cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound-induced destruction of low levels of estrogen hormones in aqueous solutions.

The removal of estrogen hormones from water and wastewater is of importance due to their adverse effects toward ecosystems and potential risks to human health. The ultrasound-induced destruction of estrogen compounds in aqueous solutions is studied in a batch reactor using a 1.1 W/mL sonication unit and in a continuous flow reactor using a 2.1 W/mL sonication unit. The estrogen compounds of interest are 17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, estrone, equilin, gestodene, levonorgestrel, and norgestrel. Effects of process variables such as temperature, pH, and pressure are examined. The degradation of estrogens follows pseudo first-order kinetics. The reaction likely takes place in the interfacial region where supercritical environment is produced upon cavity implosion and in the bulk solution with radical species. Low solution pH is more favorable for destruction of estrogens. A kinetic degradation model is developed to predict the destruction of estrogen compounds. Low solution temperature shows...
Study of plasmid replication in Escherichia coli with a combination of 2D gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy

Abstract We studied θ-mode DNA replication in p15A-based Escherichia coli plasmids by analyzing their replication intermediates using a combination of neutral agarose 2D gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. Our analysis: (1) confirms the original assignment of various features of the 2D gel pattern; (2) shows that while one replication fork progresses around the plasmid DNA, the other is immobile, as if the replication were unidirectional; and (3) reveals that termination often occurs at a location away from the replication origin, suggesting that the replication of our plasmids is, in fact, bidirectional, the two forks being active at different times.
SU‐FF‐T‐325: On the Role of Landau Tails in Buildup Effects of Bragg Curves for Proton Energies Beyond 140 MeV

Purpose: An improved version of the spot/raster scanning algorithm is being implemented in the proton dose model in ECLIPSE (Varian). Since the beam‐line of this treatment modality is rather different from other modalities using wheels and nozzles, measured Bragg curves also significantly differ in the initial plateau, resulting from an energy spectrum with a manifest Landau tail, if the initial proton energy is E ⩾ 140 MeV (in particular, if E ⩾ 200 MeV). Method and Materials:Proton Bragg curves have been delivered by different vendors and therapy centers, which show a significant buildup effect in the plateau region. The computational procedure is based on an analytical integration of Bethe‐Bloch equation and on the inelastic cross‐section of oxygen and some other materials (the transport of secondary protons is rigorously accounted for). The energy/range straggling of proton pencil beams used in scanning methods is described by a generalization of the composite Gaussian convolution kernel containing Landau tails in dependence of the energy (analytical representation of a Vavilov distribution function).Results: The experimental data obtained by scanning methods can excellently be explained by the generalized convolution model, which is only a composite Gaussian convolution for proton energies E ⩽ 140 MeV. The buildup effect in the initial plateau region is accurately described. Proton beam‐lines using range shifters provide Bragg curves with only very small indication of buildup effects, if E ⩾ 200 MeV. Conclusion: An accurate description of Bragg curves including buildup effects is an important feature of therapy planning systems, since the calculation of SOBP and monitor units (MU, absolute dosimetry) are incorrectly described by fitting curves neglecting Landau tails. Conflict of Interest: Varian Medical Systems.
Transection of Common Iliac Arteries and Veins Bilaterally

This is an unusual case report of a victim of a single gunshot wound with transection of all four common iliac vessels. The patient developed preoperative cardiac arrest for which he underwent a successful resuscitative thoracotomy. The iliac veins were managed by ligation and the iliac arteries were stented as part of damage control. The patient developed delayed acute anuria due to ureteric obstruction secondary to bilateral infected false iliac artery aneurysms. Reoperation with ligation of the arteries and extra-anatomic axillofemoral and femorofemoral bypass was successful. The patient survived with weakness of the lower extremities.
A lab course for discrete mathematics

We describe a mathematics course designed for Computer Science majors in which they investigate large scale examples based in discrete mathematics. This course was developed in response to the need to strengthen the theoretical content of the Computer Science curriculum. The design of this course supports better learning and using good programming practice.
Influence of Demographics, Experience and Value Orientations on Preferences for Lethal Management of Feral Cats

Populations of feral domestic cats have increased throughout the United States, affecting wildlife and warranting attention from a variety of management agencies. This contentious issue requires a greater understanding of public attitudes and preferences for population control. We used data from a 2004 mail survey of Illinois homeowners' attitudes toward wildlife and conservation to investigate support for the lethal control of feral cats and to examine factors (demographic, experience, and wildlife value orientations) that may influence preference for euthanasia as a management option. Community size, gender, education level, wildlife value orientations, and negative experiences with feral cats were significant predictors of preference for lethal management.
Proton superfluidity in neutron-star matter

Abstract We present a microscopic investigation of isotropic proton superfluidity in neutron-star matter, in the framework of the method of correlated basis functions. In the absence of polarization effects, 1S0 proton pairing is found to be considerably weaker than 1S0 neutron pairing, as measured by the peak value of the gap ΔkFN at the Fermi surface with respect to the Fermi wave number kFN of the nucleon component in question. The difference in proton and neutron gaps at the same Fermi wave number is a reflection of the difference in the dispersive effect of the neutron-star medium on a proton as compared to a neutron (difference in effective masses). The proton gap ΔkFp is still sizeable, with a peak value of some 0.6–0.9 MeV occuring at neutron-star densities near that of ordinary nuclear matter. Isotropic proton superfluidity (superconductivity!) is thus expected to prevail over a shell of considerable extent in the interior of a neutron star of “typical” mass, temperature, magnetic field and rotational frequency.
The Sex-Related Difference in Serum Thyrotropin Concentration Is Androgen Mediated

Studies were carried out on various aspects of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid function in normal and gonadectomized adult male and female rats. Consistent increases in the serum TSH concentration and the serum TSH response to TRH were observed in the male rat compared to values in the female. Orchiectomy induced a decrease in the serum TSH concentration and the serum TSH response to TRH, and these functions were equal in gonadectomized male and female rats. Oophorectomy did not affect basal and TRH-stimulated serum TSH concentrations. Replacement doses of testosterone (0.33 mg/day) to orchiectomized rats increased and restored these values to those observed in the normal male rat, while replacement doses of estradiol (0.33 microgram/day) to the oophorectomized rat had no effect on basal or TRH-stimulated TSH concentrations. No sex-related differences in pituitary TSH and hypothalamic TRH contents or in serum T4 and T3 concentrations were observed. The present studies strongly suggest that the increased TSH responsiveness observed in male compared to female rats is due to the presence of testosterone. (Endocrinology 108: 529, 1981)
Impact of pharmacy care services on patients' perceptions of health care quality for diabetes.

Abstract Objectives To (1) construct and evaluate a measure of patients' perceptions of the quality of diabetes care and (2) determine the impact of pharmacy care services (PCSs) on patients' perceptions of the quality of their diabetes care while controlling for patient-related factors. Design Two-phased study using a single-group, pretest–posttest design. Setting Community pharmacies that provided PCSs to diabetic patients as part of the Patient Self-Management Program for Diabetes in North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Participants 218 patients with diabetes covered by self-insured employers' health plans. Interventions Pharmacist-provided care services using scheduled consultations, clinical goal setting, monitoring, and collaborative drug therapy management with physicians and referrals to diabetes educators. Main outcomes measures Changes in patients' perceptions of quality measured by a self-administered questionnaire that included a six-item scale of information quality, a five-item scale of provider quality, and a one-item overall rating of care. Results The assessment of the baseline data (Phase I) demonstrated that the measures of perceived quality possessed acceptable psychometric properties. After PCSs were implemented (Phase II), the scores for the information scale improved significantly (paired t = 7.64, P t = 6.30, P t = 5.54, P 7lt;0.01). In multivariate analyses, the improvement in perceived quality was not explained by the change in glycosylated hemoglobin when controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and baseline quality perceptions. Conclusion PCSs enhanced patients' perceived quality of their diabetes care. The improvement in perceived quality was not explained by the change in glycemic control, which suggests that nonclinical factors in care are important to patients' evaluations of quality.
NITROGEN-NITROGEN ELASTIC SCATTERING

An optical-model analysis of the measurements of nitrogen-nitrogen elastic scattering is made, and a quasi-classical discussion of the corresponding phase shifts is given. (auth)
Modification of secretive or ritualized eating behavior in anorexia nervosa

Abstract Behavioral procedures are described which are directed toward the treatment of the residual idiosyncratic, unacceptable eating patterns of patients who have attained normal weight following the treatment of the acute phase of anorexia nervosa. This program prescribes that maladaptive eating behaviors become the sole and mandatory mode of food consumption. All patients rapidly abandoned their unacceptable eating behavior and thereafter sustained acceptable patterns of eating.
Asymmetric ultra-short pulse splitting measured in air using FROG

Frequency-resolved optical gating is used to measure non-linear ultra-short pulse propagation in air over a distance of up to 4.35 m. During spatial collapse of the pulse, both pulse steepening and asymmetric pulse splitting are observed to occur at a power level of about 14 GW and at a propagation distance less than the diffraction length.
Relationship of cognitive strategy use to prospective memory performance in a diverse sample of nondemented older adults with varying degrees of cognitive complaints and impairment

Although older adults typically have better performance on prospective memory (PM) tasks carried out in naturalistic settings, a paucity of research directly assesses older adults' use of compensatory strategies on such tasks. The current study investigates external memory strategy use during performance of a clinical PM test that features both short-term (in laboratory) and long-term (out of laboratory) subtasks (i.e., the Royal Prince Alfred Prospective Memory Test - RPA-ProMem. Nondemented, community-dwelling older adults (n = 214; mean age = 80.5; 68.2% female; 39.7% non-white) with mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive decline, and healthy controls completed the RPA-ProMem while external strategy use was permitted and recorded. Overall, participants utilized external strategies 41% of the time on the RPA-ProMem. Increased utilization of external memory strategies was significantly associated with better PM performance. Additionally, better performance on executive functioning tasks was associated with increased use of external memory strategies. Results are discussed in relation to how memory strategy use can be enhanced to improve everyday memory ability in older adults at risk for dementia.
Direct Test of the Positive Pressure Gradient Theory of Pseudopod Extension and Retraction in Amoebae

When one pseudopod of an amoeba is sucked into a capillary connected to a partial vacuum and subjected to a pressure reduction of 30 to 35 centimeters of water, extension of other pseudopods, exposed to atmospheric pressure, is not prevented. This result is interpreted to mean that cytoplasmic streaming cannot be the result of a positive pressure gradient generated along the length of the stream, for if it were, streaming would have reversed its direction under the applied pressure gradient of opposite sign and supposedly greater magnitude.
Ion-beam mixing to create thermoelectric properties in alloys

Abstract Ion-beam mixing as a means of changing alloy ratios in a continuous way by adjusting dose has shown considerable promise toward developing materials with large thermoelectric power. Using 130 keV krypton (Kr) beams, we have mixed evaporated thin bismuth (Bi) films (∼ 200 A) overlaying slightly thicker tellurium (Te) films. By confining the rastered ion beam to the central portion of a long, narrow, two-layer strip, two junctions each of mixed and unmixed Bi + Te are formed at the ends of the region exposed to the Kr beam, and upon heating one junction, quite large e.m.f.s. are generated. A dose of ∼ 8 × 10 15 Kr/cm 2 was found to be optimum, above which the e.m.f. decreased. After mixing the samples were studied by RBS. The usefulness of the technique lies in the possibility of studying a variety of material pairs, for optimizing the thermopower figure of merit by introducing appropriate defects and fabricating multiple-stage thermopiles.
Pathology report in colon cancer: What is prognostically important?

Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality for colorectal cancer, and the most powerful tool for assessing prognosis following surgery is pathologic analysis of the resection specimen. Although the parameters that determine the pathologic stage are the strongest predictors of postoperative outcome, a number of additional pathologic features have prognostic significance that is independent of stage. These include: histologic grade; small vessel (lymphatic or venular) invasion; extramural venous invasion; perineural invasion; tumor border configuration; host lymphoid response to tumor, and the status of surgical margins. For specimens in which the radial (circumferential) margin is applicable, surgical clearance around the tumor is also of import. It is self-evident that, compared to data derived from additional assays, prognostic information that can be derived directly from standard histologic sections of a tumor is of the greatest cost-benefit to the patient. In the current era of cost containment, it is essential that surgical pathologists evaluate and report the pathologic features that are of prognostic and/or predictive significance in every case of colorectal cancer and, in turn, that the import of these be understood by the treating physicians.
Optical beam propagation in a band-limited fractal medium

Fractal geometry is used to investigate the propagation of an optical beam in a weakly fluctuating multiscale medium characterized by a power-law spectrum. Of particular interest here is the evolution of the beam as it traverses the medium. We model this medium by using a series of phase screens, each described by a band-limited fractal function. The average intensity distribution is calculated by using a combination of Bragg-diffraction considerations and the Fresnel propagator. We display the beam evolution here.
Complications of the intraaortic balloon counterpulsation device: clinical and morphologic observations in 45 necropsy patients.

Abstract Of 45 patients who died after insertion of an intraaortic balloon assist device and who were studied at necropsy, 16 (36 percent) were found to have one or more complications (total 20) related to use of the device. The 20 complications consisted of dissection of the aorta or its distal branches, or both (9), arterial perforation (3), arterial thrombi (3), arterial emboli (3), limb ischemia (1) and local wound infection (1). Of the nine cases of arterial dissection, none were diagnosed or suspected before necropsy. Of the entire 20 complications, only 4 (20 percent) were suspected before death. Although the operating team frequently encountered no difficulty at the time of insertion of the device, 12 of the 20 complications were a direct result of insertion of the intraaortic balloon assist device. In two patients in whom insertion of the balloon caused dissection of the aorta, hemodynamic improvement occurred for 2 and 3 days, respectively, even though the “intraaortic” balloon (as well as the catheter) was not located in the true lumen of the aorta. Thus, clinical evaluation of complications related to use of the intraaortic balloon assist device underestimates their frequency. Most complications are consequences of insertion of the device, not consequences of its being in place.
NMR structure of d(CGCA3T3GCG)2:tren-microgonotropen-b:Zn(II) complex and solution studies of metal ion complexes of tren-microgonotropen-b interacting with DNA.

Abstract The resolution structure of a 1:1 complex of zinc tren-microgonotropen-b { 6b :Zn(II)} with d(CGCAAATTTGCG) 2 has been determined by 2D nuclear Overhauser effect 1 H NMR spectroscopy and restrained molecular modeling. The exchangeable and nonexchangeable proton resonances of d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b :Zn(II) indicate that the Zn(II) is interacting in the A+T-rich region of the dsDNA and the tren region of 6b , while 31 P NMR shows interaction of the Zn(II) with the phosphate backbone. Proton chemical shift differences between d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b :Zn(II) and d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b are in agreement with the polyamino substituent of 6b {-(CH 2 ) 4 N(CH 2 CH 2 )N-(CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ) 2 } forming a four-coordinated Zn(II) complex similar to that found in the X-ray structure of ‘tren-chloride’:Zn(II). The P 9 and P 10 phosphate oxygens that are held by hydrogen bonding to the tren substituent of 6b in the DNA: 6b complex become ligands to the tren-complexed Zn(II) in DNA: 6b :Zn(II). To do so there is a 2 A decrease in the adjacent phosphate-to-phosphate distance at the Zn(II) binding site. This motion brings about an increased bend of 14.6° in the helical axis of d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b :Zn(II) compared to that found in d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b . Single stranded cleavage of linear DNA fragments was not observed in the presence of 6b and Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), La(II) or Ce(II); this is likely due to the metal ion being sequestered as in the structure of d(CGCA 3 T 3 GCG) 2 : 6b :Zn(II) complex. Supercoiled DNA was susceptible to cleavage by 6b :Cu(II) in the presence of O 2 and a reducing agent.
How Insulin-Like Growth Factor Hormones, IGF1 And IGF2, Engage their Cognate Receptor

The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R), a trans-membrane glycoprotein, is activated by binding of its cognate growth hormones, IGF1 and IGF2. The IGF family was suggested to play a key role in cancer development and progression, thereby making it a potential target for anti-cancer therapeutic efforts. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying hormone-receptor interactions are unclear, as are the molecular bases for differing affinity of each hormone, due in part to the fact that there have been so far no detailed structural models of IGFs-bound-IGF1R to test. Constructed using a homology model of the IGF1R ectodomain, and the NMR structures of IGF1/2, with the help of an MD-assisted Monte-Carlo approach, we present the first experimentally consistent all-atom structural models of IGF1/IGF1R and IGF2/IGF1R complexes. Our models are notable because each hormone remains stably bound in independent 36-ns long explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The asymmetric structural relaxation of the apo-IGF1R homology model in a 30-ns MD equilibration facilitated the computational docking of each hormone. Our predicted complexes are significant because we observe simultaneous contacts of each hormone with the site 1 (formed by L1 and CR), and site 2 (formed by L2, and the fibronectin domains), of the receptor, suggesting cross-linking of receptor subunits. Interestingly, we observe differences in recognition of each hormone by IGF1R, because IGF1 interacts relatively strongly with L1 and CR (IGF1R), whereas IGF2 has stronger interactions with L2 and the fibronectin domains. Our simulations also provide direct evidence in favor of previously suggested electrostatic complementarity between the C-domains of IGF1/2 and the CR-domain of the receptor. Additionally, we provide detailed hormone-receptor contacts that are consistent with earlier mutagenesis studies.
Biological properties of simian virus 40 host range mutants lacking the COOH-terminus of large T antigen.

Abstract Three mutants of simian virus 40 (SV40), with deletions near the 3′ end of the A gene, displayed a host range phenotype for growth and virus production in various African green monkey kidney cell lines. The mutants formed plaques in CV-1P cells at 40.5°, in BSC-1 cells at 37 and 40.5°, and in Vero cells at 32, 37, and 40.5°. Virus yields in these three lines were cold sensitive: the burst size was greatest at 40.5° and least at 32°, but some progeny was produced under all conditions examined. Mutant yields never exceeded 10% of wild-type yields under the most permissive conditions (Vero cells at 37 or 40°) and were less than 1% of wild type under the most restrictive conditions (CV-1P cells at 32°). These mutants can be complemented by any SV40 mutant which produces a large T antigen containing a normal COOH-terminus. Mutants whose T antigens could not be transported to the nucleus were most efficient at complementation. Mutant virus production in a line of rhesus monkey kidney cells and in primary cultures of African green and rhesus monkey kidney cells was also substantially below wild type. These mutants were also completely defective for adenovirus helper function. Our data suggest that the host range property and adenovirus helper function represent the same activities of large T antigen.
Informational aspects of foreign direct investment and the multinational firm

Abstract This paper explores the informational role of plant location decisions for the multinational enterprise. When information about costs is incomplete, the location of a plant will be chosen not only for its impact on actual production costs, but also for its impact on the perception of costs as held by foreign rivals. We show that the desire to transmit cost information can itself give rise to the multinational firm, and characterize the country-specific and firm-specific attributes that are most likely to yield such multinational activity. Hence, the informational role of plant location decisions is a potentially important element in understanding the behavior of the multinational firm.
Scintigraphic detection of sequential symmetrical metatarsal stress fractures

A patient with complaints of right foot pain and previous normal radiographs had an abnormal three-phase bone scan consistent with a second metatarsal stress fracture. Subsequent radiographs confirmed this diagnosis. Two months later, the patient developed pain in his left foot, and again initial radiographs were noncontributory. A later bone scan revealed a left second metatarsal stress fracture. The results in this case reemphasize the value of bone scintigraphy in patients with foot pain and no bone abnormalities on plain radiographs.
Axle load and tillage effects on crop yield for two soils in central Ohio

Abstract A load of 5–20 Mg on a single axle cart is a common practice for spreading manure and harvesting grains in the US Corn Belt. Yet, effects of such a load used for a long time of 5–10 years on crop yield are not known for predominant soils of the region. Further, axle load effects on crop yield may depend on tillage methods. Thus, effects of axle load and tillage methods on corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield were studied for Wooster silt loam an Orthic Luvisol (at Wooster) and Crosby silt loam a Gleyic Luvisol (at South Charleston) in Ohio. Experiments were conducted for 11 consecutive growing seasons (1988 through 1998) at Wooster and 6 seasons (1991–1994, 1997–1998) at South Charleston. Three axle load treatments at Wooster consisted of: (1) regular machine traffic (RMT), (2) 7.5 Mg axle load as guided or controlled traffic (CT), and (3) 7.5 Mg axle load covering the entire plot (CEP). There were three tillage methods at Wooster: (1) no till (NT), (2) chisel plowing (CP), and (3) moldboard plowing (MP). Three axle load treatments at South Charleston were: (1) control, (2) 10 Mg axle load, and (3) 20 Mg axle load. Two tillage methods used at South Charleston were NT and MP. There were no significant differences in soil bulk density and penetration resistance of Wooster silt loam soil measured after 11 seasons of harvest traffic. Harvest traffic treatments at Wooster significantly affected corn grain yield only in 1988 and 1998, for 2 out of 11 seasons. In 1988, corn grain yield was reduced by 14% by 7.5 Mg axle load treatments. In 1998, the reduction in grain yield was 5% by the CT and 15% by the CEP axle load treatments. Mean corn grain yield for 11 years was 6.6 Mg ha−1 for RMT, 6.3 Mg ha−1 for 7.5 Mg axle load with CT (reduction of 5%), and 6.0 Mg ha−1 for 7.5 Mg axle load with CEP (reduction of 9%). The mean grain yield reduction for the 11-year period for the CEP treatment was 10%. There were no consistent trends in grain yield from year to year with regard to tillage methods. The CP treatment out-yielded the other tillage treatments in 4 out of 11 years. Mean corn grain yield in CP was 7% more than that of NT and 13% more than that of MP. Neither axle load nor tillage treatment had any effect on corn grain yield at South Charleston, and mean corn grain yield was 7.5 Mg ha−1 for control, 7.6 Mg ha−1 for 10 Mg axle load, and 7.3 Mg ha−1 for 20 Mg axle load. The mean corn grain yield was 7.0 Mg ha−1 for NT and 7.8 Mg ha−1 for MP treatment.
The role of L3T4+ cells in the pathogenesis of lupus in lpr-bearing mice. I. Defects in the production of interleukins 2 and 3.

Mice which bear the lpr gene spontaneously develop autoimmune syndromes characterized by massive expansion of an unusual T cell subset which is phenotypically Thy-1+, L3T4-, Lyt-2-, B220+. The mutant T cells are refractory to stimulation with mitogenic lectins and, by implication, are thought to be solely responsible for the defects in lymphokine production manifested by lpr mice. The contribution of the remaining L3T4+ T cell subset to the latter derangements has not been previously examined and is the focus of this study. We found that abnormalities in concanavalin A-induced interleukin 2 and 3 production in the spleens of MRL-lpr/lpr and C57BL/6.lpr mice occurred in the presence of limited infiltration with B220+, L3T4- T cells. Mixing experiments indicated that B220+ T cells were not suppressive. Furthermore, lpr spleen cells enriched for L3T4+ cells and depleted of sIg+, B220+ and Lyt-2+ cells demonstrated reductions in lymphokine production which were comparable to those seen in unfractionated preparations. Spleen cells from C57BL/6.lpr mice, enriched for L3T4+ cells, were also markedly impaired in a mixed leukocyte reaction in response to stimulator cells from the class II major histocompatibility complex mutant bm12. The results indicate that the aberrations in lymphokine production and proliferation in the spleen cells of lpr mice involve not only B220+ T cells but also L3T4+ cells and suggest a potential role for the L3T4+ subset in the pathogenesis of lupus in lpr-bearing mice.
Parallel partitioning based on-chip power distribution network analysis using locality acceleration

Large VLSI on-chip power distribution networks (PDN) are challenging to analyze due to the sheer network complexity. In this paper, a novel parallel partitioning based PDN analysis approach is presented. We use the boundary circuit responses of each partition to divide the full grid simulation problem into a set of independent sub grid simulation problems. Instead of solving exact boundary circuit responses, a more efficient scheme to provide near exact approximation to the boundary circuit responses by exploiting the spatial locality of the flip-chip type power grids is proposed, in which only several small sub power grids need to be solved. This scheme is also used in a block based iterative error reduction process to improve the convergence. Through the analysis of several large power grids, the proposed approach, which can be fully parallelizable, is shown to have great runtime efficiency, fast convergence, and favorable scalability. Our approach can solve a 7.2 million-node power grid in 26 seconds, which is 18 times faster than a state of the art direct solver.
Overview of fault handling for the chaos router

The chaos router is an adaptive nonminimal message router for multicomputers that is simple enough to compete with the fast, oblivious routers now in use in commercial machines. It improves on previous adaptive routers by using randomization, which eliminates the need for complex livelock protection and speeds the router. This randomization, however, greatly complicates the fault detection because there is no worstcase bound on the time required to deliver a message. Distinguishing between lost and very slow messages is difficult. A new method of fault detection is presented that applies not only to the chaos router but also to other adaptive routers as well. In addition, solutions to several practical fault diagnosis and recovery problems in the chaos router are presented. The presentation supports the claim that fault tolerance can be incorporated into a practical router without harming performance for the normal, fault-free cases. >
LCR testing for gonorrhoea and chlamydia in population surveys and other screenings of low prevalence populations: coping with decreased positive predictive value

Objective: Nucleic acid amplification tests have facilitated field based STD studies and increased screening activities. However, even with highly specific tests, the positive predictive value (PPV) of such tests may be lower than desirable in low prevalence populations. We estimated PPVs for a single LCR test in a population survey in which positive specimens were retested. Methods: The Baltimore STD and Behavior Survey (BSBS) was a population based behavioural survey of adults which included collecting urine specimens to assess the prevalence of gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection. Gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection were diagnosed by ligase chain reaction (LCR). Nearly all positive results were retested by LCR. Because of cost considerations, negative results were not confirmed. Predicted curves for the PPV were calculated for a single testing assuming an LCR test sensitivity of 95%, and test specificities in the range 95.0%–99.9%, for disease prevalences between 1% and 10%. Positive specimens were retested to derive empirical estimates of the PPV of a positive result on a single LCR test. Results: 579 participants age 18–35 provided urine specimens. 20 (3.5%) subjects initially tested positive for chlamydial infection, and 39 (6.7%) tested positive for gonococcal infection. If positive results on the repeat LCR are taken as confirmation of a “true” infection, the observed PPV for the first LCR testing was 89.5% for chlamydial infection and 83.3% for gonorrhoea. This is within the range of theoretical PPVs calculated from the assumed sensitivities and specificities of the LCR assays. Conclusions: Empirical performance of a single LCR testing approximated the theoretically predicted PPV in this field study. This result demonstrates the need to take account of the lower PPVs obtained when such tests are used in field studies or clinical screening of low prevalence populations. Repeat testing of specimens, preferably with a different assay (for example, polymerase chain reaction), and disclosure of the non-trivial potential for false positive test results would seem appropriate in all such studies.
Conducting Research with the Disability Community: A Rights-Based Approach.

Medical and scientific research frequently has perpetuated the cycle of oppression by reinforcing the notion of disability as individual deviance rather than a sociopolitical issue.
Compensation of broadband antenna dispersion using optical pulse shaping

In summary we demonstrate the application of programmable microwave photonic phase filters to compensate a broadband antenna dispersion at a receiver front which enables to increase data rate by overcoming distortion due to antenna nonlinear spectral phase. We also show that dispersion-compensation combined with matched filtering arbitrary waveforms can be used in waveform detection. Our scheme is programmable and broadband and can be used to enhance the performance of ultrawideband wireless systems, in particular satellite communications and radar systems.
Child Welfare Services: A Story of Misdirected Social Policy

This paper highlights the problem of children being at risk for placement by public child welfare systems into substitute care. It focuses on one state, Illinois, which has had considerable success in reducing its caseload. Risk factors are hypothesized. It presents research involving regression analysis of data for the city of Chicago. A cross-sectional design is utilized for a division of the city into nine regions. Results indicate that children being wards of the state is impacted significantly by demographics (being African-American) and teen-age pregnancy. The effects of poverty were not as hypothesized. Further research is required.
Molecular Electronic Structure Theory: 1972-1975

Emphasis is placed on the most important contributions to electronic structure theory since 1972. Theoretical developments in the Hartree--Fock problem and the electron correlation problem are covered, as are applications of the theory. 269 references (GHT)
Molecular paleoecology: using gene regulatory analysis to address the origins of complex life cycles in the late Precambrian.

SUMMARY Molecular paleoecology is the application of molecular data to test hypotheses made by paleoecological scenarios. Here, we use gene regulatory analysis to test between two competing paleoecological scenarios put forth to explain the evolution of complex life cycles. The first posits that early bilaterians were holobenthic, and the evolution of macrophagous grazing drove the exploitation of the pelagos by metazoan eggs and embryos, and eventually larvae. The alternative hypothesis predicts that early bilaterians were holopelagic, and new adult stages were added on when these holopelagic forms began to feed on the benthos. The former hypothesis predicts that the larvae of protostomes and deuterostomes are not homologous, with the implication that larval-specific structures, including the apical organ, are the products of convergent evolution, whereas the latter hypothesis predicts homology of larvae, specifically homology of the apical organ. We show that in the sea urchin,
Learning visually grounded words and syntax for a scene description task

A spoken language generation system has been developed that learns to describe objects in computer-generated visual scenes. The system is trained by a ‘show-and-tell" procedure in which visual scenes are paired with natural language descriptions. Learning algorithms acquire probabilistic structures which encode the visual semantics of phrase structure, word classes, and individual words. Using these structures, a planning algorithm integrates syntactic, semantic, and contextual constraints to generate natural and unambiguous descriptions of objects in novel scenes. The system generates syntactically well-formed compound adjective noun phrases, as well as relative spatial clauses. The acquired linguistic structures generalize from training data, enabling the production of novel word sequences which were never observed during training. The output of the generation system is synthesized using word-based concatenative synthesis drawing from the original training speech corpus. In evaluations of semantic comprehension by human judges, the performance of automatically generated spoken descriptions was comparable to human-generated descriptions. This work is motivated by our long-term goal of developing spoken language processing systems which grounds semantics in machine perception and action. ! 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
School/Uníversíty Collaboratíon: The Power of Transformative Partnerships

(2008). School/University Collaboration: The Power of Transformative Partnerships. Childhood Education: Vol. 85, No. 2, pp. 75-80.
Diverse Flavonoids Stimulate NodD1 Binding to nod Gene Promoters in Sinorhizobium meliloti

NodD1 is a member of the NodD family of LysR-type transcriptional regulators that mediates the expression of nodulation (nod) genes in the soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Each species of rhizobia establishes a symbiosis with a limited set of leguminous plants. This host specificity results in part from a NodD-dependent upregulation of nod genes in response to a cocktail of flavonoids in the host plant's root exudates. To demonstrate that NodD is a key determinant of host specificity, we expressed nodD genes from different species of rhizobia in a strain of S. meliloti lacking endogenous NodD activity. We observed that nod gene expression was initiated in response to distinct sets of flavonoid inducers depending on the source of NodD. To better understand the effects of flavonoids on NodD, we assayed the DNA binding activity of S. meliloti NodD1 treated with the flavonoid inducer luteolin. In the presence of luteolin, NodD1 exhibited increased binding to nod gene promoters compared to binding in the absence of luteolin. Surprisingly, although they do not stimulate nod gene expression in S. meliloti, the flavonoids naringenin, eriodictyol, and daidzein also stimulated an increase in the DNA binding affinity of NodD1 to nod gene promoters. In vivo competition assays demonstrate that noninducing flavonoids act as competitive inhibitors of luteolin, suggesting that both inducing and noninducing flavonoids are able to directly bind to NodD1 and mediate conformational changes at nod gene promoters but that only luteolin is capable of promoting the downstream changes necessary for nod gene induction.
A New Glass Option for Parenteral Packaging

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Glass is the ideal material for parenteral packaging because of its chemical durability, hermeticity, strength, cleanliness, and transparency. Alkali borosilicate glasses have been used successfully for a long time, but they do have some issues relating to breakage, delamination, and variation in hydrolytic performance. In this paper, alkali aluminosilicate glasses are introduced as a possible alternative to alkali borosilicate glasses. An example alkali aluminosilicate glass is shown to meet the compendial requirements, and to have similar thermal, optical, and mechanical attributes as the current alkali borosilicate glasses. In addition, the alkali aluminosilicate performed as well or better than the current alkali borosilicates in extractables tests and stability studies, which suggests that it would be suitable for use with the studied liquid product formulation. LAY ABSTRACT: The physical, mechanical, and optical properties of glass make it an ideal material for packaging injectable drugs and biologics. Alkali borosilicate glasses have been used successfully for a long time for these applications, but there are some issues. In this paper, alkali aluminosilicate glasses are introduced as a possible alternative to alkali borosilicate glasses. An example alkali aluminosilicate glass is shown to meet the requirements for packaging injectable drugs and biologics, and to be suitable for use with a particular liquid drug.
Thyroid Hormones and Electrocardiographic Parameters: Findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Introduction Altered thyroid status exerts a major effect on the heart. Individuals with hypo- or hyperthyroidism showed various changes in electrocardiograms. However, little is known about how variations in thyroid hormone levels within the normal range affect electrical activities of the heart in the general population.
Nanosphere dispersed liquid crystals for tunable negative-zero-positive index of refraction in the optical and terahertz regimes

An analysis of aligned nematic liquid crystal cells containing core-shell nanospheres shows that it is possible to devise a new type of metamaterial whose index of refraction is tunable from negative, through zero, to positive values. The design parameters for the constituents can be scaled for application in the optical as well as very long wavelength (e.g., terahertz and microwave) regions.
“Appropriate technology” for vitamin A field research

In the 1980s, the United Nations and nongovernmental agencies initiated a wave of conceptual thinking aimed at advancing the access of low-income populations to certain services and capabilities by using basic, rudimentary, and unsophisticated instrumentation. This so-called “appropriate technology” could reach rugged, remote areas where running water, refrigeration, and electricity were often lacking. The term low tech was adopted as a synonym for this effort to reduce the level of technologic complexity to the existing level of poverty, illiteracy, and underschooling of tropical community settings. The syllogism became “complex societies, complex solutions; simple societies, simple solutions.” Soon, however, it dawned on many of us in the human biology community that these quick-and-dirty solutions tended more to institutionalize the extant underdevelopment than to advance the societies. Scrimshaw (1) expressed his view on the topic as follows: “Whatever technology is economically, socially and politically feasible as well as effective for relieving malnutrition in developing countries is ‘appropriate,’ regardless of the degree of sophistication or lack of it.” Isotope-dilution tests are a domain from which research donors often shy away. Such donors need to heed the words of another prophet of our community, the late James Allen Olson (2, 3), who editorialized in these pages the need to move this technology to appropriate venues, including developing countries. This admonition was taken seriously by a consortium of investigators (4), who in this issue of the Journal introduce us to the concept of bioefficacy. This multiinstitutional collaborative team used isotopedilution tests to examine the thorny problem of the extent of bioconversion of provitamin A carotenoids in Indonesian children. It seems appropriate that bringing isotope technology to Third World problems for which it is needed should mobilize international collaboration, bridging South and North. In early instances of isotopic studies related to vitamin A status, the University of California joined with the International Diarrhoeal Disease Research Centre‐Bangladesh (5), and our 2, respective institutions in Boston and in Guatemala combined their respective comparative advantages (6). van Lieshout et al (4) have extended this collaborative model. The academic home of the present study was Wageningen University, Wageningen, and University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Field operations in a setting conducive to exploring vitamin A nutriture questions were based at the Nutrition Research and Development Centre in the West Javanese city of Bogor, Indonesia. Synthesis of the specific isotope-labeled � -carotene was the contribution of the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (Leiden, Netherlands), and the analysis of the isomerization and the gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry
The United Kingdom’s Human Rights Act: Using its Past to Predict its Future

The results of the recent General Election in the United Kingdom have both highlighted the flexible nature of the UK's constitution and placed the UK's existing bill of rights (the Human Rights Act 1998) in jeopardy. In order to predict the HRA's future, it is useful to consider how and why the HRA was enacted. Through the use of primary data, this article shows that the HRA was enacted as a result of a unique combination of historical factors and the efforts of public interest groups. These two main elements are analyzed using Rational Choice Theory and Social Movement Theory, which at least partially explain how public interest groups can influence political actors to enact progressive legislation. However, neither of these theories alone offers a clear picture of what caused the UK's bill of rights movement to succeed. This article addresses this problem by using primary and empirical data to identify the five main techniques that public interest groups used to make the UK's bill of rights movement successful. Those five factors are: public campaigning, capitalizing on historic trends and events, overcoming politicians' existing prejudices, political strategizing, and creating "true believers" among key politicians. All five of these factors were necessary for the UK's bill of rights movement to succeed and to convince the Labour Government to pass the HRA. These factors are also present in theConservatives' failed attempts to repeal the HRA.
Orai1 pore residues control CRAC channel inactivation independently of calmodulin

Ca2+ entry through CRAC channels causes fast Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI). Previous mutagenesis studies have implicated Orai1 residues W76 and Y80 in CDI through their role in binding calmodulin (CaM), in agreement with the crystal structure of Ca2+–CaM bound to an Orai1 N-terminal peptide. However, a subsequent Drosophila melanogaster Orai crystal structure raises concerns about this model, as the side chains of W76 and Y80 are predicted to face the pore lumen and create a steric clash between bound CaM and other Orai1 pore helices. We further tested the functional role of CaM using several dominant-negative CaM mutants, none of which affected CDI. Given this evidence against a role for pretethered CaM, we altered side-chain volume and charge at the Y80 and W76 positions to better understand their roles in CDI. Small side chain volume had different effects at the two positions: it accelerated CDI at position Y80 but reduced the extent of CDI at position W76. Positive charges at Y80 and W76 permitted partial CDI with accelerated kinetics, whereas introducing negative charge at any of five consecutive pore-lining residues (W76, Y80, R83, K87, or R91) completely eliminated CDI. Noise analysis of Orai1 Y80E and Y80K currents indicated that reductions in CDI for these mutations could not be accounted for by changes in unitary current or open probability. The sensitivity of CDI to negative charge introduced into the pore suggested a possible role for anion binding in the pore. However, although Cl− modulated the kinetics and extent of CDI, we found no evidence that CDI requires any single diffusible cytosolic anion. Together, our results argue against a CDI mechanism involving CaM binding to W76 and Y80, and instead support a model in which Orai1 residues Y80 and W76 enable conformational changes within the pore, leading to CRAC channel inactivation.