cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restart schedules for ensembles of problem instances

The mean running time of a Las Vegas algorithm can often be dramatically reduced by periodically restarting it with a fresh random seed. The optimal restart schedule depends on the Las Vegas algorithm's run length distribution, which in general is not known in advance and may differ across problem instances. We consider the problem of selecting a single restart schedule to use in solving each instance in a set of instances. We present offline algorithms for computing an (approximately) optimal restart schedule given knowledge of each instance's run length distribution, generalization bounds for learning a restart schedule from training data, and online algorithms for selecting a restart schedule adaptively as new problem instances are encountered.
Real-time log file analysis using the Simple Event Correlator (SEC)

Originally published at Usenix LISA 2004 conference. November 2004 Atlanta, Georiga, USA. Log analysis is an important way to keep track of computers and networks. The use of automated analysis always results in false reports, however these can be minimized by proper specification of recognition criteria. Current analysis approaches fail to provide sucient support for the recognizing the temporal component of log analysis. Temporal recognition of event sequences fall into distinct patterns that can be used to reduce false alerts and improve the eciency of response to problems. This paper discusses these patterns while describing the rationale behind and implementation of a ruleset created at the CS department of the University of Massachusetts at Boston for SEC - the Simple Event Correlation program.
Pain Management After Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blinded Trial Comparing Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Oxycodone

Purpose Adequate postoperative pain control in hand surgery is a multifactorial issue affecting patient satisfaction, outcomes, and safety. However, prescription opioid abuse is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in the Unites States. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in pain levels or pill consumption when using nonopioids, ibuprofen (IBU) and acetaminophen (ACE), versus an opioid, oxycodone (OXY), after carpal tunnel release (CTR) performed exclusively under local anesthesia without sedation. Methods Patients scheduled for primary unilateral CTR under local anesthesia alone were randomized to receive 10 deidentified opaque capsules of either OXY 5 mg, IBU 600 mg, or ACE 500 mg after surgery. Both the patient and the surgeon were blinded to the distributed medication. Patients reported the worst pain experienced daily (0–10 scale), the number of pills consumed daily, and any adverse effects from postoperative days 0–5. Results Analgesic pill-type distribution between the 105 patients who completed the study was 37 OXY, 34 IBU, and 34 ACE. For the endoscopic CTR group, mean total pills consumed from the day of surgery through postoperative day 5 for OXY, IBU, and ACE were 2.9, 4.2, and 2.7, respectively. The average worst daily pain scores for all days for the OXY, IBU, and ACE groups were 2.8, 2.5, and 2.8, respectively. For the open CTR group, mean total pills consumed from the day of surgery through postoperative day 5 for OXY, IBU, and ACE were 3.7, 5.1, and 4.2, respectively. The average worst daily pain scores for all days for the OXY, IBU, and ACE groups were 3.4, 2.5, and 2.3, respectively. Four of 5 adverse events were reported by OXY group patients, but all were minor with no reoperations or readmissions. Conclusions We recommend using nonopioids such as ACE and IBU in the postoperative management after CTR surgery, and regardless of the medication prescribed, we advise prescribing no more than 5–10 pills after surgery. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.
Do gestures retain mental associations with their iconic origins, even after they become emblematic? An analysis of the middle-finger gesture among American English speakers

What concepts and words do communicative gestures activate in the minds of people who view them? It’s widely believed that many gestures grow from iconic origins—they look like what they mean—but also that at some point they may become emblematic—conventionalized as culturally agreed-upon symbols. How long do links between physical movements of the body and the things in the world they denote persist in the minds of gesture-users? A pair of experiments asks this question for the Middle-Finger, a cross-culturally recognized obscene gesture. The prevailing view is that the gesture originates in a phallic symbol. Yet it is now predominantly used as an emblematic gesture displaying contempt (among other things). It is currently unknown whether the iconic origins of gestures persist through the emblematic stage in the minds of gesture users. Two experiments tested the hypothesis that viewing the Middle-Finger primes thoughts about penises or the word penis. The results showed that the Middle-Finger induced no priming of penis compared with control, unlike another obscene penis-representing gesture (Finger-Bang), which did. This suggests that the Middle-Finger no longer activates thoughts of penises in the minds of contemporary American English speakers. Emblematic gestures with iconic origins may undergo historical change not just in the functions they serve but also in the effects they have on the minds of people who use them.
Prediction of new iodine-containing apatites using machine learning and density functional theory

The authors develop a computational approach that integrates machine learning (ML) and density functional theory (DFT) with experimental data to predict formable and thermodynamically stable iodine-containing apatites. This is an important problem because radioactive iodine is toxic and capturing it in solid waste forms have implications in remediation treatments. The authors train ML models using 336 compositions and screen 54 iodine-containing compounds in apatite stoichiometry. ML models predict 18 as formable and 24 as nonformable in the apatite structure; 12 compounds were identified to be uncertain. DFT convex hull predicted two to be thermodynamically stable, one as metastable, and nine as unstable.
Acute cocaine administration alters permeability of blood-brain barrier in freely-moving rats- Evidence using miniaturized fluorescence microscopy.

Abstract Background Cocaine has a variety of negative effects on the central nervous system, including reports of decreased barrier function of brain microvascular endothelial cells. However, few studies have directly shown the effects of cocaine on blood-brain barrier (BBB) function in vivo. The miniature integrated fluorescence microscope (i.e., miniscope) technology was used to visualize cocaine-induced changes in BBB permeability in awake, freely-moving rats. Methods The miniscope was implanted in the prefrontal cortex of adult male rats. After recovery and acclimation, rats received an injection of cocaine (5-20 mg/kg ip) 15 minutes following iv infusion of sodium fluorescein, a low molecular weight tracer. Fluorescence intensity was recordedin vivo via the miniscope for 30 minutes or 24 hours post cocaine administration and served as an indicator of BBB permeability. Results Results demonstrate that cocaine increased the sodium fluorescein extravasation in brain microcirculation in a dose-dependent manner 30 minutes, but not 24 hours after administration. Conclusion We report for the first time using direct visualization of brain microcirculation with the miniscope technology in awake, freely-moving rats, that acute cocaine administration produced a transient increase in the BBB permeability.
Introduction: The Differences of Black Skin

Our team has a long history of working in the Detroit, Michigan, area, and we have treated many black-skinned patients from all over the world. What is obvious is that people of color—both African Americans and dark-skinned people in general—have special conditions that are specific to their ethnicity. If clinicians do not have experience with dark-skinned patients, they may not have encountered common conditions that are not often seen in Caucasian or other light-skinned people, and they may not have treated patients from different national and ethnic backgrounds. As a result, they can mistake a normal condition for abnormal, or vice versa. We thought that the best way to deal with this problem is to provide a book that is specific to skin conditions solely in the black population. We chose to use the term “Black Skin” because we encounter many patients across the globe with dark skin, not just African Americans.
Chapter 2 – MATRIX PRELIMINARIES

Publisher Summary This chapter presents basic facts about matrix theory, which can be used in the study of iterative methods. It primarily discusses the general theory of matrices discussed by Faddeev and Faddeeva and Birkhoff and MacLane and also highlights, often without proof, some of the less elementary facts. The chapter reviews Hermitian and positive definite matrices. It also describes vector and matrix norms and to the convergence of sequences of vectors and matrices. The chapter also review the way by which one or more of these properties are obtained when finite difference methods are used to obtain numerical solutions of certain problems involving partial differential equations.
Return policy, No joke: An investigation into the impact of a retailer's return policy on consumers' decision making

Abstract This study investigates the important role of a retailer's return policy in consumers' decision making. Utilizing signaling theory and the Cue Diagnosticity framework, this study posits that return policy, as a cue from a retailer, interacts with other cues (product, price, and product quality) to reduce perceived purchase risk and increases store image and patronage intention. Employing factorial experiment design, the authors conduct two studies and find support for several hypotheses. Results show that consumers value return policies depending upon the situation. A lenient return policy drives down purchase risk and leads consumers to have positive store images and higher patronage intentions. Both theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are provided.
The iron-dependent repressor YtgR is a tryptophan-dependent attenuator of the trpRBA operon in Chlamydia trachomatis.

The trp operon of Chlamydia trachomatis is organized differently from other model bacteria. It contains trpR, an intergenic region (IGR), and the biosynthetic trpB and trpA open-reading frames. TrpR is a tryptophan-dependent repressor that regulates the major promoter (PtrpR), while the IGR harbors an alternative promoter (PtrpBA) and an operator sequence for the iron-dependent repressor YtgR to regulate trpBA expression. Here, we report that YtgR repression at PtrpBA is also dependent on tryptophan by regulating YtgR levels through a rare triple-tryptophan motif (WWW) in the YtgCR precursor. Inhibiting translation during tryptophan limitation at the WWW motif subsequently promotes Rho-independent transcription termination of ytgR, thereby de-repressing PtrpBA. Thus, YtgR represents an alternative strategy to attenuate trpBA expression, expanding the repertoire for trp operon attenuation beyond TrpL- and TRAP-mediated mechanisms described in other bacteria. Furthermore, repurposing the iron-dependent repressor YtgR underscores the fundamental importance of maintaining tryptophan-dependent attenuation of the trpRBA operon.
Total hip arthroplasty in patients with Parkinson's disease

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of dislocations, infections, revisions, and other medical and surgical complications in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) compared to a control group without PD. Materials and Methods: Medicare patient data from 2005 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed using the PearlDiver Technologies software (West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA). Administrative coding and Boolean language were used to identify 6587 patients with PD diagnosed prior to THA and compared to a cohort containing all Medicare patients with a THA between 2005 and 2011 without any history of PD (767,991 patients). Statistical analysis was used to compare the number of patients with common comorbidities and medical and surgical complications. Systematical review of the literature on PD and THA was also performed. Results: Patients with PD had a higher rate of medical complications, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and sepsis at 30 days postoperatively. At 90 days and final follow-up, they had a higher rate of postoperative complications including dislocation, prosthetic joint infection, and risk of revision. Conclusion: PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the musculoskeletal system, and patients with PD often require surgical intervention for hip pain from a fracture, post-traumatic arthritis, or osteoarthritis. This study demonstrates the increased risk for several postoperative complications in patients with PD undergoing THA. It highlights the importance of an individualized risk-benefit analysis and multidisciplinary management before proceeding with arthroplasty for patients with PD.
Association of mammographic density with blood DNA methylation.

Background: Altered DNA methylation may be an intermediate phenotype between breast cancer risk factors and disease. Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. However, no studies to date have identified an epigenetic signature of mammographic density. We performed an epigenome-wide association study of mammographic density.Methods: White blood cell DNA methylation was measured for 385 postmenopausal women using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array. Differential methylation was assessed using genome-wide, probe-level, and regional analyses. We implemented a resampling-based approach to improve the stability of our findings.Results: On average, women with elevated mammographic density exhibited DNA hypermethylation within CpG islands and gene promoters compared to women with lower mammographic density. We identified 250 CpG sites for which DNA methylation was significantly associated with mammographic density. The top sites were located within genes associated with cancer, including HDLBP, TGFB2, CCT4, and PAX8, and were more likely to be located in regulatory regions of the genome. We also identified differential DNA methylation in 37 regions, including within the promoters of PAX8 and PF4, a gene involved in the regulation of angiogenesis. Overall, our results paint a picture of epigenetic dysregulation associated with mammographic density.Conclusion: Mammographic density is associated with differential DNA methylation throughout the genome, including within genes associated with cancer. Our results suggest the potential involvement of several genes in the biological mechanisms behind differences in breast density between women. Further studies are warranted to explore these potential mechanisms and potential links to breast cancer risk.
Accepting Free Content during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Assessment

Deciding what risks are worth taking amidst a global pandemic poses quite specific challenges for Acquisitions librarians. For example, given that virtually all colleges and universities now offer ...
Synthesis and anisotropic magnetism in quantum spin liquid candidates AYbSe2 (A = K and Rb)

The quantum spin liquid (QSL) state in rare-earth triangular lattices has attracted much attention recently due to its potential application in quantum computing and communication. Here, we report the single-crystal growth synthesis, crystal structure characterizations, and magnetic properties of AYbSe2 (A = K and Rb) compounds. The x-ray diffraction analysis shows that AYbSe2 (A = K and Rb) crystallizes in a trigonal space group, R-3m (No. 166) with Z = 3. AYbSe2 possesses a two-dimensional (2D) Yb–Se–Yb layered structure formed by edged-shared YbSe6 octahedra. The magnetic properties are highly anisotropic for both title compounds, and no long-range order is found down to 0.4 K, revealing the possible QSL ground state in these compounds. The isothermal magnetization exhibits a one-third magnetization plateau when the magnetic fields are applied in the ab-plane. Heat capacity is performed along both ab-plane and c axis and features the characteristic dome for triangular magnetic lattice compounds as a function of magnetic fields. Due to the change in the interlayer and intralayer distance of Yb3+, the dome shifts to low fields from KYbSe2 to RbYbSe2. All these results indicate that the AYbSe2 family presents unique frustrated magnetism close to the possible QSL and noncollinear spin states.
Hospital Resource Allocation Decisions When Market Prices Exceed Medicare Prices.

OBJECTIVE To examine non-profit hospitals' financial and spending allocations when the private sector payment rate is higher than the Medicare's payment rate. DATA SOURCES Hospital financial data for 2014 - 2018 from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Cost Reports, hospital characteristics from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. STUDY DESIGN Hospital and year level fixed effects regressions modeling each hospital's 1) operating net income per discharge equivalent (DE); 2) administrative cost per DE; 3) patient care cost per DE; 4) registered nurse per bed; charity care cost per DE; and 5) provision of unprofitable services as a function of the private sector to Medicare payment ratio (PMR). DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Hospital/year-level data from hospital cost reports merged with AHA data. Samples included general short-term hospitals with non-profit ownership, excluding critical access hospitals. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Final sample included a total of 8,862 hospital-year observations, with a mean PMR of 1.62. Non-profit hospitals having a 0.1 higher PMR was associated with $257 (95% CI: $181 - $334) increase in operating net income per DE; $66 (95% CI: $32 - $99) increase in administrative cost per DE; $170 (95% CI: $120 - $220) increase in patient care cost per DE; and $18 (95% CI: $10 - $25) increase in charity care cost per DE. We found hospitals hired 0.86 (95% CI: -0.08 - 1.81) more registered nurses per 100 beds, but no evidence on providing more beds for unprofitable services, such as obstetric care, burn care, alcohol/drug abuse treatment, or psychiatric care. CONCLUSIONS Higher private sector prices led primarily to greater surplus and administrative cost for non-profit hospitals, and smaller increases in spending on services that will directly benefit patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Removal and handling of BSE specified risk material

Publisher Summary Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a progressive degenerative disease that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS) of adult cattle. BSE has since been confirmed in 21 other countries in Europe plus Japan, Israel, Canada, and the USA. The agent that causes BSE has not been fully characterized but is believed, by most in the scientific community, to be an abnormal form of a normal, cellular, prion protein that is found in mammalian animals. The scientific community believes BSE moved from cattle to humans when infected meat was cut up, ground or processed, and consumed by people. This chapter discusses the rationale for removal and handling of BSE Specified Risk Material (SRM) in the UK, the EU, the USA, Canada, and Japan. There are differences in logic regarding what constitutes SRM among countries (for example, age-intersects, amount of intestine required to be removed, use of “dedicated tools/equipment”). These differences are, in large part, a result of government officials interpreting relative risk in the light of the incidence of BSE cases that have occurred in their respective countries.
Overview of Carbanion Dynamics and Electrophilic Substitutions in Chiral Organolithium Compounds

It has been noted that “organolithiums are the most widely used organometallics in contemporary organic chemistry”.1 The undeniable truth of this statement derives partly from the widespread use of commercially available butyllithium isomers as bases, but it is not an exaggeration to state that functionalized organolithiums in more complex molecules are important species in their own right, as evidenced by the large number of reviews and monographs that have appeared since 1990.1-7 Lithium, atomic number 3, is the smallest of the metals, but the structure of organolithium compounds and their reaction chemistry can be diabolically complex. This complexity is in part due to the electrostatic nature of bonding between lithium and carbon, and the tendency of organolithium compounds to aggregate.8,9 The possibility of homochiral and heterochiral aggregates is usually not addressed in studies of the steric course of chiral organolithium reagents. In this review, the aggregation state of the various organolithiums will not normally be considered, and for simplicity, they will be drawn as monomers. The focus of this chapter is the dynamics, mechanism, and steric course of substitution reactions of aliphatic organolithiums whose metal-bearing carbon is stereogenic. There are four comprehensive treatises on organolithium chemistry that have been published since 2002.7 Several topics covered briefly in this chapter are elaborated more thoroughly in accompanying chapters of this volume. Examples have been chosen to illustrate particular points, and the original literature or one of the monographs should be consulted for details on scope.
Lithium carbonate in obstetrics: Guidelines for clinical use

Abstract The authors present data from 88 babies born to mothers taking lithium carbonate at least during the first trimester for the treatment or prophylaxis of manic-depressive illness. Six per cent manifested congenital malformations. This does not exceed the expected incidence of malformations in the general population of neonates. Since lithium teratogenicity is dose related, specific guidelines are presented for the use of lithium during pregnancy to insure the smallest adequate amounts and to avoid excessively high maternal serum lithium concentrations to which the fetus is exposed. Sodium-depleting diuretics and sodium-free diets are the commonest causes of maternal and/or neonatal lithium toxicity and are contraindicated in lithium-treated women. Lithium shoud be given to the pregnant woman in smaller doses, given more frequently to avoid high pulses being presented to the fetus; breast feeding should be avoided to prevent neonatal toxicity as lithium appears in the breast milk of lithium-treated mothers.
Mind Your p's and q's: The Role of Content and Context in Some Uses of and, or, and If

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various uses of connectives and examines whether such uses are content- and context-sensitive. It is clear that a monologic account of propositional thinking related to truth-functional logic, which has been the favored approach of psychologists, is insufficient if one considers the uses of the connectives in everyday speech. In addition, a dialogic—a rhetorical approach—that focuses on the speech act and considers what the speaker means by relevant interpersonal context is necessary. Such an account provides an analysis of the way people manage to go beyond what is explicitly said to understand the communications addressed to them. Apart from this, the conceptual apparatus for an account of indirect communication includes a theory of speech that relates with the principles of cooperative conversation, mutually shared background information, and the ability of the addressee to make inferences. The chapter constitutes a study of lexical semantics that demonstrates the contextual control of word use and understanding.
Chapter 6. Recent Progress in Excitatory Amino Acid Research

Publisher Summary Excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors fall into two distinct families based on similar molecular structure, transduction mechanisms, and pharmacological characteristics, such as ligand-gated ion channel glutamate receptors and G-protein coupled glutamate receptors. Recombinant rat and human EAA receptors are used to study drugs at the molecular level and more clearly define the sites of drug interaction as well as our ability to investigate the subtype selectivity of EAA receptor agonists and antagonists. Ionotropic glutamate receptors( iGluRs) are intrinsic ligand-gated ion channels that when activated become permeable to cations iGluRs fall into three pharmacologically distinct groups based on selective activation, by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropanoic acid (AMPA), and kainite. Metabolic glumate receptors(mGluRs) are now recognized as a novel heterogenous family of G-protein coupled receptors, with seven membrane spanning motifs, but no homology, with other such receptors. The putative polyamine antagonist eliprodil is found to protect cultured hippocampal neurons, from NMDA toxicity, and is active in a fluid percussion brain trauma model in rats when administered systemically up to 18 hours after injury. Antagonism of AMPA receptors, also blocked by MK801-induced locomotor stimulation, as well as MK801-induced reversal of haloperidol catalepsy in rats. Decahydroisoquinoline derivative is disclosed as a potent, selective, and systemically-active AMPA antagonist capable of blocking ATPA-induced rigidity in mice.
Endocrine disruptors alter social behaviors and indirectly influence social hierarchies via changes in body weight

In humans, the causal link between socioeconomic status (SES) and body weight (BW) is bidirectional, as chronic stress associated with low SES may increase risk of obesity and excess weight may worsen career opportunities resulting in lower SES. We hypothesize that environmental factors affecting BW and/or social stress might reprogram physiological and social trajectories of individuals. To analyze interactions between BW and social behaviors in mice perinatally exposed to one of several environmental endocrine disruptors. CD-1 mice were fed 0.2 mg/kg BW/day tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), 2,2,4,4-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), bisphenol S (BPS), or oil (vehicle) from pregnancy day 8 through postpartum day 21. Three male offspring (triad) from each litter were housed together until week 15 and subjected to a Sociability Test and Tube Tests. Cages were then rearranged so that animals of the same social rank from the four exposure groups were housed together in tetrads. Social hierarchy in tetrads was again analyzed by Tube Tests. In Sociability Tests, the mean velocity of all exposed animals increased when they encountered a stranger mouse and less time was spent with conspecifics. BW and social dominance of animals in triads and tetrads were inversely associated. BDE-47 and BPS caused transient decreases in BW. Developmental exposure to environmental xenobiotics shifted behavior towards increased anxiety and decreased interest in social interactions. Our mouse model reproduces negative associations between social hierarchy status and BW. These results suggest that manipulation of BW by endocrine disruptors may affect social ranking.
On replacing the manual measurement of ACR phantom images performed by MRI technologists with an automated measurement approach

Purpose To assess whether measurements on American College of Radiology (ACR) phantom images performed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists as part of a weekly quality control (QC) program could be performed exclusively using an automated system without compromising the integrity of the QC program. Materials and Methods ACR phantom images are acquired on 15 MRI scanners at a number of ACR-accredited sites to fulfill requirements of a weekly QC program. MRI technologists routinely perform several measurements on these images. Software routines are also used to perform the measurements. A set of geometry measurements made by technologists over a five week period and those made using software routines were compared to reference-standard measurements made by two MRI physicists. Results The geometry measurements performed by software routines had a very high positive correlation (0.92) with the reference-standard measurements. Technologist measurements also had a high positive correlation (0.63), although the correlation was less than for the automated measurements. Bland–Altman analysis revealed overall good agreement between the automated and reference-standard measurements, with the 95% limits of agreement being within ±0.62 mm. Agreement between the technologist and the reference-standard measurements was demonstratively poorer, with 95% limits of agreement being ±1.46 mm. Some of the technologist measurements differed from the reference standard by as much as 2 mm. Conclusion The technologists' geometry measurements may be able to be replaced by automated measurement without compromising the weekly QC program required by the ACR. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015.
Influence of Temperature on Development of Rigor Mortis in Dog Hearts

The effect of temperature (1°C to 50°C) on the onset and maximal development of rigor mortis in dog hearts was studied systematically under static conditions. Excised hearts were submerged in Ringer9s solution so that the ventricle could assume an elastic equilibrium state. This was characterized by zero transmural pressure and the presence of a certain volume in the ventricle. Pressure-volume curves were obtained in 29 experiments by removal as well as by addition of fluid. The pressure-volume relations were the same at all temperatures prior to the onset of rigor mortis. The criterion for the beginning of rigor mortis was the first change in pressure-volume relations and for maximum rigor the constancy of the attained relations. The shortest interval between cessation of the circulation and the beginning of rigor mortis was 25 minutes at 37°C, and three hours at 10°C. These measurements provide data defining the minimal period during which pressure-volume determinations can be made without post mortem alterations. The phenomenon of "primary dilatation" was observed irrespective of a withdrawal or an addition of fluid to the ventricle. The weight gain of the quiescent ventricle in Ringer9s solution was determined until autolysis began and was found to be 5% during the first five hours at all temperatures ranging from 5°C to 45°C.
Treatment with α‐difluoromethylornithine plus a spermidine analog leads to spermine depletion and growth inhibition in cultured L1210 leukemia cells

Of the three biological polyamines, putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), the relevance of Spm to cell proliferation has yet to be defined because of our general inability to deplete it selectively in intact cells. In the present study, Spm depletion was accomplished by treating cultured L1210 cells for 96 hr with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and an analog of Spd such as aminopropylcadaverine, N4-methylSpd, N4-ethylSpd, or homoSpd. DFMO, a specific inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, halts continued polyamine biosynthesis and the Spd analog serves as a functional substitute for Spd. Thus, while the Spd analog fulfills the role(s) of Spd in cell proliferation, Spm becomes steadily depleted. In cells treated with DFMO plus the analog, aminopropylcadaverine, Spm pools decline steadily and growth inhibition occus after 48 hr (when Spm pools decline to 60% of control). By 96 hr, Spm is approximately 15% of control and growth is less than 30%. Prevention studies with exogenous polyamines confirm a causal relationship between Spm depletion and growth inhibition. The critical levels of polyamines for cell proliferation to take place were found to be 30% of control for Spd and 60% for Spm. The use of DFMO plus a Spd analog is proposed as a system for studying the cellular consequences of Spm depletion. Spd depletion can be achieved for comparison purposes by treating cells with DFMO alone.
Prolegomena to a dynamics of ideologies

The paper outlines a possible further development of the suggestion made by the author in his recent book. Ideology is defined here as a verbalized, or at least verbalizable, behavior pattern which may be adopted by society. After a brief discussion of possible classifications of ideologies, a study is made of those ideologies which refer to the question of social and ethical interrelations. Different kinds of ideologies may be represented bybehavior matrices, introduced in the author's book. A uniparametric representation of all such matrices is suggested and discussed. Next the previous results on social imitation are extended to the case ofn different behaviors, each of which is determined by a particular value of a continuously varying parameter. It is shown that, depending on some other social parameters, changes from one ideology to another may proceed either quasicontinuously or definitely discontinuously. The paper concludes with some general speculations on the possibility of applying the above results to a mathematical interpretation of history.
Ecdysteroids as a component of the genital sex pheromone in two species of hard ticks,Dermacentor variabilis andDermacentor andersoni (Acari: Ixodidae)

Neutering of part-fed females eliminated copulatory behavior inDermacentor variabilis (Say) andD. andersoni Stiles males. Extracts from the anterior reproductive tracts of part-fed (7 days) females partly restored the male copulatory behavior in conspecific neutered females. Similar extracts from unfed females did not restore the behavior, suggesting that the pheromone was produced during feeding. Perception of the genital sex pheromone by sensillae on the male cheliceral digits was confirmed by electrophysiological techniques.
Role of nitric oxide in human esophageal circular smooth muscle in vitro.

The role of nitric oxide in human esophageal smooth muscle was examined. Immunostaining for constitutive nitric oxide synthase labeled nerve fibers and bundles within longitudinal and circular smooth muscle layers of resected tissue samples. Strips of circular muscle mounted in organ baths exhibited spontaneous contractions and active tone. When exposed to 5-second trains of electric field stimulation at 20 Hz, most strips exhibited intrastimulus "on" and poststimulus "off" contractions. Exposure to a 0.1 μmol/L (or greater) concentration of atropine converted "on" contractions to "on" relaxations and reduced "off" contractions by 63%. Exposure to N G -nitro-l-arginine resulted in concentration-dependent enhancement of "on" contractions and abolition of "off" contractions. Excess l-arginine enhanced the reversal of these effects. Sodium nitroprusside inhibited both spontaneous and evoked contractions. These results suggest that nitric oxide synthesis is a mediator of neural inhibition of human esophageal circular smooth muscle and is necessary for the occurrence of "off" contractions.
Polynitramino compounds outperform PETN

New polynitramino compounds were synthesized and fully characterized using IR and multinuclear (1H, 13C, 15N) NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Some Determinants of Lingering Behavior in a Suburban Shopping Center

These results are consistent with Berlyne's (1960) finding that figures of increasing complexity were looked at longer than simpler figures, and with the Leckart and Bakan ( 1965) study. People attend complex presentations for a longer time. Free-looking time and ratings of complexity may be useful to influence the movement of people.
DNA repair mechanisms and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection

Herpesvirus infections, such as those induced by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), induce specific DNA damages. DNA damages can lead to cell mutation, death, apoptosis and immune system activation. Various types of DNA damage are repaired through multiple repair pathways, such as base excision, nucleotide excision, homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining. Changes in the activity of DNA repair proteins during viral infection can cause disturbances in the DNA repair system and change its mechanisms. This report reviews results from studies, assaying a DNA repair system in HCMV infection.
Far infrared optical properties of proustite (Ag3AsS3)

Abstract The infrared reflection and transmission spectra of Ag 3 AsS 3 single crystals have been between 20 and 650 cm -1 at room temperature. Fourteen phonon modes were observable in reflectivity with the dominant restrahlen bands occuring at 360 cm -1 and 35 cm -1 for E ⌈ c and at 335 cm -1 and 35 cm -1 for E ⊥ c . These measurements indicate that generation of far infrared radiation by mixing of two laser frequencies using proustite as the down-conversion crystal is not possible.
Editorial board position statement regarding the declaration on research assessment (DORA) recommendations with respect to journal impact factors

Journal impact factors (IFs) were invented in 1960 by information scientist Eugene Garfield, founder of the Institute for Scientific Information, to provide an objective measure of the relative imp...
Guidance Algorithm for Range Maximization and Time-of-Flight Control of a Guided Projectile

The availability of gun-hardened guidance and control systems has made highly accurate gun-launched rocket-assisted guided projectiles feasible. A composite guidance algorithm is presented for such vehicles. The algorithm is capable of extending range and cross-range capability of the projectile, and allows it to be retargeted after launch. The algorithm also employs model predictive control to control time of flight to allow a salvo of projectiles to arrive simultaneously. The time-of-flight control achieves its objective by trajectory shaping and corrects for winds, off-nominal launch conditions, and rocket motor variations.
ON THE SPECTRUM OF A SINGULAR HAMILTONIAN SYSTEM

ABSTRACT In this paper we connect the function-theoretic properties of the matrix Titchmarsh-Weyl M(λ) function with the spectrum of a linear Hamiltonian system. Characterizations are given for the resolvent set, the point spectrum, the continuous spectrum and the point-continuous spectrum. The Hamiltonian system is considered under a limit-point hypothesis. In section 5 we establish invariance of certain parts of the spectrum with respect to boundary conditions.
The posterior approach for lumbar and thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: posterior shortening and pedicle screws.

Study Design. Prospective clinical case series. Background Data. Lumbar and thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scollosis has traditionally been treated with an anterior approach and instrumentation. This anterior method often has had problems with kyphosis, pseudarthrusis, and loss of correction. The senior author has had good results treating these same lumbar and thoracolumbar curves posteriorly with wide posterior release and segmental instrumentation. In this series of his evolving technique, he adds pedicle screws as the sole anchor in the thoracolumbar/lumbar curves. Objectives. To prospectively evaluate outcomes, coronal and sagittal radiographic results, balance parameters, complications, and reoperations in a group of consecutive patients with lumbar and thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoiiosis. These patients were surgically treated with wide posterior release and segmental posterior screw instrumentation with 2-year minimum follow-up (range 26-47 months). Methods. Sixty-two consecutive patients with thoracolumbar and lumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were treated with a wide posterior release and segmental pedicle screw instrumentation limited to the curve defined by the Cobb measurement. The patients were evaluated clinically and iadiogiaphicaliy at intervals up to 36 months. There was 2-year minimum follow-up. Results. One patient was lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 61 patients, there were 51 Lenke 5 Type curves, 7 Lenke Type 3C curves, and 3 Lenke Type 6 curves. Only the curve defined by the Cobb measurement was fused. A total of 613 pedicle screws were placed safely. Average coronal correction of the thoracolumbar/lumbar curves was from 52° to 10° (80%). In the sagittal plane, lumbar lordosis was normalized from 41° with a wide range (20°-70°) to 42° with a normal range (34°-47°). There were no pseudoarthroses, no reoperations, no infectious, no problems with screw placement, and excellent maintenance of correction at last follow-up. The fowest instrumented vertebrae had 81% correction of coronal angulation, center sacral line to lowest instrumented vertebrae was improved from 2.4 cm to 0.7 cm, and apex to center sacral line was improved from 5.2 cm to 1.5 cm. The C7 plumb line to center sacral line was also improved from 2.5 cm to 0.6 cm, illustrating the centering of the trunk. Conclusions. Wide posterior release and segmental pedicle screw instrumentation has excellent radiographic and clinical results with minimal complications. There were no pseudoarthroses and no reoperations.
Incidence of growth lines in psychosocial dwarfs and idiopathic hypopituitarism

The presence of growth lines in the distal radius was evaluated prior to treatment in 23 psychosocial dwarfs and 25 patients with idiopathic hypopituitarism. The lines were very common in the psychosocial dwarfs and rare in the pituitary dwarfs (P = .0005). This finding can be explained by the fluctuating adverse environment to which the psychosocial dwarf is exposed and the constant lack of growth in hypopituitary patients. Therefore, in the absence of systemic disease, when growth lines are present in a patient with short stature or failure to thrive, a thorough review of the patient's psychosocial environment should be made.
Technology Assessment and Genetics

No one—not even the most brilliant scientist alive today—really knows where science is taking us. We are aboard a train which is gathering speed, racing down a track on which there are an unknown number of switches leading to unknown destinations. No single scientist is in the engine cab, and there may be demons at the switch.1
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF “AUTOMATIC STABILIZERS”

ECONOMISTS and politicians alike have for some time struggled with the problem of controlling or modifying the business cycle, offering many and diverse remedies. In recent history the first significant attack was made on the antiquated banking system. This was done just after the panic of 1907-8, the reasoning being that the attempted elimination of a weak banking structure would do much to prevent the business depressions that seemed to follow. The result was a compromise in the form of our partially centralized, partially decentralized Federal Reserve System. The strengthening of the banking system, however, did not provide the protection we had sought, as evidenced by the depression of 1920-22 (following World War I). This time, since the powers that be placed the blame not on the banking structure but on the credit policy of the "newly" established system, the central bank tradition of looking to the reserve ratio as a guide to credit policy was abandoned in favor of a policy of dispersing credit to business according to the Federal Reserve's conception of business needs. With the new policy an apparent success, it was commonly accepted among many that the "long-sought-for" preventive had been found.' The false security provided by the foregoing reforms was shattered by the stock market crash of 1929. This time the bank panic did not precede the depression but came after the depression slid to its lowest ebb (1933). Where was the blame to be placed this time? The stock market came under direct attack via the Securities and Exchange Commission Act of 1934. But several other remedies were also set forth, notably the policy of compensatory public works and relief payments, unemployment insurance, the Banking Acts of 1933 and 1935, the NRA, agricultural aid (actually begun by the Federal Farm Board under Hoover in 1929), the various and diverse loan acts, aid to labor unions, and the CCC. In spite of the dip of 1936-3 7
Legal abortions, subsidized family planning services, and the U.S. "birth dearth".

The U.S. fertility rate began a marked decline in 1971. The effect of legal abortions and of increased federal subsidy for family planning services on this decline is evaluated. Both took place several years before the decline. Of all legal abortions performed in 1970 78% were for women under age 30. Of patients seeking services from subsidized family planning programs 80% were under 30 years of age. Analyses of results showed no association between numbers of patients of subsidized family planning services and differences in fertility for the years 1967-1971. However trends were found suggesting that legal abortions have produced a decline in fertility and the recorded "birth dearth."
Oxidative and dehydrative cyclizations of nitroacetate esters with Mn(OAc)3

Abstract Reaction of α-unsubstituted nitroacetates with Mn(OAc)3 gives mixtures of isoxazolines, formed by dehydration to a nitrile oxide that undergoes cycloaddition, and isoxazoline oxides or cyclopropane, formed by oxidative cyclization. Oxidative cyclization is favored with electron-rich alkenes and cycloaddition with the nitrile oxide to give isoxazolines is favored with electron-poor alkenes. On the other hand, α-substituted nitroacetates cannot dehydrate and undergo only radical reactions.
EDTA-assisted heavy-metal uptake by poplar and sunflower grown at a long-term sewage-sludge farm

Little information is available concerning the efficacy of chelates applied to biosolids (sewage-sludge)-treated soil for heavy-metal removal. The purpose of the experiment was to determine the availability to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides Marsh. × P. nigra L.) seedlings, of non-essential (Cd, Ni, Pb) and essential heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) in field soil injected with biosolids since 1976 and treated with ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in 2001. Sunflower was grown at two densities, 20 000 and 60 000 plants/ha, and poplar at 10 000 plants/ha. The tetrasodium salt of EDTA was applied at rates of 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 g EDTA salt per kg surface (25-cm depth) soil. The EDTA did not affect uptake by poplar of the three non-essential (Cd, Ni, Pb) and four essential (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) heavy metals. For sunflower, the 1.0 g/kg rate of chelate addition resulted in maximal removal of the three non-essential heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb). Uptake of the essential heavy metals by sunflower was little affected by the EDTA. At the 20 000 plants/ha density, leaves of sunflower grown with 1.0 g EDTA Na4ċ2H2O per kg soil accumulated more Cd, Ni, and Pb than leaves of sunflower grown without the EDTA salt. At this density, concentrations of Cd in leaves of sunflower without EDTA and with 1.0 g/kg EDTA salt were 2.2 and 6.5 μg/g, respectively; for Ni, they were 6.7 and 19.2 μg/g, respectively; and for Pb, they were 15.6 and 46.9 μg/g, respectively. At the 60 000 plants/ha density, stems of sunflower grown with 1.0 g EDTA Na4ċ2H2O per kg soil accumulated more Cd, Ni, and Pb than stems of sunflower grown without the EDTA salt. At this density, concentrations of Cd in stems of sunflower without EDTA and with 1.0 g/kg EDTA salt were 0.6 and 4.6 μg/g, respectively; for Ni, they were 1.7 and 17.6 μg/g, respectively; and for Pb, they were 5.2 and 42.8 μg/g, respectively. Removal of the non-essential heavy metals by sunflower was greater at the higher plant density (60 000 plants/ha) compared to the lower one (20 000 plants/ha).