cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of PET scanning in pancreatic cancer

The strength of functional imaging lies in its ability to detect malignant disease irrespective of lesion morphology. In this setting, 18FDG-PET can complement management by providing a more accurate diagnosis. When combined as an adjunct to CT, 18FDG-PET can increase the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting a pancreatic malignancy, especially in patients in whom CT alone fails to identify a discrete mass or in whom biopsy results are indeterminate. This capability is accentuated with small lesions of the pancreas. 18FDG-PET is significantly more sensitive in detecting metastatic disease than conventional CT imaging. Moreover, 18FDG-PET is able to differentiate tumor response to therapy in the postoperative setting, and could potentially serve to monitor recurrence patterns in the setting of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Finally, as 18FDG-PET/CT fusion modalities become more widespread and technical advances in image acquisition progress, 18FDG-PET will continue to have an increasing role in the diagnosis, staging, and surveillance of pancreatic cancer, integrating anatomic information with functional imaging.
The Minimal Moose for a Little Higgs

Recently a new class of theories of electroweak symmetry breaking have been constructed. These models, based on deconstruction and the physics of theory space, provide the first alternative to weak-scale supersymmetry with naturally light Higgs fields and perturbative new physics at the TeV scale. The Higgs is light because it is a pseudo-Goldstone boson, and the quadratically divergent contributions to the Higgs mass are cancelled by new TeV scale ``partners'' of the same statistics. In this paper we present the minimal theory space model of electroweak symmetry breaking, with two sites and four link fields, and the minimal set of fermions. There are very few parameters and degrees of freedom beyond the Standard Model. Below a TeV, we have the Standard Model with two light Higgs doublets, and an additional complex scalar weak triplet and singlet. At the TeV scale, the new particles that cancel the 1-loop quadratic divergences in the Higgs mass are revealed. The entire Higgs potential needed for electroweak symmetry breaking - the quartic couplings as well as the familiar negative mass squared - can be generated by the top Yukawa coupling, providing a novel link between the physics of flavor and electroweak symmetry breaking.
John Marshall and the Sugar Trust--A Reply to Professor Gillman:

In a revisionist effort Howard Gillman finds that Chief Justice Marshall despite his and the Founders' widely recognized concern for national in terests--was in fact responsible for the Knight states-rights disaster in 1895. In my view nothing Marshall said or did supports the revisionist view- indeed much of what he said and did repudiates it. I suggest that dual federalism, the doctrine on which Knight turns, was a concoction of the plantation South to thwart Marshall's and the Founders' well-known nation alism. I suggest further that this concoction was part of the "lost cause" until the 1890s when business lawyers adopted it for their own anti-federal-regulation purposes. The result was Knight.
Biosynthesis of cyclic diterpene hydrocarbons in rice cell suspensions: conversion of 9,10-syn-labda-8(17),13-dienyl diphosphate to 9beta-pimara-7,15-diene and stemar-13-ene.

Abstract The biosynthesis of diterpene hydrocarbons with enzyme extracts from rice cell suspension cultures was investigated to verify proposed pathways and intermediates in the production of the momilactone and oryzalexin phytoalexins. Diterpene synthase activity in cells treated with chitin to elicit the phytoalexin response was compared with the activity in untreated cells using the acyclic substrates [1- 3 H]( E,E,E )- and [1- 3 H](E,Z,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphates (GGPPs 4-OPP and 11-OPP) as well as the bicyclic substrates [15- 3 H] ent -copalyl and [15- 3 H] syn -copalyl diphosphates (CPPs, 5-OPP, and 6-OPP). ent -kaurene (7), ent -sandaracopimaradiene (8), 9βH-pimara-7,15-diene (9), and stemar-13-ene (10) were identified as major products by comparisons with authentic standards. Marked increases in diterpene synthase activities were observed with enzyme from chitin-treated cells: ( E,E,E )-GGPP (∼100 fold), ent -CPP (∼3 fold), and syn -CPP (∼60 fold). The very low conversions of ( E,Z,E )-GGPP to hydrocarbon products excludes its role in the biosynthesis of 9,10- syn -diterpenes in rice cells. ent -Kaurene was the major diterpene formed from ent -CPP with enzyme from unelicited cells. In contrast the enzyme from chitin-treated cells converted ent -CPP to a mixture of ent -kaurene, ent -sandaracopimaradiene, and a third unidentified diterpene. With syn -CPP as substrate the induced synthases afforded a mixture of 9β-pimaradiene, stemarene, and a third, unidentified syn -diterpene. Overall the results are consistent with the hypothesis that rice cells respond to treatment with chitin fragments by producing new diterpene synthases not present in the untreated cells. These induced cyclases initiate phytoalexin biosynthesis by diverting ( E,E,E )-GGPP into new cyclization modes that produce ent -sandaracopimaradiene, stemarene, and 9β-pimaradiene, the presumed precursors to oryzalexins A–F, oryzalexin S, and momilactones A–C, respectively. The intermediate role of 9,10- syn -CPP in syn diterpene biosynthesis is verified.
Development and validation of a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of DMXAA in human and mouse plasma

A rapid, sensitive, and specific LC/MS/MS-based method was developed for determining the concentration of DMXAA in human and mouse plasma. Sample preparation involved a single protein precipitation step using acetonitrile. Separation of DMXAA and 6-isopropoxy-9-oxoxanthene-2-carboxylic acid, the internal standard, was achieved on a Waters X-Terra C(18) (50 mm x 2.1mm i.d., 3.5 microm) analytical column using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/10 mM ammonium acetate (55:45, v/v) containing 0.1% formic acid and isocratic flow at 0.2 mL/min for 3 min. The analytes were monitored by tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray positive ionization. Linear calibration curves were generated over the range of 5-3000 ng/mL. The values for precision and accuracy were 65%. DMXAA was stable through 2 freeze/thaw cycles, to 2h in mouse plasma or 50% acetonitrile, and on the autosampler to 5.1h. This method was subsequently used to measure concentrations of DMXAA in mice following intraperitoneal administration.
Negotiating Between Restrictive Language Policies and Complex Teaching Conditions: A Case Study of Arizona's Teachers of English Learners

This article examines how Arizona's teachers of English learners negotiate between restrictive language policies and complex teaching conditions. This case study explores how middle school teachers in an urban school district make sense of the 4-hour English language development block, Arizona's recent English-only policy. Findings indicate that teachers' implementation of language policies in their classroom is shaped by their own language-learning beliefs and teaching experience. Teachers of English learners, instead of adhering to or rejecting the ideologies or approaches mandated by the state, make accommodations concerning their students' English-language development and content-area learning.
We should resist efforts to split internal medicine.

The structure of academic departments of medicine reflects the changes in science and clinical practice that evolved with the development of new knowledge and forms of technology. Before World War ...
Regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 by cytokines and oxygen free radicals in rat hepatic fat-storing cells.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) is a potent monocyte/macrophage chemoattractant expressed by fat-storing cells (FSCs) in rat models of liver injury. This study investigated the mechanism of this activation of hepatic MCP-1 expression. METHODS: The regulation of MCP-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and protein synthesis was examined in FSC lines derived from CCl4-induced cirrhotic rat liver (cirrhotic FSCs) and normal rat liver (normal FSCs). RESULTS: Northern blot hybridization analysis revealed low levels of MCP-1 mRNA in cultured cirrhotic FSCs that increased markedly after treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 alpha, or transforming growth factor beta 1. All three cytokines increased the synthesis and secretion of MCP-1 protein. Oxygen free radical production also increased MCP-1 mRNA levels. These increases in MCP-1 mRNA were blocked by dexamethasone. In normal FSCs, levels of MCP-1 mRNA and secreted protein were increased in response to cytokines or oxygen free radical production, but the magnitude and duration of this increase was less than in cirrhotic FSCs. CONCLUSIONS: In liver injury, monocyte/macrophage recruitment and activation from FSC production of MCP-1 may be stimulated by cytokines and oxygen free radicals. During chronic liver injury leading to cirrhosis, FSCs may become hypersensitive to these stimuli, further fueling the inflammatory response. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jun;110(6):1870-7)
Minimizing back pressure for latency insensitive system synthesis

Most scheduling based latency insensitive designs in the literature focus on systems whose graphical representation is a single strongly connected component (SCC), where a hand-shake based protocol can be replaced by periodic clock gating through ASAP scheduling. However, for systems that are represented as interconnected SCCs, ‘back pressure’, always implemented as the ‘stall’ signal in the backward directions between SCCs, is required to prevent overflow. In this paper, we formulate the problem of finding a minimum set of back pressure edges. We show that this problem can be reduced to the Minimum Cost Arborescence (MCA) problem for directed graphs. This allows us to obtain a polynomial time algorithm for synthesizing a minimum cost latency insensitive implementation starting from a synchronous model of the original system. We also show that implementing back pressure edges for every inter-SCC connection, as done in a regular hand-shake based protocol, is inferior for the overall system's throughput. Our approach provides a formal framework for converting a synchronous model into a latency insensitive implementation with a minimum number of inter-SCC back pressure edges and for leveraging periodic clock based scheduling of intra-SCC latency insensitivity.
Oxygen isotope alteration in the Noranda mining district, Abitibi greenstone belt, Quebec

A regional whole-rock oxygen isotope survey carried out in the Noranda district shows how oxygen isotope alteration can be used to guide exploration for massive sulfide deposits. The survey is based on 588 outcrop whole-rock oxygen isotope determinations from 478 sites in a approximately 35- by 50-km area between the Destor-Porcupine and Cadillac-Larder Lake breaks from east of the Horne mine to west of the Magusi River mine. The mean isotopic composition of all samples is 7.4 + or - 2 per mil (SMOW). Nested analysis of variance of 478 isotopic determinations from 371 of these sites shows that 74 percent of the total variance in whole-rock delta 18 O r (r = whole rock) is associated with outcrop location, 21 percent with outcrop sampling, and 5 percent with sample analysis. An analysis of 259 determinations indicates that rock type is statistically no more important than outcrop sampling. The statistical analysis indicates that isotopic variations greater than + or -1 per mil can be used to map the hydrothermal circulation responsible for massive sulfide mineralization. Specific traverses visually confirm the lack of 18 O dependence on rock type and the utility of a 2 per mil interpretive band. The large-scale pattern of isotopic alteration in the Noranda district is dominated by a nearly continuous 2- to 3-km-wide annulus at the margins of the Flavrian pluton of delta 18 O r 18 O r 18 O r depletion is surrounded up section by a approximately 10-km-wide band of patchy but intense 18 O enrichment (8.5-14ppm). The combined pattern of concentric light and heavy alteration has a diameter of approximately 30 km. The Clericy intrusion shows a similar pattern of isotope alteration on a smaller (10 km diam) scale. The Lake Dufault pluton seems to have been isotopically altered by continuing convection driven by the Flavrian hydrothermal system. Modeling suggests that the 18 O depletion is produced by water circulating toward and along the edges of an intrusion, and that the surrounding heavy alteration is produced either by seawater recharge or limited hydrothermal discharge. The large scale and coherency of the alteration pattern centered on the Flavrian pluton is remarkable and indicates that this pluton drove a major, long-lived ( approximately 10 m.y.) hydrothermal system in which convection penetrated to an >8-kin depth. The intensity and coherency of the 18 O depletion correlates with the tonnage of associated massive sulfide mineralization. Oxygen isotope depletion may in general mark the margins of plutons that have driven sufficient hydrothermal circulation to produce economic massive sulfide deposits up section. It may be possible to screen plutons for up-section massive sulfide exploration potential by collecting and isotopically analyzing approximately 50 samples from five traverses across a pluton9s margins. Additional samples may provide details (light fingers) that guide exploration to particular deposits.
Phylogeny of Castanea (Fagaceae) based on chloroplast trn T-L-F sequence data

Species in the genus Castanea are widely distributed in the deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere from Asia to Europe and North America. They show floristic similarity but differences in chestnut blight resistance especially among eastern Asian and eastern North American species. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted in this study using sequences of three chloroplast noncoding trnT-L-F regions. The trnT-L region was found to be the most variable and informative region. The highest proportion of parsimony informative sites, more and larger indels, and higher pairwise distances between taxa were obtained at trnT-L than at the other two regions. The high A+T values (74.5%) in the Castanea trnT-L region may explain the high proportion of transversions found in this region where as comparatively lower A+T values were found in the trnL intron (68.35%) and trnL-F spacer (70.07%) with relatively balanced numbers of transitions and transversions. The genus Castanea is supported as a monophyletic clade, while the section Eucastanon is paraphyletic. C. crenata is the most basal clade and sister to the remainder of the genus. The three Chinese species of Castanea are supported as a single monophyletic clade, whose sister group contains the North American and European species. There is consistent but weak support for a sister–group relationship between the North American species and European species.
6-Hydroxydopamine induced impairment of Pavlovian conditioning in the rabbit.

This study employed bilateral, intraventricular injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HDA) to examine the effects of monoamine depletion on Pavlovian conditioning of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response. 6-HDA produced dose-dependent and highly correlated decreases in the rate of acquisition of conditioned responses and in the telencephalic content of 5-HT, DA, and NE. At the highest dose of 6-HDA (1340 μg), 5-HT, DA, and NE were reduced by 42, 48, and 89%, respectively, and the number of trials required to achieve criterion acquisition was increased by 123%. Control experiments established that the highest dose of 6-HDA: 1) had no effect on the unconditioned nictitating membrane reflex; 2) had no effect on the threshold of the conditioned stimulus for eliciting conditioned responses; and 3) produced only a small, less than 5%, decrease in nonassociative responding. It was concluded that decreases in 5-HT, DA, and NE can impair associative learning without altering sensory or motor function.
A Monolithically Fabricated Combinatorial Mixer for Microchip-Based High-Throughput Cell Culturing Assays

We present an integrated method to fabricate 3D microfluidic networks and fabricated the first on-chip cell culture device with an integrated combinatorial mixer. The combinatorial mixer is designed for screening the combinatorial effects of different compounds on cells. The monolithic fabrication method with parylene C as the basic structural material allows us to avoid wafer bonding and achieves precise alignment between microfluidic channels. As a proof-of-concept, we fabricated a device with a three-input combinatorial mixer and demonstrated that the mixer can produce all the possible combinations. Also, we demonstrated the ability to culture cells on-chip and performed a simple cell assay on-chip using trypan blue to stain dead cells.
The Views of Cardinal Sadoleto on Education

JACOPO CARDINAL SADOLETO (1477-1547), a distinguished Italian humanist and churchman, was one of the leading prelates of the Italian Renaissance. A man of wide interests and high character, he ably served the papacy under successive popes. Leo X chose him as his secretary along with Pietro Bembo,' and in 1517 made him bishop of Carpentras in southern France. In 1536 Pope Paul III elevated him to the Cardinalate.2 Of the numerous writings of this cultivated and liberal minded churchman, perhaps none is of greater significance than his De pueris recte instituendis (Concerning the proper education of children). As bishop of Carpentras, Sadoleto considered the education of the young to be one of his most important duties. This work, therefore, represents his mature reflections on the principles and methods of instruction, and is one of the noteworthy contributions to educational theory and practice written during the Italian Renaissance. Corrected and revised by Sadoleto's friends before publication, the book was first printed at Venice during the summer of 1533.3 The treatise is essentially a discussion of a liberal education for a youth of an upper middle-class family, and reflects the aristocratic tendencies characteristic of many Renaissance humanists. Sadoleto's ideas, borrowed in part from classical authors, were also influenced by various Renaissance writings, notably by Desiderius Erasmus' The teaching of boys. The work is presented in the form of a Ciceronian dialogue, the bishop and his nephew Paolo being the two interlocutors. Written in excellent Latin4 and dedicated to Guil-
Stability of an exponentially stabilizable system

Let A be the generator of a C 0 semigroup T(t), t \geq 0 , and denote by S(t), t \geq 0 , the semigroup generated by A - K , where K is a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space. In this note we find necessary and sufficient conditions for the original semigroup T(t), t \geq 0 , to be exponentially stable, given that the "feedback" semigroup S(t), t \geq 0 , is exponentially stable. Applications to feedback stabilization via a steady-state Riccati equation will then be made.
Well economics across ten tiers in low and high Btu (British thermal unit) areas, Barnett Shale, Texas

Abstract We evaluate the economics of drilling new wells in the Barnett Shale, Fort Worth Basin, Texas. The analysis is the most granular public study to date because it is based on 10 productivity tiers and it treats low and high Btu (British thermal unit) segments of the play differently. The study is unique in its use of transient linear drainage production profiles that match the physics of the system and fit the production history in the Barnett very well. Average low Btu wells in the top two tiers are viable at $4/MMBtu, whereas average high Btu wells in the same tiers are economic at $2/MMBtu. Dry gas wells are the most sensitive to fluctuations in the price of natural gas whereas high Btu wells are also sensitive to the prices of oil and natural gas liquids. There is a distribution of productivity within each tier, with better wells requiring a much lower price to be viable than the average well. The granular subdivision of productivity, low versus high Btu, and intra-tier quality variation help to explain historical drilling patterns and also allow us to predict future development patterns in the field accurately as demonstrated for 2011 and 2012 in Browning et al. [4] .
Measurement of Alphabetical Organization in Free Recall

A method for measuring the extent to which Ss alphabetize their emissions in free-recall experiments is presented. The measure takes account of chance-expected alphabetizing and has fixed upper and lower bounds. Computation of alphabetizing scores for some sample data demonstrated the effectiveness of the measure in assessing a specific strategy used by many Ss.
Inflammation, atherosclerosis, and stroke.

Background:Inflammation has received increasing attention in recent years as a cause of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Basic and animal research has implicated inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis, as well as in clinical events related
Turbo detection for mobile MIMO underwater acoustic communications

Turbo detection for mobile transceivers is proposed for high data-rate single-carrier multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic (UWA) communications. The proposed detection scheme employs a MIMO Doppler preprocessor and a low-complexity MIMO turbo linear equalizer (LE). The Doppler preprocessor estimates the motion-induced Doppler shift and compensates it via symbol resampling. The preprocessed signal is then detected by the MIMO turbo LE that utilizes soft-decision minimum mean square error (MMSE) linear equalization with maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) channel decoding, thus improving the detection performance iteratively while maintaining low complexity. The proposed turbo detection scheme has been tested by field trial data collected by the SPACE08 experiment near Martha's Vineyard, Edgartown, MA, in 2008. Excellent detection results are achieved for 2-by-8 MIMO with mobile speed around 3 knots.
3. Angioid Streaks

The picture of angioid streaks is due to linear dehiscences in Bruch's membrane with secondary changes in the choriocapillaris and the retinal pigment epithelium. Since these streaks invariably radiate from the optic disc and may be reddish brown in color, the resemblance to the retinal vasculature prompted the term "angioid." However, unlike the retinal vessels, angioid streaks are darker in color, irregular in contour with serrated edges, end abruptly, and may run a convoluted course. Angioid streaks may be associated with additional fundus findings including pigment mottling (peau d'orange) (Fig 1), peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy (Fig 2), focal chorioretinal lesions, drusen of the optic disc, and subretinal choroidal neovascularization (which may result in an exudative macular degeneration) (Fig 3).
Cadmium and naphthalene-induced hyperglycemia in the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator: differential modes of action on the neuroendocrine system.

Hyperglycemia is a typical response of aquatic organisms to heavy metals. In crustaceans, the medulla terminalis X-organ-sinus gland neuroendocrine complex in the eyestalk is the source of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH). The role of CHH in pollutant-induced b1ood glucose changes has only recently begun to be studied. Reddy provided evidence that CHH mediates cadmium-induced hyperglycemia in the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. In a study of another hormonally-regulated function, color changes, cadmium exposure resulted in pigment in the melanophores of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, becoming less dispersed than in unexposed crabs. Earlier studies showed that, like cadmium, both a PCB, Aroclor 1242, and naphthalene induced black pigment aggregation in Uca poor. In general, when crabs are exposed to a pollutant, hydrocarbon or cadmium, they aggregate the pigment in their melanophores, but apparently by different mechanisms. Hydrocarbons appear to inhibit release of black pigment-dispersing hormone (BDPH), whereas cadmium appears to inhibit its synthesis. These apparent different modes of action of cadmium and naphthalene on the color change mechanism led us to compare the impact of these pollutants on the hormonal regulation of blood glucose in Uca pugilator. The present study was performed to determine (1) whether cadmium and naphthalenemore » induce hyperglycemia in Uca pugilator, (2) whether CH has a role, if naphthalene and cadmium do induce hyperglycemia, and (3) the effects, if any, of cadmium and naphthalene on CHH activity in the eyestalk neuroendocrine complex.« less
Reregulation of China's rare earth production and export

Purpose – Rare earths are essential materials for many high-tech industries critical to both economic development and national defense. China, the world's dominant supplier of rare earths, has recently been imposing stricter controls over its production and export. The purpose of this paper is to examine the domestic roots of the changes in China's rare earth industry production and exports in its three-decade rise to the current global monopoly. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the historical institutionalism approach to analyze the trajectory of industry and trade development. The author analyzes data collected from government whitepapers and reputed scholarly and news sources. Findings – This paper argues that the Chinese rare earth industry has gone through three periods of development, in which the state attempted to control the market and industry through reformulating rules and institutions to achieve state goals. Domestic state institutions, combined with macroeconomic environment a...
Deterministic networks for image estimation using a penalty function method

Summary form only given. A novel technique for image estimation which preserves discontinuities is presented. Gibbs distributions are used for image representations. These distributions also incorporate unobserved discontinuity variables or line processes. The degradation model is also Gibbs, which yields a posterior Gibbs distribution. The authors are interested in the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate. This reduces to finding the minimum of a Hamiltonian (energy function). The authors use a penalty function approach to solve the problem. This permits identifying the line processes as neurons with a graded response. The penalty function method also permits incorporating 'hard' and 'soft' constraints into the problem. These typically involve constraints on line endings, inhibition of adjacent parallel lines, preservation of line continuity of corners, etc. The authors propose two algorithms to solve this problem; the conjugate gradient (CG) and the iterated conditional mode (ICM) algorithms. Both algorithms are amenable to implementation on 'hybrid' networks. >
5-Aryloxy-6-methoxy-8-aminoquinolines as Potential Prophylactic Antimalarials

5-(p-Anisyloxy)-6-methoxy-8-(5-isopropylaminopen-tylamino)quinoline was resynthesized for evaluation in the Plasmodium berghei and monkey prophylactic (Plasmodium cynomolgi) tests. A new primary amine, three secondary amines, and one structurally modified side-chain analog of the 5-aryloxy series were also prepared. None of these compounds showed significant antimalarial or prophylactic activity.
Reevaluating Goals of Insulin Therapy: Perspectives from Large Clinical Trials

Recent large clinical trials have shown that intensive glycemic control can reduce microvascular complications, but appropriate and safe glycemic goals to improve macrovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes remain poorly defined. This article surveys recent epidemiologic studies and interventional trials, examines the current understanding of the natural history of type 2 diabetes, and proposes new goals and tactics for optimizing insulin therapy.
Insight into innate immunity of the uterine cervix as a host defense mechanism against infection and preterm birth

In 2001, the WHO established the external Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) to develop epidemiological estimates for the various etiologies of death in young children [1]. In 2003, ...
Effects of Electronic Structure Modifications on the Adsorption of Oxygen Reduction Reaction Intermediates on Model Pt(111)-Alloy Surfaces

In this work, the relationship between electronic structure and adsorption energies of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) intermediates (O, OH, OOH, O2, and H2O) is investigated for modified Pt surfaces. Model surfaces were constructed to examine lattice strain and electronic ligand effects. Compressive strain, which broadens the metal d band, was found to destabilize adsorption of all of the intermediates. Whereas binding energy shifts due to strain correlate well for all of the intermediates examined, shifts in O adsorption energy resulting from ligand contributions were found not to correlate with the other intermediates. Additionally, the adsorption energy of oxygenate intermediates was found not to depend solely on the d-band center of the surface. Although the d-band center is important, adsorption is also dependent on the electron density near the Fermi level.
The Role of Asphaltene Solubility and Chemical Composition on Asphaltene Aggregation

Abstract Asphaltenes from four different crude oils (Arab Heavy, B6, Canadon Seco, and Hondo) were fractionated in mixtures of heptane and toluene and analyzed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Fractionation appeared to concentrate the most polar species into the least soluble sub-fraction as indicated by elemental analysis. SANS results indicated a wide spectrum of asphaltene aggregate sizes and molecular weights; however, the less soluble (more polar) fraction contributed the majority of the species responsible for asphaltene aggregation in solution. This more polar, less soluble fraction is likely the major cause for many petroleum production problems such as deposition and water-in-oil emulsion stabilization. A comparison of molecular weight and aggregate size indicated that asphaltenes formed fractal aggregates in solution with dimensions between 1.7 and 2.1. This was consistent with the “archipelago” model of asphaltene structure. Resins were shown to effectively solvate asphaltene aggregate...
In-Situ Diagnostics of Diamond CVD

The deposition of diamond, a metastable crystalline form of carbon, from low pressure gases poses intriguing questions about the mechanisms of growth. Tunable IR Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy, Laser Multi-Photon Ionization Spectroscopy, and Laser Induced Fluorescence were used to characterize the gaseous environment in the Chemical Vapor Deposition growth of diamond films. The quality of the deposited material was examined by optical and SEM microscopies, and Raman, Auger, and XPS spectroscopies. When a reactant mixture of 0.5% methane in hydrogen, was passed across a hot Tungsten filament (2000 C), C2H2, C2H4, H and CH3 were detected above the growing diamond surface, and concentration limits for undetected species were determined. These results are discussed in terms of simple models for species formation and consumption, as well as the implications for the diamond growth mechanism.
Differential vulnerability to oxidative stress in rat cardiac myocytes versus fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to test the hypothesis that cardiac myocytes have greater vulnerability to oxidative stress compared with cardiac fibroblasts. BACKGROUND The function of cardiac myocytes differs from that of fibroblasts in the heart, but differences in their response to oxidative stress have not been extensively studied. METHODS Cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts from F344 neonatal rat hearts were cultured and exposed to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2o2) and menadione (superoxide generator). The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins were assayed after oxidative stress; cell death was determined by trypan blue staining and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ladder electrophoresis. RESULTS The cardiac myocytes were significantly more vulnerable than the fibroblasts to oxidative damage, showing substantial DNA fragmentation and consistently poor cell survival after exposure to H2o2(100 to 800 μM), while the cardiac fibroblasts demonstrated little or no DNA fragmentation, and superior cell survival rates both over time (from 1 to 72 h after 100 μM) and across increasing doses of H2o2(100 to 800 μM). The p42/44 extracellular signal-regulated kinases were phosphorylated in both cell types after exposure to H2o2, but significantly more in cardiac fibroblasts. However, p38 MAPK and c-jun NH2-terminal kinase were phosphorylated more in the cardiac myocytes compared to cardiac fibroblasts. This was also the case after exposure to menadione. CONCLUSION Taken together, these results suggest that oxidative stress causes greater injury and cell death in cardiac myocytes compared with cardiac fibroblasts. It is possible that the signaling differences via the MAPK family may partly mediate the observed differences in vulnerability and functional outcomes of the respective cell types.
Interferon-α directly inhibits DNA polymerase activity in isolated chromatin nucleoprotein complexes: correlation with IFN-α treatment outcome in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Abstract We have developed an in vitro assay to assess and predict the potential efficacy of in vivo interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment (5 × 10 6 units/m 2 per day) for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Although determining the numbers and affinities of IFN-α receptors on CML cells has been developed as a method for predicting treatment response to IFN-α, it fails to predict response in CML. Previously, we and others observed that mitogens, toxins and lectins that bind to cell-surface receptors are endocytosed, escaping endosomes in order to act directly on cellular targets. Therefore, we tested the ability of low concentrations of IFN-α (5–10 units) to act directly on DNA polymerase (Pol) in purified chromatin nucleoprotein complexes (NPC). NPC were prepared by a methodology that uses direct treatment of leukocyte nuclei with MspI to generate six NPC-containing fractions (S1, M1, S2, M2, 0.1K and R). We found three general categories of in vitro DNA synthesis response for the six different NPC fractions isolated from the white blood cells of patients with CML ( n = 19) before their treatment with IFN-α. IFN-α induced either stimulation, inhibition or had no apparent effect on Pol activity in the six different NPC fractions in a blind assay. In most of the NPC fractions isolated from the leukocytes of patients with progressive CML and in those from CML patients who failed to show a clinical response to IFN-α, this cytokine stimulated or had no effect on Pol activity. In contrast, a majority of NPC fractions isolated from the leukocytes of patients that responded clinically to IFN-α, were inhibited in their Pol activities. However, we were not able to correctly predict IFN-α response in CML patients that had undergone prior chemotherapy. These data suggest that cytokines, such as IFN-α, may act directly on DNA synthesis machinery in the nucleus after entering cells, and assays that measure the direct effects of cytokines on Pol activity in NPC fractions could be useful in assessing the response of patients to cytokines in a clinical setting.
A cooling and warming system for Si(Li) charged-particle detectors

Abstract A cooling and warming system for Si(Li) detectors in a scattering chamber is described. This system will cool a detector to −60°C or warm it to room temperature within five minutes.
Dispersion and burning behavior of hydrogen released in a full-scale residential garage in the presence and absence of conventional automobiles

Abstract Experiments are described in which hydrogen was released at the center of the floor of a real-scale enclosure having dimensions of a typical two-car residential garage. Real-time hydrogen concentrations were monitored at a number of locations. The hydrogen/air mixtures were ignited at pre-determined local volume fractions ranging from 8% to 29%. The combustion behavior and structural effects were monitored using combinations of high-speed pressure transducers and ionization gauges, standard thermocouples, hydrogen sensors, and digital, infrared, and high-speed video cameras. Experiments were performed both for empty garages and garages with conventional automobiles parked above the hydrogen release location.
The management and applications of teleaction objects

Teleaction objects (TAOs) possess private knowledge specific to the object instances. The user can create and modify the private knowledge of a TAO, so that it automatically reacts to certain events to preperform operations for generating timely responses, improving operational efficiency and maintaining consistency. Moreover, TAOs also possess a hypergraph structure leading to the effective presentation and efficient communication of multimedia information. The active multimedia system (AMS) is designed to manage the TAOs. In the AMS, each TAO has its own private knowledge, realized by the active index cells. The applications to smart multimedia mail and multimedia information retrieval are described to illustrate the usefulness of TAOs. We discuss the advantages of the proposed approach and future research.
II-VI oxides phase separate whereas the corresponding carbonates order: The stabilizing role of anionic groups

The formation enthalpies of isovalent, isostructural rocksalt alloys, $(A,B)$, where $X=\text{O}$ such as (Ca,Mg)O, are typically unfavorable (positive) for both ordered and random phases. Simple replacement of the single-atom anion, $X$, by a larger anionic group, such as ${\text{CO}}_{3}$ or ${\text{SO}}_{4}$, is able to induce a favorable (negative) formation enthalpy, leading to the formation of the ordered alternate monolayer, ${({\text{CaCO}}_{3})}_{1}/{({\text{MgCO}}_{3})}_{1}$, dolomite structure. The underlying cause of this behavior is analyzed by breaking down the formation process in a Born-Haber-like cycle into volume and cell-shape deformation, chemical exchange, and cell-internal relaxation using first-principles density-functional theory calculations in the generalized gradient approximation. It is found that when the anion is a group $({\text{CO}}_{3})$, rather than a single atom (O), the energy gained from the internal relaxation overcomes the energy required to compensate the volume mismatch. This explains the general experimental trends of phase separation in isovalent, isostructural alloys without internal-anion structure, compared to ordering tendencies when the anionic group removes internal strain. The importance of obtaining structural ideality in the design of stable solid solutions is highlighted.
Binding of fatty acids by proteins.

Abstract Egg albumin has been titrated with acetic, propionic, n-butyric, i-butyric, n-valeric, n-caproic, and n-heptanoic acids. The method of equilibrium dialysis has been used. At low acid concentration, the binding at a given acid concentration is the same for all the acids. After a critical concentration is reached, depending on the molecular weight of the acid, the extent of binding increases geometrically with the length of the carbon chain of the acids. It is likely that the unionized acids are being bound at higher acid concentrations, and no limit to the binding has been observed. Several kinds of binding sites are probably involved, among these may be the peptide bonds.
Solids mixing in fluidized beds—a hydrodynamic approach

Abstract Solids mixing in fluidized beds has traditionally been treated using empirical transfer or diffusion coefficients. This study presents a new approach. A hyperbolic diffusion equation is derived by linearizing two phase flow equations of motion obtained previously by minimizing the rate of entropy production. Analytical solutions to the hyperbolic diffusion equation for a tracer concentration are obtained using Laplace transforms and the method of images. The solutions compare well with solids mixing experiments. The solutions involve a propagation velocity, which is determined by two phase mass balances, and a diffusion coefficient which is a ratio of kinetic energy to interphase friction or drag, as in Einstein's diffusion coefficient. Least square curve fits of data to the theory produced reasonable values of the drag coefficients.
Maturation of the lower esophagus

Abstract Research on the lower esophagus has demonstrated anatomic and functional development during the first weeks of life. 1–3 This development affects the different factors responsible for the prevention of gastroesophageal reflux. 4–6 In the newborn with an obtuse Hiss angle and an almost nonexistent abdominal esophagus, the antireflux mechanism is based almost entirely on the pressure barrier of the lower esophagus that opposes the gastric fundal pressure. This investigation involves the manometric study of the esophagus in the newborn, as well as maturation of the pressure barriers of this esophageal segment and the influence that certain factors (e.g., gestational age, days after birth, weight) have on it.
Evaluation of nonrinse conditioning solution and a compomer as an alternative method of bonding orthodontic bracket.

Damage to the enamel surface during bonding and debonding of orthodontic brackets is a clinical concern. Alternative bonding methods that minimize enamel surface damage while maintaining a clinically useful bond strength are an aim of current research. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of using two enamel conditioners and adhesives on the shear bond strength and bracket failure location. Forty freshly extracted human molars were pumiced and randomly divided into two groups of 20 teeth. Metal orthodontic brackets were bonded to the enamel surface by one of two protocols: 37% phosphoric acid with a composite adhesive (Transbond XT) or a nonrinse conditioner with a compomer adhesive (Dyract flow). The teeth were mounted in phenolic rings and stored in deionized water at 37 degrees C for 24 hours. A Zwick Universal Testing Machine was used to determine shear bond strengths in MegaPascals. The residual adhesive on the enamel surface was evaluated using the Adhesive Remnant Index. Student t-test and chi2-test were used to compare the two groups. Significance was predetermined at P < or = .05. The results of the t-tests indicated that there were significant differences between the two adhesive systems (t = 11.18 and P = .001) with the nonrinse conditioner/compomer system having lower shear bond strength (X = 1.7 +/- 0.9 MPa) than the phosphoric acid/composite adhesive (X = 10.4 +/- 2.8 MPa). The results of the Chi Square test evaluating the residual adhesives on the enamel surfaces also revealed significant differences between the two groups (chi2 = 7.62, P = .022). In conclusion, a nonrinse conditioner used with a compomer adhesive had significantly lower shear bond strength than a phosphoric acid/composite adhesive system.
Benevolent agents in multiagent systems

Describes an analysis of benevolent agents in multiagent systems. We present a definition and motivation for benevolence that is appropriate for MAS. We construct a simulator called Mattress In the Road (MIR), and use it to analyze benevolence. Finally, we suggest applications that are driven by benevolent agents.
Experimental evaluation of design tradeoff in specialized virtual machine for multimedia traffic in active networks

In active network environments, the data packets can carry active programs to enable specialized processing on them. We quantify the effectiveness of general capsule programs vs. specialized processing functions for multimedia data through four experiments. These experiments deal with the comparison of Java vs. C implementation of a MPEG video decoder, the identification of the time-consuming modules in a Java MPEG video decoder, the effectiveness of combining Java methods and native methods, and the size of the bytecode for each module in a Java MPEG video decoder. We found that a Java MPEG decoder can be 2.6 times to 10 times slower than an equivalent C implementation. We identified the Huffmann decoding module as the most time-consuming module. We also found that the Native Method Interface (NMI) is complex and not efficient enough for use in active routers and the size of the bytecodes for most of the modules is too big to fit into a single packet even after compression. We draw certain conclusions about the trade-off between the general programming model and the specialized functions provided by the router for the active capsules.
Predictors of Suicide and Accident Death in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS): Results From the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS)

Importance The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is a multicomponent study designed to generate actionable recommendations to reduce Army suicides and increase knowledge of risk and resilience factors for suicidality. Objectives To present data on prevalence, trends, and basic sociodemographic and Army experience correlates of suicides and accident deaths among active duty Regular Army soldiers between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009, and thereby establish a foundation for future Army STARRS investigations. Design, Setting, and Participants Analysis of trends and predictors of suicide and accident deaths using Army and Department of Defense administrative data systems. Participants were all members of the US Regular Army serving at any time between 2004 and 2009. Main Outcomes and Measures Death by suicide or accident during active Army service. Results The suicide rate rose between 2004 and 2009 among never deployed and currently and previously deployed Regular Army soldiers. The accident death rate fell sharply among currently deployed soldiers, remained constant among the previously deployed, and trended upward among the never deployed. Increased suicide risk was associated with being a man (or a woman during deployment), white race/ethnicity, junior enlisted rank, recent demotion, and current or previous deployment. Sociodemographic and Army experience predictors were generally similar for suicides and accident deaths. Time trends in these predictors and in the Army’s increased use of accession waivers (which relaxed some qualifications for new soldiers) do not explain the rise in Army suicides. Conclusions and Relevance Predictors of Army suicides were largely similar to those reported elsewhere for civilians, although some predictors distinct to Army service emerged that deserve more in-depth analysis. The existence of a time trend in suicide risk among never-deployed soldiers argues indirectly against the view that exposure to combat-related trauma is the exclusive cause of the increase in Army suicides.
Diagonal harmonious state representations

For simple unweighted shift operators a family of complex eigenvalue eigenstates of the shift down operators, called theharmonious states, is constructed. Every density matrix is realized as a weighted sum of projections to the harmonious states; and the weight distributions serve as quasiprobability densities for normal ordered operators.
Optoelectronics packaging needs for data communications

It is pointed out that the growth of optoelectronics in the telecommunications marketplace has been steadily increasing since 1970. This technology is now migrating into data communications applications. However, the technical challenges of data communications are significantly different to those of telecommunications. The authors examine the marketing potential of data and elaborate the technical differences between data communications and telecommunications environments. Key technical elements are identified along with relative cost implications. Five technology challenges and their impact on data communications technology products are discussed. >