cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental toxicity screen: Results of rat studies with diethylhexyl phthalate and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether

The purpose of these investigations was to develop a protocol for an in vivo developmental toxicity screen (DETS) that would provide sufficient data to determine whether to 1) do a full developmental toxicity evaluation without additional range-finding studies, or, depending on the results, to 2) do no further testing of a chemical. In order to evaluate this screen, we compared results obtained by using the DETS protocol with results of previously conducted developmental toxicity evaluations of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and ethylene glycol monomethylether (EGME). Five groups (n greater than or equal to 17) of F344 rats were treated on days 6-15 of gestation by dosed feed (DEHP levels = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0%) or gavage (EGME doses = 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg/day). One half of the rats in these studies were killed on day 16 of gestation, and the remaining animals were allowed to deliver litters which were killed on day 4. EGME caused only a small decrease in maternal weight gain during treatment (100 mg/kg group) that was accompanied by a decrease in gravid uterine weight. The percentage of resorptions was increased in the 50 and 100 mg/kg groups. The number of live pups was decreased in the 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg groups, and litter weight and postnatal survival were decreased in the 100 mg/kg group. These results are consistent with those reported in developmental toxicity studies on EGME conducted by the inhalation and dermal routes. With DEHP, there were treatment-related reductions in maternal body weight and weight gain. There was also a nonstatistical increase in percentage of resorptions per litter that was also observed, but at relatively high levels, in a definitive study in which F344 dams were treated on days 0-20 of gestation. The results of studies on these two chemicals compare well with published results and would have led to the selection of proper dose levels for subsequent FDA segment 2 studies.
Energy- and performance-aware mapping for regular NoC architectures

In this paper, we present an algorithm which automatically maps a given set of intellectual property onto a generic regular network-on-chip (NoC) architecture and constructs a deadlock-free deterministic routing function such that the total communication energy is minimized. At the same time, the performance of the resulting communication system is guaranteed to satisfy the specified design constraints through bandwidth reservation. As the main theoretical contribution, we first formulate the problem of energy- and performance-aware mapping in a topological sense, and show how the routing flexibility can be exploited to expand the solution space and improve the solution quality. An efficient branch-and-bound algorithm is then proposed to solve this problem. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is very fast, and significant communication energy savings can be achieved. For instance, for a complex video/audio application, 51.7% communication energy savings have been observed, on average, compared to an ad hoc implementation.
Procedure for generating ground wind environments for Shuttle liftoff studies

Ground-wind environments for Monte Carlo simulations of Space Shuttle liftoff at KSC are developed. Input parameters include randomly selected 18.3-m-altitude peak wind speed (from which mean wind profile and turbulence intensity are calculated), randomly selected mean wind direction, and longitudinal and lateral turbulence components obtained from the Shuttle-simulation turbulence tapes (SSTT: Tatom et al., 1982). The steps in the simulation of turbulence time histories and horizontal wind fields are listed. It is found that separate statistical analysis of each hour-season pair, applying data on the time fraction of occurrence of peak winds and wind directions at KSC, will be necessary to interpret simulation results consistently.
Brain aromatization: Classic roles and new perspectives

Aromatization of testosterone to estradiol by neural tissue has classically been associated with the regulation of sexual differentiation, gonadotropin secretion, and copulatory behavior. However, new data indicate that the capacity for aromatization is not restricted to the endocrine brain and demonstrate roles for locally formed estrogens in neurogenesis and in responses of brain tissue to injury. This article summaries our current understanding of the distribution and regulation of aromatase in the brain and describes the classic and novel roles it plays. A better understanding of brain aromatization could shed new light on its physiologic and pathologic functions and someday lead to new, centrally acting drug therapies.
Adenosine Transport by Primary Cultures of Neurons from Chick Embryo Brain

The transport of adenosine was studied in pure cultures of neurons from chick embryo brain. In order to avoid complications due to adenosine metabolism, the cells were depleted of ATP by treatment with cyanide and iodoacetate prior to incubation with [3H]adenosine. During the 5-25-s periods used for transport assays, no significant adenosine metabolism was detectable. ATP depletion reduced the initial rate of adenosine entry by less than 10%, but blocked over 90% of the radioactivity accumulated by untreated cells after 15 min. Elimination of sodium or chloride from the uptake medium had no effect on adenosine transport activity. The kinetics of adenosine entry into ATP depleted neurons obeyed the Michaelis-Menten relationship and yielded a Km of 13 microM and Vmax of 0.15 nmol/min/mg protein. The neuronal transport system has apparent selectivity for adenosine, since thymidine, inosine, or guanosine gave significant inhibition only at levels 10-100-fold higher than [3H]adenosine. Adenosine derivatives (N6-cyclohexyl-, N6-benzyl-, N6-methyl-, and 2-chloroadenosine) were more effective inhibitors; p-nitrobenzylthioinosine and dipyridamole were the most potent compounds found. These results describe a high-affinity, facilitated diffusion system for adenosine in cerebral neurons, which could participate in terminating regulatory actions of this compound in the nervous system.
289. Adenoviral-Mediated p53 Gene Therapy (Advexin) in a Patient with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome with a Mixed Germ Cell Tumor: Tolerability and Response

Li-Fraumeni syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by familial clustering of malignancies, predominantly sarcomas, breast cancer, brain tumors and adrenocortical carcinoma; an inordinate pattern of multiple primaries; and occurrence at a young age. Approximately 70% of the cases can be attributed to TP53 germ-line mutation 73% of which are located in the coding regions of exons 5 to 8. The index patient is a 25 year old woman presenting in 2002 with abdominal pain, anorexia and vomiting leading to the diagnosis of granulosa cell tumor confirmed by IHC-the second such case reported with the syndrome. TP53 sequencing showed 151delG, a frameshift mutation in exon 4. The mutation results in a stop codon downstream. Results of IHC for gene expression are pending. She was initially treated with bleomycin, cisplatin and velban. Following recurrence in 2004, the patient was received Ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide followed by the substitution of paclitaxel for Ifosfamide after development of encephalopathy. Disease progression eventuated in pelvic radiation and, with the development of CNS metastases, whole brain radiation.
A personal introduction to eye movements.

Abstract: The presentations at this meeting demonstrate that the control of eye movements is probably the best understood motor system from the level of genes and molecules to the neural orchestration of complex behaviors. Here I review my early involvement in this field, with personal impressions of how our current concepts developed and the individuals who shaped them.
Immunologic aspects of Meniere's disease.

The cause and pathogenesis of Meniere’s disease remains both controversial and undefined. Although the pathological correlate of Meniere’s disease, endolymphatic hydrops, has been well established, it remains unclear as to how this pathological finding can result in the classical symptom complex of fluctuating and progressive hearing loss and tinnitus, episodic vertigo, and aural fullness. In the majority of cases, an etiologic agent responsible for Meniere’s disease cannot be identified. However, in a minority of cases, the symptom complex may be associated with traumatic, metabolic, infectious, or familial causes.le3 Pathological analysis shows that the finding of endolymphatic hydrops is not restricted to patients with the clinical diagnosis of Meniere’s disease, but is also seen in such infectious conditions as otitis media, meningitis, syphilis, and labyrinthitis; autoimmune diseases affecting the inner ear (eg, Cogan’s syndrome); and cases of otosclerosis and head trauma.1J*4 Thus, although a single etiologic agent cannot be identified in the majority of patients with Meniere’s disease, a variety of dissimilar insults to the inner ear may cause a clinical syndrome akin to idiopathic Meniere’s disease. Equally interesting is the fact that only a minority of patients with a history of a disease process that may potentially result
Hopf–Lax-Type Formula forut+H(u, Du)=0

Abstract An explicit formula is derived for the Hamilton Jacobi equation u t + H ( u , Du )=0 on (0, ∞)× R n with u (0, x )= g ( x ). The hamiltonian H ( γ , p ) is assumed to be nondecreasing in γ ∈ R 1 and convex and positively homogeneous of degree 1 in p ∈ R n . The unique solution is given by[formula]where h is a quasiconvex function given as the quasiconvex dual of H , that is, h ( q )=inf{ γ ∈ R 1 : H ( γ , p )⩾ p · q , ∀ p .
Passive ranging using mid-wavelength infrared atmospheric attenuation

Methods of estimating range to an emissive target based on the depth of an atmospheric absorption band are presented. The present work uses measurements of the CO2 absorption band centered at 2.0 μm where signal-to-background ratios are maximum for many applications. Observed spectra are compared to model spectra to estimate range. Spectral regions with minimal attenuation are used to estimate source parameters in order to isolate atmospheric transmission. The spectra of 21 high explosive events were used to test this technique. A simple technique treating the fireball as a blackbody consistently underestimated true range by approximately 13%. A more realistic source model using some order-of-magnitude assumptions of fireball composition reduces range error to 3%. The technique produces accurate results without requiring detailed knowledge of source parameters or atmospheric conditions.
Sensitivity to radiation and insensitivity to vinblastine of the inducer function of thymus-derived cells

Abstract Thymic antigen-reactive cells stimulated by sheep erythrocytes generate specific inducer cells facilitating differentiation and maturation of marrow precursors into immunocytes (direct and indirect plaque-forming cells). This function is abolished by in vitro exposure of inducer cells to 1000 rads of gamma rays, but not by their in vivo exposure to the drug vinblastine which is cytocidal for cells entering mitosis. Thus, the cooperative function of inducer cells in anti-sheep immune responses is radiosensitive even when the cells are not dividing. Other helper functions of thymus-derived cells are radioresistant, e.g., the function of carrier-specific cells and of cells reconstituting spleens of thymectomized mice. Differences in radiosensitivity of helper functions suggest that more than one cell type and/or mechanism may be utilized for triggering marrow-derived precursors of immunocytes.
The income redistributional impact of financing higher education in Pakistan

Abstract This study examines the income redistributional consequences of the public financing of higher education in Pakistan. The results show that the tax incidence and the subsidy to higher education entail a redistribution from the middle and upper to the lower income groups. Earlier studies of other less-developed countries indicated a redistribution from the lower to the upper income groups.
Freezing of water and water-salt solutions around aluminum spheres

Abstract The freezing of water and salt (sodium chloride) solutions around aluminum spheres inside a tube kept in a pool of phase change material is experimentally investigated. Photographic observations reveal a faster rate of freezing inside the tube than outside the tube. In the case of water, ice formed around each sphere is in the form of an envelope of uniform thickness. With salt water solution no such envelope is observed.
Hemodynamic and Electrocardiographic Effects of Early Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Pediatric Patients After Transannular Complete Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot

In adults, pulmonary value replacement (PVR) shows improvement in right ventricular (RV) volume and function and reduces QRS duration. In addition, RV volume correlates with QRS duration and QRS change. This has not been shown in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrocardiogram measurements before and after early PVR in a pediatric population with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot and whether QRS duration and QRS change correlated with RV volume. A retrospective review of MRIs and electrocardiograms was conducted on 10 patients. Median age at repair was 2.1 ± 0.7 years, and median age at PVR was 11.5 ± 2.0 years. There were significant decreases in RV end diastolic volume (EDV)/body surface area (BSA) (p < 0.0004), end systolic volume (ESV)/BSA (p = 0.02), RVEDV/left ventricular (LV) EDV (p < 0.001), RV ejection fraction (p < 0.04), RV stroke volume (SV)/BSA (p < 0.0002), and (RVSV - LVSV)/BSA (p = 0.0007). No significant change in QRS duration occurred (p = 0.08). QRS duration (pre-r = 0.44, p = 0.20; post-r = 0.34, p = 0.33) and QRS change (r = −0.08, p = 0.83) did not correlate with RVEDV. We propose early consideration of PVR in pediatric patients. PVR improves RV volumes and function and may provide beneficial electromechanical effects by slowing the progression of QRS duration.
Analytical electron microscopy investigation of the oxide scale on an yttrium-implanted Ni-20wt.%Cr alloy

Abstract Analytical electron microscopy has been used to investigate the influence of yttrium ion implantation on the oxidation resistance and scale adherence on Ni-20wt.%Cr alloys oxidized in dry air at 1000°C. A multilayer scale consisting of NiO, NiCr 2 O 4 and Cr 2 O 3 layers is observed on both unimplanted and yttrium-implanted specimens. The yttrium is concentrated in the Cr 2 O 3 layer near the alloy interface and the Cr 2 O 3 has much finer grain size in the implanted alloy. The effects of yttrium may be explained by a modification of the growth mechanism caused by a decrease in the cation diffusion rate through Cr 2 O 3 in the presence of yttrium and by enhanced adhesion of the scale due to an increase in bond strength at the oxide-alloy interface.
Empirical Indicators of Crisis Phase in the Middle East, 1979-1995

A number of studies of crisis behavior—for example, the Butterworth, SHERFACS, and CASCON data sets—have assumed that political behavior goes through a series of clear "phases" characterized by distinct patterns of interactions. To date, these phases have been identified contextually by human coders rather than through any systematic procedures. This paper uses event data to analyze phases in the political behavior between eight Middle Eastern actors—Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinians, Syria, the United States and USSR/Russia—for the period July 1979 to June 1995. The event data are generated from the Reuters news service using the KEDS machine-coding system, then converted to monthly timeseries using the Goldstein (1992) scaling. The system is then analyzed in SPSS using three datareduction methods: • factor analysis of the multiple time series to identify the underlying patterns of behavior found in the system; • discriminant analysis to determine whether the dyadic time-series can predict the phases assigned by a human coder; • cluster analysis of behavior vectors over time to identify inductively the phases. As we expected, the factor analysis identifies the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Lebanon as the two most important features of the data; other factors reflect inter-Arab and major-power relationships. The factor scores do not, however, prove very useful in either the discriminant or cluster analysis. The discriminant analysis identified the human-coded phases with about 90% accuracy; a stepwise discriminant did this with 70% accuracy using only 12 of the 54 dyads. Finally, the cluster analysis identified five distinct phases that align fairly well with the human-coded phases, particularly in the first half of the time period. The overall results of
Properties of negative K-mesons

An analysis of interactions of 420 MeV/c K−-mesons incident on a nuclear emulsion stack has been carried out. By following K−-mesons along the track, we obtained information on the interaction of K−-mesons in flight and at rest. The differential scattering cross-section was fitted with diffraction scattering off a black disk with radius 1.32 ·A1/3 fermis in agreement with the total reaction cross-section. A compilation of K−-H elastic scattering and absorption events is presented, giving cross-sections of Σkh (scattering)= (48.4−11+15) mb and (ΣKH (absorption) = (11.4-5+9) mb. The inelastic scattering of K−-mesons in complex nuclei has been found to be only 4% of the absorption cross-section. The average energy losses in K− inelastic scattering events is ~ 50% of the incident K energy, in contrast to a 25% loss for K+ inelastic scattering. In the course of this work we have observed a number of decays in flight. Combining these with earlier data, we obtain a mean life of τκ-=(1.3+0.4-0.3)·10-8s. We have identified some of the secondaries from decays in flight, namely 2 Kπ2, Kμ2, and 1Ke3. From K−-H absorption events we have obtained a Σ−Σ+ mass difference of (13.9±1.8) me and a value of the K- mass of (966.7±2.0) me. From an analysis of the charged pion spectrum obtained from K- interactions at rest, it was possible to calculate the ratio of λ to Σ hyperons produced in the primary interaction. We find that in the primary K− nucleon absorption reaction, Σ-hyperon formation dominates over λ-hyperon formation. An energy and strangeness balance shows that 70% of the K− stars at rest emit a λ-particle. This means that about 60% of the Σ-hyperons that are produced are converted to λ-hyperons inside the nucleus in which they were formed.
Monolithic Silicon Integration of Scaled Photonic Switch Fabrics, CMOS Logic, and Device Driver Circuits

We demonstrate 4 × 4 and 8 × 8 switch fabrics in multistage topologies based on 2 × 2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer switching elements. These fabrics are integrated onto a single chip with digital CMOS logic, device drivers, thermo-optic phase tuners, and electro-optic phase modulators using IBM's 90 nm silicon integrated nanophotonics technology. We show that the various switch-and-driver systems are capable of delivering nanosecond-scale reconfiguration times, low crosstalk, compact footprints, low power dissipations, and broad spectral bandwidths. Moreover, we validate the dynamic reconfigurability of the switch fabric changing the state of the fabric using time slots with sub-100-ns durations. We further verify the integrity of high-speed data transfers under such dynamic operation. This chip-scale switching system technology may provide a compelling solution to replace some routing functionality currently implemented as bandwidth- and power-limited electronic switch chips in high-performance computing systems.
New coplanar waveguide feed network for 2 x 2 linearly tapered slot antenna subarray

A novel feed method is presently demonstrated for a 2 x 2 linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) on the basis of a coplanar-waveguide (CPW)-to-slotline transition and a coax-to-CPW in-phase, four-way power divider. The LTSA subarray exhibits excellent radiation patterns and return-loss characteristics at 18 GHz, and has symmetric beamwidth; its compactness renders it applicable as either a feed for a reflector antenna or as a building-block for large arrays.
Morella cerifera invasion and nitrogen cycling on a lowland Hawaiian lava flow.

Invasive plants that fix nitrogen can alter nutrient availability and thereby community dynamics and successional trajectories of native communities they colonize. Morella cerifera (Myricaceae) is a symbiotic nitrogen fixer originally from the southeastern U.S. that is colonizing native-dominated vegetation on a young lava flow near Hilo, Island of Hawai‘i, where it increases total and biologically available soil nitrogen and increases foliar nitrogen concentrations in associated individuals of the native tree Metrosideros polymorpha. This invasion has the potential to alter the few remaining native-dominated lowland forest ecosystems in windward Hawai‘i.
The α2 helix in the DNA ligase IV BRCT-1 domain is required for targeted degradation of ligase IV during adenovirus infection

In adenovirus E4 mutant infections, viral DNAs form concatemers through a process that requires host Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ) proteins including DNA Ligase IV (LigIV). Adenovirus proteins E4 34k and E1b 55k form the substrate-selection component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase and prevent concatenation by targeting LigIV for proteasomal degradation. The mechanisms and sites involved in targeting this and other E3 ligase substrates generally are poorly-understood. Through genetic analysis, we identified the α2 helix of one LigIV BRCT domain (BRCT-1) as essential for adenovirus-mediated degradation. Replacement of the BRCT domain of DNA ligase III (LigIII), which is resistant to degradation, with LigIV BRCT-1 does not promote degradation. A humanized mouse LigIV that possesses a BRCT-1 α2 helix identical to the human protein, like its parent, is also resistant to adenovirus-mediated degradation. Thus, both the BRCT-1 α2 helix and an element outside BRCT-1 are required for adenovirus-mediated degradation of LigIV.
Tillage and Field Scale Controls on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

There is a lack of understanding of how associations among soil properties and management-induced changes control the variability of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil. We performed a laboratory investigation to quantify relationships between GHG emissions and soil indicators in an irrigated agricultural field under standard tillage (ST) and a field recently converted (2 yr) to no-tillage (NT). Soil cores (15-cm depth) were incubated at 25C at field moisture content and 75% water holding capacity. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified that most of the variation of the measured soil properties was related to differences in soil C and N and soil water conditions under ST, but soil texture and bulk density under NT. This trend became more apparent after irrigation. However, principal component regression (PCR) suggested that soil physical properties or total C and N were less important in controlling GHG emissions across tillage systems. The CO2 flux was more strongly determined by microbial biomass under STand inorganic N content under NT than soil physical properties. Similarly, N2O and CH4 fluxes were predominantly controlled by NO3 2 content and labile C and N availability in both ST and NT soils at field moisture content, and NH4 1 content after irrigation. Our study indicates that the field-scale variability of GHG emissions is controlled primarily by biochemical parameters rather than physical parameters. Differences in the availability and type of C and N sources for microbial activity as affected by tillage and irrigation develop different levels and combinations of field-scale controls on GHG emissions.
Framing Lives: Therapy with Women of a “Certain Age”

Women face powerful and negative stereotypes of who they will become as they age. They can either fight against them or they can succumb. From a social constructionist position, one may question any given formulation of reality, including the nature of aging. Because no image of aging is compulsory, there are ways of resisting the tide of negativity associated with it. Combating these negative stereotypes are the increasing numbers of older people who have greater financial resources and political influence than ever before. Enriching relationships also help undermine these stereotypes. Therapists, as relational partners, can support negative stereotypes or resist them. Working in favor of resistance is the general tendency for older people to be less emotionally labile and to be wiser than younger people in confronting adversity. Therapists also are helpful to clients facing the diverse transitional challenges of aging and in realizing aging's positive potential.
Multi-resolution state retrieval in sensor networks

Large-scale dense sensor networks require mechanisms to extract topology information that can be used for various aspects of sensor network management. It is critical for any topology discovery algorithm in dense networks not only to adhere to the resource constraints of bandwidth and energy but also to provide several views of the network. Due to factors of density, redundancy and failures it may not be possible or practical to get a complete view of the topology. We describe a distributed parameterized algorithm for Sensor Topology Retrieval at Multiple Resolutions (STREAM), which makes a tradeoff between topology details and resources expended. The algorithm retrieves network state at multiple resolutions at a proportionate communication cost. We also define various classes of topology queries and show how the parameters in the algorithm can be used to support queries specific to sensor networks. We show that topology determined at different resolutions is sufficient for approximating different network properties. We also show that STREAM can be used for general-purpose multi-resolution information retrieval in sensor networks.
Provenance in Databases: Past, Current, and Future

The need to understand and manage provenance arises in almos t every scientific application. In many cases, information about provenance constitutes the proofof correctness of results that are generated by scientific applications. It also determines the quality andamount of trust one places on the results. For these reasons, the knowledge of provenance of a scientific re sult is typically regarded to be as important as the result itself. In this paper, we provide an overview ofresearch in provenance in databases and discuss some future research directions. The content of this pa per is largely based on the tutorial presented at SIGMOD 2007 [11].
Mood, mood change, sexual activity and condom use among adolescent women

Conclusions: Increased positive mood and decreased negative mood suggest important mood regulating effects of sexual activity. Negative mood may be associated with increased levels of condom non-use and subsequent increased risk of negative outcomes of coitus. These complex effects of mood are not typically considered in interventions to increase protective behaviors such as abstinence or condom use. (excerpt)
Preparation of the diastereoisomers of β-hydroxy-l-aspartate with pig heart aspartate aminotransferase

Abstract The diastereoisomers of β-hydroxy- l -aspartate, erythro-β-hydroxy- l -aspartate andthreo-β-hydroxy- l -aspartate, were prepared, enzymatically, from cysteine sulfinate and dihydroxyfumarate with the pig heart aspartate aminotransferase. Tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffer was used to activate the dihydroxyfumarate. The diastereoisomers were separated by ion exchange chromatography.
Does Snoring Predict Sleepiness Independently of Apnea and Hypopnea Frequency

Obstructive apneas and hypopneas during sleep are a well recognized cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. Snoring is also associated with excess sleepiness, although it is not known whether this reflects an independent effect of snoring or whether snoring is simply a marker for obstructive sleep apnea. To further explore the relation of snoring to sleepiness, we conducted a cross-sectional cohort study of community-dwelling adults participating in the Sleep Heart Health Study. The study sample comprises 2,737 men and 3,040 women with a mean age of 64 (SD 11) yr. Sleepiness was quantified using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Snoring history was obtained via a self-completion questionnaire. The respiratory disturbance index (RDI), defined as the number of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep, was measured during in-home polysomnography. The ESS score increased progressively with increasing RDI, from a mean of 7.1 (4.2) in subjects with RDI /= 15 (p /= 11, increased from 15% in never-snorers to 39% in those who snored six to seven nights per week. The relation of snoring to sleepiness was seen at all levels of RDI, with no significant change in the relation of snoring to ESS score after adjustment for RDI in multivariate models. The effects of snoring and RDI on sleepiness were little affected by adjustment for age, sex, race, body mass index, or questionnaire evidence of insufficient sleep time or nocturnal leg jerks or cramps. We conclude that both snoring and RDI are independently associated with excess sleepiness in community-dwelling, middle-aged and older adults.
Array decomposition method for the accurate analysis of finite arrays

Presented in this paper is a fast method to accurately model finite arrays of arbitrary three-dimensional elements. The proposed technique, referred to as the array decomposition method (ADM), exploits the repeating features of finite arrays and the free-space Green's function to assemble a nonsymmetric block-Toeplitz matrix system. The Toeplitz property is used to significantly reduce storage requirements and allows the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to be applied in accelerating the matrix-vector product operations of the iterative solution process. Each element of the array is modeled using the finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) technique for rigorous analysis. Consequently, we demonstrate that the complete LU decomposition of the matrix system from a single array element can be used as a highly effective block-diagonal preconditioner on the larger array matrix system. This rigorous method is compared to the standard FE-BI technique for several tapered-slot antenna (TSA) arrays and is demonstrated to generate the same accuracy with a fraction of the storage and solution time.
Role of the optic tectum and general cortex in reptilian vision

Optokinetic performance was measured in two groups of red-eared turtles; next, one group received bilateral ablation of the general cortex and the other received bilateral ablation of the optic tectum. After recovery, optokinetic performance was measured again. Cortical ablation had no effect, whereas tectal ablation brought about a deficit in responding in a 19-stripe, but not in a 4-stripe drum. These results support the traditional view that the optic tectum is a major visual center in reptiles.
Educating for Community-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Demonstration Project

SUMMARYThis paper describes a demonstration program designed by one university Occupational Therapy program to prepare graduates to work in community-based practice settings. Faculty and students are involved in a partnership with designated community agencies to learn to assess needs, plan programs, and evaluate outcomes using a variety of research methodologies. Completion of the project is tied to the completion of a required master's degree research paper. Results of the first year of the project have been largely successful and those involved look forward to continuing the project in the future. The project is described and recommendations for change based on these results are presented.
On the formulation of hybrid finite-element and boundary-integral methods for 3-D scattering

This paper studies, in detail, a variety of formulations for the hybrid finite-element and boundary-integral (FE-BI) method for three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic scattering by inhomogeneous objects. It is shown that the efficiency and accuracy of the FE-BI method depends highly on the formulation and discretization of the boundary-integral equation (BIE) used. A simple analysis of the matrix condition number identifies the efficiency of the different FE-BI formulations and an analysis of weighting functions shows that the traditional FE-BI formulations cannot produce accurate solutions. A new formulation is then proposed and numerical results show that the resulting solution has a good efficiency and accuracy and is completely immune to the problem of interior resonance. Finally, the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) is employed to significantly reduce the memory requirement and computational complexity of the proposed FE-BI method.
Wet Deposition of Mercury and Ambient Mercury Concentrations at a Site in the Lake Champlain Basin

The “Great Waters” program, established in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, mandated that atmospheric deposition of hazardous air pollutants to Lake Champlain (including Hg) be assessed. An assessment of the magnitude and seasonal variation of atmospheric Hg deposition in the Lake Champlain basin was initiated in December 1992 with one year of event precipitation collection, as well as collection of vapor and particle phase Hg in ambient air. Samples were collected at the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative air monitoring site at the Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill Center, VT. The average volume-weighted concentration for Hg in precipitation was 8.3 ng/L for the sampling year and the average amount of Hg deposited with each precipitation event was 0.069 μg/m2. The total amount of Hg deposited through precipitation during 1993 was 9.26 μg/m2/yr. A seasonal pattern for Hg in precipitation was evident, with increased concentrations and deposition during spring and summer months. Meteorological analysis indicated the highest levels of Hg in precipitation were associated with regional transport from the south regardless of season, and with transport from the west, southwest and northwest during spring and summer months. Concentrations of ambient vapor phase Hg were typical of rural locations and consistent across seasons. Ambient particulate Hg concentrations averaged 11 pg/m3 with highest concentrations during the winter months.
Low order decentralized stabilizing controller design for a mobile inverted pendulum robot

We propose a low order two-channel decentralized controller design for stabilizing the multi-input multi-output linearized model of a self balancing autonomous robot. The robot model is based on a form of an inverted pendulum and the robot was constructed into a mechanical system in order to implement the stabilizing controller design.
Maximum agreement subtree in a set of evolutionary trees-metrics and efficient algorithms

In this paper we prove that the maximum homeomorphic agreement subtree problem is /spl Nscr//spl Pscr/-complete for three trees with unbounded degrees. We then show an approximation algorithm of time O(kn/sup 5/) for choosing the species that are not in a maximum agreement subtree of a set of k trees. Our approximation is guaranteed to provide a set that is no more than 4 times the optimum solution. While the set of evolutionary trees may be large in practice, the trees usually have very small degrees, typically no larger than three. We develop a new method for finding a maximum agreement subtree of k trees, of which one has degree bounded by d. This new method enables us to find a maximum agreement subtree in time O(kn/sup d+1/). >
Transplanting supersites of HIV-1 vulnerability.

One strategy for isolating or eliciting antibodies against a specific target region on the envelope glycoprotein trimer (Env) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) involves the creation of site transplants, which present the target region on a heterologous protein scaffold with preserved antibody-binding properties. If the target region is a supersite of HIV-1 vulnerability, recognized by a collection of broadly neutralizing antibodies, this strategy affords the creation of “supersite transplants”, capable of binding (and potentially eliciting) antibodies similar to the template collection of effective antibodies. Here we transplant three supersites of HIV-1 vulnerability, each targeted by effective neutralizing antibodies from multiple donors. To implement our strategy, we chose a single representative antibody against each of the target supersites: antibody 10E8, which recognizes the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) on the HIV-1 gp41 glycoprotein; antibody PG9, which recognizes variable regions one and two (V1V2) on the HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein; and antibody PGT128 which recognizes a glycopeptide supersite in variable region 3 (glycan V3) on gp120. We used a structural alignment algorithm to identify suitable acceptor proteins, and then designed, expressed, and tested antigenically over 100-supersite transplants in a 96-well microtiter-plate format. The majority of the supersite transplants failed to maintain the antigenic properties of their respective template supersite. However, seven of the glycan V3-supersite transplants exhibited nanomolar affinity to effective neutralizing antibodies from at least three donors and recapitulated the mannose9-N-linked glycan requirement of the template supersite. The binding of these transplants could be further enhanced by placement into self-assembling nanoparticles. Essential elements of the glycan V3 supersite, embodied by as few as 3 N-linked glycans and ∼25 Env residues, can be segregated into acceptor scaffolds away from the immune-evading capabilities of the rest of HIV-1 Env, thereby providing a means to focus the immune response on the scaffolded supersite.
Increased coprophagic activity of the Beetle, Tenebrio molitor, on feces containing eggs of the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta

When provided with fecal pellets from uninfected (control) rats and rats infected with the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta, more fed and starved (72 h) female and starved male Tenebrio molitor fed on fecal pellets from infected- than from control rats; compared to fecal pellets from controls rats, fed males avoided the infective fecal pellets. Uninfective and infective fecal pellets had similar moisture contents, so increased coprophagic activity was not due to differences in moisture content. Fed and starved males and females were fed on fecal pellets containing tapeworm eggs and examined for cysticercoids. Significantly greater numbers of starved beetles than fed beetles were infected with cysticercoids, but the numbers of infected males and females within each treatment were not significantly different. On the other hand, males contained significantly greater numbers of cysticercoids than did females, and there was no significant difference between the numbers of cysticercoids recovered from fed and starved beetles. The data support the hypothesis that the feeding behavior of T. molitor on rat feces is altered by the presence of tapeworm eggs. The data demonstrated further that transmission dynamics are affected by a complex interaction of the beetle's sex and nutritional status.
Mapping Abyssal Current and Pressure Fields under the Meandering Gulf Stream

Abstract Using bottom pressure measurements and current meter measurements at 3500-m depth at 12 sites under the Gulf Stream near 68°W daily optimally interpolated (OI) maps have been constructed for June 1988 to August 1990. Prior to mapping, the pressure records were leveled (referenced to the same absolute geopotential) using the current measurements under the assumption that their mean fields are geostrophic. The leveled pressures were subsequently used together with the current measurements in a multivariate, nondivergent OI mapping procedure. This procedure significantly reduced the mapping errors, because both pressure and its (geostrophic) gradient are specified as inputs. The mapped bottom pressure and current fields have typical mean-square errors of only 0.0005 db2 and 4 cm2 s−2, compared to typical signal variances of 0.0035 db2 and 80 cm2 s−2. The daily maps of abyssal pressure are used to identify the characteristic space–time structures of dynamical processes. Examples are shown in which de...
Phase I Dose Escalation and Pharmacokinetic Study of Enzastaurin, an Oral Protein Kinase C Beta Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Purpose This phase I study was conducted to determine the recommended dose of enzastaurin, an oral protein kinase C beta (PKCβ) inhibitor, for phase II trials. Secondary objectives were maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicity, and response. Patients and Methods Patients at least 18 years of age with advanced cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 lower received enzastaurin orally once daily at a starting dose of 20 mg. Dose escalation proceeded using a modified Simon design. Results All 47 patients enrolled (mean age, 58 years) received at least one dose of enzastaurin, with a median of two cycles (range, one to 17 cycles). Prevalent malignancies were lung (n = 10) and head and neck cancers (n = 9). Although no MTD was identified up to 700 mg/d, 525 mg was chosen as the recommended dose, and 12 additional patients were accrued at that level. Three dose-limiting toxicities (QTc changes) occurred: one at the 700-mg dose (patient discontinued), and...
Current Concepts in Total Ankle Replacement for Radiologists: Complications.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review current concepts of total ankle replacement from an imaging perspective. The emphasis is on the reported complications and their imaging features in relation to current understanding of how and why these failures occur. CONCLUSION. Total ankle replacement has become mainstream surgical treatment of disabling ankle arthritis. With the many types of prostheses available for sale in the United States, rapid growth in the number of procedures can be expected with concomitant growth in the number of complications. Knowledge gained through experience with the more common hip and knee prostheses can generally be applied to ankle prostheses. Some complications are unique to the ankle, and some are unique to specific ankle prostheses.
Combinatorial representation of parameter space for switching networks.

We describe the theoretical and computational framework for the Dynamic Signatures Generated by Regulatory Networks ($\mathsf{DSGRN}$) database. The motivation stems from an urgent need to understand the global dynamics of biologically relevant signal transduction/gene regulatory networks that have at least 5 to 10 nodes, involve multiple interactions, and have decades of parameters. The input to the database computations is a regulatory network, i.e., a directed graph with edges indicating up or down regulation. A computational model based on switching networks is generated from the regulatory network. The phase space dimension of this model equals the number of nodes and the associated parameter space consists of one parameter for each node (a decay rate) and three parameters for each edge (low level of expression, high level of expression, and threshold at which expression levels change). Since the nonlinearities of switching systems are piecewise constant, there is a natural decomposition of phase spa...
Synthesis and Characterization of Luminescent Polystyrene Derivatives with Sterically Protected Fluorenyl- and Carbazolylborane Moieties

Polystyrene was functionalized with luminescent fluorenyl- and carbazolylborane pendant moieties. Because of an interaction of the empty p orbital on boron with the extended π-systems of fluorene or carbazole, the resulting polymeric materials exhibit intense blue emission with maxima in the range 390–420 nm. The solution quantum yields were 65% for the fluorene derivative and 68 and 11% for two different carbazole derivatives, respectively. The stability of the borylated polymers was enhanced by attachment of a bulky triisopropylphenyl group to each of the boron centers. Thus, the polymers were found to be stable for a period of over 1 month. Thermal stability up to ca. 250 °C was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis.
Civic Participation through Volunteerism among Youth across Immigrant Generations

This study examines patterns of civic participation through volunteerism among youth across immigrant generations using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. This study asks the following quest...
Polymer Flow Instability: A Review and Analysis

Abstract In the flow of polymeric materials through small orifices, it was recognized early that if flow parameters such as shear stress or shear rate exceeded certain critical values, the extrudate emerging from the die would exhibit surface defects or irregularities in cross-section. Since the extrusion of molten plastics, elastomers, and fibers is such an important industrial operation and the production of extruded products is limited to rates below those which produce extrudate distortion, the study of this phenomenon became important. In the last 30 years many descriptions and experiments of the onset of extrudate distortion and its accompanying flow behavior have appeared in the literature. This literature has attained such proportion that it has been subject to several reviews in recent years [1-6].
Clinical value of detecting serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin I in children with severe pneumonia

Objective To study the clinical value of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-ProBNP) and cardiac troponin I(cTnI) levels in children with severe pneumonia. Methods A total of 72 children with severe pneumonia in pediatric intensive care unit were divided into heart failure(HF) group and non-HF group according to the occurrence of heart failure, and 30 healthy children were selected as control group. Serum NT-ProBNP and cTnI levels were detected and analyzed. Results Compared with control group, NT-ProBNP and cTnI levels were significantly higher(P0.01) in HF and non-HF group. The levels of NT-ProBNP and cTnI in HFgroup were both significantly higher(P0.01) than that in non-HFgroup. Serum NTProBNP level was positively related to the level of cTnI(P=0.000) in children with severe pneumonia. The abnormal rate of cTnI in HF group was significantly higher(P=0.037) than that in non-HFgroup. The difference of the abnormal rate of NTProBNP between the two groups was not significant(P=0.375), however, the abnormal rate of NT-ProBNP was significantly higher(P=0.036) than that of cTnI in non-HF group. Conclusions There was obvious myocardial damage in children with severe pneumonia. NT-ProBNP and cTnI could be important serological markers to assist diagnosis of myocardial damage and its severity.
APPLICATION OF HIGH-CONCENTRATION OZONE IN THE PREPARATION OF Bi-BASED OXIDE THIN FILMS BY MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY

Using the principle of silica gel adsorbed-desorbed ozone,a homemade ozone concen- trating apparatus was devised,and the high-concentration ozone was used as oxide source in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)to prepare Bi-based oxide thin films.The concentration(molar fraction)of ozone reached above 95%when the silica gel was kept at about-85℃for 6 h,and can be kept over 5 h when the pressure in concentrating apparatus kept 1.3×10~3 Pa.X-ray diffraction(XRD)demonstrated that the high-concentration ozone can oxidize Cu to CuO in high vacuum.Furthermore,the oxide source is good enough to prepare high-quality Bi_2Sr_2CuO_(6+x)and Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+x)thin fihns on the MgO (100)substrates by MBE.