cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Outcome and Long-Term Mortality for Heart Failure Patients Undergoing Intermediate- and High-Risk Noncardiac Surgery: Impact of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

The impact of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) on outcome in patients with heart failure (HF) undergoing non-cardiac surgery has not been extensively evaluated. 174 subjects (mean age 75±12 years, 47% male, mean EF (47±18%) underwent intermediate or high risk non-cardiac surgery. Patients were stratified by EF and adverse perioperative complications were identified and compared. Adverse perioperative events occurred in 53 (30.5%) of subjects, including 14 (8.1%) deaths within 30 days, 26 (14.9%) myocardial infarctions, and 44 (25.3%) HF exacerbations. Among the factors associated with adverse perioperative outcomes in the first 30 days were advanced age (e.g. >80 years), diabetes and a severely decreased EF (e.g. <30%). Long term mortality was high and Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that EF was an independent risk factor for long term mortality.
Interfacial reactions between rhodium and GaAs in bulk and thin film form

Abstract Interfacial reactions between rhodium and GaAs in both thin film and bulk forms have been investigated in the temperature range 200–1000 °C using transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. Thin film reaction behavior was consistent with the bulk diffusion couples which were annealed at higher temperatures and for longer times. In the thin film case, where the rhodium supply is limited, the final configuration is RhGa/RhAs 2 /GaAs. The diffusion path for bulk Rh/GaAs was determined to be Rh/ RhGa/Rh 2 As/Rh 12 As 7 /RhAs/RhAs 2 /GaAs; however, before this final configuration was reached, a series of transient paths were observed which included supersaturated phases and two-phase structures. The diffusion path and reaction morphology have been rationalized using the phase diagram, kinetic observations and growth mechanisms observed during the reactions.
PHALLIC PRESERVING SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH INVASIVE SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PENIS

ABSTRACTPurpose: Standard surgical methods to eradicate invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis often result in significant deformities. Wide local excision with skin grafting in select cases results in the preservation of normal phallic appearance and function.Materials and Methods: Seven patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis were treated with wide excision and resurfaced by 1 of 3 methods, namely 1) a split-thickness graft, 2) a full-thickness graft or 3) shaft skin advancement.Results: At 1 to 5 years of followup there was 1 local recurrence proximal to the original resection site. Local excision of recurrence resulted in no evidence of disease at 2 years of followup following repeat excision. All other patients had no local recurrence.Conclusions: In select cases wide local excision with grafting or skin advancement results in a normal phallic appearance without jeopardizing cancer control.
MarkUs: a server to navigate sequence–structure–function space

We describe MarkUs, a web server for analysis and comparison of the structural and functional properties of proteins. In contrast to a 'structure in/function out' approach to protein function annotation, the server is designed to be highly interactive and to allow flexibility in the examination of possible functions, suggested either automatically by various similarity measures or specified by a user directly. This is combined with tools that allow a user to assess independently whether or not a suggested function is consistent with the bioinformatic and biophysical properties of a given query structure, further allowing the user to generate testable hypotheses. The server is available at http://wiki.c2b2.columbia.edu/honiglab_public/index.php/Software:Mark-Us.
Comparison of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Intracellular and Virion Ribonucleoproteins

Abstract Vesicular stomatitis virus ribonucleoproteins (RNP) obtained by a detergent treatment of purified virus (vRNP) or from infected HeLa cell cytoplasm (icRNP) were examined by sedimentation in sucrose or Renografin gradients in the presence or absence of EDTA. It was shown that vRNP and icRNP sediment at the same rate in sucrose and Renografin in the absence of EDTA; however, icRNP sedimented more slowly in the presence of EDTA than did vRNP. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the proteins of vRNA and icRNP recovered from EDTA-containing gradients demonstrated that both RNP structures contained L, N, and NS proteins in the same proportion. Electron microscopy of both RNP structures, in the absence of EDTA, demonstrated that both exist as helical structures ~20 by 700 nm. However, in the presence of EDTA the icRNP was completely uncoiled with a mean length of 4,095 nm, whereas vRNP was hardly affected. The addition of excess Mg2+ or Mn2+ to uncoiled icRNP preparations partially restored the coiled configuration. These observations suggest that the change in sedimentation of icRNP in the presence of EDTA is due to a change from a coiled to an uncoiled conformation, that icRNP and vRNP are not structurally identical, and that icRNP must undergo a conformational change during maturation of VSV from the 20-by-700-nm intracellular form to the 50-by-175-nm form found in intact virus. The icRNP containing L, N, and NS proteins (icRNPL,N,NS) and icRNP containing only N protein (icRNPN), prepared by centrifugation of icRNPL,N,NS in CsCl to remove L and NS, were compared by cosedimentation in sucrose gradients. There was a decrease in sedimentation rate of icRNPN due to loss of L and NS. This sedimentation difference was also apparent in the presence of EDTA; however, both icRNPL,N,NS and icRNPN sedimented at a much slower rate in the presence of EDTA, and by electron microscopy both were completely uncoiled. These observations suggest that N protein alone is responsible for the 20-by-700-nm coiled structure and that the divalent cation interactions disrupted by EDTA are N-N or N-RNA interactions. These results are discussed with regard to vesicular stomatitis virus maturation.
Blood Pressure and Urinary Catecholamine Excretion Vary Inversely with Rate of Weight Gain in Low Birth Weight (LBW) Infants

Blood Pressure and Urinary Catecholamine Excretion Vary Inversely with Rate of Weight Gain in Low Birth Weight (LBW) Infants
Novel Testing Procedure for Assessment of Quality of Foamed Warm Mix Asphalt Binders

This paper presents an image-based testing system called the asphalt foam collapse test (AFCT) to measure parameters that indicate the quality of foamed warm mix asphalt (WMA) binders. The AFCT was used to measure and evaluate various potential quality indicators such as expansion ratio (ER), half-life (HL), and foam index (FI). In addition, this paper introduces a method to calculate the bubble size distribution (BSD) of the bubbles in the foamed WMA. The BSD is then used to introduce a new parameter called the surface area index (SAI) as an indicator of foamed binder quality. It was shown that the SAI is a strong candidate for evaluating foamed WMA binder for coating and workability. Furthermore, this paper presents the effect of water content and air nozzle pressure on the foam properties. The results revealed that the water content and air pressure have a significant influence on the ER, HL, FI, BSD, and SAI. The low water content and low pressure produced foams with smaller bubbles as compared to foams made with high water content and high pressure, which affected the aggregate coating.
Steamboats and the Great Productivity Surge In River Transportation

Economic historians generally agree that improvements in transportation were a significant aspect of nineteenth-century United States development, and the dramatic fall in transportation costs, 1815–1860, has been given special emphasis by a number of scholars. According to George R. Taylor, nothing less than a transportation revolution was experienced in the United States during this period
Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes with human granulocytic-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or GM-CSF combined with low-dose cytosine arabinoside.

In a phase II study, 21 patients with MDS (RAEB, RAEBt, CMML and RA and RAS with severe cytopenia) were randomized to be treated with 3 courses of GM-CSF (3 micrograms/kg/day s.c.) alone (11 patients) or in combination with AraC (20 mg/m2/d s.c.) (10 patients) for 14-d periods, interrupted by 14-d rest periods. Eight patients discontinued the treatment. In the GM-CSF group a marked increase in WBC and neutrophil counts during each course of treatment administration were seen in most patients. Platelet counts decreased in 14 of 24 courses of treatment in the GM-CSF plus AraC group but in none of the GM-CSF group. Although the changes in the circulating blood cells were transient and the counts tended to return to the pretreatment levels during the rest periods, some more durable effects were seen. In 3/6 patients of the GM-CSF group who completed the designed treatment, both WBC and neutrophils remained elevated above the pretreatment levels throughout the 3-month period of treatment, while in one of them thrombocytopenia improved considerably. In the GM-CSF plus AraC group, 4 out of the 7 patients who completed the treatment showed an improvement of neutropenia as well as anaemia. In these 4 patients the BM percentage of blasts was also decreased. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that GM-CSF given intermittently improves leukopenia in some patients with MDS. In addition, the administration of GM-CSF seems to prevent granulocytopenia of concurrent AraC treatment and may be of benefit in the treatment of these diseases.
Determination of benzylsuccinic acid in gasoline-contaminated groundwater by solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract Benzylsuccinic acid (BSA) and methylbenzylsuccinic acid (methyl-BSA) are unambiguous biotransformation products resulting from anaerobic toluene and xylene biodegradation, respectively. A solid-phase extraction method based on polystyrene–divinylbenzene sorbent was developed for the quantitative BSA determination in groundwater samples as an alternative to liquid–liquid extraction. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used for separation and detection. The recovery from spiked 1 l groundwater samples was 88 to 100%. The precision of the method, indicated by the relative standard deviation, was ±4% and the method detection limit was 0.2 μg/l. The concentration of BSA and methyl-BSA in groundwater samples from anaerobic BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes)-contaminated sites ranged from below the detection limit (3 μg/l) to 155 μg/l.
Pyroelectric energy conversion using PLZT ceramics and the ferroelectric-ergodic relaxor phase transition

This paper is concerned with direct conversion of waste heat into electricity by executing the Olsen cycle on lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics undergoing a relaxor‐ferroelectric phase transition. The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two isoelectric field processes. First, the temperature-dependent dielectric properties were measured for x/65/35 PLZT. The polarization transition temperature of x/65/35 PLZT was found to decrease from 240 to 10 C as x increased from 5 to 10 mol%. This suggests that the different compositions should be operated over different temperature ranges for maximum thermal to electrical energy conversion. The energy and power densities generated by the Olsen cycle using x/65/35 PLZT samples were measured by successively dipping the samples in isothermal dielectric oil baths. Large energy and power densities were obtained when the samples underwent the ergodic relaxor‐ferroelectric phase transition. A maximum energy density of 1014 J l 1 per cycle was obtained with a 190 m thick 7/65/35 PLZT sample cycled at 0.026 Hz between 30 and 200 C and between 0.2 and 7:0 MV m 1 . To the best of
Characterization of the poling process in zinc diffused lithium tantalate optical waveguides

Abstract A model for the poling process of Zn diffused LiTaO3 optical waveguides that is based on the thermodynamic theory of ferroelectrics is presented. The effect of oppositely oriented domain regions are related to the linear electrooptic coefficient by the approximation that the polarization inside the crystal is proportional to the external electric field applied during poling. The model predictions agree well with experimental optical phase shift data of electrooptic waveguide modulators produced by diffusions above the Curie temperature then repoled under different electric field values.
The Mineral Requirements Of Radiata Pine Seedlings

Summary Radiata pine seedlings were grown in water cultures and perlite cultures in which N, P, K, and Mg were supplied at several rates. It was found that deficient or excess supplies of most nutrients cause chlorosis. The blue-green foliage on P-deficient seedlings is an exception. The patterns of chlorosis produced by N, K, and :M g deficiencies are distinct and characteristic. Quantities of 100 p.p.m. of N, 1 p.p.m. of P, 10 p.p.m. of K, am: 10 p.p.m. of Mg in the nutrient solution are sufficient to maintain good growth in seedlings. These levels are low when compared with those obtained in some other studies, but they are of the same order as the concentrations found in the soii solutions of two New Zealand soils known to support vigorous plantations of radiata pine. In an experiment of this nature it is important to have the basic nutrient concentrations similar to levels found in soil solutions, otherwise optimum levels of supply and critical foliage levels may not apply to plants grown under field...
The global embedded interface formulation for interfacial mass transfer within a volume tracking framework

Abstract Interfacial flow with mass transfer is particularly challenging to compute because the position of the interface between the fluids and the interface physics needs to be predicted as part of the solution of the flow equations. In addition, the discontinuity in fluid density, viscosity and species concentration at the interface present additional numerical challenges. In this work, we extend our balanced-force volume-tracking algorithm for modeling interfacial flow with surface tension force [10] to include mass transfer. We propose a global embedded interface formulation to model the interfacial conditions of the species concentration at an interface in thermodynamic equilibrium. To verify our formulation, we perform simulations of a pure diffusion problem with species concentration discontinuity at the interface. Then we present two and three-dimensional simulations of droplets rising by buoyancy with mass transfer.
An experiment on the Bernoulli thinning effect in unsaturated superfluid films

Measurements of the third-sound velocity on moving unsaturated superfluid films are presented in the range of 1.5–1.8 K. The results show that the average of the two Doppler-shifted velocities does not change with the film flow velocity. Since the third-sound velocity is highly thickness dependent, these results suggest that no thinning occurs in the moving film. An alternate possible interpretation is that the superfluid density may be velocity dependent. If this is the case, then this experiment presents measurements of this dependence.
Uniform Susceptibility of Various Strains of Coccidioides immitis to Amphotericin B

Abstract The susceptibility of 12 strains of Coccidioides immitis to amphotericin B (amB) was studied in vitro and in vivo. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the mycelial phase of these strains was 0.078 to 0.16 μg/ml after 3 days of incubation, but by 15 days all strains were inhibited by 2.5 μg/ml. Mice infected intraperitoneally with these strains were sucessfully treated with 0.5 mg of amB per kg per day. These strains included several studied by others and which reportedly varied widely in susceptibility (MIC from 0.24 to 24.01 μg/ml) to amB. Four of these strains representing this putative broad range of susceptibility were used to infect mice intranasally. Regardless of infecting strain, mice were sucessfully treated with 0.38, 0.75, and 1.5 mg/kg, but 0.19 mg/kg was only partially effective. Thus, in vivo as well as in vitro there was a uniform response of C. immitis strains to amB.
Mixed-Criticality Scheduling upon Varying-Speed Processors

A varying-speed processor is characterized by two execution speeds: a normal speed and a degraded speed. Under normal circumstances it will execute at its normal speed, conditions during run-time may cause it to execute more slowly (but no slower than at its degraded speed). The problem of executing an integrated workload, consisting of some more important components and some less important ones, upon such a varying-speed processor is considered. It is desired that all components execute correctly under normal circumstances, whereas the more important components should execute correctly (although the less important components need not) if the processor runs at any speed no slower than its specified degraded speed.
Investigation of an actively cooled leading edge for hypersonic ramjet engines.

Water cooled tubular leading edge for hypersonic ramjet engine inlets, discussing wind tunnel analysis
Images of Women’s Sexuality in Advertisements: A Content Analysis of Black- and White-Oriented Women’s and Men’s Magazines

This article represents an analysis of the sexual images of women in magazine advertisements. I examined advertisements in Black- and White-oriented, men’s and women’s magazines to compare the images of women’s sexuality that are constructed for each specific audience. Over 600 images of women were analyzed based on seven dimensions, including function/role, relative function/authority, physical/body position, relative size/height, character traits, body view, and physical characteristics. The images of women’s sexuality vary depending on the race of the intended audience and the race of the women in the advertisements. Advertisements for White audiences portray women in roles and with characteristics that suggest dependency and submissiveness, whereas advertisements for Black audiences portray women as independent and dominant. I also found that White women are objectified much more than Black women are.
Using Oral Exams to Assess Communication Skills in Business Courses

Business, like many other fields in higher education, continues to rely largely on conventional testing methods for assessing student learning. In the current article, another evaluation approach—t...
Sex- and Strain-Related Differences in First-Pass Alcohol Metabolism in Mice

Adult males and females of three strains of mice, C57BL/10J, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, were intubated or injected intraperitoneally with 0.02 ml/g body weight of a 25% alcohol solution. Thirty minutes later, their blood alcohol levels (BAL) were measured. Another group of mice, including both sexes, representative of the three strains, was fasted for 12 h and sacrificed; their stomachs were removed, homogenized, and assayed for gastric alcohol dehydrogenase (GAD) activity. Higher BALs were found in all intubated females compared to the intubated males. The reverse was observed in the injected group, which showed the males with the highest BAL values. GAD activity was evidenced in both sexes of the three strains and it was highest in the males. Strain-related differences were evident in the intubated groups and not in the injected groups. Intubated DBA animals had the lowest BALs as well as the highest GAD values. The results provide evidence for first-pass alcohol metabolism in mice and show the effects of sex and strain on gastric oxidation of alcohol.
Fabrication of nanoporous silicon oxycarbide materials using layered double-hydroxide as a sacrificial template

Abstract We report on fabrication of highly porous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) material, Si x O y C z . The material possesses high surface area, a hierarchical pore size distribution, and an ordered layered structure. We synthesized it using tri-isopropylsilane as a precursor, a layered double-hydroxide as a sacrificial template, and chemical vapor deposition at temperatures 700 °C and 800 °C. Several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission and scanning electron microscopies, were used to characterize the morphology of the material, and is shown to be composed of hollow spheres with a layered interior. Nitrogen sorption validates the hierarchical structure of the material with both meso- and micropores. The material exhibits high BET surface area, ranging from 330 m 2 /g to 540 m 2 /g, and a total pore volume from 0.50 cm 3 /g to 0.91 cm 3 /g. It was fabricated using low-cost templates and precursors, as well as convenient synthesis procedures, and is a promising material for several applications, such as catalyst support, sorbents, and battery anodes.
Proteasome inhibition sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer to histone deacetylase inhibitor-induced apoptosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species.

Objectives The histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid induces apoptosis in some malignancies through mitochondrial injury and generation of reactive oxygen species. Histone deacetylase inhibitors also activate the antiapoptotic transcription factor nuclear factor κB. We hypothesize that proteasome inhibition with bortezomib (Velcade; Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Cambridge, Mass)will inhibit nuclear factor κB activation, enhance suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid–induced mitochondrial injury, and sensitize non–small cell lung cancer cells to apoptosis. Methods Four tumorigenic non–small cell lung cancer cell lines were treated with nothing, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, bortezomib, or both drugs. Nuclear factor κB–dependent transcription was determined by reporter gene assays and endogenous interleukin 8 transcription. Reactive oxygen species were quantified by using the fluorophore H 2 DCFDA. Cell viability was determined on the basis of clonogenic survival, and apoptosis was measured by quantifying caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis and cell-survival assays were repeated in similarly treated cells incubated in the presence or absence of N-acetyl cysteine. Statistical significance was determined by means of analysis of variance. Results Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid significantly enhanced interleukin 8 and nuclear factor κB–dependent reporter gene transcription, and these effects were inhibited by bortezomib ( P ≤ .01). Combined treatment with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and bortezomib induced greater reactive oxygen species generation, more apoptosis ( P ≤ .02), and more cell death ( P ≤ .001) than either drug alone. N-acetyl cysteine diminished the induction of apoptosis and enhanced cell survival ( P ≤ .04). Conclusions Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and bortezomib synergistically induce reactive oxygen species generation in non–small cell lung cancer, and this plays a critical role in the induction of apoptosis after treatment. Combined treatment with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and bortezomib might be an effective treatment strategy for non–small cell lung cancer.
Power consumption analysis in static CMOS gates

This paper addresses the power consumption in CMOS logic gates through a study that considers the transistor network arrangement and the advance of the technology node. The relationship between charge/discharge and short-circuit dynamic power components are investigated through electrical simulations (SPICE). The static power dissipation is also analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that dynamic power still remains the main source of consumption in standard cell designs, although the short-circuit component seems to decrease at the advancing of CMOS fabrication processes. The static power, on the other hand, keeps growing at each new technology node, becoming even more a critical challenge in VLSI design.
Anaerobically Digested Dairy Manure as Fertilizer for Maize in Acid and Alkaline Soils

Abstract Anaerobically digested animal manure is a potentially useful by-product from CH4 generation facilities on farm businesses. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted using an acid and alkaline soil to determine the relative effectiveness of anaerobically digested dairy manure compared to undigested dairy manure and inorganic N for increasing maize (Zea mays L.) growth in the early vegetative stage of development. The first experiment compared digested manure with (NH4)2SO4 at 0 to 400 mg total N kg−1 dry soil applied to Mardin (pH 4.9; coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiudepts) or Honeoye (pH 7.2; fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Glossoboric Hapludalfs) soils. In the second experiment, digested manure at 200 mg total N kg−1 dry soil was applied to the soils and compared with fresh dairy manure, Ca(NO3)2, NH4NO3, and (NH4)2SO4 applied at the same total N rate. Also, an unamended treatment was included. In both experiments, shoot dry wt and total plant N after manure applications were equal or gr...
Research on policing in East Asia: a review of SSCI policing specialty journals

– Little information on dissemination of publications on policing issues in East Asia in which one-fifth of the world's population lives is available. The research questions for the paper are: how extensive is the coverage of papers focussing on policing in East Asia; on which East Asian countries have the papers covered during the 14-year period from 2000 to 2013; what are the topics/primary issues of policing in East Asia covered across the journals; and what are the affiliations represented of authors who have published papers on policing in East Asia. The paper aims to discuss these issues. , – This study is a content analysis of major policing specialty journals listed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) in terms of the number and focus of studies on East Asian police papers. Data came from 1,123 papers published in three policing journals of Police Quarterly, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, and Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy during the period of 2000-2013. , – Only 3.4 percent (n=38) of the 1,123 articles published in the three journals were on policing issues in East Asia nations. The vast majority (76.3 percent) were published in Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. Staff issue was the most frequently researched topic. In total, 42 percent of the papers were on South Korean policing issues, followed by 31 percent on Chinese policing topics. Finally, about 45 percent of the papers were written by only US-affiliated authors, 40 percent by authors affiliated with institutions in East Asia, and only 16 percent were written in collaboration between authors associated with USA and East Asian institutions. , – The main intent of this study is to provide information seekers with a guide to what research on policing in East Asia is being published.
Alteration of Product Specificity of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Phytoene Desaturase by Directed Evolution

Phytoene desaturases occurring in nature convert phytoene to either neurosporene or lycopene in most eubacteria. Approximately 10% of known phytoene desaturases, as inRhodobacter, produce neurosporene, whereas the rest produce lycopene. These two types of enzymes, although similar in function, have relatively low similarity (below 60%) in terms of nucleotide or amino acid sequence. The mechanism controlling the product specificity of these enzymes is unclear. Here we used directed evolution to change the product of Rhodobacter sphaeroides phytoene desaturase (crtI gene product), a neurosporene-producing enzyme, to lycopene. Two generations of random mutagenesis were performed, from which three positive mutants were isolated and sequenced. We then used site-directed mutagenesis to determine the effect of each amino acid change. Gathering information from random mutagenesis, we further recombined the beneficial mutations by site-directed mutagenesis and increased the percent of lycopene production to 90%.
Selective Killing of Cholinergic Neurons by Microglial Activation in Basal Forebrain Mixed Neuronal/Glial Cultures

Microglia activation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) significantly decreased choline acetyltransferase-immunopositive (ChAT+) neuron number and ChAT activity in rat primary basal forebrain mixed neuronal/glial cultures. The number of non-cholinergic (ChAT(-)) neurons was unaffected. LPS induced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in microglia, increased the media level of the NO metabolite nitrite, and the NOS inhibitor Ng-nitro-L-arginine methylester (NAME) protected the ChAT+ neurons from LPS. The combination of beta-amyloid peptide (1-42) and interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) also increased the media nitrite level and decreased ChAT+ neuron number. Cholinergic neurons are lost early in the course of Alzheimer's disease, and the enhanced sensitivity of these neurons to microglial activation in mixed neuronal/glial culture may be useful for modeling Alzheimer's disease and developing therapeutic strategies to combat this disease.
The Fijian genus Nesobasis Part 1: Species of Viti Levu, Ovalau, and Kadavu (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Abstract Damselflies of the genus Nesobasis (herein restricted) are the dominant Zygoptera on the Fijian Islands. In the southern islands that are the focus of this report the genus (divided into 3 groups) includes 20 species, of which 10 are newly described here. The erythrops group consists of erythrops Selys, telegastrum Selys, selysi Tillyard, angulicollis Tillyard (syn. subhumeralis Tillyard), leveri Kimmins, and the new species rufostigma, flavifrons, ingens, recava, flavostigma, and pedata. The longistyla group contains longistyla Selys, campioni Tillyard, and the new species caerulecaudata, monticola, and caerulescens. The comosa group contains comosa Tillyard, heteroneura Tillyard, aurantiaca Tillyard, and the new species malcolmi. The genus is remarkable for the morphological and colour variations of several species.
Pharmacogenomics of cytochrome P450 and other enzymes involved in biotransformation of xenobiotics

Pharmacogenomics has become a popular new field. Issues are applicable to the enzymes involved in the metabolism of “xenobiotics” (including drugs) as well as the receptors and other gene-product targets for drugs. Much is already known about the enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism and their genes and regulation. Programs have been implemented by pharmaceutical companies for use of these systems in screening for bioavailability and potential drug–drug interactions. New methods and pharmacogenomic approaches can be incorporated into these strategies. Toxicogenomics is a newer field that incorporates the application of pharmacogenomics principles to issues of predictive toxicity. Related to pharmacogenomics and experimental toxicogenomics are efforts to relate genomics to risk of cancer and other diseases caused by environmental chemicals and physical agents that individuals are inadvertently exposed to. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has initiated the Environmental Genome Project towards this effort. Drug Dev. Res. 49:4–16, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Limiting Risks: Environmental Ethics as a Policy Primer

This article constructs a conceptual and normative framework for policy-oriented discussions of environmental uncertainty and risk. Human-caused environmental risks are unavoidable in a technologically and economically advanced society. Contemporary environmentalists deploy ecological and ethical axioms to structure the debate over environmental uncertainty and risk management. They adopt the “imperative of sustainability” and the “precautionary principle” as the foci of an ethical and ecological effort to evaluate and limit environmental risk. The policy implications of these axioms for those engaged in environmental risk and cost/benefit analysis are explored.
SNR penalty from the path-loss disparity in virtual multiple-input-single-output (VMISO) link

Cooperative transmission (CT), in which spatially separated wireless nodes collaborate to form a virtual antenna array or virtual multiple-input-multiple-output (VMISO) link, is an effective technique to mitigate multi-path fading by spatial diversity. In this paper, we study the disparities in path losses between the randomly placed relay nodes in a transmit cluster and the destination nodes. Many authors assume that the elements in a virtual antenna array are co-located, even though they are spread out. In this paper, we show that a signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) penalty of up to 3dB should be included when making this assumption. By the high-SNR approximation of the outage rates, we show that the performance degradation caused by the path-loss disparity can be characterized equivalently by log-normal shadowing. Moreover, we derive the upper and lower bounds of the real outage probabilities in closed forms based on the log-normal shadowing model, by which we can estimate the SNR penalty of the co-located assumption.
Atomic structures of reduced SrTiO3(001) surfaces

The scanning tunneling microscope has been employed to study the reduced SrTiO3(001) surface in ultrahigh vacuum. Topographic images show a change of structural ordering for the surface annealed under three different conditions. In addition, our STM images reveal row-like structures with spacings of 12 and 20 A. The observations are discussed in terms of the formation of intergrowths of lamellae of Srn + 1TinO3n +1; a result of accommodation of oxygen and titanium deficiencies.
Racial Differences in Renal Sodium Excretion: Relationship to Hypertension

Summary Black Americans are more susceptible to hypertension and to renal disease than white Americans. Both normotensive and hypertensive blacks are more apt to have salt-sensitive blood pressure responses to the challenge of a salt load than whites. Moreover, salt sensitivity of blood pressure in both normotensive and hypertensive subjects is associated with a decreased excretory capacity for sodium, implicating the kidney in this phenomenon. Salt sensitivity of blood pressure also is associated with increasing age and, in normotensive subjects, may predict the subsequent development of hypertension. Racial differences in a variety of humoral as well as hemodynamic responses to physical and mental stressors have been identified. The relationships between these observations and renal sodium handling require further investigation.
A Novel Method Incorporating Gene Ontology Information for Unsupervised Clustering and Feature Selection

Background Among the primary goals of microarray analysis is the identification of genes that could distinguish between different phenotypes (feature selection). Previous studies indicate that incorporating prior information of the genes' function could help identify physiologically relevant features. However, current methods that incorporate prior functional information do not provide a relative estimate of the effect of different genes on the biological processes of interest.
Depressive Symptoms, Self-Reported Physical Functioning, and Identity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

In this study, we examined the relationship between self-reported physical functioning and depressive symptoms by testing the mediation of identity processes in linking this relationship. Sixty-eight older adults (mean age = 74.4) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed measures of physical functioning (Physical Symptoms Checklist), depressive symptoms (CESD-20) and identity processes (IES-G). The relationship between physical functioning and depressive symptoms was partially mediated by sensitivity of older adults to feedback from experiences, the process known as identity accommodation (Whitbourne et al. 2002). Not only are physical changes relevant to negative psychological outcomes in later adulthood, but it is the interpretation of these changes that seems to have particular relevance for aging individuals. Though preliminary based on cross-sectional data, the findings suggest that examining individual differences in sensitivity to aging stereotypes may help identify factors related to depressive symptoms in later adulthood. Future research is needed to disentangle these interrelated concepts.
Quantitative Study of Enamel Dissolution Under Conditions of Controlled Hydrodynamics

A rotating disk method has been used to study the dissolution of bovine enamel. A diffusion model adequately describes the reaction for a wide range of conditions, and the rate is also hydrogen ion dependent. The solubility product of bovine enamel, 5.9 ± 1.8 × 10-59 moles9 1-9 at 25 C is derived by a method that minimizes the possibility of phase changes.
Study of the ion conduction of polymer electrolytes confined in micro and nanopores

Abstract This work investigates the ion conduction of polymer electrolytes confined in cylindrical pores having diameters ranging from 400 to 30 nm. The confinement of PEO polymer electrolytes in nanopores increases ionic conduction as the pore size decreases with the greatest conductivity occurring in pores that were 30 nm in diameter where a specific conductivity of 2.43×10 −4 S cm −1 was observed. This is almost two orders of magnitude higher than a polymer electrolyte film of the same composition but not confined in nanopores. This enhanced conduction may occur because of an orientation of the polymer chains in the pores. In addition to the advantage of enhanced conduction, these membranes have enhanced conduction perpendicular to the plane of the thin electrolyte film, which is the configuration desired for the construction of polymer electrolyte films for use in batteries.
Zoxazolamine As a Uricosuric Agent. I. Acute Effects in Healthy Non‐Gouty Subjects

The increase in urate clearance during a six hour period following ingestion of zoxazolamine by healthy non-gouty subjects is roughly proportional to the dose over the range of 25 mg. to 250 mg. The uricosuric activity of zoxazolamine was not affected by concomitant administration of a number of other drugs, but was enhanced by probenecid and by sulfinpyrazone and was diminished by acetazolamide and by small amounts of salicylate. Le augmento del clearance de urato intra sex horas post le ingestion de zoxazolamina per subjectos non-guttose de sanitate normal es grossiermente proportional al dosage intra le area ab 25 usque ad 250 mg. Le activitate uricosuric de zoxazolamina non esseva afficite per le administration concomitante de un numero de altere drogas. Illo esseva promovite per probenecida e sulfinpyrazona e impedite per acetazolamida e micre quantitates de salicylato.
Camera and trocar placement for robot-assisted radical and partial nephrectomy: which configuration provides optimal visualization and instrument mobility?

Proper camera and trocar placement is critical to the success of minimally invasive procedures. For robot-assisted renal surgery, two basic trocar configurations have been described. The medial approach, using a 30° downward-angled lens mimics a traditional transperitoneal laparoscopic configuration. An alternative configuration, using a 0° or 30° upward-angled lens approach locates the camera laterally, evoking a position sense similar to a retroperitoneal approach. Our objective is to compare the differences between these two standard approaches for robot-assisted renal surgery. After performing a review and analysis of available literature, our group tested both the medial and lateral camera approaches during robotic renal surgery performed in human patients. The medial approach provides a wide field of view, because of the relatively greater distance to the target structures and a horizon line closer to the patient’s midline. The lateral configuration offers significantly different visualization. The relative proximity to the target structures and a higher horizon line results in a comparatively restricted field of vision. Instrument mobility is comparable between the two approaches. Meta-analysis of the literature reveals that both approaches provide comparable overall operative times for both radical and partial nephrectomy, though there is a trend towards shorter overall operative times for partial nephrectomy performed through a medial approach. The medial trocar configuration provides a familiar working environment for both surgeon and assistant; the wide-angle view enables enhanced visualization of surrounding structures and tracking of the instruments inserted by the assistant. The lateral approach offers the potential advantage of a closer view of the kidney, but does so at the expense of a significantly restricted field of view. In our experience, a medial trocar configuration offers significant advantages over the lateral trocar configuration, and is, therefore, the standard approach at our high-volume center.
Barbara H. Bernhardt and Joseph P. Stemberger (1998). Handbook of phonological development from the perspective of constraint-based nonlinear phonology . San Diego: Academic Press. Pp. xiii+793.

The goals that Bernhardt & Stemberger set for themselves in this bookI would like to thank Todd Bailey, Barbara Bernhardt, Dan Dinnsen, Heather Goad, Sharon Hargus, Linda Lombardi, John McCarthy, Geoffrey Nathan, Elena Nicoladis, Alan Prince, Paul Smolensky, Joseph Stemberger and Wolf Wikeley for their comments on a draft of this review, and the Rutgers Optimality Archive (http://ruccs.rutgers.edu/roa.html) for facilitating its distribution. This work was supported by SSHRC research grant 410-98-1595, for which I am grateful. are extremely ambitious. Assuming only a very basic knowledge of phonological theory on the part of the reader, they aim to provide an introduction to non-linear phonology and to its constraint-based implementation in Optimality Theory, and to show how this framework can describe and illuminate a wide range of data on phonological development, as well as how the child data can inform theory construction. In doing this, they also present what they claim is a comprehensive inventory of the attested phenomena of child phonology, as well as a new proposal about the nature and range of possible constraints in Optimality Theory. The scope of the book is widened even further by the authors' use of data from children with both normal and delayed phonological development, and by their use of theoretical constructs drawn from literature on processing and connectionism. These ambitious and wide-ranging goals match the relatively large and diverse audience that Bernhardt & Stemberger hope to reach with this book: theoretical phonologists, researchers examining phonological development from various linguistic and psychological perspectives, and speech-language pathologists.For its depth and breadth of theoretical and empirical coverage, this book will be of considerable value to anyone involved in phonological theory that has an interest in child phonology (although depending on one's circumstances, this value may or may not match the publisher's asking price of $149·95). As a phonologist working in Optimality Theory and acquisition, I was impressed with the extent to which the ideas, data and references to earlier work were new to me. I now turn to this book regularly to help answer questions about phonological development, both those that come up in my own research and those raised by colleagues and students.
Low-distortion electro-optic intensity-modulation system with optical feedback

Abstract An electro-optical intensity-modulation system is described that achieves a near-linear transfer characteristic using optical feedback. Thus, low total harmonic distortion (
A tool for calculating binding-site residues on proteins from PDB structures.

Background In the research on protein functional sites, researchers often need to identify binding-site residues on a protein. A commonly used strategy is to find a complex structure from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) that consists of the protein of interest and its interacting partner(s) and calculate binding-site residues based on the complex structure. However, since a protein may participate in multiple interactions, the binding-site residues calculated based on one complex structure usually do not reveal all binding sites on a protein. Thus, this requires researchers to find all PDB complexes that contain the protein of interest and combine the binding-site information gleaned from them. This process is very time-consuming. Especially, combing binding-site information obtained from different PDB structures requires tedious work to align protein sequences. The process becomes overwhelmingly difficult when researchers have a large set of proteins to analyze, which is usually the case in practice.
Is Market Price Determinate

The current doctrine stated, 394. — In fact, demand often does not respond to price in the way assumed, 396. — The penumbra of indeterminate prices, 397. — Cases of fixed seasonal supply, 398. — Supplies that can be carried over, 400. — The demand curve not always negatively inclined, 402. — Speculation does not necessarily stabilize prices, 403. — Commodities produced continuously, 403. — Stock exchange dealings, 405. — The traditional grounds for justifying speculation not applicable to stock exchange dealings, 407. — Application of the present reasoning to dumping, 409. — To war prices, 410. — Conclusion, 410.
Inorganic phosphate induces apoptosis of osteoblast-like cells in culture

The major goal of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that one of the major products of bone resorption, inorganic phosphate (Pi), activates osteoblast apoptosis. Osteoblast-like cells were isolated from explants of human bone. In monolayer culture, these cells showed an osteogenic phenotype. Thus, the cells exhibited raised alkaline phosphatase activity, expressed osteogenic messenger RNA transcripts, and formed biological mineral. When these cells were treated with 1-7 mmol/L Pi there was a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability. Accordingly, after 48 h, 5 mmol/L Pi reduced the number of viable osteoblast-like cells by 25%; 7 mmol/L Pi reduced the number of cells by 60%. By 96 h, following treatment with 5 mmol/L Pi, the percentage of viable cells was 30%, whereas 7 mmol/L Pi caused an almost complete loss of osteoblast viability. Osteoblast death was blocked by treating the cells with phosphonoformic acid, an inhibitor of the plasma-membrane Na-Pi transporter. Using morphological and end-labeling procedures, we confirmed that cell death was through apoptosis. To probe the mechanism of cell death, osteoblast-like cells were probed with rhodamine 123, a dye that is responsive to the membrane potential. We noted that Pi-treated cells displayed a profound loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, suggesting that the anion activated the death program through the induction of a mitochondrial membrane permeability transition. We conclude that high levels of osteoblast apoptosis observed at sites of bone resorption may be linked to release of Pi from bone mineral.
How to become an iconic social thinker: The intellectual pursuits of Malinowski and Foucault

The present article develops a new approach to intellectual history and sociology of knowledge. Its point of departure is to investigate the conditions under which social thinkers assume the iconic...