cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Population Dynamics of Obligately Cooperative Species Are Inherently Unstable

Cooperation, defined as the act of an individual which benefits a recipient, is widely observed to occur within many species. There are strong implications of the addition of cooperation on population dynamics as cooperation allows for actor choice with individuals choosing group associations based usually on differences in fitness. There are at least two types of cooperative acts: facultative and obligate. Facultative cooperation such as starling murmurations, fish schools, and locust swarms grant the actors full choice over their associations since the consequences of non-cooperation are not severe. Obligate cooperation like that of social canids, cetaceans, primates, and eusocial insects only grant partial actor choice with the consequences of non-cooperation being more severe. The population dynamics of facultative cooperative species are well-modeled, but not so for obligate co-operators. This is because models assume no actor choice where individuals are permanently fixed to their group. Doing so implicitly engenders stability into the system leading to false conclusions regarding the nature of the species' population dynamics. In this paper, we created a model to analyze the population dynamics of obligate cooperators; it works by embedding a behavioral game of association with partial actor choice into a fitness dynamic. This model reveals three states based on strength of competition. In the first state under extremely strong competition, all groups will go extinct. Under the second state of moderately strong competition, the groups will exist at an unstable equilibrium. In the third state of weaker competition, the groups will show localized extirpations and constant turnover. As well, we generalize our results to show that obligate cooperative species can never achieve full stability due to the mismatch between the game's equilibrium and the fitness equilibrium. Our results, general enough to apply to most systems, show that the constant extirpation dynamics seen in obligately cooperative species are not necessarily a function of external stochastic events but instead inherent to their dynamics. The extirpation and group turnover seen among obligately cooperative societies are inherent to their population dynamics. While other factors may exacerbate the instability, they can only be secondary explanations. Because the instability arises out of a non-chaotic discrete process, it means that the dynamics are predictable and can be tested against experiments and simulations. Furthermore, our results lead to strong implications of for the conservation of obligately cooperative species. Firstly, it shows the importance of intergroup dynamics and the creation and destruction of new groups. Secondly, to conserve such species requires large areas with multiple groups due to intrinsic group extinction and the need for a bonding process to stabilize the dynamics.
Ferroelastic “Memory” and Mechanical Properties in Gold-Cadmium

During the past dozen years, the interest, research, development, and application of alloys exhibiting mechanical “memory” behavior have steadily increased--the particularly sharp increase over the past few years in part stimulated this timely symposium. Most of the attention has been focused on TiNi (1) with less on alloys such as CuAlNi (2), CuZn (3), CuZnSi (4), CuZnSn (5), NiAl (6), InTl (7, 8), AuCd (9), AgCd (10)--although the amount of fundamental research effort devoted to these latter alloys is substantial, as can be seen from these proceedings. Much of this work has been reviewed quite recently (11) and/or is treated and referenced rather completely in this volume. This paper will consider relevant phenomena in the near-equiatomic ordered alloys of AuCd, a system which has been so important in contributing to our understanding in such ordered alloys and other metal systems of: point defects on quenching (12), self-diffusion (13), elastic constants behavior and mode softening (14), martensitic phase transformations (15, 16), twin boundary motion (17), and the unusual “memories” described here (9). Indeed,many important theories and definitive experiments associated with these phenomena--including the “shape memories”--were devised first for or on this alloy. A theory of one of the “memories” is presented here which satisfactorily accounts for all of the experimental observations and which provides some insight into the others.
Thinking as Levels of Cognitive Complexity

Whether or not constructive thought proceeds as a progression of logical sequences is open to question. William James’ (1880) early descriptions of thought processes, particularly higher thought processes, seems consistent with more recent conceptions of creative thought. According to James: Instead of thoughts of concrete things patiently following one another in a beaten track of habitual suggestion, we have the most abrupt cross-cuts and transitions from one idea to another, the most rarified abstractions and discriminations, the most unheard-of combinations of elements, the subtlest associations of analogy; in a word, we seem suddenly introduced into a seething caldron of ideas, where everything is fizzling and bobbling about in a state of bewildering activity, where partnerships can be joined or loosened in an instant, treadmill routine is unknown, and the unexpected seems the only law…the same premises would not, in the mind of another individual, have engendered just that conclusion; although, when the conclusion is offered to the other individual, he may thoroughly accept and enjoy it, and envy the brilliancy of him to whom it first occurred. (p. 185)
Magnitude of arterial carbon dioxide change at initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support is associated with survival.

Many patient factors have been associated with mortality from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. Pre-ECMO patient pH and arterial carbon dioxide (paCO2) have been associated with poor outcome and can be significantly altered by ECMO initiation. We hypothesized that the magnitude of change in paCO2 and pH with ECMO initiation could be associated with survival. We designed a retrospective observational study from a single tertiary care center and included all pediatric patients (age younger than 18 years) undergoing ECMO between 2002 and 2010. Electronic records were queried for demographics and clinical characteristics, including the arterial blood gas (ABG) pre- and post-ECMO initiation. Bivariate analysis compared ECMO course characteristics by outcome (survivor vs. nonsurvivor). Multivariable logistic regression was performed on factors associated with the outcome in the bivariate analysis at the significance level of p or =25 mmHg) was associated with mortality (adjusted OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.06-4.63; p = .036). The decrease in paCO2 with ECMO initiation was associated with mortality. Although this change in paCO2 is multifactorial, it represents a modifiable element of clinical management involving pre-ECMO ventilation, ECMO circuit priming, CO2 administration/removal, and may represent a future therapeutic target that could improve survival in pediatric ECMO.
Evidence-based medicine and clinical expertise.

Physicians should incorporate a balance of evidence-based medicine with expertise and experience in their clinical decision-making processes. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Defining and teaching information literacy: Engaging faculty and the Framework

F or librarians at Keene State College, the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education solidified moving away from one-shot instruction sessions and toward initiatives that would better integrate information literacy into the curriculum. This approach meant moving away from the idea that librarians must be teaching information literacy and instead adapting the idea that faculty within the discipline are best positioned to teach information literacy through their disciplinary context.
A RARE CASE OF SPINDLE-CELL SARCOMA OF THE HEART PRESENTING AS ACUTE HEART FAILURE

Spindle-cell sarcomas of the heart are exceedingly rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported in the literature. Spindle cell carcinoma of soft tissue has a poor prognosis, with 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates of 46%, 22% and 17%. Surgical resection is the only definitive treatment. A 47-year-old
Cardiovascular disease family history and risk of pregnancy loss.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a risk factor for pregnancy loss, given potential shared etiology, including vascular mechanisms involved in reproduction and placentation. Methods In a prospective study, first-degree family histories were self-reported before pregnancy among women with 1–2 previous losses. Women were followed for up to 6 menstrual cycles while attempting pregnancy and through pregnancy. Pregnancies were ascertained by urinary human chorionic gonadotropin and confirmed by ultrasound. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for pregnancy loss were estimated using weighted Poisson regression models with robust standard errors adjusted for covariates including prepregnancy body mass index and sociodemographics. Results Of 1228 women enrolled, 742 had a clinically confirmed pregnancy, and of these, 18% experienced a clinical pregnancy loss. Forty six percent of women reported family history of CVD, diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia/dyslipidemia. Family history of CVD was not associated with the risk of pregnancy loss overall (1.01; 95% confidence interval: 0.64, 1.59) or among women with 2 previous losses (1.05; 0.51, 2.17). Family history of hypertension was also not associated with pregnancy loss (0.98; 0.65, 1.46). Conclusions Family history of CVD is not providing additional information helpful in determining the risk of subsequent pregnancy loss in an at-risk group.
Aging: Mechanisms, Signaling and Dietary Intervention

Abstract Aging is an intrinsic, progressive decline in function that is one of the greatest risk factors for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Calorie restriction (CR), a dietary intervention that robustly extends the life span of many species, delays or prevents age-associated diseases in mammals ranging from mice to nonhuman primates. Understanding the physiological, molecular, and genetic basis for the effects of CR may permit the development of effective therapeutic interventions to combat the increased prevalence and frequency of age-associated diseases expected as a result of the “silver tsunami.” Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that may underlie the effects of a CR diet, discuss the recent development of less onerous dietary regimens that mimic some of the beneficial effects of CR, and discuss how the response to a CR diet is influenced by genetic background.
High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with treatment failure and death in patients who have melanoma treated with PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy.

BACKGROUND An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with poor survival in patients with cancer, including those who receive immunotherapies. The authors sought to investigate NLR as a biomarker of treatment outcomes in patients with melanoma who were treated with PD-1 inhibition. METHODS Patients undergoing initial treatment with PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy for stage IV melanoma at a single center from 2012 to 2015 were included. Clinical characteristics and the NLR at baseline and before subsequent treatment cycles were collected. The time to treatment failure (TTF) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and landmark analyses. RESULTS Among 224 study patients, 63 (28%) had a baseline NLR ≥5. The baseline NLR was significantly associated with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and the number of involved metastatic sites. With a median follow-up of 39 months in survivors, a baseline NLR ≥5 was independently associated with shorter OS (hazard ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9) and TTF (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4). An NLR increase ≥30% during the first 2 cycles of treatment was associated with worse OS (median, 47 vs 13.5 months; P < .001) and a trend toward shorter TTF (12.8 vs 5.9 months; P = .05). A combined baseline NLR ≥5 and an NLR increase ≥30% identified a small cohort with markedly shortened OS (median, 5.8 months) and TTF (median, 1.8 months). CONCLUSIONS Elevated baseline NLR and an increased NLR early during treatment are prognostic for TTF and OS in patients who have melanoma treated with PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy. Combined, these biomarkers can widely risk-stratify patients for treatment failure and survival.
Early Childhood Brain Development and Schizophrenia: An Imaging Perspective

Schizophrenia has long been thought to have origins in early brain development, though studies of fetal and early childhood brain development have been rare. Recently, imaging studies in this critical period of risk for schizophrenia have begun to delineate the normal developmental trajectories of brain structure and function. Studies to date indicate that the fundamental structural and functional architecture of the human brain is well established by the first year or two of life, and genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia can alter brain development in early life. These studies also suggest that it may be possible to identify early imaging biomarkers of risk for schizophrenia, and that interventions may need to be targeted to this early period of rapid brain development.
Update on Persistent Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in OSA

OSA is a highly prevalent sleep disorder, and subjective excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the cardinal symptom for which many individuals seek medical advice. Positive airway pressure (PAP) devices, first-line treatment for OSA, eliminates EDS in most patients. However, a subset of patients suffers from persistent EDS despite adherence to therapy. Multiple conditions, some reversible, could account for the residual sleepiness and need to be explored, requiring detailed history, review of PAP data from the smart card, and sometimes additional testing. When all known causes of EDS are excluded, in adequately treated subjects, the purported mechanisms could relate to long-term exposure to the OSA-related sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, and hypoxic injury to the arousal system, shifts in melatonin secretion, or altered microbiome. Independent of the mechanism, in well-treated OSA, pharmacological therapy with approved drugs can be considered. Modafinil is commonly prescribed to combat residual EDS, but more recently two drugs, solriamfetol, a dual dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and pitolisant, a histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist, were approved for EDS. Solriamfetol has undergone randomized controlled trials for treatment of EDS associated with both OSA and narcolepsy, exhibiting robust efficacy. Solriamfetol is renally excreted, with no known drug interactions. Pitolisant, which is nonscheduled, has undergone multiple RCTs in narcolepsy, showing improvement in subjective and objective EDS and one OSA trial showing improvement in subjective EDS.
Necessities in a Leisure-Based Society: Economy, Politics, and Social Obligations

I focus on the internal and external conditions of a post-work leisure-based society. These conditions both constraining and enabling genuine leisure. Specifically, I try to envision how economy, politics, and social obligations—traditional spheres of the necessities—can be organized in a leisure-based society. My solutions involve pluralist hybridity, in which genuine leisure is prioritized.
A hierarchical threshold modeling approach for understanding phenological responses to climate change: when did North American lilacs start to bloom earlier?

Prior to the recent upward climb, global average temperatures were relatively stable. This trend was described by Mann et al. [23] using a hockey-stick model consisting of two line segments (with the x-axis as time and temperature as the y-axis) meeting at a single changepoint. The line segment prior to the changepoint is flat (indicating a stable temperature), and the line after the changepoint has a positive slope (indicating increasing temperatures). Because the long-term average temperature change is a defining characteristic of climate change, researchers have shown that changes in many phenological variables over time can also be described by a hockey-stick model. For phenological variables, the changepoint and the slope of the line after the changepoint represent the timing of the onset and the effect of climate change. However, large annual variation often obscures the pattern when analyzed using data from a single location, whereas regional differences due to spatial variability of climate and weather patterns render pooling data from different locations impractical. We demonstrate that the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach is effective in separating these two sources of variability by partially pooling data from multiple sites. Using the North American lilac first bloom dates, we show that the Bayesian approach can adequately separate the temporal and spatial variations, thereby quantify site-specific patterns of change as well as national/regional average trends. Our analysis, using the Bayesian hierarchical hockey-stick model, showed that the effects of climate change started as early as the 1970s and the lilacs in North America have been blooming on average one day earlier every three years since.
Design of sensors for rubber thickness and fabric-coating monitoring

This chapter discusses the design of resonator sensors for two applications of interest. One is a wide latex-coated fabric moving on a production line with the sensors monitoring the coating thickness or, alternatively, the moisture content in the fabric for the purpose of controlling the amount of latex on the fabric. The second is a rubber sheet moving on a calender (a cylindrical drum) in which the interest is the thickness of the sheet. Selection of physical parameters, dimensions and operational parameters, and the simulations necessary are discussed. Alternative designs including multiple sensors and moving sensors for full coverage of the fabric are weighed, and an appropriate design is reached. The details of design are given in full with alternatives and justification so that the reader has full accounting of what the design involves and what to expect from the final product. The most common alternative measurement methods of low-density dielectrics such as fabrics, paper, and thin rubber are either nuclear (by measuring absorption of gamma or beta particles from a radioactive source) or through transmission and/ or reflection of electromagnetic waves. In some cases, the methods are more primitive than that; a sample of the final product is cut and weighed to ascertain that the coating is within the required limits. Because this must be done after the production process, it is extremely wasteful and whole production runs may need to be scrapped due to insufficient or overcoating. The purpose of the designs described here is to eliminate this uncertainty and monitor the production in real time to offer feedback for continuous correction of the coating thickness.
Prefetching in supercomputer instruction caches

Prefetching methods for instruction caches in supercomputers are studied via trace-driven simulation. The two primary methods studied are fall-through prefetch for sequential line accesses and target prefetch for nonsequential ones. As measured by miss rate, both methods are shown to improve performance significantly. When combined in a hybrid algorithm their performance improvement is cumulative. A prefetch efficiency measure that reflects the amount of memory fetch delay that is successfully hidden by prefetching is defined. The better prefetch methods (in terms of miss rate) also have very high efficiencies, hiding approximately 90% of the miss delay for prefetched lines. The results obtained also show that the top-performing prefetch caches produce less memory traffic than the top-performing nonprefetch caches.
Using Remote Sensing Imagery and Machine Learning to Predict Poaching in Wildlife Conservation Parks

Illegal wildlife poaching is driving the loss of biodiversity. To combat poaching, rangers patrol expansive protected areas for illegal poaching activity. However, rangers often cannot comprehensively search such large parks. Thus, the Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS) uses machine learning to help identify the areas with highest poaching risk. As PAWS is deployed to parks around the world, we recognized that many parks have limited resources for data collection and therefore have scarce feature sets. To ensure under-resourced parks have access to meaningful poaching predictions, we introduce the use of publicly available remote sensing data to extract features for parks. By employing this data from Google Earth Engine, we also incorporate previously unavailable dynamic data such as climate and primary production patterns to enrich predictions with seasonal trends. We automate the entire data-to-deployment pipeline and find that, with only using publicly available data, we recuperate prediction performance comparable to predictions made using features manually computed by park specialists. We conclude that the inclusion of satellite imagery creates for a robust system through which parks of any resource level can benefit from poaching risks for years to come.
The limits of evidence-based anti-bribery law

Evidence-based regulation is a term of art that refers to the process of making decisions about regulation based on evidence generated through systematic research. There is increasing pressure to t...
Efficient circuit to CNF conversion

Modern SAT solvers are proficient at solving Boolean satisfiability problems in Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF). However, these problems mostly arise from general Boolean circuits that are then translated to CNF. We outline a simple and expressive data structure for describing arbitrary circuits, as well as an algorithm for converting circuits to CNF. Our experimental results over a large benchmark suite show that the CNF problems we generate are consistently smaller and more quickly solved by modern SAT solvers than the CNF problems generated by current CNF generation methods.
Survey of findings in patients having persistent heartburn on proton pump inhibitor therapy.

Summary In patients with refractory heartburn while on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, changing drugs or increasing treatment to a twice a day (b.i.d.) dose has become a common practice. This study aims to study patients with persistent heartburn while on PPI therapy and to determine if persistent symptom indicates the need for more aggressive or different therapy. A retrospective review of impedance-pH tracings on PPI therapy (q.d. or b.i.d.) for patients with persistent heartburn was performed. DeMeester score, impedance, and symptom sensitive index (SSI) were used as indices. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-squared test with Yates correction and paired t-test. One hundred consecutive patients, (female 50%, male 50%, mean age 54 [range 16–83] years) were studied on q.d. (n = 45) or b.i.d. PPI (n = 55). Only 20% of the patients had abnormal DeMeester score; 41% had an abnormal impedance score and 56% had abnormal SSI; 29% had all indices normal. There was no difference between patients taking q.d. versus b.i.d. PPI for abnormal DeMeester score (22 vs. 18%), impedance (38 vs. 44%) and SSI (53 vs. 58%); P = 0.80, 0.69, and 0.77, respectively. In 56 patients with positive SSI, symptoms were due to acid reflux in 8 (14%) patients, nonacid reflux in 31 (55%) patients, and combined acid and nonacid reflux in 17 (30%) patients. Patients with persistent heartburn on PPI therapy show a variety of disorders: (i) acid reflux (20%); (ii) nonacid reflux (26%); (iii) positive SSI (56%); (iv) all normal indices (29%). These studies indicate that persistent heartburn on PPI therapy is a complex problem that may not respond to simply increasing acid inhibition.
A mitochondrial protein from Neurospora crassa detected both on ribosomes and in membrane fractions. Analysis of the gene, the message, and the protein.

Abstract We have isolated clones representing at least three nuclear genes for mitochondrial ribosomal proteins from Neurospora crassa by screening a lambda gt11 cDNA library with an antiserum against a mixture of these proteins. The cDNA and genomic DNA sequence for one of these genes, mrp-3, was determined. The MRP3 protein was purified by immune-affinity chromatography, using a monoclonal antibody probe, and subjected to amino acid sequence analysis to identify the mature amino terminus and a prospective mitochondrial-targeting presequence. MRP3 was identified as the largest, least basic protein detected from the small subunit of ribosomes which had been salt-washed and fractionated on sucrose gradients. However, the mRNA and protein products of mrp-3 were found to be present in excess over those of other N. crassa mitoribosomal protein genes. Using a solution hybridization/S1 nuclease assay, we found three-fold- more mRNA for mrp-3 than for another mito-ribosomal protein gene. In addition, a 30- to 50-fold excess of non-ribosomal MRP3 protein was discovered. The additional protein was localized in mitochondrial membrane fractions; none was detected in matrix fractions after removal of the ribosomes. An immunologically related protein was detected in ribosome and membrane fractions of mitochondria from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The functional significance of this dual localization remains an enigma.
What Globalization Means for Ecotourism: Managing Globalization's Impacts on Ecotourism in Developing Countries

During this current period of globalization, the global community is faced with the challenge of protecting resources of international importance while at the same time facilitating economic growth in both the developed and developing worlds.1 The current era of globalization has seen an increase in the exploitation and degradation of natural resources due, in part, to the opening of markets, an increase in trade and industrialization, and developing countries struggling to improve their standard of living. Much has been written about sustainable development and its use as a possible solution to the challenge of economic growth and environmental protection. One tool that can be used as part of a sustainable development approach to link economic growth with conservation of natural resources in developing countries is ecotourism.2 This note will discuss ecotourism and how it has been affected, both negatively and positively, by the process of globalization and what r?iechanisms exist to control the negative impacts of globalization on ecotourism. Part I will examine the evolution of tourism and ecotourism. Part II will examine the phenomenon of globalization and how it has impacted the ecotourism industry and what results these impacts have had on local communities trying to utilize ecotourism as a sustainable
Analytic Solutions for Computer Flow Model Testing

A class of solutions to the linearized shallow water equations is presented. The solutions involve two spatial dimensions plus time, and special emphasis is placed on the dynamic steady state. The results are intended for use in testing and verification of numerical models. The class of problems treated allows an independent assessment of the effects of wind stress, variable bathymetry, frictional dissipation, and nonrectangular boundaries on model performance.
Quantitative prediction of feed intake in ruminants: II. Conceptual and mathematical analysis of models for cattle

Abstract A comparative mathematical and conceptual analysis of quantitative feed intake prediction models for cattle was conducted. The objective was to analyse the theoretical basis of current cattle intake models and provide directions for experimental research. Results for the models analysed indicated (1) weak conceptual basis of models in the sense of ability to accommodate experimental data; (2) frequently problematic implementation in terms of mathematical properties of models; (3) absence of new hypotheses for experimental research provided by reviewed models. These findings agree with similar results obtained in an analysis of sheep models. Suggestions for improved model development, implementation and documentation are provided.
Observation of negative electron-binding energy in a molecule

In neutral atoms and molecules, electrons are kept within their orbitals by attractive electrostatic interactions with positively charged nuclei, with relatively few neutral molecules being able to bind more than one extra electron. For multiply charged molecular anions, dynamic stability plays an important role: the superposition of long-range Coulomb repulsion and short-range electron binding gives rise to a repulsive Coulomb barrier (RCB) that traps the excess electrons1. The RCB has profound effects on the physical and chemical properties of multiply charged anions in the gas phase1,2,3,4,5. For example, it has recently been shown to prevent the detachment of electrons from a doubly charged anion, even when the excitation energies exceed the electron binding energy6,7. Here we report photodetachment experiments which demonstrate that the RCB can even trap electrons in molecular orbitals characterized by a negative binding energy. We show that the addition of sulphonate groups (–SO3−) to cyclic copper phthalocyanine (CuPc; ref. 8) systematically increases the energy of the corresponding molecular orbitals, culminating in the highest occupied molecular orbital of the tetra-anion, [CuPc(SO3)4]4−, being unstable by 0.9 eV. The increase in molecular orbital energy and the negative electron binding energy we observe are due to charge localization in the sulphonate groups and the resultant RCB. The unusually large height of the repulsive barrier also ensures that the anion remains metastable, and continues to store 0.9 eV excess electrostatic energy, throughout the 400 seconds we are able to observe it.
High-performance polymer coatings for carbon steel heat exchanger tubes in geothermal environments

The most critical issue in developing thermal conductive coatings for the interior surfaces of heat exchanger tubes made from mild carbon steel (MCS), which are used in geothermal power plants at temperatures ranging from 110° to 89°C, is the deposition of scales. These scales, induced by the brine, chemically adhere to the coating surfaces. One of the major factors governing the formation of a strong interfacial bond at interfaces between the coatings and scales was the brine-promoted hydrothermal oxidation of the coatings. In seeking coating unsusceptible to hydrothermal oxidation, two semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymers, polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-blended PPS, were applied as interior surface coatings to the zinc phosphated MCS tubes. The PPS coating surfaces suffered some oxidation caused by their chemical affinity for FeCl2 in geothermal brine. FeCl2-promoted oxidation of PPS surfaces not only incorporated more oxygen into them, generating a sulfide → sulfone → sulfonic acid conformational transformation within the PPS, but also caused the disintegration of PPS, yielding fragmental polychloroaryl compound and ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) derivatives. The FeSO4 reaction product formed at the interfaces between the scale and PPS coating was soluble in water, so that the coatings could be easily removed by highly pressurized water. The oxidation of PPS was considerably inhibited by blending PTFE into it, forming coating surface unsusceptible to hydrothermal oxidation reactions with hot brine. The major reason for such inhibition of oxidation was the formation of a chemically inert PTFE layer segregated from the PPS layer at the outermost surface site of the coating. Hence, the scale easily flaked off from the PTFE-blended PPS coating surfaces. This characteristic of surface was similar to that of the stainless steel surfaces. Nevertheless, both PPS and PTFE-blended PPS coatings can be classified as scale-free coatings.
Thrombospondin Signaling of Focal Adhesion Disassembly Requires Activation of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase

Thrombospondin is an extracellular matrix protein involved in modulating cell adhesion. Thrombospondin stimulates a rapid loss of focal adhesion plaques and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. The focal adhesion labilizing activity of thrombospondin is localized to the amino-terminal domain, specifically amino acids 17–35. Use of a synthetic peptide (hep I), containing amino acids 17–35 of thrombospondin, enables us to examine the signaling mechanisms specifically involved in thrombospondin-induced disassembly of focal adhesions. We tested the hypothesis that activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase is a necessary step in the thrombospondin-induced signaling pathway regulating focal adhesion disassembly. Both wortmannin and LY294002, membrane permeable inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity, blocked hep I-induced disassembly of focal adhesions. Similarly, wortmannin inhibited hep I-mediated actin microfilament reorganization and the hep I-induced translocation of α-actinin from focal adhesion plaques. Hep I also stimulated phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity approximately 2–3-fold as measured in anti-phosphoinositide 3-kinase and anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates. Increased immunoreactivity for the 85-kDa regulatory subunit in anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates suggests that the p85/p110 form of phosphoinositide 3-kinase is involved in this pathway. In32Pi-labeled cells, hep I increased levels of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate, the major product of phosphoinositide 3-kinase phosphorylation. These results suggest that thrombospondin signals the disassembly of focal adhesions and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton by a pathway involving stimulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity.
Rate coefficient upper limits for the BrONO2 and ClONO2 + O3 reactions

The gas phase reactions BrONO2 and ClONO2 + O3 → Products (k1 and k3) were examined at 235±2 K and 700 Torr N2 using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer coupled to a temperature regulated long path absorption cell. The loss of BrONO2 and ClONO2 were measured to be independent of the O3 concentration yielding k1 < 1 × 10−20 cm³ molecule−1 s−1 and k3 < 4 × 10−21 cm³ molecule−1 s−1.
A Further Examination of Cognitive Aspects of English Kin Terms1

This study presents a further test of the componential structure of American-English kinship terminology proposed by Romney and D'Andrade (1964). It includes more terms and sheds light upon the structural (or cognitive) locations of the female kin terms as well as the male terms. Collaterality emerges as the most important dimension.
SNPs for individual identification

Abstract Using population genetics criteria for SNPs for individual identification (IISNPs) – SNPs having nearly maximum informativeness in populations from all parts of the world – on a reduced screening panel of 31 populations, those most likely to be forensically relevant, we have identified a panel of 108 candidate SNPs that meet our operationalized criteria of an Fst 0.40. Some of these candidate SNPs are molecularly close and/or genetically linked making them unsuitable for studies involving relationships. However, it is appropriate to keep all these markers among the candidates until they can be evaluated by laboratory and other criteria. We still advocate screening more SNPs to assure identifying a sufficient number meeting broad forensic criteria. We also believe that all of the near-final candidates should be evaluated on multiple, additional populations so that reasonably small (e.g. −12 ) genotype frequencies can be demonstrated to occur even more broadly among world populations.
Peroxisomal β-oxidation of fatty acids in bovine and rat liver

Abstract Hepatic peroxisomal β-oxidation rates were compared in liver homogenates from cows and rats during different nutritional and physiological states. Peroxisomal oxidation in liver homogenates from cows represented 50% and 77% of the total capacity for the initial cycle of β-oxidation of palmitate and octanoate, respectively, but only 26% and 65% for rats. Lactation or food deprivation did not alter rates of hepatic peroxisomal β-oxidation of palmitate or octanoate in cows. Fasting and clofibrate treatment increased rates of total and peroxisomal β-oxidation of palmitate and octanoate in rat liver.
Gamma probe-directed lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymphadenectomy in primary melanoma: Reliability of the procedure and analysis of failures after long-term follow-up.

Background and Objectives Some patients presenting with cutaneous malignant melanoma without palpable adenopathy have regional metastatic disease. The results of a prospective clinical study of γ probe-directed sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy are presented. Methods Over a 3-year period, 103 patients with a diagnosis of invasive primary cutaneous malignant melanoma (Breslow > 0.12 mm or > Clark level II) underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with technetium sulfur colloid followed by γ-probe-guided sentinel lymphadenectomy. There were 46 women and 57 men with a mean age of 55.7 years (range, 19–91). Results Mean Breslow thickness was 2.3 mm (range, 0.12–10 mm). Primary locations were head and neck in 12, trunk 46, upper extremity 19, and lower extremity in 26. One hundred sixteen lymph node basins were mapped in 103 patients. Axillary, inguinal, and cervical nodal basins comprised 55, 34, and 11% of the total basins evaluated, respectively. Sixty-eight patients (66%) underwent lymphatic mapping of one regional nodal basin, 27 patients (26%) underwent synchronous lymphatic mapping of 2 regional nodal basins, 6 patients (6%) underwent synchronous lymphatic mapping of 3 regional nodal basins, and 2 patients (2%) underwent synchronous lymphatic mapping of 4 regional nodal basins. Seroma or infection did not occur in any patients. Micrometastatic disease was identified in 15 sentinel lymph node biopsy sites in 13 (10%) patients. Of 10 patients undergoing lymph node dissection, 9(90%) had no additional pathological lymph node involvement. We achieved 99% success rate, 1% rate of failed sentinel node procedure, and 8% false-negative rate after median follow-up for 2 years. Conclusions We concluded that γ probe-directed sentinel lymph node biopsy is a straightforward procedure which can be done in the outpatient setting and facilitates management of patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. It allows the surgeon to identify all basins at risk for metastatic disease and the location of the sentinel node(s) in relation to the basin. J. Surg. Oncol. 2001;77:157–164. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the analysis of second-harmonic modulators

Analysis of magnetic modulators, which includes low-level transducer amplifiers and magnetometers, usually is based on control-signal displacement of fixed hysteresis loops of some particular shape. Experience shows, however, that many qualitative aspects of the device operation do not agree with the analysis. In this paper, an analysis is based on the d\phi/dt widening of the hysteresis loop, which is applicable to metal alloy tape cores. The analysis makes possible the comparison of amplifiers using different magnetic materials by relating small-signal gain and output waveform to measurable properties of the material.
Numerical analysis method for long-term behavior of integral abutment bridges

Abstract Many engineering uncertainties exist in the prediction of integral abutment bridge (IAB) long-term behavior. This paper reports on the development of numerical modeling methodologies formulated on the basis of an extensive field monitoring program and results obtained from four IABs on I-99 in central Pennsylvania. The proposed numerical modeling methodologies allow long-term bridge response prediction, recognizing that an IAB has significant time-dependent response changes as a result of irreversible soil–structure interaction and time-dependent effects of the superstructure in the case of prestressed concrete girders. Both measured and numerical responses indicate that soil–structure interaction and time-dependent effects significantly influence long-term IAB behavior. In addition, relatively low rotational stiffness and nonlinear behavior of common abutment-to-backwall connections influence long-term response. The proposed numerical modeling methodologies are practical and reasonably predict long-term IAB behavior and response under thermal loading.
Kinetics of peripheral blood mononuclear cell mobilization with chemotherapy and/or granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor: implications for yield of hematopoietic progenitor cell collections

BACKGROUND: Peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) are commonly collected and used to reconstitute hematopoiesis after high-dose chemotherapy. However, strategies for optimal collection and assessment of leukapheresis components are not standardized. STUDY DESIGN and METHODS: Hematopoietic progenitor cell assays were performed on 369 leukapheresis components collected from 95 patients who had received doxorubicin-based chemotherapy and/or granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Precollection patient hematologic values, leukapheresis collection values, component hematopoietic progenitor cell assays, and patient outcome measures were summarized. The kinetics of mononuclear cell (MNC) and PBPC mobilization were assessed among four patient groups. RESULTS: Patient group was a significant predictor of the peripheral blood MNC count on the day of collection (p<0.0001), and that value was a significant predictor of granulocyte-macrophage– colony-forming unit (CFU-GM) yield (p<0.0001). This relationship between the peripheral blood MNC count on the day of collection and CFU- GM yield differed according to patient group (p<0.0001). CFU-GM made up a larger fraction of peripheral blood MNCs collected from patients who received chemotherapy plus G-CSF than collected from those who received G-CSF alone. Moreover, the peripheral blood MNC count and the corresponding CFU-GM yield increased significantly on consecutive days of collection in patient groups receiving chemotherapy and G-CSF but were unchanged or decreased in patients receiving G-CSF alone. CONCLUSION: The relationship between peripheral blood MNC count and leukapheresis component CFU-GM yield differed significantly between patients who received chemotherapy and G-CSF and those who received G- CSF alone for the mobilization of PBPCs. Patient peripheral blood MNC count and component CFU-GM yield are useful for both assessing and suggesting revisions to PBPC mobilization and collection strategies.
Glycine N-Methyltransferase Is a Mediator of Cytochrome P4501A1 Gene Expression

Cytochrome P4501A1, the isozyme most closely approximating aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity under conditions of induction, is thought to be regulated by several trans-acting factors, including the 4S polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-binding protein; this protein has recently been identified as glycine N-methyltransferase (Raha et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 5750-5756). Previous studies had shown that partially purified liver preparations containing the 4S binding protein interacted with 5'-flanking regions of the cytochrome P4501A1 gene. Consequently, the ability of the 4S binding protein to serve as a mediator in the regulation of the cytochrome P4501A1 gene was investigated further. Introduction of an antisense 24-mer oligonucleotide to glycine N-methyltransferase cDNA into rat hepatoma H4IIE cells by lipofectin resulted in a 60% reduction in the benzo(a)pyrene-mediated induction of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity and protein over the sense and scrambled antisense oligonucleotide controls. In addition, the antisense oligonucleotide caused a marked reduction in the steady-state level of cytochrome P4501A1 mRNA; no such effect was observed with the sense oligonucleotide. Introduction of GNMT polyclonal antibodies into H4IIE cells by a streptolysin-O permeabilization technique markedly reduced both benzo(a)pyrene-binding and benzo(a)-pyrene-induced ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities, but had no effect on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induction. Collectively, these findings suggest that, in addition to the Ah (dioxin) receptor, glycine N-methyltransferase appears to be both a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-binding protein and a mediator of the induction of the cytochrome P4501A1 gene by polycyclic hydrocarbons such as benzo(a)pyrene.
Theory of ballistic-electron-emission microscopy of buried semiconductor heterostructures.

We extend the theoretical description of ballistic-electron-emission microscopy (BEEM) to the study of buried heterojunctions. We calculate the collector current and its first and second derivatives with respect to tip-base bias voltage for buried single-barrier and double-barrier resonant tunneling structures and show how they systematically vary with the parameters of the heterostructure. We show that the second derivative of the collector current is approximately a product of the heterostructure transmission coefficient and a slowly varying function of bias voltage. The calculated results are in good agreement with the first measurements of BEEM used to probe buried double-barrier heterostructures. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Dispersion effects in dynamic laminates

We consider the problem of wave propagation through one-dimensional dynamic laminates when the wavelength of the disturbance is large relative to the scale of the microstructure. Dynamic materials are heterogeneous formations assembled from materials which are distributed on a microscale in space and in time. Using the techniques of Floquet analysis and asymptotic expansions, we uncover the dispersive effects of the effective medium.
KINETIC MODELING OF ANAEROBIC THERMAL DEGRADATION OF ASCORBIC ACID IN ROSE HIP (ROSA CANINA L) PULP

Ascorbic acid loss in thermally treated rose hip pulp was modeled mathematically. Isothermal experiments in the temperature range of 70-95C were utilized to determine the kinetics of ascorbic acid loss in the pulp during heating under anaerobic circumstances. Changes in ascorbic acid decomposition followed a first-order reaction. Temperature dependence of the rate constant during thermal processing of rose hip pulp obeyed the Arrhenius relationship with an activation energy of 47.5 kJ/mole.
Turing is from Mars, Shannon is from Venus: computer science and computer engineering

When thinking about systems, it's tempting to only envision computational elements such as machines, operating systems, and programming languages, or human elements such as user interfaces, business practices, and public policy. However, to mangle an analogy from physics, the observer is also part of the system. When reasoning about or designing (or breaking into) secure systems, it's important to remember the tools, mindset, and background we bring to the table. Computer security's primary background fields are computer science and computer engineering (although some might make a case for mathematical logic). These fields sometimes bring very different approaches to the same basic security problems. We take a light-hearted look at these differences.
On the Multivariate Normal Hazard

It is well known that the hazard rate of a univariate normal distribution is increasing. In this paper, we prove that the hazard gradient, in the case of general multivariate normal distribution, is increasing in the sense of Johnson and Kotz.