cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The standardization of a reproducible in vitro technique for the measurement of 86Rb uptake in the human erythrocyte

Abstract A reproducible in vitro technique for the measurement of 86 Rb uptake in the human erythrocyte was developed. Duplicate samples from 11 normal subjects were evaluated over a 24 hr period at the following time intervals; 0, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min and 6, 12 and 24 hr. The percent uptake per ml of packed RBC vs. time (0–75 min) was plotted on linear graph paper for each subject and the slope of the resulting curves was calculated. The remaining time observations, 6, 12 and 24 hr, were utilized for calculation of the equilibrium time of rubidium by the erythrocyte. The mean ±S.D. for the 20 individual slopes was 0·237 ± 0·016 and the slope of the combined curved equaled 0·222 percent 86 Rb uptake/minute. The percent 86 Rb uptake at 6 hr was 52 ± 3 percent, at 12 hr it rose to 75 ± 4 percent and at 24 hr the value was 78 ± 2 per cent. The error in measurement of 86 Rb uptake between individuals and in repeated measurements with the same individual is statiscally similar at the ninety-five per cent level of confidence. The results indicate that the precision of the observed measurements are suitable to warrant further study in pathological states.
What Does It Mean to Deliberate? An Interpretative Account of Jurors’ Expressed Deliberative Rules and Premises

To advance deliberative theory and practice, this study considers the experiences of trial jurors who engaged in deliberation. Conceptualized as a speech event, this article inductively explores the deliberative rules and premises articulated by jurors. Jurors believe deliberation should be rigorous and democratic, including speaking opportunities for all, open-minded consideration of different views, and respectful listening. Jurors actively consider information, but face-to-face deliberation is essential for thoroughly processing evidence. Although emotions should not influence the final verdict, participants report that emotions often reinforce deliberative norms. These results inform theory and deliberative experiences in and beyond the jury.
Air impacts from three alternatives for producing JP-8 jet fuel.

To increase U.S. petroleum energy independence, the University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington) has developed a direct coal liquefaction process which uses a hydrogenated solvent and a proprietary catalyst to convert lignite coal to crude oil. This sweet crude can be refined to form JP-8 military jet fuel, as well as other end products like gasoline and diesel. This paper presents an analysis of air pollutants resulting from using UT Arlington's liquefaction process to produce crude and then JP-8, compared with 2 alternative processes: conventional crude extraction and refining (CCER), and the Fischer-Tropsch process. For each of the 3 processes, air pollutant emissions through production of JP-8 fuel were considered, including emissions from upstream extraction/production, transportation, and conversion/refining. Air pollutants from the direct liquefaction process were measured using a LandTEC GEM2000 Plus, Draeger color detector tubes, OhioLumex RA-915 Light Hg Analyzer, and SRI 8610 gas chromatogra...
Production and systemic absorption of toxic byproducts of tissue combustion during laparoscopic surgery

Background: Among the potential hazards of laparoscopic surgery using electrocautery is the intraperitoneal release and subsequent absorption of byproducts of tissue combustion. In a porcine model of laparoscopic surgery with smoke production, our aims were to assess (1) the relationship between levels of intraperitoneal carbon monoxide (CO) and systemic carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb), and (2) intraperitoneal concentrations of other noxious gases, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN), acrylonitrile (Acr), and benzene (Bzn).
The neuropathogenesis of visna virus infection in sheep

Abstract Visna virus is a lentivirus which causes chronic, progressive encephalitis in sheep. The virus is highly tropic for cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and completion of the viral replicative cycle occurs only in mature macrophages. Combined immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization studies have demonstrated an association between the number of infected macrophages in the brain and the severity of the lesions. A neurovirulent visna virus strain, developed by multiple sequential intracerebral passages in sheep, had an enhanced ability to replicate in macrophages. Visna virus-infected animals produce several cytokines, one of which augments inflammation by inducing expression of MHC class II antigens on macrophages.
Formation of Triniobocene Cationic and Neutral Mononiobocene Species as a Function of Solvent in the Reaction of Cp2Nb{(μ-H)2BR2} (R2 = C4H8, C5H10, C8H14) with B(C6F5)3

Reactions of the niobocene cyclic organohydroborates Cp2Nb{(μ-H)2BR2} (R2 = C4H8, C5H10, C8H14), with B(C6F5)3 in the poorly coordinating solvent toluene and in the coordinating solvent diethyl ether give different products. In toluene, the salt [Cp2Nb(μ-H)(η5-η1-C5H4)Nb(η5-η1-C5H4)2Nb{(μ-H)(η5-C5H4B(C6F5)2)}]+[HB(C6F5)3]-, 1, which contains a triniobocene cation, is formed. On the other hand in diethyl ether, the reaction of Cp2Nb{(μ-H)2BR2} with B(C6F5)3 produces the covalent complex CpNb(C6F5){(μ-H)(η5-C5H4B(C6F5)2)}, 2. In the formation of these compounds NbIII is oxidized to NbIV. Upon the basis of ESR spectra, 1 and 2 are paramagnetic, each with one unpaired electron. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Complex 2 forms weak adducts in the solvents THF and pyridine. The Nb−H−B bridge is cleaved at the Nb−H site to form CpNb(C6F5)(L){η5-C5H4B(H)(C6F5)2} (L = THF, pyridine). In pyridine, a second adduct in much smaller yield is also formed, CpNb(C6F5)(H){η5-C5H4B...
Abstract 392: Delineating genomic heterogeneity in paired primary and metastatic colorectal cancer by massively parallel sequencing.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer and cancer death for men and women in the United States. While the genetic steps necessary for carcinogenesis are well-defined, the subsequent genetic alterations driving tumor evolution to metastasis are not well characterized. We have performed deep sequencing of 230 key cancer-associated genes in 60 patient-matched primary tumor, metastatic tumor, and normal samples from CRC patients. Genes were selected on the basis of recurrent and/or “actionable” mutations reported in human tumors. Our custom captured-based sequencing assay, termed IMPACT (Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets), provided a median sequence coverage of 644-fold, allowing for the identification of low frequency genetic events involving target genes. Somatic mutations, insertions/deletions (indels), and copy number alterations were identified and compared in both primary and metastatic samples. The most frequently mutated genes have all been previously implicated in CRC: APC, TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA, and SMAD4. Most genetic events were identical between primary and metastatic tumors; however, we identified particular alterations specific to the metastatic samples. The majority of these alterations were members of two important proliferative pathways, further lending credence that they might play an important role in metastatic progression. For patients with metastasis-specific mutations, we have sampled multiple microdissected regions from primary tumors to quantify the extent of intratumor heterogeneity and ascertain whether these differences are caused by sampling biases. The identification of these genetic variations between primary and metastatic tumors could have significant impact on biomarker analysis as well as treatment decisions for CRC patients. Citation Format: Angela Rose Brannon, Efsevia Vakiani, Sasinya N. Scott, Brooke Sylvester, Krishan Kania, Agnes Viale, Nancy Kemeny, Martin Weiser, David B. Solit, Michael F. Berger. Delineating genomic heterogeneity in paired primary and metastatic colorectal cancer by massively parallel sequencing. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 392. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-392
IATROGENIC BILOMA (BILIARY PSEUDOCYST) IN A CAT WITH HEPATIC LIPIDOSIS

An eight-year-old neutered female domestic longhair cat was presented with icterus and a palpable cranial abdominal mass. The cat had undergone an open biopsy of the liver two years previously. Abdominal radiographic findings included a solitary soft tissue mass originating from the right cranial hepatic region. An anechoic cystic structure was identified on ultrasound examination. Surgical exploration revealed the cyst to be filled with bile. The fibrous capsule of the cyst originated in the liver. Severe hepatic lipidosis was also present. It is believed that the bilorna was a complication of the previous hepatic biopsy and not a sequela of hepatic lipidosis.
Algebraic grid generation for coolant passages of turbine blades with serpentine channels and pin fins

In order to study numerically details of the flow and heat transfer within coolant passages of turbine blades, a method must first be developed to generate grid systems within the very complicated geometries involved. In this study, a grid generation package was developed that is capable of generating the required grid systems. The package developed is based on an algebraic grid generation technique that permits the user considerable control over how grid points are to be distributed in a very explicit way. These controls include orthogonality of grid lines next to boundary surfaces and ability to cluster about arbitrary points, lines, and surfaces. This paper describes that grid generation package and shows how it can be used to generate grid systems within complicated-shaped coolant passages via an example.
X-ray structure of a hydroxylase-regulatory protein complex from a hydrocarbon-oxidizing multicomponent monooxygenase, Pseudomonas sp. OX1 phenol hydroxylase.

Phenol hydroxylase (PH) belongs to a family of bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases (BMMs) with carboxylate-bridged diiron active sites. Included are toluene/o-xylene (ToMO) and soluble methane (sMMO) monooxygenase. PH hydroxylates aromatic compounds, but unlike sMMO, it cannot oxidize alkanes despite having a similar dinuclear iron active site. Important for activity is formation of a complex between the hydroxylase and a regulatory protein component. To address how structural features of BMM hydroxylases and their component complexes may facilitate the catalytic mechanism and choice of substrate, we determined X-ray structures of native and SeMet forms of the PH hydroxylase (PHH) in complex with its regulatory protein (PHM) to 2.3 A resolution. PHM binds in a canyon on one side of the (αβγ)2 PHH dimer, contacting α-subunit helices A, E, and F ∼12 A above the diiron core. The structure of the dinuclear iron center in PHH resembles that of mixed-valent MMOH, suggesting an Fe(II)Fe(III) oxidation state....
Alzheimer's disease and metal-containing glia.

Abstract Considerable evidence suggests that in Alzheimer's disease, olfactory bulb damage may be a primary factor, causing degeneration and neuorfibrillary tangles primarily in neurons connected with this brain area. Also, deposits of amyloid may involve an improper regulation of the cleavage of a precursor protein by glia. Finally, toxic effects of aluminium may be an etiological factor. This review proposes that all these seemingly unrelated aspects of Alzheimer's disease could be related to a disturbed function of metal-containing glia. Such a disturbance, initiated by or aggravating toxic effects of aluminum, may underlie initial damage in the olfactory bulb and/or other brain areas with a weakened blood-brain barrier and may be responsible for amyloid deposition.
Three new species of Eryngium (Umbelliferae) from tropical South America

Three new monocotyloid Eryngia,E. rochei, E. brasiliense. andE. irwinii from Brazil and Paraguay, are described, illustrated, and contrasted with related taxa.
Cosmic-Ray Intensities at Great Depths

A fourfold Geiger-M\"uller tube telescope was employed to count the relative number of cosmic rays under different thicknesses of rock. Each Geiger-M\"uller tube consisted of a 0.125 mm tungsten wire anode and a cylindrical copper cathode 9 cm in diameter and 71 cm in length sealed in a glass envelope filled with hydrogen to a pressure of 9.6 cm of mercury. The experiment was performed in a mine whose shaft was inclined at an angle of 34\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} from the horizontal. Counts were made at thirty-nine different stations at depths from zero to 1408 meters of water equivalent, where the rate was 5.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ as great as at the surface. When the intensity is plotted against the depth, the resulting curve shows no points of inflection. The effective absorption coefficient decreases from 0.07 per meter of water at the surface to 0.0025 at the greatest depth. If the logarithm of the intensity is plotted against the logarithm of the depth, two straight lines, one from 20 to 250 and the other from 250 to 1418 meters water equivalent from the top of the atmosphere, represent the data well. Shower counts were also made at ten of the stations. These also show a bend at 250 meters. This suggests that there may be two types of very penetrating rays both capable of producing showers. It may be that one of these consists of "heavy electrons" and the other of "neutrinos."
Expression of a life‐history trade‐off in a seed beetle depends on environmental context

Within populations of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), female longevity is positively correlated with fecundity, both phenotypically and genetically. Yet manipulations of egg-laying rate (through deprivation of seeds or mates) consistently suggest a trade-off between these traits. In this study, females were exposed to four levels of seed availability and the relationship between fecundity and longevity was examined both across and within environments. The expected trade-off was observed across environments, as females with few or no seeds laid fewer eggs and lived longer than females with many seeds. Within environments, however, the relationship was inconsistent; individual longevity and fecundity were positively correlated when seeds were abundant, uncorrelated when seeds were few and negatively correlated when seeds were absent. Body mass at adult emergence was positively correlated with fecundity, but its effect was stronger when seeds were present than when they were absent. After the effects of mass were statistically controlled, longevity and fecundity remained positively correlated among females with many seeds and negatively correlated among those without seeds. Thus, even a single technique (phenotypic correlation) can produce divergent conclusions about the ‘cost of reproduction’ in insects. The reversal in the correlation appears to depend on variation in reproductive allocation; when seeds are scarce or absent, differences in reproductive effort among individuals may be large enough to overwhelm differences in resource acquisition.
Two novel bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)copper(I) complexes: [Cu(dmp)2]2(PF6)2.0.5(bpmh).CH3CN and [Cu(dmp)2][N(CN)2].

Two new salts of the cation [Cu I (dmp) 2 ] + (dmp is 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, C 14 H 12 N 2 ), namely bis[bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ 2 N,N')copper(I)] bis(hexafluorophosphate) hemi[bis(4-pyridylmethylidene)hydrazine] acetonitrile solvate, [Cu(C 14 H 12 N 2 ) 2 ] 2 (PF 6 ) 2 .0.5C 12 H 10 N 4 .C 2 H 3 N or [Cu(dmp) 2 ] 2 (PF 6 ) 2 .0.5(bpmh).CH 3 CN [bpmh is bis(4-pyridylmethylidene)hydrazine, C 12 H 10 N 4 ], (I), and bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ 2 N,N')copper(I) dicyanamide, [Cu(C 14 H 12 N 2 ) 2 ](C 2 N 3 ) or [Cu(dmp) 2 ][N(CN) 2 ], (II). are reported. The Cu-N bond lengths and the distortion from idealized tetrahedral geometry of the dmp ligands are discussed and compared with related compounds. The bpmh molecule in (I) is π-π stacked with a dmp ligand at a distance of 3.4 A, rather than coordinated to the metal atom. The molecule lies across an inversion center in the crystal. In (II), the normally coordinated dicyanamide molecule is present as an uncoordinated counter-ion.
Effect of Mycobacterial Cell Components upon Susceptibility of Mice to Infection with M.tuberculosis.

SummaryWhen virulent mycobacteria are mixed with large numbers of viable attenuated mycobacterial cells and injected intravenously into mice the susceptibility to tuberculous infection is markedly increased. By mixing different mycobacterial components, prepared by differential centrifugation of mechanically ruptured attenuated mycobacterial cells, and injecting these into mice, the resistance lowering factor was localized in the intracellular particulate material which sedimented at 144,000 × g. Subfractions, prepared by differential centrifugation, of this particulate fraction, were usually inactive but gained resistance lowering activity when any two were recombined. The particulate fraction is composed of cell membranes, enzymatically active particles and ribosomes.
The solution of separable queueing network models using mean value analysis

Because it is more intuitively understandable than the previously existing convolution algorithms, Mean Value Analysis (MVA) has gained great popularity as an exact solution technique for separable queueing networks. However, the derivations of MVA presented to date apply only to closed queueing network models. Additionally, the problem of the storage requirement of MVA has not been dealt with satisfactorily. In this paper we address both these problems, presenting MVA solutions for open and mixed load independent networks, and a storage maintenance technique that we postulate is the minimum possible of any “reasonable” MVA technique.
Protein-resistant silicones : Incorporation of poly(ethylene oxide) via siloxane tethers

Silicones with enhanced protein resistance were prepared by introducing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains via siloxane tethers (a−c) of varying lengths. Three unique ambifunctional molecules (a−c) having the general formula α-(EtO)3Si(CH2)2-oligodimethylsiloxanen-block-poly(ethylene oxide)8-OCH3 (n = 0 (a), 4, (b), and 13 (c)) were prepared via regioselective Rh-catalyzed hydrosilylation. Nine films were subsequently produced by the H3PO4-catalyzed sol−gel cross-linking of a−c each with α,ω-bis(Si−OH)polydimethylsiloxane (P, Mn = 3000 g/mol) in varying ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:3 molar ratio a, b, or c to P). Films prepared with a 2:3 molar ratio (a−c to P) contained the least amount of un-cross-linked materials, which may migrate to the film surface. For this set of films, surface hydrophilicity and protein resistance increased with siloxane tether length (a−c). These results indicate that PEO was more effectively mobilized to the surface if incorporated into silicones via longer siloxane tethers.
Treatment of vesicoureteral reflux in children using stabilized non-animal hyaluronic acid/dextranomer gel (NASHA/DX): A long-term observational study

Abstract Objective Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) can be treated with open surgery, antibiotic therapy or endoscopic injection. A goal in children is to reduce the incidence of febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs). The present long-term observational study investigated outcomes and experiences of endoscopic treatment with stabilized non-animal hyaluronic acid/dextranomer, NASHA™/Dx. Patients and methods Children treated with NASHA/Dx between 1993 and 1998 were sent a questionnaire by mail in 2005. Patients included in the study (n = 231) had VUR grade III–V before treatment and grade 0–II afterwards. Patients completed 21 questions, with parental assistance if required. The questionnaire assessed clinical outcome, and the attitudes of both patients and their parents to their experiences of treatment with NASHA/Dx gel. Patients reporting UTI after treatment were contacted and their records analyzed. Results Questionnaires were completed by 179 eligible patients. Most (72%) received a single injection of NASHA/Dx gel, and all experienced febrile UTI before treatment. After treatment, 45 patients (25%) experienced UTI; 25 of these reported fever. Patient records and telephone interviews revealed no evidence of febrile UTI in 19 cases; febrile UTI was confirmed in six cases, an incidence of 3.4%. When asked about the worst aspect of VUR treatment, 9% indicated treatment with NASHA/Dx compared to 19% for medication and 72% for voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG); parent-rated responses were 19%, 24% and 57%, respectively. Conclusions Endoscopic treatment with NASHA/Dx gel was associated with a low number of febrile UTIs following treatment, viewed positively and considered less bothersome than medication or VCUG. These findings support this treatment as a primary intervention for VUR.
Fabrication of Nanocolumns for Liquid Chromatography

This paper shows that in situ micromachining can be used to simultaneously position and define (i) support particles, (ii) convective transport channels, (iii) an inlet distribution network of channels, and (iv) outlet channels in multiple chromatography columns on a single quartz wafer to the level of a few tenths of a micrometer. Stationary phases were bonded to 5 × 5 × 10 μm collocated monolith support structures separated by rectangular channels 1.5 μm wide and 10 μm deep with a low degree of deviation of channel width between the top and bottom of channels. High aspect ratio microfabrication can only be achieved with deep reactive ion etching. The volume of a 150 μm × 4.5 cm column was 18 nL. Column efficiency was evaluated in the capillary electrochromatography (CEC) mode using rhodamine 123 and a hydrocarbon stationary phase. Plate heights in these columns were typically 0.6 μm in the nonretained and 1.3 μm in the retained modes of operation. Columns were designed to have identical mobile-phase vel...
Theory of optimal orthonormal subband coders

The theory of the orthogonal transform coder and methods for its optimal design have been known for a long time. We derive a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the coding-gain optimality of an orthonormal subband coder for given input statistics. We also show how these conditions can be satisfied by the construction of a sequence of optimal compaction filters one at a time. Several theoretical properties of optimal compaction filters and optimal subband coders are then derived, especially pertaining to behavior as the number of subbands increases. Significant theoretical differences between optimum subband coders, transform coders, and predictive coders are summarized. Finally, conditions are presented under which optimal orthonormal subband coders yield as much coding gain as biorthogonal ones for a fixed number of subbands.
Existing FDA Pathways Have Potential To Ensure Early Access To, And Appropriate Use Of, Specialty Drugs

Specialty drugs are notable among prescription drugs in that they offer the possibility of substantial clinical improvement, come with important risks of adverse events and mortality, can be complex to manufacture or administer, and are usually extremely costly. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a critical role in ensuring that patients who could benefit from specialty drugs have access to them in a timely fashion. In this article we review the different strategies that the FDA can use to approve and influence the post-approval prescribing of specialty drugs. When specialty drugs show promise in early clinical trials, the FDA can expedite the drugs’ availability to patients through expanded access programs and expedited approval pathways that speed regulatory authorization. After approval, to ensure that specialty drugs are directed to the patients who are most likely to benefit from them, the FDA can limit the scope of the drugs’ indications, encourage the development of companion diagnostic t...
Hidden farmworker labor camps in North Carolina: an indicator of structural vulnerability

OBJECTIVES: We used geographic information systems (GIS) to delineate whether farmworker labor camps were hidden and to determine whether hidden camps differed from visible camps in terms of physical and resident characteristics. METHODS: We collected data using observation, interview, and public domain GIS data for 180 farmworker labor camps in east central North Carolina. A hidden camp was defined as one that was at least 0.15 miles from an all-weather road or located behind natural or manufactured objects. Hidden camps were compared with visible camps in terms of physical and resident characteristics. RESULTS: More than one third (37.8%) of the farmworker labor camps were hidden. Hidden camps were significantly larger (42.7% vs 17.0% with 21 or more residents; P ≤ .001; and 29.4% vs 13.5% with 3 or more dwellings; P = .002) and were more likely to include barracks (50% vs 19.6%; P ≤ .001) than were visible camps. CONCLUSIONS: Poor housing conditions in farmworker labor camps often go unnoticed because they are hidden in the rural landscape, increasing farmworker vulnerability. Policies that promote greater community engagement with farmworker labor camp residents to reduce structural vulnerability should be considered. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 15, 2015: e1-e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302797). Language: en
Relationship between menthol cigarettes and smoking cessation among African American light smokers

AIMS: To determine whether African American light smokers who smoked menthol cigarettes had lower cessation when treated with nicotine replacement therapy and counseling. DESIGN: Data were derived from a clinical trial that assessed the efficacy of 2 mg nicotine gum (versus placebo) and counseling (motivational interviewing counseling versus Health Education) for smoking cessation among African American light smokers (smoked < or = 10 cigarettes per day). PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 755 African American light smokers. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome variable was verified 7-day point-prevalence smoking cessation at 26 weeks follow-up. Verification was by salivary cotinine. FINDINGS: Compared to non-menthol smokers, menthol smokers were younger and less confident to quit smoking (P = 0.023). At 26 weeks post-randomization, 7-day verified abstinence rate was significantly lower for menthol smokers (11.2% versus 18.8% for non-menthol, P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Among African American light smokers, use of menthol cigarettes is associated with lower smoking cessation rates. Because the majority of African American smokers use menthol cigarettes, a better understanding of the mechanism for this lower quit rate is needed.
An O(N) semipredictive universal encoder via the BWT

We provide an O(N) algorithm for a nonsequential semipredictive encoder whose pointwise redundancy with respect to any (unbounded depth) tree source is O(1) bits per state above Rissanen's lower bound. This is achieved by using the Burrows-Wheeler transform (BWT), an invertible permutation transform that has been suggested for lossless data compression. First, we use the BWT only as an efficient computational tool for pruning context trees, and encode the input sequence rather than the BWT output. Second, we estimate the minimum description length (MDL) source by incorporating suffix tree methods to construct the unbounded depth context tree that corresponds to the input sequence in O(N) time. Third, we point out that a variety of previous source coding methods required superlinear complexity for determining which tree source state generated each of the symbols of the input. We show how backtracking from the BWT output to the input sequence enables to solve this problem in O(N) worst case complexity.
A scalable machine-learning approach to recognize chemical names within large text databases

The use or study of chemical compounds permeates almost every scientific field and in each of them, the amount of textual information is growing rapidly. There is a need to accurately identify chemical names within text for a number of informatics efforts such as database curation, report summarization, tagging of named entities and keywords, or the development/curation of reference databases. A first-order Markov Model (MM) was evaluated for its ability to distinguish chemical names from words, yielding ~93% recall in recognizing chemical terms and ~99% precision in rejecting non-chemical terms on smaller test sets. However, because total false-positive events increase with the number of words analyzed, the scalability of name recognition was measured by processing 13.1 million MEDLINE records. The method yielded precision ranges from 54.7% to 100%, depending upon the cutoff score used, averaging 82.7% for approximately 1.05 million putative chemical terms extracted. Extracted chemical terms were analyzed to estimate the number of spelling variants per term, which correlated with the total number of times the chemical name appeared in MEDLINE. This variability in term construction was found to affect both information retrieval and term mapping when using PubMed and Ovid.
A highly potent series of fluoroalkyl benzoxazine pyridine-N-oxide potassium channel openers

Abstract A new structural class of fluoroalkyl benzoxazine pyridine-N-oxide potassium channel openers (PCOs) is described.
Use of a single multiplexed CMOS oscillator as direct frequency read-out for an array of eight AlN Contour-Mode NEMS Resonant Sensors

This paper reports on the first demonstration of a single multiplexed CMOS oscillator circuit employed as direct frequency readout for an array of 8 nanoscaled aluminum nitride Contour-Mode Resonant Sensors (CMR-S). In this first prototype 8 thin-film (250 nm) AlN CMR-S operating at 186 MHz were fabricated on the same chip and simultaneously wire-bonded to a Pierce-like oscillator circuit (fabricated in the ON Semiconductor 0.5 µm CMOS process) by means of 8 CMOS transmission gates addressed via a 3 bit on-chip decoder. The 8 CMR-S were simultaneously exposed to different concentrations of methanol (0.1–1% of the saturated vapor pressure) and their response was monitored in a time-multiplexed mode. Frequency shifts of 300 Hz corresponding to changes of mass per unit area of 7 ag/µm2 were experimentally detected. Values of phase noise derived Allan deviation as low as 0.9 Hz were measured. Such Allan deviation translates in an estimated limit of detection of 21 zg/µm2.
Mechanisms of Diastolic Dysfunction in Heart Failure

Abnormalities of diastole are common to most forms of congestive heart failure (HF). Diastolic function is broadly defined as the ability of the heart to fill adequately and at normal pressure to charge the ventricular pump for each subsequent contraction. It is determined by both active and passive processes occurring at the level of the myocyte, extracellular matrix, and left ventricular chamber. Forces extrinsic to the myocardium—such as the influence of right heart filling, pericardial and extracardiac constraints, and cardiac preload and afterload also contribute. Nearly half of patients with HF have apparently preserved systolic function, and this has focused attention on diastolic dysfunction as a dominant contributor to symptoms, sparking interest for understanding and treating diastolic abnormalities. This review focuses on the mechanisms determining normal and pathologic cardiac relaxation and distensibility and highlights how these abnormalities may be therapeutically targeted to improve diastolic function in human HF.
Automated synthesis for asynchronous FPGAs

We present an automatic logic synthesis method targeted for high-performance asynchronous FPGA (AFPGA) architectures. Our method transforms sequential programs as well as high-level descriptions of asynchronous circuits into fine-grain asynchronous process netlists suitable for an AFPGA. The resulting circuits are inherently pipelined, and can be physically mapped onto our AFPGA with standard partitioning and place-and-route algorithms. For a wide variety of benchmarks, our automatic synthesis method not only yields comparable logic densities and performance to those achieved by hand placement, but also attains a throughput close to the peak performance of the FPGA.
SOME NEW FEATURES IN THE REPRODUCTIVE CYTOLOGY OF ANGIOSPERMS, ILLUSTRATED BY ISOMERIS ARBOREA

F ROM a development standpoint, the chief contributor to our ;knowledge of the Capparidaceae is Mauritzon (I935), who studied the development of the female gametophyte and the embryogeny of the following species: Capparis frondosa, C. rupestris; Cleome monophylla, C. serrata, C. spinosa, C. violacea; Dactylaena micrantha; Gynandropsispentaphylla. In Capparisfrondosa, however, he observed only post-fertilization stages, and in C. rupestris only those of prefertilization. In the relatively large size of the nucellus there is general correspondence with Isomeris; also in the hypodermal position of the archesporial cell and the formation of several parietal cells. The seeds of all of the Capparidaceae are of course of the campylotropous type. These are the chief points of resemblance, but in other matters concerned with developmental history there is wide divergence. In the species studied by Mauritzon (I935) a group of four megaspores is quite regularly formed, the functional one developing into a megagametophyte of the normal type. In it there is a true egg nucleus, a group of two polars and one of three antipodals. None of these occurs in I. arborea, nor does fertilization, a process taken for granted in the text of Mauritzon's paper, though not definitely described or figured. In the species described by this author, embryos arise from the zygote and begin development at the micropylar tip of the megagametophyte. In Capparis frondosa, in addition to the normal embryo there originate from the nucellus about twenty adventitious embryos. The embryo in Isomeris arborea does not arise from a zygote or an egg cell, nor does it develop at the micropylar tip of the megagametophyte. There are no nucellar embryos in I. arborea. No proliferation of synergids such as that occurring at times in I. arborea is reported for any of the species studied by Mauritzon (I935). In 1. arborea there is no suspensor haustorium. One is reported for Polanisia trachysperma. Finally, the manner of develop-
Privacy-preserving speaker verification as password matching

We present a text-independent privacy-preserving speaker verification system that functions similar to conventional password-based authentication. Our privacy constraints require that the system does not observe the speech input provided by the user, as this can be used by an adversary to impersonate the user in the same system or elsewhere. We represent the speech input using supervectors and apply locality sensitive hashing (LSH) to transform these into bit strings, where two supervectors, and therefore inputs, are likely to be similar if they map to the same string. This transformation, therefore, reduces the problem of identifying nearest neighbors to string comparison. The users then apply a cryptographic hash function to the strings obtained from their enrollment and verification data, thereby obfuscating it from the server, who can only check if two hashed strings match without being able to reconstruct their content. We present execution time and accuracy experiments with the system on the YOHO dataset, and observe that the system achieves acceptable accuracy with minimal computational overhead needed to satisfy the privacy constraints.
Building multiple weak segmentors for strong mass segmentation in mammogram

ABSTRACT This paper proposes to build multiple segmentations for identifying ma ss contours for a suspicious mass in a mammogram. In this study, by using various parameter settings of the image enhancement functions, we perform multiple segmentations for each suspicious mass (region of interest (ROI)), and multiple mass contours are generated. Each of such segmentations is called a weak segmentor, since there is no single image enhancement which produces the optimal segmentation for all mass images. Then for each image, we select the contour which has the highest overlapping ratio as the final segmentation (i.e., the "strong segmentor"). The results show that the overall success rate ( 81.22%) of the strong segmentor was higher than that of any single weak segmentor. This indicates that using multiple weak segmentors is an effective method to generate a strong mass segmentation for mammograms. Keywords: Mammogram, Image Enhancement, Mass Segmentation 1. INTRODUCTION
Inupiaq writing and international Inuit relations

Language shift in Alaska threatens to replace Inupiaq, and other indigenous languages, with English unless the conditions that create the shift are reversed. The vitality of West Greenlandic and Inuktitut in the Eastern Arctic can exert a positive influence on the west if Inuit groups share published materials and increase international communication in their own language. Congruent writing systems are crucial to the process of reading what other Inuit write. A comparison of the orthographies used for Alaskan Inupiaq and West Greenlandic shows how differing systems can complicate international written exchange.
Aptamer-encoded nanopore for ultrasensitive detection of bioterrorist agent ricin at single-molecule resolution

The molecular-scale pore structure, called nanopore, can be formed from protein ion channels by genetic engineering or fabricated on solid substrates using fashion nanotechnology. Target molecules in interaction with the functionalized lumen of nanopore, can produce characteristic changes in the pore conductance, which act as fingerprints, allowing us to identify single molecules and simultaneously quantify each target species in the mixture. Nanopore sensors have been created for tremendous biomedical detections, with targets ranging from metal ions, drug compounds and cellular second messengers, to proteins and DNAs. Here we will review our recent discoveries with a lab-in-hand glass nanopore: single-molecule discrimination of chiral enantiomers with a trapped cyclodextrin, and sensing of bioterrorist agent ricin.
Computing logic-stage delays using circuit simulation and symbolic elmore analysis

The computation of logic-stage delays is a fundamental sub-problem for many EDA tasks. Although accurate delays can be obtained via circuit simulation, we must estimate the input assignments that will maximize the delay. With conventional methods, it is not feasible to estimate the delay for all input assignments on large sub-networks, so previous approaches have relied on heuristics. We present a symbolic algorithm that enables efficient computation of the Elmore delay under all input assignments and delay refinement using circuit-simulation. We analyze the Elmore estimate with three metrics using data extracted from symbolic timing simulations of industrial circuits.
Orphanin FQ, but not dynorphin A, accelerates colonic transit in rats.

Abstract Background & Aims: The endogenous opiate receptor–like 1 ligand, orphanin FQ (OFQ), which structurally resembles dynorphin A, has been identified. We investigated the mechanism of action of OFQ in the colon and compared it with that of dynorphin A in vivo. Methods: Colonic contractions were recorded via miniature force transducers implanted on the serosal surface of the rat colon. Results: Intravenous administration of OFQ (0.01-3 nmol/kg) induced contractions in the rat colon in a dose-dependent manner. Colonic contractions induced by OFQ were not affected by extrinsic denervation but abolished by tetrodotoxin. Continuous infusion of OFQ (1 nmol · kg −1 · min −1 ) and dynorphin A (100 nmol · kg −1 · min −1 ) induced similar phasic contractions in the proximal colon. However, the contractile activity induced by the 2 peptides differed significantly in the mid and distal colon. Giant contractions induced by OFQ infusion migrated from the mid to distal colon. In contrast, dynorphin A evoked simultaneous contractions throughout the entire colon, which did not migrate aborally. Subcutaneous administration of OFQ (1-3 nmol/kg) accelerated colonic transit, whereas dynorphin A (30-100 nmol/kg) delayed colonic transit. Conclusions: The results show that OFQ accelerates colonic transit by promoting migrating colonic contractions in rats. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;119:71-79
Simple plant‐based design strategies for volatile organic pollutants

Vegetation which enhances in-situ biodegradation of organic compounds can play a key role in the bioremediation of such contaminants in polluted soils and groundwater. Plants may act directly on some contaminants by degrading them, but their main effect is to enhance microbial populations in the thizosphere. Microbially mediated transformations are thus indirectly facilitated by root exudates which nourish the indigenous microorganisms. Plants may also be viewed as a solar driven pump-and-treat system which can contain a plume and reduce the spread of contaminated water. Laboratory investigations carried out in a growth chamber with alfalfa plants provide evidence for the (microbially mediated) biodegradation of organic compounds such as toluene, phenol and TCE. Alfalfa plants tolerate concentrations of these organics in contaminated water up to 100 mg/L. They facilitate transfer of the contaminants from the saturated to the vadose zone. For volatile organic compounds such as TCE, vegetation provides a controlled release of compounds and hence assures dilution of the TCE evapotranspired into the atmosphere from contaminated soils. Using a range of calculated plausible scenarios, it is shown that intermedia transfer caused by volatilization associated with plants is most unlikely to lead to exceedance of standards for gas phase contamination, for mostmore » volatile contaminants. Possible action level exceedances might occur with highly toxic substances including vinyl chloride and carbon tetrachloride, if they re present in ground water at levels above kilogram amounts in a single plume of a few hectares, and released by vigorously growing plants under hot dry conditions. Information needed for the calculation and design of plant-based bioremediation systems for typical sites is discussed in this paper.« less
Monte Carlo Modeling of Atom Transport During Directed Vapor Deposition

Atomic vapor transport has been investigated in the low vacuum (5 - 100 Pa) supersonic gas jets encountered in directed vapor deposition processes using a combination of Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) techniques and a bimolecular collision model. The DSMC code generates the velocity vector, pressure, and temperature field for the carrier gas flow. This data is used as an input to a bimolecular collision model of atomic vapor transport in the flow. In the collision model, calculation of directed momentum loss cross-sections allows the location of carrier gas/vapor atom collisions to be deduced, and the vapor atom velocity vectors for individual vapor atoms to be tracked from source to substrate. For atoms arriving at the substrate, the impact location and velocity vector are obtained, making possible calculation of deposition efficiency, film thickness, adatom energy, and impact angle. These are the key inputs for simulations of resulting film microstructure/morphology evolution. Preliminary results for atomic transport of Cu vapor in supersonic He flows compare favorably with previously reported experimental observations.
Membrane Association and Multimerization of TcpT, the Cognate ATPase Ortholog of the Vibrio cholerae Toxin-Coregulated-Pilus Biogenesis Apparatus

The toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) is one of the major virulence factors of Vibrio cholerae. Biogenesis of this type 4 pilus (Tfp) requires a number of structural components encoded by the tcp operon. TcpT, the cognate putative ATPase, is required for TCP biogenesis and all TCP-mediated functions. We studied the stability and localization of TcpT in cells containing in-frame deletions in each of the tcp genes. TcpT was detectable in each of the biogenesis mutants except the ΔtcpT strain. TcpT was localized to the inner membrane (IM) in a TcpR-dependent manner. TcpR is a predicted bitopic inner membrane protein of the TCP biogenesis apparatus. Using metal affinity pull-down experiments, we demonstrated interaction between TcpT and TcpR. Using Escherichia coli as a heterologous system, we investigated direct interaction between TcpR and TcpT. We report that TcpR is sufficient for TcpT IM localization per se; however, stable IM localization of TcpT requires an additional V. cholerae-specific factor(s). A LexA-based two-hybrid system was utilized to define interaction domains of the two proteins. We demonstrate a strong interaction between the cytoplasmic domain of TcpR and the N-terminal 100 amino acid residues of TcpT. We also demonstrated the ability of the C-terminal domain of TcpT to multimerize.
Algorithm to Remove Spectral Leakage, Close-in Noise, and Its Application to Converter Test

A fundamental condition of using Discrete Fourier is that the signal being transformed needs to be periodic and transform is performed on an integer number of these periods. In practice, due to some physical limitations, this condition is not always satisfied. A phenomenon known as leakage will occur and cause serous distortion in the transformed signal. Window functions are generally used at the expense of a reduced spectral resolution. Other alternative methods have also been proposed, but none of them offers the quality of direct Fourier transform of a periodic signal. This paper presents a new algorithm, called FXT, which produces equivalent spectral result with non -periodic signal as if the signal was periodic.
Oxidation of lignin and lignin β-O-4 model compounds via activated dimethyl sulfoxide

Lignin oxidation reactions are increasingly being utilized in the field of lignin valorization. This is primarily due to the prospect of obtaining high-value aromatic products from cleavage of the Cα–Cβ bond in lignin's β-O-4 linkages. In this work activated dimethyl sulfoxide reactions, namely Swern and Parikh–Doering oxidations, were performed both on lignin and on compounds modeling the β-O-4 linkage. When phenolic moieties were present in the model compounds, enol ethers were formed rather than the ketone expected from oxidation of the β-O-4 alcohol moiety. Conversely, in the absence of phenolic moieties, the β-O-4 alcohol was oxidized to a ketone. These results are interpreted in terms of enol ether formation from a quinone methide intermediate formed via deprotonation of the phenolic –OH in the initial sulfur ylide species. When applied to Kraft lignin, alcohol oxidation was observed at both the α and γ positions in lignin under both Swern and Parikh–Doering conditions, although analytical data were unable to shed light on the relative importance of enol ether versus 1,3-diketone formation (or its tautomer). These results emphasize the importance of working with realistic lignin model compounds in order to understand and develop lignin chemistry.
Na+/Ca2+ exchange in catfish retina horizontal cells: regulation of intracellular Ca2+ store function.

The role of the Na+/Ca2+exchanger in intracellular Ca2+regulation was investigated in freshly dissociated catfish retinal horizontal cells (HC). Ca2+-permeable glutamate receptors and L-type Ca2+ c...