cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can laboratory animal carcinogenicity studies predict cancer in exposed children

A key to the prevention of childhood cancer is the control of carcinogens to which children are exposed. The first step in this process is to identify those chemicals that are likely to cause cance...
Commentary: The quality of reporting and outcome measures in randomized clinical trials related to upper-extremity disorders

The article by Gummesson et al highlighted deficiencies in the quality of clinical trials in hand urgery publications. The findings in the article were not surprising. Many have been critical about he lack of clinical trials in the field of surgery and when clinical trials were undertaken, poor cientific rigor and lack of attention to research methodology subjected these publications to riticism and ridicule. Horton, the editor of The Lancet, in his commentary “Surgical research r comic opera: questions, but few answers,” criticized the lack of scientific rigor in surgical esearch. He reviewed the first issues of 9 general surgery journals in 1996; he found these issues ontained 46% case series and only 7% randomized trials. He quoted Greenwood, a statistician ho wrote in 1923, “I should like to shame [surgeons] out of the comic opera performances which hey suppose are statistics of operation.” Are these criticisms warranted and can the hand surgery field do better? The answers, espectively, are perhaps and yes. These criticisms are warranted when surgery researchers onduct clinical trials that are underpowered, not truly randomized, and poorly analyzed. Expense nd patient efforts incurred in conducting these poorly performed studies waste the time of the esearchers and the patients, not to mention the potential deleterious effects of suggesting rroneous courses of treatment. On the other hand the criticisms may be overly harsh when the onsurgical critics demand using the standards of pharmaceutical trials for surgical trials. Surgical rials are distinctly different from trials that compare one medication with another. Surgical rocedures are invasive and it is difficult to randomize patients. For example, a clinical trial to rove the effectiveness of carpal tunnel surgery may require randomizing patients to surgery ersus a sham procedure in which only a skin incision is made. This trial, although attractive in esign, may not be acceptable to patients and surgeons. In addition most surgical procedures are rreversible. If research subjects in a medical trial do not do well on one type of medication, it is
Central Venous Catheter Access

Central venous access for the purpose of supplying parenteral nutrition to the pediatric age group requires a careful definition of the patient's caloric need, estimated duration of therapy, and an assessment of available sites. Peripheral vein parenteral nutrition is limited by caloric density of the nutrient fluids, while peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) offers a new technology for accessing central veins while obviating the risk of central vein access. Routes of central vein access are several and there are also a variety of catheters available for placement. Tunneled percutaneous placement of silicone rubber cuffed catheters via the subclavian vein approach is that technique we use most commonly. The risks of such access catheters include mechanical risks of placement, venous thrombosis of the access sites, and most importantly catheter related infections, either at the exit site, the subcutaneous tunnel or pouch, or even generalized sepsis. With a full knowledge of the spectrum of access techniques, access materials, and risks, safe total parenteral nutrition can be safely delivered to the children in need.
Importance of Specimen Size in Accurate Needle Liver Biopsy Evaluation of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

Background & Aims: In patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), percutaneous needle liver biopsy examination establishes the severity of necroinflammatory activity and fibrosis, thus guiding treatment decisions. Optimal biopsy specimen size remains controversial. We sought to determine how varying lengths of biopsy specimens influence the grading and staging of CHC. Methods: We used 100 liver biopsy specimens from patients with CHC. The slides were evaluated blindly using the METAVIR scoring system, after being covered with paper, so that only specific specimen lengths (5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and ≥20 mm) were visible. In each case, the scores obtained with biopsies 5 mm, 10 mm, or 15 mm long were compared with the scores at 20 mm or greater by weighted κ statistics (κ of >.75 signified excellent agreement). A subset of specimens 20 mm or greater was selected for a blinded repeat scoring to assess intraobserver agreement. The κ statistics for the designated features and lengths were compared using analysis of variance. Results: In assessing the stage of fibrosis, the weighted κ statistics for agreement with the 20-mm or greater score at 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm were .75, .85, and .92, respectively. In assessing the histologic activity score, the corresponding figures were .73, .81, and .77, respectively. Average κ statistic comparisons showed that intraobserver agreement was significantly better than agreement between the 20-mm or greater scores and those at shorter lengths; the 5-mm κ scores were significantly lower than the others; and there was no significant difference between the 10-mm and 15-mm κ scores. Conclusions: Liver biopsy specimens measuring at least 10 mm usually reflect the grade and stage of CHC reliably. Relatively little improvement in diagnostic accuracy is obtained with longer specimens.
Microbubble Drag Reduction at High Reynolds Number

This paper presents the preliminary results from a friction drag reduction experiment conducted at high Reynolds numbers. The experiments were conducted in two phases at the U. S. Navy’s William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) in Memphis, TN on a flat, hydraulically smooth plate (12.9 meters long by 3.0 meters wide by 0.18 meters thick) at flow speeds ranging from 0.5 to 20 m/s. The employed drag reduction technique involved the injection of microbubbles into the boundary from a line source over a range of injection flow rates from 100 to 800 scfm. These results include mean velocity data and spatially averaged shear stress data acquired in the single-phase flow, as well as spatially averaged shear stress data, bubble images, and void fraction measurements made in the bubble-injected flow.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Access to multilingual prescription labels and verbal translation services in California

Abstract Background The number of patients with limited English proficiency is on the rise in the United States, and conveying medication information to these individuals in an effective manner is crucial to improve adherence and reduce medication errors. Objectives To examine (1) self-reported capability for and actual provision of prescription labels or verbal medication information in languages other than English by California pharmacies and (2) characteristics of pharmacies that provide such services. Methods In this cross-sectional, observational study, pharmacists in charge at 552 randomly selected retail pharmacies throughout California (US) were interviewed by phone. The main outcome measures of the study were number of pharmacies that could and did provide multilingual labels (MLs) and/or offer medication information verbally in the patient's preferred language. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations between availability of MLs and verbal translation services and the demographic characteristics of pharmacies. Results Approximately, 69% of the pharmacies surveyed could provide MLs, and 67.9% did provide MLs routinely on patient request. Verbal translation of labels or other medication information such as leaflets, pamphlets, and guides was offered to patients who requested it in 82.4% of pharmacies. Chain pharmacies reported a significantly higher capability to provide MLs than independent pharmacies (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.19, 0.42; P P P P Conclusions There exists an unfulfilled need for providing MLs and/or verbal translations to LEP patients. Pharmacists and health care providers can fill this need to ensure appropriate medication usage and adherence and consequently reduce medication errors in this population.
Laminae in palynomorph walls from the Middle Cambrian–Early Devonian

Abstract This study was undertaken to examine the wall ultrastructure of widely dispersed, mainly lower Paleozoic palynomorphs/cryptospores. Many of these palynomorphs have walls that are at least partially composed of laminae. The walls and their constituent laminae are variable in their construction, but show certain similarities to one another and to some extant land plants (e.g., sphaerocarpalean liverworts). Careful examination with transmission electron microscopy reveals that: 1) Cambrian–Early Devonian laminate palynomorphs have laminae that are fairly uniform in their thickness, 2) most contemporaneous acritarchs have walls that are thicker than individual laminae in these putatively land-derived palynomorphs and cryptospores, 3) extant algae have lamellae, not laminae, in their cyst walls, and in smaller numbers than the laminae in these palynomorphs/cryptospores, and 4) extant liverworts have laminae whose thickness overlaps that of these palynomorphs/cryptospores, but also have some laminae that are much thicker. The antiquity of these palynomorphs clearly establishes the plesiomorphic state of laminate wall construction among land plants. While it is not possible to assign the producers of these palynomorphs to any specific group of organisms based on the ultrastructure of the wall, they clearly produced spores with thicker, more complex walls than any fossil or extant alga known to date.
Modeling fairness in resource allocation for secondary users in a competitive cognitive radio network

We consider a multi-channel cognitive radio network (CRN) where multiple secondary users share a single channel and multiple channels are simultaneously used by a single secondary user (SU) to satisfy their rate requirements. In this competitive CRN, our interest is in determining optimal power and rate distribution choices for each SU while maintaining fairness in “quality of experience” across all SUs. Unlike prior approaches that focus on resource allocation based on instantaneous quality of service (QoS), our approach to fairness encompasses both current and prior history of user experience with respect to QoS. Specifically, we quantify user experience over time by introducing dynamic fairness weights for each SU in the resource allocation framework. The dynamics of the weights are governed by the Homo Egualis (HE) society model. We consider Jain system level fairness index [1] as a measure of fairness in resource allocation. Simulation results show that the weighted resource allocation scheme provide a better system level fairness index relative to the unweighted allocation scheme.
SPACECRAFT DESCENT AND TRANSLATION IN THE SMALL-BODY FIXED FRAME

The dynamics of spacecraft descent and translation near small, irregularly-shaped bodies, such as comets and asteroids, is investigated. Through linearization, we derive a constant thrust solution for general translation in the body-fixed frame. We improve this nominal result through error estimation and numerically show the resulting control to be very accurate despite the non-linear gravitational potential. We also present the notion of a free-drop manifold from which a spacecraft will arrive at a given target without thrust. Sensitivity of our controller to parameter uncertainty is presented. Numerical covariance results are given for descents to three realistic asteroid shapes. I. Motivation Recently, the world’s space agencies have been planning and executing missions to small celestial bodies, such as asteroids and comets. It is thought that the pristine composition of these bodies could lend insight into how our solar system was formed. However, missions to these irregularly shaped bodies are challenging due to their remoteness and complex gravitational fields. In this paper, we consider the problem of spacecraft translation in an arbitrary gravitational field such as that near a small-body. Descent is a subset of translation such that the destination lies on the surface of the body. To date, the only successful descent to an asteroid surface was done by NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission team using a series of open-loop thrusts to de-orbit the spacecraft. 1 Theoretical work on descent to small bodies has taken a number of approaches. Cui and Cui 2 developed a method for descent using feedback control on altitude and thrust modulation. Guelman and Harel 3 gave an optimal, electric propulsion descent solution from orbit for the spherical body case. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa sample return mission, currently en route to asteroid Itokawa, plans on using optical navigation feedback, an altimeter, and a target marker to descend to the surface. 4 Here, we will develop an open-loop, general translation solution that uses constant thrust to move the spacecraft in the body-fixed frame. We will first formulate the problem and derive a general linearized dynamics solution. This general solution is used to find the particular solutions for free-drop and constant thrust dynamics. We then estimate the error associated with the linearization and use it to improve controller performance. Examples of translation performance above asteroids Itokawa and Eros are given. We proceed to look at the sensitivity of controller performance to uncertainty in the system parameters and give covariance results for descent maneuvers above models of the asteroids Itokawa, Eros, and Vesta. Finally, a descent scenario to asteroid Eros is described in detail.
A longitudinal examination of harmonic distortion in hearing aids.

This study examined the harmonic distortion levels of 1170 hearing aids submitted to the Veterans Administration for contract evaluation during the last six fiscal years. Measurements were made, wi...
Bridge of bone canthopexy: Technique and morphologic assessment

Summary Introduction Malposition of the lower eyelid may disrupt facial aesthetics and impair proper eyelid function. Multiple techniques have been proposed to restore lower eyelid position. The purpose of this study is to report on a modified bridge of bone canthopexy technique and assess its effect on lower eyelid and palpebral fissure restoration. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted. Pre- and post-operative photographs of patients were evaluated by a blinded observer. Pair-wise and chi-square tests were conducted with an observed p -value of 0.05 or less considered statistically significant. Results 12 patients (7 females) with a mean age of 42 (range = 7–87) were included. Canthal tilt and scleral show decreased significantly following surgery ( p = 0.05), and the eye fissure index and inferior coverage of the iris approached significance ( p = 0.16 and p = 0.07, respectively). Two minor complications were encountered in our series. Conclusion The modified bridge of bone canthopexy is a safe and effective technique for alteration of the lower eyelid and is broadly applicable to all causes of negative canthal angulation. Further studies are necessary to test the longevity and stability of this procedure.
Skills training treatment for adaptive affect regulation in a woman with binge‐eating disorder

This case study describes a skills training treatment for binge eating which focused on teaching adaptive affect regulation. A 36-year-old obese woman with a long history of severe binge eating received individual treatment specifically aimed at enhancing her emotion regulation abilities. By treatment end she no longer met criteria for binge eating disorder.
Draft genome sequence of Sulfurospirillum sp. strain MES, reconstructed from the metagenome of a microbial electrosynthesis system

A draft genome of Sulfurospirillum sp. strain MES was isolated through taxonomic binning of a metagenome sequenced from a microbial electrosynthesis system (MES) actively producing acetate and hydrogen. The genome contains the nosZDFLY genes, which are involved in nitrous oxide reduction, suggesting the potential role of this strain in denitrification.
Interactive data analysis and statistical graphics in APL

This article describes the structure of an APL interactive statistical graphics system called STATGRAPHICS. The system provides a comprehensive package of statistical routines which create an environment in which graphical techniques are fully integrated into basic statistical procedures. Individual procedures can be executed as separate APL functions or under the control of fullscreen menus. By using fullscreen panels and soft PF keys to control major statistical procedures, graphics becomes an integral part of the statistical analysis process.
Enhanced function of cultured epithelium by genetic modification: Cell-based synthesis and delivery of growth factors.

Skin substitutes, containing cultured keratinocytes of the epidermis (autologous or allogeneic cells), have been used in the treatment of severe burns and other defects of the skin such as chronic ulcers. Our goal is to enhance the functions of the cells used in these skin substitutes by genetic modification. We propose to develop a genetically modified skin graft which would function as a cell-based vehicle for the local synthesis and delivery of wound-healing growth factors. Using retroviral-mediated gene transfer, we have introduced stable copies of the genes encoding platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-A) or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) into cultured human diploid keratinocytes. After stable integration of these genes, the cells secreted significant levels of these growth factors, 744 ng and 502 ng/10(7) cells/24 h for PDGF-A and IGF-1, respectively. The modified cells were grown to confluence, detached as a multicell-layered epithelial sheet, and transplanted to athymic mice.Seven days after transplantation, grafts secreting PDGF-A or IGF-1 differentiated into a stratified epithelium comparable to unmodified cells. Most importantly, the newly synthesized connective tissue layer subjacent to the PDGF-A-modified grafts was significantly thicker and showed an increase in cellularity, vascularity, type I collagen, and fibronectin deposition when compared to control grafts of unmodified cells or grafts expressing IGF-1.These results demonstrated that the function of the cells of a skin substitute can be enhanced by genetic modification and show that PDGF-A secretion from these cells can mediate changes to the cellular, vascular, and extracellular matrix composition of the adjacent dermal tissue. Moreover, these results suggest that a cell-based method for growth factor synthesis and delivery may be a useful approach to promoting tissue repair. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Measurement of the free-atom fraction in hydrogen-oxygen-argon flames using the relative absorption technique

Abstract The free-atom fractions, β, of five elements in pre-mixed laminar H2/O2/Ar flames produced with a shielded, Meker-type burner were measured as a function of flame composition and height using a relative integrated absorption method. The flame temperatures of the twelve flames studied were measured by the sodium line-reversal method. Silver was investigated as a reference element and was found to be completely atomized within experimental error over the range of flame compositions studied. Therefore, the relative β-values measured were placed on an absolute scale by comparing the absorption of each element with the absorption of silver. The results obtained from this relative absorption technique were independent of the wavelength dependence of the photodetector response, and it was not necessary to accurately measure the sprayer efficiency, the solution transport rate, solution losses in the interconnecting tubing, and the spectral bandwidth of the monochromator. It was found that flame chemistry played an important role in determining the free-atom fraction of many elements in flames—especially those elements forming stable oxides, hydroxides, and/or dihydroxides. Because copper does not form extremely stable compounds in hydrogen flames, the β-value was not very sensitive to change in flame composition, whereas, the β-values for magnesium, manganese and strontium were found to vary drastically with change in flame conditions.
Ultrasonic Fatigue Testing of Ti-6Al-4V

The objective of this research was to investigate the high cycle fatigue behavior of a titanium alloy using an ultrasonic fatigue system. Fatigue testing up to one billion cycles under fully reversed loading conditions was performed to determine the ultra-high cycle fatigue behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. Endurance limit results were compared to similar data generated on conventional servohydraulic test systems and electromagnetic shaker systems to determine if there are any frequency effects. In addition, specimens were tested with and without cooling air to determine the effects of temperature on the fatigue behavior. Results indicate that the fatigue strength determined from ultrasonic testing was consistent with conventional testing. However, preliminary results indicate that cooling air may increase the fatigue limit stress at very long lives.
More Direct Evidence for a Malonyl-CoA–Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase I Interaction as a Key Event in Pancreatic β-Cell Signaling

We sought to explore the emerging concept that malonyl-CoA generation, with concomitant suppression of mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I), represents an important component of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by the pancreatic beta-cell (Prentki M, Vischer S, Glennon MC, Regazzi R, Deeney JT, Corkey BE: Malonyl-CoA and long-chain acyl-CoA esters as metabolic coupling factors in nutrient-induced insulin secretion. J Biol Chem 267:5802-5810, 1992). Accordingly, pancreases from fed rats were perfused with basal (3 mM) followed by high (20 mM) glucose in the absence or presence of 2 mM hydroxycitrate (HC), an inhibitor of ATP-citrate (CIT) lyase (the penultimate step in the glucose-->malonyl-CoA conversion). HC profoundly inhibited GSIS, whereas CIT had no effect. Inclusion of 0.5 mM palmitate in the perfusate significantly enhanced GSIS and completely offset the negative effect of HC. In isolated islets, HC stimulated [1-14C]palmitate oxidation in the presence of basal glucose and markedly obtunded the inhibitory effect of high glucose. Directional changes in 14C incorporation into phospholipids were opposite to those of 14CO2 production. At a concentration of 0.2 mM, 2-bromostearate, 2-bromopalmitate and etomoxir (all CPT I inhibitors) potentiated GSIS by the pancreas and inhibited palmitate oxidation in islets. However, at 0.05 mM, etomoxir did not influence insulin secretion but still caused significant suppression of fatty acid oxidation. The results provide more direct evidence for a pivotal role of malonyl-CoA suppression of CPT I, with attendant elevation of the cytosolic long-chain acyl-CoA concentration, in GSIS from the normal pancreatic beta-cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adaptation of organizational change models to the implementation of quality standard requirements

Companies pursuing certification to quality standards must apply change methodologies to institutionalize the requirements into the business. Existing change models, such as Burke‐Litwin, can serve as the foundation for identifying underlying, predictive variables impacting response variables of a quality management system including quality and delivery performance. The models were selected based on their applicability and similarity in integration of organizational variables with great similarities to those of a typical quality management system. Adaptation of change models specifically to quality management standards provides the conceptual framework in which businesses can operate. The discussion reviews quality management standards, organizational change and models, and change management in pursuit of certification. A conceptual model was developed and serves as the foundation for empirical research efforts. This bridges the gap between organizational change models and quality management systems.
Which books are perceived as helpful in the training of psychotherapists

Psychotherapy and Clinical Fellows responded to a survey that requested them to recommend books they thought were of substantial help in training the prospective clinician to do psychotherapy. Responses indicated that there was little agreement among clinicians with regard to which books are helpful. Also, a minority of clinicians felt that no books were helpful. Those books found most helpful are referenced.
The stability domain of the Lienard type equation

Abstract The author proves that the Lienard equation, ẍ + ƒ( x ) ẍ + g ( x ) = 0, with appropritae conditions on ƒ( x ) and g ( x ) has a minimum domain of stability. It is also inferred that if ƒ( x ) = μ( x 2 −1) and g ( x ) = x , the upper limit on x is in the neighborhood of 2. This does not constitute a proof for the upper limit, but the computations of others gives the upper limit as 2.0235.
Allosteric modulation of Class C GPCRs: a novel approach for the treatment of CNS disorders.

Allosteric modulation has emerged as an innovative pharmacological approach to selectively activate or inhibit several Class C GPCRs. Of the Class C GPCRs, metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors represent the most promising candidates for clinical success, and both positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) and negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of mGluRs have demonstrated therapeutic potential for a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders such as pain, depression, anxiety, cognition, Fragile X syndrome, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.
Endoscopic mucosal resection for staging and treatment of early esophageal carcinoma: a single institution experience

Background Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has emerged for evaluation and treatment of esophageal nodules. We report our initial experience with EMR for T staging and management of early esophageal cancer.
Induction of T cell tolerance to a protein expressed in the cytoplasm through retroviral-mediated gene transfer.

Background Host immune responses to foreign gene products have been shown to lead to the elimination of genetically modified cells, and are a major barrier to successful therapeutic gene therapy. We have shown that immunological tolerance to retrovirally transduced cell surface proteins can be induced by expressing the gene encoding these products in bone marrow derived cells. Here, we investigate if expression of foreign gene products in bone marrow derived cells can be used to induce tolerance to cytoplasmic proteins. Methods Balb/c mice were reconstituted with syngeneic bone marrow cells transduced with retrovirus carrying the gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), or mock-transduced bone marrow cells. After reconstitution, mice were immunized with cells expressing eGFP, and T cells were tested for the ability to kill eGFP-expressing targets in in vitro cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assays. Results T cells from Balb/c mice reconstituted with mock-transduced bone marrow were able to kill target cells expressing eGFP. In contrast, T cells from mice reconstituted with eGFP-transduced bone marrow were unable to kill targets expressing eGFP. In addition, we observed that T cell responses to eGFP in C57BL/6 mice were minimal even under highly immunogenic conditions. Conclusions These data suggest that expression of foreign gene products in bone marrow derived cells is capable of inducing T cell tolerance to proteins expressed exclusively in the cytoplasm. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Amaze: A Multiplayer Computer Game

Amaze relies solely on the V kernel for point-to-point communication. The game's techniques could work in a general class of distributed applications.
MobileDeli'14 workshop: welcome message of the chairs

Mobile application usage and development is experiencing exponential growth. According to Gartner, by 2016 more than 300 billion applications will be downloaded annually. The mobile domain presents new challenges to software engineering. Mobile platforms are rapidly changing, including diverse capabilities as GPS, sensors, and input modes. Applications must be omni-channel and work on all platforms. Activated on mobile platforms, modern applications must be elastic and scale on demand according to the hardware abilities. Applications often need to support and use third-party services. Therefore, during development, security and authorization processes for the dataflow must be applied. Bring your own device (BYOD) policies bring new security data leaks challenges. Developing such applications requires suitable practices and tools e.g., architecture techniques that relate to the complexity at hand; improved refactoring tools for hybrid applications using dynamic languages and polyglot development and applications; and testing techniques for applications that run on different devices. This workshop aims at establishing a community of researchers and practitioners to share their work and lead further research in the mobile software engineering. The workshop has several goals. First, we want to develop relationships to create a vibrant research community in the area of mobile software development. Second, we want to identify the most important research problems for mobile software development.
Can incentives make a difference? Assessing the effects of policy tools for encouraging tree-planting on private lands.

This study uses a mail survey of private landowners in the Midwest United States to understand the characteristics of owners who have planted trees or intend to plant trees in the future. The analysis examines what policy tools encourage owners to plant trees, and how policy tools operate across different ownership attributes to promote tree-planting on private lands. Logistic regression results suggest that cost-subsidizing policy tools, such as low-cost and free seedlings, significantly increase the odds of actual and planned reforestation when landowners consider them important for increasing forest cover. Individuals most likely to plant trees, when low-cost seedlings are available and important, are fairly recent (<5 years), college-educated owners who own small parcels (<4 ha) and use the land for recreation. Motivations to reforest were also shaped by owners' planning horizons, connection to the land, previous tree-planting experience, and peer influence. The study has relevance for the design of policy approaches that can encourage private forestation through provision of economic incentives and capacity to private landowners.
Prenatal Insecticide Exposures and Birth Weight and Length among an Urban Minority Cohort

We reported previously that insecticide exposures were widespread among minority women in New York City during pregnancy and that levels of the organophosphate chlorpyrifos in umbilical cord plasma were inversely associated with birth weight and length. Here we expand analyses to include additional insecticides (the organophosphate diazinon and the carbamate propoxur), a larger sample size (n = 314 mother-newborn pairs), and insecticide measurements in maternal personal air during pregnancy as well as in umbilical cord plasma at delivery. Controlling for potential confounders, we found no association between maternal personal air insecticide levels and birth weight, length, or head circumference. For each log unit increase in cord plasma chlorpyrifos levels, birth weight decreased by 42.6 g [95% confidence interval (CI), -81.8 to -3.8, p = 0.03] and birth length decreased by 0.24 cm (95% CI, -0.47 to -0.01, p = 0.04). Combined measures of (ln)cord plasma chlorpyrifos and diazinon (adjusted for relative potency) were also inversely associated with birth weight and length (p 0.8). The propoxur metabolite 2-isopropoxyphenol in cord plasma was inversely associated with birth length, a finding of borderline significance (p = 0.05) after controlling for chlorpyrifos and diazinon. Results indicate that prenatal chlorpyrifos exposures have impaired fetal growth among this minority cohort and that diazinon exposures may have contributed to the effects. Findings support recent regulatory action to phase out residential uses of the insecticides.
Pointing the Phone: Transforming Technologies and Social Relations among Warlpiri

Many central Australian Aboriginal settlements have recently gained access to mobile phones and the Internet. This paper explores ways in which Aboriginal people engage with this technology outside of institutional settings. Drawing on long-term research among Warlpiri, I reflect on people's responses to earlier communication media such as the two-way radio and radio–telephone and compare them to patterns of use emerging around new technologies. Attending to the social landscape surrounding the uptake of new media and the social networking site ‘Divas Chat’, I consider how transformations in material structures of communication interact with changing demographics, embodied socio-spatial relations, sorcery beliefs and mobility to reinforce, refigure and/or disrupt patterns of conflict and connectedness that hitherto have structured Warlpiri relational ontology. I suggest that the way people engage with these technologies illuminates and intensifies fault-lines arising from contradictions between older established social orders and changing relations with the state and modernity.
Speckle interferometry with an imaging grating interferometer.

A new speckle interferometric technique utilizing an imaging grating interferometer is introduced. Because the conventional dual aperture is replaced with a set of holographic gratings, the technique offers higher sensitivity and efficiency than existing techniques, and it produces interferograms with an image quality compatible with that obtained by holographic techniques.
The Nucleocapsid Region of HIV-1 Gag Cooperates with the PTAP and LYPXnL Late Domains to Recruit the Cellular Machinery Necessary for Viral Budding

HIV-1 release is mediated through two motifs in the p6 region of Gag, PTAP and LYPXnL, which recruit cellular proteins Tsg101 and Alix, respectively. The Nucleocapsid region of Gag (NC), which binds the Bro1 domain of Alix, also plays an important role in HIV-1 release, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that the first 202 residues of the Bro1 domain (Broi) are sufficient to bind Gag. Broi interferes with HIV-1 release in an NC–dependent manner and arrests viral budding at the plasma membrane. Similar interrupted budding structures are seen following over-expression of a fragment containing Bro1 with the adjacent V domain (Bro1-V). Although only Bro1-V contains binding determinants for CHMP4, both Broi and Bro1-V inhibited release via both the PTAP/Tsg101 and the LYPXnL/Alix pathways, suggesting that they interfere with a key step in HIV-1 release. Remarkably, we found that over-expression of Bro1 rescued the release of HIV-1 lacking both L domains. This rescue required the N-terminal region of the NC domain in Gag and the CHMP4 binding site in Bro1. Interestingly, release defects due to mutations in NC that prevented Bro1 mediated rescue of virus egress were rescued by providing a link to the ESCRT machinery via Nedd4.2s over-expression. Our data support a model in which NC cooperates with PTAP in the recruitment of cellular proteins necessary for its L domain activity and binds the Bro1–CHMP4 complex required for LYPXnL–mediated budding.
Evanescent intensity of a focused Gaussian light beam undergoing total internal reflection in a prism

We calculate the evanescent electric field and intensity profile of a circular Gaussian light beam when it is focused by a lens, enters a spatially finite prism, and is totally internally reflected at a planar interface of the prism and a dielectric substance. The electric field and intensity at the interface depend on the indices of refraction of the prism, the 1 /e 2 width, wavelength, and polarization of the incident beam, the focal length and exit pupil of the focusing lens, the distance from lens to prism, the shape and size of the prism, and the beam's angle of incidence. Our calculations show the evanescent intensity profile to be well approximated by a Gaussian shape for many practical realizations of the lens and prism optical apparatus. The 1/e 2 width of the profile appears to depend primarily on the beam's 1 /e 2 width, the ratio of the focal length of the lens to this width, and the incidence angle. The polarization of the evanescent electric field is approximately perpendicular to the incident plane of the beam center for an incident beam polarized in this direction. It is within the incidence plane, but rotates with time and position along the inter­ face, for an incident beam polarized in the incidence plane of the beam center. The penetration depth (into the dielectric) does not have a strong dependence on position within the illuminated area. Experimental measurement of the intensity profile in one optical geometry agrees well with our theoretical predictions.
Structural components of a virus of the California encephalitis complex: LaCrosse virus

Abstract LaCrosse virus, a member of the California encephalitis complex, was grown in BHK-21, clone 13 cells and purified by precipitation with 20 M polyethylene glycol and isopycnic banding at 1.18 g/cc in linear 15–60% sucrose gradients. Three polypeptides with molecular weights of approximately 26,000, 45,000, and 85,000 daltons were distinguishable in the virus upon SDS-polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis. Radioactive labeling in a reduced amino acid medium, however, caused the reduction or loss of the 45,000 dalton polypeptide. The LaCrosse virus contains single-stranded RNA which is infectious. The viral RNA was resolved into six peaks with sedimentation coefficients of approximately 4 S, 16 S, 20 S, 27 S, 35 S, and 50–60 S. Heating the RNA at 80 °C for 2.5 min dissociated the larger RNA classes (35 S and 50–60 S) and produced a broad 20 S peak ranging from 4 S to 27 S.
High-pH ion-exchange separation and electrochemical detection of alditols, carbohydrates and acidic sugars

Abstract Recent advances in electrochemical detection of carbohydrates and related compounds have produced a need for chromatographic procedures which can effectively carry out the separation of these compounds under strongly alkaline conditions. Accordingly, the retention properties of commercially available, high-pH anion-exchange and ligand-exchange columns were evaluated for alditols, carbohydrates and aldonic, uronic and aldaric acids. It was shown that anion-exchange techniques were able to retain and resolve these groups from one another in a straight-forward fashion by managing the mobile phase ionic strength. Separations involving mixtures of compounds belonging to any one family were difficult only for the alditols, which are only weakly retained under these conditions. For this specific case, ligand-exchange columns were found to be able to resolve most mixtures.
Application of the statistical narrow-band correlated-k method to low-resolution spectral intensity and radiative heat transfer calculations — effects of the quadrature scheme

Abstract The statistical narrow-band correlated- k method was employed to calculate low-resolution spectral intensity along a line-of-sight, and radiative heat transfer in both, a one-dimensional parallel-plates enclosure and a three-dimensional rectangular enclosure containing CO 2 –H 2 O–N 2 mixtures under various conditions. Numerical calculations were conducted using six quadrature schemes: the commonly used “7-point Gauss–Lobatto” quadrature, the 4-point, 2-point, and 1-point Gauss–Legendre quadratures, and the 4-point and 5-point Gauss–Lobatto quadratures. The “7-point Gauss–Lobatto” quadrature yields very accurate results compared to the results of the statistical narrow-band model. Results of the 4-point Gauss–Legendre quadrature are only slightly less accurate than those of the “7-point Gauss–Lobatto” quadrature. The 2-point Gauss–Legendre quadrature offers acceptably good accuracy with much less computing efforts, especially for calculations of spectrally integrated quantities. Results of the 1-point Gauss–Legendre are in serious error. The overall performance of the 4-point and 5-point Gauss–Lobatto quadratures is even worse than that of the 2-point Gauss–Legendre quadrature.
Revised magnetic power spectrum of the oceanic crust

[1] The magnetic field originating within the Earth can be divided into core and crustal components, which can be characterized by the geomagnetic power spectrum. While the core spectrum is determined quite well by satellite studies, models of the shorter wavelength crustal spectrum disagree considerably. We reexamine aeromagnetic data used by O'Brien et al. [1999] to obtain a new, improved estimate of the crustal geomagnetic power spectrum. O'Brien et al.'s model somewhat failed to give a satisfactory connection between the longer-wavelength satellite studies and a reliable crustal model. We show that this was caused by an inadequate processing step that aimed to remove external variations from the data. We moreover attempt to bound the long-wavelength part of the spectrum using constraints of monotonicity in the correlation of the magnetization. However, this proves to be a weak constraint. Reversing the process, though, we are able to evaluate the correlation function using the reliable part of our geomagnetic spectrum. Thus we can obtain a sensible estimate for the long-wavelength part of the spectrum that is not well constrained by the data. Our new model shows better agreement with earlier satellite studies and can be considered reliable in the spherical harmonic degree range l = 30 to 1200.
Genetic manipulation of the biosynthetic process leading to phoslactomycins, potent protein phosphatase 2A inhibitors

Phoslactomycins (PLMs) represent an unusual structural class of natural products secreted by various streptomycetes, containing an α,β-unsaturated δ-lactone, an amino group, phosphate ester, conjugated diene and a cyclohexane ring. Phosphazomycins, phospholines and leustroducsins contain the same structural moieties, varying only in the acyl substituent at the C-18 hydroxyl position. These compounds possess either antifungal or antitumor activities or both. The antitumor activity of the PLM class of compounds has been attributed to a potent and selective inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). The cysteine-269 residue of PP2Ac-subunit has been shown to be the site of covalent modification by PLMs. In this article, we review previous work on the isolation, structure elucidation and biological activities of PLMs and related compounds and current status of our work on both PLM stability and genetic manipulation of the biosynthetic process. Our work has shown that PLM B is surprisingly stable in solution, with a pH optimum of 6. Preliminary biosynthetic studies utilizing isotopically labeled shikimic acid and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHC) suggested PLM B to be a polyketide-type antibiotic synthesized using CHC as a starter unit. Using a gene (chcA) from a set of CHC-CoA biosynthesis genes from Streptomyces collinus as a probe, a 75 kb region of 29 ORFs encoding PLM biosynthesis was located in the genome of Streptomyces sp. strain HK803. Analysis and subsequent manipulation of plmS 2 and plmR 2 in the gene cluster has allowed for rational engineering of a strain that produces only one PLM analog, PLM B, at ninefold higher titers than the wild type strain. A strain producing PLM G (the penultimate intermediate in PLMs biosynthesis) has also been generated. Current work is aimed at selective in vitro acylation of PLM G with various carboxylic acids and a precursor-directed biosynthesis in a chcA deletion mutant with the aim of generating novel PLM analogs.
Chromatin as an expansive canvas for chemical biology

Chromatin is extensively chemically modified and thereby acts as a dynamic signaling platform controlling gene function. Chromatin regulation is integral to cell differentiation, lineage commitment and organism development, whereas chromatin dysregulation can lead to age-related and neurodegenerative disorders as well as cancer. Investigating chromatin biology presents a unique challenge, as the issue spans many disciplines, including cell and systems biology, biochemistry and molecular biophysics. In recent years, the application of chemical biology methods for investigating chromatin processes has gained considerable traction. Indeed, chemical biologists now have at their disposal powerful chemical tools that allow chromatin biology to be scrutinized at the level of the cell all the way down to the single chromatin fiber. Here we present recent examples of how this rapidly expanding palette of chemical tools is being used to paint a detailed picture of chromatin function in organism development and disease.
Kombinationsbeziehungen im Absorptionsspektrum des flüssigen Sauerstoffs

Das Absorptionsspektrum des flussigen Sauerstoffs im Bereich λ=340 bis 2750 mμ wurde untersucht, eine neue Bande bei 1261mμ. (Wellenzahl ν1=793,0 mm−1) gefunden und als 0-0-Banden des3Σ-1Δ-Systems identifiziert. Die 0-0-Bande des3Σ-1Σ-Systems („atmospharische Banden“) liegt bei ν2=1307,2 mm−1. Das gesamte Absorptionsspektrum im sichtbaren und ultraroten Gebiet — mit Ausnahme einer schwachen Gruppe — last sich darstellen durch:m · ν1+n· ν2+v· ω (m und n= 0, 1, 2; m+n≦2; v=0, 1, 2, 3 ...), wobeiω das Schwingungsquant des O2-Molekuls bedeutet. Die Kombinationsbanden (m+n>1) werden der Absorption durch (O2)2-Molekule zugeschrieben, deren Konzentration aus der Intensitat, deren Trennungsarbeit aus der Abschattierung der Banden geschatzt und in Ubereinstimmung mit G. N. Lewis' Schatzung gefunden wird.
Analog (p,n) cross sections of the zirconium isotopes at 18 and 25 MeV

The differential cross sections for the (p,n) reaction to the ground-state analogs of the lightest four stable zirconium isotopes (90, 91, 92, and 94) have been measured at proton energies of 18 and 25 MeV. Integrated cross sections are found to deviate from the expected linear dependence on neutron excess as was previously found for the molybdenum isotopes. The observed dependence is in quantitative agreement with calculations, including inelastic couplings used to explain the molybdenum results. The energy dependence of the zirconium analog cross sections confirms the resonant-type enhancement of the low energy (p,n) excitation function observed previously for the molybdenum isotopes.
Acidity of HCl in Neutral Buffered Chloroaluminate Molten Salts

The Bronsted acidity of HCl in neutral buffered AlCl3:1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIC) melts has been compared to the Bronsted acidity of HCl in acidic (55 mol % AlCl3) melts. The acidities were compared using the spectrophotometric indicator method. Arenes were used as the weak indicator bases. The acidity of HCl in the neutral buffered melts was found to be dependent on both the type of buffering agent (LiCl, KCl, and NaCl) and on the concentration of the metal cation in the melt. An enhancement in Bronsted acidity of HCl is observed in the neutral buffered melts, although to a lesser degree than that in the acidic melts. A Hammett acidity function was determined for a NaCl (originally 55 mol % AlCl3) buffered melt and a LiCl (originally 55 mol % AlCl3) buffered melt. For a HCl (1 atm)/NaCl/AlCl3:EMIC (originally 55 mol % AlCl3) buffered melt, Ho = −11.3. Ho = −12.7 for a HCl (1 atm)/LiCl/AlCl3:EMIC (originally 55 mol % AlCl3) buffered melt.