cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatic microsomes from beer fed rats contain a cytochrome P-450 metabolic intermediate complex.

Abstract Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) 2E1 (CYP2E1) is induced by pure ethanol following its chronic administration, and commercial alcoholic beverages, whose major constituent is ethanol, are generally assumed to have a similar effect on this isoform of CYP450. Recently, we serendipitously discovered that beer administered to rats for six weeks had only a minimal inductive effect on hepatic microsomal CYP2E1 activity, while rats on 10% ethanol had CYP2E1 levels five-fold greater than controls. The daily ethanol intake levels for the beer fed and 10% ethanol fed rats were equivalent. In addition, CYP450 spectral features of microsomes from beer fed and ethanol fed rats were markedly different. Spectral examination of microsomes from beer fed rats revealed that about 40% of the total CYP450 content existed in the form of a metabolic intermediate (MI) complex, while no evidence was found for MI complec formation in microsomes of ethanol fed rats. We conclude that beer contains an unidentified component(s) that apparently blocks the typical ethanol induction of CYP2E1 and form an MI complex with CYP450.
Probing the properties of C60 through fulleroids ABC61

Abstract We show that the fulleroid synthesis opens the opportunity to investigate the response of the fulleroid ‘π’ electrons to external magnetic fields. The response is expressed as a general deshielding of protons which are near the surface of the sphere. A more subtle effect is the ‘shielding’ effect experienced by protons which are over certain junctures of the fulleroid. A remarkable consequence of the various deshielding strengths of the spheroid is observable as a quasi shift reagent effect. We also show that the discovery of control over the electron acceptor and donor strength of fulleroids through periconjugation by the use of 9-fluorenyl-derived fulleroids opens further the already large arsenal for fullerene modification into the preparation of more electropositive (electron-donating) and more electronegative (electron-withdrawing) fulleroids by suitable substitution into fluorene and fluorene-like moieties.
Long-term effects of low-density lipoprotein apheresis using an automated dextran sulfate cellulose adsorption system

The short-term effectiveness of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis using a dextran sulfate cellulose adsorption column technique was previously examined in a 9-center, 22-week controlled trial in 64 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who did not adequately respond to diet and drug therapy. Forty-nine patients (40 treatment, 9 controls) subsequently received LDL apheresis procedures as part of an optional follow-up phase. This study reports on the long-term safety, lipid lowering, and clinical efficacy of LDL apheresis for the 5-year period that includes both the initial controlled study and follow-up phase. During this time, patients received a total of 3,902 treatments of which 3,314 treatments were given during the follow-up phase. Adverse events were infrequent, occurring in 142 procedures (3.6%). Immediate reduction in LDL cholesterol was 76% both in homozygotes and in heterozygotes. Patients with homozygous FH had a progressive decrease in pretreatment LDL cholesterol level along with an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level. There was no appreciable change in pretreatment lipoprotein level over time in heterozygotes. The rate of cardiovascular events during therapy with LDL apheresis and lipid-lowering drugs was 3.5 events per 1,000 patient-months of treatment compared with 6.3 events per 1,000 patient-months for the 5 years before LDL apheresis therapy. These findings support the long-term safety and clinical efficacy of LDL apheresis in patients with heterozygous and homozygous FH who are inadequately controlled with drug therapy.
Recovery of atmospheric flow statistics in a general circulation model without nonlinear eddy-eddy interactions

The closure problem of turbulence arises because nonlinear interactions among turbulent fluctuations (eddies) lead to an infinite hierarchy of moment equations for flow statistics. Here we demonstrate with an idealized general circulation model (GCM) that many atmospheric flow statistics can already be recovered if the hierarchy of moment equations is truncated at second order, corresponding to the elimination of nonlinear eddy-eddy interactions. Some, but not all, features of the general circulation remain the same. The atmospheric eddy kinetic energy spectrum retains a −3 power-law range even though this is usually explained in terms of an enstrophy cascade mediated by nonlinear eddy-eddy interactions. Our results suggest that it may be possible to construct fast general circulation models that solve for atmospheric flow statistics directly rather than via simulation of individual eddies and their interactions.
The impact of advances in treatment on the efficacy of mammography screening.

Abstract Objective The objective of this commentary is to argue that advances in therapy are diminishing the efficacy of mammography screening. Method Key studies which demonstrate this effect are briefly reviewed. Results The author argues that, for screening to be beneficial, the treatment of screen-detected cancers must be more effective than that of clinically-detected cancers. If there was no effective therapy for breast cancer, then screening would offer no benefit. Furthermore, as breast cancer treatments improve over time, both the absolute and relative benefits of screening will diminish. This is evident in the overview of the nine successive mammography screening trials, which have shown a decrease in the benefit of mammography screening over time, with the three most recent trials showing no benefit at all. Breast cancer adjuvant therapy was widely available in the three most recent mammography screening trials, but not the earlier trials. Additionally, population-based studies seem to suggest that the benefit of mammography screening is diminishing as treatments continue to improve. Conclusion Thus, in the years ahead, further declines in breast cancer mortality will likely be fueled by advances in therapy, and not by improvements in screening technology.
Embryonic losses after 10 week administration of cobalt to male mice

Abstract Cobalt toxicity was evaluated in the dominant lethal assay (DLA) to determine whether the detrimental effects of cobalt on spermatozoa would have an impact on offspring. Male B 6 C 3 F 1 mice were treated with cobaltons chloride (400 ppm Co) for 10 weeks and mated. Neither the stage nor rate of development in vitro of 2-cell embryos to blastocyst from cobalt-treated males was affected. There was an increase in preimplantation losses and a decrease in total and live births, but no change in postimplantation losses from litters at day 19 of gestation. Fertility of the males was maintained during the 10-week cobalt treatment period, decreased during the DLA, and recovered over the next 6 weeks. Sperm parameters at the end of DLA and the recovery period showed that cobalt decreased all parameters measured at 12 weeks, but these parameters, except concentration, recovered to control levels by 18 weeks. Tissue concentrations of cobalt measured by atomic absorption analysis were increased in liver, kidney, testis, and epididymis after 12 weeks of cobalt treatment. We conclude that cobalt affected preimplantation losses in the DLA by compromising the fertility of treated males.
Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of myocardial elastic modulus and viscosity using displacement imaging and phase-contrast velocity mapping†

Approximately half of patients experiencing congestive heart failure present with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. Perturbations in material properties affecting ventricular pressure/volume relationships likely play an important role in the "stiff heart syndrome" yet noninvasive tools permitting the accurate assessment of myocardial elasticity are extremely limited. We developed an MRI-based technique to examine regional left ventricular stress/strain relationships by incorporating displacement-encoding with stimulated-echoes (DENSE) and phase-contrast (PC) velocity mapping and compared regional elastic moduli (EM) and viscous delay time constants (VDTCs) (N=10) with immediate postmortem direct strain gauge measurements (N=8) and global chamber compliance (literature) in normal dogs. EMs by MRI were significantly greater in papillary muscle columns when compared with lateral wall and septal locations by MRI (7.59+/-1.65 versus 3.40+/-0.87 versus 2.55+/-0.93 kPa, P<0.0001) and were in agreement with direct strain gauge measurements (3.78+/-0.93 and 2.96+/-0.88 kPa for the lateral wall and the septum, P=ns for both versus MRI). MRI-determined VDTCs were similar in the three regions (VDTC=-1.15+/-12.37 versus 3.04+/-7.25 versus 4.17+/-5.76 ms, P=ns) and did not differ from lateral and septal wall strain gauge assessment (VDTC=3.09+/-0.40 and 4.57+/-1.86 ms, P=ns for both versus MRI). Viscoelastic measurements obtained in six normal volunteers demonstrated the feasibility of this technique in humans. Noninvasive, regional assessment of myocardial stiffness using DENSE and PC velocity mapping techniques is accurate in a canine model and feasible in humans.
Effects of Tensile Stimulation on Gene Expression and In Vitro Stiffness of Murine Tissue Engineered Constructs

Tendon and ligament injuries account for ∼45% of the 32.8 million musculoskeletal injuries that occur in the US every year [1]. Natural adult healing of these injuries is often inadequate and can diminish the quality of life for the patient. Tissue engineers, including those in our lab, have attempted to augment the natural healing process through a variety of methods including mechanical simulation of tissue engineered constructs (TECs) to improve repair outcome [2]. Building on our successes with mechanical stimulation, we now seek to modulate genes expressed during normal development in our TECs in culture to improve repair outcome in vivo. An initial step in this process is to determine if our TECs express genes within pathways of normal tendon development.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Multi-Radio Coexistence: Challenges and Opportunities

In this paper, we study the emerging heterogeneous multi-radio network, focusing on interference issues due to simultaneous operation of multiple radios. A comprehensive review is given on the sources of coexistence interference, including transmitter noise, receiver blocking, and inter-modulation. We compare various coexistence techniques, and relevant standardization efforts. Then, we propose a media independent coexistence service (MICE) layer, and suggest that the performance of a multi-radio system can be further improved if necessary support and modification is added to individual wireless technology, e.g. air interface / wireless protocols. Specifically, we show that the proposed coexistence-aware TXOP adaptation achieves up to 50% improvement of the transmission efficiency in a WiFi/Bluetooth dual-radio device, where the 802.15.2 PTA (packet traffic arbitration) technique is used for coexistence.
Characterization of the PIB-Type ATPases present in Thermus thermophilus

PIB-type ATPases transport heavy metals (Cu2+, Cu+, Ag+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Co2+) across biomembranes, playing a key role in homeostasis and in the mechanisms of biotolerance of these metals. Three genes coding for putative PIB-type ATPases are present in the genome of Thermus thermophilus (HB8 and HB27): the TTC1358, TTC1371, and TTC0354 genes; these genes are annotated, respectively, as two copper transporter (CopA and CopB) genes and a zinc-cadmium transporter (Zn2+/Cd2+-ATPase) gene. We cloned and expressed the three proteins with 8His tags using a T. thermophilus expression system. After purification, each of the proteins was shown to have phosphodiesterase activity at 65°C with ATP and p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) as substrates. CopA was found to have greater activity in the presence of Cu+, while CopB was found to have greater activity in the presence of Cu2+. The putative Zn2+/Cd2+-ATPase was truncated at the N terminus and was, surprisingly, activated in vitro by copper but not by zinc or cadmium. When expressed in Escherichia coli, however, the putative Zn2+/Cd2+-ATPase could be isolated as a full-length protein and the ATPase activity was increased by the addition of Zn2+ and Cd2+ as well as by Cu+. Mutant strains in which each of the three P-type ATPases was deleted singly were constructed. In each case, the deletion increased the sensitivity of the strain to growth in the presence of copper in the medium, indicating that each of the three can pump copper out of the cells and play a role in copper detoxification.
Participant Reactivity in Museum Research: The Effect of Cueing Visitors at an Interactive Exhibit

ABSTRACTAlthough studies in a variety of settings suggest that participant reactions to the research context can threaten the validity and generalizability of study findings, there have been almost no investigations of participant reactivity in museums. In this experimental study, the authors compared the behaviors and learning outcomes of visitors at two versions of an interactive mathematics exhibit who had either been actively recruited by a data collector or passively recruited using posted signage. They assessed the amount of time visitors spent at the exhibit, the number of mathematical exhibit behaviors they engaged in, and the level at which they described the mathematical relationships in the exhibit after the interaction. The results indicate that actively recruiting visitors was associated with increased engagement times and the number of mathematical exhibit behaviors, and that recruitment method moderated the relation between exhibit version and learning outcomes. These findings emphasize the...
The effects of the organopollutant PCB 126 on bone density in juvenile diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin).

a b s t r a c t Bone is a dynamic tissue with diverse functions including growth, structural support, pH balance and reproduction. These functions may be compromised in the presence of organopollutants that can alter bone properties. We exposed juvenile diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) to 3,3 � ,4,4 � ,5- pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), a ubiquitous anthropogenic organochlorine, and measured organic content, apparent bone mineral density (aBMD) using radiography and computed tomography, and quan- tified bone microstructure using histological preparations of femora. PCB-exposed terrapins were smaller in total size. Skulls of exposed animals had a higher organic content and a skeletal phenotype more typical of younger animals. The femora of exposed individuals had significantly reduced aBMD and significantly more cortical area occupied by non-bone. Because bone is an integral component of physiology, the observed skeletal changes can have far-reaching impacts on feeding and locomotor performance, calcium reserves and ultimately life history traits and reproductive success. Additionally, we caution that mea- surements of bone morphology, density, and composition from field-collected animals need to account not only for relatedness and age, but also environmental pollutants.
Motion Fading and the Motion Aftereffect Share a Common Process of Neural Adaptation

After prolonged viewing of a slowly drifting or rotating pattern under strict fixation, the pattern appears to slow down and then momentarily stop. Here, we show that this motion fading occurs not only for slowly moving stimuli, but also for stimuli moving at high speed; after prolonged viewing of high-speed stimuli, the stimuli appear to slow down but not to stop. We report psychophysical evidence that the same neural adaptation process likely gives rise to motion fading and to the motion aftereffect.
Human aromatase (CYP19) pharmacogenomics: Gene resequencing and functional genomics

Background/Aims CYP19 is a key enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis. CYP19 inhibitors are used to treat breast cancer. We set out to identify and characterize genetic polymorphisms in CYP19 as a step toward pharmacogenomic studies of aromatase inhibitors. Methods We resequenced the CYP19 5′-untranslated exons PII and 1.3, as well as the 9 coding exons (exons 2 to 10), intron-exon splice junctions and portions of the 3'-untranslated region in 240 DNA samples from 4 ethnic groups. Results 28 polymorphisms were identified. Functional genomic studies were performed with the 4 nonsynonymous coding SNPs which altered the following amino acids: Trp39Arg, Thr201Met, Arg264Cys, and Met364Thr. The Cys264, Thr364 and the double variant Arg39,Cys264 allozymes showed significant decreases in levels of activity and enzyme protein after transient expression in COS-1 cells. A 4-fold increase in apparent Km was observed for Thr364 with androstenedione as substrate. None of the recombinant allozymes had significant changes in Ki values for the aromatase inhibitors exemestane and letrozole. Conclusions Genetic variation in CYP19 might contribute to variation in the occurrence of estrogen-dependent disease and/or response to aromatase inhibitors. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P22–P22; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.11.085
Virtual prototyper (ViPro): an early design space exploration and optimization tool for SRAM designers

SRAM design in scaled technologies requires knowledge of phenomena at the process, circuit, and architecture level. Decisions made at various levels of the design hierarchy affect the global figures of merit (FoMs) of an SRAM, such as, performance, power, area, and yield. However, the lack of a quick mechanism to understand the impact of changes at various levels of the hierarchy on global FoMs makes an accurate assessment of SRAM design innovations difficult. Thus, we introduce Virtual Prototyper (ViPro), a tool that helps SRAM designers explore the large design space by rapidly generating optimized virtual prototypes of complete SRAM macros. It does so by allowing designers to describe the SRAM components with varying levels of detail and by incorporating them into a hierarchical model that captures circuit and architectural features of the SRAM to optimize a complete prototype. It generates base-case prototypes that provide starting points for design space exploration, and assesses the impact of process, circuit, and architectural changes on the overall SRAM macro design.
40-to-640-Gbit/s multiplexing and subsequent 640-to-10-Gbit/s demultiplexing using cascaded nonlinear optical loop mirrors

We experimentally demonstrate optical multiplexing of 40-Gbit/s channels at different wavelengths onto a single 640-Gbit/s channel and subsequent 640-to-10-Gbit/s demultiplexing using cascaded nonlinear optical loop mirrors. An average penalty of ∼3.5 dB at 10−9 BER is observed after the nonlinear processes.
DISCOURSE AND DISPLAY: THE MODERN EYE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND THE CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE PATCHWORK QUILT

This article explores the effort of two cultural entrepreneurs to persuade members of the fine art world to appreciate quilts on purely artistic grounds. Mobilizing museum resources to effect this transformation involved strategies of discourse and display that invoked the modern eye, a way of seeing that privileges modernist aesthetic standards. By examining these strategies, a deeper understanding of how the modern eye is constructed by the cultural tools of the museum (for example, gallery space, photography, catalogs, critical writing) becomes apparent. This piece also considers the implications of the modern eye for how marginalized culture becomes “acceptable” in high culture contexts and the costs of invoking the modern eye as a means of enhancing cultural value.
WRF-CMAQ two-way coupled system with aerosol feedback: software development and preliminary results

Abstract. Air quality models such as the EPA Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) require meteorological data as part of the input to drive the chemistry and transport simulation. The Meteorology-Chemistry Interface Processor (MCIP) is used to convert meteorological data into CMAQ-ready input. Key shortcoming of such one-way coupling include: excessive temporal interpolation of coarsely saved meteorological input and lack of feedback of atmospheric pollutant loading on simulated dynamics. We have developed a two-way coupled system to address these issues. A single source code principle was used to construct this two-way coupling system so that CMAQ can be consistently executed as a stand-alone model or part of the coupled system without any code changes; this approach eliminates maintenance of separate code versions for the coupled and uncoupled systems. The design also provides the flexibility to permit users: (1) to adjust the call frequency of WRF and CMAQ to balance the accuracy of the simulation versus computational intensity of the system, and (2) to execute the two-way coupling system with feedbacks to study the effect of gases and aerosols on short wave radiation and subsequent simulated dynamics. Details on the development and implementation of this two-way coupled system are provided. When the coupled system is executed without radiative feedback, computational time is virtually identical when using the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) radiation option and a slightly increased (~8.5%) when using the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for GCMs (RRTMG) radiation option in the coupled system compared to the offline WRF-CMAQ system. Once the feedback mechanism is turned on, the execution time increases only slightly with CAM but increases about 60% with RRTMG due to the use of a more detailed Mie calculation in this implementation of feedback mechanism. This two-way model with radiative feedback shows noticeably reduced bias in simulated surface shortwave radiation and 2-m temperatures as well improved correlation of simulated ambient ozone and PM2.5 relative to observed values for a test case with significant tropospheric aerosol loading from California wildfires.
Syncope in the Athlete

Syncope during sports may be secondary to nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias and thus a precursor of sudden cardiac death; however, not all syncope is life threatening. When syncope occurs, it is important to quickly identify the cause and begin the proper steps to manage these conditions; the history is of paramount importance and guides further work-up and management. In most cases, syncope that occurs during exercise is concerning, whereas syncope after exertion is usually benign. Neurally mediated syncope and postexercise collapse usually occur after cessation of exercise and are generally benign conditions. Persistent delirium after collapse is life threatening and generally caused by hyperthermia or hyponatremia.
False coupling interactions in static timing analysis

Neighboring line switching can contribute to a large portion of the delay of a line for today's deep submicron designs. In order to avoid excessive conservatism in static timing analysis, it is important to determine if aggressor lines can potentially switch simultaneously with the victim. In this paper, we present a comprehensive ATPG-based approach that uses functional information to identify valid interactions between coupled lines. Our algorithm accounts for glitches on aggressors that can be caused by static and dynamic hazards in the circuit. We present results on several benchmark circuits that show the value of considering functional information to reduce the conservatism associated with worst-case coupled line switching assumptions during static timing analysis.
Stable luciferase expression does not alter immunologic or in vivo growth properties of GL261 murine glioma cells

Background GL261 cells are murine glioma cells that demonstrate proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis when implanted in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, providing a highly useful immunocompetent animal model of glioblastoma. Modification of tumor cells for luciferase expression enables non-invasive monitoring of orthotopic tumor growth, and has proven useful for studying glioblastoma response to novel therapeutics. However, tumor modification for luciferase has the potential for evoking host immune response against otherwise syngeneic tumor cells, thereby mitigating the tumor cells’ value for tumor immunology and immunotherapy studies.
Sympathoadrenal imbalance and beta-blockers revisited.

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of vasovagal syncope (VVS) has improved substantially in last 2 decades; however, the exact mechanism that leads to an episode of VVS has remained elusive. The dominant model holds that an episode of VVS has several phases. The initial phase of sympathetic stimulation occurs in response to a stressor, which may either be orthostatic, physical, or emotional. This sympathetic phase is often compensatory and results in both increased heart rate and increased myocardial contractility. The hyperdynamic contraction of the myocardium results in the activation of intramyocardial ganglionic plexi, triggering a parasympathetic counter response, and ultimately causes bradycardia, arterial vasodilatation, hypotension, cerebral hypoperfusion, and syncope. Prior studies have demonstrated that the initial sympathetic phase of VVS is characterized by an increase in circulating levels of both epinephrine and norepinephrine, with the increase in epinephrine levels proportionately higher than the increase in norepinephrine levels, especially in patients with a predominant vasodepressor component. Higher epinephrine levels may partially explain the vasodepressor component of VVS, via activation of the beta2-adrenergic receptors, contributing to peripheral arterial vasodilatation. In this issue of HeartRhythm, Benditt et al report on the age-related differences in epinephrine and norepinephrine levels during tilt-induced VVS. In a cohort of 29 patients, 12 patients were aged 40 years and older and 17 were younger than 40 years. They found that baseline epinephrine and norepinephrine levels and the baseline epinephrine/norepinephrine ratio (Epi/NE) in the 2 age groups were similar. They also found that epinephrine levels increased 12.5to 14.6-fold from the baseline to the onset of syncope, while norepinephrine levels increased to a much lower degree (1.8to 2.0-fold). However, the Epi/NE ratio was higher in younger patients at 2 minutes (1.02 vs 0.40; P 1⁄4 .11) of the upright tilt and at the onset of syncope (2.60 vs1.64; P 1⁄4 .03). On the basis of these observations, they suggest that these findings may, in part, explain why beta-blockers tended to be less effective in younger patients in randomized trials. They conclude with a call for a randomized trial addressing
Will there be a fifth kondratiev cycle/structure?

Previous research in the development of a comprehensive theory of the Kondratiev cycle/structure is reviewed. The problem of paradigm exhaustion is emphasized. The structure of the first four Kondratievs is contrasted with that inferred for a possible fifth. The main driving forces and constraints characteristic of a fifth Kondratiev recovery are discussed. These are new technologies, job creation, new sources of energy, environmental constraints, and availability of financial capital. It is concluded that many of the ingredients for a recovery are present but that there are countervailing factors as well. Further, the contextual field of forces in which the Kondratiev is embedded is now more turbulent, and a Kondratiev recovery would have to be part of a radical transformation in social, economic, and environmental thinking. 26 refs.
Transport equations for a two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit interaction

The transport equations for a two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit interaction are presented. The distribution function is a 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2-matrix in the spin space. Particle and energy conservation laws determine the expressions for the electric current and the energy flow. The derived transport equations are applied to the spin-splitting of a wave packet and to the calculation of the structure factor and the dynamic conductivity.
Structural landscape of the proline-rich domain of Sos1 nucleotide exchange factor

Despite its key role in mediating a plethora of cellular signaling cascades pertinent to health and disease, little is known about the structural landscape of the proline-rich (PR) domain of Sos1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor. Herein, using a battery of biophysical tools, we provide evidence that the PR domain of Sos1 is structurally disordered and adopts an extended random coil-like conformation in solution. Of particular interest is the observation that while chemical denaturation of PR domain results in the formation of a significant amount of polyproline II (PPII) helices, it has little or negligible effect on its overall size as measured by its hydrodynamic radius. Our data also show that the PR domain displays a highly dynamic conformational basin in agreement with the knowledge that the intrinsically unstructured proteins rapidly interconvert between an ensemble of conformations. Collectively, our study provides new insights into the conformational equilibrium of a key signaling molecule with important consequences on its physiological function.
Saul's wars against Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Zobah

According to 1 Sam 14:47-48 Saul fought against Moab, Ammon, Edom and the kings of Zobah. In addition he fought against the Philistines and the Amalekites. Not much is said about the wars against Moab, Ammon, Edom and the kings of Zobah. Thus, in order to see if indeed Saul fought against these people we will analyze the geopolitical and economic factors which led him to fight these wars. We will demonstrate that by his battles in the east, he expanded the border of his young monarchy to Trans-Jordan and eliminated the threat that came from the alliance between David, the Ammonites, and Moabites. Since the land was very limited the new territories that Saul conquered ensured the livelihood of the people in Israel who were looking for territories to settle. By fighting within the borders of Israel the war against the Amalekites came to protect the tribe of Judah from the Amalekites. By defeating the Amalekites, Saul incorporated an important tribe into his emerging monarchy. Furthermore his victory insured a monopoly on the Arabian trade. Saul's aim in fighting against the Philistines was to break the Philistines oppressions, to liberate large territories which would connect the Israelites tribes. The battles took place at important strategic locations which were important to the two parties and connected the different parts of the country and also had economic significance.
Progress of tektite studies in China

A field study by Lee Da-ming of tektites on Leichow Peninsula and Hainan Island, published in 1963 in Scientia Geologica Sinica, is the first contribution from China on the tektite problem. This paper gives data additional to that of Lacroix on the occurrence and chemistry of tektites in China; the discussion of the stratigraphic occurrence of Chinese tektites is also of particular interest, as it helps to establish the age of Southeast Asian tektites. Lee Da-ming's study was made under the direction of C. J. Peng, who is presently at the University of Hong Kong. Peng brought this paper to my attention, and kindly translated it for me during the course of my research on the ‘Origin of Tektites,’ a project supported by the National Science Foundation and the Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin.
Delphi study of software maintenance problems

The Delphi technique was used to compile a list of major problems in software maintenance, quantify them, and strengthen the consensus in iterations. Forty-four experienced software maintenance professionals responded in the final round. Assembled rationales and arguments provide an abundance of information on maintenance problems, and their causes and consequences. Maintenance problems were grouped into four problem categories: maintenance management, organizational environment, personnel factors and system characteristics. Problems form the maintenance management category dominate the top of the major problems list. Relationships among problem categories and their causations were analyzed. The data show that the organizational environment influences maintenance management problems, which in turn influence problems from the personnel factors category. Personnel problems are also dependent on system characteristics. >
Catalytic hydrogenation of cyclohexene: Part II. Liquid phase reaction on supported platinum in a gradientless slurry reactor

The areal rate of liquid phase hydrogenation of cyclohexene on supported platinum catalysts does not depend on the nature of the support. Nor does it depend on particle size of the metal. The rate constant is independent of the nature of the solvent when the concentration of hydrogen in it is expressed as its measured or calculated solubility. All observations are compatible with the idea that the measured rate is that of chemisorption of dihydrogen on a metal surface covered with reactive hydrocarbon intermediates.
A novel flash fast-locking digital phase-locked loop: design and simulations

A flash digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) is designed using 0.18 μm CMOS process and a 3.3 V power supply. It operates in the frequency range 200 MHz-2 GHz. The DPLL operation includes two stages: (i) a novel coarse-tuning stage based on a flash algorithm similar to the algorithm employed in flash A/D converters, and (ii) a fine-tuning stage similar to conventional DPLLs. The flash portion of the DPLL is made up of frequency comparators, an encoder and a decoder which drives a multiple charge pump (CP)/lowpass filter (LPF) combination. Design considerations of the flash DPLL circuit components as well as implementation using Cadence design tools are presented. Spectre simulations were also performed and demonstrated a significant improvement in the lock time of the flash DPLL as compared to the conventional DPLL. By increasing the number of frequency comparators, the lock time is expected to be always less than 100 ns in the above-mentioned frequency range.
The relation of the Yolk Index Determined in Natural Position to the Yolk Index as Determined after Separating the Yolk from the Albumen

Abstract The standard procedure of determining the yolk index by separating the yolk from the albumen before measuring the height and width of the yolk is not only a time consuming job but the separation cannot be made on low quality eggs without rupturing the yolk of many of them. In an effort to overcome these two objections the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station determined for the same eggs the yolk index in the broken out egg in natural position and then separated the yolk from the albumen and made yolk measurements. The results are shown in Table 1. The yolk index as determined by these two methods is not greatly different and since the use of the yolk index is for relative comparisons between eggs, it would appear that for practical purposes the yolk index can very well be determined by measuring the height and width of the yolk in natural . . .
The Monarch, the Jurists and the Dean of Harvard: Reason Curve and the Search for Average Ignorance in Criminal Trials

Trial by jury does not enjoy constitutional protection under English law. The system has been under severe criticism, curtailment and considerable pressure in recent times, perhaps far more than in other countries. Critics have demanded reform or outright abolition and supporters have opposed the demands just as vehemently and any reform achieved has been piecemeal and reluctant. The furore has helped to galvanise robust and extensive intellectual debate on the subject. It has also spurned extensive academic research. Trial by jury remains central to a tiny but significant part of the Criminal Justice System. Yet, the jury, unlike other decision-making bodies, retains the power to deliver a verdict that is unique by its lack of an explanation. The issue does not sit comfortably with those who would have the system abolished or pray fair trials. The matter is traced to antiquity and the modern democracy struggles to articulate jury accountability. Lay participation in the criminal justice process in the form of a jury is a celebrated phenomenon throughout the common law jurisdictions. While not claiming credit for its origin, England, as the latent cradle of the modern jury, disseminated this mode of trial to a great part of the world through colonization. Yet, the English jury is badly marginalized for its intellectual ineptitude yet patently central to all criminal trials.This paper, the first to propose and investigate the relationship between the reason curve and the explained verdict in the English Criminal Justice System, explores the competence of the jury, as the medium of participatory democracy in the judicial system, to articulate an explanation for its verdict.
Individual Chapter 11 Reorganizations: Big Problems with the New 'Big' Chapter 13

Much has been written about the consumer aspects of the Bankruptcy Abuse Protection and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. Very little attention has been made to the changes made to individual Chapter 11 cases. The changes to individual Chapter 11 are dramatic and in many ways attempt to make individual Chapter 11 cases mirror Chapter 13 cases. There are several major inconsistencies between amended individual Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 which leads to serious problems with individual Chapter 11s in practice. This paper highlights the major changes to individual Chapter 11s and how they are now similar and dissimilar to Chapter 13. It highlights the more problematic areas, some of which have not been addressed in prior literature, and sets forth several aspects of individual Chapter 11 that are ripe for future empirical research.
Ukraine Crisis: What It Means for the West, by Wilson, Andrew

It might at first seem strange to see a review of a book on the Ukraine crisis in a journal that focuses on special operations. But as those familiar with the crisis know, both Ukrainian and Russia...
Using a Competitive Bid Problem to Teach Capital Budgeting

This paper examines the competitive bid problem as both an important type of financial analysis and as a tool that can help students gain a better understanding of the capital budgeting process. Since the problem can be formulated within the standard capital budgeting framework, it allows students to see the capital budgeting process from a different perspective and, subsequently, gain a better insight into this important topic. A general solution to the competitive bid problem is derived within the standard capital budgeting framework. In addition to helping students gain a better understanding of the concept of capital budgeting, the solution provides an excellent opportunity for instructors to incorporate computer spreadsheet analysis and sensitivity analysis into their corporate finance course.
Some like it hot: Results of a community intervention trial aimed at improving safety behaviors to prevent hot water scald burns

Objective: Hot water scalds continue to pose a serious threat in the home, causing over 1,500 hospital admissions and 100 deathseach year in the United States. We aimed to determine whether households who participated in an enhanced home safety visitdemonstrated improved safety behaviors about hot water compared to homes receiving a standard home visit. This communityintervention trial took place between April 2010 and April 2011. Methods: Hot water temperature and self-reported prevention behaviors were recorded at a baseline visit, and retested 6-9 months later in a follow-up visit. Residents whose hot water temperatures remained at an unsafe temperature were asked whythey did not adjust the temperatures. Demographic data were also recorded. Results: A total of 708 households participated. No significant difference emerged between the two study groups in the proportionof households observed to have adjusted their hot water temperature to safe levels between the baseline and follow-up visits ( t = 1.24; P = .22). Residents who received the enhanced education were more likely to report testing their water temperature (27% vs. 11%; P < .01) and turning their hot water temperature below 120°F (43% vs. 32%; P = .08). Among those who had unsafetemperature levels and did not reduce the water temperature, the most common reason (26%) offered was that they “liked it hot”. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that water temperatures are unsafe in many urban homes. The effect of educationalinterventions may be mitigated by personal preferences of hot water temperature.
PLANAR VAPOR GROWN INDIUM GALLIUM ARSENIDE DETECTORS WITH EXTREMELY LOW DARK CURRENT AND FAILURE RATES

Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) photodetectors have been fabricated which exhibit dark current as low as 10 picoamps (−5V), quantum efficiencies as high as 35% at 850nm, 90% at 1300nm, 93% at 1550nm and failure rates below 1 in 109 hours (1 Failure unIT = 1 FIT). The devices have 75 micron diameter active regions with InP "cap" layers. Pulse response times below 35 picoseconds have also been measured.
Assessment of Experimental Designs for Green bug (Homoptera: Aphididae) Antixenosis Tests

Antixenosistests are commonly conducted in green bug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), plant resistance research; however, the variability in these tests is often high. Our objectives were to determine whether directional responses occur in traditional greenhouse antixenosis tests, and to develop a design that would result in less variability. We evaluated three kinds of antixenosis tests: (1) the standard test consisting of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., with test plants planted at random in a circular pattern near the edge of a greenhouse pot (replication) and analyzed as a randomized complete block design (RCBD); (2) a completely randomized design (CRD) in greenhouse flats; and (3) a completely randomized design with a central composite arrangement (CRD-CCA), also in flats. Apterous biotype E green bug adults were used in all tests. Directional tests indicated that more green bugs selected plants toward the direction of the sun, which would cause high variability in the standard antixenosis test. After comparing the error mean squares and coefficients of variation, and considering the impracticality of conducting a CRD-CCA with more that five or six test entries, we concluded that the CRD is the best of the three designs for green bug antixenosis tests in a greenhouse.
Trifluoromethyl fluorocoxib a detects cyclooxygenase-2 expression in inflammatory tissues and human tumor xenografts.

Fluorocoxib A is an effective COX-2-targeted optical imaging agent, used for in vivo detection of inflammatory tissues and premalignant and malignant tumors that express elevated levels of COX-2 (Uddin et al. Cancer Res. 2010, 70, 3618–3627). In an effort to discover novel optical probes for COX-2, a trifluoromethyl analogue of fluorocoxib A (CF3-fluorocoxib A) was synthesized and evaluated for its ability to inhibit COX-2 in vitro purified enzyme and human cancer cell lines. Kinetic analysis revealed that CF3-fluorocoxib A is a slow, tight binding inhibitor of COX-2 that exhibits low nanomolar inhibitory potency. While CF3-fluorocoxib A and fluorocoxib A are similar in structure, CF3-fluorocoxib A shows improved potency in inhibition of wtCOX-2 and with a series of site-directed COX-2 mutants. After intraperitoneal injection, selective uptake of CF3-fluorocoxib A is detected in inflamed mouse paws compared to noninflamed contralateral paws by optical imaging, and uptake is blocked by pretreatment with th...
Holes in the Hologenome: Why Host-Microbe Symbioses Are Not Holobionts

The advent of relatively inexpensive tools for characterizing microbial communities has led to an explosion of research exploring the diversity, ecology, and evolution of microbe-host systems. Some now question whether existing conceptual frameworks are adequate to explain microbe-host systems. One popular paradigm is the "holobiont-hologenome," which argues that a host and its microbiome evolve as a single cooperative unit of selection (i.e., a superorganism). We argue that the hologenome is based on overly restrictive assumptions which render it an approach of little research utility. A host plus its microbiome is more effectively viewed as an ecological community of organisms that encompasses a broad range of interactions (parasitic to mutualistic), patterns of transmission (horizontal to vertical), and levels of fidelity among partners. The hologenome requires high partner fidelity if it is to evolve as a unit. However, even when this is achieved by particular host-microbe pairs, it is unlikely to hold for the entire host microbiome, and therefore the community is unlikely to evolve as a hologenome. Both mutualistic and antagonistic (fitness conflict) evolution can occur among constituent members of the community, not just adaptations at the "hologenome" level, and there is abundant empirical evidence for such divergence of selective interests among members of host-microbiome communities. We believe that the concepts and methods of ecology, genetics, and evolutionary biology will continue to provide a well-grounded intellectual framework for researching host-microbiome communities, without recourse to the limiting assumption that selection acts predominantly at the holobiont level.
All the Gods of the World: Modern Maya Ritual in Yucatán, Mexico

The modern residents of Yucatan, Mexico blend traditional Maya beliefs in a pantheon of ancient gods and other supernatural forces with more recent Catholic traditions flowing from centuries of Spanish colonial influence. This paper compares and contrasts four modern rituals from the Yucatec Maya village of Telchaquillo, Yucatan. Each rite was associated with a local cenote, limestone sinkholes that along with caves serve as accesses to the Maya underworld and homes to the gods themselves. Our research suggests considerable cultural continuity with the ancient residents of the Postclassic Maya center of Mayapan where cenotes were regularly paired with important ritual architecture and sometimes contain human remains and other indications of ritual activity. The ceremonies documented in this paper provide information about Maya cosmology, gender roles and long held beliefs about cenotes and agricultural fertility.
Late Cenozoic Erosional Thickness and Flexural Deflection along the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

The large-scale morphology of the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau can be divided into three zones, the Tibetan Plateau, Longmenshan and Sichuan Basin. To assess the large-scale erosional thickness and erosional rate of the region, we use digital elevation models (DEM) and fission-track thermorchronology to calculate the erosional thickness across the margin. We calculated the erosional rate of Longmenshan in the last 3. 6 Myr (ESR) , and the results indicate that the erosional thickness of Longmenshan is 1. 91-2. 16 km, and the erosional rate of Longmenshan is 0. 53-0. 60 mm/a. Based on results of simulation by flexural deflection, we inferred that the mountain building model of Longmenshan would have been constrained to both erosionally-driven uplift and tectonic shortening-driven uplift. Before 3. 6 Ma, the uplift of Longmenshan is driven by tectonic shortening related to the India-Asia collision, and after 3. 6 Ma the uplift of Longmenshan is driven by erosional unloading.
Primary malignant melanoma of the male urethra.

Abstract Primary malignant melanoma of the male urethra is a rare disease, with only 24 cases previously reported in the literature, including 1 black patient. We describe 2 additional patients with primary malignant melanoma of the urethra, one of whom was a black man. The literature is reviewed briefly and treatment recommendations are discussed.