cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Edge Preserving Smoothing and Segmentation of 4-D Medical Images via Scale-Space Fingerprint Analysis

An approach is described which has the potential to unify edge preserving smoothing with segmentation based on differential edge detection at multiple scales. The analysis of n-D data is decomposed into independent 1-D problems. Smoothing in various directions along 1-D profiles through n-D data is driven by local structure separation, rather than by local contrast. Analytic expressions are obtained for the derivatives of the edge preserved 1-D profiles. Using these expressions, multidimensional edge detection operators such as the Laplacian or second directional derivative can be composed and used to segment n-D data. The smoothing and segmentation algorithms are applied to simulated 4-D medical images.
Neutron Distributions in Reactors

This chapter deals with the spatial distributions of neutrons within the finite cylindrical volumes that correspond to the cores of power reactors. The chapter starts by reformulating the diffusion equation in an eigenvalue form that yields both the multiplication and the flux distribution from a time-independent solution. It then finds the criticality equation and flux distribution for a bare uniform reactor and relates it to the reactor power. The chapter provides a detailed treatment of the neutron nonleakage probability and the effects that neutron slowing down and diffusion have on it. Following completion of the treatment of the bare cylindrical reactor, the chapter continues to examine reactors that include reflector regions to improve the neutron economy. The chapter concludes with an examination of the effects control poisons—first of a single control rod and then of a bank of control rods—on reactor multiplication and flux distribution.
Identification of a new promoter upstream of the murine dihydrofolate reductase gene.

Abstract In vitro reactions identified a transcription initiation site located 740 nucleotides upstream of the dihydrofolate reductase translational start. Transcription from this site proceeded in the direction opposite to that of dihydrofolate reductase mRNA. Deletion mapping indicated that this new promoter can be separated from the dihydrofolate reductase promoter and that separation increased transcription at -740. Transcripts that initiate at -740 were also detected in cellular RNA, indicating that this is a bona fide transcription initiation site in vivo.
Lubiprostone does not influence visceral pain thresholds in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background In clinical trials, lubiprostone reduced the severity of abdominal pain. The primary aim was to determine whether lubiprostone raises the threshold for abdominal pain induced by intraluminal balloon distention. A secondary aim was to determine whether changes in pain sensitivity influence clinical pain independently of changes in transit time. Methods Sixty-two patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) participated in an 8-week cross-over study. All subjects completed a 14-day baseline ending with a barostat test of pain and urge sensory thresholds. Half, randomly selected, then received 48 μg day−1 of lubiprostone for 14 days ending with a pain sensitivity test and a Sitzmark test of transit time. This was followed by a 14-day washout and then a crossover to 14 days of placebo with tests of pain sensitivity and transit time. The other half of the subjects received placebo before lubiprostone. All kept symptom diaries. Key Results Stools were significantly softer when taking lubiprostone compared to placebo (Bristol Stool scores 4.20 vs 3.44, P < 0.001). However, thresholds for pain (17.36 vs 17.83 mmHg, lubiprostone vs placebo) and urgency to defecate (14.14 vs 14.53 mmHg) were not affected by lubiprostone. Transit time was not significantly different between lubiprostone and placebo (51.27 vs 51.81 h), and neither pain sensitivity nor transit time was a significant predictor of clinical pain. Conclusions & Inferences Lubiprostone has no effect on visceral sensory thresholds. The reductions in clinical pain that occur while taking lubiprostone appear to be secondary to changes in stool consistency.
Chromosome markers in Mus musculus: strain differences in C-banding.

The mitotic chromosomes of several inbred strains of mice and a series of F1 hybrids have been analyzed by quinacrine staining and further characterized by the centromeric heterochromatin banding (C-banding). Inbred strains had the same amount of C-banding material on homologous chromosomes but showed variation in the amount on different chromosomes. F1 hybrids showed characteristics of each parent and it appears that the amount of C-banding on each chromosome is a simple inherited polymorphism. In this study 12 different chromosomes could be distinguished by their C-banding, and these can be used as normal chromosome markers.
Relationships between femoral fracture loads for two load configurations

Studies of proximal femoral strength usually involve one of two types of loading conditions, loading similar to joint loading during single-limb stance or loading simulating impact from a fall. When interpreting the results of studies involving only one of these load configurations, the question arises as to their applicability to the other configuration. In addition, it is desirable to know whether, for an individual bone, fracture load for one load configuration is indicative of fracture load for the other configuration. In this study, the relationship between proximal femoral fracture loads for single-limb stance loading and loading simulating impact from a type of fall was determined from mechanical testing of 17 matched pairs of human proximal femora. Fracture loads for these two configurations were found to be linearly related (r = 0.901, p < 0.001). However, the correlation between fracture loads is not notably stronger than correlations currently available between fracture load and measures of bone density and geometry. In addition, the regression results indicate that 81% of the variance in fracture load for one loading condition is accounted for by fracture load for the other loading condition. Thus, 19% of the variance remains unexplained, indicating that the results of studies involving only one load configuration are not necessarily indicative of those that would be found for another configuration.
Suicide Attempt Characteristics, Diagnoses, and Future Attempts: Comparing Multiple Attempters to Single Attempters and Ideators

ABSTRACT Objective To compare psychiatric diagnoses and future suicide attempt outcomes of multiple attempters (MAs), single attempters (SAs), and ideators. Method Two hundred twenty-eight teens who reported recent ideation or a lifetime suicide attempt in a screening of 1,729 high school students completed the Adolescent Suicide Interview, which provided information on attempt number and characteristics and mood, anxiety, and substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children; 191 were reinterviewed 4 to 6 years later to ascertain interval attempts and psychiatric disorder. Between screening and follow-up, 33 (17%) teens made an attempt, 12 of whom were previously classified as lifetime MAs (more than one attempt) and six as SAs. Results MAs more often met criteria for any one of the DSM diagnoses assessed at baseline (mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder; 71%), compared with SAs (39%) and ideators (41%), and at follow-up (mood, anxiety, substance use, or disruptive behavior disorder; 69%) compared with SAs (36%) ( p p Conclusions MAs more strongly predict later suicidality and diagnosis than SAs and ideation. Forms that assess past suicide attempts should routinely inquire about frequency of attempts. The similarity between the present findings and those of clinical samples suggests that screening may yield a representative sample of suicide attempters and ideators. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2008;47(1):32-40.
Are Drug-Eluting Stents Cost-Effective? It Depends on Whom You Ask

Since their commercial introduction in 2003, drug-eluting stents (DES) have rapidly altered the management of coronary artery disease. Before their development, the percutaneous management of coronary artery disease was performed predominantly by implantation of bare metal stents (BMS) made of either surgical stainless steel or metal alloys. Although such stents represented a considerable advance over balloon angioplasty alone, they remained limited by restenosis resulting from neointimal proliferation. As a result, ≈15% to 20% of patients treated with BMS required ≥1 repeat revascularization procedure within the 6 to 12 months after stent implantation.1 Despite numerous attempts at systemic pharmacotherapy, device modification, and even use of ionizing radiation, the rate of restenosis after BMS implantation remained largely unaffected. Response by Eisenberg p 1744 Over the past 5 years, effective DES have become the first device to substantially reduce the incidence of restenosis after stent implantation. By delivering high concentrations of either antiproliferative or immunomodulatory compounds directly to the site of arterial injury and by controlling this delivery through polymer-based drug release, both sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents have safely and effectively inhibited the proliferative process that results in in-stent restenosis. In pivotal clinical trials, both sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents have reduced rates of angiographic restenosis by 70% to 90% compared with conventional BMS designs, with parallel reductions in the need for clinically driven target vessel revascularization (TVR).2–4 As a result, in April 2003, DES were approved for use in clinical practice in the United States. Within 9 months of their introduction, DES made up 35% of all stent implantations in the United States,5 and their use has increased rapidly since that time. At our own institution, DES comprised >85% of all stents implanted during the past year, and national estimates are that >90% of all percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures …
Treating Stroke as a Medical Emergency: A Survey of Resident Physicians' Attitudes toward “Brain Attack” and Carotid Endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE A major impetus of the "brain attack" campaign is the early recognition and treatment of acute stroke. Critical to this goal is the education of physicians during their residency training. METHODS Resident physicians in Los Angeles who were in family practice (18%), internal medicine (51%), emergency medicine (20%), and neurology (11%) and had already completed their first year of training responded to a questionnaire on stroke and the treatment of carotid stenosis. RESULTS Of the 266 respondents, 76% had heard of the "brain attack" campaign, 22% did not identify dysarthria as a symptom of stroke, and 21% did not identify obtundation as a presentation of stroke. Twenty-eight percent chose not to use tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, and 60% recognized the need to begin treatment within 3 hours. More than 90% of respondents were able to identify correct screening tests for patients with suspected carotid stenosis. However, 56% responded that they would not advocate operating on patients with asymptomatic severe stenosis (>70%) until stenosis reached a critical value (85%). Conversely, 45% would recommend operative treatment for symptomatic patients who had less than 60% stenosis. Sixty-eight percent would refer patients to vascular surgeons, 14% to neurosurgeons, and 17% to both for carotid endarterectomy. CONCLUSION Recognition of stroke as a medical emergency is improving. However, significant progress can still be made in the recognition of stroke symptoms. Primary care and neurology residents remain skeptical about carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic patients, whereas there is enthusiasm for treating stroke survivors. Education by members of the surgical community could promote the aggressive treatment of asymptomatic patients to prevent stroke.
Working Across the Divide: Job Involvement in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

Job involvement is a principal factor in the lives of most people; employees in the workplace are mentally and emotionally influenced by their degree of involvement in work. Using the data from the National Administrative Studies Project III, this study empirically compares the level of job involvement between managers in the public and nonprofit sectors and explores different aspects including demographic, managerial, and institutional factors that contribute to the apparent differences. The results of the study indicate that the mean level of nonprofit managers' job involvement is significantly greater than for public managers. Each sector had specific variables that significantly and uniquely contributed to job involvement. Overall, the results suggest a need to more fully investigate the various mechanisms and functions of situational and organizational contexts, organizational norms, and culture that were associated with job involvement regardless of sector. Implications and limitations of this resea...
Severe orbital floor fractures: repair with a titanium implant

Fractures of the orbital floor which require exploration are usually treated with an alloplastic floor implant or an autogenous bone graft. When large portions of the orbital floor, together with the lower parts of lateral and medial walls, are destroyed there may be no possibility of providing a conventional orbital floor reconstruction. In this situation, a titanium orbital floor implant may well be required to support the globe. 4 cases of traumatic orbital floor blow-out fractures are described. Clinically, all patients had diplopia, enophthalmos and radiological evidence of extensive loss of the orbital floor. A titanium orbital floor implant was molded and secured to the infraorbital rim with miniscrews to reconstruct the orbital floor and to reconstitute the orbital volume. No additional bone grafting was performed. Complications were minimal. From this experience, in severe orbital floor fractures, good results are obtained by supporting the globe using only a titanium implant.
ESTIMATES OF HOUSEHOLD WEALTH INEQUALITY IN THE U.S., 1962–1983

The study has two major objectives. The first is to determine time trends in household wealth inequality in the U.S. over the 1962–83 period. Four concepts of wealth are analyzed: (i) total household wealth, defined as total household assets less liabilities; (ii) fungible wealth, defined as total household wealth less consumer durables and household inventories; (iii) financial wealth, defined as fungible wealth less equity in owner-occupied housing; and (iv) capital wealth, defined as financial wealth less currency, checking accounts, and time deposits. Relying on a variety of data sources, I find that wealth inequality remained relatively constant from about 1962 to 1973, fell sharply from about 1973 to about 1979, and then rose sharply between 1979 and 1983. Concentration in 1983 was greater than that in 1962 for financial and capital wealth but of similar magnitude for total and fungible wealth. The second, methodological in nature, is to analyze the effect on measured inequality of the alignment of raw survey data to national balance sheet totals. I find that the alignment process can significantly affect point estimates of household wealth distribution but does not generally affect the direction of inequality trends.
Multidimensional scaling of ferrous sulfate and basic tastes.

Abstract The status of metallic sensations as a primary or basic taste category is controversial. Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) has been suggested as a prototypical metallic chemosensory stimulus. At least part of the metallic sensation from FeSO4 arises from a metallic retronasal smell. The quality of this sensation was studied via multidimensional scaling (MDS) of taste similarities, with and without nasal closure to eliminate retronasal olfactory sensations. The metallic stimulus was embedded in a series containing classical “basic taste” stimuli, alum and monosodium glutamate. With olfaction available, the metallic stimulus plotted away from basic tastes and taste mixtures. Scaled ratings of sensory properties related to metallic taste (iron-nail, copper-penny-like, aftertaste) of FeSO4 decreased with nasal closure. Results are consistent with the idea that ferrous sulfate produces a distinctly different sensation from the traditional basic tastes, which includes both olfactory and oral sensations.
Precipitation and grain boundary segregation in molybdenum-doped NiAl

Abstract An atom probe field ion microscopy characterization of the precipitate and grain boundary composition of an NiAl alloy doped with 0.7 at% Mo has been performed. The microstructure of this alloy consisted of a low number density (∼ 1 to 2 × 10 21 m −3 ) of 10 to 50 nm diameter spherical Mo-(3.3 ± 0.6)at%Al precipitates embedded in the NiAl matrix. These precipitates generate an increase in yield stress of between 82 and 210 MPa which is in good agreement with the differences in the yield stresses of the molybdenum-doped (254 MPa) and undoped alloys (154 MPa). Atom probe analysis of the B2-ordered matrix revealed extremely limited solute content of Mo and other impurities: Ni-(50.4 ± 1.2)%Al-(0.005 ± 0.001)%Mo, 0.007 ± 0.002% Fe, 0.005 ± 0.001% Si and N and 00.0004 ± 0.0004% V. A detailed examination (> 115000 total ions) yielded grain boundary concentrations of 0.7% Mo, 0.4% Si and N, 0.09% C, 0.04% B, and 0.02% Fe. Despite these relatively low values, the molybdenum, silicon and nitrogen, boron, and iron levels represent enrichments of ∼ 140, ∼ 80, ∼ 85 and ∼ 3 times the matrix level, respectively. The carbon level at the boundary was also significantly enriched.
Autonomous Appliance Scheduling for Household Energy Management

The advancement of renewable energy technologies has seen the emergence of customer owned grid tied wind and solar microgrids. These microgrids offer an opportunity to energy users to lower their energy costs as well as enabling the power suppliers to regulate the utility grid. However, the integration of the renewable energy based sources into the smart grid increases the complexity of the main grid. The success of this scheme will be heavily reliant on accurate real-time information exchange between the microgrid, the main grid, and the consumers. The communication between these agents will be critical in implementation of intelligent decisions by the smart grid. The microgrids will be required to relay energy forecasts information to the utility grid. Similarly, customers will be expected to submit energy demand schedules, to actively monitor energy price signals, to participate in energy bids, and to respond to energy management signals in real time. This kind of grid-user interaction will be overwhelming and could result in consumer apathy. There is therefore a need to develop smart systems that will autonomously execute all these tasks without the prompting of the customers. This paper presents one such approach. In this study, we proposed a demand side energy management for a grid connected household with a locally generated photovoltaic energy. To ensure efficient household energy management, smart scheduling of electrical appliances has also been presented.
Diel variation of TCO2 in the upper layer of oceanic waters reflects microbial composition, variation and possibly methane cycling

Six diel TCO2 cycles determined by infrared (IR) photometry from five drift stations occupied between 24 February and 16 March 1979 in the mixed layer of the northwestern Caribbean Sea are examined. Comparison of TCO2 variation with coincident salinity and O2 variation demonstrated that TCO2 often co-varied with these independently measured variables. During five diel cycles TCO2 variation was characterized by nocturnal production and diurnal consumption. The inverse, diurnal production of CO2, occurred downstream from Misteriosa Bank, whose corals apparently contributed to a water mass having a twofold increase of POC and a sixfold larger population of heterotrophic nanoplankters. For the five diel studies carried out in waters with balanced or nearly blanced heterotrophic and phototrophic components of the nanoplankton, CO2 consumption at constant salinity always occurred between 06.00 and 09.00 hrs. Net uptake often continued through 15.00 hrs, but not always in the absence of significant salinity changes. At constant salinity net O2 evolution never exceeded 0.5 μmol l-1 h-1 while net CO2 uptake consistently averaged 3 μmol l-1 h-1 for an apparent net production of 36 mg C m-3 h-1, which greatly exceeds the O2 changes and open ocean 14C estimates from the literature. Diurnal consumption was apparently balanced by nocturnal production of CO2 so that no significant net daily change in TCO2 was observed. Departures from theoretical PQ and RQ and the possibility of nocturnal variations in formaldehyde and carbonate alkalinity imply that chemotrophs, both methane producers and methane oxidizers, play a significant role in CO2 cycling. This could be through the metabolism of the nonconservative gases CH4, CO, and H2, and a link between chemotrophy and phototrophy through these gases is hypothesized. These open system measurements were subject to diffusion and documentable patchiness, but temporal TCO2 changes appear to indicate the net direction of microbiological activity and join a growing body of literature showing dynamic variation in CO2 and O2 that exceeds estimates by 14C bottle assays of carbon fixation.
Robotic Assisted Multivessel Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass With Port-Access Stabilization and Cardiac Positioning: Paving the Way for Outpatient Coronary Surgery?

Background Minimimal access multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting with same day hospital discharge remains the ultimate goal. We evaluated the feasibility for achieving multivessel coronary bypass through minimal access. Methods From January to July 2003, 30 patients under went off-pump minimally invasive multivessel coronary bypass. Internal mammary arteries were harvested with robotic telemanipulation with three ports. A 2-inch to 3-inch incision with soft tissue retractor was used to perform coronary anastomosis. Robotic ports were used to introduce stabilization and cardiac positioning devices. Endoscopic harvesting of radial artery was done when necessary. Results Twenty-three patients (77%) had anterior throracotomy approach and 7 (23%) had transabdominal approach. Average number of bypass grafts was 2.6 (range 2–4). There was no mortality in hospital or on 30-day follow-up. Twenty-nine patients (97%) were extubated on the operating table. Two patients required reoperation for bleeding and 1 of those patients needed conversion to sternotomy for additional bypass grafting. Within 24 hours of surgery 50% of patients (n = 15) were discharged, 10% (n = 3) were discharged in 24 to 36 hours, 17% (n = 5) were discharged in 36 to 48 hours, 17% (n = 5) were discharged in 48 to 72 hours, and 2 patients stayed more than 3 days in the hospital. Two patients needed readmission to hospital within 30 days; 1 for pleural effusion and 1 for wound infection. Conclusions Robotic harvesting of internal mammary arteries and port access stabilization and cardiac positioning allows multivessel coronary bypass to be performed through a small incision. Currently, the majority of the patients can be safely discharged within 36 hours of operation.
Sensory and social influences on ice cream consumption by males and females in a laboratory setting

Both male and female undergraduates ate more ice cream when eating occurred in groups of three or four than when they ate alone. These subjects also ate more ice cream when offered three different flavors than when offered only one flavor of their own choosing. For women, both variety and eating in a group combined to enhance eating more than either variable did alone. For men, variety or eating in a group caused about the same enhancement of consumption but the combination of the two variables did not lead to further increases in intake. This latter result probably reflects a ceiling effect, but it could represent a true gender difference.
African American Parents in the Search Stage of College Choice Unintentional Contributions to the Female to Male College Enrollment Gap

A serious imbalance exists in today's African American undergraduate student population in which the number of women far outnumber the number of men. Although at the macro level, political, sociological, and economic forces frame this gender enrollment gap, scant research has explored microlevel influences such as parents and parenting. This study uses a qualitative methodology and Hossler's model of college choice to examine African American parent involvement during the search stage. The study finds that the parents, who are mostly female and have higher aspirations for daughters, encourage daughters to consider 4-year colleges more often but show equal levels of tangible support for sons. The authors suggest that the boundaries of Hossler's model necessarily shift when considering urban African American parents and that practitioners must have equally high academic aspirations for both African American male and female students.
Modal logic interpretation of Dempster-Shafer theory: An infinite case

Abstract A modal logic interpretation of belief and plausibility measures defined on infinite sets is established. As a special case, a modal logic interpretation of necessity and possibility measures defined on infinite sets is also established. It is proven in both cases that the interpretation is complete. These results establish, in effect, modal logic interpretations of the Dempster-Shafer theory and possibility theory.
Death of a Titan

When Tony Pawson passed away this summer, the cell signaling community lost a great scientist. His outgoing nature and inquisitiveness and excitement about science influenced many members of the field. Researchers who knew Tony offer fond remembrances here to commemorate his impact on our understanding the molecular mechanisms governing signal transduction and on many individual careers.
The Effect of High-Temperature Short-Time Forewarming of Milk upon the Heat Stability of its Evaporated Product

Summary 1 The heat stability of evaporated whole milk of 26 per cent total solids content was increased as much as 6 times that of control samples by high-temperature short-hold forewarming the fresh milk. The control samples were forewarmed to 95° C. (203° F.) and held 10 minutes; the test samples were forewarmed over a range of temperatures from 101° C. (213.8° F.) to 165° C. (329.0° F.) with a heating time of 4 seconds, a holding time of 25 seconds and a cooling time of 4 seconds. 2 The relationship between the high forewarming temperature and the heat stability of evaporated milk differs with each milk. A study of this relationship indicates that the high-forewarming temperature required to produce an evaporated milk of a certain desired viscosity may be within limits of 2° C. (3.6° F.) for one milk or within limits as wide as 60° C. (108° F.) for another milk. Milks forewarmed to produce excessively high stability will be too thin, while those with too low stability will be rough after sterilization. 3 Use of the optimum high-forewarming temperature brought about, in the milks tested, a greater increase in heat stability in the evaporated milk than could be attained by the addition of the optimum quantity of stabilizing salt to a normally forewarmed milk. 4 High forewarming should be a useful commercial procedure for increasing the heat stability of milks which are difficult to sterilize without the addition of stabilizing salts. When a coming-up time of 4 seconds and a holding time of 25 seconds are used, the optimum high-forewarming temperature for most milk will probably fall between 120° C. (248° F.) and 140° C. (284° F.).
Calculation and Phenomenology of Two Body Decays of Neutralinos and Charginos to W, Z, and Higgs Bosons

We give explicit formulas for the decays of the neutralinos and charginos of the minimal model of supersymmetry into other neutralinos and charginos plus a W, Z, or Higgs boson. The important features of these decays are illustrated and their phenomenological implications discussed. In general, this class of two-body decays is dominant for the heaviest charginos and neutralinos.
Examining Faking on Personality Inventories Using Unfolding Item Response Theory Models

A concern about personality inventories in diagnostic and decision-making contexts is that individuals will fake. Although there is extensive research on faking, little research has focused on how perceptions of personality items change when individuals are faking or responding honestly. This research demonstrates how the delta parameter from the generalized graded unfolding item response theory model can be used to examine how individuals' perceptions about personality items might change when responding honestly or when faking. The results indicate that perceptions changed from honest to faking conditions for several neuroticism items. The direction of the change varied, indicating that faking can operate to increase or decrease scores within a personality factor.
Quantitative determination of binding of ISWI to nucleosomes and DNA shows allosteric regulation of DNA binding by nucleotides.

The regulation of chromatin structure is controlled by a family of molecular motors called chromatin remodelers. The ability of these enzymes to remodel chromatin structure is dependent on their ability to couple ATP binding and hydrolysis into the mechanical work that drives nucleosome repositioning. The necessary first step in determining how these essential enzymes perform this function is to characterize both how they bind nucleosomes and how this interaction is regulated by ATP binding and hydrolysis. With this goal in mind, we monitored the interaction of the chromatin remodeler ISWI with fluorophore-labeled nucleosomes and DNA through associated changes in fluorescence anisotropy of the fluorophore upon binding of ISWI to these substrates. We determined that one ISWI molecule binds to a 20 bp double-stranded DNA substrate with an affinity of 18 ± 2 nM. In contrast, two ISWI molecules can bind to the core nucleosome with short linker DNA with stoichiometric macroscopic equilibrium constants: 1/β1 = ...
Processes regulating cellular metal accumulation and physiological effects : Phytoplankton as model systems

Trace metals exist in a variety of redox states and coordination species which markedly influences their geochemical behavior and biological availability. Most exist in natural waters as metal cations that are complexed to varying degrees by inorganic and organic ligands. Metal ions are generally taken up into cells by membrane transport proteins designed for acquisition of nutrient metals (Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu, Mo). Organic ligands compete with these transport proteins for binding metal ions, and consequently, organic complexation substantially decreases metal uptake rates. Typically, the chelated metal is not directly available for cellular uptake, and metal uptake is controlled by either the concentration of free aquo ions or that of kinetically labile inorganic species. The coordination sites of transport proteins, however, are not entirely specific for intended nutrient metals, and consequently will bind with and transport non-nutritive or toxic metals. Competition for membrane transport sites and for intracellular metabolic binding sites can substantially influence the uptake of both nutrient and toxic metals and resultant effects on growth rate. Such growth rate effects provide feedback on cellular metal concentrations since the amount of metal accumulated within cells represents a balance between the rate of metal uptake and the cellular growth rate, the effective biodilution rate. Phytoplankton have provided useful model systems for investigating the processes and associated chemical and biological factors regulating cellular metal accumulation and resultant physiological effects.
A Study of Cellulose Pyrolysis Chemistry and Global Kinetics at High Heating Rates

Cellulose pyrolysis has been studied in a laminar entrained flow reactor (LEFR). As described in the previous companion paper, the reactor is capable of high heating rates (∼104 K/s) and has been characterized in detail to ensure that pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials occurs under kinetic control at the conditions of the reactor. The extent of cellulose pyrolysis in the LEFR was monitored by sampling the gas phase products with a molecular beam mass spectrometer system, and independently by sampling and weighing residues on a filter paper. Varying the reactor furnace temperature controls the pyrolysis severity. Quantitative cellulose pyrolysis data have been compared to several published reaction rates. Published models that involve low activation energy rates from other high temperature experiments described in the literature best approximate the results obtained in this study. Factor analysis of the mass spectral data requires two principal components to interpret the gas phase product composition....
Brentano’s: Books Afloat on a Sinking Ship

New York-based Brentano’s Bookstore (1850–1996) demonstrated growth and resilience when the economy or their business went up or down, but Brentano’s never adopted the deep discounting that became a modus operandi for American booksellers and book clubs from the 1930s onwards and especially after World War II. Resistance to deep discounting spelled doom for Brentano’s, particularly when Barnes and Noble became a competitor in the 1980s. Over many decades, Brentano’s experimented successfully with innovative retailing techniques, including bookstores on ocean liners plying Atlantic routes, serving upscale, multi-lingual, international readers. The on-land bookstore chain, in several cities, peaked at 28 stores in the 1980s and was known for its well read, impeccably dressed, courteous staff, setting a model of effective handselling. Tension between appealing to rarefied tastes of elite consumers vs. meeting practical demands of ordinary shoppers manifested in Brentano’s bookselling tactics. Conglomeration in US publishing eventually dissolved Brentano’s publishing operation as well.
Synergistic effects of weak-acid preservatives and pH on the growth of Zygosaccharomyces bailii

In completely randomised factorial experiments, individual and synergistic effects of pH, benzoic acid and sorbic acid on the growth rate of the yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii were determined, and expressed in polynomial equations. Synergism between benzoic and sorbic acid was pH dependent. A distinct effect of the anionic form of benzoic acid on doubling time was demonstrated by experiments in which concentrations of benzoic acid and benzoate were varied. The resultant polynomial equation showed that both species act synergistically.
SU-FF-T-92: Automating Treatment Planning System QA

Purpose: To develop software which both increases the comprehensiveness of the AAPM recommended treatment planning system (TPS) quality assurance and decreases the time required to complete it. Method: The AAPM Task Group Report ♯40 recommends a monthly check of the “checksum” or a constancy check of monitor unit (MU) calculations for a subset of all possible beam configurations. An in‐house, Interactive Data Language (IDL) based software program was developed to perform the TPS QA. The program was designed to interface with the Pinnacle TPS to automate these tests. First, a Pinnacle script was developed to calculate a comprehensive set of beams configurations belonging to commissioned machines. After computation the 2×2×2 mm grid for each beam is automatically exported and saved. Second, the IDL software imports this dose grid and compares it on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis to the dose grid created after commissioning. Any nonzero deviation would direct the physicist to the specific beam parameters to check. Results: For each energy of each machine, the program exports a list of baseline, calculated and their percent difference for various field size and beam modifier combinations. The program is quite sensitive to beam data modification. A slight modification such as 1% change in MU or a 1mm shift in isocenter from their baseline configuration produced an identifiable change in the sum of the dose grid. Conclusions: Our in‐house software successfully automates the TPS QA process. It maximizes the benefit‐vs‐cost ratio by providing a highly sensitive constancy check of the TPS beam data while minimizing physicist involvement.
Void formation during the oxidation of tantalum

Abstract Lines of small voids are a common feature of scales formed on tantalum at high temperatures. In this investigation, evidence is produced to show that the voids originate over suboxide plates. The lines of pores may therefore be regarded as evidence of the existence of the plates at reaction temperature. The tantalum-atom density in the suboxide has been estimated, and compared with the values calculated for the various suboxides reported in the literature.
The biologic importance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

Detailed pathologic analysis has delineated a close association between intratumoral CD 8(+) cytotoxic T cells and favorable clinical outcomes in diverse cancers. Conversely, the presence at tumor sites of negative immune regulatory elements, such as FoxP 3(+) T cells (Tregs) and PD-1/PD-L1 co-stimulatory molecules, is closely associated with inferior patient survival. Together, these results indicate the importance of the balance between cytotoxic and regulatory pathways in the tumor microenvironment as a critical determinant of prognosis. This immune index also provides a framework for devising therapeutic strategies to enlarge the population of antitumor cytotoxic T cells and attenuate immune regulation. Among these approaches, vaccination with irradiated, autologous tumor cells engineered to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) followed by antibody blockade of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) provides clinical benefits for some advanced-course melanoma patients. The extent of tumor necrosis in post-treatment biopsies is linearly related to the natural logarithm of the ratio of CD 8(+) T cells to FoxP 3(+) Tregs. These findings show a concordance between the immune signature of tumor protection in endogenous and therapy-induced responses, strongly supporting Martin Mihm's original insights.
Collisional Quenching of Metastable X-Ray-Emitting States in a Fast Beam of He-like Fluorine

High resolution x-ray spectral measurements are used to determine the relative intensity of He-like fluorine x-ray transitions, 2 $sup 3$P$sub 1$ $Yields$ 1 $sup 1$S$sub 0$ and $sup 1$P$sub 1$ $Yields$ $sup 1$S$sub 0$, produced in fluorine collisions with Ne, Ar, and Kr gas targets at various pressures and in thin carbon foils and a thick carbon slab. The relative intensities are observed to be strong functions of both target density and incident charge Z. These effects are attributed to strong collisional quenching of both initial states by subsequent large impact parameter collisions. The data permit extraction for the first time of the total quenching cross sections (sigma/sub Q/ ) for fast fluorine ions in both states. A strong enhancement of the relative intensity of the 2 $sup 3$P$sub 1$ is observed for F$sup 7+$ projectiles. This strong enhancement is attributed to selective excitation of metastable states in the beam, i.e., 1s2s $sup 3$S$sub 1$, into the 1s2p $sup 3$P$sub 1$ state. Finally, the data for foil and solid targets are used to obtain new information on the excitation states of ions moving in solids. High resolution measurements of the radiative electron capture (REC) peak are reported and analyzed formore » the first time. 3 figs, 1 table (auth)« less
On the classification and enumeration of self-dual codes

This article is a survey of the current status of the classification and enumeration of self-dual linear codes of small to moderate lengths over the fields F"2, F"3, and F"4 and the rings Z"4, F"2+uF"2, and F"2+vF"2. Self-duality is considered using a variety of inner products. We also examine formally self-dual binary codes and additive self-dual codes over F"4.
To stack or not to stack: Performance of a new density functional for the uracil and thymine dimers

Abstract The newly developed density functional M06-2x was used to predict the structures and stacking interactions of the nucleic acid base dimers of uracil and thymine. This study demonstrates that the M06-2x functional is able to predict stacked structures for the uracil and thymine dimers that are in good agreement with MP2 theory. From the reliable CCSD(T) results, the stacking energies estimated by the DFT M06-2x approach (−9.2 kcal/mol for U:U and −10.8 kcal/mol for T:T) appear consistently better than those evaluated by the MP2 method. The DFT M06-2x functional with the DZP++ basis set appears to provide reliable and reasonable descriptions for the stacked nuclei acid bases.
Neuronal localization of the TNFalpha converting enzyme (TACE) in brain tissue and its correlation to amyloid plaques.

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α converting enzyme (TACE) can cleave the cell-surface ectodomain of the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), thus decreasing the generation of amyloid-β (Aβ) by cultured non-neuronal cells. While the amyloidogenic processing of APP in neurons is linked to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the expression of TACE in neurons has not yet been examined. Thus, we assessed TACE expression in a series of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types by Western blots. We found that TACE was present in neurons and was only faintly detectable in lysates of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to determine the cellular localization of TACE in the human brain, and its expression was detected in distinct neuronal populations, including pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex and granular cell layer neurons in the hippocampus. Very low levels of TACE were seen in the cerebellum, with Purkinje cells at the granular-molecular boundary staining faintly. Because TACE was localized predominantly in areas of the brain that are affected by amyloid plaques in AD, we examined its expression in a series of AD brains. We found that AD and control brains showed similar levels of TACE staining, as well as similar patterns of TACE expression. By double labeling for Aβ plaques and TACE, we found that TACE-positive neurons often colocalized with amyloid plaques in AD brains. These observations support a neuronal role for TACE and suggest a mechanism for its involvement in AD pathogenesis as an antagonist of Aβ formation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 49: 40–46, 2001
Expression of Q227L-Gαs in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells inhibits tumorigenesis

The effects of expression of mutant (Q227L)-activated Gαs and elevation of cAMP on mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) activity and the transformed phenotype were studied in the MCF-7 human mammary epithelial cell line. Elevation of cAMP partially inhibited the epidermal growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis and the intrinsic MAPK (ERK-1 and ERK-2) of serum-starved MCF-7 cells. Addition of 8Br-cAMP or expression of mutant (Q227L)-activated Gαs in MCF-7 cells blocked the ability of these cells to grow in an anchorage-independent manner, as assessed by colony formation in soft agar. 8Br-cAMP in the culture medium also blocked estrogen stimulation of MCF-7 cell proliferation in vitro. MCF-7 cells expressing Q227L-Gαs grew very slowly in vitro, and when these cells were injected s.c. into athymic mice implanted with estrogen pellets, the frequency of tumor formation was reduced greatly and the sizes of the tumors formed were much smaller than those in mice injected with MCF-7 cells that had been transfected with the empty vector. These results indicate that the intracellular levels of cAMP in transformed mammary epithelial cells can be a crucial factor in determining the expression of the transformed phenotype. Interactions between the Gs/adenylyl cyclase and MAPK-1,2 signaling pathways could be one mechanism by which expression of the transformed phenotype in mammary epithelial cells are regulated.
Library as virtual abbey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of the text encoding initiative (TEI) community and suggests directions in which that community should strive based on recommendations from experts in the field.Design/methodology/approach – Looks at the history of, the present state of and future of TEI.Findings – This column is simply exploratory, and examines issues regarding the TEI and the TEI consortium.Practical implications – TEI is a very robust and expressive markup language used in the analysis of literature in the humanities fields. The community is encouraged to take proactive steps to ensure TEI as a viable markup language for the next 20 years, at least.Originality/value – This column examines the enormous contribution that TEI has made to the humanities fields and explores ways in which the usage of TEI, even by non‐experts, can be expanded in order to enrich scholarship.
Efficient multiphoton ionization of jet-cooled aniline

Abstract Laser excitation of the S 1 ← s o transition in super-cold beams of aniline is found to produce the parent ion with nearly 100% efficiency at a laser flux as low as 2 × 10 7 W cm −2 . Excitation spectra of the photoion signal are similar to the known S 1 ← So absorption spectrum with the addition of power broadening and a non-resonant coherent background.
On the Ballistic Impact of Textile Body Armor

A mathematical model is developed and methods of analysis are formulated for determining the structural response of textile fabric flat panels subjected to ballistic impact by a dense projectile. A stepwise procedure in time is formulated which is suitable for either desk calculator use or for a digital computer in calculating strains, projectile position, forces, and decelerations as functions of time. Analytical results are compared with experimental data for impact of a .22 caliber fragment simulator impacting 1 ply and 12 ply nylon cloth as well as Kevlar (PRD)-49-IV cloth from 1–24 plies.
Solvent-drop assisted mechanochemical synthesis of the black and green polymorphs of the tetrathiafulvalene–chloranil charge transfer salt

Abstract This work describes the synthesis of the green and black polymorphic forms of the tetrathiafulvalene–chloranil (TTF–CA) charge transfer salt as pure phases, by solvent-assisted mechanochemistry. Both materials were characterized using laboratory and high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The high-resolution XRPD pattern of the TTF–CA black polymorph was indexed with a triclinic lattice a = 10.756(5) A, b = 11.057(4) A, c = 6.614(2) A, α = 101.36(2)°, β = 93.69(3)°, γ = 89.37(3)°, V = 769.6(5) A3. The chemical stability of these phases upon heating was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), indicating that both polymorphs undergo chemical decomposition, and ruling out the transition to an air-stable high temperature polymorph.
Rationality, human nature, and society in Weber's theory

Although Max Weber's conceptualization of "rationality" in no sense exhausts his image of human nature and its relation to human society, rationality is unanimously agreed upon as a key component of that image. The following survey of some recent interpretations of rationality in Weber's theory is therefore meant to suggest the place of the present essay among them on this issue and, by implication, on the broader issue of human nature and its bearing on human society.