting practices of an online issue based political group, "Join the Coffee Party Movement" (JCPM) in the United States. The stated goals of JCPM are to establish a place for individuals who identify themselves as disenfranchised to discuss and take action on issues of social and economic policy in the US. JCPM is one example of hundreds of issue-based organizations emerging on Facebook worldwide. Since its inception in January 2010, over 344,000 Facebook members have become followers of the JCPM page. Our analysis of the text of the discourse and the social networks, which emerge on the JCPM page, show three surprising results. First, in contrast to prior studies, significant deliberative discourse among members emerges in this open, public space without prompting. Second, the discourse practices and structure that emerge on the JCPM Facebook page show two types of leadership: Centralized, organizational leadership, and decentralized leadership from participants. Third, we identify two structural characteristics of this virtual political organization using social network analysis of trace data: a) Organizational leaders are not central to discussions of controversial topics; b) Advocacy and dissent behavior in the discussions are reflected in the social network structure. Our findings have implications for the practices and technology designs used to engage citizens through social and participatory media.
Solid state coordination chemistry of cobalt(II) with carboxyphenyltetrazoles

Abstract The hydrothermal reaction of the appropriate Co(II) salt and 3- or 4-carboxyphenyltetrazole yielded the molecular [Co(3-trzphCO2H)2(H2O)4] (2) and the three-dimensional phases [Co(3-trzphCO2)] (3), [Co(4-trzphCO2)(H2O)] (4), and [Co(SO4)(OH)(3-trzphCO2H)] (5). The compounds exhibit a range of tetrazolate bonding motifs, including monodentate in 2, bidentate bridging in 3, bridging to three cobalt sites in 4 and bridging four cobalt sites in 5. The three-dimensional connectivities of 3–5 are achieved through the additional linkages provided by the carboxylate groups. The secondary building units include Co-tetrazolate chains in 3, Co-tetrazolate double chains in 4 and {Co3(tetrazolate)3(OH)}2+ trinuclear units in 5.
Weak Martensitic Transformations in Bravais Lattices

Nonlinear thermoelasticity theory is being used, with some success, to analyze phenomena associated with phase transitions in some crystals, involving a change in crystal symmetry, what are often called Martensitic transformations. Roughly, these are the crystals which are, or at least behave as if they were Bravais lattices. For such lattices, molecular theories of thermoelasticity imply that the Helmholtz free energy should be invariant under an infinite discrete group. However, workers often use constitutive equations which are invariant only under a finite subgroup, to analyze behavior near transitions, Physicists are likely to use polynomials of as low degree as is feasible, what is sometimes called “Landau Theory”, to treat second-order or “weak” first-order transitions. I don’t know how to give a precise meaning to the notion of a weak transition. By one rather pragmatic interpretation a transition is weak if behavior near the transition of interest can be analyzed, satisfactorily, with a free energy function which is invariant only under some finite subgroup. Using this idea, one can deduce some properties which transitions must have, to be considered weak. My purpose is to elaborate this, to try to get some better understanding of what limits the ranges of applicability of what are, really, two versions of thermoelasticity theory.
Effects of changes in minimum and maximum temperature on wheat yields in the central US A simulation study

Abstract Recent observations and general circulation models indicate that future temperature changes linked to global warming might be characterized by a marked asymmetry between daytime maxima and nighttime minima. We investigate the importance of such a pattern in determining future wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) yields in the Central United States by using a dynamic crop growth model, CERES-Wheat, modified to include physiological effects of temperature and CO 2 on canopy photosynthesis. Simulations are run at four sites spanning a north-south transect of the Central US; four mean temperatures increases (1–4°C) are applied to baseline daily climate data (1951–1980). The effects of two different scenarios of temperature change (minimum and maximum temperatures equally raised; minima increased three times as much as maxima in agreement with recent observations) are analyzed under both current (330 ppm) and elevated (550 ppm) CO 2 concentrations. The main mechanisms controlling the simulated wheat responses are direct and indirect temperature effects on wheat phenological development. Negative effects of temperature on simulated wheat yields are reduced when minima increase more than maxima. Yield changes are consistently negative under temperature change and current COZ concentration, while they range from positive to negative under temperature change and elevated COZ concentration. Responses vary across the transect, with larger negative effects occurring at the southernmost site.
Strategies for cost-effective carbon reductions: A sensitivity analysis of alternative scenarios

Analyses of alternative futures often present results for a limited set of scenarios, with little if any sensitivity analysis to identify the factors affecting the scenario results. This approach creates an artificial impression of certainty associated with the scenarios considered, and inhibits understanding of the underlying forces. This paper summarizes the economic and carbon savings sensitivity analysis completed for the Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future study (IWG, 2000). Its 19 sensitivity cases provide insight into the costs and carbon-reduction impacts of a carbon permit trading system, demand-side efficiency programs, and supply-side policies. Impacts under different natural gas and oil price trajectories are also examined. The results provide compelling evidence that policy opportunities exist to reduce carbon emissions and save society money.
Polypharmacology and supercomputer-based docking: opportunities and challenges

Polypharmacology, the ability of drugs to interact with multiple targets, is a fundamental concept of interest to the pharmaceutical industry in its efforts to solve the current issues of the rise ...
CD44H and CD44V6 expression in different subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma.

CD44 is a broadly distributed family of cell surface glycoproteins. The expression of CD44H has been documented in both Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CD44V6 has been associated with more aggressive behavior in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but such a correlation has not been established in Hodgkin lymphoma. In addition, the utility of CD44 and CD44V6 in the subclassification of Hodgkin lymphoma in paraffin-embedded tissues has not previously been evaluated. The current study included formalin- or methacarn-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 42 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (25 nodular sclerosis, three interfollicular, four lymphocyte-rich classic Hodgkin, six lymphocyte predominant, and four mixed cellularity). The clinical stage of the study population at initial presentation ranged from stage IA to IVB. Evaluation of CD44H and CD44V6 (Novocastra) was performed by ABC immunoperoxidase technique after heat-induced epitope retrieval. In the six cases of lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin, the neoplastic cells lacked reactivity with CD44H reminiscent of their normal germinal center counterparts. On the other hand, classic Hodgkin lymphoma showed variable membranous and Golgi reactivity in the neoplastic cells in all cases irrespective of disease stage at presentation. In all cases, the neoplastic cells lacked reactivity with CD44V6 except for three (one lymphocyte predominant, one interfollicular, and one nodular sclerosis), all of which represented recurrent cases. In conclusion, CD44 evaluation is useful in the distinction between lymphocyte predominant and classic Hodgkin lymphoma. The presence of CD44H expression has no relation to the clinical stage of the disease at presentation or recurrence. CD44V6 is detected in a minority of cases irrespective of the histologic subtype and its presence may be associated with recurrence. There was no correlation between disease stage at presentation and the expression of CD44V6.
Conformation fluctuations of polymerized vesicles in the inextensible and flexible limit

We study conformation fluctuations of a tethered membrane of spherical shape. The membrane is assumed to be both inextensible and flexible. We first study linear fluctuations and show that they are irrelevant in this limit. Nonlinear fluctuations can be described in terms of isometric buckling of local circular portions of the membrane. Configurations of buckled regions on the membrane are then modeled as a system of rings whose excitation energies are the elastic energy cost of buckling. The rings should be nonoverlapping with one another due to geometrical constraints. We study the thermodynamics of this system using a variational method, and the results are interpreted in terms of the shape fluctuations of the membrane itself. Our results indicate that there is no roughening transition when we raise the temperature. In other words, the membrane remains ``flat'' at all temperatures even though it is made of very flexible material.
Apoptosis and interleukin 7 gene expression in chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Abstract mRNA for interleukin 7 (IL-7) was readily detected in leukemic cells immediately upon their removal from patients with chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). IL-7 mRNA expression and IL-7 gene transcription were down regulated, however, when B-CLL cells were placed in culture at 37 degrees C for 4 hr. Down regulation of the IL-7 gene was prevented in cells maintained at 4 degrees C. Continued culture of B-CLL cells at 37 degrees C resulted in programmed cell death, or apoptosis, as evidenced by DNA fragmentation. The coincident kinetics of IL-7 gene down regulation and apoptosis suggested that IL-7 gene expression may be required for maintenance of CLL viability in vivo. Signals for IL-7 gene regulation and apoptosis induction were thus examined. Activation of normal B cells through their immunoglobulin receptors did not result in upregulation of IL-7 gene expression. Reagents required for CLL cell purification and culture also did not contribute to IL-7 gene regulation and apoptosis induction. IL-7 gene expression was retained and apoptosis was prevented, however, in CLL cells cultured on a monolayer of EA.hy926 human umbilical cord endothelial hybrid cells. Signals specifically presented by EA.hy926 cells supported both CLL cell viability and IL-7 gene expression, whereas culture of CLL cells on A549/8 carcinoma cells, the fusion partner used to generate the EA.hy926 cells, did not. Cell-cell contact was required, as culture supernatants did not prevent apoptosis. Specifically, IL-7 mRNA expression was retained and apoptosis was prevented only by contact with the endothelial cell hybrids. Preliminary data indicated that integrins expressed on CLL cells affected modulation of apoptosis and IL-7 gene regulation, suggesting that integrins may play significant roles in regulating viability of CLL cells.
Frequency selective fading and adjacent channel interference performance of MSK and SFSK

The performance of minimum-shift keying (MSK) and sinusoidal frequency-shift keying (SFSK) in adjacent-channel interference and frequency-selective fading is investigated analytically. The receiver system considered uses a sampling detector and hence is suboptimum. In addition to the above impairments, the system model incorporates other disturbances, namely stationary white Gaussian noise, quadrature channel interference, random timing misalignment, and random carrier phases of interfering signals. Results and comparisons are presented for both coupled effects and individual effects of frequency-selective fading, adjacent-channel interference, and quadrature-channel interference. >
Environmental enrichment as an effective treatment for autism: a randomized controlled trial.

Enriched sensorimotor environments enable rodents to compensate for a wide range of neurological challenges, including those induced in animal models of autism. Given the sensorimotor deficits in most children with autism, we attempted to translate that approach to their treatment. In a randomized controlled trial, 3–12 year-old children with autism were assigned to either a sensorimotor enrichment group, which received daily olfactory/tactile stimulation along with exercises that stimulated other paired sensory modalities, or to a control group. We administered tests of cognitive performance and autism severity to both groups at the initiation of the study and after 6 months. Severity of autism, as assessed with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, improved significantly in the enriched group compared to controls. Indeed, 42% of the enriched group and only 7% of the control group had what we considered to be a clinically significant improvement of 5 points on that scale. Sensorimotor enrichment also produced a clear improvement in cognition, as determined by their Leiter-R Visualization and Reasoning scores. At 6 months, the change in average scores for the enriched group was 11.3 points higher than that for the control group. Finally, 69% of parents in the enriched group and 31% of parents in the control group reported improvement in their child over the 6-month study. Environmental enrichment therefore appears to be effective in ameliorating some of the symptoms of autism in children.
Motivational Processes Underlying Both Prejudice and Helping

Examined at the behavioral level, prejudice and helping appear as qualitatively different and perhaps mutually incompatible social behaviors. As a result, the literatures on prejudice and helping evolved largely independent of each other. When they are examined at the process level, however, underlying similarities appear. Furthermore, when anomalies are examined within each of these two separate literatures, similarities become more apparent. Finally, the personality dimension of agreeableness is systematically related to both prejudice and helping. The authors propose that many forms of prejudice and helping are expressions of underlying processes of self-regulation and social accommodation. After discussing several other social-cognitive approaches to self-correction, the authors offer a novel opponent process model of motivation that integrates the apparently exclusive processes of prejudice and helping into a single system.
On the “gap” in a theorem of Heegner

Abstract In 1952, Kurt Heegner gave a proof of the fact that there are exactly nine complex quadratic fields of class-number one. His proof rests on the fact that a certain 24th degree polynomial with rational coefficients has a 6th degree factor which also has rational coefficients. Unfortunately, this reducibility has never been justified. In this paper, we fill this gap in Heegner's proof.
Social Anxiety's Impact on Affect, Curiosity, and Social Self-Efficacy During a High Self-Focus Social Threat Situation.

Upon being exposed to a high self-focus, potentially socially threatening situation, excessively socially anxious (SA) individuals were posited to experience amplified negative emotional states, as well as diminished positive emotional, cognitive, and intimacy-related outcomes. Ninety-one college students engaged in a reciprocal self-disclosure task with a trained confederate. Participants and confederates took turns answering (while a camera was directed at them) and asking questions that gradually increased in personal content. The results indicated that high SA individuals experienced more intense negative affect, less intense positive affect, and poorer social self-efficacy compared to low SA individuals in both conditions. However, differences between high and low SA individuals were larger in the social threat/self-focus condition, and self-focused attention partially accounted for these effects. In terms of specificity, nearly all findings remained after statistically controlling for depressive symptoms. In contrast, social anxiety effects were generally absent on measures of observed behavior and intimacy outcomes. These findings implicate the role of social threat and self-focused attention in contributing to affective and cognitive disturbances among SA individuals.
A Source of Fluorescent Impurities: Polyethylene Containers

Abstract Emission spectra of water samples stored in polyethylene botles show the pressence of impurities whose concentration roughly parallels the length of storage. With excitation at 280 nm, water stored for 3 months in polyethylene gave a blank signal equivalent to the emission of 10−7 M bovine serum albumin. Caution should be exercised in using plastic bottles for fluorometric reagents.
Extreme Ultraviolet Light Curve and Phase-Resolved Spectroscopy of the Hot White Dwarf in V471 Tauri

The close binary V471 Tauri (P = 12.5 hr) is one of a few systems predicted to evolve into a cataclysmic variable within a Hubble time (King et al. 1994). The properties of this KOv plus DA white dwarf pair are reviewed in detail in Bois, Lanning, & Mochnacki (1988), Skillman & Patterson (1988), and Ibanoglu et al. (1994). Van Buren, Charles, & Mason (1980) identified V471 Tauri with an X-ray source in the HEAO-1 survey, and an X-ray flare was possibly detected during an Einstein pointed observation (Young et al. 1983). Jensen et al. (1986) observed V471 Tauri with EXOSAT and discovered that the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission, mostly from the white dwarf, is variable with a period of 555 s. They speculate that the white dwarf is either pulsating or has a “spotted” atmosphere resulting from accretion of a wind from the K dwarf companion. The same period was later detected in optical U-band light (Robinson, Clemens, & Hines 1988). A Whole Earth Telescope observation of V471 Tauri (Clemens et al. 1992) revealed an additional period (561 s), explained in terms of reprocessed white dwarf EUV radiation in the K dwarf photosphere, which argues against a pulsation origin of the 555 s period.
Pathologic Femur Fracture Due to a Brown Tumor in a Patient With Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and Vitamin D–Resistant Rickets

Vitamin D–resistant rickets is the common clinical outcome of multiple genetic mutations that alter the regulation of phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism, mainly through their effects on fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23). These diseases typically present in childhood with the classic physical examination finding of nutritional rickets, such as genu varum/valgum and rachitic rosary. Treatment, which is aimed at improving severe bone disease with vitamin D and phosphorus supplementation, can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism and/or kidney failure from nephrocalcinosis over the life of the patient. Although FGF-23 has been shown to downregulate parathyroid hormone in vitro, its effect on parathyroid secretion in disease states such as chronic kidney disease and X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets is unclear because elevations in FGF-23 and parathyroid hormone levels characterize both of these disease states. We describe a case of vitamin D–resistant rickets that presented with a femur fracture through a brown tumor. Radiographs show the combination of severe bony abnormalities associated with both long-standing hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D–resistant rickets.
Annular lipoatrophy of the ankles

Lipoatrophic panniculitis likely represents a group of disorders characterized by an inflammatory panniculitis followed by lipoatrophy. It occurs locally in a variety of settings and has been reported in the literature under various terms, including annular atrophic connective tissue panniculitis of the ankles, annular and semicircular lipoatrophy, abdominal lipoatrophy, and connective tissue panniculitis. Herein, a case of annular lipoatrophy of the ankles is described in a 6-year-old girl with autoimmune thyroid disease. Histologically, a mixed lobular panniculitis with lipophages was present. This pattern resembles that seen in lipoatrophic panniculitis. After a single, acute episode of an inflammatory process with subsequent lipoatrophy, her skin lesions have stabilized for 2 years requiring no treatment.
Soft error considerations for computer web servers

Soft errors are caused by cosmic rays striking sensitive regions in electronic devices. Termed as single event upset (SEU), in the past this phenomenon mostly affected the high altitude systems or avionics. The small geometries of today's nanodevices and their use in high-density and high-complexity designs make electronic systems sensitive even to the ground-level radiation. Therefore, large computer systems like workstations or computer web servers have become major victims of single event upsets. Given that the idea of cloud computing is an unavoidable trend for the next generation internet, which might involve almost every company in the IT industry, the urgency and criticality of the reliability rise higher then ever. This paper illustrates how soft errors are a reliability concern for computer servers. The soft error reduction techniques that are significant for the IT industry are summarized and a possible soft error rate (SER) reduction method that considers the cosmic ray striking angle to redesign the circuit board layout is proposed.