cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compounds That Activate the Mouse Melanocortin-1 Receptor Identified by Screening a Small Molecule Library Based upon the β-Turn

A library of 951 compounds based upon the β-turn motif were examined for their ability to stimulate the melanocortin-1 receptor. From this screening process, we have identified two compounds possessing low micromolar agonist activity at the mMC1R. The compound EL1 with racemic Nal(2‘) in the i + 1 position, dPro in the i + 2 position, and Trp in the i + 3 position possesses an EC50 of 42.5 ± 6.9 μM. Compound EL2 with Trp in the i + 1 position, dLys in the i + 2 position, and Phe in the i + 3 position possesses an EC50 value of 63.4 ± 26.9 μM. The results of the library screening process are consistent with a hypothesis dating back to the 1980s proposing that a β-turn conformation involving the melanocortin “Phe-Arg-Trp” core amino acids provides the key recognition element. Additionally, these compounds represent the first nonpeptidic heterocyclic molecules reported to date that are able to activate the MC1R, a melanocyte receptor involved in skin pigmentation and animal coat coloration.
A serotypic survey and cross‐protection test of North American field isolates of Yersinia ruckeri

. A serological study of 23 North American strains of Yersinia ruckeri showed that they were comprised essentially of one serotype–the classical ‘Hager-man’ serotype. Cross-protection tests showed that rainbow trout could be protected from challenge with various strains. Continuous surveillance of enteric redmouth disease and further work including DNA binding studies is necessary to determine the precise significance of the other related serotypes.
WHOLE-BODY APOPTOSIS

In order to minimize the prolonged debility of old age, we should be designed to die abruptly and painlessly at some randomly determined time between 85 and 90 years old. This might help us trade the goal of living for as long as possible with the goal of living as well as possible.
Object preposing in Mandarin Chinese

This paper aims to show that objects preposed to a position after the subject in Chinese, as inWo huasheng neng chi ‘I can eat peanuts’, are adjoined to (an auxiliary or main) VP and not necessarily to IP (with the subject also topicalized, to the left of the object). We present four arguments. First, some Chinese adjuncts occur only in VP, and in some cases they may precede preposed objects. Second, SOV sentences require contrastive focus on preposed objects, while OSV sentences do not, a distinction easily handled if taken (respectively) as VP- vs. IP-adjunction but not if both are adjunction to IP. Third, SOV and OSV sentences behave differently both when embedded and when formed by extraction of an object from an embedded clause; again, the distinction is easily made if the former involves VP-adjunction. Finally, objects may sometimes occur between a modal and the main verb; assuming that modals take VP complements, this can only be VP-adjunction. We further suggest that preposing of objects is triggered by a [+Focus] feature in VP and that this feature is to be found in VP wherever languages license “extra” base-generated NP positions in VP.
Centralized optical pre-coding for multi-cell MIMO in millimeter-wave radio-over-fiber system

We propose a system design for millimeter-wave MIMO communications. Based on centralized optical pre-coding enabled by RoF, multi-cell MIMO is successfully demonstrated to enhance system capacity by exploiting the spatial multiplexing gain.
A Framework for Selecting a Selection Procedure

For many discrete simulation optimization applications, it is often difficult to decide which Ranking and Selection (R&S) procedure to use. To efficiently compare R&S procedures, we present a three-layer performance evaluation process. We show that the two most popular performance formulations, namely the Bayesian formulation and the indifference zone formulation, have a common representation analogous to convex risk measures used in mathematical finance. We then specify how a decision maker can impose a performance requirement on R&S procedures that is more adequate for her risk attitude than the indifference zone or the Bayesian performance requirements. Such a performance requirement partitions the space of R&S procedures into acceptable and nonacceptable procedures. The minimal computational budget required for a procedure to become acceptable introduces an easy-to-interpret preference order on the set of R&S policies. We demonstrate with a numerical example how the introduced framework can be used to guide the choice of selection procedure in practice.
Low Molecular Weight Heparin: An Evaluation of Current and Potential Clinical Utility in Surgery.

Heparin, a mixture of glycosaminoglycans of various sizes, is a potent natural anticoagulant. Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) contain only the polymers of smaller size, which appear to possess most of the antithrombotic potential. Pharmacological differences between the two suggest a number of advantages with LMWH therapy. Our objective was to establish the utility of LMWHs in comparison to the current practice of anticoagulation in surgical patients. Articles were obtained through MEDLINE and CURRENT CONTENTS queries. The searches were limited to English and French-language articles and included published overviews containing relevant individual trials. We examined the current literature, consisting of 1,730 published reports from 1979–1998, regarding the biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, and clinical applications of LMWH in comparison with current therapy. Studies were selected based on their relevance to LMWHs, the size and methods of trials, and their application to clinical care. Peer-reviewed published data were critically evaluated by independent extraction by several authors. Established rules for levels of evidence were used to objectively evaluate the strength of evidence supporting recommendations in each clinical area. LMWHs provide superior anticoagulation in the prophylaxis of DVT following orthopedic, general, and trauma surgery. Further studies should establish which other patients may benefit from such prophylaxis. Current evidence does not support the use of LMWHs in patients with mechanical heart valves or those on mechanical cardiac support devices; however, it may have a role in the maintenance of vascular graft patency. Further studies should examine the role of LMWHs in transplant atherosclerosis, and in patients requiring long-term anticoagulation at high risk for bleeding with warfarin therapy. The economic implications of LMWH administration remain unclear. On the basis of the information presented in this review, LMWHs are promising new agents in prophylaxis and treatment of both arterial and venous thrombosis. In the near future, LMWHs are likely to supplant UFH and perhaps warfarin in many applications.
Dark Days in the Newsroom: McCarthyism Aimed at the Press

Dark Days in the Newsroom: McCarthyism Aimed at the Press EDWARD ALWOOD, 2007 Philadelphia: Temple University Press xiv + 201pp Cloth, $66.50; paper, $24.95 Even if the guilt of Alger Hiss or Harry...
The possible role of benthic microbial mats during the formation of carbonaceous shales in shallow Mid-Proterozoic basins

A considerable portion of the upper member of the Mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation, Meagher County, Montana, consists of carbonaceous silty shales (striped shale facies). This type of shale facies is common in Proterozoic basins and is host to several major base metal deposits. The striped shales were deposited in a subtidal setting, basinward of carbonates characterized by cryptalgal laminites, mudcracks and flat pebble conglomerates. The carbonaceous silty shales are considered remnants of benthic microbial mats. Irregular internal laminae, patterns of particle trapping, mechanical deformation during penecontemporaneous soft-sediment deformation and filamentous microbiota provide evidence for this interpretation. The dolomitic clayey shale contains graded silt-clay couplets, and these are interpreted as storm layers. Modern subtidal microbial mats can only survive under special conditions, but in the Proterozoic, it is suggested that benthic microbial mats colonized the shallow seafloor during periods of low sediment input, leading to the formation of carbonaceous shales.
Dominant lethal phenotype of a mutation in the -35 recognition region of Escherichia coli sigma 70.

Abstract A dominant lethal mutation in the Escherichia coli rpoD gene, which encodes sigma 70, the promoter recognition subunit of RNA polymerase, was isolated after random mutagenesis. The lethal gene was maintained under control of the lac repressor on a low copy plasmid. An amount of lethal sigma 70 that was nearly equimolar with the chromosomally encoded sigma 70 was sufficient to cause cessation of growth. RNA synthesis per unit cell mass was unaffected, but protein synthesis was inhibited by the mutant sigma 70. The amino acid change (Glu-585 to Gln) was in a region of sigma 70 thought to bind the -35 hexamer of the promoter, and the mutant sigma 70 caused increased expression from promoters with nonconsensus bases in the third position of the -35 hexamer. A null mutation of the fis gene could partially suppress the mutant phenotype. These properties are consistent with those expected of a sigma 70 insensitive to growth rate control of rRNA and tRNA promoters.
Asymmetric Cycling and Biased Movement of Brownian Particles in Fluctuating Symmetric Potentials

Brownian particles can be induced to undergo biased movement by a fluctuating periodic potential, if the potential within each period is asymmetric. In this Letter, we show that similar phenomenon can be obtained even when the periodic potential is symmetric, if (i) there are at least three states for the potential to fluctuate, (ii) the extrema of the nonflat potentials are properly shifted, and (iii) the potential is fluctuating among the states in a cyclic way. We found that biased movement occurs only when net cycling is present and the direction of the movement is closely related to that of the net cycling, similar to the movement of a chemically driven enzyme particle in a static periodic potential. The formalism and the model can be used in studying the movement of a bead on a microtubule filament powered by a single one-headed kinesin.
Rate Coefficients for the Propargyl Radical Self-Reaction and Oxygen Addition Reaction Measured Using Ultraviolet Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy

By using 193 nm laser photolysis and cavity ring-down spectroscopy to produce and monitor the propargyl radical (CH2CCH), the self-reaction and oxygen termolecular association rate coefficients for the propargyl radical were measured at 295 K between total pressures of 300 Pa and 13300 Pa (2.25 and 100 Torr) in Ar, He, and N2 buffer gases. The rate coefficients obtained by simple second-order fits to the decay data were observed to vary with the photolytic precursors: allene, propargyl chloride, and propargyl bromide. By using a numerical fitting routine and more comprehensive mechanisms, a distinct rate coefficient for the self-reaction was determined, k∞(C3H3+C3H3) = (4.3 ± 0.6) × 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 295 K. This rate coefficient, which is a factor of 2.8 times slower than reported previously, was independent of total pressure and buffer choice over the entire pressure range. Other rate coefficients derived during the modeling included k(C3H3+H 665 Pa He) = (2.5 ± 1.1) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1...
Modulation of cell death by mouse genotype: differential vulnerability to excitatory amino acid-induced lesions.

Previously we have demonstrated that mature inbred strains of mice differ significantly in their response to kainate-induced cell death. While both C57BL/6 and FVB/N mice exhibit similar seizure activity in response to kainate, only C57BL/6 mice can be characterized as resistant to kainate-induced cell death. To examine further the molecular pharmacological basis for this strain difference in hippocampal sensitivity, we assessed the ability of the ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists, kainic acid (KA), N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), ibotenic acid (IBO), and quinolinic acid (QUIN), to promote excitotoxic damage. We examined seizure-related behavior and subsequent neurotoxicity in C57BL/6 and FVB/N mice following intrahippocampal administration of the kainate receptor agonist, KA, the NMDA receptor agonists NMDA or QUIN, or the NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist, IBO. The time course and extent of cell death in mice were evaluated using Nissl and selective silver stains, and Fluoro-Jade, a fluorescent marker for dying neurons. In the present study, FVB/N mice were exquisitely sensitive to injection of KA at all doses, while susceptibility in C57BL/6 mice was dose dependent. In contrast, while hippocampal damage was present in both strains at all doses of QUIN, the extent of cell damage was significantly less in C57BL/6 mice at low doses (30 and 60 mM). Similarly, IBO administration resulted in differences in the extent of cell death when administered at the highest dose (126 mM). No strain-dependent differences in cell loss were observed following NMDA lesions. These results provide further evidence that susceptibility to excitotoxin-induced cell death is highly strain dependent and is kainate and NMDA receptor dependent.
Multi-Focus Image Fusion Using Local Energy Pattern

For general image capture device, it is difficult to obtain an image with every object in focus. To solve the fusion issue of multiple same view point images with different focal settings, a novel image fusion algorithm based on local energy pattern (LGP) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, each focus images is decomposed using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) separately. Secondly, to calculate LGP with the corresponding pixel and its surrounding pixels, then use LGP to compute the new coefficient of the pixel from each transformed images with our proposed weighted fusing rules. The rules use different operations in low-bands coefficients and high-bands coefficients. Finally, the generated image is reconstructed from the new subband coefficients. Moreover, the reconstructed image can represent more detailed for the obtained scene. Experimental results demonstrate that our scheme performs better than the traditional discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method in both visual perception and quantitative analysis.
Interdiffusion analysis for NiAl versus superalloys diffusion couples

Solid-to-solid diffusion couples, β-NiAl (B2) versus various commercial superalloys (i.e., CM247, GTD-111, IN-939, IN-718, and Waspalloy) were examined to quantify the rate of Al interdiffusion as a function of initial superalloy composition. The diffusion couples were assembled with Invar steel jig encapsulated in Ar by sealing in quartz capsules and annealed at 1050 °C for 96 h. Concentration profiles measured by electron probe microanalysis in the single-phase β-NiAl region were used to determine interdiffusion fluxes and effective interdiffusion coefficients of individual components in the single-phase β-NiAl side of the couple. The values determined using experimental concentration profiles of the single-phase β-NiAl side of the couple were used to predict effective interdiffusion coefficients in multiphase superalloy side of the couple based on mass balance and local continuity of interdiffusion fluxes. Microstructural and compositional stability of protective coatings (e.g., NiCoCrAlY and NiAl) as a function of superalloys composition are discussed based on effective interdiffusion coefficients predicted from diffusion couple studies.
Absence of Altonian glaciation in Illinois

Illinois was free of glacier ice from about 130,000 to 25,000 yr B.P. Deposits of this time interval in northeastern Illinois, represented by core samples from test-hole ISGS S-30, are composed of leached, nonglacigenic, stratified, or pedoturbated silty sediments that typically are organic-rich and pedogenically modified. These deposits overlie the Sangamon Soil, which is identified by its stratigraphic position, soil morphology, and distinct alteration products in the clay-mineral fraction, including a variably swelling vermiculite-like phase and a randomly interstratified kaolinite/10 A phase. The regional extent of these deposits suggests that if Altonian ice existed in the Lake Michigan basin, it did not extend westward beyond the cuesta of Silurian dolomite that rims the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan.
The spectrum of kidney disease in American Indians

The spectrum of kidney disease in American Indians. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) experience high rates of chronic kidney disease. Several studies have demonstrated increased rates of early kidney disease among AI/AN, both in diabetics and non-diabetics. Among some tribes of the American Southwest, high rates of mesangiopathic glomerulonephritis have been documented. The epidemic of diabetes among AI/AN, which began in the middle of the 20th century, appears to be driving the increase in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). At the end of 1999, AI/AN had a national prevalence rate of treated ESRD that was 3.5 times greater than that of white Americans. There is significant regional variation as well as differences among the approximately 550 tribes that make up the American Indian community, with some tribes experiencing ESRD rates over twenty times the rate of whites. Although graft survival is excellent, AI/AN ESRD patients are less likely than whites to be placed on the transplant waiting list, and those listed wait longer for a transplant. Despite socioeconomic barriers and high rates of co-morbid illness, survival among AI/AN ESRD patients is better than among whites. The burden of kidney disease, particularly the multigenerational occurrence in some families, is perceived as a major threat to the well-being of native communities. There is a sense of urgency among tribal leaders to address this epidemic, and research that may decrease its burden is likely to be welcomed.
Emission characteristics of a premix combustor fueled with a simulated partial-oxidation product gas

A two-stage gas turbine combustor concept employing a very fuel-rich partial oxidation stage is being explored for broadening the combustion margin between ultralow emissions and the lean stability limit. Combustion and emission results are presented for a series of experiments where a simulated partial oxidation product gas was used in a premix combustor operated with inlet air state conditions typical of cruise power for high-performance aviation engines (12 atm and 850 F). Ultralow NOx, CO, and HC emissions and an extended lean burning limit were achieved simultaneously.
Measurement of the D-D fusion neutron energy spectrum and variation of the peak width with plasma ion temperature

We report a set of neutron spectrum measurements made at the Alcator-$C$ tokamak under Ohmic-heating conditions. It has been found that the width of the D-D fusion neutron peak increases with the plasma ion temperature consistent with the theoretical prediction. In particular, the neutron spectra resulting from the sum of many plasma discharges with ion temperatures of 780 and 1050 eV have been obtained. The width for the 780-eV case is ${64}_{\ensuremath{-}11}^{+ 9}$ keV and that of the 1050-eV case, ${81}_{\ensuremath{-}14}^{+10}$ keV (full width at half maximum), corresponding to ion temperatures of 740 and 1190 eV, respectively.
Sodium carbonate as a solid-phase reagent for the generation of acetylketene

Abstract Reaction of a toluene solution of 3-oxobutanoyl chloride ( 14 ) with Na 2 CO 3 in the presence of a catalytic amount of triethylamine at −78 °C generates a solution of acetylketene ( 2 ), the dimer of which was isolated. Acetylketene ( 2 ) was trapped with 2-propanone, 2-propanol, and ethyl vinyl ether.
SU-E-T-490: Clinical Analysis of the Approximate Multi-Phase Biological Effective Dose (BED) Calculation

Purpose: An approximate, multi-phase biological effective dose (BED) equation was introduced to simplify 3D-BED calculations by treatment planning systems. The purpose of this work is to analyze its clinical accuracy within patients receiving two phase treatments (e.g., primary and boost phases). Methods: Twenty prostate and brain cancer patients were studied. MATLAB was used to calculate the true-BED (BEDT) and approximate-BED (BEDA), on a voxel-basis within both phases, using the physical dose matrices that were exported from Pinnacle3 (Philips Medical, Fitchburg, WI). The data was analyzed using the percent error equation of BEDA with respect to BEDT. The Bland-Altman Analysis and the Pearson's Correlation Coefficient were also used in order to study the impact of the dose distributions on the accuracy of BEDA. Results: It was shown that when the dose-per-fractions (DPF) between both phases were equal, the error was zero. Within brain cancer patients, 50 percent of the Optic Chiasms and Brainstems, 60–70 percent of the Left and Right Optic Nerves, and 80 percent of the Normal Brain and Spinal Cord had a BEDA with less than a 1 percent error. For prostate cancer patients, 60–70 percent of the Rectum and Bladder also had a BEDA with less than a 1 percent error. The BA-Analysis and PCC also revealed the significant impact of the dose distribution and the locations of the OAR and target on the accuracy of BEDA. Conclusion: The results displayed accurate BEDA calculations in certain cases such as the Normal Brain, yet patients with large errors still existed. Due to the imprecision of BEDA on OARs, and the difficulty in predicting when it would be accurate, we recommend using BEDA only for targets due to a greater probability of seeing equivalent DPF values in both phases because of the homogeneous dose distributions delivered to the target volumes.
Neisseria perflava amylosucrase: characterization of its product polysaccharide and a study of its inhibition by sucrose derivatives.

Abstract Neisseria perflava amylosucrase forms from sucrose a polysaccharide very similar to glycogen, except that a larger proportion of its d -glucosyl residues are in short branches. Iodine staining of samples taken during polysaccharide formation indicate that the initial product is less branched than that formed at longer times. This glycogen-like polysaccharide has an estimated molecular mass range of 1 MD to 20 MD. Sucrose derivatives modified at C-3 (3-deoxysucrose and α- d -allopyranosyl β- d -fructofuranoside), C-6 (6-deoxysucrose and 6-deoxy-6-fluorosucrose), and both C-4 and C-6 (4,6-dideoxysucrose) were tested as inhibitors of amylosucrase. Derivatives modified at C-6 were potent competitive inhibitors, with K i values of 6.2 ±0.3m m (6-deoxysucrose) and 0.50 ±0.06m m (6-deoxy-6-fluorosucrose). The K M value of sucrose is 26.5 ±4.6m m . Sucrose derivatives modified at C-3 were not significantly inhibitory over the concentration range tested. 4,6-Dideoxysucrose gave an unusual, non-competitive inhibition, in that, increasing its concentration did not produce a commensurate increase in the level of inhibition, which instead appeared to approach a limit. None of these sucrose derivatives was a substrate for amylosucrase, nor were they glycosyl donors to maltotriose.
Goals, relationships, information and processes in global virtual team performance

The implementation of virtual teams is briskly increasing, particularly among transnational organisations that find global virtual teams a natural way to address their needs for global reach. Much of the research into virtual teams has been concentrated at the micro-organisational level of the individual virtual worker. This study extends the body of research to the team level by using Hofstede's (1998) GRIP model to examine culture and structuring on global virtual team performance. Specifically, Hofstede's (1998) six components, along with virtual team duration and diversity, were found to influence virtual team budget variance, schedule variance, and the number of errors created by the team.
Efficacy of retreatment with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) in patients receiving IMiDs for initial therapy of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

The efficacy of retreatment with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) among patients with multiple myeloma who received this class of drugs for initial therapy is unknown. We studied 140 patients who received either thalidomide-dexamethasone (81; 58%) or lenalidomide-dexamethasone (59; 42%) as first-line therapy of multiple myeloma followed by repeat IMiD (thalidomide [34; 24%] or lenalidomide [106; 76%]) as one of the salvage regimens. A median of 2 treatments (range, 1-6), including a stem cell transplant in 105 patients (75%), were administered before IMiD-based salvage therapy. The median time from diagnosis to repeat exposure to IMiD was 28 months. Among the 113 evaluable patients, 50 (44%) achieved at least a partial response, and 63 (56%) achieved less than a partial response to repeat IMiD. Response rates with lenalidomide retreatment were higher than with repeat administration of thalidomide.
Comparing the methods of emergency zipper release

Study objectives: Immediate zipper release is desired when penile tissue is caught within the zipper. The parts of a zipper can be described as the teeth running the length of the zipper and the actuator that zips (locks) the teeth together, closing the zipper, and unzips (unlocks) the teeth, separating the zipper. The most commonly described method of zipper release is to sever the actuator bar (metal bar that is on the open zipper side of the actuator) holding the upper and lower halves of the actuator together. This standard method can be difficult to achieve because the metal bar is strong and access to it is limited by the zipper actuator itself. An alternate method of releasing the zipper is to cut the closed teeth of the zipper, permitting the unzipping of the zipper from the rear. The purpose of this study is to determine which method releases the zipper faster. Methods: Twenty-eight physicians and medical students volunteered to participate in this study in which they were instructed on how to release a zipper using the 2 methods described above. Most of the resident physicians had the opportunity to practice the standard method in a previous educational workshop. The time to complete the zipper release was recorded for each method. The standard method was always done first, followed by the alternate method. If 5 minutes elapsed, then the time was recorded as 5 minutes (300 seconds) because prompt zipper release is unlikely at this point. Results: The mean time to zipper release was 88 seconds for the standard method and 11 seconds for the alternate method ( P P =.01), but for the alternate method, there was no significant difference between men and women. Four subjects (all women) could not release the zipper within the 5-minute time limit using the standard method. The slowest zipper release time for the alternate method was 30 seconds. Twenty-seven subjects preferred the alternate method, whereas 1 preferred the standard method. Conclusion: The alternate method of zipper release is faster and preferable.
Surface-initiated vapor deposition polymerization of poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate): optimization and mechanistic studies.

Surface-initiated vapor deposition polymerization (SI-VDP) is a very effective approach to synthesize grafted poly(amino acids). In this study, we developed an SI-VDP system with pressure and tempe...
Breast cancer detection by manual surface temperature detector: Comparison with results of thermography and mammography

Breast cancer detection using a manual surface temperature detector, thermography, and mammography was evaluated in a prospective study of 1,000 women. Detection sensitivity was 64%, 78%, and 78% for the manual surface temperature detector, thermography, and mammography, respectively. The corresponding detection specificities were 47%, 56%, and 76%. The combination of both thermography and mammography yielded a 89% detection sensitivity. The manual surface temperature detector was deemed not useful for screening because of its excessively high false-positive and false-negative rates.
Antifouling pesticides in the coastal waters of Southern California.

After the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization banned the use of organotins in antifouling products, organic booster biocides were introduced as alternatives to these compounds. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of the antifouling agent Irgarol 1051, its major metabolite M1 (aka GS26575), and other antifouling pesticides (diuron, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid and TCMTB) in San Diego, California, USA region marinas and evaluate the environmental risk posed by these compounds. To our knowledge, this is first study reporting Irgarol concentrations in western areas of the US. Water samples were collected from marina sites in four harbors surrounding greater San Diego, California, including Dana Point, Oceanside, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay during August 2005. Target compounds were isolated using solid phase extraction C-18 and analyzed utilizing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry coupled with electrospray ionization. Measured antifouling agent concentrations ranged from 1 to 304 ng/L (Irgarol); 1 to 68 ng/L (M1); and <2 ng/L to 12 ng/L (diuron). The highest concentrations of Irgarol and M1 were observed in Dana Point Harbor, which was the largest marina sampled. In general, concentrations of Irgarol reflected the density of boating activity in the area and marina size. Irgarol was detected with 100% frequency; M1 and diuron were observed in 93% of samples, indicating widespread distribution in San Diego region marinas. Dichlofluanid, chlorothalonil and TCMTB were not detected in concentrations exceeding the method detection limits. Some of the higher concentrations of Irgarol found in this study may be sufficient to cause changes in phytoplankton community structure and function at contaminated sites. Full Text ftp://ftp.sccwrp.org/pub/download/DOCUMENTS/AnnualReports/2007AnnualReport/AR07_093_102.pdf
MSurvPow: a FORTRAN program to calculate the sample size and power for cluster-randomized clinical trials with survival outcomes

Manatunga and Chen [A.K. Manatunga, S. Chen, Sample size estimation for survival outcomes in cluster-randomized studies with small cluster sizes, Biometrics 56 (2000) 616-621] proposed a method to estimate sample size and power for cluster-randomized studies where the primary outcome variable was survival time. The sample size formula was constructed by considering a bivariate marginal distribution (Clayton-Oakes model) with univariate exponential marginal distributions. In this paper, a user-friendly FORTRAN 90 program was provided to implement this method and a simple example was used to illustrate the features of the program.
Why ADR Programs Aren't More Appealing: An Empirical Perspective

Standard law and economic theory suggests that litigating parties seeking to maximize welfare will participate in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs if they generate a surplus. ADR programs claim to generate social surplus partly through promoting settlements and reducing case disposition time. Although most associate ADR programs with trial courts, a relatively recent trend involves appellate court use of ADR programs. The emergence of court-annexed ADR programs raises a question. Specifically, if ADR programs achieve their goals of promoting settlements and reducing disposition time, why do some courts find it necessary to impose ADR participation? Attention to ADR's ability to achieve its goals provides one clue. Most empirical assessments of ADR program efficacy have been mixed. This study exploits a uniquely comprehensive database of state civil court trials and appeals and tests hypotheses germane to questions about whether court-annexed appellate ADR programs stimulate settlement and reduce disposition time. Using data from 46 large counties consisting of 8,038 trials that generated 965 filed appeals, with 166 appeals participating in ADR programs, findings from this study provide mixed support for ADR programs. Specifically, results from this study indicate that participation in an ADR program correlates with an increased likelihood of settlement but not with reduced disposition time. ADR program mixed efficacy diminishes its appeal to litigants. Institutional interests help explain why appellate courts impose ADR participation notwithstanding mixed results on ADR efficacy.
Memory safety without garbage collection for embedded applications

Traditional approaches to enforcing memory safety of programs rely heavily on run-time checks of memory accesses and on garbage collection, both of which are unattractive for embedded applications. The goal of our work is to develop advanced compiler techniques for enforcing memory safety with minimal run-time overheads. In this paper, we describe a set of compiler techniques that, together with minor semantic restrictions on C programs and no new syntax, ensure memory safety and provide most of the error-detection capabilities of type-safe languages, without using garbage collection, and with no run-time software checks, (on systems with standard hardware support for memory management). The language permits arbitrary pointer-based data structures, explicit deallocation of dynamically allocated memory, and restricted array operations. One of the key results of this paper is a compiler technique that ensures that dereferencing dangling pointers to freed memory does not violate memory safety, without annotations, run-time checks, or garbage collection, and works for arbitrary type-safe C programs. Furthermore, we present a new interprocedural analysis for static array bounds checking under certain assumptions. For a diverse set of embedded C programs, we show that we are able to ensure memory safety of pointer and dynamic memory usage in all these programs with no run-time software checks (on systems with standard hardware memory protection), requiring only minor restructuring to conform to simple type restrictions. Static array bounds checking fails for roughly half the programs we study due to complex array references, and these are the only cases where explicit run-time software checks would be needed under our language and system assumptions.
Agonistic behavior and dominance relationships in female phayre's leaf monkeys – preliminary results

Socioecological theory suggests a link between the strength of competition for food/safety, rates of agonism, structure of dominance hierarchies, and dispersal among group-living females. This study presents preliminary data on agonistic behavior and dominance relationships for female Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei), a species in which females routinely disperse. Behavioral observations were conducted on two groups (four adult females, and five adult females plus two juvenile females, respectively) at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, northeast Thailand. Rates of agonistic behavior were analyzed from focal continuous recordings, while dominance hierarchies were constructed from all agonistic behaviors (focal and ad libitum sampling). Overall, female-female agonistic behaviors (aggression, submission, and displacements) occurred at a rate of < 0.25 interactions per hour. Agonistic interactions involving food occurred more frequently than expected based on feeding time. Females in both groups exhibited linear dominance hierarchies with some reversals, and possibly an age-inversed hierarchical structure in the larger group. The results fit well with previous results for colobine monkeys regarding frequency of interactions, displacements predominating agonistic behavior, and the possibility of an age-inversed hierarchy. The results contradict the suggested link between linearity of hierarchies and female philopatry. Future studies should consider the notion that female dispersal may coexist with linear dominance hierarchies.
Obesity and muscle strength as long-term determinants of all-cause mortality--a 33-year follow-up of the Mini-Finland Health Examination Survey.

Obesity and muscle strength as long-term determinants of all-cause mortality—a 33-year follow-up of the Mini-Finland Health Examination Survey
1,2-Hydrogen abstraction: the characterization of [Li(CH3)2N(CH2)2N(CH3)2]2 [C12H8]. A dilithium complex obtained by the 1,2 deprotonation of acenaphthylene

Abstract The reaction of n-butyllithium chelated to N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) with acenaphthene results in 1,2-hydrogen abstraction to give the dilithio complex of acenaphthylene, [Li(CH3)2N(CH2)2N(CH3)2]2[C12H8]. This compound was isolated as a crystalline product and characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. [Li(CH3)2N(CH2)2N(CH3)2]2[C12H8] crystallizes with a unit cell of a = 23.164(10), b = 25.609(10) and c = 8.495(6) A in the orthorhombice space group Fdd2. The calculated density is 1.04 g cm−3 for 8 molecules per unit cell. The observed density is 1.03(4) g cm−3. 1412 unique reflections were measured on a full circle X-ray diffractometer. The light atom, acentric structure was solved by the symbolic addition technique and refined by full matrix least squares to R1 = 0.058 and R2 = 0.056. The acenaphthylene fragment is nearly planar. The effect of charge transfer is evidenced in the short C(3)C(4) bond distance of 1.30(3) A and the lengthening of the C(1)C(2) bond length from the localized olefinic bond distance of 1.34 to 1.42(2) A. The two LiTMEDA fragments are coordinated to both sides of the five membered carbon atom ring of the acenaphthylene group.
The Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer (PRISM): Recent Campaigns and Developments

The Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer is a recently developed pushbroom imaging spectrometer airborne sensor designed to address the needs of coastal ocean science. We present here selected results from recent PRISM campaigns in Florida and California using the Twin Otter aircraft at a maximum altitude of ~20 kft. We also present a summary of improvements that will enable operation at an altitude of 60 kft using NASA’s ER-2 high altitude aircraft and their impact on instrument performance.
Probing dipolar effects with condensate shape oscillation

We discuss the low-energy shape oscillations of a magnetically trapped atomic condensate including the spin dipole interaction. When the nominal isotropic s-wave interaction strength becomes tunable through a Feshbach resonance (e.g., as for ${}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms), anisotropic dipolar effects are shown to be detectable under current experimental conditions [E. A. Donley et al., Nature (London) 412, 295 (2001)].
Green's relations in finite function semigroups

Letℱn be the set of all partial functions on ann-element setXn, i.e., the set of all functions whose domain and range are subsets ofXn. Green's equivalence relationsℛ, ℒ, ℋ andℋ are considered, and the number and cardinality of the corresponding equivalence classes are determined. The number of idempotent and generalized idempotent elements inℱn is also determined.
Towards Ontology-driven Knowledge Synthesis for Heterogeneous Information Systems

Information integration enables delivery of the right information to the right user in a timely manner giving manufacturers a competitive edge in today’s global manufacturing market. However, as enterprise information is usually aggregated from a variety of heterogeneous information sources, without using an adequate integration framework it is difficult to extract pertinent information and apply current knowledge to assessing production situations and making informed decisions. This paper investigates a method of facilitating knowledge synthesis in a distributed computing environment. A formal model of domain ontology and knowledge base is presented, which aims at providing a vehicle for representing information and knowledge using a common shared semantics in a given application domain. As a result, a common knowledge representation based architecture is proposed, creating a foundation for establishing a systematic approach for ease of knowledge synthesis in a manufacturing environment
Selected Dyadic Aspects of Male Sex Aggression

Research on the aggressive varieties of deviant sexual conduct has been primarily concerned with the violator and his characteristics, much less in the victim, and only rarely in the nature of the offenderoffended relationship. This paper reports on selected aspects of the nature of heterosexual dyads involving male sex aggression. Sex aggression here will refer to aggressive male attempts for coitus which were forceful to the degree of being disagreeable and offensive to the female. No effort was made to assess the success of such efforts and, consequently, we will restrict ourselves to episodes of aggressive attempts. These acts are not the male efforts for coitus ordinarily anticipated in dating-courtship relations yet, on the other hand, they are usually not sufficiently violent to Le thought of as rape attempts. For the most part, these aggressions involved forceful attempts at removing clothing and forceful attempts to manoeuver the female into a physically advantageous position for sexual access. Basically, then, our purpose is to examine certain features of aggressive-maleoffended-female pairings in order to show that these relationships are not random occurrences among dating-courtship couples but rather that they tend to pattern meaningfully with certain personal and social variables.
Suppression of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in New Zealand (NZB) mice by syngeneic young thymocytes.

Abstract New Zealand (NZB) mice were monitored from either 4 or 10 wk of age with regard to onset and titer of a positive direct Coombs' test. Mice that were 4 wk of age at study entrance and who received intraperitoneal injections every 2 wk of ≤ 2-wk-old syngeneic thymocytes, remained Coombs' negative. Control mice, as well as mice receiving either syngenic young spleen cells, bone marrow cells, a combination of young thymocytes, spleen, and bone marrow cells, or old spleen cells, were uniformly Coombs' positive by 8 mo of age. Mice that were 10 wk of age, at the onset of the protocol, and that received syngeneic young thymocytes were identical to control animals. The relationship of suppressor cell function to autoimmunity is discussed in light of these findings.
The influence of surface volcaniclastic layers from Haleakala (Maui, Hawaii) on soil water conservation

This study focuses on the soils and surficial volcaniclastic layers of Haleakala's crater (Maui, Hawaii). The main objective is to assess the effects of covers with fragments of various sizes (ash, cinder, lapilli) on soil water conservation. Soil and gravel samples were collected in Haleakala National Park from a site at 2505 m where the Hawaiian silversword, a giant rosette-plant, grows densely on pyroclastic materials. An evaporation experiment lasting 22 days showed a gradual drop in seven pairs of soil samples initially at field capacity. One set of samples was left bare, the other was covered by gravel mulches (GM); these resulted in lengthening of T100% (total desiccation time) by a factor of 2.3–5.2. Bare soils dried after 70–140 h, but drying time under gravel was 246–509 h. Mean grain size (Mz) and sorting (φσ) had the greatest influence on evaporation rates. Coarse lapilli (Mz: 13.8 mm) were less effective than fine ash (Mz: 2.9–3.8 mm) in preventing water losses, while medium-grained cinder (Mz: 4–5.2 mm) produced the greatest water savings. Lapilli (mean φσ: 0.48) and ash (φσ: 0.6) were moderately- to well-sorted; cinders, with a broader grain-size range (φσ: 1.13), were poorly sorted. This allowed infilling of large interstices between coarse fragments by smaller grains, effectively reducing pore size and therefore evaporation rates. A second experiment determined water storage and rates of water loss by mulches. Wetting occurred swiftly, within 3–4 min. All gravel types were dry within 26 h. This drying process is important for water conservation, as it effectively prevents further water loss from the mulch surface. Larger fragments stored less water. This is related to their `surface area/weight' ratio, which increases for smaller particles. Thus, fine ash or cinder grains, with a high total area, intercept more water than larger lapilli. A 5-cm thick layer of ash intercepted an average of ∼6.8 mm of rain, slightly more than the same depth of cinder (6.3 mm), but lapilli retained only 4.7 mm. Therefore, light rainfall events are more likely to contribute water to soil under lapilli than below finer pyroclastic material. Volcaniclastic covers serve an important ecological role in Haleakala by prolonging periods of water availability to plants, thus allowing Hawaiian silverswords to grow for longer time spans.
Does Habituation Matter? Emotional Processing Theory and Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Clinically, there is wide subscription to emotional processing theory (EPT; Foa & Kozak, 1986) as a model of therapeutic effectiveness of exposure therapy: EPT purports that exposure is maximal when (1) fear is activated (IFA), (2) fear subsides within sessions (WSH), and (3) fear subsides between sessions (BSH). This study examined these assumptions, using in vivo exposure therapy for 44 students scoring high on acrophobia measures. Results indicated that no EPT variables were consistently predictive of treatment outcome. No support was found for IFA or WSH; measures of BSH were predictive of short-term change, but these effects were attenuated at follow-up. Furthermore, EPT variables were not predictive of each other as previously hypothesized, indicating the variables are not functionally related.
Information, analysis, and ideology: A case study of science and the public interest

The politicization of science is not a new phenomenon, but the disputes surrounding global climate change have been particularly subject to ideological positioning. The work conducted by researchers on the description of, and possible causes for, climate change is reflected in the formal record of scientific discourse. The political and ideological claims about climate change are themselves reflected in the governmental and popular records. With regard to the particular work by Michael Mann and his colleagues, the three records (scientific, governmental, and popular) collide. Close examination of the totality of the record demonstrates the background, nature, and bases of claims made on all sides. The examination further demonstrates that the governmental and popular records are informed not by scientific research and communication but by ideological stances. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Psychometric properties of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-3

The psychometric properties of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-3 (SASSI-3) were analyzed using a sample of 254 college students. Internal consistency coefficients were calculated for the total scale and its subscales, with the face-valid subscales yielding the highest coefficients. The ability of the SASSI-3 to identify students with a current alcohol dependence disorder (as measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Substance Abuse Module, DSM-IV) was also evaluated. The total scale was found to offer only a very limited degree of clinical utility (sensitivity =.65). The scale's sensitivity was significantly enhanced when the cutting score for one of its subscales (the Face-Valid Alcohol [FVA] subscale) was optimized in the present sample (new sensitivity level =.89), but even with that change, the performance of the overall scale was matched by that of the FVA subscale alone. These results raise questions about the usefulness of the subtle items of the SASSI-3 in identifying alcohol dependence in a college population.