cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Acute Hepatitis B with Nucleoside and/or Nucleotide Analogues

Acute infection with the hepatitis B virus resolves in 95% of adults with no need for specific medical therapy. However, a few cases present as severe hepatitis or acute liver failure, which may require orthotopic liver transplantation or cause death. Under these circumstances, medical therapy that can improve the clinical outcome and improve spontaneous survival would be highly useful; yet, published data regarding the utility of antiviral therapy in acute hepatitis B is quite limited. In this paper, the efficacy and safety of oral nucleoside and nucleotide analogues in the treatment of acute hepatitis B are reviewed, and guidelines for treatment of these acute cases are revisited.
The relationship between the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Third Edition and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA; Kaufman & Kaufman, 1985) are commonly used in the identification of children for special educational services. However, there is little evidence about the relationship between these two tests among children with handicapping conditions. This study examined the relationship between the WISC-III IQs and K-TEA standard scores in a sample of 72 children with emotional handicaps. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between scores on these instruments. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
NMR study of the conformation of the 2-aminopurine: Cytosine mismatch in DNA

DNA polymerase makes errors by misincorporating natural DNA bases and base analogs. Because of the wide variety of possible mismatches and the varying efficiency with which they are repaired, structural studies are necessary to understand in detail how these mispairs differ and can be distinguished from standard Watson-Crick base pairs. 2-Aminopurine (AP) is a highly mutagenic base analog. The objective of this study was to determine the geometry of the AP{center_dot}C mispair in DNA at neutral pH. Although several studies have focused on the AP{center_dot} mispair in DNA, there is not as of yet consensus on its structure. At least four models have been proposed for this mispair. Through the use of NMR spectroscopy with selective {sup 15}N-labeling of exocyclic amino nitrogens on bases of interest, we are able to resolve ambiguities in previous studies. We find here that, in two different DNA sequences, the AP{center_dot}C mispair at neutral and high pH is in a wobble geometry. The structure and stability of this base mispair is dependent upon the local base sequence. 48 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
Boundary Layer Transition Induced by Periodic Wakes

Turbulent wakes swept across a flat plate boundary layer simulate the phenomenon of wake-induced bypass transition. Benchmark data from a direct numerical simulation of this process are presented and compared to Reynolds-averaged predictions. The data are phase-averaged skin friction and mean velocities. The predictions and data are found to agree in many important respects. One discrepancy is a failure to reproduce the skin friction overshoot following transition.
ISSCC 2007 panel review: the ultimate limits of integrated electronics

SSCS DL Philip Wong moderated a lively debate on the question of CMOS scaling. Representatives from industry pointed to limits and problems introduced by economies of variability, leakage, and 32nm node scaling; academics painted these challenges as opportunities for innovation and major breakthroughs. Deliberation about 3D chip stacking was the highpoint of the evening.
A preliminary analysis of the response of an avian community to silvicultural treatments in the southern Cumberland Plateau, Alabama, USA

We simulated a shelterwood forest regeneration treatment by reducing basal area, and monitored the response of an avian community in oak-hickory forest on the southern Cumberland Plateau, northern Alabama, USA. We used five treatments: control (no removal), clear-cut (100% removal), and 25, 50, and 75% removal of basal area. Territory mapping was used to quantify bird community between mid-April and July of both 2002 and 2003. Microclimate variables were recorded at each plot. The residual basal area and canopy cover showed three distinct conditions after treatment: closed canopy, open forest, and clear-cut. The microclimate varied among treatments: air temperature was highest in clear-cut plots and lowest in control plots, whereas soil moisture had the opposite pattern. A total of 71 bird species were detected, with 36 of them defending territories. Territory density, species richness, and Shannon diversity index differed among the treatments; the relationship between these bird community indices and the level of basal area removal was quadratic, lowest in the clear-cut plots and highest in the intermediate levels. Although species richness was similar among the control, 25, 50, and 75% removal treatments, species composition varied. The richness difference among treatments became smaller in the second year post-treatment (2003) with an increase in bird density and richness occurring in the clear-cut plots.
The Revolution and its Discontents: Grenadian Newspapers and Attempts to Shape Public Opinion during Political Transition

Abstract What role did the newspaper play in attempting to influence public opinion in the early stages of the Grenada Revolution and what are the terms in which printed discourses on the revolution were conceptualised? The Grenada Revolution was a discursive political process where branding and narration were necessary elements in securing the revolution’s authority and legitimacy. This paper argues that Cuba functioned as a metonym through which the revolution was translated in Grenadian periodicals. Even before the coup of 13 March 1979 Grenadian media represented the New Jewel Movement—the revolutionary party—as Cuban-inspired and socialist. In order to examine how socialism in general, and the socialist character of the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG) in particular, was narrated, a comparison is staged between two newspapers—the government-run Free West Indian and the privately owned The Torchlight. Competing discourses on Cuban communism are analysed for the ways in which they stood-in for t...
New inhibitors targeting bacterial RNA polymerase

The bacterial RNA polymerase is a proven target for antimicrobials because it is inhibited by rifampicin, a potent antibiotic that is a key component of tuberculosis therapy. The bacterial RNA polymerase is also a molecular machine that presents numerous targets for small-molecule inhibitors that have not yet been exploited. Recent work has uncovered new classes of inhibitors. Further applications of high-throughput screening, medicinal chemistry and high-resolution structural studies hold great promise for the development of antimicrobials.
Spontaneous intraneural hematoma of the sural nerve

Symptomatic intraneural hemorrhage occurs rarely. It presents with pain and/or weakness in the distribution following the anatomic innervation pattern of the involved nerve. When a purely sensory nerve is affected, the symptoms can be subtle. We present a previously healthy 36-year-old female who developed an atraumatic, spontaneous intraneural hematoma of her sural nerve. Sural dysfunction was elicited from the patient’s history and physical examination. The diagnosis was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging, and surgical decompression provided successful resolution of her preoperative symptoms. To our knowledge, this entity has not been reported previously. Our case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion for nerve injury or compression in patients whose complaints follow a typical peripheral nerve distribution. Prior studies have shown that the formation of intraneural hematoma and associated compression of nerve fibers result in axonal degeneration, and surgical decompression decreases axonal degeneration and aids functional recovery.
Parallel processing of biological sequence comparison algorithms

Comparison of biological (DNA or protein) sequences provides insight into molecular structure, function, and homology, and is increasingly important as the available databases become larger and more numerous. One method of increasing the speed of the calculations is to perform them in parallel. We present the results of initial investigations using the Intel iPSC/1 hypercube and the Connection Machine (CM-I) for these comparisons. Since these machines have very different architectures, the issues and performance trade-offs discussed have a wide applicability for the parallel processing of biological sequence comparisons.
Crystalline bovine liver catalase

Abstract A crystalline form of bovine liver catalase has been found in which one of the molecular 2-fold axes is incorporated into the crystal symmetry.
Cluster Spanning with Virtual Environments

Summary form only given. The ability to easily span parallel and distributed jobs over multiple physical clusters is a potentially attractive proposal. Such an ability would allow researchers to pool all available cluster resources at a given site. Multiple clusters at a single research site has become the norm whether in an academic, government, or industrial environment. However, there are substantial barriers to transparently spanning clusters in this environment, not the least of which are authentication, authorization, sharing data, library mismatching, version skew, compiler access, environment variables, and networking. These problems arise from the heterogeneity of software environments, and in order to circumvent many of these issues, we look at visualization, and its potential use to create dynamic virtual clusters in order to provide a consistent, transparent environment for job spanning. The Grid computing community has addressed the problem of spanning jobs across distributed resources. However, grid solutions tend to focus on authorization, authentication, and data migration problems associated with far flung resources communicating over public network links. In a campus grid environment, where clusters can be directly connected via internal networks, many of these problems disappear. An alternative to the grid approach way to accomplish this spanning is to use common visualization techniques to create virtual clusters made up of one or more physical clusters. In this work, we examine the ontology of visualization techniques from the least amount of visualization to the most, and evaluate their suitability for building dynamic virtual clusters
Gene transcription: two worlds merged.

Why would two distant genes — on separate chromosomes and from different nuclear locations — unite in response to signals for gene expression? They might be seeds for the formation of transcriptional hubs.
Quantifying exhaustible resource theory: An application to mineral taxation policy

Abstract This paper presents the results of a dynamic nonlinear programming model of a mineral resource market with several features: heterogenous quality in the mineral, links with related product markets, incorporation of institutional constraints, resource allocations for each year in the planning period, and analysis of outcomes under various severance tax rates. The model computes privately efficient competitive use paths to perform cost-benefit analysis of public mineral policies. Policy variables are evaluated for their impact on both private behavior and public benefits. The application is to New Mexico's linked coal and electric power markets. Findings reveal that scarcity rents are currently 4% of coal's price, and peak at 27% in 43 years. Increasing the present $1/ton New Mexico severance tax to $11 reduces current annual coal output by 25% prolongs the life of the state's coal industry by three years, and increases discounted severance tax revenues by 850% or $4.2 billion.
A microfluidic platform to isolate avian erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium gallinaceum malaria parasites based on surface morphological changes

This paper reports on a microfluidic platform to isolate and study avian red blood cells (RBCs) infected to various degrees by the malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. The experimental findings point to the feasibility of using the morphological changes on the surface of the malaria infected avian RBC (miaRBCs) as biomarkers for diagnosis. A glass substrate with a controlled surface roughness was used as part of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels. When whole-blood samples were introduced into the channels, the miaRBCs would be preferentially slowed and eventually become immobilized on the roughened surface. The surface lesions and furrow-like structures on the miaRBC surfaces offered a markedly higher probability to interact with the roughened substrate and allowed the cells to become imobilized on the surface. The captured miaRBCs were from blood samples at various degrees of infection at 3.2%, 3.9%, 9.1%, 13.4%, 20.1%, 28%, and 37%. It was observed that the miaRBCs could be selectively captured under a wall shear rate between 2.1 to 3.2 s−1, which was directly proportional to the flow rate through the channels. This capture rate could be improved by increasing the channel length and finer flow control. It was also found that a roughened glass substrate with ten-point-height larger than the depth of surface lesions and furrow-like structures of miaRBCs showed a substantial enhancement on the number of immobilized infected RBCs. These findings indicated that surface morphologies, including surface lesions and furrow-like structures, can serve as an alternative biomarker for malaria diagnosis.
Methodology of Studying Disasters: Past Patterns and Future Possibilities

How can we better understand, explain, and predict group and organizational responses to disasters? Such questions are not ulike many others that social scientists ask. Hence, the methodological probalems confronted by persons studying disaster responses are for the most part similar to problems confronted by those analyzing other social phenomena. There is neither a special set of strategies which might be referred to as disaster methodology nor a spearate set of techniques which might be labeled disaster research methods.
Conformational and rheological changes in catfish myosin as affected by different acids during acid-induced unfolding and refolding.

Changes in the conformation of catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) myosin due to (i) anions, (ii) acid pH, and (iii) salt addition were determined using tryptophan fluorescence, hydrophobicity measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, and circular dichroism. The relationship between conformation and storage modulus (G') of acid-treated myosin was studied. Three acids, HCl, H2SO4, and H3PO4, were used for unfolding myosin at three acidic pH conditions, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5. Unfolded myosin was refolded to pH 7.3. Denaturation and unfolding of myosin was significantly (p PO43-. Among the different pH treatments, the G' of myosin treated at pH 1.5 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than myosin treated at pH 2.5. The conditions that would result in maximum myosin denaturation and maximum G' were unfolding of myosin at pH 1.5 using Cl- (from HCl) followed by refolding at pH 7.3 and subsequent addition of 0.6 M NaCl.
A Self-Correcting, Thermal-Curvature-Stable Bending Element

Under a through-thickness temperature variation, thin structural elements such as beams, plates, and shells tend to bend. This bending deformation can distort the elements of a structure and cause thermal stresses. In this paper, the requirements for a laminate which is "self-correcting" are given. These thermal-curvature-stable (TCS) laminates exhibit zero bending curvature under steady-state heat transfer conditions. The TCS effect is independent of the actual temperatures, within the context of linear theory. This effect is demonstrated for an aluminum/composite laminate, where the solution appears as the ratio of composite lamina to aluminum lamina thicknesses. The example laminated beams demonstrate a reduced net in-plane thermal expansion when compared to mono-lithic aluminum beams. The efficiency of the iCS laminate is shown to be more sensitive to lamina thickness than to lamina properties.An additional design parameter for TCS laminates is the fiber volume fraction (Vf), which affects the composi...
Second mobility edge for excess electrons in dense helium gas

Excess electrons in dense $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ gas are known to become self-trapped if the gas density exceeds a certain temperature-dependent value ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{1}(T)$. At this density, the electron mobility falls sharply, forming a first mobility edge. For the ranges of densities and temperatures over which this behavior has been observed, $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ gas is an almost ideal easily deformable system; conditions which favor the formation of the self-trapped state. However, with isothermal increase in density beyond ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{1}(T)$, the gas becomes stiffer as repulsive atom-atom interactions predominate. A lattice-gas model for $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ predicts a second density ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{2}g{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{1}$ at which the low-mobility localized state becomes unstable, decays into a nonlocalized electron state, and the mobility sharply rises forming a second mobility edge.
Colony losses, managed colony population decline, and Colony Collapse Disorder in the United States

(2010). Colony losses, managed colony population decline, and Colony Collapse Disorder in the United States. Journal of Apicultural Research: Vol. 49, Honey bee colony losses, pp. 134-136.
A tellurium-triggered domino reaction for the synthesis of a 1-substituted-3-vinyl-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran

Abstract Telluride ion reacts with an oxiranemethanol toluenesulfonate in toluene under phase-transfer conditions to give an allylic alkoxide anion that is trapped by addition to an adjacent α,β-unsaturated ester to yield a furan derivative. Use of a non-racemic oxiranemethanol tosylate gives two furan diastereomers in a ratio of 56:44.
The management of esophageal complications of epidermolysis bullosa

Two cases of esophageal obstruction occurring with epidermolysis bullosa of the dystrophic type are presented. The mode of definitive therapy, retrograde dilation in one and colonic transplant in the other, was determined by considerations of pathology, age and nutritional state.
A simplified D-region model and its application to magnetic storm after-effects

Abstract Energetic electron precipitation from the Earth's radiation belts can provide the dominant D-region ionization source at middle latitudes during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. To study the ionospheric response, a simplified D-region ionic model is developed with emphasis placed on obtaining a reasonably accurate evaluation of the free electron concentration. The precise distribution amongst the multiply hydrated water cluster ions and high affinity negative ions is not considered. Instead the complicated heavy ion chemistry is replaced by a scheme which simply applies an average rate of clustering and subsequent recombination. The model provides an adequate fit with observed quiet-time electron concentration in the D-region. It is shown that typical poststorm electron precipitation can increase mesospheric electron densities by a factor of three during the day and by more than an order of magnitude at night. Such enhancements are consistent with VLF and LF radio wave disturbances observed during the recovery phase of major geomagnetic storm. The disturbances are expected to exhibit considerable short term variability and should persist for over a week consistent with the observed decay rate for the enhanced geomagnetically trapped electron flux.
The Angular Distribution of Scattering and Reaction Cross Sections

The general formula for the angular distribution in collisions between pairs of particles is simplified by performing explicitly all sums over magnetic quantum numbers. The resulting expressions involve coefficients introduced by Racah for the study of complex atomic spectra. The cross sections are expressed as series in Legendre polynomials, each coefficient in the series being manifestly real.The general theory is then specialized for the case of nuclear reactions and scattering associated with one isolated resonance level of the compound nucleus. Formulas are derived for the various differential reaction cross sections and for scattering with and without change of channel spin. The interference terms between resonance and potential scattering are written explicitly, both for neutral and for charged particles.
Lithography of Polymer Nanostructures on Glass for Teaching Polymer Chemistry and Physics

As nanolithography becomes increasingly important in technology and daily life, a variety of inexpensive and creative methods toward communicating the concepts underpinning these processes in the classroom are necessary. An experiment is described that uses simple CD-Rs, C-clamps, an oven, and a freezer to provide concrete examples and insights into the chemistry and principles of nanolithography. The experiment also has flexibility, making it suitable for a range of classroom levels from high school to more advanced labs in college. Because CD-Rs are composed of grooves of polycarbonate, the experiment provides a basis for discussions and exploration into the chemistry and physics of polymers on the nanoscale.
Stability considerations in tumor marker measurements

Approaches to the stabilization of tumor markers vary depending on the lability of the tumor marker. Thus while merely freezing the serum promptly at −70°C may be adequate for some analytes such as gastrin, some other polypeptide hormones such as vasoactive intestinal peptide require collection of blood in EDTA and prompt freezing of plasma to protect the analyte from metal oxidation. In addition to collection of blood in EDTA an addition of a proteolytic enzyme inhibitor such as aprotinin may be necessary to preserve labile polypeptide hormones such as ACTH, somatostatin etc. Analytes such as parathyroid hormone related protein (PTH-rp) are so labile that additives such as leupeptin and pepstatin have to be added to EDTA and aprotinin and the plasma refrigerated to achieve stability for up to 24 hrs. Catecholamines also require stabilization with additives such as EGTA and glutathione and prompt freezing of plasma at −70°C. Special precautions are required in handling tumor tissue intended for hormone receptor measurements since they are not only extremely heat labile but are also subjected to alteration during specimen preparation.
Distribution and inducibility of P-glycoprotein in the catfish: immunohistochemical detection using the mammalian C-219 monoclonal.

Mounting evidence suggests that the P-glycoprotein (pgp) efflux pump may be a modulator of bioavailability and a mode of excretion for xenobiotics. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to examine the distribution and inducibility of a pgp like protein in catfish. Immunoreactivity to the MDR C-219 monoclonal antibody was noted primarily in bile canaliculi or bile preductules of the liver, discrete areas of the extratubular region of the kidney and the columnar epithelia of the intestine. Regional differences in pgp content were noted in the intestine with the distal region containing greater pgp levels than the proximal intestine. Dietary administration of vincristine, a prototypic pgp inducer and β-naphthoflavone an Ah agonist resulted in induction of the C-219 immunoreactivity in the liver and the distal intestine. These results are consistent in location and inducibility with pgp like proteins and support a possible relationship to xenobiotic absorption and/or excretion in the catfish.
Nerve growth factor protects adult sensory neurons from cell death and atrophy caused by nerve injury

The reaction of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons to axotomy and its alteration by locally supplied nerve growth factor (NGF) were examined in adult rats. Surgically implanted silicone chambers attached to the severed tip of the sciatic nerve acted as reservoirs capable of providing prolonged access of NGF to the site of injury. The time course of NGF activity within the chambers was determined by using the standard NGF chick DRG bioassay. The fluid from chambers filled with the NGF-saline solution maintained NGF activity for periods up to 6 weeks after implantation. By 9 weeks, however, the fluid from most chambers failed to show any NGF activity in the bioassay.
Structural parameters of Zn(II) complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline-based tripodal ligands affect fluorescence quantum yield

Abstract Tripodal ligands containing 8-hydroxyquinoline moieties have been reported with strong binding but perplexing fluorescence properties. Herein we describe the synthesis, photophysical properties and structural characterization of three 8-hydroxyquinoline-based fluorescent Zn(II) probes. Incorporation of the chromophore into a tripodal scaffold resulted in femtomolar sensitivity to the analyte. All three ligands were determined to bind Zn(II) in a 1:1 metal–ligand stoichiometry. Strong zinc affinity was complemented by more than 10-fold fluorescence turn-on. An X-ray crystallographic study revealed very different ligand geometries in the zinc complexes that may influence their spectroscopic behavior.
Decision support for workload assessment - Introducing WC FIELDE

Currently there is a great demand for mental workload evaluation in the course of system design and modification. In light of this demand, a microprocessor-based decision support system has been created called WC FIELDE: Workload Consultant for FIELD Evaluation. The system helps the user select workload measures appropriate to his or her application from the large pool of currently available techniques. Both novices and those with some workload experience may benefit from using WC FIELDE, since the system's operation is entirely transparent and all rules involved in the decision process are available for the user to examine. WC FIELDE recommends several assessment methodologies in decreasing order of appropriateness, and provides additional information on each measure at the end of the program in the form of text files.
Ontogeny of the O2-senstive pathway in medulla oblongata of postnatal rat

Abstract Fos protein, the product of the immediate early gene c-fos as a metabolic marker to map the O2 chemosensory pathway activated by hypoxia in the adult rat (Erickson and Millhorn, Brain Res. 567: 11–24, 1991). The current study provides evidence that the O2 chemoreceptor pathway develops during the first postnatal month. Rats at postnatal ages (P) 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, adn 28 days were exposed for 3 h to 21% (control) or 10% (hypoxia) O2. Pups were transcardially fixed, brain stems were froze, sectioned, then reacted Fos primary antibody, a secondary antibody, avidin-biotin peroxidase, then Ni-DAB as chromogen. Cells showing Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos0LI) under control and hypoxic conditions were counted in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and the ventrolateral medulla (VLM). In both areas there was initially a low basal level of Fos-LI, a peak at P10 and a decline to P28. At all ages there was a significant increase in the number of Fos-LI cells in pups exposed to hypopxia. The high basal level of Fos expression at P10 and the high induced level at P14 may correlate with periods of terminal differentiation and maximum synaptogenesis, respectively.
Tests for interocular transfer after tectal commissure transection in goldfish.

Abstract Goldfish with and without tectal commissure transections were tested under two training paradigms for interocular transfer of appetitive pattern discriminations in a T-maze. In Experiment 1, a standard procedure produced transfer in intact fish, but disrupted transfer in fish with lesions. In Experiment 2, a modified procedure afforded the naive eye-hemisphere daily practice in the nonspecific monocular components of the task. This produced successful transfer in both normal fish and fish with lesions. The results are related to previous studies of interhemispheric visual transfer in fish.
Microwave Developments at SLAC

Three microwave development projects presently undertaken by the Accelerator Physics Department at SLAC are reviewed. The first is SLED (SLAC Energy Development). Some theoretical work is mentioned, and a few details of installation and control are given. The latest beam-test results are presented. Microwave beam-position monitors are the second project to be discussed. Details of two very sensitive systems which have been developed and tested are given. Finally, the use of a fast digital phase-shifter to compensate for beam-loading transients is described.
Regulation of hydrogen peroxide release in circulating hemocytes of the planorbid snail Biomphalaria glabrata

Biomphalaria spp. serve as obligate intermediate hosts for the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Following S. mansoni penetration of Biomphalaria glabrata, hemocytes of resistant snails migrate towards the parasite, encasing the larva in a multicellular capsule resulting in its destruction via a cytotoxic reaction. Recent studies have revealed the importance of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) in parasite killing [Hahn UK, Bender RC, Bayne CJ. Killing of Schistosoma mansoni sporocysts by hemocytes from resistant Biomphalaria glabrata: role of reactive oxygen species. J Parasitol 2001;87:292–9; Hahn UK, Bender RC, Bayne CJ. Involvement of nitric oxide in killing of Schistosoma mansoni sporocysts by hemocytes from resistant Biomphalaria glabrata. J Parasitol 2001;87:778–85]. It is assumed that H2O2 and NO production is tightly regulated although the specific molecules involved remain largely unknown. Consequently, the potential role of cell signaling pathways in B. glabrata hemocyte H2O2 production was investigated by evaluating the effects of specific inhibitors of selected signaling proteins. Results suggest that both ERK and p38 MAPKs are involved in the regulation of B. glabrata H2O2 release in response to stimulation by PMA and galactose-conjugated BSA. However, the involvement of the signaling proteins PKC, PI3 kinase and PLA2 differs between PMA- and BSA-gal-induced H2O2 production.
Quantification of Sulforaphane Mercapturic Acid Pathway Conjugates in Human Urine by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Isotope-Dilution Tandem Mass Spectrometry

We report validation of the first high-pressure liquid chromatography isotope-dilution mass spectrometry method to measure sulforaphane (SFN) and its glutathione-derived conjugates in human urine. As epidemiological evidence continues to mount that the consumption of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of certain cancers, the development of analytical methodologies to accurately measure isothiocyanates (ITCs) and their subsequent metabolic products becomes paramount. SFN, the principal ITC produced by broccoli, is an effective chemopreventive agent with multiple modes of action. SFN and SFN conjugates have often been measured collectively utilizing a cyclocondensation assay with 1,2-benzenedithiol. More recently, some of the major SFN conjugates have been determined using mass spectrometry. Here, triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry has been coupled with the use of stable isotope-labeled internal standards of D8-SFN and all four D8-SFN mercapturic acid pathway conjugates to provide an accurate, precise, sensitive, and specific method for analysis of these compounds. Using urine samples collected during an earlier intervention with broccoli sprouts, the concentrations of SFN, SFN-cysteine, and the mercapturic acid SFN-N-acetylcysteine were sufficiently high such that as little as 50 nL of urine was required for analysis. Although each study participant received an equivalent dose of broccoli sprout preparation, the interindividual conversion of the precursor glucosinolate to SFN varied over 100-fold. These 98 urines provided an ideal sample set for examining the robustness of the assay. The mean urinary concentrations ± standard deviations in overnight voids following ingestion of the first dose were 4.7 ± 5.1, 0.03 ± 0.05, 0.06 ± 0.06, 18 ± 15, and 42 ± 23 nmol/mg creatinine for SFN, SFN-glutathione, SFN-cysteine-glycine, SFN-cysteine, and SFN-N-acetylcysteine, respectively. This method determines SFN and all four SFN glutathione-derived metabolites with minimal sample preparation and will be extremely useful in understanding the role of SFN-rich foods in preventing cancer and other chronic diseases.
Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Azadirachtins †

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for azadirachtin A, a bioactive tetranor-triterpenoid from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), was developed. The conjugates were synthesized by employing the hemisuccinate method and an ester activation method, which were previously developed. Four rabbits were immunized with either 7-hemisuccinylazadirachtin-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or 3-hemisuccinylazadirachtin-KLH. All sera were tested against the coating antigens 7-hemisuccinylazadirachtin-bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 3-hemisuccinylazadirachtinBSA. From this screening procedure, an assay was developed using antiserum 7056 . The assay showed an IC50value of about 100 ppb, with a range of detection from 10 to 1000 ppb for azadirachtin A and related compounds. Thus, the method presented is a step forward in terms of inexpensive, fast, and sensitive (improvement by a factor of 100) analysis of azadirachtin and should provide a method that can easily be used more widely.
Families and Lives: Some Developments in Life-Course Studies

As a theoretical orientation, the life course brings a contextual, dy namic, and temporal perspective to studies of families and lives in the past and present. Building upon literature reviews in the mid-1970s, this essay examines some elementary distinctions of life-course analysis, including the links between age, temporality and the life course; the dynamics of interdependent lives; and the unit of analysis problem. Emerging conceptual and research approaches to the household exemplify these distinctions. The relation between social change and the life course remains one of the more central and challenging areas of life-course study.
REVISION OF THE SPIDER GENUS NEOANAGRAPHIS (ARANEAE, LIOCRANIDAE)

The spider genus Neoanagraphis consists of two partially sympatric species, N. cham- berlini Gertsch & Mulaik 1936 and N. pearcei Gertsch 1941. Herein I review the genus which is now transferred from the Clubionidae to the Liocranidae, provide a distribution map and describe the females for the first time. Over 55% of the specimens of both species examined in this study came from the Nevada Test Site (i.e., atomic bombing range) in southern Nevada. Collection phenology at this site showed almost non-overlapping temporal activity for the males and habitats for each species within this area. Immatures from the Nevada Test Site also could be separated where the ventral anterior tibia spination and habitat dichotomy matched that of the adults. If this extrapolation holds throughout the distribution and there are no additional species, one should be able to accurately identify immatures of any size to species.
A model for nitrate distributions in oceanic oxygen minimum zones

Abstract The vertical distributions of nitrate and nitrate deficit (nitrate consumed during denitrification) in oxygen minimum zones are modeled using a recycling mechanism incorporating bacterially mediated reaction and diffusion. At the core of the oxygen minimum zone bacteria reduce nitrate to nitrite and part of the nitrte to molecular nitrogen (denitrification). The remaining nitrite diffuses out of the layer, is oxidized to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria, and diffuses back into the layer to complete the cycle. The peak nitrite and nitrate deficit concentrations and the amount of recycling depend on two parameters: θ, the ratio of the sum of the nitrate and nitrate reduction rates to the diffusion coefficient, and λ, the ratio of the nitrate reduction rate to the sum of the nitrate and nitrite reduction rates. We estimate from peak concentrations that for oxygen minimum zones in the Arabian Sea, the eastern tropical North Pacific, and the coastal waters of Peru that the nitrogen production rate is between 39 and 60% of the nitrate reduction rate, with the difference in rates equaling the recycling rate between the denitrifying and nitrifying layers. A dependency of θ and λ on organic substrates available to denitrifying bacteria is suggested from independent chemostat studies and the primary productivity overlying the oxygen minimum zones. The peak concentrations of nitrite and nitrate deficit are near the mid-depth of the denitrifying layer, and from this characteristic we estimate the thickness of the denitrifying layers to be between 30 and 70% of the thickness of the oxygen minimum zones.
House officer knowledgeability of organic brain syndromes: A pilot study

Abstract A questionnaire consisting of ten items regarding the incidence, recognition, types, and workup of organic brain syndromes was administered to medical and surgical housestaff. The data revealed an average performance of 49% correct responses and 33% for the medical and surgical house staff, respectively (P
Comparison of slot scanning digital mammography system with full-field digital mammography system.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare microcalcification detectability of two commercial full-field digital mammography (DM) systems. The first unit was a flat panel based DM system (FFDM) which employed an anti-scatter grid method to reject scatter, and the second unit was a charge-coupled device-based DM system (SSDM) which used scanning slot imaging geometry to reduce scatter radiation. Both systems have comparable scatter-to-primary ratios. In this study, 125-160 and 200-250 {mu}m calcium carbonate grains were used to simulate microcalcifications and imaged by both DM systems. The calcium carbonate grains were overlapped with a 5-cm-thick 50% adipose/50% glandular simulated breast tissue slab and an anthropomorphic breast phantom (RMI 165, Gammex) for imaging at two different mean glandular dose levels: 0.87 and 1.74 mGy. A reading study was conducted with seven board certified mammographers with images displayed on review workstations. A five-point confidence level rating was used to score each detection task. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and the area under the ROC curve (A{sub z}) was used to quantify and compare the performances of these two systems. The results showed that with the simulated breast tissue slab (uniform background), the SSDM system resulted in higher A{submore » z}'s than the FFDM system at both MGD levels with the difference statistically significant at 0.87 mGy only. With the anthropomorphic breast phantom (tissue structure background), the SSDM system performed better than the FFDM system at 0.87 mGy but worse at 1.74 mGy. However, the differences were not found to be statistically significant.« less
A Simple Equation for Predicting Superconformal Electrodeposition in Submicrometer Trenches

We present a single variable first-order differential equation for predicting the occurrence of superconformal electrodeposition. The equation presumes that the dependence of deposition rate on surface coverage of the accelerator is known (e.g., derived from voltammetry experiments) on planar electrodes A simplified growth geometry, based on the recently proposed mechanism of curvature enhanced accelerator coverage, is used to permit simplification of the trench-filling problem. The resulting solution is shown to reduce computational time from hours to seconds, while yielding reasonably accurate predictions of the parameter values required for trench filling.
Analysis of water seepage in a pavement system using the particulate approach

Abstract A particulate model has been developed to analyze the effects of transient and steady state seepage of water through a randomly-packed coarse-grained soil as an alternative to conventional seepage analysis based on continuum models. In this model, the soil skeleton and the pore water are volumetrically coupled in the transient and steady-state conditions. The concept of relative density has been used to define different compaction levels of the soil layers forming a pavement filter system and observe the seepage response to compaction. First, Monte–Carlo simulation is used to randomly pack discrete spherical particles from a specified particle size distribution (PSD) to achieve a desired relative density based on the theoretical minimum and maximum void ratios. Then, a water pressure gradient is applied across one two-layer unit to trigger water seepage. The interstitial pore water motion is idealized using Navier–Stokes (NS) equations with provision to incorporate the drag forces acting between the pore fluid and soil particles. The NS equations are discretized using finite differences and applied to discrete elements in a staggered, structured grid. The model predicted hydraulic conductivities are validated using widely used equations. Critical water velocities, hydraulic gradients and flow within the randomly-packed soil layers are identified under both steady state and transient conditions. Significantly critical transient conditions are observed prior to reaching the steady-state conditions. Moreover, any localized poorly-compacted areas are seen to be subjected to excessive hydraulic gradients and hence, higher likelihood of erosion. Since, the reported research effort involves modeling of the very properties that cause instability of earthen structures such as seepage induced piping, internal erosion and uplift in a particulate medium, it can be envisioned that the current results would provide insight into issues concerning the malfunction of earthen structures.
Nutrition knowledge of aerobic dance instructors

Abstract This study examined the nutrition-related knowledge and selected descriptive characteristics of aerobic dance instructors (ADIs). In the initial study phase, ADIs were surveyed in order to identify nutrition concepts pertinent to them. An instrument was then developed to measure nutrition knowledge in three domains (weight control, nutrient requirements, and nutrient sources) and to elicit descriptive information. Instruments were administered at workshops to 504 ADIs and mailed to a randomly selected, nationwide sample of 507 ADIs. Questionnaires returned by 409 of the workshop sample and 135 of the mail sample were analyzed. The two samples of respondents did not differ significantly with regard to several descriptive characteristics nor to mean scores on the nutrition test. The combined samples answered correctly an average of 59% of the items on the total test and 70%, 48%, and 50%, respectively, of the items on the Weight Control, Nutrient Requirements, and Sources of Nutrients subtests. Education level, formal education in nutrition, age, and status as a certified ADI were related positively to nutrition knowledge. Most respondents agreed that educational programs for ADIs should include a nutrition component, and many indicated a high level of interest in nutrition. These results suggest that many ADIs need and desire nutrition education.
An Overview of Experiments at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility

A brief review of the experimental program at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility. Recent results from (p?, p?), (p,n), (p,?), and (d?,d) studies at intermediate energies are emphasized.
Control-theoretic dynamic frequency and voltage scaling for multimedia workloads

This paper describes a formal feedback-control algorithm for dynamic voltage/frequency scaling (DVS) in a portable multimedia system to save power while maintaining a desired playback rate. Our algorithm is similar in complexity to the previously-proposed change-point detection algorithm [19] but does a better job of maintaining stable throughput and is not dependent on the assumption of an exponential distribution of the frame decoding rate. For approximately the same energy savings as reported by [19], our controller is able to keep the average frame delay within 10% of the target more than 90% of the time, whereas the change-point detection algorithm kept the average frame delay with 10% of the target only 70% or less of the time executing the same workload.
Shaping attitudes about homosexuality: The role of religion and cultural context

Across the globe, the debate over homosexuality continues, with great variation in public opinion about the acceptability of homosexuality, laws regulating same-sex unions and penalties for homosexual sex behaviors. Religion is often seen as an important predictor of attitudes about homosexuality. However, cross-national differences in cultural orientations suggest that the role religion has in explaining homosexual attitudes may depend on a nation’s cultural context. In this study, we merge ideas from cultural sociology and religious contextual effects to explain cross-national variation in public opinion about homosexuality. Using data from the fourth wave of the World Values Survey and Hierarchical Modeling techniques, we find support for the micro and macro effects of religion and a survival vs. self-expressive cultural orientation. Moreover, we find that personal religious beliefs have a greater effect on attitudes about homosexuality in countries like the United States, which have a strong self-expressive cultural orientation.
Collision-Free Asynchronous Multi-Channel Access in Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we present a collision-free asynchronous multi-channel access protocol for Ad Hoc wireless networks using a single transceiver. Our protocol, dubbed AMMAC for Asynchronous Multi-channel Medium Access Control, targets low-cost and low-power deployments where nodes are equipped with a single transceiver. Other distinguishing features of AM-MAC include its simplicity and the fact that it does not require temporal synchronization among nodes. This is accomplished through an asynchronous split phase together with an observation phase as well as an unique handshake. Nodes observe the control channel for a period of time before asynchronously switching to the negotiated channel. Protocol correctness and collision-freedom in a multi-channel environment are verified. We also provide an analytical throughput assessment for our multi-channel approach. Simulation results show that AM-MAC improves performance significantly when compared to IEEE 802.11 and exhibits comparable performance to MMAC, one of the well-known multi-channel medium access control protocols, without the need for temporal synchronization.
Rare event simulation in stochastic models

We review fast simulation techniques used for estimating probabilities of rare events and related quantities in different types of stochastic models.