cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular interaction of bupropion with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

This minireview focuses on the anti-nicotinic properties of bupropion (BP) at the molecular and cellular levels. The main pharmacological mechanism is based on the fact that BP induces the release as well as inhibits the reuptake of neurotransmitters such as a dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE). Additional mechanisms of action have been also determined. For example, BP is a noncompetitive antagonist (NCA) of several nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). Based on this evidence, the clinical activity of BP is currently considered to be mediated by its stimulatory action on the DA and NE systems as well as its inhibitory action on AChRs. More specifically, BP inhibits presynaptic α4β2-containing AChRs in GABAergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area and α3β4-containing AChRs in the habenulo-intrerpeduncular pathway. This inhibition finally decreases the addictive effects mediated by nicotine. Based on studies on muscle AChRs at the molecular level, a sequential mechanism is hypothesized to explain the inhibitory action of BP on neuronal AChRs: (1) BP first binds to AChRs in the resting state, decreasing the probability of ion channel opening, (2) the remnant fraction of open ion channels is subsequently decreased by accelerating the desensitization process, and (3), BP interacts with a binding domain located between the serine (position 6') and valine (position 13') rings that is shared with other NCAs including, phencyclidine, tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors. This new evidence paves the way for further investigations using AChRs as targets for the action of safer antidepressants and novel anti-addictive compounds.
Direct in vivo inflammatory cell-induced corrosion of CoCrMo alloy orthopedic implant surfaces

Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy, used for over five decades in orthopedic implants, may corrode and release wear debris into the body during use. These degradation products may stimulate immune and inflammatory responses in vivo. We report here on evidence of direct inflammatory cell-induced corrosion of human implanted and retrieved CoCrMo implant surfaces. Corrosion morphology on CoCrMo implant surfaces, in unique and characteristic patterns, and the presence of cellular remnants and biological materials intimately entwined with the corrosion indicates direct cellular attack under the cell membrane region of adhered and/or migrating inflammatory cells. Evidence supports a Fenton-like reaction mechanism driving corrosion in which reactive oxygen species are the major driver of corrosion. Using in vitro tests, large increases in corrosion susceptibility of CoCrMo were seen (40-100 fold) when immersed in phosphate buffered saline solutions modified with hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid to represent the chemistry under inflammatory cells. This discovery raises significant new questions about the clinical consequences of such corrosion interactions, the role of patient inflammatory reactions, and the detailed mechanisms at play.
Reevaluating Recanting Witnesses: Why the Red-Headed Stepchild of New Evidence Deserves Another Look

Courts have generally disfavored evidence from recanting witnesses. This article examines the standards laid out in Berry v. State and Larrison v. United States that courts use when considering motions for new trials based on new evidence. It next explores some of the reasons courts have disfavored recantations. Recent cases involving DNA exonerations present useful lessons for evaluating recantations and weaken many of the reasons courts have used to reject such evidence. Because DNA evidence is not readily available in most cases, however, the current framework has led to incarceration of innocent defendants. Given these lessons, courts must find new means of assessing the testimony of recanting witnesses. Courts should adopt a modified version of the Larrison standard, which would require corroboration rather than proof of truth. Appellate courts should not apply a deferential standard of review to summary denial of motions for new trials based on recantations.
Multidimensional Risk/Performance Measurement for Hedge Funds

Part A of the study uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) from the field of Operations Research to analyze the performance of hedge funds. The analysis can be extended to other investment portfolios since the implementation of DEA does not require that your data be normally distributed like other conventional performance measures.Part B uses a multiple linear regression model of the form similar to a multi-factor Capital Asset Pricing Model to explain hedge fund exposures to various capital markets (if any). This method however assumes that the data is normally distributed. The results are only used as a guide in explaining hedge fund exposures and not for exact predictive purposes.
Characterization of Rhizobia from Ineffective Alfalfa Nodules: Ability to Nodulate Bean Plants [Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) Savi.]

This study was initiated to characterize Rhizobium isolates obtained from root nodules of ineffectively nodulated, field-grown alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants. The purpose was to determine if these isolates possessed characteristics which would explain either their ineffectiveness in N(2) fixation or their apparent ability to tolerate the moderately acid soil conditions from which they originated. Isolates were characterized by analysis of growth rate, 39 degrees C tolerance, acid production on conventional media, and symbiotic performance. All isolates were ineffective in N(2) fixation on alfalfa, and they contained one or more anomalous characteristics. These included either slow growth rate, lack of 39 degrees C tolerance, or lack of acid production on conventional media. Infectiveness tests on a broad range of legumes revealed that the isolates formed root nodules on M. sativa, Medicago lupulina L., and Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) Savi. (common bean). These results provide evidence that, in some situations, ineffective nodulation of M. sativa in the field may be due to the presence of promiscuous, native Rhizobium species.
The identity of identity: moral and legal aspects of technological self-transformation.

Technologies are being developed for significantly altering the traits of existing persons (or fetuses or embryos) and of future persons via germ line modification. The availability of such technologies may affect our philosophical, legal, and everyday understandings of several important concepts, including that of personal identity. I consider whether the idea of personal identity requires reconstruction, revision or abandonment in the face of such possibilities of technological intervention into the nature and form of an individual's attributes. This requires an account of the work done by the concept of personal identity, and an explanation of what “conceptual impacts of technology” and “conceptual reconstruction” might mean.Our existing notions of personal identity and related ideas such as personhood and autonomy may seem unable to comfortably accommodate the possibilities of technologically directed trait formation and development. This is a matter of moral and legal importance because the idea of personal identity embeds major values and reflects value-laden beliefs and attitudes. The assumed endurance of identity underlies interpersonal relationships, the assignment of rewards and punishments, and the very idea of what constitutes an autonomous person. Perhaps radical restructuring or even abandonment of concepts are sometimes called for when the world changes drastically, but I suggest that conceptual modification is not “compelled” for personal identity except under extreme circumstances—the remote possibility of rapid human “shape shifting” where physical and mentational attributes can be transformed quickly and continuously.Efforts to enhance human traits, including merit attributes and other resource-attractive characteristics (e.g., intellectual and athletic aptitudes, physical size and appearance), may generate legal problems wherever the persistence of identity is presupposed. Some advance speculation is thus warranted on how trait change generally will be managed within our legal and socioeconomic systems, and more particularly on rights of access to trait-altering technologies. I mention the possible distributive effects of enhancing highly-resource attractive traits, including the strengthening individual powers to acquire still more increments in such traits in a self-reinforcing cycle. A brief review of some constitutional issues bearing on trait change completes the discussion.I conclude that existing and projected technologies do not impel the abandonment or remodeling of the idea of personal identity. We may, however, have to reconsider some uses of this concept in different settings, to rethink our understandings of ideas of merit and desert, and to deal with the distribution of resources that may enlarge and entrench the “distances” between social and economic groups.
Candida-specific Th1-type responsiveness in mice with experimental vaginal candidiasis

The role of systemic cell-mediated immunity (CMI) as a host defense mechanism in the vagina is poorly understood. Using a murine pseudoestrus model of experimental vaginal candidiasis, we previously found that animals given a vaginal inoculum of viable Candida albicans blastoconidia acquired a persistent vaginal infection and developed Candida-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. The present study was designed to characterize the peripheral CMI reactivity generated from the vaginal infection in mice and to determine whether pseudoestrus is a prerequisite for the induction of peripheral CMI reactivity. Mice treated or not treated with estrogen and given a vaginal inoculum of C. albicans blastoconidia were examined for 4 weeks for their vaginal Candida burden and peripheral CMI reactivity, including DTH responsiveness and in vitro Th1 (interleukin-2 [IL-2], gamma interferon [IFN-gamma]/Th2 (IL-4, IL-10)-type lymphokine production in response to Candida antigens. Results showed that although mice not treated with estrogen before being given a vaginal inoculum of C. albicans blastoconidia developed only a short-lived vaginal infection and harbored significantly fewer Candida CFU in the vagina compared with those given estrogen and then infected; DTH reactivity was equivalent in both groups. In vitro measurement of CMI reactivity further showed that lymph node cells from both estrogen- and non-estrogen-treated infected mice produced elevated levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in response to Candida antigens during the 4 weeks after vaginal inoculation. In contrast, lymph node cells from the same vaginally infected mice showed no IL-10 production and only small elevations of IL-4 during week 4 of infection. These results suggest that mice with experimental vaginal candidiasis develop predominantly Th1-type Candida-specific peripheral CMI reactivity and that similar patterns of Th1-type reactivity occur in mice regardless of the persistence of infection and the estrogen status of the infected mice.
The birth of the network: How Westinghouse, GE, AT&T, and RCA invented the concept of advertiser‐supported broadcasting∗

(1983). The birth of the network: How Westinghouse, GE, AT&T, and RCA invented the concept of advertiser‐supported broadcasting. Quarterly Review of Film Studies: Vol. 8, The Economic and Political Structure of American Television, pp. 3-8.
Scenarios in information seeking and information retrieval research: A methodological application and discussion

Abstract Scenario has been used as a research tool to study information seeking and information retrieval. This review of the nature and development of scenario use reveals a variety of applications and a number of practical methodological issues. While scenarios have a number of advantages, there are limitations. Consideration of these advantages and challenges leads to recommendations for constructing and presenting scenarios.
Emergent practices around CGNet Swara, voice forum for citizen journalism in rural India

Rural communities in India are often underserved by the mainstream media. While there is a public discourse surrounding the issues they face, this dialogue typically takes place on television, in newspaper editorials, and on the Internet. Unfortunately, participation in such forums is limited to the most privileged members of society, excluding those individuals who have the largest stake in the conversation. This paper examines an effort to foster a more inclusive dialogue by means of a simple technology: an interactive voice forum. Called CGNet Swara, the system enables callers to record messages of local interest, and listen to messages that others have recorded. Messages are also posted on the Internet, as a supplement to an existing discussion forum. In the first 21 months of its deployment in India, CGNet Swara has logged over 70,000 phone calls and released 1,100 messages. To understand the emergent practices surrounding this system, we conduct interviews with 42 diverse stakeholders, including callers, bureaucrats, and members of the media. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of voice-based media as a vehicle for social inclusion in remote and underprivileged populations.
The development and validation of an alternative assessment to measure changes in understanding of the longleaf pine ecosystem

A drawing assessment to gauge changes in fourth grade students’ understanding of the essential components of the longleaf pine ecosystem was developed to support an out-of-school environmental education program. Pre- and post-attendance drawings were scored with a rubric that was determined to have content validity and reliability among users. In the specific context of this intervention, the assessment documented significant growth in the understanding of the essential components, processes, flora and fauna of the ecosystem. This assessment found no significant differential advantage with respect to gender or dominance status of the students and is offered as an alternative to traditional assessments that favor select groups. Extensions of this framework to other ecosystems, and implications for in-service/pre-service educators and science proficiency, are discussed.
Four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plate fixation: radiographic and clinical results.

OBJECTIVE: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating is a common procedure performed for cervical spondylosis by spine surgeons. However, data on procedures involving 4 disc spaces are lacking. We report the outcomes of patients who underwent 4-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating at a single institution. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2006, 34 patients (19 females, 15 males; mean age, 58 years; age range, 38-83 years) underwent 4-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating based on a surgical database search. Only patients undergoing surgery at 4 contiguous disc levels were included. Data were collected in a retrospective fashion. Patients'demo-graphics, symptoms, neurologic findings, and radiographic findings at admission were recorded. Long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes at last follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (85%) underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating at C3-C7. Sixteen patients presented with neurologic deficits, of which 14 (88%) improved. None worsened after surgery. Minor complications occurred in 26 patients, including transient dysphagia in 18 (53%) and hoarseness in 3 (9%). Radiographic outcomes were available in 27 patients (median follow-up, 15 months; range, 4-71 months). The overall fusion rate was 92.6%. Stable fibrous nonunions were present in 2 patients; the chance of nonunion was 1.9% per level and 7% per patient. Adjacent-level disease occurred in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: In carefully selected patients, 4-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating can be associated with high rates of fusion. The technique is safe and effective for managing multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy and may obviate the need for circumferential procedures.
A failure rate based methodology for determining the maximum operating gate electric field, comprehending defect density and burn-in

We develop a new and accurate methodology for determining the maximum allowed operating gate electric field E/sub max/. It is based on achieving a failure rate requirement throughout the required product lifetime. The method is general, and rigorously comprehends the field dependence, an arbitrary defect density tail; and burn-in. We demonstrate the power of this technique with the first systematic study of the impact of defect density tail shape and field dependence on E/sub max/. The defect density tail slope s/sub d/ determines distinctly different behavior depending on whether s/sub d/ 1. Of greatest significance, we show that in general it is not possible, a priori, to determine whether a desired operating field is safe or not. This uncertainty arises primarily because we cannot know the behavior of the defect density tail below some practical observable lower limit of the cumulative failure distribution function F. This uncertainty must be comprehended in the risk management associated with decisions to increase E/sub op/.
Incompatibility between the kohler method and the subregular model

Abstract It is demonstrated that the Kohler method is incompatible with the subregular model, because it gives rise to a dichotomy in the predicted behavior of the partial (excess) free energy of a solute in the terminal regions of the ternary system.
Drilling's value stressed at hearing

A Senate subcommittee recently heard testimony from government, university, and industry geoscientists in support of a bill that would formalize the planning and coordination of continental scientific drilling. Among the reasons given in favor of the bill by the 13 witnesses at the July 24, 1986, hearing were the possible benefits of a continental drilling program for our understanding of the history of the earth's crust, the origins of mineral and energy resources, the mechanisms of earthquakes and volcanos, and the migration of toxic wastes. The hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Natural Resources Development and Production, chaired by Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.).
Simulation Issues Relevant To VHSIC Technology

Simulation provides a valuable tool for resolving design decisions in the areas of system development and evaluation. Our experience is based on using simulation to verify and validate large complex systems supporting the U.S. Air Force launch vehicle programs. The complexities of systems built of Very High Speed Integrated Circuits (VHSIC) indicate that simulation will be needed to support many aspects of the VHSIC program design and development. This paper provides insight into simulation and its possible use as a design tool in connection with the VHSIC program. Specifically, simulation should be used to guide and control design decisions.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Picric acid soluble fragments liberated from fibrinogen by fibrinolysin.

Abstract Bivone fibrinogen was digested by purified human fibrinolysin. The large protein derivatives were precipitated by picric acid and the supernatant was decolorized by chromatography on Dowex 2-X8, concentrated by rotary evaporation and then chromatographed on aminex Q-15S and 150A. Free basic amino acids, mainly lysine and arginine and at least 26 acidic and neutral, acid soluble, peptides were detected. The peptides contained mostly glutamic acid, glycine, threonine and aspartic acid but they had no cystine. The free amino acids amounted to 0.5% of the weight of fibrinogen or to about 12 residues per mole. The total amount of the picric acid soluble derivatives was approximately 6% or around 163 residues per mole.
Destination Therapy: Does Progress Depend on Left Ventricular Assist Device Development?

The role of therapy using mechanical circulatory support devices has evolved rapidly over the last two decades. New developments in the field achieved smaller adverse events, but, currently, only minor improvements in survival were observed in published observational data. The authors discuss the development of mechanical circulatory support devices as a "destination therapy" option for patients who have end-stage heart failure and are ineligible for heart transplantation as it relates to left ventricular assist device development.
THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL GENIUS

(1975). THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL GENIUS. The Review of Education: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 103-107.
Visible harmonic generation in CMOS-compatible integrated photonic devices

We observe continuous-wave second- and third-harmonic generation in silicon nitride ring resonators pumped in the C-band. The enhancement of the ring allows pump powers as low as 3 mW to generate detectable outputs.
Aberrant pH of melanosomes in pink-eyed dilution (p) mutant melanocytes.

In past studies, we cloned the mouse p gene and its human homolog P, which is associated with oculocutaneous albinism type 2. Both mouse and human genes are expressed in melanocytes and encode proteins predicted to have 12 membrane-spanning domains with structural homology to known ion transporters. We have also demonstrated that the p protein is localized to the melanosomal membrane and does not function as a tyrosine transporter. In this study, immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to show that the p protein plays an important role in the generation or maintenance of melanosomal pH. Melanosomes (and their precursor compartments) were defined by antiserum directed against the melanosomal marker tyrosinase related protein 1. Acidic vesicles were identified by 3-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-3′-amino-N-methyldipropylamine incorporation, visualized with anti-dinitrophenol. In C57BL/6+/+ (wild-type) melanocytes, 94.2% of vesicles demonstrated colocalization of tyrosinase related protein 1 and 3-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-3′-amino-N-methyldipropylamine, indicating that almost all melanosomes or their precursors were acidic. By contrast, only 7%-8% of the staining vesicles in p mutant cell lines (pJ/pJ and pcp/p6H) showed colocalization of tyrosinase related protein 1 and 3-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-3′-amino-N-methyldipropylamine. Thus, without a functional p protein, most melanosomes and their precursors are not acidic. As mammalian tyrosinase activity in situ is apparently dependent on low pH, we postulate that in the absence of a low pH environment brought about by ionic transport mediated by the p protein, tyrosinase activity is severely impaired, leading to the minimal production of melanin that is characteristic of p mutants. Additionally (or alternatively), an abnormal pH may also impair the assembly of the normal melanogenic complex.
Postnational Relations to the Past: A “European Ethics of Memory”?

In nation-building processes, the construction of a common past and references to a shared founding moment have played a well-documented role in fostering notions of a collective political actor. While notions of unreflective national collective memories no longer hold in an age of a postheroic “politics of regret”, the preferred subject of collective memories nevertheless often remains the nation, both in academic literature and in public debates. In this paper, my aim is to establish the role of collective memory in self-proclaimed “postnational” approaches—specifically in the context of European integration—and to assess in how far these approaches can claim to go beyond notions of memory handed down to us from earlier accounts of nation-building processes. I start by laying out two different approaches to a postnational collective memory as they emerge from the literature. The first approach aims at overcoming national subjectivities by focusing on a specific content: a shared, albeit negative, legacy for all Europeans. The Holocaust plays a particularly prominent role in this discourse. The second approach sees and seeks commonalities not so much on the level of memory content but rather on the level of specific memory practices (a “European ethics of memory”). While it is not aimed at dismantling the nation as a political subject per se, it also creates a European self-understanding that makes the symbolic borders of Europe look more porous: potentially everyone can employ these memory practices. However, as I will show, this approach knows its own attempts to define a postnational “essence”, most notably by tying the ethics of memory to a specifically European cultural repertoire.
Defining the axis of a helix

Abstract A simple method for finding the axis of a helix is presented. Although described in terms of protein alpha helices, the method is generally applicable to helices whose defining units are more or less regularly spaced. Absolute mathematical regularity of the helical parameters is not required. The procedure can be applied at several levels of rigor. At its simplest it involves simple vector operations only and yields two points that define the axis along with the axis direction cosines. No regression analysis is needed. The minimum length helix required for the algorithm is four residues, which define an axis segment between residues 2 and 3. In its more rigorous form the algorithm scans along the chain one residue at a time, yielding a set of axis segments to which a linear least squares regression fits the axis. Non-linear, iterative procedures are not necessary. For each consecutive set of four residues the pitch, radius, rise per residue, rotation per residue about the axis and number of residues per turn are also obtained. Methods are also outlined for distinguishing between smoothly curved and sharply kinked helices and for extracting from these structures the radius of curvature and the location and angle of the kink.
Is the nitric oxide system involved in genetic hypertension in Dahl rats

Is the nitric oxide system involved in genetic hypertension in Dahl rats? To address this issue, a series of genetic tests were carried out. Linkage studies showed that the inducible nitric oxide synthase (Nos2) locus cosegregated with blood pressure in three F2 populations originated from crosses of Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats with rats of various normotensive strains. However, the brain nitric oxidase synthase (Nos1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Nos3) loci did not cosegregate with blood pressure in five F2 populations. Thus, only Nos2, but not Nos1 and Nos3, was considered as a candidate gene for being a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for blood pressure in the S rat. To further test this hypothesis, congenic strains were constructed by substituting regions on Chromosome 10 of the S rat with the homologous regions of the Milan normotensive (MNS) rat. Results showed that the chromosome region including Nos2 did not contain a blood pressure QTL. In consequence, Nos2 per se is not supported as a candidate QTL capable of causing a blood pressure difference between the S and MNS rats. Nevertheless, the nitric oxide system appears to be involved secondarily in the regulation of blood pressure in the S rat, as evidenced by physiological data.
Patterns in the phytochemistry of arctic plants

Abstract Ninety-one species of arctic tundra plants were screened for possible chemical defences against herbivory. Tannins were found in one-third of the species, whereas two-thirds of the plants contained alkaloids. Anthraquinones, cyanogenic glycosides and saponins accounted for only 6% of the positive reactions. The results were used to test the apparency hypothesis for the distribution of chemical plant defences which states that rare or unpredictable species should contain qualitative defences (toxins, such as alkaloids) while common or predictable species should contain quantitative defences (digestibility-reducing compounds, such as tannins). Abundance of plant species showed no relationship to chemical content, except that the relatively abundant shrubs more often contained tannins than the relatively rare forbs. Common graminoids (grasses and related taxa) did not contain tannins and data for the other classes of compounds did not support the apparency hypothesis. Graminoids appeared to rely on tolerance to grazing rather than chemical defences and common ericaceous plants produced both digestibility-reducing and toxic compounds.
Relationship of Lipid Content to Size and Condition in Walleye Fingerlings from Natural and Aquacultural Environments

Abstract Condition indices are widely used in the evaluation of fish populations, but most research on the relationship of condition indices to body composition has taken place in laboratory environments. Our objectives were to assess the relative ability of measures of size and three versions of condition index to predict the lipid content of fingerling walleyes Sander vitreus from aquacultural or natural environments. Fingerlings were either intensively cultured through the fall of 1994, were stocked and spent 3–4 months at large in four lakes, or were intensively cultured and maintained overwinter in hatchery ponds. Variation in condition indices accounted for less than 35% of the variation in lipid. No index performed substantially better than the others. The relationship of condition to lipid content was not consistent between environments or seasons (ANCOVA: F = 403.4, P < 0.0005). Relationships were also different among the four lake populations (ANCOVA: F = 33.9, P < 0.0005). Inconsistencies seem ...
Open pulmonary embolectomy for treatment of major pulmonary embolism.

Abstract Background Inadequate data exist regarding the management of acute major pulmonary embolism. Various modalities that are used, including thrombolytics and embolectomy, have not been shown to conclusively improve mortality when compared to heparin. In the past, open pulmonary embolectomy was reserved for patients with severe hemodynamic instability because of its high mortality rate. Our objective was to analyze our experience with early embolectomy as an alternative for the treatment of major pulmonary embolism. Methods A retrospective review of charts of all patients undergoing pulmonary embolectomy at our institution over the last two years was performed. Patients were followed until their discharge from hospital. Results There were 13 patients (7 women and 6 men). Four had massive and 9 had submassive pulmonary embolism. There was one mortality. Postoperative echocardiography showed no evidence of pulmonary hypertension in 7. Conclusions Open pulmonary embolectomy can be performed in patients with major pulmonary embolism with minimal mortality and morbidity. It may prevent the development of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and should be a part of the algorithm in the treatment of major pulmonary embolism.
Multi-scale anomaly detection in complex dynamic networks

Graphs arise naturally in a wide range of disciplines and applications since they capture the association between entities of a complex network. Recently, there has been an interest in time-evolving or dynamic graphs which can capture the change in the relational information across time. One important problem of interest in dynamic graphs is to detect the changes or anomalies in graph structure across time and identify the edges that conribute to these anomalies. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale analysis of dynamic graphs based on the Wavelet Packet Decomposition to separate the transient edge activity from the stationary background activity. Modeling the wavelet packet coefficients using a Gaussian Mixture Model, we derive a Neyman Pearson detector to identify anomalous edges both in time and space. Experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the method for both simulated and real dynamic networks.
Proposing new metrics to evaluate web usability for the blind

Accessibility-related regulations and guidelines are contributing to the steady improvement of Web accessibility. There are various accessibility evaluation tools, and they also help Web authors make their pages compliant with guidelines. As a result, an increasing number of Web pages are compliant with the evaluation tools. These days, however, blind people face the serious problem that reading Web pages is quite difficult. Improvements in information density by using visual effects such as two-dimensional layouts are making it difficult for blind people to understand the page structure. Also, inappropriate alternative texts mislead or confuse blind users.In this paper, to evaluate these kinds of usability problems, we introduce two metrics: navigability and listenability. Navigability evaluates how well structured the Web content is by using headings, intra-page links, labels, etc. Listenability denotes how appropriate the alternative texts are. By using these metrics, we summarize the historical transition of Web usability for blind people.
A STUDY OF ARRESTS OF OLDER OFFENDERS: TRENDS AND PATTERNS

ABSTRACT This study examines Uniform Crime report data for the years from 1972 to 1989. It uses arrest data to analyze patterns and changes in the arrests of offenders aged 55 years and older. It presents arguments that age is an important correlate of crime and provides support for traditional theories of age and criminality. Findings show an overall decrease in total arrests for the elderly and increases in arrests for index crimes, property and violent crimes that are below those of the general population. Despite a 27% increase in the elderly population from 1970 to 1987, there has been no concomitant increase in arrests of elderly offenders. Fears of a geriatric crime wave, brought on by the continuing growth of the older segment of the American population, are unfounded.
Compression and shaping of pulses from high power solid state lasers

Pulse compression is discussed as one possible means to overcome the pulse energy limitations imposed by self focusing in high power solid laser systems. Linear and nonlinear processing techniques are compared. In linear systems, a short oscillator pulse is expanded, chirped, and shaped entirely by linear dispersive and filter elements. It is then re-compressed after being amplified. In nonlinear systems, the oscillator pulse is long, and the chirp is created by self phase modulation in a Kerr liquid. A comparison is made between the Gires-Tournois interferometer and the grating pair for use in high energy pulse compression.
Shear elastic constant softening in (V1−xCrx)2O3: Second-order nature of the low temperature phase transition

Abstract From ultrasonic wave velocities in semiconducting, corundum-structured (V1−xCrx)2O3 with x = 0.015 and 0.03, we findthat the C44 shear modulus softens drastically with decreasing temperature. Along with other elastic behavior this indicates a smooth change from rhombohedral to almost hexagonal elastic symmetry before a nearly second-order transition to the low T monoclinic phase.
Identification and characterization of functionally critical, conserved motifs in the internal repeats and N-terminal domain of yeast translation initiation factor 4B (yeIF4B)

eIF4B has been implicated in attachment of the 43 S preinitiation complex (PIC) to mRNAs and scanning to the start codon. We recently determined that the internal seven repeats (of ∼26 amino acids each) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF4B (yeIF4B) compose the region most critically required to enhance mRNA recruitment by 43 S PICs in vitro and stimulate general translation initiation in yeast. Moreover, although the N-terminal domain (NTD) of yeIF4B contributes to these activities, the RNA recognition motif is dispensable. We have now determined that only two of the seven internal repeats are sufficient for wild-type (WT) yeIF4B function in vivo when all other domains are intact. However, three or more repeats are needed in the absence of the NTD or when the functions of eIF4F components are compromised. We corroborated these observations in the reconstituted system by demonstrating that yeIF4B variants with only one or two repeats display substantial activity in promoting mRNA recruitment by the PIC, whereas additional repeats are required at lower levels of eIF4A or when the NTD is missing. These findings indicate functional overlap among the 7-repeats and NTD domains of yeIF4B and eIF4A in mRNA recruitment. Interestingly, only three highly conserved positions in the 26-amino acid repeat are essential for function in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we identified conserved motifs in the NTD and demonstrate functional overlap of two such motifs. These results provide a comprehensive description of the critical sequence elements in yeIF4B that support eIF4F function in mRNA recruitment by the PIC.
A novel method for surface modification to promote cell attachment to hydrophobic substrates

The ability to study and regulate cell behavior at a biomaterial interface requires strict control over material surface chemistry. Perhaps the greatest challenge to researchers working in this area is preventing the fouling of a given surface due to uncontrolled protein adsorption. This work describes a method for coupling peptides to hydrophobic materials for the purpose of simultaneously preventing nonspecific protein adsorption and controlling cell adhesion. A hexapeptide containing the ubiquitous RGD cell-adhesion motif was coupled to polystyrene (PS) via a polyethylene oxide (PEO) tether in the form of a modified PEO/PPO/PEO triblock copolymer. Triblocks were adsorbed onto PS at a density of 3.3 +/- (5.14 x 10(-4)) mg/m2 (1.4 x 10(5) +/- 2.12 x 10(1) molecules/microm2), which was determined by isotope 125I labeling. The peptide, GRGDSY, was activated at the N terminus with N-Succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate and coupled to immobilized triblocks where the terminal hydroxyls had been converted to sulfhydryl groups. Surface peptide density was measured by amino acid analysis and found to be 1.4 x 10(4) +/- 0.47 x 10(4) molecules/microm2. PS modified with PEO/PPO/PEO copolymers alone was found to be inert to cell adhesion both in the presence of serum proteins and when exposed to activated RGD peptide. In contrast, PS conjugated with RGD via endgroup-activated PEO/PPO/PEO copolymers supported cell adhesion and spreading. The surface coupling scheme reported here should prove valuable for studying cell-ligand interactions under simplified and highly controlled conditions.
Two Distinct Low-pH Steps Promote Entry of Vaccinia Virus

Entry of vaccinia virus into cells occurs by an endosomal route as well as through the plasma membrane. Evidence for an endosomal pathway was based on findings that treatment at a pH of <6 of mature virions attached to the plasma membrane enhances entry, whereas inhibitors of endosomal acidification reduce entry. Inactivation of infectivity by low-pH treatment of virions prior to membrane attachment is characteristic of many viruses that use the endosomal route. Nevertheless, we show here that the exposure of unattached vaccinia virus virions to low pH at 37 degrees C did not alter their infectivity. Instead, such treatment stably activated virions as indicated by their accelerated entry upon subsequent addition to cells, as measured by reporter gene expression. Moreover, the rate of entry was not further enhanced by a second low-pH treatment following adsorption to the plasma membrane. However, the entry of virions activated prior to adsorption remained sensitive to inhibitors of endosomal acidification, whereas virions treated with low pH after adsorption were resistant. Activation of virions by low pH was closely mimicked by proteinase digestion, suggesting that the two treatments operate through a related mechanism. Although proteinase cleavage of the virion surface proteins D8 and A27 correlated with activation, mutant viruses constructed by individually deleting these genes did not exhibit an activated phenotype. We propose a two-step model of vaccinia virus entry through endosomes, in which activating or unmasking the fusion complex by low pH or by proteinase is rate limiting but does not eliminate a second low-pH step mediating membrane fusion.
CCNU in combination chemotherapy for advanced histologically unfavorable non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

During a 3-year period 39 evaluable patients with stage III and IV non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and unfavorable histologies were treated with a unique chemotherapeutic regimen based on a modified CHOP combination to which was added the nitrosourea, CCNU. Complete response was observed in six of 15 (40%) patients with diffuse poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (DPDL), four of 11 (36%) with diffuse mixed histiocytic lymphocytic (DML), and seven of 13 (54%) with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma (DHL). Of the 17 patients who achieved complete response, nine (53%) have remained continuously disease-free for>2.5 years (2.7–4.1 years) from the onset of therapy: four of six with DPDL, two of four with DML, and three of seven with DHL. Median survival was 18.9 months for all patients, 18.9 months for those with DPDL, 17.4 months for those with DML, and 9.7 months for those with DHL. The median survival has not been reached for patients who attained a complete response, and will exceed 3.3 years. Central nervous system relapse was observed in three patients. In general, toxicity was moderate and consisted primarily of leukopenia, nausea, vomiting, and neurotoxicity. There were no drug-related deaths. The addition of CCNU to a modified CHOP combination resulted in an effective, generally welltolerated out-patient regimen. However, it did not appear to decrease the rate of CNS relapse or improve current treatment results observed with other adriamycin-containing regimens for similar patients.
The USA Patriot Act: Coming to Terms with Silenced Voices

AbstractDomestic and international issues of the 1990s form an incendiary combination of controversies that heightened American fears, anger, and sensitivity to the politics of difference and provide the background for the passing of the Patriot Act of 2001. The author argues that censorship occurs with the silencing of voices in a democracy and describes the control of voice in the post-USA Patriot Act era, where the danger of censorial power resides in secrecy combined with indeterminacy.
Evaluating the mechanical performance of supercritical CO2 fabricated polymide 6,6/PMMA, fiber reinforced composites

Recent advancements in SC CO 2 mediated synthesis and material processing have led to polymer-polymer blends and composite materials with complex morphologies, exhibiting long-range order and orientation on multiple length-scales from the nanometer to the centimeter scale. The material under consideration in this work is a polyamide 6,6 (nylon)/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fiber-reinforced composite that was fabricated in a unique SC CO 2 assisted process. The tensile and flexural properties of these unique composites are studied and the evolution of damage and energy dissipation are monitored through cyclic loading and microscopic analysis of post-stressed composite cross sections. It is shown that this morphology leads to improved flexural modulus and increased ultimate strength with only a small decrease in tensile modulus. These composites also exhibited significant improvements in stress distribution and load transfer without the use of fiber sizing agents for fiber/matrix compatibilization.
WOMEN AND MIDDLE-AGED INDIVIDUALS REPORT USING MORE PROSPECTIVE MEMORY AIDS

Prospective memory use was compared for men and women (N = 112 normal adults) using three age groups, under 40, 40–59, and over 60. The Prospective Memory Aids Questionnaire developed for this study had good test reliability over 4 wk. for internal, external, and total memory aids. Women reported using prospective memory aids, both external and internal, more frequently than men. All participants employed more types of external than internal aids and used them more frequently. The relationship between age and use of prospective memory aid was more complex. Middle-aged participants employed more external aids than younger and older participants. Use of memory aids, especially external ones, increased as prospective memory demands increased. A major finding was the significant interaction of age with sex which indicated that women increased their use of memory aids in the middle-age group while men showed decreases across age groups.
Note on Hydrocarbons, No. 1: Saturated Hydrocarbons

A new nomenclature system for the linear saturated hydrocarbons is proposed. It has many advantages including determination of the physical properties of hydrocarbons.
Topology of plasma equilibria and the current closure condition.

A virtually complete description of the topology of stationary incompressible Euler flows and the magnetic field satisfying the magnetostatic equation is given by a theorem due to Arnol'd. We apply this theorem to describe the topology of stationary states of plasmas with significant fluid flow, obeying the Hall magnetohydrodynamics model equations. In the context of the integrability (nonchaotic topology) of the magnetic and velocity fields, we discuss the validity of conditions analogous to that of Greene and Johnson, which, in the case of magnetostatic equations, states that the line integral {integral}dl/B is the same for each closed magnetic field line on a given magnetic surface. We also show how this property follows from the existence of a continuous volume-preserving symmetry of the magnetic field.
Asymmetry in the emotional content of lateralised multimodal hallucinations following right thalamic stroke

The thalamus has been described as a "relay station" for sensory information from most sensory modalities projecting to cortical areas. Therefore injury to the thalamus may result in multimodal sensory and motor deficits. In the present study, a 61-year-old woman suffered a right thalamic cerebral vascular accident (CVA; as evidenced by a computerised tomography [CT] scan). Secondary to this incident, she complained of altered sensations across multiple sensory modalities, including olfactory, visual, auditory, tactile, temperature, and pain sensation. Interestingly, during recovery from the thalamic CVA, the patient reported hallucinations in all the modalities cited above. Multimodal dysaethesias (odd sensations) and hallucinations showed reliable laterality in the affective valence across modalities with positive associations within right hemispace and negative associations within left hemispace. Overall, the results support multimodal role of the thalamus and provide evidence for lateralisation of positive and negative affect within the right and left hemispheres respectively.