cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Algorithmic extensions of cheeger's inequality to higher eigenvalues and partitions

We consider two generalizations of the problem of finding a sparsest cut in a graph. The first is to find a partition of the vertex set into m parts so as to minimize the sparsity of the partition (defined as the ratio of the weight of edges between parts to the total weight of edges incident to the smallest m - 1 parts). The second is to find a subset of minimum sparsity that contains at most a 1/m fraction of the vertices. Our main results are extensions of Cheeger's classical inequality to these problems via higher eigenvalues of the graph. In particular, for the sparsest m-partition, we prove that the sparsity is at most 8√1-λm log m where λm is the mth largest eigenvalue of the normalized adjacency matrix. For sparsest small-set, we bound the sparsity by O(√(1-λm2)log m).
Ab Initio calculations applied to problems in metal ion chemistry

The study of the interaction of metal ions (M) with a large variety of ligands (L) is an area of active experimental research [1]. Metal ion systems are often more amenable to experimental study than the corresponding neutral systems, due to the ease of detection of metal ions and the fact that endothermic reactions can be driven to threshold by accelerating the ions. A wide variety of experimental methods such as the guided-ion beam method [2], collision induced dissociation [3], and photodissociation techniques [4] are capable of giving accurate metal ion ligand binding energies. The electrostatic interactions result in association reactions with no barrier. While there may be a barrier to go from the initial complex to the final products, for example when the metal ion has inserted into a bond, it is common that these barriers are below the M+ + L asymptote. Thus the reactivity is thermodynamically instead of kinetically controlled, so that considerable information is obtained directly from the metal ion ligand binding energies.
Joint Probability Distributions

In Chapters 3 and 4, we studied probability models for a single random variable. Many problems in probability and statistics lead to models involving several random variables simultaneously. In this chapter, we first discuss probability models for the joint behavior of several random variables, putting special emphasis on the case in which the variables are independent of each other. We then study expected values of functions of several random variables, including covariance and correlation as measures of the degree of association between two variables.
Richard Bauckham. Living With Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology

Richard Bauckham Living With Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2011. 270 pp. $34.95 ISBN 978‐1602584112 In Living With Other Creatures: Green Exegesis ...
Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibition in Lung Cancer

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) chaperone is required for the conformational maturation and stability of multiple oncogenic kinases that drive signal transduction and proliferation of lung cancer cells. The recent demonstration that mutant epidermal growth factor receptor is an Hsp90 client, irrespective of the presence of the secondary threonine-to-methionine amino acid substitution mutation at position 790 mediating anilinoquinazoline resistance, suggests Hsp90 inhibition as a novel strategy against this group of lung cancers. The rarer epidermal growth factor receptors harboring exon 20 insertions and vIII mutations are also Hsp90 clients. Lung cancers may also be driven by mutant ErbB2, mutant B-Raf, or mutant or overexpressed c-Met, all of which are also degraded on Hsp90 inhibition. Hsp90 inhibitors may be synergistic with other drugs that disrupt chaperone function, including inhibitors of histone deacetylase 6 and the proteasome and agents that inhibit Hsp70 function. Hsp90 plays a unique antiapoptotic role in small cell lung cancer cells, so that Hsp90 inhibition results in substantial cell death in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant small cell lung cancer cell lines. Clinically, the geldanamycin compounds are the most mature, with manageable toxic effects. Several new classes of Hsp90 inhibitors are emerging, including purines and pyrazoles that have entered phase 1 trials. The available data suggest that Hsp90 inhibitors should be evaluated in multiple lung cancer subsets.
Left ventricular volume changes during dobutamine stress echocardiography identify patients with more extensive coronary artery disease

Objectives. We hypothesized that patients with more extensive coronary artery disease could be identified by abnormal left ventricular volume changes during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Background. In patients with more than one significant coronary artery stenosis, the typical hypercontractile function during dobutamine infusion may not occur. This may result in a smaller decrease or even an increase in left ventricular volumes at peak dobutamine infusion. Methods. We measured end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes in 61 patients undergoing dobutamine stress echocardiography and quantitative coronary analysis. Stress echocardiographic findings were positive in 39 patients (Group I) and negative in 22 (Group II). The percent change in these volume measurements from baseline to peak infusion were compared with quantitative coronary analysis jeopardy scores and incidence of two- or three-vessel coronary artery disease. An abnormal response was defined as < 15% decrease in end-diastolic or end-systolic volume. Results. Among the 39 patients with positive findings on dobutamine stress echocardiography (Group I), 11 had an abnormal end-diastolic volume response ( 15% in all but 1. Conclusions. Failure of end-diastolic volume to significantly decrease during dobutamine stress echocardiography identifies a group of patients with more extensive significant coronary artery disease.
Spatial visualization and sex differences in quantitative ability

Abstract The hypothesis that sex differences in spatial visualization ability might account for sex differences in mathematical ability was supported for a group of 183 male and 81 female college students. With spatial visualization statistically controlled, no significant sex differences in Quantitative Scholastic Aptitude Test (QSAT) scores was found; including sex as a predictor variable increased the variance explained by less than 1%. Although the slope of the regression of mathematics on spatial visualization did not differ as a function of sex, males were somewhat more predictable than females. As the OSAT of both males and females high on spatial visualization was more predictable than the QSAT of those scoring less well, it appears that the sex difference in predictability is due to males having higher spatial ability than females.
Characterization of Iron-Based Alloy Interconnects for Reduced Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract The oxidation kinetics and electrical properties of oxide scales thermally grown on the surface of a commercial ferritic alloy have been investigated on the un-oxidized and pre-oxidized alloys as functions of temperature and time under oxidizing atmospheres with four different electrodes. Oxidation kinetic studies with the un-oxidized alloys show a nearly parabolic dependence on time of oxide-scale growth rate, but a significantly increased growth rate with a coating of LSCo (La 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3− δ ) compared to those without and with the coatings of LSM (La 0.85 Sr 0.15 MnO 3 )+LSGM (La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Ga 0.83 Mg 0.17 O 2.815 ) and platinum. Short-term resistance measurements in stagnant air as a function of temperature with pre-oxidized alloys indicate that the oxide scale has a semiconducting transport property. The overall activation energy includes a term from small-polaron hopping inside the oxide scale Δ H m and terms Δ H i and Δ H j from charge transfers at the electrode/oxide-scale and alloy/oxide-scale interfaces, respectively. For the LSCo electrode, long-term resistance measurements as a function of time with un-oxidized alloys reveal a secondary oxidation mechanism related to the formation of an insulating spinel phase in addition to a primary oxidation mechanism associated with the formation of Cr 2 O 3 . SEM observations show that oxidation of the un-oxidized alloy in the presence of an oxide electrode results in considerable interdiffusion of Cr and the electrode cations, especially Co, across the interfaces. Since the ASR values of the oxide scale measured with oxide electrodes quickly approach the permitted limit of a practical SOFC, highly recommended for prevention of a secondary electrochemical oxidation of iron-based alloy interconnects is (1) the use of an oxide coating having purely electronic conductivity and/or (2) prior-to-use conditioning of the alloys via pre-oxidation.
Development of a nanomechanical biosensor for analysis of endocrine disrupting chemicals.

A nanomechanical transducer is developed to detect and screen endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) combining fluidic sample injection and delivery with bioreceptor protein functionalized microcantilevers (MCs). The adverse affects of EDCs on the endocrine system of humans, livestock, and wildlife provides strong motivation for advances in analytical detection and monitoring techniques. The combination of protein receptors, which include estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) and estrogen receptor beta (ER-β), as well as monoclonal antibodies (Ab), with MC systems employing modified nanostructured surfaces provides for excellent nanomechanical response sensitivity and the inherent selectivity of biospecific receptor–EDC interactions. The observed ranking of binding interaction of the tested EDCs with ER-β is diethylstilbestrol (DES) > 17-β-estradiol > 17-α-estradiol > 2-OH-estrone > bisphenol A > p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE) with measurements exhibiting intra-day RSDs of about 3%. A comparison of responses of three EDCs, which include 17-β-estradiol, 17-α-estradiol, and 2-OH-estrone, with ER-β and ER-α illustrates which estrogen receptor subtype provides the greatest sensitivity. Antibodies specific to a particular EDC can also be used for analyte specific screening. Calibration plots for a MC functionalized with anti-17-β-estradiol Ab show responses in the range of 1 × 10−11 through 1 × 10−7 M for 17-β-estradiol with a linear portion extending over two orders of magnitude in concentration.
Derivation and characterization of a zebrafish liver cell line

ZF-L cells were derived from normal adult zebrafish liver, and have been growing in culture for more than 100 generations. The cells were derived in basal nutrient medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS), trout serum, trout embryo extract, bovine insulin and mouse epidermal growth factor. After 50 generations in culture, optimal growth of the cells was achieved in medium supplemented with FBS (5%) and trout serum (0.5%). ZF-L cells were hypodiploid (modal chromosome number= 46) and exhibited an epithelial morphology. ZF-L cell homogenates exhibited alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, glucose-6-phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase enzyme activities. The cells synthesized and released several proteins into the culture medium, including a 70 kDa protein recognized by anti-bovine serum albumin IgG.
Cardiac Maturation in an Hypoxic Milieu: Implications for Arrhythmias in Hypoxemic Defects

Newborn rabbits were raised in either hypoxic or normoxic environments for 3 months. Data from electrophysiological studies carried out on isolated sinoatrial and ventricular preparations from the two groups show that the hypoxic group had changes in cellular transmembrane electrical activity that could be the basis for disorders of rate and conduction in vivo. This model will be useful to study the etiology and therapy of some arrhythmias seen in cyanotic congenital hypoxemic heart disease.
Norovirus gastroenteritis after fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of Clostridium difficile infection despite asymptomatic donors and lack of sick contacts.

Norovirus Gastroenteritis After Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection Despite Asymptomatic Donors and Lack of Sick Contacts
Hyponatremia and Heart Failure—Pathophysiology and Implications

Fluid and electrolyte disturbances are a common feature of heart failure. Among the electrolyte disturbances that occur in heart failure, disorders of potassium and magnesium have traditionally received the most attention. Abnormalities involving either of these actions serve as risk factors for sudden cardiac death/arrhythmias. More recently, a growing appreciation has emerged for the importance of hyponatremia in the heart failure patient. Hyponatremia is multifactorial in origin, and its presence correlates with disease severity and outcome. There are few effective therapies for hyponatremia, and those that are available are not viewed as offering specific survival benefits per se. The recent availability of vasopressin receptor antagonists, however, offers a different approach to the management of this complex electrolyte disturbance, but one that is still evolving as to the scope of its clinical benefits.
Cysteamine Therapy for Children with Nephropathic Cystinosis

We treated 93 children with nephropathic cystinosis with oral cysteamine (mean dose, 51.3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) for up to 73 months. This agent is known to be effective in depleting cells of cystine. In our study, the mean cystine depletion from leukocytes was 82 percent. A historical control group of 55 children received either ascorbic acid (27 children) or placebo (28). At age six, 2 of 17 controls had a serum creatinine level less than 1.0 mg per deciliter, as compared with 17 of 27 patients treated with cysteamine for at least one year (odds ratio, 12.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.1 to 33.9). At the end of the study, creatinine clearance was higher in the cysteamine group than in the control group (38.5 vs. 29.7 ml per minute per 1.73 m2; 95 percent confidence limits on the difference, 1.8 and 15.8), even though the cysteamine group was on average 1.4 years older than the control group. Cysteamine also improved growth; those in the cysteamine group between two and three years of age grew at 93 percent of the normal velocity, as compared with 54 percent in the control group. Fourteen percent of the patients could not tolerate the taste and smell of cysteamine. Concurrent controls treated in a blinded fashion with a placebo were not included in this study. With this limitation in mind, we conclude that oral cysteamine, by depleting cells of cystine, helps maintain renal glomerular function, improves growth, and constitutes the current treatment of choice for nephropathic cystinosis.
Inhibition of HMGcoA reductase by atorvastatin prevents and reverses MYC-induced lymphomagenesis

Statins are a class of drugs that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMGcoA) reductase, a critical enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. Several reports document that statins may prevent different human cancers. However, whether or not statins can prevent cancer is controversial due to discordant results. One possible explanation for these conflicting conclusions is that only some tumors or specific statins may be effective. Here, we demonstrate in an in vivo transgenic model in which atorvastatin reverses and prevents the onset of MYC-induced lymphomagenesis, but fails to reverse or prevent tumorigenesis in the presence of constitutively activated K-Ras (G12D). Using phosphoprotein fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis, atorvastatin treatment was found to result in the inactivation of the Ras and ERK1/2 signaling pathways associated with the dephosphorylation and inactivation of MYC. Correspondingly, tumors with a constitutively activated K-Ras (G12D) did not exhibit dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 and MYC. Atorvastatin's effects on MYC were specific to the inhibition of HMGcoA reductase, as treatment with mevalonate, the product of HMG-CoA reductase activity, abrogated these effects and inhibited the ability of atorvastatin to reverse or suppress tumorigenesis. Also, RNAi directed at HMGcoA reductase was sufficient to abrogate the neoplastic properties of MYC-induced tumors. Thus, atorvastatin, by inhibiting HMGcoA reductase, induces changes in phosphoprotein signaling that in turn prevent MYC-induced lymphomagenesis.
Eye Movements as a Paradigm of Approach and Avoidance Behavior

Eye movements were recorded while Ss looked at items consisting of four horizontally arranged pictures. The pictures were small line-drawings of ordinary objects and scenes. Three of the pictures w...
DNA sequence and coding properties of mutD(dnaQ) a dominant Escherichia coli mutator gene

Abstract The mutD(dnaQ) gene in Escherichia coli codes for the e subunit of the DNA polymerase pol III holoenzyme. Previous work has shown that this gene lies adjacent to the gene coding for RNase H (rnh). The two products are translated from diverging promoters. Here we report on the 1.6 kb (1 kb = 103 bases or base-pairs) sequence of the region coding for both genes, and the transcripts encoded by them. mutD codes for two transcripts, one of whose origins lies within the rnh structural gene. Both transcripts overlap and are complementary to a region of the rnh transcript. Thus, they can potentially form double-stranded helices with rnh. Of the two possible double-stranded structures, the shorter does not interfere with a likely rnh ribosome binding site, while the longer one does. We suggest that this unique organization may regulate rnh translation rates.
Fluorescent Ion‐Sensing Microspheres for Multiplexed Chemical Analysis of Clinical and Biological Samples

This review summarizes recent advances in the development of chemically selective microspheres with a view to developing new, attractive methodologies in clinical and biomedical analysis. In particular, the development of fluorescent ion-selective microspheres that function analogously to established bulk optodes is discussed. The fluorescent signal is dependent on a selective ion extraction process into a hydrophobic bulk phase doped with selective complexing agents. A mild preparation process for making large numbers of such microspheres is reported. Among a multitude of different applications, these beads may be applied in analytical flow cytometry in order to form part of a total bead-based suspension array analysis system. Applications toward low detection limit measurements, as well as advances in polymer chemistry to develop plasticizer-free ion sensing beads, are also discussed.
Cardiac rigor mortis in dogs.

Abstract Experiments designed to ascertain the relationship between cardiac rigor and myocardial ATP depletion were performed in excised totally ischemic dog hearts incubated in vitro at 37°C. Spontaneous electrical activity was recorded and left ventricular contractile response and pressure were measured with an intracavitary balloon. As the incubation proceeded, spontaneous electrical and mechanical activity gradually declined and usually ceased after 25 to 30 and 19 to 22 min of total ischemia, respectively. The pressure remained unchanged at 1 to 4 mmHg for about 50 min and then slowly began to increase. A 2 mmHg pressure rise was noted after a mean interval of 63 ± 3 min. About 4 minlater, when the pressure had risen by 5 mmHg, the subendocardial ATP was decreased to 0.62 ± 08 μmol/g weight (11% of control). ATP depletion also occurred, but was less marked in the mid- and subepicardial zones. The left ventricular pressure increased markedly during the next 15 to 20 min, and was associated with continued loss of tissue ATP. When rigor was fully developed after about 90 min of total ischemia, the ventricular myocardium was stiff, the cavitary pressure was about 70 mmHg and the tissue contained virtually no ATP. Increased electrical activity accelerated both ATP loss and the appearance of rigor. Thus, these studies demonstrate that marked depression in myocardial ATP and the apperance of rigor are closely associated phenomena. The onset of irreversible ischemic cell injury has previously been associated with severe ATP depletion. Thus, the onset of cardiac rigor may be a gross marker of both cellular events.
pH-dependent transient conformational states control optical properties in cyan fluorescent protein.

A recently engineered mutant of cyan fluorescent protein (WasCFP) that exhibits pH-dependent absorption suggests that its tryptophan-based chromophore switches between neutral (protonated) and charged (deprotonated) states depending on external pH. At pH 8.1, the latter gives rise to green fluorescence as opposed to the cyan color of emission that is characteristic for the neutral form at low pH. Given the high energy cost of deprotonating the tryptophan at the indole nitrogen, this behavior is puzzling, even if the stabilizing effect of the V61K mutation in proximity to the protonation/deprotonation site is considered. Because of its potential to open new avenues for the development of optical sensors and photoconvertible fluorescent proteins, a mechanistic understanding of how the charged state in WasCFP can possibly be stabilized is thus important. Attributed to the dynamic nature of proteins, such understanding often requires knowledge of the various conformations adopted, including transiently popula...
Electron microscopy of spore germination and cell wall formation in Mucor rouxii.

The fine structure of ungerminated and aerobically germinated sporangiospores of Mucor rouxii was compared. The germination process may be divided into two stages: I, spherical growth; II, emergence of a germ tube. In both stages, germination is growth in its strictest sense with overall increases in cell organelles; e.g., the increase in mitochondria is commensurate with the overall increase in protoplasmic mass. Noticeable changes occurring during germination are the disappearance of electron-dense lipoid bodies, formation of a large central vacuole and, most strikingly, formation of a new cell wall. Unlike many other fungi, M. rouxii does not germinate by converting the spore wall into a vegetative wall. Instead, as in other Mucorales, a vegetative wall is formed de novo under the spore wall during germination stage I. This new wall grows out, rupturing the spore wall, to become the germ tube wall. Associated with the apical wall of the germ tube is an apical corpuscle previously described. The vegetative wall exhibits a nonlayered, uniformly microfibrillar appearance in marked distinction to the spore wall which is triple-layered, with two thin electron dense outer layers, and a thick transparent inner stratum. The lack of continuity between the spore and vegetative walls is correlated with marked differences in wall chemistry previously reported. A separate new wall is also formed under the spore wall during anaerobic germination leading to yeast cell formation. On the other hand, in the development of one vegetative cell from another, such as in the formation of hyphae from yeast cells, the cell wall is structurally continuous. This continuity is correlated with a similarity in chemical composition of the cell wall reported earlier.
Comparative Effects of Selenium on Metabolism of Methylmercury by Chickens and Quail: Tissue Distribution and Transfer into Eggs

Abstract Female chickens and Japanese quail in active egg production were used to determine the influence of selenium (Se as sodium selenite) on the metabolism of mercury (Hg as methylmercuric chloride). Ration treatments consisted of 0 and 8 p.p.m. Se in a complete factorial arrangement with 0 and 20 p.p.m. Hg. Rations were fed ad libitum during the 21-day experiments, and tracer doses of methyl-203-mercuric chloride (203 Hg) were given orally daily by oral capsule to all females for the first seven days of each experiment. Egg production by chickens and quail was reduced by feeding 20 p.p.m. Hg. This effect of Hg was alleviated in quail but not in chickens by 8 p.p.m. Se. Se did not affect 203 Hg excretion by chickens or quail, but the proportion of total 203 Hg doses retained by quail was twice that of chickens. Quail also deposited twice as much 203 Hg (relative to dose) in eggs as did chickens. When fed simulutaneously with Hg, Se increased the proportion of 203 Hg deposited in egg white and in whole eggs of chickens and quail. Se decreased 203 Hg in egg yolk. Similarly, the percent of total egg 203 Hg in egg white was increased by Se while that in egg yolk was reduced. Dietary Se increased the retention of 203 Hg in liver and brain tissue of chickens and quail. The effect of SE on 203 Hg in red blood cells varied with level of Hg and with species of bird. The total Hg content of eggs and tissues, as determined on selected samples, closely paralleled 203 Hg levels found. In general, the data indicate that major differences between chickens and quail exist with respect to the influence of SE on Hg metabolism.
Successful salvage of a long-standing collapsed lung by bronchoplasty in three children

Abstract Background: The authors report successful salvage of the ipsilateral lung by a bronchoplastic procedure in 3 patients with a long-standing, totally collapsed lung. Methods: The 3 patients were 1, 5, and 6 years of age, and the left lung had been collapsed totally for periods of 13 months to 5 years. The origin of atelectasis was congenital in 2 patients and traumatic in one patient. Bronchoscopy showed complete obstruction of the left main bronchus. In each patient, the left lung was small and appeared as a liverlike organ. Entire length of the main bronchus was resected. The left lung was not aerated in spite of aggressive bagging through an endotracheal tube inserted into the distal bronchial stump. The bifurcation of the upper and lower segmental bronchi was anastomosed to the trachea by interrupted sutures. Histology of the resected bronchus in the cases of congenital origin showed bronchial rings represented by islands of immature cartilage. Results: Chest x-ray showed complete aeration of the left lung at 3, 4, and 5 months, respectively, after surgery in the 3 children. Bronchoscopy disclosed a well-reconstructed airway in all patients. Two of the 3 patients have been free from respiratory distress during a 3- to 4-year follow-up. The latest patient to have this surgery is undergoing home ventilation because of chronic lung disease. Conclusions: A long-standing collapsed lung in children may reexpand if bronchial continuity is restored. Insufficient inflation of the lung at surgery is not an indication for pneumonectomy. When at all possible, a child's lung should be preserved. J Pediatr Surg 37:1726-1728. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Interaction of 1-Naphthol and Its Oxidation Products with Aluminum Hydroxide

Sterile batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pH, dissolved O2 concentration, and reaction time on interaction of 0.1 mM 14C-1-hydroxynaphthalene [1-naphthol] with poorly crystalline Al(OH)3(s). Negligible (<4%) sorption of 1-naphthol to Al(OH)3(s) was observed after 20 h reaction time (conditions − dark, w/ O2). However, a significant increase in sorption of 14C labeled compound occurred with increasing equilibration time to 7 days, and a clear pH dependent trend emerged. The extent of removal was minimal below pH 6.8, increased sharply over a narrow pH range, and leveled off around pH 8.2. A similar pH-dependent trend was observed for 1-naphthol transformation in controls [no Al(OH)3(s)]. In the absence of O2, 1-naphthol transformation and removal were negligible even after 7 d reaction time. Therefore, sorption of 14C labeled compound is due to a stronger interaction between the naphthol oxidation product and Al(OH)3(s). 13C CPMAS NMR spectra of 1,4-13C-labeled 1-naphthol react...
Diethylstilbestrol and Risk of Fatal Breast Cancer in a Prospective Cohort of US Women

The authors examined the association between the use of diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy and the risk of subsequent fatal breast cancer in a large prospective study of US adults. After 9 years of follow-up, 1,574 cases of fatal breast cancer were observed among 501,536 gravid women who reported no prior history of cancer in 1982. Results from Cox proportional hazards models showed a positive association between a history of diethylstilbestrol exposure (reported by 3.9% of all women) and fatal breast cancer (adjusted rate ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.69). This excess risk did not increase over time; women who were exposed more than 35 years ago (rate ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.87) were not at greater risk than women who were exposed within the past 35 years (rate ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.93). The positive association was not observed in women who used diethylstilbestrol before age 25 years but was seen at all other ages. The age of study participants did not modify the association between exposure and breast cancer, and there were no significant interactions between ever use of diethylstilbestrol and any of the other potential risk factors included in the analysis. These findings are consistent with those of several other studies of diethylstilbestrol exposure and breast cancer.
Analysis of an osmotically regulated pathogenesis-related osmotin gene promoter.

Osmotin is a small (24 kDa), basic, pathogenesis-related protein, that accumulates during adaptation of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells to osmotic stress. There are more than 10 inducers that activate the osmotin gene in various plant tissues. The osmotin promoter contains several sequences bearing a high degree of similarity to ABRE, as-1 and E-8 cis element sequences. Gel retardation studies indicated the presence of at least two regions in the osmotin promoter that show specific interactions with nuclear factors isolated from cultured cells or leaves. The abundance of these binding factors increased in response to salt, ABA and ethylene. Nuclear factors protected a 35 bp sequence of the promoter from DNase I digestion. Different 5′ deletions of the osmotin promoter cloned into a promoter-less GUS-NOS plasmid (pBI 201) were used in transient expression studies with a Biolistic gun. The transient expression studies revealed the presence of three distinct regions in the osmotin promoter. The promoter sequence from −108 to −248 bp is absolutely required for reporter gene activity, followed by a long stretch (up to −1052) of enhancer-like sequence and then a sequence upstream of −1052, which appears to contain negative elements. The responses to ABA, ethylene, salt, desiccation and wounding appear to be associated with the −248 bp sequence of the promoter. This region also contains a putative ABRE (CACTGTG) core element. Activation of the osmotin gene by various inducers is discussed in view of antifungal activity of the osmotin protein.
A model of sedimentary delta growth: a novel application of numerical heat transfer methods

Purpose – Understanding the factors that contribute to the growth of sediment delta lobes in river systems has significant benefit towards protecting civil and social infrastructure from severe weather events. To develop this understanding, this paper aims to construct a three‐dimensional numerical model of a sediment delta depositing on to a two‐dimensional bedrock basement entering an ocean at a constant sea‐level.Design/methodology/approach – The approach used adapts and applies techniques and schemes previously used in building numerical heat transfer models of melting systems. Particular emphasis is placed on modifying fixed grid enthalpy like schemes.Findings – The resulting model provides important insight on the features that control the partition of sediment delta deposition between the land and ocean domains. The model also illustrates how tectonic subsidence may control the rate of delta growth.Originality/value – This is the first numerical heat transfer inspired model of a three‐dimensional s...
Aerobic biological treatment of low-strength synthetic wastewater in membrane-coupled bioreactors: the structure and function of bacterial enrichment cultures as the net growth rate approaches zero.

The goal of the current research was to determine if the stringent nutrient limitation imposed by membrane-coupled bioreactors (MBRs) could be used to force mixed bacterial communities to exhibit a zero net growth rate over an extended time period. Mechanistically, this zero net growth rate could be achieved when the amount of energy available for growth is balanced by the maintenance requirements of the bacterial community. Bench-scale MBRs were fed synthetic feed medium containing gelatin as the major organic substrate. Biomass concentrations initially increased rapidly, but subsequently declined until an asymptote was reached. Leucine aminopeptidase activities concomitantly increased by at least 10-fold, suggesting that bacterial catabolic activity remained high even while growth rates became negligible. In contrast, α-glucosidase and heptanoate esterase activities decreased, indicating that the bacterial community specifically adapted to the carbon source in the feed medium. Bacterial community analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments (PCR-DGGE) suggested that the bacterial community structure completely changed from the beginning to the end of each MBR. Excision and nucleotide sequence analysis of prominent PCR-DGGE bands suggested that many of the dominant populations were similar to novel bacterial strains that were previously uncultivated or recently cultivated during studies specifically targeting these novel populations. This research demonstrates that MBRs have substantial practical applications for biological wastewater treatment; in addition, MBRs are a useful tool to study the ecology of slow-growing bacteria.
A structural analysis of evolved complex networks-on-chip

Designing large-scale heterogeneous Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) for irregular applications often involves sophisticated optimization techniques that lead to unstructured networks. Such networks are hard to understand because they were not built with common engineering knowledge. In this paper we use tools from complex network analysis, such as community detection, and small-worldness, to analyze the structure of optimized heterogeneous NoCs. Our results show that communities evolve robustly and that heterogeneous link types are efficiently establishing inter- and intra-subnet connections. We confirm that networks optimized under cost pressure are more modular. Finally, we determine the small-worldness and observe that small-world networks evolve as a result of a trade-off between performance and cost. Our results are relevant for the understanding of heterogeneous NoCs and for designing optimal communication fabrics for emerging technologies.
The rate of urinary cortisol excretion at work is persistently elevated in women at familial risk for breast cancer.

We recently reported that healthy women at familial risk for breast cancer (FH1) have higher uri- nary cortisol levels at work than women without familial risk (FH2). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether this group difference persisted over a 1-month period. Subjects were healthy women (FH1, N 5 42, age 5 37.6 6 9.3, FH2, N 5 93, age 38.4 6 9.0) employed primarily in clerical or technical positions at three medical centers in New York City who collected timed urine samples in three contrasting daily environments, at work (11AM-3PM), home (6PM-10PM) and during sleep (10PM-6AM) on 2 mid-week workdays 1 month apart. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that cortisol excretion differed across the environments (P < 0.001), and that there was also a significant interaction between daily environment and family history group (P < 0.049), such that FH1 women maintained higher cortisol excretion at work over the 2 days than FH2 women. A Bland-Altman plot showed that both overall and by family history group, the rate of cortisol excretion at work was generally reproducible, although there was a heteroscadasticity in the relationship that likely reflected excessive stressfulness on one of the study days in a small minority of subjects. These results suggest that the presence of a potent background stressor (familial breast cancer risk) can influence more acute cortisol responses in daily life over time. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 20:478-480, 2008. ' 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Exact Ladder Network Design Using Low-Q Coils

In preceding papers, tables were presented for the design of lossless networks terminated in resistance at one or both ends. Networks with uniform dissipation and a resistance termination only at the load end are considered in this paper. The tables give the element values of normalized low-pass ladders with one of the following characteristics: maximally flat magnitude (Butterworth), equal-ripple magnitude (Tchebycheff), and maximally flat time delay (Bessel polynomial). The low-pass to band-pass frequency transformation can be used on the Butterworth and Tchebycheff networks to yield the element values for the band-pass case.
Monoclonal antibodies that distinguish between class II antigens (HLA-DP, DQ, and DR) in 14 haplotypes.

Abstract The specificity of three commonly used monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) reacting with human class II histocompatibility antigens, was analyzed to determine whether these MoAbs would distinguish between HLA-DP, DQ, and DR in a large number of haplotypes. The reactivity of these MoAbs (L243, Anti-Leu 10, and B7/21) was compared by serial immunoprecipitation of class II antigens from 11 B-cell lines. The cell lines examined expressed a total of five DP, three DQ, and nine DR types, which together represent most of the well-defined class II specificities. This is the first demonstration that one of these antibodies. B7/21, binds to at least five DP specificities, and does not bind to DR or DQ molecules as defined by reactivity with the two other MoAbs. Within the scope of these experiments, the B7/21 antibody was shown to react with a monomorphic DP determinant. A variant clone of the B7/21 hybridoma was isolated that secretes IgG 1 antibody with the same specificity as the original IgG 3 antibody. The two other antibodies studied have been previously shown to react with DR molecules (L243) or DQ molecules (Anti-Leu 10). Here, their lack of cross-reaction with DP molecules is demonstrated. Thus, each of the three MoAbs reacts exclusively with a distinct class II molecule in all haplotypes studied, and therefore should be useful for comparing the independent expression and function of DP, DQ, and DR molecules.
HIV: a tough viral nut to crack.

HIV cannot multiply in certain human cells unless it expresses a protein called Vif, the function of which has finally been revealed. It seems that it overcomes a human protein that would otherwise block viral replication.
Baccalaureate educator use of environment-based strategies to teach diagnostic patterns.

Abstract Baccalaureate nurse educators reported that their use of 10 environment-based strategles in the classroom or clinical setting may foster recognition of diagnostic patterns likely to be encountered in clinical practice. Environment-based strategles are verbal or print materials that draw attention to a particular aspect of what is being taught and that draw attention to important information. A national sample of 255 fulltime baccalaureate educators (56 per cent return rate) from 28 randomly selected programs completed a questionnaire. The reliability estimate related to the 10 items was 0.70. Most respondents reported use of all 10 environment-based strategies with a minimum reported use of 60 per cent for each strategy on at least a “sometimes” basis. The most frequently reported use of a strategy on a “greater than sometimes” basis was the transparency (75 per cent). Color and print differences were the most infrequently used at 40 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively. The results of this study show that faculty, elther consclously or unconsciously, use the environment-based strategles to facilitate student selection of key diagnostic indicators. Increasing educators' awareness of such benefits to students may stimulate further research in this area. Methods to help students decipher significant health status indicators from associated ones are clearly needed so that timely intervention can be used to prevent harm to patients.
Response of Potatoes to Soil-Applied Insecticides, Fungicides, and Herbicides

Non-target impacts of pesticides are well documented in crops such as soybeans and corn. However, little effort has been made to evaluate these impacts in potatoes. Field trials were conducted at the Parma and Aberdeen Research and Extension Centers during 2005 and 2006 to evaluate the potential for systemic insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides to affect disease development, crop injury, and tuber yield. The first set of trials evaluated six insecticide treatments (aldicarb, oxamyl, phorate, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and non-treated) in a factorial combination with in-furrow application of the fungicide azoxystrobin. Azoxystrobin significantly decreased Rhizoctonia stem canker, while aldicarb and phorate tended to increase it compared to the non-treated control. There was a significant insecticide by fungicide interaction due to a bigger reduction in disease index by the fungicide when certain insecticides were used. Despite the association of these insecticides with increased disease incidence, there was no significant impact on yield. In the second set of trials, sulfentrazone herbicide was applied just prior to plant emergence to potatoes treated with the same six insecticides to evaluate the potential for the in-furrow treatments to increase plant injury. Sulfentrazone caused stunting and visible plant injury, but the level of plant injury was influenced by insecticide treatment in only one out of four trials.
Can Civil Society Organizations Solve the Crisis of Partisan Representation in Latin America

This article takes up the question of whether civil society organizations (CSOs) can and do act as mechanisms of representation in times of party crisis. It looks at recent representation practices in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, three countries where political parties have experienced sharp crises after several decades of mixed reviews for their party systems. At such moments, any replacement of parties by CSOs should be especially apparent. This study concludes that the degree of crisis determines the extent that CSOs' representative functions replace partisan representation, at least in the short term. Where systems show signs of re-equilibration, CSOs offer alternative mechanisms through which citizens can influence political outcomes without seeking to replace parties. Where crisis is profound, CSOs claim some of the basic party functions but do not necessarily solve the problems of partisan representation.
Study of the interaction and scattering of vortices in the Abelian Higgs (or Ginzburg-Landau) model

Line vortices arising in the Ginzburg-Landau or Abelian Higgs model are studied numerically. For a wide range of parameters simulations of parallel line vortices and antivortices were performed and the results are reported. The head-on 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} scattering is demonstrated to be independent of initial conditions provided that the vortex zeros first completely overlap. For critically coupled vortices the scattering behavior seems to be approximately velocity independent until \ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.4 and the collisions are approximately elastic until \ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.3. This suggests that higher-order modes arising from the collisions are not excited until \ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.3. When vortices and antivortices collide at highly relativistic speeds (\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.9) it is found that the direction into which they reform depends upon the coupling constant. The metric on the moduli space ${\mathit{M}}_{2}$ is calculated from its field-kinetic definition. The scattering angles directly calculated from the metric components are shown to agree with the numerical simulations. The nontrivial forms of the components are discussed in relation to the scattering results.
In situ real time process characterization in nanoimprint lithography using time-resolved diffractive scatterometry

To optimize nanoimprint lithography (NIL), it is essential to be able to characterize and control the NIL process in situ and in real time. Here, we present a method for in situ real-time NIL process characterization using time-resolved diffractive scatterometry (TRDS). A surface relief diffraction grating is used as the imprint mold, and the diffracted light intensity is monitored continuously during the imprint process. We use a scalar diffraction model to calculate the diffraction intensity as a function of the mold penetration ratio. Simulations show good agreement with the experimental results. Our results indicate that TRDS offers a powerful characterization tool that can be used for in situ, real-time NIL process control.
A Case Study of a Retracted Systematic Review on Interactive Health Communication Applications: Impact on Media, Scientists, and Patients

BACKGROUND: In October 2004, a flawed systematic review entitled “Interactive Health Communication Applications for People with Chronic Disease” was published in the Cochrane Library, accompanied by several press releases in which authors warned the public of the negative health consequences of interactive health communication applications, including the Internet. Within days of the review's publication, scientists identified major coding errors and other methodological problems that invalidated the principal conclusions of the study and led to a retraction. While the original study results and their negative conclusions were widely publicized in the media, the retraction seemed to go unnoticed. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to document an unprecedented case of misinformation from a Cochrane review and its impact on media, scientists, and patients. As well, it aims to identify the generic factors leading to the incident and suggest remedies. METHODS: This was a qualitative study of the events leading to the retraction of the publication and of the reactions from media, scientists, and patients. This includes a review and content analysis of academic and mass media articles responding to the publication and retraction. Mass media articles were retrieved in May 2005 from LexisNexis Academic and Google and were classified and tallied. The extended case method is employed, and the analysis is also applied to comparable publishing events. RESULTS: A search on LexisNexis Academic database with the query “Elizabeth Murray AND health” for the period of June 2004 to May 2005 revealed a total of 15 press reports, of which only 1 addressed the retraction. Google was searched for references to the review, and the first 200 retrieved hits were analyzed. Of these, 170 pages were not related to the review. Of the remaining 30 pages, 23 (77%) were reports about the original publication that did not mention the retraction, 1 (3%) was a bibliography not mentioning the retraction, and 6 (20%) addressed the retraction, of which only 1 was a non-Cochrane–related source. CONCLUSIONS: Analyzed retrievals showed that the mass media gave more coverage to the Cochrane review than to the retraction or to a related systematic review with a similar scope but a different conclusion. Questionable results were prematurely disseminated, oversimplified, and sensationalized, while the retraction was hardly noticed by the public. Open commentary by scientists and patients helped to rapidly identify the errors but did not prevent or correct the dissemination of misinformation. [J Med Internet Res 2005;7(2):e18]