cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase I pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of cetuximab, irinotecan and sorafenib in advanced colorectal cancer

Background This phase Ib study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated doses (MTD) and dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) of irinotecan and cetuximab with sorafenib. Secondary objectives included characterizing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and evaluating preliminary antitumor activity in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Patients with metastatic, pretreated CRC were treated at five dose levels. Results Eighteen patients were recruited with median age 56.5 years. In the first five patients treated, 2 irinotecan related DLTs were observed. With reduced dose intensity irinotecan, there were no further DLTs. The most common toxicities were diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, anorexia and rash. DLTs included neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Two patients had partial responses (one with a KRAS mutation) and 8 had stable disease (8–36 weeks). The median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 2.5 and 4.7 months respectively. Pharmacokinetic analyses suggest sorafenib and metabolite exposure correlate with OS and DLTs. Conclusions The recommended phase II dose (RP2D) is irinotecan 100 mg/m2 i.v. days 1, 8; cetuximab 400 mg/m2 i.v. days 1 and 250 mg/m2 i.v. weekly; and sorafenib 400 mg orally twice daily in advanced, pretreated CRC. The combination resulted in a modest response rate.
An extension of Noether's theorem to transformations involving position-dependent parameters and their derivatives

Guided by the example of gauge transformations associated with classical Yang-Mills fields, a very general class of transformations is considered. The explicit representation of these transformations involves not only the independent and the dependent field variables, but also a set of position-dependent parameters together with their first derivatives. The stipulation that an action integral associated with the field variables be invariant under such transformations gives rise to a set of three conditions involving the Lagrangian and its derivatives, together with derivatives of the functions that define the transformations. These invariance identities constitute an extension of the classical theorem of Noether to general transformations of this kind. An application to the case of gauge fields demonstrates the existence of two distinct types of conservation laws for such fields.
Colorectal cancer screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant neoplasm worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It is estimated that there will have been 150,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2010 and more than 50,000 deaths as a result of this disease. Although there has been an increase in CRC screening rates from 30% in 1997 to 55% in 2008, it remains much lower than the 80% screening rates for breast cancer. Evidence suggests that CRC screening is simultaneously underused in patients who would derive benefit from screening, overused in patients with advanced age or comorbidities who would not derive benefit, and misused when abnormal results are not appropriately followed up or inadequate testing is performed. Compliance with CRC screening was primarily driven by primary care provider recommendations. Providers must be able to categorize patients as either average-risk or increased-risk based on personal and family history of CRC or adenomatous polyps. Reviewing the family history for CRC or polyps should be part of routine health maintenance. Screening for average-risk individuals should begin at age 50 and continue until age 75. Average-risk African-American men should begin CRC screening at age 45. Individuals at increased risk should begin screening at age 40 or 10 years before the earliest age of diagnosis in a family member. Colonoscopy has been recognized as the preferred method for CRC screening in the United States, and with regular screening more than 60% of deaths from CRC can be prevented.
Creating an Online Television Archive, 1987–2013

The growth of television, and in particular television news, has created a challenge in preserving and providing access to the resulting material. At the same time, technology has opened many opportunities to capture this information and make it more widely available. In some ways, it is a race of technology against the speed of content creation. In this paper, we describe a very successful archival project that records, indexes, archives and makes available the totality of the programming of the U.S. based C-SPAN television network, a nonprofit network that telecasts the entirety of the U.S. congressional proceedings, hearings, presidential speeches and other public policy events. As such, it is an archive of unedited primary source events. The use of evolving technology over 25 years has made this archive possible and it exists free on the Internet for world-wide access.
Influence of carrier diffusion effects on window thickness of semiconductor detectors

Carrier diffusion effects within the depletion region can have a large influence in determining the window thickness x_w of surface barrier detectors. If the surface is assumed to be a perfect sink, carrier diffusion (against the drift field) to the surface leads to x_w ≈ kT/qE where E is the field at the surface. Calculated values of x_w are in reasonable agreement with previously published values of window thicknesses. Surface preparation techniques can influence the amount of charge lost, as can plasma erosion times.
Gamma radiation sensitivity of malathion-resistant strains of the Indian meal moth

Tests were made of the relative gamma-radiation sensitivity of 2 malathion-resistant strains of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner). Pairs of moths from each strain were irradiated with 5 krad, and their fecundity was compared with that of nonirradiated pairs. No significant difference ( p = 0.05) was noted between the number of progeny produced by the nonirradiated malathion-resistant strains and the nonresistant normal control strain. The radiation exposure significantly reduced the number of progeny for each strain but no significant difference ( p = 0.05) was noted in the number of progeny for the 3 strains after irradiation.
Sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI in relation to self-perception of overweight

Objective: To compare the self-perception of overweight in the study population according to sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and to compare the self-perception of overweight among individuals classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese. Research Methods and Procedures: Data from 5440 adults who participated in the 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were analyzed. Data for analysis included self-perceived weight status, self-reported weight and height, and demographic and socioeconomic data. Underweight individuals, defined as those with a body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, were excluded from the analysis. Results: Self-perception of overweight was more common in women compared with men and in whites compared with blacks or Hispanics. Both the correct and incorrect perception of overweight was more common in normal weight and overweight white women compared with black women. More overweight and obese white men correctly perceived their overweight status compared with black men. Multiple logistic regression showed that the odds ratio of perceived overweight was significantly higher in women, whites, and individuals with higher body mass index, higher income, and higher education. Discussion: Self-perceived overweight varied by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Erroneous perception of body weight may have important health and behavioral implications. In particular, a considerable proportion of overweight men may be at risk of obesity if they continue to perceive themselves as having normal weight.
INDEXING VALVE PLATE PUMP: MODELING AND CONTROL

A reduced order dynamic modeling method, and a pressure control strategy are proposed for a novel axial variable-displacement pump design. The reduced order model provides insights into the dynamics, and is useful for control design. Theoretical as well as implementation insights for the control problem are also developed, including proportional control limitations which provides guidance for effective control designs.
Temperature impacts on anaerobic biotransformation of LNAPL and concurrent shifts in microbial community structure

Thermally-enhanced bioremediation is a promising treatment approach for petroleum contamination; however, studies examining temperature effects on anaerobic biodegradation in zones containing light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) are lacking. Herein, laboratory microcosm studies were conducted for a former refinery to evaluate LNAPL transformation, sulfate reduction, and methane generation over a one-year period for temperatures ranging from 4 to 40 °C, and microbial community shifts were characterized. Temperatures of 22 and 30 °C significantly increased total biogas generation compared to lower (4 and 9 °C) and higher temperatures (35 and 40 °C; p < 0.1). Additionally, at 22 and 30 °C methane generation commenced ~6 months earlier than for 35 and 40 °C. Statistically significant biodegradation of benzene, toluene and xylenes was observed at elevated temperatures but not at lower temperatures (p < 0.1). Additionally, a novel differential chromatogram approach was developed to overcome challenges associated with resolving losses in complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, and application of this method revealed greater losses of hydrocarbons at 22 and 30 °C as compared to lower and higher temperatures. Finally, molecular biology assays revealed that the composition and activity of microbial communities shifted in a temperature-dependent manner. Collectively, results demonstrated that anaerobic biodegradation processes can be enhanced by increasing the temperature of LNAPL-containing soils, but biodegradation does not simply increase as temperature increases likely due to a lack of microorganisms that thrive at temperatures well above the historical high temperatures for a site. Rather, optimal degradation is achieved by holding soils at the high end of, or slightly higher than, their natural range.
Faces, Close-ups and Choreography: A Deleuzian Critique of So You Think You Can Dance

In everyday life the face occupies a central position within human expression and social interaction: its features are perceived to present a unique identity, and we breathe, consume and communicate through our faces. In this article, we explore two ideas as a means to examine the “screendance face.” First we introduce the notion of “facial choreography” to reflect on how the screen apparatus produces representations of dancing faces informed by aesthetic and social values. Secondly, we develop the concept of a “choreographic inter face ,” which we conceive as an intertextual site of meaning whereby a dancing face both references and enters into a dynamic exchange with other faces. While these two concepts could be applied to any screendance face, to elucidate these ideas in motion, we turn to a specific screendance case study: an audition clip from So You Think You Can Dance , which features Brian Henry, a 22-year old African American man from Brooklyn, New York, who specializes in krumping.
DS/SS CDMA slotted access channel performance analysis

The performance analysis of the slotted access channel for DS/SS CDMA cellular systems with and without multipath combining is presented. Three major factors that affect access channel performance are collision, blocking, and frame erasure rate (FER). All three factors can cause retransmission which results in lower throughput and longer delay. An iterative method is presented to estimate the effective arrival rate in a system without combining. The access rate sequence generated by the iteration is monotone increasing and converges if the system is stable. Using this result, a stability condition is determined in terms of the arrival rate of new messages and the FER. We modify the standard slotted ALOHA analysis so that it applies to a system with combining. The study reveals the trade-off between the messages received per slot and the FER. >
Rational function fitting of electromagnetic transfer functions of interconnect structures via extrapolation in time and interpolation in frequency

A new methodology is proposed for the rational function fitting of transfer functions of passive electromagnetic devices from numerically obtained and/or measured frequency-domain and time-domain response data. The proposed methodology combines the frequency-domain vector fitting process VECTFIT with its time-domain analog TDVF to yield a robust and versatile fitting algorithm for producing a rational function, broadband fit of the device response. The accuracy of the resulting algorithm is demonstrated through its application to the fitting of the admittance matrix of a lossy multi-conductor transmission line system.
Participation Rates in Government Transfer Programs: Application to Housing Allowances

A general model of participation in a transfer program is developed and applied to data obtained from housing allowance programs in Brown County, Wisconsin and St. Joseph County, Indiana. Estimates of the parameters of the model are obtained from pooled data for the two sites, and the fitted model is used to estimate the equilibrium level of participation and the time required to reach it. The model predicts that the participation rate three years after the housing allowance program's start-40 percent-will rise to a maximum of 51 percent when equilibrium is reached. The model also predicts that 95 percent of the equilibrium level will be reached 5.5 years after the program's start. Although below expectations, the 51 percent equilibrium participation rate is not low compared with other government transfer programs; it is about the same as New York City's welfare and food stamp programs, for example. The model provides valuable insights into the dynamics of government transfer programs. In particular, it shows that the equilibrium participation rate equals the ratio of the rate at which eligible nonparticipants enroll in the program enrollment rate to the sum of the enrollment rate and the rate at which participants leave the program termination rate. If the enrollment and termination rates are equal to each other, as they tend to be in the transfer programs studied, then in equilibrium at a given time only 50 percent of the eligible households will be program participants. The analysis suggests that the most practical way to increase participation is to increase the enrollment rate.
A Simple Synthesis Method Based on Utility Bounding for Heat‐Integrated Distillation Sequences

ABSTRACTIn this paper a new method is presented which will enable engineers toselect better heat integrated distillation systems quickly and easily. The keyto this method is making the assumption that OAT, the product of thecondenser or reboiler duty and the temperature difference between the reboilerand condenser, is constant for a single distillation task over a wide range ofpressures. Using this assumption and the principles of multieffect distillation,a lower bound on the utility use for single distillation tasks and for distillationsequences is readily calculated for designs involving simple two productcolumns that may or may not be multieffected. This paper also describesmethods which can be used to synthesize distillation systems which approachthese bounds. Finally, an algorithm is presented which develops the least costdistillation system for separating a multicomponent feed. The methods in thispaper are illustrated with a five component example problem.UNIVERSITY LIBK/kRIESCARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITYPITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA 15?13
Ontology of physics for biology: Representing physical dependencies as a basis for biological processes

In prior work, we presented the Ontology of Physics for Biology (OPB) as a computational ontology for use in the annotation and representations of biophysical knowledge encoded in repositories of physics-based biosimulation models. We introduced OPB:Physical entity and OPB:Physical property classes that extend available spatiotemporal representations of physical entities and processes to explicitly represent the thermodynamics and dynamics of physiological processes. Our utilitarian, long-term aim is to develop computational tools for creating and querying formalized physiological knowledge for use by multiscale “physiome” projects such as the EU’s Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) and NIH’s Virtual Physiological Rat (VPR). Here we describe the OPB:Physical dependency taxonomy of classes that represent of the laws of classical physics that are the “rules” by which physical properties of physical entities change during occurrences of physical processes. For example, the fluid analog of Ohm’s law (as for electric currents) is used to describe how a blood flow rate depends on a blood pressure gradient. Hooke’s law (as in elastic deformations of springs) is used to describe how an increase in vascular volume increases blood pressure. We classify such dependencies according to the flow, transformation, and storage of thermodynamic energy that occurs during processes governed by the dependencies. We have developed the OPB and annotation methods to represent the meaning—the biophysical semantics—of the mathematical statements of physiological analysis and the biophysical content of models and datasets. Here we describe and discuss our approach to an ontological representation of physical laws (as dependencies) and properties as encoded for the mathematical analysis of biophysical processes.
Mortality From Stroke and Ischemic Heart Disease Increases Exponentially With Blood Pressure

To the Editor: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) is an important update to hypertension prevention and management.1 The report states that stroke and other cardiovascular (CV) mortality increases “progressively and linearly” with blood pressure (BP) and “there is a doubling of mortality” for each 20/10 mm Hg increase in BP, starting at levels as low as 115/75 mm Hg (page 1210 in Reference …
Co-occurrence of Northern and Southern Hemisphere Blocks as Partially Synchronized Chaos

Abstract Teleconnections between the midlatitudes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are diagnosed in National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data and separately in European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data. The teleconnections are manifested as a small but significant tendency for blocking to occur simultaneously in the two hemispheres, though at different longitudes and different relative latitudes, during boreal winters over the period 1979–94 in both datasets. One way to explain the correlations between blocking events is as an instance of synchronized chaos, the tendency of some coupled chaotic systems to synchronize, permanently or intermittently, regardless of initial conditions. As the coupling is weakened, the systems no longer synchronize completely, but small correlations between the states of the coupled systems are observed instead. In previous work, such behavior was observed in an idealized coupled-hemi...
Computationally efficient yield estimation procedures based on simplicial approximation

Several computationally efficient procedures for estimating the manufacturing yield of a given design are described. These methods employ a Monte Carlo analysis in the parameter space using a simplicial approximation to the region of acceptability and thereby avoid the usual multitude of circuit simulations. Thus these methods can provide significant savings over conventional Monte Carlo analysis, especially when used to determine digital integrated circuit yield in which a nonlinear and/or transient simulation can be quite costly.
Does Early Paternal Parenting Promote Low-Income Children’s Long-Term Cognitive Skills?

Although scholars and policy makers herald the promotive influence of fathers’ parenting involvement, limited research has carefully delineated effects of fathers’ parenting on low-income children’s development and whether early contributions from fathers confer long-term protective effects. Using data from the Three-City Study (N = 261), analyses assessed whether fathers’ parenting practices during early childhood showed long-term links with low-income children’s cognitive skills through middle childhood. Results found that fathers’ warm and stimulating parenting predicted enhanced reading and math skills for children in middle childhood, whereas fathers’ restrictive discipline predicted lower reading and math skills. These links were independent of mothers’ parenting and emerged controlling for a range of child and family characteristics. Associations between fathers’ parenting and children’s cognitive skills were similar across both resident and nonresident fathers and across African American and Hispa...
Kinetics and mechanism of the vapor phase pyrolysis of 1,3-dioxolane in steam

Abstract The kinetics and mechanism of 1,3-dioxolane pyrolysis were determined in atmospheric pressure steam between 963 K and 1093 K with reactant concentrations of 6.28·10 −7 to 1.36·10 −4 mol/l using a flow reactor. The reaction was found to be first order. The temperature dependence of the rate constant is given by ln k =27.6±3.2−(51,300± 6,500)/ RT which agrees well with previous literature data. Some mechanistic aspects of levoglucosan pyrolysis are considered in light of these dioxolaneresults and recently published results on the pyrolysis of glycerol.
InAs/GaAs self-organized quantum dot far-infrared detectors

Heterostructures consisting of doped InAs self-organized quantum dot structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy for far-infrared measurements. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements reveal the spectral position of the band-to-band transitions of the InAs quantum dot ground state and bulk GaAs, with a peak intensity energy separation of /spl sim/4-5 /spl mu/m, which corresponds to the shortest wavelength where bound state transitions should be expected. Far-infrared transmission measurements were made on similar structures with a FTIR spectrometer. Far-infrared absorption is observed in the range of 6-16 /spl mu/m for samples with doped InAs quantum dots, with no comparative absorption for undoped samples where there are no free carriers for absorption. Far-infrared photoconductivity measurements were made using a low noise current amplifier and a FTIR spectrometer. Measurements at 90 K under normal incidence reveal a photoconductivity response in the range of 10-21 /spl mu/m, which is not observed in the absence of illumination. The observed response is likely due to intersubband transitions in the quantum dots through comparison to the PL spectra.
Impact of Sexual Assault as a Function of Perpetrator Type

The current study examines whether perpetrator type predicts impact of sexual assault. Women reporting a prior sexual assault by a cohabiting or marital partner, sexually intimate partner, nonsexual date, or acquaintance were compared on impact of event and current sexual satisfaction. Analyses showed group differences for impact of the event. Individuals in a cohabiting, marital, or acquaintance relationship reported more hyperarousal than did individuals in a dating or sexually intimate relationship. Additionally, married and cohabiting victims reported more hyperarousal than did women in the acquaintance group. Individuals sexually assaulted by a married or cohabiting partner reported more intrusive symptoms than did individuals in a dating or sexually intimate relationship. Furthermore, women in a sexually intimate relationship with their perpetrator reported lower intrusion scores than did individuals assaulted by an acquaintance.
National survey of US primary care physicians’ perspectives about causes of obesity and solutions to improve care

Objective To describe physician perspectives on the causes of and solutions to obesity care and identify differences in these perspectives by number of years since completion of medical school. Design National cross-sectional online survey from 9 February to 1 March 2011. Setting USA. Participants 500 primary care physicians. Main Measures We evaluated physician perspectives on: (1) causes of obesity, (2) competence in treating obese patients, (3) perspectives on the health professional most qualified to help obese patients lose or maintain weight and (4) solutions for improving obesity care. Results Primary care physicians overwhelmingly supported additional training (such as nutrition counselling) and practice-based changes (such as having scales report body mass index) to help them improve their obesity care. They also identified nutritionists/dietitians as the most qualified providers to care for obese patients. Physicians with fewer than 20 years since completion of medical school were more likely to identify lack of information about good eating habits and lack of access to healthy food as important causes of obesity. They also reported feeling relatively more successful helping obese patients lose weight. The response rate for the survey was 25.6%. Conclusions Our results indicate a perceived need for improved medical education related to obesity care.
Simulation of industrial-scale CO2 storage: Multi-scale heterogeneity and its impacts on storage capacity, injectivity and leakage

Abstract Heterogeneities in porosity and permeability of geological CO 2 storage reservoirs and surrounding strata have a significant influence on storage capacity, design of injection wells, CO 2 injection rate, potential leakage, CO 2 plume migration, and risk assessment. This study develops a methodology that applies a transition probability based Markov chain model to generate facies-based heterogeneous fields of reservoir and cap-rock porosity and permeability at the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming. This site was chosen for its proximity to the Jim Bridger power plant that generates 18 Mt of CO 2 per year. The heterogeneous fields are then used as input to simulations of CO 2 injection in a numerical domain with geologic strata based on a 3D seismic model. We next use the multiphase flow simulator FEHM in Monte Carlo mode to generate 42 realizations of injection into the Weber sandstone. The model is constrained by two requirements. First, the effects of storage must be contained in the 16 × 16 km working footprint (i.e. the injection pressure pulse and CO 2 plume are not allowed to expand beyond the simulation domain) and second, injection pressures must not exceed 75% of the lithostatic load to limit seismic risks. Analysis of simulation results reveals that: (1) CO 2 storage capacity for the Weber formation in the entire Rock Springs Uplift is 6614 ± 256 Mt at 95% confidence interval, about 36% of a previous estimate based on homogeneous and isotropic properties; (2) single well CO 2 injection rates vary with time and with local permeability distributions. The injectivity at the end of 50 years of injection follows a log normal distribution and reaches a mean of 0.43 Mt/year with a range of 0.06–3.22 Mt/year within two standard deviations (1 σ = 0.09 Mt/year); and (3) CO 2 leakage into the cap-rock (Chugwater formation) is limited to 0.8 ± 3.4 Mt over the 50 years of injection. In addition, brine production rates required to maintain pressure in the working footprint are of nearly equal volume to the injected CO 2 . Within the CO 2 plume at this deep site, CO 2 has density of greater than 80% of the ambient brine, indicating that the CO 2 plume evolution will be controlled more by fluid pressure gradients than by buoyant flow. These results suggest that injection into the Weber sandstone in a single 16 × 16 km working footprint on the Rock Springs Uplift could likely store the total CO 2 output of the Jim Bridger power plant for approximately 35 years with less than 1% leakage into the cap-rock. This plan would require 26 ± 3 injection wells with likely an equal number or more of brine production wells around the perimeter of the working footprint. Assuming wells at a cost of $6M each, this would add less than $1/tonne to the cost of the storage, a small fraction of current capture costs. Finally, brine production on the order of 1 km 3 is required to minimize the risk of geomechanical failure and ensure limited pressure perturbation outside the working footprint.
Chip scale packaging of a MEMS accelerometer

Accelerometers fabricated with MEMS technology are widely used in automotive crash detection and vehicle dynamic control systems. Recently, there has been increased interest in the use of MEMS accelerometers in smart handheld devices. The most demanding new requirement for this application is package size. This paper details the fabrication a 2 axis accelerometer in a 4 mm/spl times/4 mm/spl times/1.5 mm thick lead frame chip scale package. The fabrication of the device depends on three technologies: (1) an integrated MEMS technology that yields the MEMS structure and all associated signal processing circuitry on a single die; (2) the development of a wafer scale capping process that provides protection for the MEMS sensor and renders it suitable for transfer molding; and (3) modifications to the standard lead frame chip scale package (LFCSP) assembly process to accommodate the capped MEMS sensor. The performance of the accelerometer is assessed and compared to the same device in a leadless chip carrier.
Root system modification of container stock for arid land plantings

Abstract Root morphology is important for successful seedling establishment in semiarid lands. Production systems that improve root morphology, such as container volume, container configuration, and mycorrhizal inoculation influence root system development and ensure establishment success. Mycorrhizal inoculation has been enhanced by chemical root pruners that inhibit lateral root growth and promote short root development. These factors, when used in concert, ensure successful seedling establishment and rapid growth. This paper attempts to integrate these concepts into a production system.
Active or Passive Forest Restoration? Assessing Restoration Alternatives with Avian Foraging Behavior

Active and passive restoration are two important strategies to aid the recovery of large areas of deforested and degraded tropical lands. Active restoration is where management techniques such as planting seeds or seedlings are implemented, and passive restoration is when no action is taken except to cease environmental stressors such as agriculture or grazing. We compared the habitat quality of active and passive restoration sites with similar land-use histories and times since abandonment for insectivorous birds by measuring vegetation structure, arthropod biomass, and the foraging behavior of three resident bird species in southern Costa Rica. Although vegetation measures such as amount of understory cover and tree species richness and density differed between the two restoration strategies, arthropod biomass and foraging behavioral measures were similar. Our results suggest that while active and passive restoration strategies may lead to different vegetation structures, they may support similar biomass of foliage-dwelling arthropods and be similarly used by foraging insectivorous birds. Passive restoration is generally less costlier than active restoration and, if local and landscape characteristics do not impede recovery, may be a viable alternative from the perspective of birds using the sites.
Performance Modeling for Single- and Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes as Signal and Power Interconnects in Gigascale Systems

Using physics-based circuit models, the performances of carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnects, both single- and multiwall (SWNT and MWNT), are benchmarked against their copper counterparts at a realistic operating temperature (100degC). The models used capture various electron phonon scattering mechanisms and the dependence of quantum conductance on temperature and diameter. It is demonstrated that any performance comparison between CNT and copper wires needs to be done at realistic temperatures because changes in temperature affect copper and CNT interconnects quite differently. The results of this paper demonstrate that a hybrid system of copper/SWNT/MWNT offers the highest performance enhancement for interconnects.
What can surface chemistry do for cell biology

Recent research has enhanced the development of substrates that serve as models of extracellular matrix and their use in studies of cell adhesion and migration. Advances include the development of methods to prepare substrates having ligands immobilized in controlled densities and patterns, and recent work that is developing dynamic substrates which can modulate, in real-time, the activities of ligands. These technologies are providing new opportunities for studies of cell-extracellular-matrix interactions.
Fungal Transformation of an Antimicrobial Fluoroquinolone Drug During Growth on Poultry Litter Materials

Abstract The ability of a nonpathogenic fungus, Pestalotiopsis guepini, to metabolize fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents during growth on poultry litter materials was investigated. Sterilized rice hulls, ground corncobs, and pine shavings in glass jars covered with foil were moistened with sterile water and inoculated with P. guepini. The litter materials then were dosed with norfloxacin and incubated for 20 d. In rice-hull cultures, P. guepini produced 4 metabolites: 7-amino-1-ethyl- 6-fluoro-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinolone-3-carboxylic acid, N-formylnorfloxacin, N-acetylnorfloxacin, and desethylene-N-acetylnorfloxacin. In corncob cultures, the fungus produced N-formylnorfloxacin and N-acetylnorfloxacin. In pine-shavings cultures, there was little growth of the fungus and no metabolism of norfloxacin. The results suggest that fungi that grow on poultry litter may degrade residues of antimicrobial drugs.
Fabrication of glass photonic devices by an unamplified femtosecond laser

Single-mode X-couplers, 3D-waveguides and void structures are fabricated in glass using;; unamplified femtosecond laser generating energies of /spl sim/100 nJ. Coupled mode analysis and optical coherence tomography show large refractive index changes of up to /spl sim/10/sup -2/.
The Seismotectonics of the 30 October 1998 Incline Village, Nevada Earthquake and Its Effects

INTRODUCTION On Friday, October 30, 1998, at 1:53 am local time (9:53:31 UT), an earthquake of magnitude Mw 4.9 (UNR) took place near the California-Nevada state border. The epicenter of the event was 7 km north-northwest of Incline Village, Nevada and the north shore of Lake Tahoe (39°18.14′N, 119°58.76′W) (see Figures 1 and 2). A focal depth of 10.5 ± 0.3 km and strike-slip focal mechanism suggest it is similar to other recent eastern Sierra Nevada-Western Basin and Range Extensional Province earthquakes (Rogers et al., 1991; Ichinose et al., 1998a). The earthquake occurred 4 km northwest of the surface trace of the northeast-striking North Tahoe-Incline Village Fault Zone, which is the largest fault zone in the area (Figure 2). This is a system of south-east-dipping normal faults, so the earthquake is well within the footwall of this fault zone. The Seismological Laboratory received felt reports, from which we assigned the...
Demonstration of 256 x 256 focal plane array based on Al-free GaInAs-InP QWIP

We report the first demonstration of an infrared focal plane array based on aluminum-free GaInAs-InP quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs). The long wavelength QWIP structure was grown via a low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Corrugated light coupling structure of QWIP was fabricated with a dry etching process. A 256/spl times/256 detector array was also fabricated with dry etching and hybridized to a Litton readout integrated circuit via indium bumps. A unique positive lithography method was developed to perform indium-bump liftoff. The noise equivalent differential temperature (NE/spl Delta/T) of 29 mK was achieved at 70 K with f/2 optics.
Dawn of prostate brachytherapy: 1915-1930

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the origins of prostate brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: A review of contemporary journals and texts was conducted. Results: Prostate brachytherapy was performed frequently by leading urologists before 1930. Both temporary and permanent implant techniques were developed using radium and radon through intracavitary and interstitial approaches. Transperineal implantation of permanent sources was first performed 80 years ago. Conclusion: Prostate brachytherapy has its origins in the early part of the last century.
Recruitment of a Foreign Quinone into the A1 Site of Photosystem I I. GENETIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYLLOQUINONE BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY MUTANTS IN SYNECHOCYSTIS SP. PCC 6803

Genes encoding enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway leading to phylloquinone, the secondary electron acceptor of photosystem (PS) I, were identified inSynechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by comparison with genes encoding enzymes of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway inEscherichia coli. Targeted inactivation of themenA and menB genes, which code for phytyl transferase and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate synthase, respectively, prevented the synthesis of phylloquinone, thereby confirming the participation of these two gene products in the biosynthetic pathway. The menA and menB mutants grow photoautotrophically under low light conditions (20 μE m−2 s−1), with doubling times twice that of the wild type, but they are unable to grow under high light conditions (120 μE m−2 s−1). The menA andmenB mutants grow photoheterotrophically on media supplemented with glucose under low light conditions, with doubling times similar to that of the wild type, but they are unable to grow under high light conditions unless atrazine is present to inhibit PS II activity. The level of active PS II per cell in the menAand menB mutant strains is identical to that of the wild type, but the level of active PS I is about 50–60% that of the wild type as assayed by low temperature fluorescence, P700 photoactivity, and electron transfer rates. PS I complexes isolated from themenA and menB mutant strains contain the full complement of polypeptides, show photoreduction of FA and FB at 15 K, and support 82–84% of the wild type rate of electron transfer from cytochrome c 6 to flavodoxin. HPLC analyses show high levels of plastoquinone-9 in PS I complexes from the menA and menB mutants but not from the wild type. We propose that in the absence of phylloquinone, PS I recruits plastoquinone-9 into the A1site, where it functions as an efficient cofactor in electron transfer from A0 to the iron-sulfur clusters.
Two-layer Models for the Thermocline and Current Structure in Subtropical/Subpolar Gyres

Abstract A study is made of the thermocline and current structures of a subtropical/subpolar basin. Tis paper explores the shape of the interface, and the flow patterns when the lower layer is infinitely thick. Simple frictional parameterizations are used to obtain a full solution including the structure of the boundary layers. When the amount of water in the upper layer is less than (or the wind stress is larger than) a critical value, the lower layer outcrops near the middle of the western boundary of the subpolar gyre. A dynamically consistent picture includes a strong, isolated western boundary current (i.e., bounded on one side by the wall and on the other by a streamline along which the upper layer thickness vanishes) flowing southward and an internal boundary current (i.e., a current that flows in the interior of the ocean along the outcrop, separating the two layers) flowing northeastward across the zero-wind-curl line. This interior boundary current models the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic C...
Genetics of Stress: Gene–Stress Correlation and Interaction

In this chapter, we review two recent developments in behavioral genetics that bear on the determinants and sequelae of psychological stress. The first addresses genetic influences on exposure to environmental stressors (gene–stress correlation), and the second, the moderation of genetic effects on behavioral and biological phenotypes by stress-related environmental variation (gene–stress interaction). There is now abundant evidence of genetic influence on stressful life events, traumatic experiences, and parenting and early family environments, as well as on stress-protective factors such as social support and networks of social engagement. With respect to gene–stress interactions, preliminary evidence suggests that polymorphic variation in genes of plausible mechanism modulates physiological reactions to acute psychological stressors and variably affects more distal outcomes (e.g., hypertension, posttraumatic stress disorder, aggressive conduct) as a function of exposure to early or recent life stressors. However, failures to confirm at least one prominently reported finding in this literature raise concern regarding the replicability of published gene–stress interactions. In concluding, we consider the implications of pervasive gene–stress correlation for the interpretation of gene–stress interaction and discuss conceptual and methodological issues relating to the selection of candidate genes and environmental moderators.
Romantic Homage to the Dionysian Burns: Wordsworth and Others

The publication in the years 1786 and 1787 of three editions of Robert Burns’s Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect provoked sudden and surprising fame in London as well as in Edinburgh, and almost immediate revelations of Burns’s drunkenness and ribaldry.1 Even while he was lionized as a rustic genius by lawyers and critics in Edinburgh salons, tongues wagged about his personal excesses. Enthusiasts of the simple ploughman poet were shocked by songs about sex and whisky and by raucous behaviour acceptable among the rich but unsuitable for an upstart exalted by his betters. When in 1796 the 37-year-old Burns died of rheumatoid endocarditis (which in fact may have been held in check by his drinking), his early death was widely blamed on dissipation.2 In the London Chronicle, 28–30 July 1796, an obituary notice, frequently reprinted, described the waste of Burns’s nights ‘in those haunts of village festivity, and in the indulgences of the social bowl, to which the Poet was but too immoderately attached in every period of his life’, claimed that ‘his talents were often obscured and finally impaired by excess’, and that his dissipation heartlessly left impoverished a wife and five children, with a sixth on the way.3 A year after Burns’s death, Robert Heron coyly admitted in his memoir, ‘it is true that he did not always steadily distinguish and eschew the evils of drunkenness and licentious love; it is true that these, at times, seemed to obtain even the approbation of his muse.’4
A High-Gain Power-Efficient Wideband V-Band LNA in 0.18- $\mu\text{m}$ SiGe BiCMOS

This paper presents a high-gain power-efficient wideband V-band low noise amplifier (LNA) realized in 0.18- $\mu\text{m}$ SiGe BiCMOS process. An effective wideband gain shaping method with gain enhancement under low power consumption is employed, where the 1st and 2nd inter-stage matching (ISM) network are designed for better conjugate matching around the lower and upper 3 dB cutoff frequency ends, respectively, without giving up the gains at the opposite frequency ends for each ISM network. The developed LNA achieves the peak measured gain of 32.5 dB at 61 GHz and over 29.5 dB gain across the 3 dB bandwidth from 43 to 67 GHz while consuming only 11.7 mW at 1.8 V supply voltage. The measured average noise figure and group delay variation are 6 dB and less than 28.3 ps over the entire bandwidth, respectively.
A Dialyzable Medium for Cultivation of Group A Hemolytic Streptococci.

SummaryA procedure is described for preparation of a medium containing only 2.3% solid material, all dialyzable. The medium has been found uniformly capable of supporting rapid and heavy growth of group A hemolytic streptococci.
Educating School Library Leaders for Radical Change through Community Service.

Dresang’s Radical Change (1999) has far-reaching implications for pre-service preparation programs for future library and information science leaders. The challenge is to create experiences that will assist with developing these leadership qualities. In this qualitative case study, the authors share findings related to leadership development from a community service project required of members of NextGen, a cohort of eleven classroom teachers from the western, rural regions of Virginia earning a Masters degree in education with endorsement to become school librarians. Their graduate coursework was funded through an IMLS grant RE-01-13-008-13 and participants were expected to give back to their communities through a service project of their own design. Using Kouzes and Posner’s (2002) Five Practices of Leadership, a series of three semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine how community service projects developed leadership. The researchers found that the projects supported each of Kouzes and Posner’s five practices along with a sixth practice unique to this study: Aspire to Sustain.
Electrochemical reductive biomass conversion: direct conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-hexanedione (HD) via reductive ring-opening

2,5-Hexanedione (HD), which can be produced by reduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), one of the most important biomass intermediates, can serve as a precursor to produce various biofuels and key building block chemicals. The conversion of HMF to HD requires reduction of both the alcohol and aldehyde groups to alkane groups as well as opening of the furan ring. In this study, a direct electrochemical conversion of HMF to HD at ambient pressure and temperature was demonstrated without using H2 or precious metal catalysts. Water was used as the hydrogen source and zinc was used as the catalytic electrode, which enabled hydrogenolysis and Clemmensen reduction coupled with furan ring opening. Optimum conditions to achieve high Faradaic efficiency (FE) and selectivity for HD production were investigated and plausible mechanisms were proposed. The environmentally benign one-step procedure to produce HD reported in this study will serve as a new route to valorize biomass intermediates.
Estimation of glycogen in small amounts of tissue

Some physical properties of glycogen have been investigated and applied to micro isolation and assay in biological material containing only a few micrograms of glycogen. Losses of glycogen in the ethanol precipitation step were found to be preventable by the use of a coprecipitant, of which Na2SO4 was the most satisfactory. Evidence for the existence or formation of at least two water-insoluble glycogen complexes in liver was presented. Treatment at 100°C with concentrated KOH for 20 hr rendered all glycogen soluble in water.