cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dependence of the vaporization behavior of actinide oxides on the electronic nature of the actinide atoms

Abstract The electronic configurations of the actinide elements provide insights into the properties and chemistries of these elements and their compounds. It is the stability of these electronic structures which determines oxidation states and oxide stoichiometries, but these states are also important in less obvious aspects, such as the vaporization of oxides. Recent systematic evaluations of the vaporization/decomposition behavior of actinide oxides as a function of atomic number have provided important clues for understanding the underlying role of the actinide's f electrons in the vaporization of their oxides. The major factor in determining the primary mode of vaporization of the actinide oxides is the magnitude of the element's monoxide dissociation energy, which is linked to the promotion energy for the actinide's f electrons. This relationship provides both correlative and predictive methodologies for these actinide oxides. Some recent information on actinide oxide properties, the vaporization behavior of selected actinide oxides, and the systematic correlation of vaporization behavior with the electronic nature of the actinide are summarized here.
Circular Dichroism and UV-Visible Absorption Spectra of the Langmuir-Blodgett Films of an Aggregating Helicene

Nonracemic helicene 1 forms high-quality Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films, in which the molecules are organized in parallel columns with their edges exposed to the surface. Evidence for the edge-on exposure is the molecular area of a monolayer on water and, as determined by X-ray diffraction, the similarity of the interlayer spacings of multilayers to the diameters of the molecular columns that constitute nonracemic 1 in bulk. Evidence of the organization into parallel columns includes the linear dichroism of the films and the 180° periodicity with which rotating the films varies the amounts by which plane polarized light is rotated, the intensities of the second harmonics generated, and the films' degree of anisotropy. The circular dichroisms of a 10-layer LB film could be resolved from the effects of linear dichroism and linear birefringence. The CD and UV−vis absorption spectra of the films are similar to those of solutions in which the molecules are aggregated, not isolated. The measurement of a CD spectr...
Perceptions of coercive sexual behavior by males and females

In this study male and female subjects were given six vignettes depicting heterosexual interactions between acquaintances. The vignettes described sexual advances representing different points along a coerciveness continuum. The gender of the aggressor and the victim were varied. The subjects were then asked to indicate their perception of the degree of coerciveness involved. In addition, they were asked to attribute both positive and negative feelings to the victim. The results indicated that male subjects perceived these sexual advances as slightly more coercive when the victim was a female, whereas females perceived the advances as slightly more coercive when the victim was a male. Also, there was a tendency to view the low-coercion activities as more coercive when the males were the victim, whereas the opposite was true for the vignettes rated high on coercion, especially the one describing physical coercion. The attributions of positive and negative feelings tended to parallel the coerciveness ratings. Typically, the more coercive activity was seen as, the less positive feelings and more negative feelings the subjects attributed to the victim. The results were discussed in terms of stereotypical beliefs regarding the sexuality of males and females and attribution theory.
INTRODUCING EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATION AND OFFSETTING COST OF REMEDIATION IN DETERMINING FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR EMINENT DOMAIN AWARDS: A REVIEW OF INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ACQUISITION LAW

The issue is whether evidence of contamination is admissible and remediation costs may be offset in determining fair market value in eminent domain proceedings. The answer will depend on an analysis of methods of valuation and local acquisition statutes; economic impact of environmental regulation; effectiveness of attempts to resolve issues of environmental liability in the context of eminent domain proceedings; preclusive or nonpreclusive effect of the determination of value on future liability for environmental remediation; and use of the property. To understand these issues, an acquiring agency should view an eminent domain proceeding from the clear vantage point of a potential defendant or plaintiff in an environmental case. How these questions can be decided consistently with both local acquisition law and the other bodies of state and federal environmental law is the subject of a variety of recent court decisions. The theme that arises from the cases is that it appears fair to discount the valuatio...
Stability of carboplatin and oxaliplatin in their infusion solutions is due to self-association.

Carboplatin and oxaliplatin are commonly used platinum anticancer agents that are sold as ready-to-use aqueous infusion solutions with shelf lives of 2 and 3 years, respectively. The observed rate constants for the hydrolysis of these drugs, however, are too large to account for their long shelf lives. We here use electrospray-trap mass spectrometry to show that carboplatin and oxaliplatin are self-associated at concentrations in their ready-to-use infusion solutions (∼27 mM and 13 mM, respectively) and, as expected, when the drug concentration is reduced to more physiologically relevant concentrations (100 μM and 5 μM, respectively) the association equilibrium is shifted in favor of the monomeric forms of these drugs. Using 1H NMR we measure the intensity of the NH resonance of the two symmetry-equivalent NH3 molecules of carboplatin, relative to the intensity of the γ-methylene CH resonance, as a function of total drug concentration. Then, by fitting the data to models of different molecularity, we show that the association complex is a dimer with a monomer–dimer association constant of K (M−1) = 391 ± 127. The work presented here shows that carboplatin and oxaliplatin mainly exist as association complexes in concentrated aqueous solution, a property that accounts for the long term stability of their ready-to-use infusion solutions, and that these association complexes may exist, to some extent, in the blood after injection.
Molecular Mechanism of Action of Plant DRM De Novo DNA Methyltransferases

DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic gene-regulation mechanism. DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE (DRM) is a key de novo methyltransferase in plants, but how DRM acts mechanistically is poorly understood. Here, we report the crystal structure of the methyltransferase domain of tobacco DRM (NtDRM) and reveal a molecular basis for its rearranged structure. NtDRM forms a functional homodimer critical for catalytic activity. We also show that Arabidopsis DRM2 exists in complex with the small interfering RNA (siRNA) effector ARGONAUTE4 (AGO4) and preferentially methylates one DNA strand, likely the strand acting as the template for RNA polymerase V-mediated noncoding RNA transcripts. This strand-biased DNA methylation is also positively correlated with strand-biased siRNA accumulation. These data suggest a model in which DRM2 is guided to target loci by AGO4-siRNA and involves base-pairing of associated siRNAs with nascent RNA transcripts.
Entrepreneurial Dynamics in the Context of a Natural Disaster: 27F in Chile

What is the effect of a natural disaster on entrepreneurial intentions and behaviors? Borrowing from theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985), this study explores the moderating effect of a natural...
A simple method for measuring protein degradation in bacteria

Abstract We describe a rapid and simple method for measuring protein degradation in bacteria. After cells have incorporated [1-14C]leucine, they are washed and resuspended in a medium containing unlabelled leucine. After an incubation period, the cell suspensions are treated with chloramine-T to decarboxylate the [14C]leucine released in the course of protein degradation. The 14CO2 is trapped and counted.
Formation pathway of a Mn(IV),Mn(IV) bis(μ-oxo) dimer that incorporates alkali and alkaline earth cations and electron transfer properties of the dimer

Abstract The oxidation of (3,3′-17-crown-6-SALPN)Mn(II) with O 2 in CH 3 CN resulted in formation of the corresponding Mn(IV),Mn(IV) bis(μ-oxo) dimer ( 2 ). A 16 O 2 / 18 O 2 labeling experiment, in which the product was analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), showed no detectable quantity of the mixed-isotope product [(3,3′-17-crown-6(SALPN))Mn(IV)] 2 (μ- 16 O)(μ- 18 O), suggesting a simple O–O bond cleavage/bis(μ-oxo) dimer formation pathway that does not include Mn–O monomers. Alkali or alkaline earth cations were incorporated into the crown ether portion of each ligand. Upon addition of 2 equiv. of NaPF 6 , KPF 6 , CaTf 2 , or BaTf 2 (Tf is [SO 3 CF 3 ] − ) to a slurry of 2 in CH 3 CN, 2 ·2NaPF 6 , 2 ·2KPF 6 , 2 ·2CaTf 2 , or 2 ·2BaTf 2 formed. All of the complexes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry. Anodic potential shifts were recorded for the Mn(IV),Mn(IV/III)(μ-O) 2 and Mn(IV/III),Mn(III)(μ-O) 2 redox processes upon cation incorporation into 2 . The voltammetry of some of the complexes was suggestive of cation motion toward the Mn 2 O 2 core following the injection of the first electron.
Hyperintense lesions in brain MRI after exposure to a mercuric chloride-containing skin whitening cream

Exposure to inorganic mercury (Hg) is a serious problem presenting with a combination of neurological and psychiatric symptoms along with weight loss, pruritus, erythema, arterial hypertension, tachycardia, and renal tubular dysfunction. We report a 4-year-old girl with chronic intoxication of inorganic mercury secondary to the accidental use of an Hg₂Cl₂- and HgCl₂-containing skin whitening cream (urine level of Hg, 41.1 μg/l; reference level, < 25 μg/l). Under treatment with dimercapto-1-propansulficacid, Hg level in the urine raised to 1,175.5 μg/l, neurological deterioration occurred, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed on fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences new hyperintense lesions in the subcortical white matter. After 4 months, clinical signs and symptoms and brain MRI findings resolved. This is a first case of inorganic mercury poisoning showing hyperintense lesions in brain MRI and confirms earlier cases showing transient deterioration during chelation therapy. Although urinary excretion could be enhanced during chelation therapy, signs and symptoms of intoxication could be worsened.
Characterization of thymocytes expressing the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen

Abstract We studied the relationship between CALLA + thymocytes and two known markers of T-lymphocyte differentiation, Tdt and the sheep erythrocyte receptor. Thymocytes were studied using double fluorochrome analysis (with monoclonal anti-CALLA antibody and anti-Tdt) before and after E rosette separation. We found that approx. 4% of unseparated thymocytes were CALLA + and that most CALLA + cells were also Tdt+. After E rosettes separation CALLA + Tdt + cells were found mostly in the ER- fraction (20% of ER- cells) while only 1.0% of ER + cells were CALLA +. The expression of CALLA on ER− Tdt + thymocytes suggests that CALLA may defined cells early in T-cell differentiation.
Financing the American Civil War: Developing new tax sources:

The American Civil War was expected to be short and financed through additional borrowing. As Northern military setbacks mounted, it became obvious that the war would be long, bloody, and expensive...
RELATIVE BLOOD FLOW TO THE GASTRIC LESSER CURVATURE OF THE DOG.

Blood flow to the tissues of the gastric lesser curvature has been compared with the flow to the rest of the body of the canine stomach by means of the radiopotassium clearance method. Under all the circumstances examined, the lesser curvature had at least as great a perfusion rate as the rest of the stomach. These observations lend no support to the suggestion that ulcer localization on the lesser curve is due to a normally existing relative ischemia in that area.
Prescription noncompliance: contribution to emergency department visits and cost

Abstract We randomly surveyed 100 patients in the acute care section of a large urban university hospital Emergency Department (ED) on 6 days with regard to the existence of and reasons for prescription noncompliance. Noncompliance was considered a major factor contributing to the ED visit if: (1) no medications had been taken for at least 48 h before the ED visit; (2) the medications, when previously taken, had routinely controlled the condition for which the patient was presenting to the ED; and (3) no other significant cause or illness was believed to have precipitated the ED visit. ED, admissions, and yearly medication costs were calculated for all patients. Noncompliance was found to be a contributing factor in the cases of 22 patients (22%). The most common medications involved were phenytoin and albuterol. Cost was the most common reason for noncompliance (11 [50%]). The average ED charge per noncompliant patient discharged was $576.61. Six noncompliant patients were admitted at an average cost of $4,834.62. The average cost of a year’s medication was $520.72. Noncompliance with drug prescriptions is a significant contributor to ED visits and health care costs.
Inequalities generated by the gamma function

We prove sharp inequalities for arbitrary complex vectors and weights generated by the gamma function. Some limiting cases and applications are discussed. They include general combinatorial, exponential, and integral inequalities.
Edge effects of an invasive species across a natural ecological boundary

Natural habitats adjacent to human-modified areas often suffer edge effects stemming from physical disturbance, elevated predator densities, or invasive species. Although seldom documented, detrimental edge effects can also occur at natural ecological boundaries. Here I examine the spatial pattern and ecological effects of a biological invasion at well-delineated and abrupt edges between riparian corridors and coastal sage scrub at 10 sites in southwestern California. The invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile thrives in moist riparian corridors but decreases greatly in number with increasing distance into adjacent dry scrub habitats. As L. humile numbers decrease, both the number of native ant workers and the number of native ant species captured in pitfall traps increase. Argentine ants appear to suppress native ants within at least 50 m of riparian corridors, but these effects diminish to undetectable levels by 200 m. At comparable uninvaded sites neither the number of native ant workers nor the number of native ant species captured in pitfall traps varies significantly across riparian-scrub edges. Areas subject to this edge effect may be sinks both for native ants and for organisms that depend on them for food or services. In general edge effects occurring at natural boundaries should receive increased attention as they might disrupt ecosystems not greatly altered by human activity.
Strontium toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

The Drosophila strains v;bw and Austin represent the extremes in resistance and sensitivity, respectively, to the toxic effects of CdCl2 in the diet. Using the six genotypes containing the possible combinations of the three main chromosomes for v;bw and Austin, we had shown previously that the gene(s) for cadmium resistance is on the X-chromosome. In this paper it is shown, using the same six genotypes, that the gene(s) for strontium resistance is on the second chromosome, as measured by LC50 values.
A Full Variational Calculation Based on a Tensor ProductDecomposition

A new direct full variational approach exploits a tensor (Kronecker) product decomposition of the Hamiltonian. Explicit assembly and storage of the Hamiltonian matrix is avoided by using the Kronecker product structure to form matrix-vector products directly from the molecular integrals. Computation-intensive integral transformations and formula tapes are unnecessary. The wavefunction is expanded in terms of spin-free primitive kets rather than Staler determinants of configuration state functions, and the expansion is equivalent to a full configuration interaction expansion. The approach suggests compact storage schemes and algorithms which are naturally suited to parallel and pipelined machines.
The ecological antecedents of terrorism

The global 'war on terror' is wreaking havoc on the natural environment and involving increasing number of organisations. This paper invites sustainability and strategic management studies scholars to explore the relations between terrorism and ecology. In several terrorism prone areas of the world, the disruption of ecological systems that support human populations is an important antecedent to the economic and social conditions that breed terrorism. By examining the ecological and economic patterns in Somalia and Afghanistan, this paper reveals ecological antecedents of terrorism. The author concludes that we can deal with terrorism more effectively and at a lower cost by going beyond the current narrow military response. We need to further study relations between ecology and terrorism and engage policies for ecologically sustainable development of terrorism prone regions.
Civil Servants on the Silver Screen: The Depiction of Government in American and Australian Cinema

With the prevalence of government, it is unsurprising to find it frequently represented on the silver screen. But, with the ability of film to influence perceptions and attitudes, questions arise, including: how is government portrayed on the silver screen? Are government bureaucrats berated or praised? This research examines the representation of government—and civil servants in particular—in a comparative setting. The top 100 box office grossing films of all time in the United States and Australia were selected to address the question: how do these films in the United States and Australia depict government? This study analyzes these 200 films and the more than 400 government characters in these films and suggests that government in both American and Australian films does not fare well. However, despite the generally negative—or at best mixed—depictions of government overall, individual government characters fare better.
Plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor α Predicts Decreased Long‐Term Survival in Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis

Plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) were measured in plasma samples obtained from 23 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis on admission and after 30 days of hospitalization. Over a 2-year follow-up period, 14 patients died at a mean time of 8 months following discharge. The presence of elevated plasma TNF alpha either at admission or discharge from the hospital was associated with death in 82% (14/17) of patients. By contrast absence of elevated plasma TNF alpha was associated with survival in 100% (6/6). The difference in survival with and without detectable plasma TNF alpha was significant at p = 0.0022. Plasma TNF alpha was not elevated in alcoholic patients without clinically apparent liver disease, with alcoholic cirrhosis, or in nonalcoholic healthy controls. Plasma IL-1 alpha was also significantly increased in alcoholic hepatitis whereas IL-1 beta was not. Neither IL-1 alpha nor beta was correlated with outcome in the alcoholic hepatitis group. It is concluded that the presence of elevated plasma TNF alpha is a significant predictor of decreased long-term survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis.
Numerical analysis of one-dimensional nonlinear large-strain consolidation by the finite element method

The nonlinear partial differential equation model of Gibson et al. which governs one-dimensional large-strain consolidation is solved numerically using a semi-discrete formulation involving a Galerkin weighted residual approach. The use of quadratic Lagrange basis functions usually complicates the task of solving the system of time-dependent ordinary differential equations that are obtained with the semi-discrete Galerkin procedure. However, an efficient algorithm has been discovered yielding the advantages of quadratic interpolation without undue computational burden.
Light scattering investigation of phase separation in a micelle system

Abstract A real-time, two-dimensional light scattering study is reported of the evolution of structure in a two-component non-ionic micelle system during phase separation via spinodal decomposition. The principal finding is that domain growth proceeds much slower than the cube root of time prediction for simple binary fluids. In fact, the growth kinetics can be empirically described as a stretched exponential approach to a pinned domain size. Although the kinetics are not yet understood, this anomalous behavior may be due to the ability of the spherical micelles to reorganize into more complex structures. The domain structure also shows some anomalies. Although at short times the expected structure factor for a critical quench is observed, at long times the structure factor crosses over to the off-critical form. However, in all cases the average scattered intensity is proportional to the cube of the domain size. These findings are discussed by comparison with standard theories of and experimental work on binary fluids.
The influence of sex, dose, time, and cross on neoplasia in mice given benzidine dihydrochloride

Abstract Mice were provided ad libitum water containing 0, 30, 60, 120, 200, or 400 ppm benzidine dihydrochloride for 40, 60, or 80 weeks. Initially there were 864 mice of both sexes of two crosses, monohybrid cross and F-1 cross. The monohybrid cross was genetically heterogeneous and was produced from the genetically homogenous F-1 cross. Groups of mice from both crosses and both sexes were terminated at 40, 60, and 80 weeks for pathological evaluation. Statistical analyses of animal weights, water consumption, hepatic cellular alteractions, liver tumor incidence, liver tumor survival, and time-to-first appearance of a liver tumor were performed. Average animal weights decreased as the dose of benzidine increased. There was a corresponding decrease in water consumption with increased dose. Positive associations between incidences of basophilic and acidophilic hepatic foci of cellular alterations, hepatocellular adenomas, and hepatocellular carcinomas were noted in females but similar associations were not noted in males. ED50s calculated from liver tumor incidence for the three termination periods ranged from a low of 54 ppm (F-1 cross and monohybrid cross 80-week females) to a high of 2799 ppm (F-1 cross 40-week males). There were significant differences among the liver tumor survival distributions for all four cross-sex combinations, attributable in all four cases to significant dose-related trends. The estimated time-to-first appearance of a liver tumor was also dose related. The estimated mean time-to-liver tumor ranged from 9 months at 400 ppm to 18 months at 60 ppm in females and 15 months at 400 ppm to 23 months at 60 ppm in males. Five months was estimated for an animal to die of a tumor following the first appearance of the tumor for both sexes and both crosses, irrespective of dose. In all responses mentioned above there were minor differences observed between the two crosses but major differences in response were observed between the sexes for both crosses.
Homegardens in Smallholder Farming Systems: Examples From Bangladesh

Homegardens are integral part of rural households in Bangladesh. The present study examines some physical, biological, and socioeconomic characteristics of 32 homegardens randomly selected from four villages representing different agro-ecological conditions, variable population densities, and market opportunities. The study results suggest that large numbers of plant and animal species occupy homegardens, and their composition and intensity of cultivation vary directly with the household physiologic density and access to urban markets, and inversely with environmental constraints to agriculture. Homegardens form the activity space for household women and children, who perform most homegarden farming tasks. Uses of home generated inputs at no or low cost make homegardens economically more efficient and sustainable compared to non-homegarden rice farming. In the context of the intensive subsistence agriculture patterns that dominate Bangladesh, homegardens contribute significantly to smallholder household income.
Cancer incidence in alaska natives

A survey of cancer incidence among Alaska Natives for the 5-year period 1969–73 revealed fewer cancer cases overall than expected in relation to US rates, but significantly increased risk for certain cancer sites: the nasopharynx in both sexes (with excesses over 15-fold), the liver in males, and the salivary glands, gallbladder, kidney and thyroid in females. Compared with earlier reports, the observations suggest marked changes in cancer incidence among Alaska Natives over the past two decades, with declines in esophageal and invasive cervical cancers, and increases in cancers of the lung, colon and rectum. Incidence Du Cancer Chez Les Natifs De L'alaska Une etude de l'incidence du cancer chez les natifs de l'Alaska pendant la periode quinquennale 1969–73 a revele un nombre global de cas de cancer moins eleve que prevu par rapport aux taux des Etats-Unis, mais un risque significativement accru pour certaines localisations: le nasopharynx pour les deux sexes (avec des taux au moins 15 fois plus eleves que la normale), le foie chez les hommes, et les glandes salivaires, la vesicule biliaire, les reins et la thyroide chez les femmes. Si l'on se refere a des rapports anterieurs, on constate que ces observations mettent en evidence de nettes modifications de l'incidence du cancer chez les natifs de l'Alaska depuis les vingt dernieres annees, avec une diminution des cancers de l'aesophage et des cancers invasifs du col de l'uterus, et une augmentation des cancers du poumon, du cǒlon et du rectum.
Relaxation behavior of polymer blends after the cessation of shear

We investigated the relaxation of a binary polybutadiene/polyisoprene blend after the cessation of steady-state shear using both in situ optical microscopy (OM) and light scattering (LS). Through fast Fourier transforms of the micrographs, we were able to directly relate our LS patterns with the real space morphology. In the steady state we observed ellipsoidal domains and strings. Upon the cessation of shear, these morphologies relaxed to the equilibrium morphology via a variety of mechanisms. After low shear rates were applied, coalescence between domains of random spatial distribution occurred. If the shear rate previously applied was sufficiently high, the strings were found to break up into small droplets forming necklace-like structures. The nonrandom spatial distribution created by shearing resulted in a long-lasting anisotropy at rest. If the previously applied shear rate was further increased, thermodynamic effects became important and anisotropies relaxed very fast as a consequence. A spinodal pattern in both real space and in the LS patterns was found to occur during the relaxation process.
A preliminary examination of adolescent girls' perceptions of the parental knowledge of their boyfriends.

Abstract Study Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe adolescent girls' perceptions of their parents' contact with and knowledge of the girls' boyfriends. A second objective was to determine if knowledge was related to demographic characteristics of the girls or aspects of the relationship with their boyfriend. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from an interview with adolescent girls enrolled in a longitudinal study. Setting: Urban adolescent medicine clinic. Participants: Adolescent girls (n = 109) with a mean age of 17.6 (range 14.9–19.3 yr). Eighty percent were African-American and 20% were Caucasian. Results: Most girls reported that their parents had some contact (either in person or on the phone) with their boyfriends. Thirteen girls reported that their parents did not know their boyfriends well, 40 reported that their parents knew their boyfriends somewhat, and 56 reported that their parents knew their boyfriends well. Age, race, and sexual experience were not related to how well the parents knew the boyfriend. Girls who had been involved with their boyfriends longer, believed that their relationship would last longer, were more satisfied, were more likely to tell their boyfriends private information and were more likely to describe their parents as knowing their boyfriends well. Conclusions: These results provide an initial description of girls' perceptions of their parents' relationships with their boyfriends. It would be important to understand how to utilize the information regarding these parental-boyfriend relationships to further adolescent girls' development of healthy (both psychologically and physically) relationships.
Mechanistic investigations of the palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using (-)-sparteine.

The mechanistic details of the Pd(II)/(−)-sparteine-catalyzed aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols were elucidated, and the origin of asymmetric induction was determined. Saturation kinetics were observed for rate dependence on [(−)-sparteine]. First-order rate dependencies were observed for both the Pd((−)-sparteine)Cl2 concentration and the alcohol concentration at high and low [(−)-sparteine]. The oxidation rate was inhibited by addition of (−)-sparteine HCl. At low [(−)-sparteine], Pd-alkoxide formation is proposed to be rate limiting, while at high [(−)-sparteine], β-hydride elimination is proposed to be rate determining. These conclusions are consistent with the measured kinetic isotope effect of kH/kD = 1.31 ± 0.04 and a Hammett ρ value of −1.41 ± 0.15 at high [(−)-sparteine]. Calculated activation parameters agree with the change in the rate-limiting step by increasing [(−)-sparteine] with ΔH⧧ = 11.55 ± 0.65 kcal/mol, ΔS⧧ = −24.5 ± 2.0 eu at low [(−)-sparteine], and ΔH⧧ = 20....
Changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate-phosphodiesterase activity in nonpregnant and pregnant human myometrium.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-phosphodiesterase is the enzyme responsible for cyclic adenosine monophosphate degradation. We investigated the kinetic behavior of this enzyme in the myometrium of women who were nonpregnant, pregnant at term not in labor, and pregnant at term in active labor. Phosphodiesterase activity was measured in the 100,000 g supernatant by the two-step isotopic procedure. The Km (Michaelis constant) value remains essentially unchanged from the nonpregnant to the pregnant state and subsequent labor in both the low and the high affinity enzymes. During pregnancy the V max (maximum velocity) is 75% less than in the nonpregnant state (p
THE PREVENTION OF POSTHEMORRHAGIC HYDROCEPHALUS WITH SERIAL LUMBAR PUNCTURES: A CONTROLLED TRIAL

We studied the efficiency of serial lumbar punctures in the prevention of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in thirty preterm infants with moderate to large (Grade III)intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or parenchymal extension (Grade IV). Twenty-four infants (BW 1129±324g, GA 29±2 wks) were randomly assigned to the treatment group and fourteen infants (BW 1001±256g, GA 27± 2 wks) to controls. Success, defined as stable or decreased ventricular size, or failure, increasing ventricular size requirinq surgical intervention, was determined by serial neurosonography and clinical signs of hydrocephalus (rapidly increasing head circumference with or without signs of increased intracranial pressure).
Safe referential integrity and null constraint structures in relational databases

Abstract Referential integrity and null constraints are extensively used in relational databases for expressing existence dependencies between tuples and restrictions on the way nulls appear in relations, respectively. Referential integrity and null constraints can cause the following data manipulation anomalies: 1. (i) referential integrity and null constraints may block the execution of certain data manipulations, although these manipulations would result in consistent database states, and 2. (ii) depending on the order of enforcing the referential integrity constraints, certain data manipulations may result in different database states, thus being unpredictable. In this paper we examine these anomalies and formally develop safeness conditions for avoiding them.
Survival of patients with the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Between May 1982 and May 1988, 37 patients (28 males and 9 females, mean age 57.6, range 16–76 years) of approximately 600 evaluated for sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation (VT/VF) were treated with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD). Twenty-eight of the patients had coronary artery disease, 7 had nonischemic cardiomyopathy, 1 had amyloid hear disease, and 1 had rheumatic heart disease. The mean ejection fraction was 32.2 ± 12.9% (range, 9–64%). Eleven patients have died at a mean of 16.7 months after implantation. The cumulative survival rate was 81% at 1 year, 77% at 2 years. 68% at 3 years, and 53% at 4, 5, and 6 years. Considering only sudden deaths, the survival was 97% at 1 and 2 years, 90% at 3 years, and 80% at 4, 5, and 6 years. Twenty-one of the 37 patients received spontaneous shocks. If the first shock marks the time to death in the absence of an AICD, the cumulative survival rate would have been 56% at 1 year, 42% at 2 years, 29% at 3 years, and 14% at 4, 5, and 6 years. The maximum amount of time to a first appropriate shock was 39.7 months. Thirty-nine devices have been explanted; 28 for battery depletion; 5 for infections; 3 for improper sensing; 2 for electronic failure; and 1 at the time of cardiac transplantation. The average time to failure of the 28 units removed for battery depletion was 19.8 ±6.9 months. We conclude that in this group of patients, short-term survival is increased by AICD implantation, hut long-term survival remains poor. Incidence of sudden death is reduced to 3% at 1 and 2 years, 10% at 3 years, and 20% after 4 years. Other patient selection criteria may be useful in selecting those patients whose survival will be improved by the AICD.
Absence of erythrocyte adenosine deaminase associated with severe combined immunodeficiency

Hereditary absence of adenosine deaminase activity in erythrocytes was found in an infant with severe combined immunodeficiency. Immunoglobulins were markedly decreased. Lymphocytes failed to transform with either phytohemagglutinin or concanavalin. At autopsy the thymus was rudimentary and there was a striking absence of lymphoid elements throughout the lymphoreticular system. The costochondral junction of the ribs showed widening and cupping of the metaphyseal plates, and the metaphysis of the long bones demonstrated lucent bands suggestive of a defect in ossification. The association of combined immunodeficiency with the genetically determined absence of erythrocyte-type adenosine deaminase appears now to be a specific clinical entity.
High Information Capacity Image Recognition Using Correlated Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) States

We present a novel approach that allows object identification using fewer resources than in conventional pixel-by-pixel imaging by exploiting the enhanced sensitivity of correlated orbital angular momentum states to multiple azimuthal Fourier coefficients.
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF VOLATILE ANAESTHETICS

The volatile inhalation anaesthetics have been implicated in a variety of adverse viscerotoxic reactions. In general, they have been proven to produce very few non-predicted toxicities. Hepatitis caused by halothane now seems to be the only major problem in this regard with these drugs in current practice. The evidence is convincing that this reaction is based initially on biotransformation. Thus decreases in the amount of biotransformation and lessened production of reactive metabolic products would theoretically produce a safer anaesthetic. While not perfect in all circumstances, enflurane and isoflurane come close to achieving the goal of decreased adverse viscerotoxic events.
A Profile Propagation and Information Retrieval Based Ontology Mapping Approach

Ontology has been used widely to help finding relevant information among distributed and heterogeneous sources. Given that no universal ontology exists for the WWW, ontology mapping attracts many researchers' interest in various areas. In this paper we propose a new generic ontology mapping approach based on profile propagation and information retrieval techniques. The features used to establish the profile of a concept include all lexical information (i.e., its name, label, comments, property restriction, etc.). Profile propagation then is used to integrate structural information by adding the profiles of its ancestors, descendants and siblings to the profile of a concept, with different weights. Afterwards profiles are compared in a vector space model and the most relevant one will be returned as mapping results. A search engine is integrated as profile mapper when the size of ontologies is large. Experimental results show that the proposed approach obtained a good performance in OAEI campaign 2006.
Graph partition into paths containing specified vertices

For a graph G, let σ2(G) denote the minimum degree sum of a pair of nonadjacent vertices. Suppose G is a graph of order n. Enomoto and Ota (J. Graph Theory 34 (2000) 163-169) conjectured that, if a partition n = Σi=1k ai is given and σ2(G) Ge; n + k - 1, then for any k distinct vertices υ1,...,υk, G can be decomposed into vertex-disjoint paths P1..., Pk such that |V(Pi)| = ai and υi is an endvertex of Pi. Enomoto and Ota (J. Graph Theory 34 (2000) 163) verified the conjecture for the case where all ai ≤ 5, and the case where k ≤ 3. In this paper, we prove the following theorem, with a stronger assumption of the conjecture. Suppose G is a graph of order n. If a partition n = Σi=1k ai is given and σ2 (G) ≥ Σi=1k max(?? 4/3ai ??, ai + 1) - 1, then for any k distinct vertices υ1,...,υk G can be decomposed into vertex-disjoint paths p1...,Pk such that |V(Pi)| =ai and υi is an endvertex of Pi for all i. This theorem implies that the conjecture is true for the case where all ai ≤ 5 which was proved in (J. Graph Theory 34 (2000) 163-169).
Social Opportunity Causes Rapid Transcriptional Changes in the Social Behaviour Network of the Brain in an African Cichlid Fish

Animals constantly integrate external stimuli with their own internal physiological state to make appropriate behavioural decisions. Little is known, however, about where in the brain the salience of these signals is evaluated, or which neural and transcriptional mechanisms link this integration to adaptive behaviours. We used an African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to test the hypothesis that a new social opportunity activates the conserved ‘social behaviour network’ (SBN), a collection of brain nuclei known to regulate social behaviours across vertebrates. We measured mRNA levels of immediate early genes (IEGs) in microdissected brain regions as a proxy for neuronal activation, and discovered that IEGs were higher in all SBN nuclei in males that were given an opportunity to rise in social rank compared to control stable subordinate and dominant individuals. Furthermore, because the presence of sex-steroid receptors is one defining criteria of SBN nuclei, we also tested whether social opportunity or status influenced androgen and oestrogen receptor mRNA levels within these same regions. There were several rapid region-specific changes in receptor mRNA levels induced by social opportunity, most notably in oestrogen receptor subtypes in areas that regulate social aggression and reproduction, suggesting that oestrogenic signalling pathways play an important role in regulating male status. Several receptor mRNA changes occurred in regions with putative homologies to the mammalian septum and extended amygdala, two regions shared by SBN and reward circuits, suggesting an important role in the integration of social salience, stressors, hormonal state and adaptive behaviours. We also demonstrated increases in plasma sex- and stress-steroids at 30 min after a rise in social rank. This rapid endocrine and transcriptional response suggests that the SBN is involved in the integration of social inputs with internal hormonal state to facilitate the transition to dominant status, which ultimately leads to improved fitness for the previously reproductively-suppressed individual.
Supervised classification for video shot segmentation

In this paper, we explore supervised classification methods for video shot segmentation. We transform the temporal segmentation problem into a multi-class categorization issue. This approach provides a uniform framework for using different kinds of features extracted from the video and for detecting various types of shot boundaries. The approach utilizes manual labeled training data and a simple classification structure, which eliminates arbitrary thresholds and achieves more reliable estimation than previous threshold-based methods. Contrastive experiments on 13 videos (/spl sim/4 hours) show excellent performance on the 2001 TREC video track shot classification task in terms of precision and recall.
Implementation of Quality Management of Base Materials with Seismic Methods: Case Study in Texas

Existing practices for field quality management of unbound layers (base, subbase, and subgrade) rely on the adequacy of parameters such as density and moisture content. However, increasingly accepted mechanistic-empirical pavement design is primarily based on the strength and stiffness of the pavement layers. Therefore, methods to measure the modulus or stiffness of soil layers in the field shortly after construction may lead to a more reliable implementation of that design process. Modulus-based quality management methods may be more beneficial than traditional techniques because they test materials in their natural state. Non-destructive testing methods allow researchers to obtain modulus of pavement layers in a rapid way. Seismic methods are one example of available methods that can be used to measure the modulus of finished unbound layers. Seismic methods are particularly attractive because they yield the same parameter (low-strain modulus) for the lab and field tests and do not require any backcalcul...
Rotating matter waves in Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract In this paper we consider analytically and numerically the dynamics of waves in two-dimensional, magnetically trapped Bose–Einstein condensates in the weak interaction limit. In particular, we consider the existence and stability of azimuthally modulated structures such as rings, multi-poles, soliton necklaces, and vortex necklaces. We show how such structures can be constructed from the linear limit through Lyapunov–Schmidt techniques and continued to the weakly nonlinear regime. Subsequently, we examine their stability, and find that among the above solutions the only one which is always stable is the vortex necklace. The analysis is given for both attractive and repulsive interactions among the condensate atoms. Finally, the analysis is corroborated by numerical bifurcation results, as well as by numerical evolution results that showcase the manifestation of the relevant instabilities.
GPU Acceleration of the Updated Goddard Shortwave Radiation Scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model

Next-generation mesoscale numerical weather prediction system, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, is a designed for dual use for forecasting and research. WRF offers multiple physics options that can be combined in any way. One of the physics options is radiance computation. The major source for energy for the earth's climate is solar radiation. Thus, it is imperative to accurately model horizontal and vertical distribution of the heating. Goddard solar radiative transfer model includes the absorption duo to water vapor, O3, O2, CO2, clouds and aerosols. The model computes the interactions among the absorption and scattering by clouds, aerosols, molecules and surface. Finally, fluxes are integrated over the entire shortwave spectrum from 0.175 μm to 10 μm. In this paper, we develop an efficient graphics processing unit (GPU) based Goddard shortwave radiative scheme. The GPU-based Goddard shortwave scheme was compared to a CPU-based single-threaded counterpart on a computational domain of 422 × 297 horizontal grid points with 34 vertical levels. Both the original FORTRAN code on CPU and CUDA C code on GPU use double precision floating point values for computation. Processing time for Goddard shortwave radiance on CPU is 22106 ms. GPU accelerated Goddard shortwave radiance on 4 GPUs can be computed in 208.8 ms and 157.1 ms with and without I/O, respectively. Thus, the speedups are 116 × with data I/O and 141× without I/O on two NVIDIA GTX 590 s . Using single precision arithmetic and less accurate arithmetic modes the speedups are increased to 536× and 259×, with and without I/O, respectively.
Calculation of fault current contribution of Type I wind turbine-generators

Increasing fault current contribution from wind farms into the utility network presents new engineering challenges for utility protection engineers. Traditionally, sequence component networks are used to calculate fault currents for relay settings, but there is at present uncertainty on the appropriate sequence component models of the various wind generator types for inclusion into protection calculation software. This paper develops a sequence component model for Type I (cage rotor induction generators) wind generators. Time-domain transient simulations of wind turbine-generator fault currents are run using several popular power system simulation packages, including PSCAD/EMTDC, EMTP-RV, and SimPowerSystems; these results are compared with the calculations based on the sequence network circuits, and found to have good agreement.
Transient two-dimensional heat conduction analysis of electronic packages by coupled boundary and finite element methods

Electronic packages experience large temperature excursions during their fabrication and under operational conditions. Inherent to electronic packages are the presence of geometric and material discontinuities. The regions where adhesive bond lines intersect with convective heat-loss surfaces are the most critical locations for failure initiation due to heat flux singularities and extreme thermo-mechanical stresses. Thus, accurate calculation of the flux field, as well as the temperature field, is essential in transient thermo-mechanical stress analysis. Although the finite element method (FEM) is highly efficient and commonly used, its application with conventional elements suffers from poor accuracy in the prediction of the flux field in these regions. The accuracy of the results from the boundary element method (BEM) formulation, which requires computationally intensive time-integration schemes, is much higher than that of the FEM. However, in this study, a novel boundary element-finite element coupling algorithm is developed to investigate transient thermal responses of electronic packages consisting of dissimilar materials.