cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fiberoptic light source-induced surgical fires -- the contribution of forced-air warming blankets.

Background: Fiberoptic light sources have been identified as a fire ignition mechanism in the operating room. This study attempted to determine whether a forced-air warming blanket (FAWB) could affect the ignition or spread of fire caused by a fiberoptic light source. Methods: We exposed surgical drapes to a fiberoptic light source at close range. The results were categorized according to time to first smoke and damage resulting at 1 min. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney rank-sum test. Results: The sums of the rank values for the components of the drape indicated that there was a greater than 96.8–99.2% chance that the FAWB accelerated the time to first smoke. The FAWB appeared to protect the patient gown from damage during all trials. The presence of an FAWB under a surgical drape accelerated the time to first smoke when exposed to unprotected fiberoptic light sources, yet prevented damage to the underlying patient gown. In an actual surgical setting, it is likely that the FAWB would offer some protection to the patient's skin directly below the surgical drape. Conclusion: It is likely that the FAWB can offer some protection to the patient should an unprotected fiberoptic light source cause a fire.
BACing up the Interferon-γ Locus

In this issue of Immunity, Hatton et al. (2006) identify evolutionarily conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) upstream of the interferon-γ gene, then show by using a BAC transgene reporter that CNS-22 is a key regulator of interferon-γ expression.
An approximate method of solution for multidimensional crystal growth problems

Abstract The paper presents a solution technique which produces useful results for multidimensional solidification problems. The essential feature of the technique consists of a separation of the problem of determining the position of an interphase boundary from the problem of calculating the temperature distributions in a liquid and a solid. The solution for the free growth of dendrites in supercooled melts is comparable with those of Wagner and Horvay and Cahn. The early time solutions for the growth on a cooling surface are in excellent agreement with those of Sikarskie and Boley. It is shown that for growth in a tube of radius R a steady state will be established after about 0.6 R 2 (1+ L / C p Δ T )/α, where L is the heat of fusion, C p the heat capacity, α the thermal diffusivity and Δ T the undercoloing.
A Case-Conference Exercise to Facilitate Understanding of Paradigms in Abnormal Psychology.

In this article we describe an in-class case-conference exercise designed to enhance the teaching of paradigms in abnormal psychology courses. The primary pedagogical goals are to increase awareness of how paradigms are applied in real-life settings; better distinguish between paradigms; and recognize how paradigms influence understanding of etiology, assessment, and treatment. A pretest-posttest evaluation of paradigm-related knowledge and student ratings of the exercise from 2 classes support the effectiveness of the exercise. The exercise makes it possible for instructors to more effectively use paradigms as heuristic themes throughout the course.
Transcription factor Zfx controls BCR-induced proliferation and survival of B lymphocytes

The development, homeostasis, and function of B lymphocytes involve multiple rounds of B-cell receptor (BCR)–controlled proliferation and prolonged maintenance. We analyzed the role of transcription factor Zfx, a recently identified regulator of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance, in B-cell development and homeostasis. Panhematopoietic or B cell–specific deletion of Zfx in the bone marrow blocked B-cell development at the pre-BCR selection checkpoint. Zfx deficiency in peripheral B cells caused accelerated B-cell turnover, depletion of mature recirculating B cells, and delayed T-dependent antibody responses. In addition, the numbers and function of B-1 cell lineage were reduced. Zfx-deficient B cells showed normal proximal BCR signaling, but impaired BCR-induced proliferation and survival in vitro. This was accompanied by aberrantly enhanced and prolonged integrated stress response and by delayed induction of cyclin D2 and Bcl-xL proteins. Thus, Zfx restrains the stress response and couples antigen receptor signaling to cell expansion and maintenance during B-cell development and peripheral homeostasis. These results identify a novel transcriptional regulator of the B-cell lineage and highlight the common genetic control of stem cell maintenance and lymphocyte homeostasis.
Influence of Mesoscale Dynamics and Turbulence on Fine Dust Transport in Owens Valley

Abstract Fine dust particles emitted from Owens (dry) Lake in California documented during the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) of 2006 have been examined using surface observations and a mesoscale aerosol model. Air quality stations around Owens (dry) Lake observed dramatic temporal and spatial variations of surface winds and dust particulate concentration. The hourly particulate concentration averaged over a 2-month period exhibits a strong diurnal variation with a primary maximum in the afternoon, coincident with a wind speed maximum. The strongest dust event documented during the 2-month-long period, with maximum hourly and daily average particulate concentrations of 7000 and 1000 μg m−3, respectively, is further examined using output from a high-resolution mesoscale aerosol model simulation. In the morning, with the valley air decoupled from the prevailing westerlies (i.e., cross valley) above the mountaintop, fine particulates are blown off the dry lake bed by moderate up-valley winds and tr...
Episodic and persistent gun-carrying among urban African-American adolescents.

Abstract Purpose To examine whether similar risk factors influenced episodic and persistent gun-carrying among urban African-American adolescents. Methods The sample consisted of 705 African-American youths (48.9% male; mean age at baseline=14.56 years) who were interviewed annually throughout high school as part of a larger study on students who leave school before graduation. Episodic gun-carrying was defined as carrying a gun during one or two waves of the study. Persistent gun-carrying involved carrying a gun during three or four waves. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression to test how risk factors assessed at ninth grade influenced the persistence of gun-carrying. Results Fifteen percent of students reported carrying a gun episodically, and 5% persistently. "Male gender" (OR = 3.61, 95% CI=2.16–6.04), "adult weapon-carrying" (OR = 1.58, 95% CI=1.20–2.09), "marijuana use" (OR = 1.03, 95% CI=1.01–1.06), "selling drugs" (OR = 3.24, 95% CI=1.52–6.92), and "fighting" (OR = 1.57, 95% CI=1.14–2.15) distinguished noncarriers from episodic carriers. Frequency of fighting (OR = 1.60, 95% CI=1.00–2.57) and selling drugs (OR = 3.29, 95% CI=1.16–9.35) distinguished episodic gun-carriers from persistent gun-carriers. Variables associated with victimization did not uniquely differentiate among the patterns of gun-carrying. These results were similar for males and females. Conclusions Similar risk factors characterize episodic and persistent gun-carrying. Specifically, selling drugs and fighting had a strong dose–response relationship with the persistence of gun-carrying. In this population, episodic gun-carrying should be viewed as very risky and not merely as youthful experimentation or a defensive behavior.
Determination of antioxidant activities of berries and resveratrol

Abstract There has been growing interest in the health benefits of fruits with the emphasis on antioxidants. Berries contain considerable amounts of chemicals referred to as phenolic compounds which have been identified as an important source of antioxidants. The determination of antioxidant capabilities of various berries and resveratrol by reducing 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) essay was designed as an experiment for general, analytical, and introductory biochemistry laboratories. The reduced DPPH radical is colorimetrically analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry to determine the IC50, which is the concentration of an antioxidant at which 50% inhibition of free radical activity is observed. This experiment acquaints students with free radicals and their scavengers, solution preparation, the extraction of a natural product, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Unlike so many undergraduate laboratory experiments, the procedure does not utilize any toxic reagents. Students gain an understanding of the overlap amo...
Observation of the High-Energy Octupole Giant Resonance with 800-MeV Protons

Inelastic scattering of 800-MeV protons from $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$, $^{116}\mathrm{Sn}$, and $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ shows a broad giant resonance at an excitation energy of $\frac{110}{{A}^{\frac{1}{3}}}$ MeV. The angular distributions are consistent only with scalar-isoscalar $l=3$ transfer. The excitation energy and width of this high-energy octupole giant resonance are in reasonable accord with theory. However, its energy-weighted sum-rule strength (\ensuremath{\sim}20%) is only about one half that predicted by randomphase-approximation calculations.
History and Treatment Efforts for a Prison Management Unit: 1. Special Management Unit

These articles describe the history and structure of a Special Management Unit (SMU) within a state prison. An attempt is made to indicate the theory and therapy provided - both psychiatric and psychological - for this particular group of offenders.
On the Calculation of Interlaminar Normal Stress in Composite Laminate

In an effort to improve our understanding of delamination phenomena in composite bodies, an approximate method to define the distribution of the interlaminar normal stress, σ z, along the central plane of a symmetric, finite-width, composite laminate is presented. The approach is based upon a modified version of a recent theory developed by Whitney and Sun and accounts for the influence of the pertinent material and geometric parameters on the shape of the distribution. The accuracy of the approach is demonstrated by comparison with an existing three-dimensional elasticity solution. Finally, an elementary expression for σ z in practical bidirectional laminates is derived.
Reactive Attitudes and Volitional Necessity

The varieties of philosophical skepticism purport to be pressing an intellectual challenge: what’s your justification for believing that there is an external world (or that there are other minds, etc.)? The relevant question is, of course, asked in a tone of voice which implies that a justification is needed and can’t be had. But skeptical worries also present a more personal challenge – or, at least, one that can be more disquieting. By raising doubts about whether the way things seem to us really does map onto the way things are, skeptical worries can lead us to doubt ourselves. These two faces of skepticism – the challenge to our intellect, and the challenge to our self-confidence – are nicely captured by the ambiguity of one way to state the skeptical question: how can you be sure? From one perspective, this is a request for the reasons that reliably put you in contact with the truth; from another perspective, it’s an attempt to sow self-doubt. The two challenges are not completely independent, of course. For example: if you manage to find justifying reasons, then that alone is likely to ease whatever anxiety was induced by the skeptical challenge in the first place. But the reverse is also true: if you can overcome your anxiety some other way and as a result regain your self-confidence, then that alone may be enough to blunt the force of the request for justifying reasons – not because you will have found some, but because you will have come to see the request itself as idle, a mere philosophical curiosity. P. F. Strawson’s response to skepticism about moral responsibility is evidently of this latter variety, an attempt to help us regain our confidence in the face of
Operationalizing the Community Variable in Offender Reintegration:: Theory and Practice for Developing Intervention Social Capital

Despite the new emphasis on reintegration as a broader way of thinking about parole and aftercare, practice and policy remain narrowly focused on managing offender risks and, in some cases, providing services. The authors argue that the community role in reentry has not been clearly articulated and suggest the need for a less individualized, more naturalistic intervention theory. Core principles and practices associated with a restorative community justice model provide tools for strengthening neighborhood informal social control and social support as vital forms of social capital in communities, which is necessary to increase the likelihood of reintegration. Based on emerging empirical research that clarifies the importance of the community role, the authors conceptualize the community role in building relationships of support and control around the offender as a key neglected independent variable in reentry and as a dependent variable for intervention strategies based on community building.
Outcomes of carotid stenting compared with endarterectomy are equivalent in asymptomatic patients and inferior in symptomatic patients.

Background Despite the current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services coverage criteria for carotid artery stenting (CAS), consensus regarding its appropriateness in patients with carotid artery stenosis has not been reached. This is one of the first population-based studies to use a dedicated administrative convention for the endovascular procedure to address whether there is a cohort of patients in whom CAS is more beneficial than carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods We analyzed in-hospital mortality, postoperative stroke, and combined postoperative stoke/mortality in 47,752 CAS or CEA hospitalizations, matched by propensity score, in discharge data sets obtained from the states of New York and California for the years 2005 to 2007. Other outcomes included postoperative complications, length of stay, and volume-outcome relationships. Results For symptomatic patients undergoing CAS, rates were significantly higher for in-hospital mortality (3.7% vs 1.3%) and combined stroke/mortality (8.3% vs 4.6%) compared with CEA. For asymptomatic patients, there was no statistical difference between mortality (0.6% vs 0.4%), stroke (2.0% vs 1.8%), or combined stroke/mortality (2.4% vs 1.9%) across the endovascular and open procedures, respectively. Postoperative respiratory and urinary complications as well as cranial neuropathy were more common after CEA, whereas postoperative complications, including device malfunction and hypotension, were more frequent after CAS. We did not find a volume-outcome relationship for CEA, but one did exist for CAS. Conclusions In symptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis, the most appropriate procedure appears to be CEA, whereas CAS appears to be a suitable minimally invasive approach for asymptomatic patients. On the basis of these results and data from recent multicenter randomized trials, the use of CAS in symptomatic patients should be approached with caution.
Aldosterone-stimulated feeding and weight gain: Interactions with estrogen?

The effects of combined adrenalectomy-ovariectomy and steroid replacement on food intake, spillage, body weight, skeletal growth, and fluid retention were investigated in rats that were fed freely or held to a controlled allotment. The stimulation of feeding and weight gain by aldosterone was not dependent upon the presence of estradiol. Likewise, the suppression of food intake and weight gain brought about by estradiol was not influenced by aldosterone, leading us to conclude that the effects of the two hormones are independent and additive, not interactive. Estradiol and aldosterone each significantly altered the rate of food spillage and in opposite directions. There was a marked reduction in the extent to which estradiol influenced body weight in the controlled feeding situation. Accompanying this was a differential effect of estradiol on body growth. Depending upon feeding condition, estradiol either retarded (free-feeding) or accelerated (restricted) skeletal growth. Aldosterone's stimulation of weight gain was nearly proportional across feeding conditions, and it did not influence body growth.
Mechanisms of disseminated cancer cell dormancy: an awakening field

Metastases arise from residual disseminated tumour cells (DTCs). This can happen years after primary tumour treatment because residual tumour cells can enter dormancy and evade therapies. As the biology of minimal residual disease seems to diverge from that of proliferative lesions, understanding the underpinnings of this new cancer biology is key to prevent metastasis. Analysis of approximately 7 years of literature reveals a growing focus on tumour and normal stem cell quiescence, extracellular and stromal microenvironments, autophagy and epigenetics as mechanisms that dictate tumour cell dormancy. In this Review, we attempt to integrate this information and highlight both the weaknesses and the strengths in the field to provide a framework to understand and target this crucial step in cancer progression.
An Approximation for the Test of the Equality of the Smallest Eigenvalues of a Covariance Matrix

A limiting distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic for the test of the equality of the q smallest eigenvalues of a covariance matrix is obtained. This distribution can be used as an alternative to the chi-squared distribution which is usually used with this test. It is shown that this new method yields reasonable significance levels for those situations in which the chi-squared approximation is inadequate.
Sex role identity and self-esteem : a comparison of children and adolescents

While data from a sample of fourth-grade children indicate that both self-efficacy (masculinity) and relationality (femininity) are strongly associated with self-esteem for both girls and boys, results from a comparable sample of adolescents aged 14–18 and a subsample of the fourth graders when they were in twelfth grade indicate that only self-efficacy is generally associated with self-esteem. An association between relationality and self-esteem is found in adolescents only for a small, high-achieving, high-SES subset of “androgynous” males.
Twenty years of change in the structure, costs, and financial performance of food chains

The cost and performance dimensions of the food retailing industry have undergone considerable change over the past two decades. Changing consumers, new technology, and intensified competition are among the factors shaping a new food retailing environment. As consumers exhibit greater preference for labor intensive service departments, for example, labor expenses, payroll as well as benefits have continued to grow as a percent of sales. It is chiefly this phenomenon that has been responsible for food chain operating costs increasing at a relatively greater rate than gross margins. The net performance result is that food chain profitability, however defined, has declined.
Synthesis and fungicidal activity of phenanthridinotriazines: A structure–activity relationship study

A series of analogous tetracyclic 1, 12b-dihydro-4H-1,2,4-triazino[4,3-f] phenanthridines and 4H,12bH-1,2,5-oxadiazino[5,6-f]phenanthridines was prepared and tested for control of Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici (the causal agent of powdery mildew in wheat). Several analogs showed exceptional activity at doses as low as 6.25 mg litre−1 with substituted analogs VII, X, and XIV being the most potent. Singly substituted tetrahydrotriazinyl or oxadiazenyl rings with lipophilic aromatic components appeared to be the key requirements for optimal powdery mildew control. Substitution of the heterocyclic ring with multiple groups attenuated activity.
Influence of temperature and light on growth and photosynthetic physiology of Fucus evanescens (Phaeophyta) embryos

The influence of temperature and light on growth and photosynthetic physiology were investigated in embryos of Fucus evanescens grown at 5 or 20°C under irradiances of 15 or 150 μmol photons m−2 s−1 for 7–10 days. Growth was light-independent, but high-temperature embryos were always significantly larger than those grown at low temperature. Photosynthesis-irradiance responses were measured at growth temperature and a standard temperature (20°C) to isolate instantaneous effects of temperature from acclimation responses. Our data indicate that growth and photosynthesis are uncoupled during the early development of Fucus, and that acclimation of the photosynthetic light-harvesting apparatus occurred. Light-limited net photosynthesis (Psub-sat) responded similarly to high temperature and low light. Rates of Psub-sat were similar in embryos grown at 20°C (regardless of light) and at 5°C in low (c. 1.2 nmol O2 mm−3 min−1), whereas those of 5°C high-light embryos were lower (c. −0.04 nmol O2 mm−3 min−1). Changes in Psub-sat were associated with changes in initial slope of the photosynthesis-irradiance curve (α) and dark respiration. Differences in α were attributed to increased absorption due to increased chlorophyll a content and PSII reaction centre densities. Changes in α were also correlated with changes in fluorescence induction kinetics, with high-temperature and/or low-light embryos exhibiting higher ratios of variable: maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) than 5°C high-light embryos (c. 0.5 vs. 0.19). In contrast to Psub-sat, changes in light-saturated photosynthesis (Pmax) in response to growth under different temperature/light regimes did not confer metabolic compensation. Rates of Pmax were highest in 20°C high-light embryos (7.3 nmol O2 mm−3 min−1), lower in 20°C low-light and 5°C low-light embryos (c. 2.6 nmol O2 mm−3 min−1) and lowest in 5°C high-light embryos (2.3 nmol O2 mm−3 min−1). We suggest that the ability to achieve temperature-independent rates of Psub-sat may be important for fucoid embryos that recruit in intertidal microhabitats where photosynthesis is often light-limited.
A matric approach to the stability of solutions of algebraic systems by arithmetic and analytic machines

The stability of solutions of systems of algebraic equations on arithmetic machines by iterative or indirect methods and directly on analytic machines, is considered in this paper. The concept of an Explicit Operation Matrix is introduced which simplifies the analysis of stability of solutions. A thorough study of the various existing procedures for solutions of systems of linear equations is made on this basis, and useful criteria have been obtained for the stability. The analytic machine is analysed as a particular case of the iterative arithmetic machine wherein the iterative sequences become continuous rather than being discrete integral, which as a consequence results in the transformation of the Explicit Operation Matrix into an Implicit Operation Matrix. These analyses show that arithmetic machines using iterative methods, and analytic machines giving directs solutions, have similar constraints as to the positive definiteness of the matrix of the algebraic system. However, it has been found that for stability, an analytic machine imposes less stringent conditions on the nature of Implicit Operation Matrix, unlike arithmetic machines, which impose more stringent conditions on the nature of Explicit Operation Matrix. Some experimental results obtained along these lines using the Matrix Computor are also included.
Thin Ferromagnetic Films

The magnetic properties of thin films of ferromagnetic materials have been studied by means of the Bloch spin-wave theory. The spontaneous magnetization depends upon the number of atomic layers, ${G}_{z}$, in the film. For thicknesses below a "critical" thickness, which depends on the temperature and film dimensions, the spontaneous magnetization decreases rapidly as the number of atomic layers is decreased. The temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetization varies from a ${T}^{\frac{3}{2}}$ law for very thick films to a linear function of $T$ for a monolayer film. The spontaneous magnetization, at fixed temperature and film thickness, decreases as the film dimension increases.
DNase I interactions with filaments of skeletal muscles.

DNase I-actin interactions were studied by electron microscopy and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Electron micrographs of glycerinated avian pectoralis major muscle fibres treated with 1 mg ml−1 DNase I demonstrated that the Z-lattice was destroyed. The axial filaments of the Z-lattice were still present but were thinner and less ordered than those of control fibres. The small diameter cross-connecting filaments of the Z-lattice were not present in DNase I treated muscle fibres. Treatment with DNase I had the same effect on fast avian skeletal muscles and fast and slow rat skeletal muscles suggesting that the effect was not muscle type or species dependent. The effect of DNase I could be abolished by lowering the DNase I concentration (0.1 mg ml−1 or less). Preincubation of DNase I with purified skeletal muscle actin also abolished the effect of the DNase I. Analysis of the extracts obtained during DNase I treatment by gel electrophoresis demonstrated that substantial quantities of DNase I did not remain associated with the myofibrils. Two proteins, one with an apparent molecular weight of 43 kDa Which reacted with an actin antibody and another with an apparent molecular weight of 95 kDa which did not react with an alpha-actinin antibody, were observed in the DNase I extracts. These data suggest that DNase I interacts with protein(s) in the Z-lattice and this interaction causes the subsequent release of actin and other Z-band proteins.
Biodegradable nanoparticles for protein delivery: analysis of preparation conditions on particle morphology and protein loading, activity and sustained release properties.

Abstract PLGA particles have been extensively used as a sustained drug-delivery system, but there are multiple drawbacks when delivering proteins. The focus of this work is to address the most significant disadvantages to the W/O/W double emulsion procedure and demonstrate that simple changes to this procedure can have significant changes to particle size and dispersity and considerable improvements to protein loading, activity and sustained active protein release. A systematic approach was taken to analyze the effects of the following variables: solvent miscibility (dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, acetone), homogenization speed (10 000–25 000 rpm), PLGA concentration (10–30 mg/ml) and additives in both the organic (sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB)) and aqueous (bovine serum albumin (BSA)) phases. Increasing solvent miscibility decreased particle size, dispersity and protein denaturation, while maintaining adequate protein loading. Increasing solvent miscibility also lowered the impact of homogeni...
Bulldog Ants of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands and History of the Subfamily (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae)

The presence of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae is established in the Early Eocene (Ypresian) Okanagan Highlands localities of Horsefly River, Falkland, McAbee (British Columbia, Canada) and Republic (Washington state, United States) and in the Mo-clay Olst and Fur Formations (Denmark). Nine new species in four new genera (three orthotaxa: Ypresiomyrma n. gen., Avitomyrmex n. gen., and Macabeemyrma n. gen.; one parataxon: Myrmeciites n. gen.) are described. Seven are placed in the Myrmeciinae: Ypresiomyrma orbiculata n. sp., Ypresiomyrma bartletti n. sp., Avitomyrmex elongatus n. sp., Avitomyrmex mastax n. sp., Avitomyrmex systenus n. sp., Macabeemyrma ovata n. sp., and Myrmeciites herculeanus n. sp.; two further species are tentatively placed in the subfamily, Myrmeciites (?) tabanifluviensis n. sp. from Horsefly River, and Myrmeciites (?) goliath n. sp. from McAbee. Two further myrmeciine ants are treated as Myrmeciites incertae sedis, a male from Falkland and a female (worker or queen) from Republic. Pachycondyla rebekkae Rust and Andersen, from the earliest Ypresian of Denmark, is reassigned to the genus Ypresiomyrma, within the Myrmeciinae. The fossil record indicates a northern hemisphere origin of the subfamily. The presence of Ypresiomyrma in Denmark and British Columbia further reflects the well-documented Paleogene cross-North Atlantic distributions of biota. The known fossil record of the Myrmeciinae is restricted to the Eocene.
Cardiac muscle following quick-freezing: Preservation of in vivo ultrastructure and geometry with special emphasis on intercellular clefts in the intact frog heart

Intact frog, mouse and finch hearts were quick-frozen on a liquid He-cooled copper block. Adjacent frozen samples from the same heart were processed by freeze-substitution (followed by embedding and thin sectioning), freeze-fracture/etch (followed by platinum/carbon replication) and frozen sectioning (followed by freeze-drying), respectively, and examined with the electron microscope for fidelity of reproducing the in vivo state of heart muscle geometry, especially that of the narrow intercellular clefts between frog cardiac muscle cells. It was concluded that quick-freezing followed by the above procedures accomplishes that and that, therefore, narrow intercellular clefts are an invariant feature of the normal anatomy of frog cardiac muscle, which must be considered in physiological experiments. The methodology showed that quick-freezing through the epicardial surface is capable of producing superb cryopreservation for ultrathin cryosections, as well.
A postulate of electric multipoles in growing ice crystals: Their role in the formation of ice crystal aggregates

Abstract This paper describes the basis of the postulate of electric multipoles in growing ice crystals. The postulate was initially developed to describe the orientation of aggregated ice crystals, for the purpose of learning about rate-determining forces involved in the initiation of ice crystal aggregation. A series of laboratory experiments were undertaken to test the postulate. A 6.7-m 3 controlled-temperature chamber was used to investigate the aggregation of growing ice crystals. The results show that small changes in dissolved salts are important in the orientation of initial ice crystal aggregates. We interpret these results to strongly support our hypothesis of electric multipoles in growing ice crystals.
A role for bioenergetic abnormalities in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

(2013). A role for bioenergetic abnormalities in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni-Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 289-293.
Passage of the solar current disk and major geomagnetic storms

It is shown that major geomagnetic storms (¦Dst¦ > 100γ) tend to develop at about the time of the passage of the solar current sheet or disk at the location of the Earth, provided this passage is associated with (1) a large impulsive increase of the IMF magnitude B, (2) a negative value of the IMF angle Θ (Theta), and (3) an increasing solar wind speed. The passage occurs in association with the 27-day rotation of the warped current disk or a temporal up-down movement of the latter. The period in which ∂¦Dst¦/∂t< 0 during major storms coincides approximately with the period when the solar windmagnetosphere energy coupling function ɛ becomes ≳1019 erg s−1. These conclusions do not depend on the phase of the sunspot cycle.
The effects of mechanical interaction between the interstellar medium and comets

Abstract Oort Cloud comets mechanically interact with the interstellar medium (ISM). In this report we discuss and evaluate the importance of accretion of interstellar material onto comets, the erosion of cometary surfaces by impacting interstellar grains, and the consequences of these interactions. Based upon scaling analyses, we find that collisions with interstellar grains can provide a significant evolutionary mechanism for the modification of cometary surfaces and, in doing so, can also contribute an appreciable number of low-mass particulates to the ISM.
Selection of lambda Spi− transducing phages using the P2 old gene cloned onto a plasmid

The old gene product of the P2 prophage interferes with plaque formation by lambda wild type phage but allows lambda phages whose red and gam genes have been deleted to form small, visible plaques (the lambda Spi- phenotype). The old gene product also kills Escherichia coli recB or recC mutants. We have cloned the old gene into the high-copy-number plasmid pBR322, where it prevents plaque formation by both lambda Spi+ and lambda Spi- phages. We transferred a DNA fragment that carries the old gene to the low-copy-number plasmid pSC101 and found that lambda Spi- phages can be selected on strains that carry this plasmid. The plasmid-borne old gene kills E. coli recB mutants, providing a selection for old- mutants.
A hybrid network traffic engineering system

This paper describes traffic analysis undertaken to answer certain questions needed to design a hybrid network traffic engineering system (HNTES). The hybrid network in question consists of an IP-routed network and a dynamic virtual-circuit network, and the role of HNTES is to identify and redirect α-flows, which are defined as flows in which the number of bytes exceeds a threshold H (1 GB) over at least one α-interval (1 minute). NetFlow data from ESnet was analyzed. Our findings show that raw IP α-flows (identified by the 5-tuple) are mostly short-lived (80% are shorter than 2 minutes), which implies that HNTES should use an offline mechanism for identifying α-flows and preconfiguring policy-based routes to redirect packets for these flows to virtual circuits since setup delay is about 1 minute. An offline mechanism using prefix flow identifiers (/32 source and destination IP addresses or /24 source and destination subnets) appears to be highly effective because α-flow generating sources and sinks typically have static public IP addresses. For example, an analysis of two months of NetFlow data from an ESnet router shows that more than 94% of the total number of bytes from α-flows would have been redirected had a /24 based offline HNTES solution been deployed.
How to support inheritance and run-time polymorphism in Fortran 90

Fortran 90 does not support automatic inheritance and run-time polymorphism as language mechanisms. This paper discusses techniques for software emulation of inheritance and polymorphism in Fortran 90, which simplifies the implementation of an object-oriented programming style in Fortran 90.
Economic aspects of historic preservation

There is much discussion today of the desirability of preserving old structures. Simply stated the problem is: which buildings or areas to preserve and which to demolish and replace. For some time there has been considerable argument among architects, city planners, politicians and proponents of historic preservation about this problem. Often the proponents of preservation appear to speak on a purely emotional basis, perhaps because no one has been able to articulate a quantifiable formula by which to determine what should be preserved. Economists have contributed little to the debate. This paper attempts to fill this void by considering what economic analysis can contribute. It examines theories which might be applicable .and offers illustrations of their utilization. In this brief compass, however, no attempt is made to apply any one formula to a specific problem of preservation. One of the most important considerations lies in the fact that our economy changes constantly: the town of Pullman, for example, neatly laid out nearly a century ago, is poorly adapted to the almost universal usage of the automobile. Land, once considered only suitable for truck gardening, leaps in value as suburbs sprawl farther and farther from the central city. The problem is dynamic. Therefore, two pitfalls should be avoided. We should refrain from indulging in the "fire brigade" or "squeaky axle" response. This means that a town should adopt a policy for land use which integrates the old and the new, instead of responding to last minute emotional campaigns to preserve a threatened landmark. A second trap is a "stop-the-clock" approach, which preserves all that is old at the expense of any change. Museum villages like Williamsburg and Old Sturbridge have their place, but we cannot afford many of these relics of a bygone age. We should opt for the third alternative, sometimes referred to as the "toute ensemble" which identifies and retains those neighborhoods and landmarks which provide the community with a sense of continuity and beauty by making the best use of still useful architecture in the overall city development plan. We need a sense of history, but we should not freeze the pattern. Might one not ask, what Paris would be like today if its development had been frozen pre-Hausmann?
Evidence that the recently discovered θ1-globin gene is functional in higher primates

A new subfamily of the alpha-globin-like family has recently been identified in higher primates, rabbit, galago and possibly the horse. One member of this subfamily, theta 1, is downstream from the adult alpha 1-globin gene. In orang-utan, but not in rabbit or galago, the theta 1-gene appears to be structurally intact, suggesting that it may be functional in this species. The orang-utan theta 1-gene possesses initiation and termination codons, and the predicted polypeptide differs from the orang-utan alpha 1-globin by 55 amino acids. The upstream promoter boxes CCAAT and ATA are present, although approximately 150 base pairs (bp) farther upstream than in the alpha 1-gene. This structural difference in the promoter between the orang-utan theta 1- and alpha 1-genes has led Proudfoot to speculate that the theta 1-gene may be inactive. We have now cloned the theta 1- and alpha 1-globin genes from the olive baboon, and have compared their sequences with those of orang-utan. The unique promoter structure of the orang-utan theta 1-gene is highly conserved in baboon, although the orang-utan and baboon diverged nearly 30 million years ago. The coding sequences of the two theta 1-genes differ by only 6.3% with 22 out of 27 nucleotide substitutions being codon third position silent changes. These data support the view that the theta 1-gene has been functional in the baboon, orang-utan, and by implication, in man. We also estimate that the duplication event generating the theta 1- and alpha-globin-like subfamilies may have occurred as much as 260 million years ago.
Least squares reduction of linear systems using impulse response

Abstract Necessary conditions for the optimum linear dynamic model reduction problem subject to a pulse input (Dirac delta function) are derived. These conditions are based on the integral square error and are applicable to multiple input-single output systems. Such a problem can be made computationally feasible for finite and infinite time intervals and for various forms of the low order system. A numerical example based on unsteady state heat conduction is presented
Marital disturbance and child problems: A cautionary note regarding hyperactive children

In previous work, investigators have found a relationship between marital discord and childhood conduct problems (aggression) in clinic samples. Given the wide variability of aggression found among hyperactive children,it would follow from previous work that child aggression may be associated with marital discord in a hyperactive population. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 23 boys (ages 5 to 8) diagnosed as attention deficit with hyperactivity. Aggressive behaviors were tracked by the children's teachers for 12 school days. Parental and teacher ratings of conduct problems were also obtained. Additionally, the auditory version of the laboratory Continuous Performance Test was administered. Marital adjustment, overt hostility, and conflict tactics, as reported by the mothers, were not significantly correlated with any of the measures of aggression or conduct problems. In other words, marital discord in families with a hyperactive boy did not explain differential rates of aggressive behavior despite definite variability in both the marital and child behavioral measures. Marital discord was marginally related to severity of attentional deficit on the Continuous Performance Test. The results underscore the need for caution in attempting to extend findings from a general population (i.e., undifferentiated clinicreferred children) to a specific diagnostic subgroup (i.e., attention-deficit hyperactive children).
Inhibition of histaminase release from human granulocytes by products of histaminase activity

Imidazoleacetic acid, a product of the action of histaminase (E.C. 1.4.3.6) on histamine, inhibits specific release of histaminase from human peripheral blood granulocytes with an inhibition constant between 5 X 10(-9)M and 1 X 10(-8)M. Hence, modulation of enzyme release is indirectly mediated by the activity of the enzyme.
Systems biology of kidney diseases

Kidney diseases manifest in progressive loss of renal function, which ultimately leads to complete kidney failure. The mechanisms underlying the origins and progression of kidney diseases are not fully understood. Multiple factors involved in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases have made the traditional candidate gene approach of limited value toward full understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these diseases. A systems biology approach that integrates computational modeling with large-scale data gathering of the molecular changes could be useful in identifying the multiple interacting genes and their products that drive kidney diseases. Advances in biotechnology now make it possible to gather large data sets to characterize the role of the genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome in kidney diseases. When combined with computational analyses, these experimental approaches will provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying biological processes. Multiscale analysis that connects the molecular interactions and cell biology of different kidney cells to renal physiology and pathology can be utilized to identify modules of biological and clinical importance that are perturbed in disease processes. This integration of experimental approaches and computational modeling is expected to generate new knowledge that can help to identify marker sets to guide the diagnosis, monitor disease progression, and identify new therapeutic targets.
Mode-dependent vibrational predissociation in the HCN-HF binary complex

Abstract Sub-Doppler resolution near-infrared spectra have been obtained for the ν 1 and ν 2 bands of HCN-HF. The molecular constants obtained from these spectra are in excellent agreement with those obtained in previous studies. The high resolution of the present experiments has enabled us to obtain accurate values for the vibrational predissociation lifetimes, namely 0.58(1) × 10 −10 s and 1.35(5) × 10 −8 s, for the ν 1 and ν 2 bands, respectively. This dramatic difference in lifetimes clearly shows that the vibrational predissociation dynamics is highly mode dependent in this system.
The molecular kinetics of the urea-urease system. IV. The reaction in an inert buffer

Abstract A kinetic study has been made of the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea, the work being done in a trishydroxymethylaminomethane-H2SO4 buffer, which was shown to have no activating or inhibiting effect on the reaction. The rate was found to pass through a sharp maximum at pH 8.00, and detailed studies were made at pH values of 8.00 and 7.13, over a wide range of substrate concentrations and temperatures. The Michaelis law was found to be obeyed accurately up to a substrate concentration of 0.25 M at pH 8.00 and of 0.33 M at pH 7.13; at higher concentrations there was some falling off of the rate. The absolute enzyme concentration was determined by comparison with Sumner's data in phosphate buffer, and values of entropies and heats of activation were calculated.
Ionic liquid tolerant hyperthermophilic cellulases for biomass pretreatment and hydrolysis

One of the main barriers to the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose results from its highly crystalline structure. Pretreating biomass with ionic liquids (IL) increases enzyme accessibility and cellulose recovery through precipitation with an anti-solvent. For an industrially feasible pretreatment and hydrolysis process, it is necessary to develop cellulases that are stable and active in the presence of small amounts of ILs co-precipitated with recovered cellulose. However, a significant decrease in cellulase activity in the presence of trace amounts of ILs has been reported in the literature, necessitating extensive processing to remove residual ILs from the regenerated cellulose. Towards that end, we have investigated the stability of hyperthermophilic enzymes in the presence of the IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) and compared it to the industrial benchmark Trichoderma viride (T. viride) cellulase. The endoglucanase from a hyperthermophilic bacterium, Thermatoga maritima, and a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus horikoshii, were over expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Under their optimum conditions, both hyperthermophilic enzymes showed significantly higher [C2mim][OAc] tolerance than T. viride cellulase. Using differential scanning calorimetry we determined the effect of [C2mim][OAc] on protein stability and our data indicates that higher concentrations of IL correlated with lowered protein stability. Both hyperthermophilic enzymes were active on [C2mim][OAc] pretreated Avicel and corn stover. Furthermore, these enzymes can be recovered with little loss in activity after exposure to 15% [C2mim][OAc] for 15 h. These results demonstrate the potential of using IL-tolerant extremophilic cellulases for hydrolysis of IL-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass, for biofuel production.
Luteotrophic and luteolytic effects of nitric oxide in sheep are dose-dependent in vivo

It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) acts in either an anti-luteolytic or in a luteolytic manner, but the mechanism for these opposing roles is unclear. We hypothesized that NO may act in a dose-dependent manner to regulate luteal function, whereby low concentrations of NO might stimulate luteal progesterone production (i.e. luteotrophic) and high concentrations of NO might reduce concentrations of plasma progesterone (i.e. luteolytic). To test this hypothesis we infused increasing concentrations of the fast-acting NO donor, dipropylenetriamine NONOate (DPTA), into the arterial supply of sheep with ovarian transplants bearing a corpus luteum (CL). Infusions were performed on sheep with CL 11 days of age (n=9) or over 30 days of age (n=15). We measured changes in the concentration of progesterone in ovarian venous plasma during the 1-h infusion and for 24h after the infusion, and then compared the mean concentration of progesterone between treatment groups for effects by dose and dose by period interactions. Compared with saline-treated controls (n=6), the highest dose of 1000 microg/min DPTA (n=6) reduced (P 0.05) in sheep infused with the lowest dose of 1 microg/min DPTA (n=6) compared with controls. We conclude that NO regulates luteal function in a dose-dependent manner in sheep in vivo.
Elastic tracking and neural network algorithms for complex pattern recognition

Abstract A new elastic tracking (ET) algorithm is proposed for finding tracks in very high multiplicity and noise environments. It is based on a dynamical reinterpretation and generalization of the Radon transform and is related to elastic net algorithms for geometrical optimization. ET performs an adaptive nonlinear fit to noisy data with a variable number of tracks and is more efficient numerically than the traditional Radon or Hough transform method, because it avoids binning of phase space and the costly search for valid minima. Spurious local minima are avoided in ET by introducing an iteration time-dependent effective potential. The method is shown to be very robust to noise and measurement error and extends tracking capabilities to much higher track densities than possible via local road finding or even the novel Denby-Peterson (DP) neural network tracking algorithms. A possible neural network implementation of ET is also discussed.