cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Unity of Scientific Inquiry and Categorial Theory in Aristotle

The concept of the unity of the sciences as interrelated domains of inquiry, aside from its recent setting, had also an Aristotelian setting in antiquity. Its usefulness in the latter period was not to serve as the logical basis to build a system of systems. Although there is much to recommend it as a solution to the communication of ‘public’ knowledge, it also seems to have functioned as the basis for the continuity between being and the perception of being, between fact and value. There is more to the concept of the unity of the scientific inquiries than the sharing of methodological principles; for instance, the pervasive axioms and the requirement for special theses and hypotheses, as Aristotelian terminology would have it in the concluding chapters of the Posterior Analytics, Book II. There is also the model of the ordered facts, i.e. the conceptual determination of the ultimate facts within a type of subject-matter: the Aristotelian model of wholes qua ousiai, which constitute the ontological counterparts of the proper subjects of statements. These ontic wholes are the ultimate loci of the fundamental properties of typical facts, they are the irreducible wholes of parts.
Clinical research in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: How, what, and when

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most common and disabling side effects of lifesaving neurotoxic chemotherapy.1,2 The taxanes, platins, and vinka alkaloid-derived chemotherapeutic agents are the most common offenders. During treatment, 30%–80% of individuals develop CIPN and many patients have chronic symptoms.3 The spectrum of CIPN severity varies from mild to severe, and its risk factors remain poorly understood. What is known, to some extent, is the effect of CIPN on patients: the sensory loss, reduction in dexterity, pain, and imbalance from CIPN increase morbidity and reduce the quality of life in many cancer survivors.4–6 Despite dozens of prior treatment trials, CIPN prevention remains elusive, with treatment limited to neuropathic pain medications, supportive care, and sometimes adjustments in chemotherapy dosing.7
Bcl-2 Is a Therapeutic Target for Hypodiploid B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. The highest rates of treatment failure occur in specific genetic subsets of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including hypodiploid B cell ALL for which effective alternative therapies to current intensive chemotherapy treatments have yet to be developed. Here we integrated biochemical and genomic profiling with functional drug assays to select effective agents with therapeutic potential against hypodiploid B-ALL. ABT-199, a selective Bcl-2 inhibitor was effective in reducing leukemic burden in vitro and in vivo in patient-derived xenograft models of hypodiploid B-ALL. Daily oral treatment with ABT-199 significantly increased survival in xenografted mice. The unexpected efficacy of ABT-199 observed in hypodiploid leukemias lacking BIM expression (the major reported mediator of ABT-199-induced apoptosis) led us to investigate the mechanism of action of ABT-199 in the absence of BIM. Treatment with ABT-199 elicited responses in a dose-dependent manner, from cell cycle arrest at low nanomolar concentrations to cell death at concentrations above 100 nM. Collectively, these results demonstrate the efficacy of Bcl-2 inhibition and potential therapeutic strategy in hypodiploid B-ALL.
The Problem of Transaction Costs

Mechanism design provides a general paradigm for deriving legal rules and institutions that implement social objectives as equilibrium outcomes of interactions among strategic individuals with private information and endogenous transaction costs. This paper designs mechanisms that generalize Ronald Coase’s farmer-rancher example of nuisance law from his seminal article, “The Problem of Social Costs,” and Judge Learned Hand’s negligence and product liability tests from his classic opinions in T. J. HOOPER (1932) and CARROLL TOWING (1947). Mechanism design encompasses the Pigouvian-social-planner and Coasean-transaction-cost paradigms as special cases, while accommodating alternative societal objectives, various equilibrium concepts, endogenous transaction costs, strategic agents, private information, truthful revelation of private costs and benefits, incentive compatibility, voluntary participation, and budgetary feasibility. These features extend previous paradigms and test their robustness in more sophisticated economic environments. The mechanism design paradigm provides modern theoretical foundations for economic analysis of law.
One-dimensional theory and simulations of the dynamic Z-pinch

The dynamical formation of a Z-pinch in the strong-shock limit is studied in this paper using one-dimensional (1D) simulations of a two-temperature magnetohydrodynamic model. The classic 1D picture consists of three stages: run-in, reflected-shock, and expansion. The special case of a constant current I and uniform gas fill, which are approximate conditions of the pinch-formation stage in a dense plasma focus, is examined in detail. Time-profiles for the shock-front and piston positions during the run-in stage are compared with some of the commonly used 0D models from the literature. Some practical improvements to these models are presented here and it is shown that this model gives the best agreement with results from the simulations. Maximum compression of the plasma is achieved when the reflected shock from the axis meets the incoming current layer. The ratio of the plasma radius at this time with respect to its initial radius is found from the simulations to be r p / R ≈ 1 / 8 using 5/3 for the adiabatic coefficient γ. The pressure and temperature of the compressed plasma are found to peak a short time after maximum compression due to the inability of the reflected shock to completely stagnate the incoming plasma driven by the converging current layer. The variation of the results with a finite dI/dt and for different values of γ is presented.
Coastal Airports and Rising Sea Levels

Griggs, G., 2020. Coastal airports and rising sea levels. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(5), 1079–1092. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Most of the world's major cities are located along coastlines, and their large international airports are typically built either very close to sea level or on filled shallow coastal waters. These large facilities handle thousands of flights and millions of passengers annually, and in addition to being critical infrastructure, they are huge economic engines. Being very close to sea level, however, many of these airports are already exposed to extreme flood events (hurricanes, typhoons, large storms, and high tides) and in the future will face increasing risks with global sea-level rise. LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy (JFK), and Newark all suffered some flood damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. San Francisco and Oakland airports have already developed plans to build walls to protect them from 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m) of additional sea-level rise. In addition to these airports, the Federal Aviation Administration has designated the airports at Philadelphia, Washington National, Miami, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Louis Armstrong New Orleans, and Honolulu as at-risk from future storm surge and high water from extreme events. A rising ocean is inevitable and will be additive over time with extreme events. The existing elevations of individual airports combined with projections of future sea-level rise can provide important guidance on when these facilities are likely to be exposed to tidal flooding and, therefore, when airport management should begin to plan to respond or adapt to the future threats.
Animals, Mourning, and Cat-lovin’ Bastards

This closing chapter suggests creative writing reflects a profound sense of disconnection from animals. For all kinds of reasons, regular interaction with other-than-human life is a rarity in modern societies. Literature reveals a sadness resulting from this alienation from nature but is simultaneously a way to reconnect with it. Among works explored in this chapter is Woody Guthrie’s Bound for Glory (1943).
Outcomes of Heart Transplantation (HT) in Patients with Total Artificial Heart (TAH) as Bridge to Transplantation (BTT)

Purpose Majority of patients who are BTT with a TAH are INTERMACS profiles 1 & 2. Few center-based reports document outcomes after HT for patients with TAH, which range from inferior to similar survival compared to a non-BTT population. We report the outcomes of HT after TAH placement from a national registry. Methods This analysis examined HT outcomes in patients BTT with TAH compared to BiVAD and LVAD, in a linked cohort from the INTERMACS & SRTR databases (2006-15). Survival was determined for LVAD vs BiVAD vs TAH BTT cohort. Risk factors for mortality were explored using multi-phase hazard modeling. Results Among 3143 adults supported with MCS at HT and linked in the INTERMACS & SRTR databases, there were 176 TAH, 2762 LVAD and 205 BiVAD. TAH group mean age: 48.6 ± 13.1 years; males 86.4%; diagnosis: DCM 69.9%, ICM 19.3%; donor mean age: 30.2± 10.8 years. Donor age ( 40 years) did not affect survival in the HT TAH (p = 0.2). Post-HT survival without risk adjustment with each MCS in Fig. After risk adjustment with multi-phase hazard model, LVAD alone was associated with less post-HT risk (HR=0.55 [95%CI]). TAH was not an independent risk factor compared to BiVAD, constant phase. HT survival at 1, 36, 60 months in TAH BTT vs ISHLT Registry was 89.2%, 69.8%, 61.3% vs 92%, 63.6%, 57.3%, respectively. Post-HT complications were LVAD vs BiVAD vs TAH: rejection 1st year 21.2%, 26.4%, 15.5% (p=0.1); stroke 3.4%, 5.9%, 5.7% (p=0.07); infection 15.3%, 27.3%, 21.6% (p Conclusion The LVAD, TAH and BTT cohorts show similar post-HT survival compared to the ISHLT. Donor age did not influence TAH BTT survival. TAH cohort had a higher incidence of H-KT. After risk adjustment: TAH & BiVAD post-HT survival were similar. Post-HT complications are similar among MCS groups, except higher infection risk with BiVAD. In patients with BiV failure, TAH is an option, with lower post-HT infection compared to BiVADs.
Nanoemulsions: An Emerging Technology in Drug Delivery

Nanoemulsions are a class of two-phase liquid systems with an internal phase droplet size of less than 200 nm. Although two-phase emulsion systems have been known for decades, the concept of nanoemulsions is fairly recent. Nanoemulsion stability is far more reliable than traditional two-phase “macro”-emulsion systems, which has led to nanoemulsions becoming an attractive option for the delivery of diverse categories of lipophilic small molecule drugs and bioactive agents. This chapter presents an overview of the theories underlying the formulation of emulsions for maximum stability and potential for scale-up. Both low and high energy dispersive techniques have been discussed with suggestions of suitable equipment. Various techniques for formulation have been discussed with specific attention to the nature of the drug and suitability of the excipients. Correlations have been established between stability of nanoemulsions and the nature and concentration of the surfactant, cosurfactant, oil phase, and temperature. A brief section has been devoted to the in vitro characterization of nanoemulsions with reference to instrumentation and techniques used in the pharmaceutical industry. The last part of the chapter is devoted to the application of nanoemulsions in anticancer drug delivery, with examples on how these novel delivery systems can enhance the efficacy of anticancer drugs while significantly reducing the toxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agents.
Tecno-kitsch. : Vogue, violencia y la noche en House of Apocalipstick

Who can inhabit the night? What kinds of senses and affects shape queer and trans of color nightlife? How do we deal with the force of violence when the sun goes down in a country like Mexico? Queer and trans visibility in Mexico City have generated a great academic interest, shaping research agendas, theories and interventions that sustain an impetus for categorization, and for the production of a genealogy of sexual and gender dissidence in the Americas. However, the matrix that informs such knowledge formations are enmeshed within a Western rationality that responds to a classed and racialized elitism of academic institutions. The knowledge of the night, which revolves around issues of corporeality, materiality and affectivity, etc., of sexual and gender dissident collectivities, also self-called transmarilenchas, informs a larger feminist praxis around affect, pleasure and care. The g-local expansion of neoliberalism over the Mexico City translates into complex processes of gentrification, privatization and commodification of public spaces that support queer and trans of color nightlife. These neoliberal moves toward a “productive” citizenry are further complicated by the necropolitical machine of the 21st century, the state-church-narcocorporation. In this sense, how does violence shape queer and trans night sensibilities? Despite the necroliberal violence of recent years, sexually dissident groups have insisted on a decorporalization of violence through movement, reclaiming values ​​of femininity, and thus challenging the andropatriarchal borders that exclude the night’s affects from the body. At the intersection of performance and affect, this article deals with the cultural practices of House of Apocalipstick, a dance collective composed of trans women and men, lesbians, queens, transvestites, drag queens and kings who practice voguing. In particular, I tease out “the ethics of aesthetics” that stands out in the novel Such is Life in Banana Republic(2014) written by the house mother Franka Polari, as well as in the vogue performance of documentary House of Apocalipstick (2015). Beyond challenging traditional forms of writing, literality and capture, the fusion between body, music and movement plays with transtemporal/transregional affects of voguing, whose origins date back to Harlem’s trans/queer counterculture in the 80s. House of Apocalipstick thus exposes a feminine-affective kinesthesis around voguing that, anchored in nightlife, emerges as a bodily twist to mediate the consequences of daily violence, reclaiming other ways of feeling nighttime pleasures from a feminist praxis referred as techno-kitsch.
An exploratory study of how business schools approach AACSB’s societal impact standards

AACSB adopted new and revised standards in 2020 that require business schools to demonstrate positive societal impact through internal and external activities. While many schools are already engage...
Catalyst Revised: Rethinking the ParaView in Situ Analysis and Visualization API

As in situ analysis goes mainstream, ease of development, deployment, and maintenance becomes essential, perhaps more so than raw capabilities. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of Catalyst, an API for in situ analysis using ParaView, which we refactored with these objectives in mind. Our implementation combines design ideas from in situ frameworks and HPC tools, like Ascent and MPICH.
Keratin-dependent regulation of Aire and gene expression in skin tumor keratinocytes

Expression of the intermediate filament protein keratin 17 (K17) is robustly upregulated in inflammatory skin diseases and in many tumors originating in stratified and pseudostratified epithelia. We report that autoimmune regulator (Aire), a transcriptional regulator, is inducibly expressed in human and mouse tumor keratinocytes in a K17-dependent manner and is required for timely onset of Gli2-induced skin tumorigenesis in mice. The induction of Aire mRNA in keratinocytes depends on a functional interaction between K17 and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein hnRNP K. Further, K17 colocalizes with Aire protein in the nucleus of tumor-prone keratinocytes, and each factor is bound to a specific promoter region featuring an NF-κB consensus sequence in a relevant subset of K17- and Aire-dependent proinflammatory genes. These findings provide radically new insight into keratin intermediate filament and Aire function, along with a molecular basis for the K17-dependent amplification of inflammatory and immune responses in diseased epithelia.
Catalytic Research on Zeolites

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the work on zeolites carried out at Princeton University, and presents some recent gas chromatographic results on the stability of the pore structure of the zeolite as the material undergoes these transformations. The Princeton work is divided into three programs: (1) the synthesis of zeolites and their derivatives, (2) the study of catalytic properties, and (3) the characterization of the active centers particularly using magnetic resonance techniques. The catalytic work on the zeolites has been carried out using the pulse microreactor technique on the following reactions: cracking of cumene, isomerization of 1-butene to 2-butene, polymerization of ethylene, equilibration of hydrogen–deuterium gas, and the ortho-para hydrogen conversion. Zeolites, crystalline alumina silicates with open regular structure, offer unusual opportunities for carrying out catalytic studies. Their well-defined crystalline structure and their regular pore distribution permit a better description of the surface than that offered by alumina–silica gel catalysts.
DNA structures and genetic instabilities associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (ATTCT)n·(AGAAT)n repeats suggest a DNA amplification model for repeat expansion

This chapter discusses DNA structure and genetic instabilities associated with on spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (ATTCT) n ·(AGAAT) n repeats. SCA10 is associated with expansion from a normal range of 10 to 22 10 (ATTCT) n ·(AGAAT) n pentanucleotide repeats to as many as 4,500 repeats that forms an unpaired region, which then extends into adjacent A + T-rich flanking sequences. For plasmids containing 29 repeats, above the normal human size range, a locally condensed structure formed at high superhelical densities. Although the structure is “condensed,” the bases remained unpaired. The pentanucleotide repeat exhibits unusual characteristics when grown in E coli. The (ATTCT) n ·(AGAAT) n repeats do not undergo deletion at a high rate, and unlike trinucleotide repeats that are rapidly deleted in E. coli, (ATTCT) n ·(AGAAT) n repeats undergo expansion associated with a complex mutational event upon prolonged growth in E. coli. The complex mutations involved both plasmid dimerization and inversion of a part of the repeat tract forms an inverted repeat. The results are consistent with a high frequency of primer–template misalignment during DNA replication.
The dependence of immunological cross-reactivity upon sequence resemblance among lysozymes. II. Comparison of precipitin and micro-complement fixation results.

Abstract Precipitin techniques were used for cross-reactivity studies with rabbit antisera to seven different bird egg white lysozymes. A similar study was previously made with the same antisera by the micro-complement fixation technique. There is an excellent correlation between cross-reactivity measured by micro-complement fixation and that measured by the quantitative precipitin technique. However, the latter technique is less economical of materials and less able to discriminate between closely related lysozymes. Although cross-reactivity measured by immunodiffusion, a qualitative precipitin technique, is correlated with that measured by the above two techniques, it is far less sensitive to small antigenic differences. The above correlations permitted a review of the dependence of immunological cross-reactivity upon amino acid sequence resemblance for several other proteins besides lysozyme. Even though the published data are fragmentary compared with those available for lysozyme, it seems to be a general rule that native proteins differing by more than 30 to 40% in sequence fail to cross-react in direct precipitin or complement fixation tests.
Electrophysiology procedures in adults with congenital heart disease.

Background. In adult congenital heart disease (CHD), arrhythmias contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. Often, these adult patients are treated at a freestanding pediatric facility. Limited data exist looking at this cohort. Methods. A retrospective review was performed of all electrophysiology (EP) procedures performed in adults at our institution during a 5-year period from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. Results. There were 99 cases performed in a total of 87 adults with CHD during this time period. The mean patient age was 27.1 years (18–51 years). The most common congenital cardiac diagnoses were: 27% with D-transposition of the great arteries (n = 27)—of which 85% (n = 23) have had a previous atrial switch procedure, 20% with tetralogy of Fallot (n = 20), and 16% with previous Rastelli repair (n = 16). Overall, 37 EP studies were performed, with the majority done in patients with complex CHD. There were 74 additional cases. These procedures consisted of: 38 pacemakers (51%), 26 implantable cardiac defibrillators (36%), six laser lead extractions (8%), two loop recorders (3%), and two pocket revisions (3%). During this 5-year period, there was one major complication (1%) and seven minor complications (7%). Conclusions. The complex care of adults with CHD requiring EP procedures can be safely and effectively accomplished in a freestanding pediatric hospital with low complications, provided institutional support of an adult CHD program.
Cholinergics/Anticholinergics/Muscarinics/Nicotinics

This chapter quickly summarizes the cholinergic nervous system and the structures of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. The structure–activity relationships of muscarinic agonists and antagonists are discussed with reference to attempts to develop of drugs selective for one of the five muscarinic receptors, both agonist and antagonists. The structure–activity relationships of agonists and antagonists of nicotinic receptors are presented with initial concentration on the neuronal nicotinic receptors and ending with neuromuscular blockers used in surgery. Keywords: agonist; antagonist; muscarinic; nicotinic
The Biological Activity and Metabolism of 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3

Abstract 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25-(OH)2D3) gives a marked increase in intestinal calcium transport and serum calcium concentration of vitamin D-deficient rats fed a diet containing adequate calcium and phosphorus. These responses occur after a considerable time lag following administration of the metabolite. The 24,25-(OH)2D3 on a long term basis and at low doses has striking activity in the stimulation of intestinal calcium transport but not bone calcium mobilization. Radioactive 24,25-(OH)2D3 is metabolized to a more polar compound which increases in concentration in serum, intestinal mucosa, and bone over a 48-hour period. Nephrectomy or the feeding of a high calcium diet abolishes the stimulation of intestinal calcium transport by 24,25-(OH)2D3 and the in vivo genesis of the more polar compound from tritiated 24,25-(OH)2D3. It is concluded that 24,25-(OH)2D3, the usual dihydroxy metabolite of vitamin D3 in normal rats, has potential physiological importance through its conversion to a more polar metabolite. This metabolite possibly acts to facilitate intestinal calcium absorption without stimulating bone calcium mobilization.
Extent and Channel Morphology of Unmapped Headwater Stream Segments of the Quabbin Watershed, Massachusetts1

Brooks, Robert T. and Elizabeth A. Colburn, 2011. Extent and Channel Morphology of Unmapped Headwater Stream Segments of the Quabbin Watershed, Massachusetts. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(1):158-168. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00499.x Abstract: Effective regulatory protection and management of headwater resources depend on consistent and accurate identification and delineation of stream occurrence. Published maps and digital resources fail to represent the true occurrence and extent of headwater streams. This study assessed the accuracy of mapped origins of “blue-line” streams depicted on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, and, if present, the morphological characteristics of unmapped stream segments. We identified 170 mapped stream origins on the Quabbin Reservoir watershed, Massachusetts. Of 30 mapped stream origins, we identified and examined 26 unmapped stream segments above 25, with an average length of 502 m. Twenty unmapped tributaries occurred on 10 of the 26 unmapped segments, with an average length of 127 m. Wetland reaches occurred more frequently and were larger on unmapped than on mapped stream segments. A significant and complex stream network occurs above most mapped stream origins. For the Quabbin watershed, we estimate that there are 85.8 km of unmapped stream upgradient of 314.5 km of mapped streams. Reliance on mapped stream networks for regulatory standards allows for the potential disturbance or even destruction of the unmapped stream resources. Jurisdictional regulations and guidelines should be revised so that the occurrence of streams should require field validation.
Calorimetric studies of the energetics of order-disorder in the system Mg1-xFexCa(CO3)2

Calorimetric studies by Chai and Navrotsky (1996) on dolomite-ankerite energetics have been extended by including two additional types of samples: a very disordered stoichiometric MgCa(CO{sub 3}){sub 2} prepared from low-temperature aqueous solution and three largely ordered natural samples of intermediate iron content. Combining these data with previous work, the authors see three distinct energetic trends. These represent samples with nearly complete order, nearly complete disorder, and intermediate order. From these trends, the enthalpy of complete disordering is estimated to be 33 {+-} 6 kJ/mol for MgCa(CO{sub 3}){sub 2} and 18 {+-} 5 kJ/mol for FeCa(CO{sub 3}){sub 2}.
Enteral and Parenteral Arginine Supplementation to Improve Medical Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients

The amino acid L-arginine has been administered as a single supplement to humans in an effort to improve the outcome of seriously ill patients. In normal individuals, markers of collagen biosynthesis have increased with daily oral doses ranging from 14 to 24.8 g of free arginine for 14 d. No clinical evidence of improved wound healing has been reported in the few patient studies performed to date. Administration of enteral, but not intravenous, arginine has been associated with markers of improved immune function in normal individuals and in some, but not all, patient groups studied. A single study in premature infants suggested that supplementation of L-arginine (261 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1)) administered by both the parenteral and enteral routes decreased the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis. A single study demonstrated that oral arginine administration in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy for active tuberculosis to HIV- but not HIV+ individuals enhanced treatment responses. In both these area, larger multicenter investigations are needed. For a difference to be a difference it has to make a difference. Supplementation of only L-arginine does not to date universally show benefit, nor does it show harm. At this time there is no rationale for the routine supplementation of arginine alone to enhance recovery from serious illness. Because of the potential for harm, this amino acid should only be administered to critically ill patients in large doses under carefully monitored study conditions.
Teaching axiomatic design to engineers—Theory, applications, and software

Axiomatic design (introduced and described by N.P. Suh in 1990 and 2001 books) shows that the engineering of good designs can be taught as a science. There is a simple set of underlying rules, or design axioms, on which good designs are based. The design axioms provide the opportunity for teaching design as a science, in that it is based on some simple underlying principles. Taking advantage of this opportunity, a systematic approach to teaching how to engineer and critically evaluate good designs has been developed. Three steps are used in introducing axiomatic design. First is providing motivation, which is attempted by observing that design is fundamental to all engineering. The purpose of traditional engineering analysis, which is emphasized in engineering studies, is to support design. Second is developing the concept that there are two simple axioms, independence and information, that govern design, just as Newton's laws govern mechanics. Third is observing that to apply the axioms designs must be decomposed into a hierarchical structure. This leads to stating that there are three essential elements to engineering design: the axioms, the structure, and the process for creating that structure. A barrier to teaching and using this scientific, axiomatic approach to design has been the difficulty of creating, modifying, managing, and communicating anything beyond relatively simple design hierarchies. Any design with more than a few functional requirements was difficult to manage. Recently introduced design software (Acclaro, email: axiomaticdesign.com) has overcome this barrier. It can easily handle many hundreds of functional requirements and facilitates the application of the independence axiom. The impact on the teaching process is that the students learn to construct large design hierarchies quickly and spend more time on mastering applications.
A conjecture concerning certain notions of controllability for a class of uncertain systems

Abstract This note deals with two notions of controllability which arise in dynamical systems whose descriptions include unknown but bounded parameters. Roughly speaking, exact controllability involves steering an initial state of the system to a prescribed target set X in a guaranteed sense; that is, no matter what uncertainty occurs, the state will be transferred to the target. Approximate controllability involves steering an initial state of the system, also in a guaranteed sense, to within any given distance e of the target set. After formally defining these notions of controllability, it is conjectured that these notions of exact and approximate controllability are equivalent. Some special cases are described for which the truth of the conjecture can be readily verified.
Adsorption of Water from Liquid-Phase Ethanol−Water Mixtures at Room Temperature Using Starch-Based Adsorbents

The kinetically controlled, selective removal of water from ethanol vapors by desiccants is well documented. However, studies on the removal of water by liquid-phase contacting of water−ethanol mixtures with starch-based material are limited. This research presents a screening study that shows that starch-based adsorbents remove liquid-phase water between 1 and 20 wt % from ethanol without the adsorbent being dissolved. The mass of water adsorbed per gram of dry adsorbent increases with increasing water content. Side by side comparisons of these starch-based adsorbents to silica gel and molecular sieves show that, in a kinetically controlled adsorption scheme below 10 wt % water, the inorganic desiccants have a greater operational (nonequilibrium) adsorption capacity per gram. At water concentrations at or above 10% water, however, the operational adsorptive capacity per gram of the starch-based adsorbents is roughly equivalent to the inorganic adsorbents, when using the same regeneration and adsorption c...
Cardiac outflow tract anomalies

The mature outflow tract (OFT) is, in basic terms, a short conduit. It is a simple, although vital, connection situated between contracting muscular heart chambers and a vast embryonic vascular network. Unfortunately, it is also a focal point underlying many multifactorial congenital heart defects (CHDs). Through the use of various animal models combined with human genetic investigations, we are beginning to comprehend the molecular and cellular framework that controls OFT morphogenesis. Clear roles of neural crest cells (NCC) and second heart field (SHF) derivatives have been established during OFT formation and remodeling. The challenge now is to determine how the SHF and cardiac NCC interact, the complex reciprocal signaling that appears to be occurring at various stages of OFT morphogenesis, and finally how endocardial progenitors and primary heart field (PHF) communicate with both these colonizing extra-cardiac lineages. Although we are beginning to understand that this dance of progenitor populations is wonderfully intricate, the underlying pathogenesis and the spatiotemporal cell lineage interactions remain to be fully elucidated. What is now clear is that OFT alignment and septation are independent processes, invested via separate SHF and cardiac neural crest (CNC) lineages. This review will focus on our current understanding of the respective contributions of the SHF and CNC lineage during OFT development and pathogenesis.
111. Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin by Small Interfering RNAs (siRNA)

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is a serum serine protease inhibitor that counteracts the effects of neutrophil-derived proinflammatory proteins. Several mutant AAT alleles result in AAT deficiency with either chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic liver disease, or both. PiZ is the most common mutant allele of AAT. A Gln to Lys change of the protein and impaired secretion from hepatocytes. The lack of secreted AAT leads to lung disease in a majority of patients, which is primarily due to the unopposed action of neutrophil products on the extracellular matrix in the lung. Meanwhile, the accumulation of Z mutant AAT in hepatocytes contributes to chronic liver disease in a smaller percentage of patients with this allele. Thus, replacement of the wild-type (M) AAT is the primary strategy to treat the lung disease, while down-regulation of mutant (Z) AAT would likely be needed to ameliorate the liver disease.
Influence of adrenal hormones on lactic acid content of rat brain tissue.

SummaryIn this study, adrenalectomy prevented a rise in lactic acid content of brain tissue in hypoxic rats. When various adrenal hormones were injected, the brain lactic acid level of adrenalectomized hypoxic rats was elevated to the same extent as intact hypoxic rats. Animals adapted to a simulated altitude of 18,000 feet did not respond to the same degree as non-adapted animals when both groups were exposed to severe hypoxia.
Netilmicin and gentamicin multidose kinetics in normal subjects

Multidose netilmicin and gentamicin kinetics were studied in 20 healthy subjects who received 1.7 mg/kg gentamicin (n = 10) or netilmicin (n = 10) as a 20-min infusion every 8 hr for 10 days (28 doses) during a randomized, double-blind comparative trial designed to study adverse effects and kinetics of netilmicin and gentamicin. Multidose kinetics were of the same order for gentamicin and netilmicin with the exception of the terminal plasma t½ (94 and 156 hr) and the volume of distribution at steady state (450 and 1072 ml/kg). Mean peak plasma concentrations of netilmicin were slightly lower than gentamicin. Percentage of the dose eliminated in urine did not differ for the two aminoglycosides. Aminoglycoside was detectable in plasma and continued to be eliminated in urine for at least 6 days after the final dose. The plasma concentration-time profiles for both netilmicin and gentamicin were well fitted with the sum of three exponential terms; urinary excretion rates-time plots showed biexponential decay. None of the subjects had any auditory, vestibular, or renal toxicity. Although the data confirm a deep tissue compartment, they suggest that the kinetic processes involved may be more complex than previously supposed. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1983) 34, 644–650; doi:10.1038/clpt.1983.227
Point mutations in IIS4 alter activation and inactivation of rat brain IIA Na channels in Xenopus oocyte macropatches.

Macroscopic currents of wild-type rat brain IIA (RBIIA) and mutant Na channels were recorded in excised patches from Xenopus oocytes. A charge deletion (K859Q) and an adjacent conservative mutation (L860F) in the second domain S4 membrane-spanning region differentially altered voltage sensitivity and kinetics. Analysis of voltage dependence was confined to Na currents with fast inactivation kinetics, although RBIIA and K859Q (but not L860F) also showed proportional shifts between at least two gating modes, rendering currents with fast or slow inactivation kinetics, respectively. Compared to RBIIA, the midpoint of the activation curve was shifted in both K859Q and L860F by 22 mV to more positive potentials, yet this shift was not associated with a corresponding change in the voltage dependence of time constants for activation (τa) or inactivation (τh1, τh2). L860F showed faster activation time constants τa than RBIIA, while K859Q was slower for both the activation (τa) and the inactivation components (τh1). Similarly, the steady-state inactivation curve of L860F but not K859Q shifted by 9 mV in the hyperpolarizing direction. Thus, the fourth charge in the IIS4 transmembrane segment exerts control over voltage sensitivity and kinetics of activation and may interact with structure that influence other aspects of channel gating.
Interaction-based evolution: how natural selection and nonrandom mutation work together.

The modern evolutionary synthesis leaves unresolved some of the mostfundamental, long-standing questions in evolutionary biology: What is therole of sex in evolution? How does complex adaptation evolve? How canselection operate effectively on genetic interactions? More recently, themolecular biology and genomics revolutions have raised a host of criticalnew questions, through empirical findings that the modern synthesis fails toexplain: for example, the discovery of de novo genes; the immenseconstructive role of transposable elements in evolution; genetic varianceand biochemical activity that go far beyond what traditional naturalselection can maintain; perplexing cases of molecular parallelism; andmore. Here I address these questions from a unified perspective, by means of a newmechanistic view of evolution that offers a novel connection betweenselection on the phenotype and genetic evolutionary change (while relying,like the traditional theory, on natural selection as the only source offeedback on the fit between an organism and its environment). I hypothesizethat the mutation that is of relevance for the evolution of complexadaptation—while not Lamarckian, or “directed” to increasefitness—is not random, but is instead the outcome of a complex andcontinually evolving biological process that combines information frommultiple loci into one. This allows selection on a fleeting combination ofinteracting alleles at different loci to have a hereditary effect accordingto the combination’s fitness. This proposed mechanism addresses the problem of how beneficial geneticinteractions can evolve under selection, and also offers an intuitiveexplanation for the role of sex in evolution, which focuses on sex as thegenerator of genetic combinations. Importantly, it also implies that geneticvariation that has appeared neutral through the lens of traditional theorycan actually experience selection on interactions and thus has a muchgreater adaptive potential than previously considered. Empirical evidencefor the proposed mechanism from both molecular evolution and evolution atthe organismal level is discussed, and multiple predictions are offered bywhich it may be tested. This article was reviewed by Nigel Goldenfeld (nominated by Eugene V.Koonin), Jurgen Brosius and W. Ford Doolittle.
Butyrate and related inhibitors of histone deacetylation block the induction of egg white genes by steroid hormones

The short chain aliphatic acid salts, butyrate and propionate, are effective inhibitors of histone deacetylation in chick oviduct at 2--5 mM; they also prevent the hormonal induction of the ovalbumin and transferrin genes. The less potent deacetylase inhibitor isobutyrate is correspondingly less effective in blocking egg white mRNA induction; acetate has little effect at concentrations up to 15 mM. Butyrate does not appear to alter estrogen receptor binding in the nucleus, total RNA synthesis, or protein synthesis during the early hours of treatment when its specific effects on deacetylation and egg white gene transcription are observed. In addition to preventing the induction, butyrate also causes a rapid deinduction when added to preinduced cultures; ovalbumin and transferrin gene transcription decline with a half-life of 15--30 min. The effects of butyrate on egg white mRNA induction and deacetylation are completely reversible, and mRNA induction resumes within 1 hr after removal of butyrate from the medium. These results suggest that the modification of either histones or other unidentified regulatory proteins by acetylation may play a role in the mechanism of estrogen-mediated gene induction.
Fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon functional group incorporation into nanoporous silica employing fluorinated and hydrocarbon surfactants as templates

Abstract Ordered mesoporous hydrocarbon functionalized ( n -decyl) silica samples are synthesized by the ‘one-pot’ (direct) synthesis method using two cationic fluorinated surfactants, C 6 F 13 C 2 H 2 NC 5 H 5 Cl (HFOPC) and C 8 F 17 C 2 H 2 NC 5 H 5 Cl (HFDePC), and a typical hydrocarbon surfactant, C 16 H 33 N(CH 3 ) 3 Br (CTAB), as templates. The properties of the materials are compared to those of silica samples functionalized with a fluorocarbon functional group, heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydro-decyl, whose fluorocarbon separating ability was reported earlier [33] . The pore characteristics, organic loading, and wetting properties of the resulting materials are determined for the following combinations of surfactant/functional groups: hydrocarbon/hydrocarbon, hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon/fluorocarbon. Synthesis using the longer chain fluoro-surfactant (HFDePC) template results in the highest incorporation of both n -decyl and fluorocarbon functional groups, with a corresponding loss of long-range pore order in the fluorinated material. Materials synthesized using the HFOPC template have very low levels of functional group incorporation compared to the HFDePC-templated materials. CTAB-templated materials display greater long-range pore order than the fluorocarbon templated materials. The incorporation of the fluorocarbon functional precursor is more effective (on a % yield basis) than the hydrocarbon functional precursor for silica materials synthesized using CTAB. Similarly, the use of fluorinated surfactant templates enhances fluorocarbon incorporation relative to hydrocarbon incorporation in the mesoporous material. Solubility of the precursors ( n -decyltriethoxysilane and heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydro-decyltriethoxysilane) in the synthesis medium and favorable aggregation behavior of the alkane/fluoroalkane functional groups with the surfactant micelles improves the incorporation of the functional group.
Statistical methods for estimation of direct and differential kinematics of the vocal tract

We present and evaluate two statistical methods for estimating kinematic relationships of the speech production system: artificial neural networks and locally-weighted regression. The work is motivated by the need to characterize this motor system, with particular focus on estimating differential aspects of kinematics. Kinematic analysis will facilitate progress in a variety of areas, including the nature of speech production goals, articulatory redundancy and, relatedly, acoustic-to-articulatory inversion. Statistical methods must be used to estimate these relationships from data since they are infeasible to express in closed form. Statistical models are optimized and evaluated - using a heldout data validation procedure - on two sets of synthetic speech data. The theoretical and practical advantages of both methods are also discussed. It is shown that both direct and differential kinematics can be estimated with high accuracy, even for complex, nonlinear relationships. Locally-weighted regression displays the best overall performance, which may be due to practical advantages in its training procedure. Moreover, accurate estimation can be achieved using only a modest amount of training data, as judged by convergence of performance. The algorithms are also applied to real-time MRI data, and the results are generally consistent with those obtained from synthetic data.
Hydrothermal synthesis, optical perfection, and surface topography of quartz grown in RbOH and other alkali hydroxides

Abstract Quartz has been grown hydrothermally in iron-lined vessels using 0.5 N RbOH, CsOH, and KOH in the range 340–460°C and 800–1800kg/cm 2 . Although other phases (mica,zeolite) also nucleate, crystals of good quality have been grown at rates up to 0.6 mm/day along the c -axis.
Functions of Sendai virus nucleocapsid polypeptides: Enzymatic activities in nucleocapsids following cleavage of polypeptide P by Staphylococcus aureus protease V8

Abstract Treatment of Sendai virus nucleocapsids with Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 selectively and efficiently cleaved the nucleocapsid poly peptide P leaving a 40,000-dalton fragment, designated SP, attached to the nucleocapsid. Enzymatic activities of untreated and protease-treated nucleocapsids were compared with the intention of correlating cleavage of polypeptide P with loss of a specific nucleocapsid-associated function. We found only moderate impairment in the capacity of nucleocapsids lacking polypeptide P to synthesize, methylate, cap, or polyadenylate viral mRNA in vitro. These results suggest that a complete molecule of polypeptide P is not required for the synthesis or modification of viral mRNA, and that polypeptide L and/or SP may be responsible for some or all of these activities.
On the effectiveness of early generation selection in self-pollinated crops

Breeders of self-pollinated crops often discard inferior lines at an early selling generation so that more resources can be devoted to the further testing and selection of the more promising lines. Empirical studies have led to contradictory estimates of the correlation between the performance of lines at early and late selfing generations. Here I examine the theoretical effectiveness of early generation selection. When dominance is absent, the genetic correlation (r G ) between the performance of an F t -derived F, line (i.e., F tg ) and a descendant homozygous line is equal to the square root of [1 + F (t) ]/2, where F (t) is the inbreeding coefficient at generation t. Dominance, when present, has little effect on r G . The minimum value of r G is high; that is, 0.707 for an F 2 -derived line. From a genetic standpoint, early generation selection is expected to be effective, but in practice it becomes ineffective if nongenetic effects are large.
Mechanisms of atomic ion emission during sputtering

Abstract Several major experimental and theoretical findings made in the last few years on the mechanisms of secondary ion emission are summarized. There is a strong indication that the phenomena can be divided into two categories: Ion emission from the surfaces of metals and semiconductors tends to have a strong correlation with the work function and can be described quite well with an electron tunneling model. Ion emission from systems which show large chemical enhancement has only a weak correlation with global surface properties like the work function or the bandgap. Instead it seems to be related more to local chemical bonds and coordination numbers. A localized bond breaking picture may be more appropriate in these circumstances.