cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Coal Mining on Self-Rated Health among Appalachian Residents

Objective. To determine the impact of coal mining, measured as the number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence or employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, on self-rated health in Appalachia. Methods. Unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models calculated odds ratio estimates and associated 95% confidence intervals for the probability of having an excellent self-rated health response versus another response. Covariates considered in the analyses included number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence and employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, as well as potential confounders age, sex, BMI, smoking status, income, and education. Results. The number of coal mining facilities near the respondent's residence was not a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health. Employment in a coal-related occupation was a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health univariably; however, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was no longer a significant predictor. Conclusions. Self-rated health does not seem to be associated with residential proximity to coal mining facilities or employment in the coal industry. Future research should consider additional measures for the impact of coal mining.
Space, Geometrical Objects and Infinity: Newton and Descartes on Extension

In an early treatise, now entitled De Gravitatione et aequipondio fluidorum (c. 1668), Newton attacks Descartes’ doctrine of material extension. The occasion for the attack occurs in a discussion of the nature and existence of space, in which Newton argues that the extension of space is uncreated, eternal, immutable, and endowed with an autonomous geometrical structure.1 Not surprisingly, the proposition on which Newton concentrates is his posi- tive claim that “Space everywhere extends to infinity. [Spatium in infinitum usque omnifariam extenditur] ” (De Grav. p. 101).
Conceptual design of the neutral beamline for TPX long pulse operation

The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) will require a minimum of 8.0 megawatts of Neutral Beam heating power to be injected into the plasma for pulse lengths up to one thousand (1000) seconds to meet the experimental objectives. The Neutral Beam Injection System (NBIS) for initial operation on TPX will consist of one neutral beamline (NBL) with three ion sources. Provisions will be made for a total of three NBLs. The NBIS will provide 5.5 MW of 120 keV D/sup 0/ and 2.5 MW of partial-energy D/sup 0/ at 60 keV and 40 keV. The system also provides for measuring the neutral beam power, limits excess cold gas from entering the torus, and provides independent power, control, and protection for each individual ion source and accelerating structure. The Neutral Beam/Torus Connecting Duct (NB/TCD) includes a vacuum valve, an electrical insulating break, alignment bellows, vacuum seals, internal energy absorbing protective elements, beam diagnostics and bakeout capability. The NBL support structure will support the NBL, which will weigh approximately 80 tons at the proper elevation and withstand a seismic event. The NBIS currently operational on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is restricted to injection pulse lengths of two (2) seconds by the limited capability of various energy absorbers. This paper describes the modifications and improvements which will be implemented for the TFTR Neutral Beamlines and the NB/TCD to satisfy the TPX requirements.
Differential spectral quantitative electroencephalography patterns between control and Parkinson's disease cohorts.

Background and purpose It is believed that progressive Lewy-type synucleinopathy (LTS) is primarily responsible for the worsening of motor and non-motor Parkinson's disease (PD) signs and symptoms. Characterization of quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) abnormalities across the spectrum of LTS to PD dementia (PD-D) may provide insight into the pathophysiology of PD cortical dysfunction. Here our enlarged EEG database was leveraged to characterize spectral QEEG abnormalities in asymptomatic autopsy-defined groups of control participants and incidental Lewy body disease (ILBD) and three clinically defined groups of participants with PD (cognitively normal PD, mild cognitive impairment PD, and PD-D). Methods The PD cohort was studied as part of the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND). AZSAND utilizes its Brain and Body Donation Program to perform prospective, standardized, regular longitudinal pre-mortem assessments until death. Resting EEG from subjects was analyzed for spectral domain QEEG measures of background rhythm frequency and global relative power in delta, theta, alpha and beta bands. Results The various spectral QEEG measures showed differential changes specific to the groups compared. Important findings were background rhythm frequency showing the most pairwise differences across the groups, and this also was the only significant difference between control and ILBD. An increase in delta bandpower was characteristic of worsening cognitive deficits. Conclusions Different patterns of change amongst QEEG measures across LTS and PD cognitive states suggest that they correlate with heterogeneous pathophysiologies of cortical dysfunction within the PD clinical spectrum. In addition, the biomarker application of a specific spectral QEEG measure needs to be selectively suited to its study purpose.
Control of the Northern Fowl Mite on Inanimate Objects by Fumigation: Laboratory Studies,

Abstract Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the efficacies of phosphine, methyl bromide, and sulfur dioxide as fumigants for the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), on inanimate objects. We were able to demonstrate that either methyl bromide or sulfur dioxide could kill all physiological forms of mites within 24 hr, which would be desirable for field use. Prosphine gas, released from Phostoxin® pellets, had an LD95 of 18 hr for motile forms of the mites; however, it took 30 hr to kill the mite eggs. Therefore, it would be an unsuitable fumigant for practical field usage.
Role of interleukin-18 in acute graft-vs-host disease.

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has emerged as an important therapeutic option for several malignant and nonmalignant diseases. In addition to delivering systemic chemoradiotherapy, the therapeutic potential of allogeneic HCT relies on the graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effect, which eradicates residual malignant cells by way of immunologic mechanisms. Unfortunately, GVL effects are closely associated with graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), the major complication of allogeneic HCT. Separation of the toxicity of acute GVHD from the beneficial GVL effects remains a major challenge to expanding the utility of this effective treatment modality. The pathophysiology of acute GVHD involves dysregulation of inflammatory cytokine cascades and donor T-cell responses to host alloantigens. Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a recently discovered cytokine with potent immunomodulatory effects. This unique cytokine has the capacity to induce Th1 or Th2 polarization, depending on the immunologic context. The level of IL-18 is increased in acute GVHD, but this cytokine’s role in the pathophysiology of acute GVHD is complex. It reduces the severity of acute GVHD as a T helper 1 (Th1)-inducing cytokine when administered early after bone-marrow transplant to the lethally irradiated recipients. When administered to the donor, it can also reduce the severity of acute GVHD, as a T helper 2 (Th2)-inducing cytokine. Despite reducing the severity of acute GVHD, IL-18 preserves the GVL effect after bone-marrow transplant. Thus IL-18 has the remarkable capacity to modulate acute GVHD when administered either to the donor or the recipient through distinct mechanisms.
Carbon−Carbon Bond Formation via Palladium-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling in Air

Palladium-catalyzed reactions in general are known to be carried out under an inert atmosphere because the palladium intermediates in the catalytic cycle are often known to be sensitive to oxygen. Herein we report a novel palladium-catalyzed Ullmann-type reductive coupling of aryl halides under an air atmosphere and in aqueous acetone.
Mechanism of action of 2-aminobenzamide HDAC inhibitors in reversing gene silencing in Friedreich's ataxia

The genetic defect in Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is the hyperexpansion of a GAA•TTC triplet in the first intron of the FXN gene, encoding the essential mitochondrial protein frataxin. Histone posttranslational modifications near the expanded repeats are consistent with heterochromatin formation and consequent FXN gene silencing. Using a newly developed human neuronal cell model, derived from patient induced pluripotent stem cells, we find that 2-aminobenzamide histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors increase FXN mRNA levels and frataxin protein in FRDA neuronal cells. However, only compounds targeting the class I HDACs 1 and 3 are active in increasing FXN mRNA in these cells. Structural analogs of the active HDAC inhibitors that selectively target either HDAC1 or HDAC3 do not show similar increases in FXN mRNA levels. To understand the mechanism of action of these compounds, we probed the kinetic properties of the active and inactive inhibitors, and found that only compounds that target HDACs 1 and 3 exhibited a slow-on/slow-off mechanism of action for the HDAC enzymes. HDAC1- and HDAC3- selective compounds did not show this activity. Using siRNA methods in the FRDA neuronal cells, we show increases in FXN mRNA upon silencing of either HDACs 1 or 3, suggesting the possibility that inhibition of each of these class I HDACs is necessary for activation of FXN mRNA synthesis, as there appears to be redundancy in the silencing mechanism caused by the GAA•TTC repeats. Moreover, inhibitors must have a long residence time on their target enzymes for this activity. By interrogating microarray data from neuronal cells treated with inhibitors of different specificity, we selected two genes encoding histone macroH2A (H2AFY2) and Polycomb group ring finger 2 (PCGF2) that were specifically down-regulated by the inhibitors targeting HDACs1 and 3 versus the more selective inhibitors for further investigation. Both genes are involved in transcriptional repression and we speculate thei
JOB SEARCH, MINIMUM WAGES, AND LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION

The supply side of the labor market has too often been neglected in considering the effects of minimum wage legislation. Minimum wage effects on unemployment have been studied extensively, and the unemployment rate has been related in turn to the labor force participation rate. But the relationship between minimum wages and labor force participation has been almost completely ignored in the published literature.
Ring contraction upon electron-impact as a function of ring size: The mass spectrometric fragmentation of acylated cyclic amines†

The structural prerequisites of skeletal rearrangement by ring contraction, previously observed in N-acetylmorpholine, were explored by extending the study to N-acetylpyrrolidine, -piperidine and -hexamethyleneimine. Fragmentation via ring contraction was found to be absent in the five-membered ring, detectable in the six-membered ring, and significant in the seven-membered homologue. Ring contraction in these model compounds, i.e. in absence of oxygen as a second heteroatom in the cyclic moiety, is discussed in view of its implications and its support for an initially proposed radical-induced rearrangement mechanism.
Effects of the brominated phenol, lanosol, on cytochrome P-450 and glutathione transferase activities in Haliotis rufescens and Katharina tunicata.

Abstract The relationship between biochemical transformation mechanisms and dietary preferences has been little studied among marine herbivores. Here we report on basal activities and kinetic parameters of steroid hydroxylase and glutathione transferase from digestive gland tissue of the marine molluscan generalist herbivores Haliotis rufescens and Katharina tunicata and the differential effects of the brominated phenol lanosol [1,2-dihydroxy-3,4-dibromo-5-(hydroxymethyl)-benzene] on the activity of these enzymes. Lanosol and other brominated aromatic compounds are prevalent among filamentous red algae frequently consumed by K. tunicata and have been shown to deter feeding in species of Haliotis . Animals were gavaged daily with 10 mg of lanosol per kg of wet mass for 3 days. Mean basal levels of estradiol and testosterone hydroxylase and glutathione transferase specific activities were higher in digestive gland tissue from H. rufescens relative to that of K. tunicata , and only K. tunicata glutathione transferase specific activity was affected by lanosol treatment. Apparent enzyme kinetic parameters ( K m and V ) for the substrate estradiol were higher in K. tunicata , and glutathione transferase from H. rufescens showed a higher efficiency of turnover compared with glutathione transferase from K. tunicata based on V / K m ratios. These results suggest a potential relationship between detoxification enzyme induction mechanisms and feeding behaviors among marine herbivores.
Money laundering and terrorist financing: the role of capital market regulators

Outlines the special recommendations of the October 2001 meeting on terrorist financing, which complement the 40 Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the resulting FATF plan of action; they included ratification and implementation of UN instruments, criminalising the financing of terrorism and associated money laundering, freezing and confiscating terrorist assets, reporting suspicious transactions related to terrorism, international cooperation, alternative remittance systems, wire transfers, and non‐profit operations. Deals with the background problems: the vulnerability to money laundering in the securities and futures markets and businesses, concerns about anonymity and custodial accounts, the global anti‐money laundering guidelines for private banking issued in October 2000 by the ten major international private banks in Wolfsberg, and the responsibility of capital market regulators in the fight against money laundering and terrorism.
A general synthesis of 4(5)-acylimidazoles from 4-acylaminoisoxazoles.

Abstract 2-Substituted-4(5)-acyl, 1,2-disubstituted 4-acyl and 1,2-disubstituted-5-acylimidazoles can be specifically prepared from 4-aminoisoxazoles.
Functional connectivity in blood oxygenation level-dependent and cerebral blood volume-weighted resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in the rat brain.

Purpose: To directly compare functional connectivity and spatiotemporal dynamics acquired with blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV)-weighted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in anesthetized rats. Materials and Methods: A series of BOLD images were acquired in 10 rats followed by CBV-weighted images created by injection of ultrasmall iron oxide particles. Functional connectivity, spectral information, and spatiotemporal dynamics were compared for the BOLD and CBV-weighted resting state scans. Results: BOLD scans exhibited higher cross-correlation values compared to CBV-weighted scans, but the spatial patterns of correlation were similar. The BOLD spectrum contains power evenly distributed throughout the low-frequency range while the CBV power spectrum exhibited a high power peak localized to ≈0.2 Hz. Both BOLD and CBV resting state scans showed similar propagating waves of activity along the cortex from the SII toward MI; however, these waves were detected more often in BOLD scans than in CBV scans. Conclusion: While the power spectrum of the CBV signal is different from that of the BOLD signal, both connectivity maps and spatiotemporal dynamics are similar for the two modalities. Further experiments should address the relationship between spontaneous neural activity, local changes in metabolism, and hemodynamic fluctuations to elucidate the origins of the BOLD and CBV signals. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:584–592. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Ontogeny of Ultrasonic Vocalization in Microtus Montanus

Developmental changes in parameters of ultrasound production were investigated in M. montanus young. The rate of ultrasonic vocalization reached a peak on Day 2 of postnatal ontogeny and declined to zero on Day 15. A similar developmental pattern has been found in several other rodent species. However, the comparatively early peak rate is indicative of a degree of ontogenic precociousness. Other developmental changes, both behavioural and morphological, tend to confirm that M. montanus young are relatively precocious. The duration of ultrasonic vocalizations did not show a significant change across early development. The mean duration for each vocalization sampled was 22.92 msec. The distribution of these vocalizations showed that a considerable number of vocalizations were of very short duration (<30 msec). The developmental changes in the percentage of young emitting ultrasounds began to decline following Day 8 and reached zero percent on Day 15. This decline in the percentage of young vocalizing corresponded to changes in maternal behaviour. Both the rate of ultrasonic vocalization and the percentage of young vocalizing were significantly correlated with the age of the young. Being correlated with age, these parameters of ultrasound production have the possibility of having great communicative value for the purposes of maternal care.
The pathology and pathogenesis of endolymphatic hydrops. New investigations

The examination of a case of unilateral Meniere's disease confirms the previously expressed opinion that the frequently observed circumscribed herniations of the saccular and utricular wall are not healed ruptures of the entire wall but only ruptures of the inner layer with outward bulging of the outer layer. Neither in this nor in any of the other observations reported in the literature is there any evidence that they could represent healed ruptures of the entire wall; true ruptures occasionally occur but are extremely rare. The theories which try to explain the pathogenesis of the Meniere attacks with periodic ruptures of the walls of the endolymphatic structures with subsequent healing are in our opinion not supported by the actual anatomical findings.
Stimulus classification procedure for assessing the extent to which binaural processing is spectrally analytic or synthetic

A two‐dimensional stimulus classification paradigm was used to assess the extent to which listeners’ processing of interaural delays at low frequencies is spectrally analytic or synthetic. Listeners were presented with a 753‐Hz target with an interaural delay that varied from trial to trial, taking on one of ten values, five leading to the left ear and five leading to the right. A 553‐Hz distractor component was simultaneously presented, with its interaural delay also presented at one of ten different values. During a block of 100 trials, each of the possible combinations of target and distractor delay was presented once, and only once, in a random order. Listeners were instructed to make left–right judgments based on the target delay. Each condition was repeated ten times, and the slopes of the best linear boundaries between left and right responses were used to derive the relative weights given to the target and distractor in judgments of laterality. Six of the nine listeners gave increasing weight to the target as the duration of the signals was increased from 25 or 50 to 400 ms. Three listeners showed little change with duration; one consistently gave equal weight to the target and distractor, two consistently gave greater weight to the target than to the distractor. The utility of classification paradigms in the study of multidimensional acoustic signals is discussed.
Simultaneous speckle reduction and data compression using best wavelet packet bases with application to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) based ATD/R

We propose a novel method for simultaneous speckle reduction and data compression based on shrinking, quantizing and coding the wavelet packet coefficients of the logarithmically transformed image. A fast algorithm is used to find the best wavelet packet basis in the rate- distortion sense from the entire library of admissible wavelet packet bases. Soft-thresholding in wavelet domain can significantly suppress the speckles of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images while maintaining bright reflections for subsequent detection and recognition. Optimal bit allocation, quantization and entropy coding achieve the goal of compression while maintaining the fidelity of the SAR image.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Biliary PAH metabolites and the hepatosomatic index of brown bullheads from Lake Erie tributaries

Abstract In studies designed to investigate the environmental exposure of fish in Lake Erie tributaries, a benthic fish, the brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus ), was collected from the industrially contaminated Detroit River, Ottawa River, Black River, Cuyahoga River-harbor and -upstream, Ashtabula River, Buffalo River, and Niagara River, and the non-industrialized Old Woman Creek during 1997–2000. Biliary benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[ a ]P)- and naphthalene (NAPH)-type metabolites and the hepatosomatic index (HSI) were measured in fish and compared between different sites. Fish from all of the contaminated sites except Niagara River had significantly higher concentrations of both types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites than fish from the Old Woman Creek. Concentrations of PAH metabolites in bile of fish were positively associated with concentrations of PAHs in sediments, supporting the use of bile metabolites as a measure of PAH exposure. Relatively low concentrations of PAHs detected in fish bile and sediments of the Niagara River, which had undergone extensive remediation, suggested a lowered PAH exposure for fish at this site. No apparent trend was observed in HSI between the industrialized and non-industrialized sites. This study demonstrates that biliary PAH metabolites are an effective indicator of exposure of fish to PAHs. However, because factors other than contamination could also affect the liver size of wild fish, HSI alone may be not a reliable biomarker for assessing contaminant stress.
Movement and nucleocapsid proteins coded by two tospovirus species interact through multiple binding regions in mixed infections.

Negative-stranded tospoviruses (family: Bunyaviridae) are among the most agronomically important viruses. Some of the tospoviruses are known to exist as mixed infections in the same host plant. Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were used to study virus–virus interaction in dually infected host plants. Viral genes of both viruses were separately cloned into binary pSITE-BiFC vectors. BiFC results showed that the N and NSm proteins of IYSV interact with their counterparts coded by TSWV in dually infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants. BiFC results were further confirmed by pull down and yeast-2-hybrid (Y2H) assays. Interacting regions of the N and NSm proteins were also identified by Y2H system and β-galactosidase activity. Several regions of the N and NSm were found interacting with each other. The regions involved in these interactions are presumed to be critical for the functioning of the tospovirus N and NSm proteins. This is the first report of in vivo protein interactions of distinct tospoviruses in mixed infection.
Nebulization of nanoparticulate amorphous or crystalline tacrolimus – Single-dose pharmacokinetics study in mice

Abstract Developing a pulmonary composition of tacrolimus (TAC) provides direct access to the graft in lung transplant offering the possibility of high drug levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the nanostructured aggregates containing amorphous or crystalline nanoparticles of TAC produced by ultra-rapid freezing (URF). TAC and lactose (1:1 ratio; URF-TAC:LAC) and TAC alone (URF-TAC) were investigated for pulmonary delivery and compared to unprocessed TAC. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that URF-TAC was crystalline, whereas URF-TAC:LAC was amorphous. In vitro results revealed the superior physiochemical characteristics of both URF formulations compared to unprocessed TAC. The surface area of URF processed TAC was higher (25–29 m2/g) than that of the unprocessed TAC (0.53 m2/g) and subsequently enhanced dissolution rates. In addition, URF-TAC:LAC displayed the ability to supersaturate in the dissolution media to about 11 times the crystalline equilibrium solubility. Similar aerodynamic particle sizes of 2–3 μm, and fine particle fraction between 70% and 75% were found in both formulations. The local and systemic pharmacokinetic studies in mice showed similar AUC(0–24), higher Cmax, and lower Tmax for the URF-TAC:LAC compared to the URF-TAC. Nanostructured aggregates containing amorphous or crystalline nanoparticles of TAC were demonstrated to be effectively delivered via nebulization, with similar in vitro and in vivo performances.
Sample sizes for comparing means of two multivariate normal populations

Sample sixes for the problem of testing the equality of the mean vectors of two nultivariate normal distributions depend on the difference to be detected,. the probability that those differences will be detected, the significance level, and the covariance matrix. The difference to be detected and the variance matrix are embedded in the noncentrality parameter of the noncentral F-distribution.Even though probabilities for the noncentral F-distribution have been tabled in various places these probabilities are not very helpful to the investigator who needs to determine sample sizes. Lauter (1983) presents conservative sample sizes for the two population problem when no information is available about the correlation matrix. The objectivw of this paper is to present additional sample sizes which result when one has certain types of information about the correlation matrix.
Delivery of proteins to CNS as seen and measured by positron emission tomography.

Presently, there are no effective treatments for several diseases involving the central nervous system (CNS). While several novel molecular approaches are being developed, many of them require delivery of macromolecular or supramolecular agents to the CNS tissues protected by the blood–brain and blood–arachnoid barriers. A variety of approaches that are being developed for overcoming or bypassing the barriers are based on complex transfer processes. The delivery of biopharmaceuticals and other macromolecules and particulates to the CNS, especially through the leptomeningeal (intrathecal) route, includes a variety of stages, such as leptomeningeal propagation, drainage to the systemic circulation, and penetration into the CNS. The investigation of complex pharmacokinetics that includes convective, as well as diffusional and active transfer processes, greatly benefit from real-time non-invasive in vivo monitoring of the drug transport. Pharmacological positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, which enables such monitoring, plays an increasingly significant role in drug delivery and biopharmacology. PET is a powerful tool for quantitative in vivo tracking of molecules labeled with positron-emitting radionuclides. The high sensitivity, format, and accuracy of the data (similar to those of conventional tissue sampling biodistribution studies) make PET a readily adoptable pharmacological technique. In contrast to the conventional studies, PET also allows for longitudinal nonterminal same-animal studies. The latter may not only improve the data statistics, but also enable preclinical studies (especially in large and/or rare animals) not feasible under the conventional approach. This paper is intended to demonstrate the character of data that can be obtained by PET and to demonstrate how the main patterns of the leptomeningeal route pharmacokinetics can be investigated using this method. Examples of data processing are taken from our recent studies of five model proteins in rats and nonhuman primates.
Studies on the mode of sugar-phosphate product inhibition of brain hexokinase.

Abstract Hexokinase I (ATP: d -hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1), a key regulatory glycolytic enzyme in certain tissues, is known to be markedly inhibited under physiological conditions. The action of the primary inhibitory effector, glucose-6-P, is reversed by inorganic orthophosphate (Pi). A molecular model for inhibition and deinhibition of hexokinase was recently proposed [Ellison, W. R., Lueck, J. D., and Fromm, H. J. (1975) J. Biol. Chem.250, 1864–1871]. One of the central assumptions of this model is that glucose-6-P is a normal product inhibitor of hexokinase. It has long been suggested that glucose-6-P is an allosteric inhibitor of hexokinase, whereas other sugar-phosphate products such as mannose-6-P are normal product inhibitors. In this report we investigated the kinetic mechanism of hexokinase action with mannose as substrate and mannose-6-P as an inhibitor. The data obtained show that there are no qualitative differences between glucose and mannose as substrates and glucose-6-P and mannose-6-P as inhibitors. Binding experiments indicate that glucose-6-P and mannose-6-P are competitive binding ligands with hexokinase I. Furthermore, the activation pattern observed with Pi and glucose-6-P inhibited hexokinase is also found with the mannose-6-P inhibited phosphotransferase. These findings suggest that the mechanism of inhibition of glucose-6-P and mannose-6-P represents a difference in degree rather than a difference in kind. An explanation of the results in terms of a stereochemical model is presented.
Spatial and temporal distribution of butyltin compounds in a Northern Chesapeake Bay Marina and river system.

This study was designed to: determine dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT) and tetrabutyltin (TTBT) bi-weekly for a four month period (June-September 1986) in the Port Annapolis Marina, Mears Marina, Back Creek and Severn River area of Northern Chesapeake Bay; measure DBT, TBT and TTBT for five successive days (Thursday-Monday) to determine possible daily effects (weekday versus weekend) and determine DBT, TBT and TTBT every two hours for one full tidal cycle in the study area. Maximum concentrations of TBT were reported at both Port Annapolis Marina (1801 ng L−1) and Mears Marina (1171 ng L−1) during early June followed by significant reductions in TBT during late summer and early fall. All 4 Back Creek Stations also had highest concentrations of TBT in early June; significant reductions occurred during the next three months. The highest concentration of TBT reported in the Severn River (48 ng L−1) occurred in September. The lowest TBT value (5 ng L-1) at this station occurred in June. TTBT was not detected in any of the samples. The day of week sampled (Thursday-Monday) during the daily experiments was not found to significantly affect TBT concentrations. TBT evaluations every two hours during the tidal cycle demonstrated that values peaked at 1400 and 1600 hr time intervals. Peak concentrations of TBT occurred during a rising tide. The possible consequence of the measured TBT concentrations for aquatic biota are discussed.
Grain Sorghum and Pearl Millet Response to Date and Rate of Planting

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] often is grown in the same areas as sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. The crops are similar in use and adaptation, but differ in ways that might affect management requirements. For example, the high tillering capability of millet might result in different responses to plant population and planting date. A study to compare pearl millet and sorghum yield response to rate and date of planting was conducted for 2 yr at St. Johns, on a Naron fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Udic Argiustoll), and Manhattan, KS, on a Reading silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Typic Arguidoll [Argiudoll]) (...)
Will Fracking Bring the Soldiers Home

Advocates of high volume, slick water horizontal hydraulic fracturing, popularly known as fracking, often champion the catchphrase: “Drill a well, bring a soldier home!” This can be found on placar...
Evaluation of 3DICs and fabrication of monolithic interlayer vias

A compact model for interconnect length in homogeneous 3DICs is presented. The new model accounts for lateral TSV size, which is often much larger than the gate pitch, leading to TSV-induced gate blockage and potentially affecting the wire-length distribution. The impact of TSV diameter on maximum wirelength and wiring power is investigated, and systems with smaller vias are found to have better properties. Accordingly, fabrication results for nanoscale monolithically integrated copper vias are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of developing 3D systems with dense vertical integration which do not suffer from TSV-induced gate blockage.
Game-modeling multilateral trade negotiations

Abstract Using actual trade and tariff data for the United States and the European Community, this paper demonstrates how a trade negotiation such as the Tokyo Round can be modeled as a game among countries attempting to minimize individual welfare loss functions. First, we construct welfare functions based on suggested trade negotiation goals. We compute both the noncooperative Nash-Cournot equilibrium tariffs and the cooperative Nash equilibrium implied by these welfare functions. Welfare outcomes under the computed equilibrium tariffs are then compared with those arising from the initial tariff structure, as well as the tariff structure actually determined by the negotiation. We find that, while the game model tracks closely the decisions of the negotiators in the Tokyo Round, later unilateral political decisions resulted in less optimal tariffs.
Ontogeny of routine swimming activity and performance in zebra danios (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Zebra danios, Danio rerio, 3–39 mm long, were studied to quantify ontogenetic changes in routine (spontaneous) swimming. Swimming speeds and mean acceleration rate increased during the larval period with the most rapid changes occurring when fish were between 5 and 15 mm long. At larger sizes, the rate of increase in performance was small. This pattern presumably resulted from morphological changes which also proceeded rapidly in larvae and levelled off towards adulthood. Swimming bouts began with either a large (105°) or a small (3°) turn. Turning angle changed with size apparently due to hydrodynamic conditions, as indexed by Reynolds numbers (Re). Larvae spent 98% of the time in the viscous and intermediate hydrodynamic regimes, of which 90% occurred at an Re of less than 110, and 23% was in the viscous regime (Re<30). Larvae made exclusively small turns when the bout was in the viscous regime (Re<23) and exclusively large ones in the intermediate regime (75<Re<270). Other species show similar rates of travel at lengths between 3 and 7 mm. At larger sizes, the zebra danio, Pacific mackerel, Scomber japonicus, and red sea bream, Pagrus major travel much greater distances per unit time. When their different sizes and rates of development were taken into account, the majority of species eamined showed similar performance levels throughout the larval period. Two species that cover small distances per unit time at a given length (northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax, and Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus) showed performance comparable to that of faster species when their prolonged larval period was taken into account. The implications of these ontogenetic changes in swimming performance for the development of foraging and anti-predator behaviour are discussed.
CO2-poor composition of the fluid attending Franciscan and Sanbagawa low-grade metamorphism

Abstract Previous phase equilibrium and oxygen isotopic researches on the high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphic rocks of the Franciscan and Sanbagawa blueschist type terranes have demonstrated the near ubiquity of a fluid at high (≈ total) pressure and its oxygen-rich nature during metamorphism. The coexistence of quartz with a CaCO3 polymorph instead of wollastonite, and of sphene rather than rutile + quartz + calcium carbonate in these rocks places narrow, rather low limits on the partial pressures of CO2, as computed in this note; equilibrium calculations indicate that the mole fraction of carbon dioxide in the fluid must have been less than about 0.04 in the Sanbagawa terrane and less than 0.01 in the Franciscan terrane. The rocks are not sulfated or strongly oxidized, hence the only other likely component which could comprise the balance of this phase is H2O. Evidently metamorphism in the Sanbagawa belt and particularly in the Franciscan terrane must have taken place in the presence of a highly aqueous fluid.
A formulation and solution procedure for the general non-homogeneous elastic inclusion problem

A new formulation for the title problem, based on a fundamental solution of the equations of linear elasticity theory is described and exploited. The method is applicable without inherent restriction as to number, shape, and material composition of the inclusions which are embedded, in general, in a finite material matrix. Systems of singular integral equations arising from the fundamental solution are formed and solved numerically. Solutions to a number of test problems in two dimensions are given for illustration plus numerical data for two problems apparently heretofore unsolved.
An investigation of sieving in the presence of attrition

Abstract A mathematical model is developed to described the sieving process of substance which undergoes attrition during the process. This model is based on the distinction between near- mesh and plus-mesh materials and on the assumptions that the rate of passage of near-mesh material and the rates of attrition of both near-mesh and plus-mesh material are governed by firs-order expressions. Experiments with galena and a 14-mesh sieve are described which demonstrate that attrition substantially influences the sieving process for that material. The model is shown to adequately simulate the behavior of this process in time and to provide a satisfactory estimate of the initial proportion of plus-mesh material on the sieve for a range of conditions. The ability of the model to predict the behavior of the sieving process for one set of conditions on the basis of parameter estimates which pertain to another set of conditions is discussed. It is found that the model should be applied with caution in circumtances in which a large amount of minus-mesh material is present.
The maps problem and the mapping problem: two challenges for a cognitive neuroscience of speech and language.

Research on the brain basis of speech and language faces theoretical and empirical challenges. Most current research, dominated by imaging, deficit-lesion, and electrophysiological techniques, seeks to identify regions that underpin aspects of language processing such as phonology, syntax, or semantics. The emphasis lies on localization and spatial characterization of function. The first part of the paper deals with a practical challenge that arises in the context of such a research programme. This maps problem concerns the extent to which spatial information and localization can satisfy the explanatory needs for perception and cognition. Several areas of investigation exemplify how the neural basis of speech and language is discussed in those terms (regions, streams, hemispheres, networks). The second part of the paper turns to a more troublesome challenge, namely how to formulate the formal links between neurobiology and cognition. This principled problem thus addresses the relation between the primitives of cognition (here speech, language) and neurobiology. Dealing with this mapping problem invites the development of linking hypotheses between the domains. The cognitive sciences provide granular, theoretically motivated claims about the structure of various domains (the “cognome”); neurobiology, similarly, provides a list of the available neural structures. However, explanatory connections will require crafting of computationally explicit linking hypotheses at the right level of abstraction. For both the practical maps problem and the principled mapping problem, developmental approaches and evidence can play a central role in the resolution.
Dose-response relationship between water fluoride levels and the category of questionable dental fluorosis.

There is a dose-response relationship between the prevalence of the questionable category of dental fluorosis as reported by various authors and the drinking water fluoride level. While the possibility that chance could have produced this trend cannot be conclusively ruled out, a distinct pattern of increasing prevalence with increasing water fluoride level can be discerned. Such a pattern is not compatible with the concept of a threshold level for the act ion of fluoride ion on the enamel organ.
Bayesian information criterion for longitudinal and clustered data

When a number of models are fit to the same data set, one method of choosing the 'best' model is to select the model for which Akaike's information criterion (AIC) is lowest. AIC applies when maximum likelihood is used to estimate the unknown parameters in the model. The value of -2 log likelihood for each model fit is penalized by adding twice the number of estimated parameters. The number of estimated parameters includes both the linear parameters and parameters in the covariance structure. Another criterion for model selection is the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). BIC penalizes -2 log likelihood by adding the number of estimated parameters multiplied by the log of the sample size. For large sample sizes, BIC penalizes -2 log likelihood much more than AIC making it harder to enter new parameters into the model. An assumption in BIC is that the observations are independent. In mixed models, the observations are not independent. This paper develops a method for calculating the 'effective sample size' for mixed models based on Fisher's information. The effective sample size replaces the sample size in BIC and can vary from the number of subjects to the number of observations. A number of error models are considered based on a general mixed model including unstructured, compound symmetry.
Objective decomposition of the stress tensor in granular flows.

A model for the stress tensor in granular flows fVolfson, Tsimring, and Aranson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 254301 s2003dg is correctly generalized to an objective form that is independent of the coordinate system. The objective representation correctly models the isotropic and anisotropic parts of the stress tensor, whereas the original model for stress tensor components is dependent on the coordinate system. This general objective form of the model also relaxes the assumption in the original model that the principal axes of the granular stress tensor be coaxial with that of the “fluid” stress tensor. This generalization expands the applicability of the model to a wider class of granular flows. The objective representation is also useful in analyzing other models based on additive decomposition of the stress tensor in granular flows.
Effects of ICRF-187 on the cardiac and renal toxicity of epirubicin in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

A study was made of the protective effect of ICRF-187 against the cardiotoxicity and nephrotoxicity produced by epirubicin in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). A total of 20 SHR were divided into 4 groups of 5 animals; the first group received i.v. injections of 1.5 mg/kg epirubicin; the second was treated with i.p. injections of 50 mg/kg ICRF-187 30 min before receiving 1.5 mg/kg epirubicin; the two remaining groups received ICRF-187 and saline, respectively, and served as controls. The experiment was terminated after 12 weekly injections (total cumulative dose of epirubicin, 18 mg/kg). Morphologic studies showed that severe cardiomyopathy manifested by myofibrillar loss and dilatation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and nephropathy characterized by tubular dilatation and atrophy, protein casts in the lumina of renal tubules, and glomerular vacuolization occurred in SHR given epirubicin alone. Animals receiving the combination of ICRF-187 and epirubicin showed a marked reduction in the severity of cardiomyopathy and a moderate reduction in nephropathy. These changes, and their modification by ICRF-187, were similar to those we have previously observed in SHR treated with total cumulative doses of 12 mg/kg doxorubicin. Such pathologic changes were absent in animals receiving ICRF-187 or saline alone. The findings of this study suggest that ICRF-187 can be used clinically to prevent the cardiotoxicity of epirubicin, particularly in situations in which this drug may have to be given either in large doses or to patients at high risk of developing anthracycline cardiotoxicity.
Recent mechanistic developments in atom transfer radical polymerization

Abstract Recent mechanistic innovations concerning catalyst development in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are described. The following topics will be discussed: structure–reactivity relationships of the polymerization catalyst, including correlating reaction parameters with catalyst, alkyl halide, and monomer structure; concurrent reactions that may occur during ATRP and will affect its efficiency, including oxidation/reduction of radicals to radical cations/anions, solvent, monomer, and radical coordination to the active catalyst, and side reactions particular to aqueous media. In addition, novel methods of fine tuning initiation, activation, and deactivation processes, including simultaneous reverse and normal initiation ATRP, activators generated by electron transfer ATRP, hybrid catalyst systems, and bimetallic ATRP will be presented.
Cytochrome P450-dependent transformations of 15R- and 15S-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids: stereoselective formation of epoxy alcohol products.

Although there are many reports of epoxy alcohol synthesis from lipoxygenase products (fatty acid hydroperoxides) in mammalian tissues, there are no well-defined examples of the stereoselective synthesis of individual epoxy alcohol diastereomers. An earlier report on the metabolism of 15S-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15S-HPETE) in rat liver microsomes suggested such a specific reaction [Weiss, R. H., et al. (1987) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 252, 334−338]. To characterize this reaction further, we set out to determine the precise structures and mechanism of biosynthesis of the epoxy alcohol products. We compared the products formed from 15R- and 15S-HPETE by hematin (a nonenzymatic reaction), by liver microsomes isolated from control and phenobarbital-treated rats, and by purified cytochrome P450 2B1. Eight epoxy alcohol isomers were identified by mass spectrometry and 1H NMR. In the hematin reaction, the major products are four epoxy alcohols with the epoxide in the trans configuration, diastereomers ar...