cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do alcohol taxes in Europe and the US rightly correct for externalities

We develop an analytical framework for assessing corrective taxes and other policies to reduce alcohol-related externalities and apply it to the US, UK, Sweden, and Finland. The corrective tax estimates for the European countries fall short of current taxes and vice versa for the US (where drunk-driving externalities are larger and current taxes smaller). Alcohol sales restrictions are more difficult to justify on efficiency grounds as (unlike taxes) they involve large, first-order deadweight losses. For all countries, the efficiency case for stiffer drunk driver fines seems strong (though the same does not necessarily apply to non-pecuniary penalties).
Shelter-in-Place versus Evacuation Decision Making: A Systematic Approach for Healthcare Facilities

There is little guidance to assist healthcare facility planners to make a shelter-in-place versus evacuation decision in response to a hurricane and associated flooding emergencies or wildfires. In such advance notice events, planning steps may be taken that factor in the calculated risk and predictability of the event, allowing planners greater opportunity to implement a systematic response. The authors completed a review of literature and determined that there is only guidance for actions after a decision has been made, but little to help facility administrators weigh their options. The authors conducted a series of structured interviews with community and hospital planners who have dealt with the decision to evacuate or shelter-in-place in the face of real events. Insights derived from these real-event experiences are summarized, and proposed next steps for further research are outlined.
Studies in Carcinogenesis: IV. Development of Liver Tumors in Pure Strain Mice following the Injection of 2-Amino-5-Azotoluene

The preceding studies on carcinogenesis (Shear, 1936, a, b ) dealt with the production of tumors by hydrocarbons related to 1:2-benzanthracene. The finding of Kennaway 1 and his colleagues that hydrocarbons are carcinogenic was the culmination of a search for the active agent in coal tar which began when Yamagiwa and Ichikawa (1915) announced the experimental production of skin tumors with coal tar. The success of these Japanese investigators was, in turn, the outgrowth of numerous attempts on the part of many previous investigators to induce malignancy in experimental animals by the administration of a wide variety of substances. Among the substances used by Yamagiwa and Ichikawa (1915, 1918) in attempting to produce malignant growths was scarlet red; this was used alone and in combination with tar. Hyperplasia was produced by scarlet red but, for various reasons, its use was discontinued and coal tar was used alone. Scarlet red was also injected into the wall of hens9 oviducts by Yamagiwa and Ohno (1918) in an attempt to produce glandular cancer; carcinoma was obtained in 3 of the 41 hens, and hypertrophy in many others. One tumor contained scarlet red in the center of the neoplasm. This use of scarlet red originated with B. Fischer (1906). After testing many substances in earlier attempts to produce malignant growths, he injected a solution of scarlet red into the ears of rabbits. The atypical epithelial proliferation which resulted was difficult to distinguish, histologically, from cancer, but the growths always receded. Fischer stated that this was the first instance in which tumor-like proliferation had been produced by a chemical compound, and suggested that this finding threw a new light on the genesis of malignant growths, especially on the genesis of paraffin cancer, chimney sweeps9 cancer, and similar occupational cancers.
Morphine induces μ opioid receptor endocytosis in guinea pig enteric neurons following prolonged receptor activation.

Background & Aims The μ opioid receptor (μOR) undergoes rapid endocytosis after acute stimulation with opioids and most opiates, but not with morphine. We investigated whether prolonged activation of μOR affects morphine's ability to induce receptor endocytosis in enteric neurons. Methods We compared the effects of morphine, a poor μOR-internalizing opiate, and (D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5) enkephalin (DAMGO), a potent μOR-internalizing agonist, on μOR trafficking in enteric neurons and on the expression of dynamin and β-arrestin immunoreactivity in the ileum of guinea pigs rendered tolerant by chronic administration of morphine. Results Morphine (100 μmol/L) strongly induced endocytosis of μOR in tolerant but not naive neurons (55.7% ± 9.3% vs 24.2% ± 7.3%; P Conclusions Chronic activation of μORs increases the ability of morphine to induce μOR endocytosis in enteric neurons, which depends on the level and cellular localization of dynamin, a regulatory protein that has an important role in receptor-mediated signal transduction in cells.
Fetal and maternal features of antenatal bacterial infections

Of 1,044 consecutive autopsies on stillborn and newborn infants, 23 per cent demonstrated the presence of congenital pneumonia, often associated with chorioamnionitis. Negro and Puerto Rican patients had higher rates of the disorder than Caucasian infants, and ward patients a higher incidence than private and semiprivate patients. Clinical features of infection and the recovery of pathogenic bacteria from maternal reproductive and urinary tracts were significantly associated with the congenital pneumonia, the predominant organism being the same from mother and infants in half of the jointly cultured cases. The existence of nonbacterial, as well as bacterial, chorioamnionitis and pneumonia is suggested by the finding that in 37 per cent of the infants with congenital pneumonia no pathogenic organisms were identified.
Comorbid psychopathology in infants and toddlers with autism and pervasive developmental disorders-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate symptoms of comorbid disorders in infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Research is scant on symptoms of co-occurring mental health conditions in this very young population. Method : Three hundred and twenty four participants were included in this study. Participants were classified into one of three groups: Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, and control. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was utilized to assess group differences on the six subscales of the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits-Part 2 (BISCUIT-Part 2). Results : The MANOVA revealed a significant main effect for group. Follow-up analyses showed that all subscales contributed to the significant main effect of the MANOVA. Discussion : The results of the analyses in this study are consistent with the current literature on older children and adults with ASDs. Implications of early identification of comorbid disorders are discussed. Further research on the mental health of infants and toddler with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is warranted.
Improving the thermal stability of a polymer through liquid carbon dioxide extraction of a metal compound

Abstract The thermal stability of poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with 0.16 wt% copper naphthenate was examined by monitoring weight loss over time at 220°C. The addition of copper naphthenate decreased the thermal stability by about 2 orders of magnitude. Significant enhancement of the thermal stability was accomplished by extracting the copper ions from the polymer matrix. The extraction was performed in liquid carbon dioxide at room temperature and 2 500 psi with thenoyltrifluoroacetone employed as a carbon dioxide-soluble chelating agent. After the extraction process was completed, the thermal stability of the polymer/metal system was within about 0.6 orders of magnitude of the value for the neat polymer.
Therapeutic potential of a tumor-specific, MHC-unrestricted T-cell receptor expressed on effector cells of the innate and the adaptive immune system through bone marrow transduction and immune reconstitution.

T-cell receptor (TCR) with unique major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-unrestricted antigen-binding properties was isolated from a human T-cell clone specific for the tumor antigen MUC1. This TCR binds its epitope on the MUC1 protein without the requirement of processing and presentation. A single-chain Vα/Vβ/Cβ (scTCR) was fused to a CD3 zeta (ζ) chain to allow expression on the surface of cells of the innate (granulocytes, macrophages, natural killer [NK] cells) as well as the adaptive (T and B cells) immune system. To test the ability of the cells of the innate immune system to reject a tumor when provided with a tumor antigen-specific TCR, we reconstituted severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with bone marrow cells transduced with a retroviral vector encoding this receptor and challenged them with a MUC1-positive human tumor. These mice controlled the growth of the tumor significantly better than the control mice. We performed a similar experiment in immunocompetent mice transgenic for human MUC1. Expression of the TCR on large percentages of cells did not result in infiltration or destruction of tissues expressing MUC1. Reconstituted mice controlled the outgrowth of a MUC1-transfected but not the parental control tumor. scTCR expression appears lifelong, suggesting a successful transduction of the self-renewing stem cells. (Blood. 2005;105:4583-4589)
Electrostatic deposition of silica nanoparticles between E-glass fibers and an epoxy resin

The achievement of optimum adhesion between a thermoset and an inorganic material is an important goal for the composites and coatings industries. There is a growing interest in the use of structural surface modifiers, such as nanotubes, nanoparticles, and whiskers, to improve this adhesion. Here, a method for electrostatically depositing poly(ethylene imine)-functionalized silica nanoparticles onto E-glass fibers was developed. The deposition of 26-nm functionalized particles onto glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS)-functionalized E-glass fibers and then their embedding in a resin of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and m-phenylene diamine increased the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) 35% over that of bare fibers and 8% over that of GPS-functionalized fibers. IFSS was highly dependent on the particle size; the 16-nm functionalized particles had little effect on the IFSS. When the particles size was increased to 71 and 100 nm, this led to increasingly poor IFSS values, whereas the 26-nm particles produced the best results. Similar results were seen with the transverse flexural strength of the unidirectional composites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41516.
Comparison of reusable insulation systems for cryogenically-tanked earth-based space vehicles

Three reusable insulation systems concepts were developed for use with cryogenic tanks of earth-based space vehicles. Two concepts utilized double-goldized Kapton (DGK) or double-aluminized Mylar (DAM) multilayer insulation (MLI), while the third utilized a hollow-glass-microsphere, loadbearing insulation (LBI). Thermal performance measurements were made under space-hold (vacuum) conditions for insulating warm boundary temperatures of approximately 291 K. The resulting effective thermal conductivity was approximately 0.00008 W/m-K (W = weight,Kg; m = measured; K = temperature) for the MLI systems (liquid hydrogen test results) and 0.00054 W/m-K for the LBI system (liquid nitrogen test results corrected to liquid hydrogen temperature).
Hepatocellular carcinoma of diffuse type: MR imaging findings and clinical manifestations.

Purpose: To assess MR imaging findings and clinical manifestations of diffuse-type hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our experience with diffuse HCC from November 1994 to October 2001. MR imaging findings and clinical features were assessed. Results: Twenty-two consecutive patients with diffuse-type HCC (19 men and three women, age range 16–80 years [mean, 52 years]) were identified in a review of liver MR studies. This represented 13% of all patients with HCC imaged during this time period. Diffuse HCC showed a permeative, infiltrative pattern with ill-defined borders and no evidence of convex margination in all cases. At least 50% of the liver volume was involved with tumor. Diffuse-type HCC showed hypointensity in 15 patients, mixed intensity in three, and isointensity in four on T1-weighted images; heterogeneous hyperintensity in 16 patients; and homogeneous hyperintensity in six on T2-weighted MR images. Diffuse-type HCC showed patchy enhancement in 12 patients, miliary enhancement in nine, and minimal enhancement in one on postcontrast early-phase images, and showed heterogeneous wash-out in all patients on postcontrast late-phase images. Proximal portal venous tumor thrombosis was seen in all patients. Serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) value was elevated (>10 ng/mL) in 14 of 18 patients, and 13 showed a value greater than 500 ng/mL. The four patients who did not have elevated AFP had tumors which were indistinguishable from those in patients with elevated AFP; they also did not have a distinctive clinical history. Conclusion: Diffuse-type HCC was typically seen as an extensive, heterogeneous permeative hepatic tumor, with portal venous tumor thrombosis on MR images in all cases. Early enhancement, observed as patchy in 12 and miliary in nine of 22 patients, was a distinctive imaging feature. Elevated serum AFP value was a common finding; however, 22% had normal values. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:189–195. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Existence of Phase Transitions for Anisotropic Heisenberg Models

The two-dimensional anisotropie, nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model on a square lattice, both quantum and classical, has been shown rigorously to have a phase transition in the sense that the spontaneous magnetization is positive at low temperatures. This is so for all anisotropies. An analogous result (staggered polarization) holds for the antiferromagnet in the classical case; in the quantum case it holds if the anisotropy is large enough (depending on the single-site spin).
Expression for Shoreline Advancement of Initially Plane Beach

A semiempirical model for the prediction of shoreline advancement/recession of an initially plane beach is developed by using a conservation of sand argument and extending the equilibrium profile concept of Bruun and Dean in the surf zone to the depth of closure. When the initial each slope is greater than 1.2 times of the equilibrium slope, me=hc/Wc, where hc is the depth of profile closure and Wc is the offshore distance to hc, the shoreline recession occurs, or vice versa. Using regression analyses on some available laboratory data, the magnitude of shoreline advancement is expressed in terms of initial plane beach slope, deepwater wave height and the Dean number. This expression is shown to give a good agreement with some field measurement data when the nearshore storm wave height that is exceeded only 12 hr/yr is used in place of the deepwater wave height.
Chemical modification and inactivation of rat liver arginase by N-bromosuccinimide: reaction with His141.

Abstract Treatment of rat liver arginase with N -bromosuccinimide results in modification of six tryptophan residues per enzyme molecule and is accompanied by loss of catalytic activity (E. Ber and G. Muzynska (1979) Acta Biochim. Pol. 26, 103–114). In order to probe the chemistry of N -bromosuccinimide inactivation and the role of tryptophan residues in catalysis, the two tryptophan residues of rat liver arginase, Trp122 and Trp164, have been separately mutated to phenylalanine using site-directed mutagenesis of the protein expressed in Escherichia coli. Both single Trp→Phe mutant enzymes have kinetic parameters nearly identical to those for the wild-type enzyme. Treatment of native, wild-type, and each of the Trp→Phe mutant enzymes with N -bromosuccinimide results in loss of absorbance at 280 nm and is accompanied by a loss of catalytic activity. However, treatment of the wild-type enzyme with N -bromosuccinimide in the presence of the arginase inhibitors N G -hydroxy- L -arginine or the combination of L -ornithine and borate protects against inactivation, even though tryptophan residues are modified. Treatment of the H101N and H126N mutant arginases with N -bromosuccinimide also results in loss of catalytic activity and modification of tryptophan residues. In contrast, the H141N mutant arginase is not inactivated by N -bromosuccinimide, indicating that His141 is the critical target for the N -bromosuccinimide inactivation of the enzyme.
Spinal anesthesia for elective lumbar spine surgery

Abstract Study Objective: To evaluate a large series of elective lumbar spine surgical procedures by a single surgeon whose patients were all offered spinal anesthesia. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Tertiary-care teaching hospital. Measurements and Main Results: The records of all elective lumbar spine procedures between 1984 and 1995 performed by one surgeon (GRB) were obtained, and 803 were identified. Of those 803 patients, 611 accepted spinal anesthesia. Data collected included patient demographics, details of the spinal and general anesthesia, perioperative complications, and impact of the spinal anesthetic options on the outcome of spinal anesthesia. General and spinal anesthesia patients were comparable for age, gender, height, and ASA physical status. Patients who received spinal anesthesia were significantly heavier than the general anesthesia patients. Among perioperative complications, nausea and deep venous thrombosis occurred significantly more often in the general than spinal anesthesia patients. Mild hypotension and decreased heart rate (HR) were the most common hemodynamic changes with spinal anesthesia, whereas hypertension and increased HR were the result of general anesthesia. Among spinal anesthetic drugs, plain bupivacaine was associated with the lowest incidence of supplemental local anesthetic use intraoperatively compared to hyperbaric bupivacaine or hyperbaric tetracaine. Conclusion: Spinal anesthesia is an effective alternative to general anesthesia for lumbar spine surgery and has a reduced rate of minor complications.
Utilization of acute inpatient services for alcohol detoxification.

This study indicates that the majority of patients admitted to VA hospital for medical detoxification could have those services provided on an outpatient or less intensive basis. However, inpatient medical detoxification services appear to be appropriate for those alcoholics at risk for potential life-threatening complications of withdrawal such as delirium tremens, or those with concurrent associated medical conditions such as pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, or complications of cirrhosis. Data were obtained from a national random sample of hospitalizations in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient medical and surgical units. Medical records for 144 alcoholismrelated medical admissions to 35 VA medical centers were reviewed using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP), a clinically based utilization review instrument widely used in the private sector. The medical records for the admission and each day of medical/surgical inpatient stay were reviewed using clinical criteria for the appropriateness of acute inpatient care as opposed to lower levels of care.
Observations of Damaging Hailstorms from Geosynchronous Satellite Digital Data

Abstract During the months of May, June, July and August, 1978, a record number of damaging hailstorms, causing losses upward of $100 million, struck along the High Plains and Front Range regions of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Nine of these storms were observed from the GOES-E geostationary satellite with the digital visible and infrared data recorded at the CSU Direct Readout Satellite Groundstation. The digital, navigated imagery were processed on an interactive image processing system for detection of hail signatures. In all but one case of reported hail, the coldest cloud-top temperature of the storm system located nearest the hailfall was from 1 to 8°C colder than the environmental tropopause temperature during at least a portion of its lifetime. In most cases this occurred coincident with the best estimate of the onset of hail. Also, the imagery showed each of these storm complexes having long lifetimes (2–5 h), with some exhibiting temperatures colder than the tropopause temperature ...
A comprehensive and novel predictive modeling technique using detailed pathology factors in men with localized prostate carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to evaluate modeling strategies using sextant core prostate biopsy specimen data that would best predict biochemical control in patients with localized prostate carcinoma treated with permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB). METHODS One thousand four hundred seventy–seven patients underwent PPB between 1992 and 2000. The authors restricted analysis to those patients who had sextant biopsies (n = 1073). A central pathology review was undertaken on all specimens. Treatment consisted of PPB with either I-125 or Pd-103 prescribed to 144 Gy or 140 Gy, respectively. Two hundred twenty–eight patients (21%) received PPB in combination with external radiotherapy and 333 patients (31%) received neoadjuvant hormones. In addition to clinical stage, biopsy Gleason sum, and pretreatment prostate specific antigen (pretx-PSA), the following detailed biopsy variables were considered: mean percentage of cancer in an involved core; maximum percentage of cancer; mean primary and secondary Gleason grades; maximum Gleason grade (primary or secondary); percentage of cancer in the apex, mid, and base; percent of cores positive; maximum primary and secondary Gleason grades in apex, mid, and base; maximum percent cancer in apex, mid, and base; maximum Gleason grade in apex, mid, and base; maximum primary Gleason grade; and maximum secondary Gleason grade. In all, 23 biopsy variables were considered. Four modeling strategies were compared. As a base model, the authors considered the pretx-PSA, clinical stage, and biopsy Gleason sum as predictors. For the second model, the authors added percent of cores positive. The third modeling strategy was to use stepwise variable selection to select only those variables (from the total pool of 26) that were statistically significant. The fourth strategy was to apply principal components analysis, which has theoretical advantages over the other strategies. Principal components analysis creates component scores that account for maximum variance in the predictors. RESULTS The median followup of the study cohort was 36 months (range, 6–92), and the Kattan modification of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) definition was used to define PSA freedom from recurrence (PSA-FFR). The four models were compared in their ability to predict PSA-FFR as measured by the Somers D rank correlation coefficient. The Somers D rank correlation coefficients were then corrected for optimism with use of bootstrapping. The results for the four models were 0.32, 0.34, 0.37, and 0.39, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The current study shows that the use of principal components analysis with additional pathology data is a more discriminating model in predicting outcome in prostate carcinoma than other conventional methods and can also be used to model outcome predictions for patients treated with radical prostatectomy and external beam. Cancer 2002;95:1451–6. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10869
Nucleation and Growth of Cvd Polycrystalline Si3N4 Films at Low Temperatures

Silicon nitride films were deposited from silane and ammonia onto single crystal silicon substrates at a total pressure of 4.7 kPa. At temperatures below 1200° C, continuous films of polycrystalline Si3N4 deposited within a narrow region of low SiH4 partial pressures but at relatively high growth rates, for example, > 10 µm/hr at 1170° C. The early stages of crystalline film growth were studied with a combination of analytical techniques: FT-IR spectroscopy, x-ray and electron diffraction and electron microscopy. During deposition faceted Si3N4 grains nucleate on a growing nanocrystalline/amorphous interlayer.
The Effect of Time-Delay Feedback Controller on an Electrically Actuated Resonator

This paper presents a study of the effect of a time-delay feedback controller on the dynamics of a Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitor actuated by DC and AC voltages. It is shown that negative time-delay feedback control gain can lead to an unstable system, even if AC voltage is relatively small compared to DC voltage. Perturbation method is utilized to present analytically the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the MEMS capacitor. Agreements among the results of a shooting technique, long-time integration, basin of attraction analysis with the perturbation method are achieved.
Foreign Direct Investment Theories, Entry Barriers, and Reverse Investments in U.S Manufacturing Industries

This paper investigates empirically whether industrial organization-oriented FDI theories explain the recent phenomenon of reverse foreign direct investment in the U.S. Based on the distribution of FDI in two-digit SIC manufacturing industries, we find that capital and advertising intensities act as entry barriers to foreign investments in the U.S. We also observe that foreign multinationals are attracted by the U.S. market size, and that they invest heavily in industries with intensive R&D combined with marketing efforts.
“Please Don't Fine Me Again!!!!!”: Black Athletic Defiance in the NBA and NFL

This article examines the contentious relationship between contemporary Black professional athletes and organizational authority, particularly in the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). It considers the rationalization given by both leagues for the rise of stringent guidelines regarding appearance and sportsmanship. The article then focuses on how some Black athletes contest these guidelines, particularly through acts of defiance and an adherence to hip-hop and street culture. The essay concludes by considering the current and possible effects of these players' defiance both for the players themselves and the leagues in which they play.
Photoelastic study of initial stages of brittle fracture in compression

Abstract Initial stages of crack growth within various arrays of elongate open flaws were studied in photoelastic models subjected to uniaxial compression. The growth of inclined flaws into stable configuration with respect to stress for crack growth, with certain exceptions, is similar to that described previously (Bombolakis, 1964). Critical arrays for initial crack growth, however, include certain sets of closely spaced parallel flaws inclined 45° to the stress axis, in contrast to the 30° orientation predicted by Griffith theory. Despite the fact that flaws of various orientation and en-echelon configuration were located very close to one another in each array before crack growth began, coalescence of flaws did not occur during the first stage of crack growth within any array. Coalescence occurred during the second stage of crack growth, but this was in only one of the arrays less favorable for initial crack growth. It resulted in a partial fracture surface inclined approximately 36° to the stress axis. Characteristic features of the first and second stages of crack growth are the occurrences of small “shocks” and minor drops in the applied stress that causes crack growth. Such features were not observed in the several arrays in which subsequent stages of crack growth were obtained; crack growth was gradual instead of spasmodic, and it could be controlled by the loading. These results suggest a possible mechanism for some of the seismic events associated with shallow-focus earthquakes. Tests on several duplicate arrays indicate that the initial stages of crack growth depend in a remarkable way on the past history of deformation. Inclined flaws in those arrays either grew more or less parallel to the axial direction or perpendicular to it during the second stage of crack growth, depending on whether the stress for first-stage crack growth was increased directly or cycled to the stress for second-stage crack growth. This kind of dependency on history of deformation is of potential importance in interpretations of rock-deformation experiments and of fracture patterns in the field.
Future Trends in Advanced Batteries for Automobile Propulsion

In order to establish a basis for perspective with regard to the discussion below, it is useful to examine the incentive for advanced battery development in terms of the possible market for vehicle propulsion batteries. The automobile market in the U.S. alone is about $100 billion per year, corresponding to about 10 million vehicles per year. If only 10 percent of the market were to be captured by electric vehicles, and 20% of the cost of the electric vehicle is the battery, then this would represent a $2 billion per year battery market. This is to be compared to an estimated $1.5–2 billion per year market for SLI batteries, both as replacements, and in new vehicles. Thus, only a 10% market penetration by EV’s would more than double the rechargeable battery market—a rather large incentive!
Tangential flow filtration for virus purification

Abstract Purification of virus particles and viral vectors for viral vaccines and gene therapy applications is a major large-scale separations challenge. Purification of parvovirus particles such as adeno-associated virus, the leading candidate for gene therapy applications, is particularly challenging given their small size, typically 18–26 nm. We have investigated the use of ultrafiltration for purification of Aedes aegypti densonucleosisvirus, a mosquito parvovirus. Four ultrafiltration membranes with molecular weight cut offs of 30, 50, 100 and 300 kDa have been tested in tangential flow mode. Experiments have also been conducted where part of the permeate is pumped co-current to the feed. This results in a more constant transmembrane pressure drop along the entire membrane. Maintaining a more constant transmembrane pressure results in improved passage of host cell proteins and smaller virus particles. Currently chromatographic separations such as ion exchange are used to remove DNA and host cell proteins. Our results indicate that by carefully selecting the molecular weight cut off of the membrane and maintaining a constant transmembrane pressure along the membrane, virus particles may be purified and concentrated by ultrafiltration. Reducing the impurity load to subsequent chromatographic steps could result in the use of smaller columns leading to cost savings.
The Sangoan‐Lupemban and middle stone age sequence at the Muguruk site, western Kenya

Abstract Sangoan artifacts have been reported to overlie those of the Acheulian and to underlie those of the Middle Stone Age in a wide region of tropical Africa. Few detailed field studies have been undertaken, however, with the result that this important transition is poorly understood. At the Muguruk site in western Kenya, artifacts of the Ojolla industry (Sangoan‐Lupemban) are overlain by those of the Pundo Makwar Industry (Middle Stone Age). The Ojolla industry contains a heavy duty tool component, finely made lanceolate points, and a light duty component made up bifacially retouched flake tools. Flake production is by radial core reduction. The Pundo Makwar industry is composed primarily of flaking debris from radial core reduction and informal unifacial scrapers made on these flakes. The Muguruk sequence shows a pronounced shift in formal tool retouch techniques between the Sangoan‐Lupemban and the Middle Stone Age, but real continuity in the method of flake production.
Pointwise lossy source coding theorem for sources with memory

We investigate the minimum pointwise redundancy of variable length lossy source codes operating at fixed distortion for sources with memory. The redundancy is defined by l n (X 1 n) − nR(D), where l n (X 1 n) is the code length at block size n and R(D) is the rate distortion function. We restrict ourselves to the case where R(D) can be calculated, namely the cases where the Shannon lower bound to R(D) holds with equality. In this case, for balanced distortion measures, we provide a pointwise lower bound to the code length sequence in terms of the entropy density process. We show that the minimum coding variance with distortion is lower bounded by the minimum lossless coding variance, and is non-zero unless the entropy density is deterministic. We also examine lossy coding in the presence of long range dependence, showing the existence of information sources for which long range dependence persists under any codec operating at the Shannon lower bound with fixed distortion.
Cladribine: from the bench to the bedside--focus on hairy cell leukemia.

Cladribine is an adenosine deaminase-resistant deoxyadenosine analog with a unique mechanism of action. It is directly toxic towards both resting and proliferating human lymphocytes and monocytes. The development of this compound into clinical practice best exemplifies rational drug development and the success of translational research. Cladribine is well established as first-line treatment for hairy cell leukemia, inducing an overall response rate of 75–100%, with the majority being complete responses following only a single 7-day treatment course. The 9-year overall survival for hairy cell leukemia is currently 97%. Cladribine has also proven useful in the treatment of a variety of other hematologic malignancies, and its current place in the oncologic therapeutic armamentarium, as well as in potential areas of development, are outlined.
Ask the Experts: What is the utility of amyloid imaging from the point of view of the clinician?

Dr Doraiswamy is Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics at Duke University (NC, USA). He also heads the Biological Psychiatry Division in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke, where he directs a leading clinical trials program for memory disorders. In addition to clinical consultations and teaching, he enjoys mentoring students and writing. Dr Doraiswamy is the coauthor of ‘The Alzheimer’s Action Plan’, an acclaimed consumer guide to memory problems.
Radiographic proximity of the mandibular third molar to the inferior alveolar canal.

Objective To determine the panoramic radiographic distance from the mandibular third molar tooth to the inferior alveolar canal. Study design Five hundred sixty mandibular third molars were evaluated by panoramic radiography. The teeth were grouped into erupted vs unerupted and further subdivided by tooth angulation. The distance from the most inferior aspect of the mandibular third molar tooth to the superior border of the inferior alveolar canal was measured with digital calipers. A t test was performed to compare erupted and unerupted teeth, and ANOVA was used to determine if a significant difference exists based upon tooth angulation. A record review was performed to assess the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia based upon measured distances. Results The mean distance from erupted mandibular third molar teeth to the inferior alveolar canal is 0.88 mm. This distance was significantly different from unerupted teeth (P = .002). The mean values for unerupted teeth indicated that the most inferior portion of all teeth measured was below the superior border of the canal (negative values) as follows: mesioangular (−0.97 mm), vertical (−0.61 mm), distoangular (−0.31 mm), and horizontal (−0.24 mm). The position of mesioangular impactions were significantly different than all other impaction groups (P = .0125). The incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia was 3.33% (18/541), most commonly associated with mesioangular impactions (−0.66 mm) in female patients. Conclusions Unerupted mandibular third molar teeth are closer to the inferior alveolar canal than are erupted teeth. Mesioangular mandibular third molar impactions are most closely positioned to the inferior alveolar canal, and this may represent an independent risk factor for postoperative paresthesia.
Interleukin-8 production in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha by cholesteatoma keratinocytes in cell culture.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Keratinocytes harvested from acquired cholesteatoma and grown in cell culture will demonstrate increased interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha as compared with a control keratinocyte cell line. Immunohistochemical studies have identified IL-8 and TNF-alpha, mediators of bony destruction, in tissue samples of cholesteatoma. TNF-alpha stimulates IL-8 production in healthy epidermal keratinocyte cell lines. It is not known whether TNF-alpha stimulates IL-8 production in cultured cholesteatoma keratinocytes. Study Design: Prospective controlled tissue culture experiment. Methods: Tissue from an acquired cholesteatoma was dissociated and grown in keratinocyte serum-free media for 8 weeks. Cholesteatoma keratinocytes and a control cell line of skin epidermal keratinocytes were treated with TNF-alpha. Conditioned media were harvested; production of IL-8 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and cell counts were performed. Results: At a zero concentration of TNF-alpha, mean production of IL-8 by cholesteatoma keratinocytes was 39,809 pg/mL/24hr/1 × 106 cells versus 1,907 pg/mL/24hr/1 × 106 cells from skin epidermal keratinocytes, a statistically significant difference (P< .05). The cholesteatoma keratinocytes showed a 2.1-fold increase in response to 2 pg/mL of TNF-alpha and a 2.44-fold increase in response to 20 pg/mL of TNF-alpha. The skin epidermal keratinocyte cell line demonstrated a 1.07- and 1.13-fold increase to respective concentrations of TNF-alpha. Conclusions: Cholesteatoma keratinocytes appear to retain cell signaling characteristics in vitro that distinguish them from skin epidermal keratinocytes. This finding may indicate that cholesteatoma keratinocytes undergo a change in behavior in vivo that is preserved after the cells are removed from the inflammatory environment of the middle ear.
Expression of Ia antigens by mouse Peyer's patch cells

Abstract Peyer's patch cells of the mouse were characterized with respect to cell types and Ia antigen expression. Nearly 50% of patch cells are B cells and approximately 40% are T cells. Strong reactions by cytotoxicity and immunoprecipitation assays were obtained for I-A and I-E subregion Ia molecules. A subset of Peyer's patch T cells express Ia antigens.
Characterization of Hydrogen Bonding in a Continuum Solvent Model

A simple approach for calculating hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) effects in molecular mechanics simulations of peptides and proteins is presented for use in the framework of the continuum solvent model described in the previous paper. In this approach, the solvated macromolecule is treated as a three-component dielectric system consisting of the solvent, bulk protein, and proton acceptor media. The hydrogen bond (H-bond) interaction is identified from the interpenetration of the van der Waals spheres of the polar hydrogen and the proton acceptor. The H-bond geometry is characterized by the ideal orientation of the electron lone pairs in the acceptor atom and the directionality of the proton donor bond, as observed in experimental and ab initio studies, and classified according to the hybridization state of the acceptor atom. The algorithm was implemented into CHARMM using the PAR22 force field. By introducing the concept of a Born radius of a polar hydrogen immersed in an acceptor environment, the stabiliza...
A piezoelectric transducer-tuned microstrip-ring resonator oscillator operating at the second resonant mode of the ring resonator

A microstrip open-loop resonator oscillator operating at even modes is proposed. The even mode of the ring circuit can be predicted by using a simple transmission-line model. The new oscillator has a characteristic similar to that of a push-push oscillator. In addition, in comparison with the push-push oscillator, the new oscillator with one active device can minimize the size and lower the cost. A voltage-controlled piezoelectric transducer (PET) is used to vary the resonant frequencies of the ring resonator, which in turn tunes the oscillator with a good tuning range of 4.9% at around 12.1 GHz. This tuned oscillator should have many applications in wireless systems. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2005.
Something more than g: Meaningful Memory uniquely predicts training performance

Abstract Past research has shown that mental ability tests predict training and job performance by virtue of measuring general mental ability (g). After removing the effects of g, mental ability tests no longer predict performance, with the exception of perceptual speed and spatial abilities for certain occupations. In our study, we found evidence for a third exception: Meaningful Memory, the ability to learn and recall information that has meaningfully-related content predicts training performance (ρ = .511), even after removing the effects of g. Therefore, Meaningful Memory tests show promise in enhancing the effectiveness of mental ability tests to predict training performance.
Algebraic multilevel preconditioning methods. I

A recursive way of constructing preconditioning matrices for the stiffness matrix in the discretization of selfadjoint second order elliptic boundary value problems is proposed. It is based on a sequence of nested finite element spaces with the usual nodal basis functions. Using a nodeordering corresponding to the nested meshes, the finite element stiffness matrix is recursively split up into two-level block structures and is factored approximately in such a way that any successive Schur complement is replaced (approximated) by a matrix defined recursively and thereform only implicitely given. To solve a system with this matrix we need to perform a fixed number (v) of iterations on the preceding level using as an iteration matrix the preconditioning matrix already defined on that level. It is shown that by a proper choice of iteration parameters it suffices to use $$v > \left( {1 - \gamma ^2 } \right)^{ - \tfrac{1}{2}} $$ iterations for the so constructedv-foldV-cycle (wherev=2 corresponds to aW-cycle) preconditioning matrices to be spectrally equivalent to the stiffness matrix. The conditions involve only the constant ? in the strengthened C.-B.-S. inequality for the corresponding two-level hierarchical basis function spaces and are therefore independent of the regularity of the solution for instance. If we use successive uniform refinements of the meshes the method is of optimal order of computational complexity, if $$\gamma ^2< \tfrac{8}{9}$$ . Under reasonable assumptions of the finite element mesh, the condition numbers turn out to be so small that there are in practice few reasons to use an accelerated iterative method like the conjugate gradient method, for instance.
Posthuman Rhetorics and Technical Communication

This special issue of Technical Communication Quarterly brings posthuman perspectives to bear on the kinds of metarhetorical, organizational, and intertextual problems that are central to technical...
Dermatologic clues to inherited disease.

Galen considered the skin to be a "pressure valve" for the rest of the body, with cutaneous disorders simply reflecting derangement of the humors that governed bodily function. 12 Although the skin is now thought to be distinct, cutaneous markers commonly betray the presence of a genetic disorder. In many cases, skin findings are the initial manifestations of genetic disease, allowing early diagnosis and intervention. Genetic disorders may affect any cutaneous structure, from the defective outer protective layers in the ichthyoses to errors in the critical basement membrane zone in epidermolysis bullosa, to the disordered dermal integrity in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. These and other important "genodermatoses" are reviewed, with particular attention to cutaneous clues to their diagnosis. The recent identification of the underlying molecular bases of all of these genetic disorders allows prenatal diagnosis based on molecular diagnosis in families with identified gene mutations.
A multichannel cross-spectrum density estimator based on canonical correlation analysis

In this work, the problem of multichannel cross-spectrum density (MCSD) estimation is studied. Based on a multichannel data model, the classic periodogram based MCSD estimator and the minimum variance (MV) based MCSD estimator are tested for cross-spectrum density estimation. Our major contribution in this work is a canonical correlation analysis (CCA) based MCSD estimator, relying on the inherent maximization arguments of CCA. It is demonstrated through a model based multichannel simulation example that the newly proposed CCA-MCSD estimator is of high frequency resolution as well as good sidelobe suppression properties, and can serve as an excellent candidate for MCSD estimation.
The evolution of cancer research and drug discovery at Lilly Research Laboratories

This review highlights the discovery and development of chemotherapy at Eli Lilly & Company over the past 30 years from the Vinca alkaloids-vincristine, vinblastine, and vindesine-to targeted therapy. During the late 1970s, Lilly began an exploration of new synthetic compounds based on solid tumor screening models. Several novel antimetabolites with the potential to treat solid tumors were identified. Two such agents, gemcitabine and pemetrexed, underwent clinical development and are now among Lilly's portfolio of approved anticancer drugs. Gemcitabine, a pyrimidine nucleoside that has a profound effect on DNA synthesis, has been approved for the treatment of pancreatic, non-small cell lung, bladder, and most recently, breast, and ovarian cancer. Pemetrexed, a novel antifolate with potent cytotoxic effects, is distinguished from other antifolates by virtue of its ability to inhibit multiple folate-dependent enzymes. Pemetrexed, given in combination with cisplatin, has been recently approved for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma and as second-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Spurred by advances in the understanding of cancer as a disease process, Lilly's anticancer drug program began to transition to a more "targeted" approach during the 1990s. These efforts have recently culminated in the identification and development of enzastaurin, a PKCbeta inhibitor with potent anti-angiogenic properties. Enzastaurin has shown promising single-agent activity in patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, and is an excellent candidate for combination with cytotoxic agents.