cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Lennard-Jones EAM potential

We describe a simple two-parameter analytic model, based on the embedded-atommethod formalism, that extends a short range Lennard-Jones potential into the many-body regime. We demonstrate that this is a first step toward a minimalist treatment of real materials with negligible angular forces. The ground-state structures in this model include all the common phases. In this framework, properties of a face-centred cubic (FCC) material such as temperature dependence of free energy,
FMRI of working memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment and probable Alzheimer’s disease

The goals of this study were to evaluate brain activation in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and controls while performing a working memory (WM) task. Eleven AD patients, ten MCI subjects, and nine controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a visual WM task. Statistical parametric maps of brain activation were obtained in each group, and group activation difference maps were generated. Ability to perform the task did not differ among the groups. Activation was observed in the parahippocampal region, superior-middle-inferior frontal gyri, parietal region, anterior-posterior cingulate, fusiform gyrus, and basal ganglia. MCI and AD groups showed more activation than the controls in the right superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal, middle frontal, anterior cingulate, and fusiform gyri. Activation in the right parahippocampal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral cingulate and lingual gyri, right lentiform nucleus, right fusiform gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus in the AD group was less than in the MCI group. The WM task evoked activation in widely distributed regions, consistent with previous fMRI studies. AD and MCI patients showed an increased extent of activation and recruitment of additional areas.
Reform of the Administration of Justice System at the United Nations

For nearly six decades, the administration of justice system at the United Nations has been comprised primarily of the Joint Appeals Boards, the Joint Disciplinary Committees and the UN Administrative Tribunal. In July 2009, these bodies will be dismantled and replaced with an entirely new system. This article will first describe the basic features of the administration of justice system at the United Nations that existed prior to July 2009. It will then review the history of efforts to reform the system, leading up to the proposals of the Redesign Panel issued in August 2006. It will also look at similar initiatives implemented by other intergovernmental organizations to reform their own internal justice systems in recent years. Finally, the article will highlight the main elements of the new administration of justice system, as approved by the General Assembly in 2007-2008, and examine its implications for UN staff members in the future.
RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq Reveal SQSTM1/p62 as a Key Mediator of JunB Suppression of NF-κB-Dependent Inflammation

Mice with epidermal deletion of JunB transcription factor displayed a psoriasis-like inflammation. The relevance of these findings to humans and the mechanisms mediating JunB function are not fully understood. Here we demonstrate that impaired JunB function via gene silencing or overexpression of a dominant negative mutant increased human keratinocyte cell proliferation but decreased cell barrier function. RNA-seq revealed over 500 genes affected by JunB loss of function, which included the upregulation of an array of proinflammatory molecules relevant to psoriasis. Among these were tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), CCL2, CXCL10, IL6R, and SQSTM1, an adaptor protein involved in nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq and gene reporter analyses showed that JunB directly suppressed SQSTM1 by binding to a consensus AP-1 cis element located around 2 kb upstream of SQSTM1-transcription start site. Similar to JunB loss of function, SQSTM1-overexpression induced TNFα, CCL2, and CXCL10. Conversely, NF-κB inhibition genetically with a mutant IκBα or pharmacologically with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) prevented cytokine, but not IL6R, induction by JunB deficiency. Taken together, our findings indicate that JunB controls epidermal growth, barrier formation, and proinflammatory responses through direct and indirect mechanisms, pinpointing SQSTM1 as a key mediator of JunB suppression of NF-κB-dependent inflammation.
Problems of Preterm Infants After Discharge

Preterm infants often experience continuing health problems after discharge and have a higher rate of readmittance to the hospital during the first year. These infants also are at risk for neurodevelopmental problems, such as language, learning, and school difficulties. The continuing health and developmental problems of preterm infants creates stress for the family. Nurses caring for these infants in hospital settings must understand the problems for which preterm infants are at risk after discharge as a basis for appropriate discharge planning and teaching. A similar knowledge base will help nurses working in community settings in assessment and interventions with infants and their families after discharge.
Petrology, mineralogy, and chemistry of magnetically-separated sized fly ash

A class F fly ash from a high-sulfur coal source was wet-sieved at 100, 200, 325, and 500 mesh and each of the five size fractions was then magnetically separated. Each fraction was examined for petrography by optical microscopy, mineralogy by X-ray diffraction, and major and minor element chemistry by proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Spinel (magnetite) is the major magnetic mineral, with hematite being another major iron oxide phase. As expected, the magnetite is most abundant in the magnetic fractions, but, due to mixed-phase fly ash particles, is not the only component in the magnetic fractions nor is it totally excluded from the non-magnetic fractions. Other mineral phases include quartz, mullite, and calcite, the latter being a secondary phase produced in the wet-sieving procedure from lime in the original fly ash. Chromium, likely associated with the spinels, is one minor element which is significantly higher in the magnetic versus non-magnetic fractions.
β-migrating very low density lipoprotein (βVLDL) activates smooth muscle cell mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase via G protein-coupled receptor-mediated transactivation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor : effect of MAP kinase activation on βVLDL plus EGF-induced cell proliferation

This study examined the premise that the atherogenic lipoprotein, beta-migrating very low density lipoprotein (betaVLDL), might activate the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases ERK1/ERK2, thereby contributing to the induction of smooth muscle cell proliferation in atherosclerosis. The data show that betaVLDL activates rabbit smooth muscle cell ERK1/ERK2. Interestingly, ERK1/ERK2 activation is mediated by G protein-coupled receptors that transactivate the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. betaVLDL-induced MAP kinase activation depends on Ras and Src activity as well as protein kinase C. The inhibition of lysosomal degradation of betaVLDL has no effect on ERK1/ERK2 activation. The contribution of betaVLDL-induced activation of ERK1/ERK2 to smooth muscle cell proliferation was also explored. betaVLDL induces expression of egr-1 and c-fos mRNA. Despite its ability to stimulate early gene expression, betaVLDL alone is unable to inspire quiescent cells into S phase. When added in conjunction with EGF, however, stimulation of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and an increase in histone gene expression are observed. Moreover, betaVLDL plus EGF synergistically induce cyclin D1 expression and down-regulate p27(KIP1) expression. The addition of either betaVLDL or EGF stimulates a robust activation of ERK1/ERK2, but the addition of both agents simultaneously sustains the activation for a longer time period. Inhibition of MAP kinase kinase, pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins, the EGF receptor, or protein kinase C blocks betaVLDL plus EGF-induced proliferation, demonstrating that activation of the betaVLDL-induced signaling pathway results in smooth muscle cell proliferation.
Calorimetric radar absorptivity measurement using a microwave oven

The measurement of the microwave absorptivity of materials typically requires expensive and arcane equipment and methods. I show that, for moderately absorbing materials (loss tangent 0.005 or higher), useful measurements can be easily made using a thermometer and a normal domestic microwave oven: the heat absorbed for suitably designed sample size and geometry relates directly to the absorptivity. This technique, although not supremely accurate, is quick and inexpensive and may be useful for rapid investigations, educational projects and situations in which samples are awkward to handle. I show that water ice spiked with even only 0.2% ammonia is about three orders of magnitude more absorbing than is pure ice at -80 °C.
Yielding, mobile dislocations and chaos

Plastic deformation involves the motion and generation of dislocations. These defects interact through their stress fields, resulting in the collective motion of dislocations. Collective motion can be incisively evaluated and measured by obtaining the auto-correlation function, r(u). The auto-correlation function measures how an event at a time t affects an event at a time t+u, where u is the time interval between events. In the present case the authors measure the mobile dislocation density, {rho}{sub m}, during deformation, and analyze the observed fluctuations in p{sub m}. Analysis of the fluctuations in {rho}{sub m} gives directly the degree of correlation of the dislocations during deformation. The experimental determinations of {rho}{sub m} are carried out as follows: the authors deform lead 10 wt% indium crystals at 4.2 K while in the mixed, superconducting state. When dislocations move then there is a change in flux which is detected with a D.C. bridge, which includes a low noise, high gain amplifier; the signal from the amplifier is sent to a computer w1 here statistical analyses are performed.
Finitely starlike sets whose F-stars have positive measure

Let\(S \subseteq R^2\) and assume that there is a countable collection of lines {L i : 1 ≤ i} such that (int cl S)\( \sim S \subseteq \cup \{ L_i :1 \leqslant i\}\) and ((int cl S) ∼S) ∩Li has one-dimensional Lebesgue measure zero, 1 ≤i. Then every 4 point subset ofS sees viaS a set of positive two-dimensional Lebesgue measure if and only if every finite subset ofS sees viaS such a set. Furthermore, a parallel result holds with ‘two-dimensional’ replaced by ‘one-dimensional’. Finally, setS is finitely starlike if and only if every 5 points ofS see viaS a common point. In each case, the number 4 or 5 is best possible.
The Adsorption of Unsymmetrical Spiroalkanedithiols onto Gold Affords Multi-Component Interfaces that Are Homogeneously Mixed at the Molecular Level

Exposure of the unsymmetrical spiroalkanedithiol, 2-octyl-2-pentadecylpropane-1,3-dithiol, to the surface of gold afforded a multicomponent self-assembled monolayer (SAM) in which the differing tail groups were well mixed at the molecular level. The new “mixed” SAM was characterized by ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Comparison of the new SAM to those generated by the coadsorption of mixtures of normal alkanethiols having analogous chain lengths and surface compositions showed that local domain formation (or “islanding”) of the tail groups found in the latter SAMs was absent in the SAM derived from the unsymmetrical spiroalkanedithiol.
Financial Economists Roundtable Statement on Reforming the Role of the Rating “Agencies” in the Securitization Process

Assets securitized by private companies reached a peak of nearly $12 trillion in 2008, an amount nearly equal to the entire stock of credit intermediated in traditional ways by the world's banking systems. Failures of care and diligence in the origination, rating, and securitization of subprime mortgages led to a collapse in the prices of securitized assets and the public's confidence in the reliability and integrity of the process by which securities are rated. This decline in confidence has in turn undermined prices and credit flows in every market where investors and regulators rely on the credit ratings provided by Statistical Ratings Organizations (SROs) to certify the quality of debt. With the aim of rebuilding confidence in the securitization process, this statement drafted and signed by 30 distinguished academic economists recommends three kinds of reform that are designed to improve the incentives faced by the SROs. First, to increase accountability for ratings mistakes, the analytic work of SROs must be made more transparent and their managements must accept liability for errors of negligence. Second, explicit reliance on ratings should be eliminated from risk management regulations issued by government agencies. By effectively “outsourcing” public authority to private firms, such regulations have had the effect of intensifying SRO conflicts of interest. Finally, SROs should be required to calculate and state express margins for error in the ratings for every tranche of securitized instruments. This would help investors appreciate the differences in the degree of leverage embedded in various categories of securitized debt.
Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) in Pituitary Stalk Blood of Rhesus Monkeys: Relationship to Level of LH Release1

The quantitative relationship between LHRH and LH secretion was investigated in the rhesus monkey. Pituitary stalk blood was collected using a trans-sphenoidal surgical approach and analyzed for LHRH by radioimmunoassay. Stalk blood was collected from 3 groups of monkeys: a) 5 animals in the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle exhibiting low peripheral plasma LH levels, b) 7 animals undergoing preovulatory-like LH surges one of which occurred spontaneously and 6 of which were induced by estradiol benzoate treatment, and c) 4 ovariectomized animals exhibiting tonically elevated LH levels. LHRH was detected in the stalk plasma of all animals (> 10 pg/ml) but none was found in peripheral plasma. The correlation coefficient for peripheral plasma LH levels and stalk plasma LHRH levels was 0.66 (P < 0.01) when all animals were considered and 0.79 (P < 0.01) when only the follicular phase and preovulatory animals were considered. Moreover, LHRH levels in stalk plasma were significantly elevated (P <0.05)...
Theory, simulation, and compensation of physiological motion artifacts in functional MRI

Mapping the location of brain activity is a new and exciting application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This application area has already seen the use of a variety of magnetic resonance image acquisition methods, including spin-warp, spiral k-space, and echo-planar imaging, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. The authors examine physiological sources of image artifacts for functional brain mapping with MRI. In particular, they examine the nature of respiration-related signal changes in the brain and characterize the response of spin-warp and spiral k-space imaging to this source of artifacts. This characterization uses a model in which the respiration causes an undesired periodic structure in the Fourier domain of the image. The authors present simulation and experimental results to support this model and also present several methods to compensate for these effects so that these imaging methods can be used to generate artifact-free images. >
Clustered Workflow Execution of Retargeted Data Analysis Scripts

Supercomputing advances have enabled computational science data volumes to grow at ever increasing rates, commonly resulting in more data produced than can be practically analyzed. Whole-dataset download costs have grown to impractical heights, even with multi-Gbps networks, forcing scientists to rely on server-side subsetting and limiting the scope of data they can analyze on a workstation. Our system supplements existing scientific data services with lightweight computational capability, providing a means of safely relocating analysis from the desktop to the server where clustered execution can be coordinated, exploiting data locality, reducing unnecessary data transfer, and providing end-users with results several times faster. We show how dataflow and other compiler-inspired analyses of shell scripts of scientists' most common analysis tools enables parallelization and optimizations in disk and network I/O bandwidth. We benchmark using an actual geo-science analysis script, illustrating the crucial performance gains of extracting workflows defined in scripts and optimizing their execution. Current results quantify significant improvements in performance, showing the promise of bringing transparent high-performance analysis to the scientist's desktop.
Failures of Explanation in Darwinian Ecological Anthropology: Part II

L'A. explicite les critiques qu'il a opposees dans la premiere partie de son article («Philosophy of the Social Sciences», vol. 25, pp. 219-249), aux modeles d'explication employes par les anthropologues d'orientation darwiniste et ecologiste. L'A. vise en particulier les auteurs des articles rassembles dans l'ouvrage collectif intitule «Evolutionary Ecology and Human Behavior» (New-York, 1992)
The heterosexual human immunodeficiency virus type 1 epidemic in Thailand is caused by an intersubtype (A/E) recombinant of African origin

Since 1989, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has spread explosively through the heterosexual population in Thailand. This epidemic is caused primarily by viruses classified as "subtype E", which, on the basis of limited sequence comparisons, appear to represent hybrids of subtypes A (gag) and E (env). However, the true evolutionary origins of "subtype E" viruses are still obscure since no complete genomes have been analyzed, and only one full-length subtype A sequence has been available for phylogenetic comparison. In this study, we determined full-length proviral sequences for "subtype E" viruses from Thailand (93TH253) and the Central African Republic (90CR402) and for a subtype A virus from Uganda (92UG037). We also sequenced the long terminal repeat (LTR) regions from 16 virus strains representing clades A, C, E, F, and G. Detailed phylogenetic analyses of these sequences indicated that "subtype E" viruses do indeed represent A/E recombinants with multiple points of crossover along their genomes. The extracellular portion of env, parts of vif and vpr, as well as most of the LTR are of subtype E origin, whereas the remainder of the genome is of subtype A origin. The possibility that the discordant phylogenetic positions of "subtype E" viruses in gag- and env-derived trees are the result of unusual rates or patterns of evolution was also considered but was ruled out on the basis of two lines of evidence: (i) phylogenetic trees constructed for synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions yielded the same discordant branching orders for "subtype E" gag and env gene sequences, thus excluding selection-driven evolution, and (ii) multiple crossovers in the viral genome are most consistent with the copy choice model of recombination and have been observed in other documented examples of HIV-1 intersubtype recombination. Thai and CAR "subtype E" viruses exhibited the same pattern of A/E mosaicism, indicating that the recombination event occurred in Africa prior to the spread of virus to Asia. Finally, all "subtype E" viruses were found to contain a distinctive two-nucleotide bulge in their transactivation response (TAR) elements. This feature was present only in viruses which also contained a subtype A 5' pol region (i.e., subtype A viruses or A/D and A/E recombinants), raising the possibility of a functional linkage between the TAR region and the polymerase. The implications of epidemic spread of a recombinant HIV-1 strain to viral natural history and vaccine development are discussed.
Delay bounds for random linear coding in multihop relay networks

In this paper we consider the problem of transmitting a collection of packets from a source node to a destination node across a relay network. We analyze a simple random network coding scheme where each node transmits a random linear combination of packets each time it has a transmission opportunity. Our goal is to determine the expected time required to transmit all packets from the source to the destination. The main result of this paper is an upper bound on the expected time to transmit a generation of packets across the network. We show that the expected time is bounded by a constant plus the number of packets divided by the capacity of the minimum cut separating the source from the destination. This extends similar results for line networks in [2], [3] to relay networks with arbitrarily many relay nodes. To facilitate our analysis, we model the relay network by a continuous-time Markov chain. Our primary analytical tool is a general method for computing upper bounds on hitting times associated with continuous-time Markov chains. We believe that this approach will also provide a method for analyzing transmission times associated with more general network topologies.
Early-phase technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy can improve preoperative localization in primary hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Background In hyperparathyroidism, dual-phase technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy is important for parathyroid adenoma localization. We hypothesized that reviewing early-phase scans can increase localization in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods We reviewed our prospectively maintained database for patients with sestamibi scans before parathyroidectomy for PHPT from 2001 to 2011. Early-phase scans were read and compared with the location of the gland(s) removed at operation. Results Of 902 patients identified, radiologists read 693 scans as positive. Of 209 negative scans, 141 (67%) were positive in the early phase; 135 (96%) correctly identified the side of the adenoma. Using radiologist reads, 35% of patients with negative scans and 41% of patients with falsely localized glands required bilateral exploration compared with 5% of patients with correctly localized glands. Conclusions A review of early scans in patients with negative imaging increases accurate adenoma localization and allows for minimally invasive operations in more patients.
Real-time characterization of formation and breakup of iridium clusters in highly dealuminated zeolite Y.

The chemistry of formation of iridium clusters from mononuclear iridium diethylene complexes anchored in dealuminated Y zeolite, and their subsequent breakup -- all including changes in the metal-metal, metal-support, and metal-ligand interactions -- is demonstrated by time-resolved EXAFS, XANES, and IR spectroscopy.
Behavior of Thymidylate Kinase toward Monophosphate Metabolites and Its Role in the Metabolism of 1-(2′-Deoxy-2′-Fluoro-β-l-Arabinofuranosyl)-5-Methyluracil (Clevudine) and 2′,3′-Didehydro-2′,3′-Dideoxythymidine in Cells

l-Nucleoside analogs are a new class of antiviral and anticancer agents, several of which are currently used in the clinic. The phosphorylation of these agents to the triphosphate form is thought to be important for exertion of their pharmacological activities. 1-(2′-Deoxy-2′-fluoro-β-l-arabinofuranosyl)-5-methyluracil (l-FMAU; Clevudine) is a thymidine analog that is currently under phase III clinical trials as an anti-human hepatitis B virus agent. We examined the behavior of its monophosphate metabolite with human recombinant thymidylate kinase (TMPK) and showed that l-FMAU monophosphate (l-FMAUMP) is a poorer substrate than its d-configuration anomer (d-FMAUMP). The phosphorylation efficiency of l-FMAUMP is similar to that of the monophosphate of 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (d4T), an anti-human immunodeficiency virus analog, both of which are approximately 1% TMP. To clarify the role of human TMPK in the phosphorylation of l-FMAUMP to the diphosphate metabolite in cells, a Tet-On inducible human TMPK cell line system was established. In this system, the expression of TMPK is closely regulated in response to various concentrations of doxycycline. When the cells were treated with l-FMAU or d4T, the amounts of the diphosphate and triphosphate metabolites of these analogs were increased, in accordance with an increase in human TMPK activity in cells. In conclusion, this is the first demonstration of the behavior of TMPK toward l-FMAUMP. This study indicates that human TMPK can phosphorylate l-FMAUMP and play a critical role in l-FMAU metabolism in cells.
Optimization of solid-state fermentation for selective delignification of aspen wood with Phlebia tremellosa

Abstract The white-rot fungus Phlebia tremellosa can delignify aspen wood and increase the accessibility of its polysaccharides to enzymatic hydrolysis, under solid-state fermentation conditions. Fermentations at the 50 g scale were conducted to provide information for the design of larger fermentations. Agitation was not required. Forced aeration was needed for delignification of wood layers more than a few millimeters thick, but air circulation between the particles was not blocked by mycelium. Shavings were the best particles size. Sterilization of the wood was essential, but preadaptation of the inoculum to growth in wood was not. Inoculum levels as low as 2% were adequate.
Opposing Effects of Androgen and Estrogen on Pituitary-Adrenal Function in Nonpregnant Primates

Abstract Maternal administration of androstenedione produces a sustained fall in maternal plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations in the pregnant nonhuman primate. We hypothesize a negative feedback influence on the maternal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by androgens in primates. This may reflect an important maternal adaptation during pregnancy in primates preventing premature induction of labor by maternal stress. However, androstenedione is precursor for placental estradiol-17β synthesis, and infusion of androstenedione into pregnant primates elevates maternal plasma estradiol-17β to term concentrations. Thus, it could be argued that 1) the effects attributed to androstenedione on the maternal HPA axis are mediated by estrogen rather than by androgen and 2) the negative influence of androgens may be on placental ACTH rather than, or in addition to, pituitary ACTH. To discriminate between androgenic and estrogenic effects of androstenedione on pituitary and/or placental ACTH ...
Detection of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Before and After Antimicrobial Therapy: Use of Conventional Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction

Antimicrobial therapy can increase the colonization density of gastrointestinal vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Among previously VRE-colonized patients, we evaluated VRE colonization before and after initiation of antimicrobial therapy by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture. Perianal swab samples were obtained at admission to the hospital and after receipt of antimicrobial therapy. At admission, 12 (21%) of 56 patients were culture positive, and 17 (30%) had vanA or vanB genes detected by PCR. Culture results showed that 25 (86%) of 29 culture-negative patients from whom a second swab sample was obtained remained culture negative, 2 (6.9%) had a relapse of colonization with a strain related to the previously colonizing strain type (2 and 6 days after admission), and 2 (6.9%) tested positive for a previously undetected strain type (16 and 19 days after admission). PCR at admission detected VRE in 1 of the 2 patients who later relapsed. Patients with negative results of culture of the initial swab sample and of PCR were unlikely to relapse after receipt of antimicrobial therapy.
Protein–polymer hybrids: Conducting ARGET ATRP from a genetically encoded cleavable ATRP initiator

Abstract Protein–polymer hybrids are an important class of biomaterials. Described is the preparation of a genetically incorporated a non-canonical amino acid (nCAA) containing an ester linked atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, followed by a controlled “grafting from” polymerization. A Methanococcus jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA CUA pair was selected to genetically encode p-bromoisobutyryloxymethyl- l -phenylalanine (biF) in response to an amber codon. This biF was directly incorporated into green fluorescent protein (GFP) at residue 134 generating biF-GFP. Activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) ATRP was conducted under biologically relevant conditions to graft well-defined poly(oligo ethylene oxide methacrylate) from the biF-GFP. The biF-GFP retained its biofluorescence properties throughout the polymerization indicating the utility of ARGET ATRP for preparing protein–polymer hybrids. The presence of a base-labile ester bond in the initiator, allowed cleavage of the grafted polymer from the protein and directly analyze their molecular weight and molecular weight distribution using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The cleaved final polymer had a M n = 27,000 and a molecular weight distribution of M w / M n = 1.27.
Simultaneous noise filtering and super-resolution with second-generation wavelets

Wavelet coefficient thresholding is effective in reducing spatial domain noise in wavelet-based super-resolution algorithms. Here, the effect of the threshold level on reconstructed image quality in second-generation wavelet super-resolution is investigated. The choice of optimal threshold involves a tradeoff between noise filtering and blurring introduced by thresholding. A measure based on the singular values of the image matrix is employed as a reliable gauge of generated high-resolution image quality.
Superconducting cavity development at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Single-cell, 3 GHz cavities are being tested to refine cavity processing and assembling procedures. Certain of these results indicated a cavity contamination problem, especially after high-field operation. In this instance, the observed behavior of poorly performing cavities indicated that indium contamination may be responsible. The standard chemical polishing treatment was modified to include a 10 minute pretreatment with pure concentrated nitric acid before the standard 2 minute dip in 1, 1, 1. Preliminary results from five cavity tests indicate that this modification may decrease the number of cavity tests that fall in the lower lobe of the performance distribution. >
Distress Symptoms Among Urban African American Children and Adolescents A Psychometric Evaluation of the Checklist of Children's Distress Symptoms

Objectives To explore the factor structure of theChecklist of Children's Distress Symptoms(CCDS); to examine whether there is a higher-order single construct underlying the CCDS measure; and, to assess the association between children's distress symptoms, as reflected by the CCDS factors, and children's self-reported exposure to community violence (both victimization and witness events). Designs Community-based cross-sectional survey. Settings Ten public housing developments in an eastern metropolis. Participants A total of 349 low-income urban African American children and adolescents (198 males; 151 females), 9 through 15 years of age. Measures Children's distress symptoms, exposure to community violence, and selected demographic information including parental education, parental employment status, perceived health status, and school performance. Analysis Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the factorial structure of the CCDS measure. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine if there is a higher-order single underlying construct among CCDS factors. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relationship between exposure to violence and CCDS factors. Major Findings The exploratory factor analysis yielded a 6-factor solution for the CCDS measure with satisfactory internal consistency. The confirmatory factor model with a single second-order construct yielded a good fit to the data. In general, youth who experienced violent victimization or witnessed violent events reported higher levels of distress symptoms than those who did not. Distress symptoms labeled as "intrusive thoughts," "distraction," and "lack of belongingness" were most frequently associated with exposure to violence. Distress symptoms did not differ on the basis of sex or age. Conclusions The CCDS has utility as a measure of distress symptoms among urban African American children and adolescents. Whereas analysis provided support for a single higher-order construct, using the proposed 6-factor structure should enhance our understanding of the psychological impact of exposure to violence on youth and contribute to more effective intervention efforts.
Comparative analysis of arithmetic coding computational complexity

New hardware is making obsolete previous assumptions about the most demanding computations for arithmetic coding. The important arithmetic coding tasks include: (a) interval update and arithmetic operations; (b) carry propagation and bit moves; (c) interval renormalization; (d) interval search for decoding; (e) probability estimation (source modeling); (f) support for nonbinary symbol alphabets. In this paper, the performance of binary arithmetic coding implemented with 16, 32 bit integer and 48 bit floating-point arithmetic is benchmarked. Results show that significantly faster adaptation, with small coding loss, can be obtained by periodic updates of the probability estimation.
The Role of Childhood Neglect and Childhood Poverty in Predicting Mental Health, Academic Achievement and Crime in Adulthood

This study examines the roles of childhood neglect and childhood poverty (family and neighborhood) in predicting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), academic achievement, and crime in young adulthood. Using existing data from a prospective cohort design study, 1,005 children with documented histories of neglect (N = 507) and matched controls (N = 497) were interviewed in young adulthood (mean age 29). Official criminal histories were also used to assess outcomes. Data were analyzed using logistic and ordinary least squares regressions and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to control for neighborhood clustering. Results from HLM revealed that childhood neglect and childhood family poverty uniquely predicted PTSD and adult arrest, MDD was predicted only by childhood family poverty, and a significant interaction between childhood family poverty and childhood neighborhood poverty predicted academic achievement for the control group only. Childhood neglect, childhood family poverty, and childhood neighborhood poverty each contribute to poor outcomes later in life. While interventions should be developed for neglected children to prevent negative outcomes, the current findings suggest that it is also important to consider the ecological context in which these children are growing up.
Intuitions about personal identity: An empirical study

Williams (1970) argues that our intuitions about personal identity vary depending on how a given thought experiment is framed. Some frames lead us to think that persistence of self requires persistence of one's psychological characteristics; other frames lead us to think that the self persists even after the loss of one's distinctive psychological characteristics. The current paper takes an empirical approach to these issues. We find that framing does affect whether or not people judge that persistence of psychological characteristics is required for persistence of self. Open-ended, abstract questions about what is required for survival tend to elicit responses that appeal to the importance of psychological characteristics. This emphasis on psychological characteristics is largely preserved even when participants are exposed to a concrete case that yields conflicting intuitions over whether memory must be preserved in order for a person to persist. Insofar as our philosophical theory of personal identity ...
Structural and Functional Characterization of the Human Gene for Sorting Nexin 1 (SNX1)

The aim of the present study was to identify the gene for sorting nexin 1 (SNX1) to evaluate the potential for tissue-specific alternative splicing and to analyze the activity of the SNX1 promoter. The coding DNA for SNX1 was divided between 15 exons in 43 kb of genomic DNA located on human chromosome 15q22. Although SNX1 mRNA expression was widespread in human tissues, alternative splicing is thought to generate skipped exons in SNX1 cDNAs. By determination of the SNX1 gene structure and an analysis of the mRNAs in a variety of tissues using RT-PCR, we demonstrated that SNX1 mRNAs are alternatively spliced. Exon-skipped products were less abundant than full-length SNX1 mRNA species, but the ratio of skipped to full-length mRNA indicated that alternative splicing may be developmentally regulated in the liver. Consistent with widespread mRNA expression, the SNX1 promoter was GC rich and lacked a TATA box, features characteristic of housekeeping promoters. The promoter activity was dependent on the presence...
Constructing Schizophrenia as a Category of Mental Illness

How can we define the illness we label schizophrenia? As there seems to be no clear and definite answer to this question, I will assume the existence of a nosological category called “schizophrenia” and will also assume that this category was constructed historically.1 Thus our present diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia evolve out of a constant analysis and restructuring of other concepts, which are formed to create the category of schizophrenia. Unlike most other disease entities in psychiatry, schizophrenia is still a label in search of a structure; it is a category applied to a rather large group of symptoms with an almost equal number of etiologies proposed for it.
Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) Related Disease

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized syndrome characterized by frequent elevation of serum Ig4 levels and typical pathology of the affected organs. Biopsy shows lymphoplasmacytic inflammation, frequent eosinophils, storiform fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis and abundant IgG4-positive staining plasma cells. Disease manifestations often respond dramatically to steroid therapy.
Early Land Holding Practices in Utah, and Problems Arising from Them

Whether property in land should be public or private was frequently a problem with the early settlers in Utah. Conflict between the religious and ethical idealism of the group and the traditional idea of private ownership of natural resources was common. That the institution of private property should be challenged at all was due, of course, to the intense religious motivation of the group, which emphasized altruism and deprecated selfish aggrandisement. Sacrifice of the satisfaction arising from individual ownership was looked upon as a wholesome spiritual discipline. Consequently there were a number of settlements which were wholly communistic, the land, as well as other property, being held in common. While these purely communistic efforts suffered the usual fate of such ventures, the germ idea back of them has influenced the evolution of land holding policies in the State to no small degree. The evolution of land ownership in Utah is well typified in the experience of the community of Ephraim. There never was any effort to establish in Ephraim a communistic order with respect to the ownership of farm lands. In the very beginning the suitable land was cut into 20-acre plots, the plots numbered and drawn by lot by the settlers. This suitable land was in one great field, and the whole was surrounded by a common fence. No effort was made to fence the individual plots until a later period. There was, however, an extensive natural meadow in the vicinity of the town, and this meadow was the only source of hay. At first it was not divided, and anyone who wished could go down and mow his supply of hay for the year, as far as the supply would permit. As the demand for the hay increased with the increasing population, it became necessary to apportion the hay land in the same manner. Not only must it be apportioned in the community itself, but it happened that there were two other communities interested in the land. To settle the boundaries as between communities, recourse was taken to the general authorities of the Mormon church.
A Diet COLA for Social Security? Not Really

Due to falling prices, Social Security will make no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to retirement benefits in 2010. Retirees, who feel their benefits are too low and believe the prices they pay are rising, are up in arms. Newspaper headlines announce, "Millions face shrinking Social Security payments," and seniors' groups are already pressuring Congress to pass an ad hoc COLA this year. But most retirees do not know that "no COLA" can actually translate into big benefit increases. When falling prices coincide with stable benefits, purchasing power increases. Moreover, Medicare premium increases are limited in years in which no COLA is paid. Combined, the typical retiree will be better off by almost $725 this year. Paying a COLA this year is unnecessary and would boost the long-term Social Security deficit.
Imaging Schottky Barriers at Carbon Nanotube Contacts

We use scanning gate microscopy to precisely locate the gating response in single-wall nanotube devices. Junctions of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes show a dramatic increase in transport current when they are electrostatically doped with holes at the junction. We ascribe this behavior to the turn-on of a reverse biased Schottky barrier. A similar effect is seen in field-effect transistors made from an individual semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube. In this case, there are two Schottky barriers at the metal contacts, one of which is forward, and one of which is reverse biased. The gating action is only observed at the reverse biased Schottky barrier at the positive electrode. By positioning the gate near one of the contacts, we convert the nanotube field-effect transistor into a rectifying nanotube diode. These experiments both clarify the gating mechanism for nanotube devices and indicate a strategy for diode fabrication based on controlled placement of acceptor impurities at a nanotube field-effect transistor.
Semi-automated microplate monitoring of protein polymerization and aggregation

Static light scattering (SLS) is a commonly used technique for monitoring dynamics of high molecular weight protein complexes such as protein oligomers or aggregates. However, traditional methods are limited to testing a single condition and typically require large amounts of protein and specialized equipment. We show that a standard microplate reader can be used to characterize the molecular dynamics of different types of protein complexes, with the multiple advantages of microscale experimental volumes, semi-automated protocols and highly parallel processing.
Hole Drilling Determination of Residual Stresses Varying Along a Surface

Hole drilling is a widely applied method for determining residual stresses. In numerous cases of practical interest, residual stresses vary significantly along the surface at a location to be drilled. Previous efforts to use strain gages to determine stresses in such cases are briefly reviewed. A computational approach is presented for determining two orthogonal stresses and their surface gradients at a location where stresses can be considered approximately uniform with depth of a drilled hole. The approach is designed for use with optical methods instead of strain gages. Optical interference fringe patterns obtained by holographic interferometry are shown for holes drilled into the side of a beam experiencing elastic bending stresses and associated gradient. Stresses and a gradient determined from fringe patterns are compared with expected values.
Approaches and Challenges for Linking Marine Biogeochemical Models with the “Omics” Revolution

An unnecessary divide separates the marine biogeochemical modeling and omics research communities that impedes the utilization of new omics data in the development and validation of large-scale, three-dimensional, coupled physical–biogeochemical models. To close this gap we have to: (1) bridge the scientific, cultural, and structural divide that separates the marine biogeochemical modeling and omics research communities preventing scientific exchange and collaboration; (2) develop techniques for relating omics data to aspects of our current biogeochemical model structures and functions that allow useful comparisons between the models and the data; and (3) mobilize development of models that are more representative of the diverse microbial community composition and the associated diversity of metabolic functions that exists in marine waters so that this mapping can be realized to a greater degree. An important caveat here is that the latter may lead to the development of increasingly complex models, which creates both computational and validation challenges.
Aging, motor function, and sensitivity to calcium channel blockers: An investigation using chronic methylmercury exposure

Abstract Methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity is thought to be mediated, in part, by dysregulation of calcium (Ca 2+ ) homeostasis, a mechanism that may also slowly and progressively degrade neuronal function during normal aging. Longitudinal studies of MeHg exposure provide a powerful approach to studying neural and behavioral mechanisms by which both MeHg toxicity and aging affect motor function. Wheel-running and rotarod performance were assessed in two age groups of BALB/c mice chronically exposed to 0 or 1.2 mg/kg/day MeHg and 0 or 20 mg/kg/day nimodipine, a 1,4-dihyrdopyridine L-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), for approximately 8.5 months. Adults began exposure on postnatal day (PND) 72 and retired breeders on PND 296. A log-survivor bout analysis partitioned wheel-running into bouts that identified motor (within-bout rates) and motivational (bout-initiation rates) influences. Retired breeders ran farther, because of a higher bout-initiation rates, but performed more poorly on the rotarod than younger adults, a difference unaffected by nimodipine. MeHg produced relatively age-independent deficits in wheel-running and rotarod performance, whereas nimodipine afforded greater protection to adult mice than to retired breeders. Rotarod performance and within-bout response rate were more sensitive to and more reliable predictors of MeHg toxicity than bout-initiation rate, which was least affected by MeHg exposure. Thus the motivation to run was unimpaired as the ability to do so declined. While chronic MeHg exposure produced functionally similar behavior deficits between age groups, the age-dependent neuroprotection by nimodipine supports the notion that underlying neurobiological systems mediated by Ca 2+ signaling, are differentially affected in older adults.
The New Environmentalism and Global Futures

Brown, Lester R., et al. State of the World: 1990. New York: W. W. Norton, 1990. Pp. xvi, 253. $9.95. Milbrath, Lester W. Envisioning a Sustainable Society: Learning Our Way Out. Albany: SUNY Press, 1989. Pp. xv, 403. $18.95. Paehlke, Robert C. Environmentalism and the Future of Progressive Politics. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989. Pp. 325. $25.00. Tokar, Brian. The Green Alternative: Creating an Ecological Future. San Pedro, CA: R. & E. Miles, 1987. Pp. 174. $7.95.
Nutrition Interventions for Chronic Liver Diseases and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The progressively increasing rates of obesity have led to a worldwide epidemic of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. It is currently the most common cause of liver disease worldwide and projected to be the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States by 2020. NAFLD is associated with both liver-related and overall mortality. Undoubtedly, nutrition interventions are key in the treatment of NAFLD, to reverse the disease, and prevent disease progression, complications, and associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.